Roasted Salmon with Beet Farro

Salmon and beets are a great pairing, since the richness of the fish works well with the earthy roots. I put them together in a simple weeknight meal of roasted, crispy-skinned fillets with a lemony farro and beet salad. For some reason, they only had gigantic beetroots at the market and I just needed one to make this dish, but I had originally planned to buy a variety of baby beets for a cuter presentation. The salad would be great on its own for a light lunch or side dish, so make extra for the next day.

Roasted Salmon with Beet Farro:

For Farro Salad

• Peel and dice 3/4 lb. of beets and place on a baking sheet.
• Toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper and put in a 400F oven.*
• Roast beets for 30 minutes, or until tender.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook 1 c. farro until al dente.**
• Drain and place in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the juice of 1 meyer lemon,*** 1/4 c. minced parsley, and 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the dressing and the roasted beets to the farro and toss to combine.
• Crumble in 2 oz. fresh goat cheese and toss again.

For Salmon

• Coat a heavy, oven-proof skillet with canola oil and heat until almost smoking.
• Season two 6 oz. fillets of salmon with salt and pepper and add skin-side down to the skillet.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a 400F oven (still skin-side down) and roast for 6-8 minutes, or until just cooked through.
• Divide onto plates and serve with farro salad.

Serves two

*Note: I use a light olive oil or canola oil for roasting vegetables and a more flavorful extra-virgin olive oil for dressing.
**I've started to see quick-cooking farro at the grocery store. Traditional varieties can take up a while to cook and can be made in advance.

**Or regular lemon, if you can't find meyer.