George Chiala Farms - George's Recipe of the Month.

George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.

After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.

Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.

5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups farro, rinsed
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 bunch asparagus, about 1 lb.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 head of romanesco, cut into florets
6 cloves garlic - minced
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen English peas
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3-oz. piece Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (for garnish
Roast beef -or- chicken -or- fish to pair with dish

1 - In a large, heavy fry pan over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the farro and stir to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring, until the farro is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom.

2 - Transfer the contents of the pan to a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining 3 cups stock, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on low according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the farro is tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

3 - Meanwhile, trim the tough stem ends from the asparagus and cut the spears into 2-inch lengths. Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus pieces, reserving the tips, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and cook until all the pieces are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Drain the asparagus and rinse under cold running water until cool. Spread the pieces out on a kitchen towel to dry.

4 - Moving onto the romanesco, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place florets on the parchment paper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and crushed garlic. Mix everything around with a spatula. Then grate half the lemon zest atop and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake for approx. 20 minutes, or until tender and browned.

5- About 5 minutes before the farro is ready, in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the peas and sauté for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and romanesco and sauté until all the vegetables are just tender and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in remaining lemon juice.

6 - Stir the vegetables into the farro and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Garnish with the lemon zest and parsley. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese over the top. Serve immediately beside your choice of roast beef, fish or poultry.