Blue and White Striped Shirt Salad

We have no Mah Jongg Uniforms. No memos are sent telling players what to wear, but this morning the first three players to show up, Deanna, Christy and myself, all showed up wearing blue and white striped shirts and white pants. A little while later Carol showed up in a blue and white striped shirt and jeans. Without coordination it became blue and white striped shirt day!

Sunday I saw a recipe in the NYT for farro, mint and goat cheese salad. It was my inspiration for the salad I made for lunch today. It was deemed a top favorite by those who had lunch today. In fact, Morgan, who had to take her lunch to go just texted, “That May Be the best salad I have ever had.” Well, Morgan can be known for hyperbole, but it was good enough that I need to write down how I made it now, or it will be lost forever.

So now it is called Blue and White Shirt Salad – That Name won’t mean a thing to you, but for those at Mah Jongg we will remember.

1/2 cup of Farro

1/2 cup of orzo

2 bay leaves

2/3 cup dried cherries

15 Oz. Baby Spinach leaves

30 fresh mint leaves, chopped

30 fresh basil leaves, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1/3 cup of thinly sliced red onion

1/3 cup of chopped cashews

3 Oz goat cheese, crumbled

3 pan sautéed chicken thighs, chopped after cooking (or any rotisserie chicken)

Dressing

Zest of two big lemons

Juice of two lemons

1 T. Salt

1/2 T. Fresh ground pepper

1/2 t.red pepper flakes

1 1/2 T. honey

1/2 cup olive oil

Cook the farro and orzo as directed on packages with a by leaf in each pot. Drain, remove bay leave and put in a Tupperware together with the dried cherries and 1/3 of the dressing. Mix well and chill. Can be done the day before.

Mix all the other ingredients with the chilled farro and orzo and dress. Serve immediately while wearing a blue and white stripped shirt.