Name: Massimo's "Farinella"
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 cup (about 6 ounces) half-peeled emmer, spelt, or pearl barley, rinsed and drained; 6 cups water; 1 small red onion, chopped coarse; 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar; 4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled (if desired), seeded, and chopped coarse; 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped coarse; 1/2 cup arugula or purslane leaves, washed well, spun dry, and chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves; 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; fine sea salt to taste; freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Grain and Tomato Salad)

One summer my husband, Massimo, and I vacationed with our son, Max, near Lucca, about an hour from Florence. There we discovered a local specialty, farro, an ancient grain (emmer, often called spelt, in English) similar to barley, traditionally used in bean soup there. We bought lots of it, and Massimo then made a salad based on panzanella but substituting the boiled farro, for soaked and squeezed bread — a terrific idea that has become a warm-weather favorite.

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