We all know raw or minimally cooked vegetables and whole grains are good for us. Sometimes we hear it so much that mealtime prospects start to seem bleak, almost punitive, and we long for fried bologna and mustard on white. But after we threw this snappy salad together—tiny vegetables and herbs consorting with Anson Mills Farro Piccolo in a bracing vinaigrette—things brightened up. With its flavorful and textural joie de vivre, the farro imbibes a cocktail of light vegetable juices, lemon, and olive oil—with delightful, no-guilt results.

This particular construction could, of course, be applied to a wide range of vegetables (raw or cooked) and to a range of seasons (warm or cool): asparagus, mushrooms, Belgian endive, shredded cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, zucchini, wilted greens, could all, in some combination, jump into the fray with delightful results.