Broccoli Rabe And Kale Harvest Salad

• 3/4 cup farro, rinsed
• 2 cup water
• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe
• 1 bunch of lacinato/dino kale; about 5 packed cups of chopped kale
• 1 small fennel bulb
• 1 small sweet apple, such as gala or honey crisp
• 1 small red onion, roughly ¼ cup of thin slices
• 1/4 cup ¼ cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
• scant 1/2 cup frozen whole cranberries, thawed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the rinsed farro, 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the farro to a boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the farro for 20 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and still has a bit of chew. Drain the farro and set aside.
2. Rinse out the saucepan that you used for the farro and fill it with about 2 inches of water. Place the pot over medium heat. Let it come to a light boil. Set up an ice bath in a medium sized bowl.
3. Trim the tough stems off of the broccoli rabe and cut it into bite-size pieces. Drop half of the cut broccoli rabe into the saucepan and place the lid on it right away. Allow the rabe to steam for about 3-4 minutes, or until tender and lightly wilted. Transfer the steamed broccoli rabe to the ice bath. Repeat this blanching process with the remaining broccoli rabe.
4. Remove the stems from the kale and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped kale into a large bowl. Trim the fennel bulb, reserving some of the fronds, and remove the core. Shave the fennel with a mandolin right over the bowl with the kale. Remove the apple core and shave it with a mandolin over the large bowl. Remove the tough outer peel of the red onion and shave it with a mandolin over the large bowl.
5. Squeeze all of the excess water out of the blanched broccoli rabe and place it in the large bowl with the kale and other shaved fruits/vegetables. Add the cooked farro to the bowl as well.
6. To make the dressing, combine the thawed cranberries, olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, fresh ginger, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in an upright blender. Blend the mixture on high until you have a smooth consistency.
7. Season the salad with salt and pepper and pour 3/4 of the Orange-Cranberry dressing onto the salad. Massage the dressing into the kale, broccoli rabe, farro, and other fruits and vegetables until everything is evenly coated. Transfer the dressed salad to a large platter. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top and garnish the salad with the chopped walnuts and fennel fronds.