Herbed Farro Salad

Bring the 2 litres of water to a boil with the 12g of fine salt and the bay leaf.

Cook the farro loose in far more water than it can absorb, exactly as you would pasta. Cooked by absorption in a measured amount it swells unevenly, and the outsides go to starch while the centres are still hard.

Tip in the farro and boil it steadily, uncovered.

Start tasting at 12 minutes. Pearled farro is usually done in 15-20, semi-pearled takes half as long again, and unpearled needs an overnight soak, so the packet matters more than the clock here.

Stop when a grain is tender but still pops between the teeth, with no chalk in the middle.

Drain it in a sieve and shake it hard to get the water out from between the grains.

Fish out the bay leaf.

Tip the hot farro into a wide bowl.

Pour over the vinaigrette and the lemon juice while the grains are still steaming, and turn them through.

Dress it hot. Warm grain drinks the dressing as it cools and cold grain sits in it, which is the same rule the lemony chickpea and herb salad in this collection is built on.

Spread the dressed farro out in the bowl and leave it for 15 minutes, until it has stopped steaming and cooled to warm.

Fold in the cucumber, spring onions and lemon zest.

Add the parsley, dill and chives by the handful, so the bowl looks more green than brown.

Turn everything over with a wide spoon, lifting from the base.

Scatter over the pumpkin seeds.

Season with the ground peppercorns, then taste and add fine salt.

Serve at room temperature.

Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving if it was made ahead, since cold flattens the lemon and the salt alike.