Double Mushroom & Kale Farro

Directions

1. Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and add 1 1/2 cups of hot water to cover. Set aside until mushrooms are soft, about 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a fine-mesh sieve, collecting the liquid in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set mushroom liquid aside. Slice rehydrated mushrooms.
2. Warm chicken stock in a small pan or in the microwave.
3. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add fresh sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft (but not mushy) and reduced by roughly half, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and place cooked mushrooms in a bowl.
4. Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add farro and stir to coat with oil, about one minute.
5. Add 3/4 cup of warmed chicken stock, allowing it to bubble away before adding the remaining stock. Unlike a risotto, you do not have to constantly stir the farro, but do keep an eye on it and stir as needed.
6. Once the stock has been absorbed, add the reserved mushroom liquid. When most of the mushroom liquid has been absorbed, add all the mushrooms (rehydrated and fresh) to the pan. Total cooking time until this point should be 20 minutes or less.
7. Add the kale and cook until it is bright green and wilted, about a minute or two. At this point most of the liquid should be absorbed. If not, turn up the heat slightly and continue stirring for an additional minute or two. Check the farro: It should be chewy, not crunchy.
8. Stir in the cheese and thyme, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional cheese and optional fresh chives as garnish.