This salad, tinged with yellow and pink, is beautiful on a buffet table. The garnish also adds a colorful presentation. It's what I like to call "happiness in a bowl," and I just love all of the ingredients.

Farro is an ancient strain of wheat that looks like a plump barley kernel. But don't get it confused with spelt. Spelt sometimes is called farro but tastes different and takes much longer to cook.

I like to use whole grain farro; pearlized farro has the hull removed and cooks in less than half the time. If you are in a hurry you can also use Trader Joe's 10-minute farro. It won't be quite as flavorful, and the texture will be softer, but it is less complicated and quicker to cook.

I like the fact the farro is higher in protein than pasta or rice, so there's less concern about calories. Farro, with its rich, nutty flavor, is recommended as the grain to use for diabetics. It's great in salads as well as in stews and soups, or as a substitute in rice dishes like risotto.

Farro, pronounced "farr-oh," can be found in natural food stores, gourmet food stores and even many supermarkets. I love its nutty flavor and texture. Farro must be soaked before cooking and will have a distinctive al dente crunchiness.

Then there's corn, which is coming into season, and this salad shows off its sweet juicy flavor and texture. I like to shuck just-picked corn and put it right in the salad for a garden-to-table flavor. If the corn is a bit older, drop it in boiling water for a minute and then cool it before adding it to the salad.

You can serve this by itself, on a pretty bed of colorful lettuce or on a buffet table along with other cold salads. You might want to save a little bit for yourself for the next day. To drink? A full-bodied sauvignon blanc is a pleasant accompaniment with this salad. If you are serving it as a main course, pinot noir also performs nicely.

Farro Salad with Slow-Roasted Salmon and Corn

Serves 4 to 6

For the salad:

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