Wash the asparagus, cut them into 1-inch sections and blanch** them.
Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half.
Cut the olives in half.
Prepare the pesto dressing. Wash the basil and remove 20-25 leaves from the stems. Put the first five dressing ingredients in a blender, olive oil first. Start at low speed low and slowly increase the speed. If the ingredients don’t blend well, add more olive oil or one tablespoon of water. Transfer into a small bowl and stir in the vinegar.
Place asparagus, white beans, farro (or brown rice), tomatoes and olives in a bowl. Add dressing, salt and pepper to taste, toss and serve.
* Recipe by Leigh Whitten
** Blanching means plunging into boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain and rinse with cold running water to stop the cooking process.