Prepare the Chicken Marinade:

Combine the chicken pieces or whole breasts in a resealable bag or a bowl. Add the 2 ¼ tablespoons of olive oil, zest of the small lemon, 1 ½ tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, generous ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Seal the bag (or cover the bowl), ensuring the chicken is well-coated. Let it rest and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes. For enhanced flavor, you can marinate for up to 4 hours or even overnight.

Cook the Farro:

Rinse the farro thoroughly under cold running water using a fine-mesh sieve, then let it drain. Transfer the rinsed farro to a medium saucepan. Pour in the 2 ¼ cups of water or stock and add the generous ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to a medium-low setting, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let it simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, or until the farro grains are pleasantly chewy and tender. After cooking, drain off any remaining liquid.

Cook the Chicken:

While the farro simmers, cook the chicken. Warm a thin layer of additional olive oil in a spacious skillet or frying pan over a medium-high flame. Carefully lay the marinated chicken (pieces or whole breasts) in the hot skillet, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan (cook in batches if necessary). Cook for about 6-7 minutes on the initial side until nicely browned. Turn the chicken over and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes on the second side, or until cooked through. Confirm the chicken is cooked by checking that its internal temperature registers 165∘F (74∘C) using a meat thermometer.1 If using whole breasts, remove them from the pan. Discard any leftover marinade.

Rest and Slice the Chicken (if cooked whole):

Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a clean cutting board or plate. Allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes; this helps keep the chicken juicy. After resting, slice the chicken against the grain into strips suitable for the bowls. If you cooked chicken pieces, this step can be skipped.

Prepare the Creamy Cucumber-Mint Sauce:

Shred the small cucumber using the large holes of a box grater directly onto a clean kitchen towel or several layers of strong paper towels. Gather the grated cucumber in the towel and firmly wring out as much excess liquid as possible over a sink. Place the drier, grated cucumber into a medium bowl. To this, add the very finely minced small garlic clove, ¾ cup of plain yogurt, generous ¼ teaspoon of salt, generous ¼ teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon of dried dill, and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint. Mix everything together thoroughly until well combined. Cover the bowl and chill the sauce in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the bowls.

Assemble Your Hellenic Feast Bowls:

Divide the cooked farro equally among three individual serving bowls. Arrange portions of the sliced or diced cooked chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, Kalamata olives, and thinly sliced red onion attractively over the farro base in each bowl. Add a generous dollop of the chilled creamy cucumber-mint sauce and a sprinkle of the crumbled feta cheese over each bowl to finish. Serve immediately.