Barley Bake

Last winter I became a little obsessed with whole grains, including barley. I found a recipe for a barley bake, which I have made and adapted several times since then. This is rich, hearty, and tasty side dish that can be made with a wide variety of vegetables, broths, and/or nuts. I was tempted to add parmesan cheese the first time I made it, but I took a bite and realized the butter and broth added plenty of richness: No Cheese Needed!

I use the barley available in the bulk section of the grocery store, which I believe is pearl barley. I have only recently learned (see this link) that hulled barley is the whole grain and is more nutritious, but also takes even longer to cook than the pearl barley.

Preheat the oven to 350.

If you have a Dutch oven or a similar container that can go from the stovetop to the oven, use it for this recipe to make fewer dishes to clean up. In the pan melt 2-3T butter over med heat and add 1C barley, 1/3C nuts (the original recipe called for pine nuts but I use walnuts), and 1/2 onion, diced. When the barley begins to brown add other vegetables to sautee.

I used 4 crimini mushrooms, chopped, and 1 leek, sliced and rinsed well.

I also added 2-3T parsley, chopped. Finally, I added kale. We had purple kale from our farm share and I used about 4 large leaves, trimmed off the stems, and sliced the kale into strips. I added the kale to the pot and covered to allow it to steam for 1-2 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and chicken (or vegetable) broth and stir the whole mixture well. The recipe calls for two 14.5 oz. cans of broth, but I used 1 32 oz. container and it worked just fine. Cover the pot and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check at about 1 hour to see if the moisture has been absorbed. The dish is finished when the broth has been absorbed and the barley is tender, chewy, and cooked. This makes enough for a side dish for about 6 people, or plenty for dinner for 2 with leftovers for a couple days.