BARLEY RISOTTO

This was last nights dinner at our house, and i must say this recipe is a winner with all family members (very rare)! To the basic recipe i add whatever vegetables i have in the house that suit our mood.....almost always including some sort of green (kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach, etc) and at least 2 other veggies. Everyone here loves it with mushrooms, but we've also used squash (zucchini, summer, and many winter squash varieties), asparagus, peas, green beans, carrots, tomato...and the list goes on. The meat enthusiast among us loves this with a side of sausage! And we also enjoy it with toasted pistachios! Be creative! And make a double recipe if you love leftovers!

I have found this recipe is delicious with or without the cheese. The barley has such a creamy texture on it's own that you certainly don't need the cheese to add that dimension.

Decide when you would like to add whatever veggies you choose to use. Depending on what i use, i either add it at the beginning with the onions and garlic, or a few minutes before the dish is done cooking (example: spinach)

Ingredients:
6 cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup pearl barley
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano
salt and freshly milled pepper to taste


Have the stock at a simmer. Heat oil in large pot. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add barley and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the barley. Raise the heat a little and add the wine, stir frequently until the wine is absorbed. Lower the heat and add 2 and 1/2 cups of the stock, cover the pot, and simmer until the stock is almost absorbed. Now start adding stock 1/2 cup at a time and wait until it's absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently. After about 40 minutes the barley should be tender and the dish thick and creamy. YOU MAY NOT NEED TO USE ALL OF THE STOCK. Stir in cheese and serve! Fresh parsley goes nicely mixed in or as a garnish.