barley salad with pesto

Last week, Kelsey and I got to dazzle our dear friend Kelsey with a taste of our East Coast life. We toted her to the must-see spots in Philly and spent one day in New York. We dined at our favorite restaurants and listened to great music and had thoughtful and hilarious conversations. It was utterly delightful to have her here and a great excuse to treat ourselves to some local adventure.

Then she flew back to Kansas and we all went back to our real lives. Lives that do not typically involve happy hours in Soho.

This is my real life, right now: At some point, every day, I put on the same too-big flannel shirt and yoga pants. For dinner, I eat some variation of vegetables/beans/quinoa or a leftover Rybread sandwich. Kelsey and I drink a lot of tea and are making a valiant effort to watch every episode of every television series Netflix has to offer (currently engrossed by Parenthood).

Making herbal tea with mint leaves from her urban garden. So earthy.

And you know what? I love it. I love it just as much as I love walking around Central Park. Or London. I'm a homebody who likes adventure.

It's that adventurous-homebody spirit that inspires me to impulsively buy barley when I don't know how to cook it. It's a way to have an adventure without leaving home. And I know that barley is healthy, but my purchase probably had more to do with nostalgic memories of the sweet Shih-Tzu, by the same name, of my bff since childhood. Turns out, barley makes a lovely, nutty alternative to quinoa. I think I'll add her to the rotation, with much love to Barley-dog Dower.

I'm taking baby steps with this new grain, starting in my vegetable-rice-bowl comfort zone.

This may look very similar to other dishes I've posted, but the flavors are quite different. All thanks to some miraculous pesto.

FIRST of all, check out those beautiful measuring cups. They were a Christmas gift from a boy with great taste and will undoubtedly bring some class to this little blog. Now, if we can get past how cute they are, you'll notice the ingredients held therein are super simple. Basil (the wintry dried variety worked just fine), pine nuts (bought a tiny scoop from the bulk section! $20.99/lb. what?), garlic, parmesan and olive oil.

Chop the solid ingredients together in a blender, then slowly add the oil until it becomes silky, salty, garlicky, heavenly.

Cook the barley like you'd cook rice. Two parts water to one part grain. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the water has been absorbed. It will smell a bit like amber ale, and I'm not complaining. When the pesto hits the hot barley, it gets creamy and even more wonderful. If you stop now, you have a perfectly nice risotto-esque side.

For the full barley bowl meal, carefully select the finest vegetables at the market.

Or just take any and all vegetables out of your fridge, like I did. Wunderbar.

I sprinkled some balsamic vinegar on these babies before roasting. This is what I like to call 'developing complex flavors.' I think I learned that on Top Chef. It served me well tonight. This little barley bowl is packed with flavor. Nutty, salty, a little sweet. A lot tasty.

Barley Salad with Pesto
Serves 3, or more as a side

1 c. pearl barley
1 large sweet potato
2 carrots
1 yellow squash or zucchini
1 c. broccoli florets, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 splash of balsamic vinegar

For the pesto: 
3 T. dried basil (or 1 c. fresh)
1/3 c. grated parmesan
1-2 cloves of garlic
3 T. pine nuts
1/3 c. olive oil

Make the pesto first. Chop the first four ingredients in a blender, then pour in the olive oil while the blade spins. Blend until smooth. Add more oil if you need to.

Boil two cups of water. Add barley, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and lay flat on baking sheets. Spray with cooking spray (preferably olive or canola oil) and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Just before serving, stir the pesto into the barley, then toss with the roasted vegetables.



With love.