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Grains and What To Do With Them
by Patty Liston
There are few places outside of America where so many grains are readily available. There is barley, corn, millet, oats, rice, wheat; even quinoa, a grain usually found only in health food stores, is now readily available at your local market.
For the next few weeks, we will introduce you to some gains you are quite familiar with, as well as those that may be new to you. It is our hope that as you learn more about these wholesome foods, you will want to try some of the recipes associated with them.
BARLEY
It's pretty tough to find whole barley outside of health food stores and even the most "whole" version will be missing its hull. This "hulled barley" has still got much more fiber and minerals than pearled barley which has been stripped of the germ and the bran and polished up to six times to give it a smooth surface. Over half of the barley grown in the US is used for beer and nearly all of the rest is used for livestock, although this is a truly delicious and nutritious grain.
Hulled barley can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or at least kept away from light, heat, and moisture-it will stay fresh for up to several months. Pearled barley can be kept at room temperature for a longer time since most of the oils which could go rancid have already been removed.
Substitute hulled barley for any recipe where you see pearled barley, but keep in mind that it will take closer to two hours to cook, much longer than the 45 minutes recommended for pearled. You might want to cook it in a separate pot and add it into recipes at the end, so your other cooking times don't change. You can also serve it on its own with simple seasoning as a side dish or in grain salads.
Barley Salad
 Download this recipe.
This recipe is a great way to introduce grains to the whole family. If rye or wheat berries are not available, no big deal! Substitute any whole grain you like, brown rice, kamut, and wild rice are all great alternatives.
1 pound barley
Salt
1/2 pound rye berries
1/2 pound wheat berries
1 cup pitted, halved kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup 1/4-inch diced cucumber
1 cup 1/4-inch diced tomato
1/2 cup 1/4-inch diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup chopped dill
Dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup minced dill
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Make the salad: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the barley and cook for 15 minutes. Using a sieve, remove barley from the water and transfer to a bowl.
Bring the water back to a boil and salt, to taste. Add the barley and rye and wheat berries and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and cool.
When cool, combine with the remaining ingredients.
Meanwhile, make the Dressing: Whisk together the vinegar, dill, and garlic. While whisking, drizzle in the oil to make a smooth dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.
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