Barley with Asparagus and Peas
Do you want a quick way to make people think you are a classy cook? Classy is good, right? Classy dames go to swanky restaurants and drink martinis and sidecars, they get taken to Atlantic City for no reason at all. For classy dames, life is a cabaret.
Life has not been a cabaret for me lately, which is why it has taken me so freakin’ long to get the next week for spring done. But finally, I have found the missing puzzle piece, a light, spring vegetable studded grain dish that is low in fat and not a chore to make. A small portion is filling and satisfying. It fills the bill, and it uses barley, which I’ve already praised here. And to top it all off, it makes a fine lunch the next day; you can grate a little bit of cheese over it if you like.
I digress – back to classy. Wanting to keep this simple and light, without a lot of cheese and extra prep, I used shallots instead of onions. Shallots are to onions as throughbreds are to quarterhorses. They are more expensive and have a much richer, more refined flavor. You also need less of them; the analogy falls apart the further you go. Since I wanted to skip using stock in this dish (you still can, I’m just trying to keep things simple right now) I went for shallots for the extra boost in flavor.
And horray! A new week is coming any day now.
Barley with Asparagus and Peas
Serves 4
30 – 35 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallot
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups water or stock
s & p
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tbsp chopped fresh chervil, mint, lemon thyme, dill or parsley
1 1/2 cup asparagus spears, cut into approx. 1 inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
Put oil in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the barley and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, until glossy; add the herb, liquid and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed and the barley is tender and almost done. Stir in the peas, replace the cover and continue cooking for five minutes, adding a little hot water if necessary. When peas are hot and barley is done, stir in asparagus pieces. Cover and let sit for several minutes and serve.
Shopping List
olive oil
1 large shallot
1 cup pearl barley
stock (optional)
fresh tarragon, chervil, mint, lemon thyme, dill or parsley
asparagus
frozen peas
Date: April 21, 2010