The Versatile Grain: Eggplant and Barley and Corn, Oh My.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mediterranean-Eggplant-and-Barley-Salad-235753



Link to book on Amazon below.



I love grains, but I sometimes go many weeks and months without remembering to show them that I do by, well, preparing and eating them. One of my favorite cookbooks is The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean by Mel and Sheryl London, published in the late 70s. It includes recipes for quinoa and amaranth, almost four decades before they became the trendy grains for the foodies, although I think I read that quinoa made some inroads with the Atkins set due to its low carb makeup. Their recipes for Moros y Cristianos (black beans on seasoned white rice covered in tricolor carmelized onions and peppers) and Black Bean Timbale with Red Pepper Sauce have been returned to many times.

I was faced with a temporary storage problem, having a very small kitchen. Not Manhattan micro-apartment small, but still small. A number of half empty grain containers, plastic bags mostly, stared forlornly at me as I piled them on the counter to avert a grain and seed avalanche from the cupboard over the stove. This week, I thought, I tackle the excess remainders.

I found this recipe and as I read it, I remembered a memorable side dish I had for dinner at the restaurant in the San Benito House in Half Moon Bay. SBH unfortunately has recently undergone a remodel where they changed all the differently-themed rooms and made them contemporary. Pity. You could book the Safari Room or the All American Room, but all of them had slightly different themes on Americana Country.

Imagine a very tastefully done Madonna Inn and you have the idea. The restaurant was amazing and had

been profiled in Bon Appetit years back. It has the most beautiful wood deck and fire pit with wood planters of flowers and herbs, and a lovely little "backyard" garden with a gazebo. Weddings are still held there frequently. They were known especially for their breakfast breads, artichoke-laden bread, warm fruit muffins....yum! Cute little egg cups for the soft boiled eggs at breakfast!

I was at the end of a relationship, feeling quite sorry for myself and suddenly decided I should get away for the weekend and booked a flight, car and the SBH for two nights. The first night was the night of the Side Dish; the second was memorable because while out walking, I stumbled upon a Quincienera at the local high school auditorium. I watched from the door for a long time and some friendly caballeros invited me in. Fun!

The side dish was a barley pilaf, with tender, chewy barley, roasted corn, white beans, pancetta and parsley. I made it often over the years, winging it every time because although I wrote to BA to see if they would winkle the recipe out of SBH, it came to no avail.

For this one, I skipped the sugar, went with yellow and red cherry tomatoes and added the kernels from three roasted ears of fresh corn. Mangia!

• 1 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup chopped scallion (from 1 bunch)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/4 cups pearl barley (8 oz)
• 1 (14-oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

• Accompaniment: 1 (1/2-lb) piece ricotta salata, cut crosswise into thin slices

Preparation

Roast eggplant and zucchini:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread in 2 oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Combine vegetables in 1 pan and cool, reserving other pan for cooling barley.

Cook barley:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallion, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer to reserved shallow baking pan and spread to quickly cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Make dressing and assemble salad:
Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add barley, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well. Serve with cheese slices.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Versatile-Grain-Elegant-Bean/dp/0671761064