Barley bowl with asparagas, cumin carrots and tomato-basil vinaigrette

Barley bowl with asparagus, cumin-carrots and tomato-basil vinaigrette
Carrots adapted from Tunisian carrot salad, Bon Appetit, Jan. 1996, and the dressing is adapted from Bon Appetit, April 1999

Note: The salad dressing makes 1 cup, which is twice is much as you need, so feel free to cut that portion of the recipe in half (from tomatoes on down), but it makes a nice dressing for a salad, cooked vegetables or grilled chicken.

Ingredients
¾ cup pearl barley
Pinch of salt
4 cups water
7 asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch long pieces

½ cup thinly sliced carrots

½ tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne

½ a zucchini, thinly sliced in half horizontally and then cut into match sticks

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

½ cup chopped plum tomatoes

½ cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ cup olive oil

Method

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add pinch of salt and the barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for at least 25 minutes or until it's reached desired state of tenderness. You'll want to take it off the heat before it gets mushy, since you're using it for a salad, not soup. Drain and divide among 4 serving bowls.

In boiling lightly salted water, cook asparagus spears until just tender. Drain and place over barley.

In the same water, cook carrots until they are just slightly tender but still a tad crispy. Drain.

In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add cumin and cayenne and cook until fragrant. Stir in carrots and cook until lightly browned. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring periodically, for about 2 minutes. Drizzle on white wine vinegar and remove from heat. Dish up over barley.

In a food processor or blender, combine tomatoes, basil, red and balsamic vinegars, mustard, garlic and half of the remaining olive oil. Blend mixture and add remaining ¼ cup olive oil with the motor running. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each bowl with 2 tablespoons dressing. Reserve the rest for another use.

Rating: The dressing is quite nice. The crunch of the carrots helps offset the soft barley texture. I might not make the bowl itself again, but the dressing I'll probably use again.