Straight from the Earth

BARLEY with SPINACH and GREEN OLIVES

Although this recipe is a side dish, barley enthusiasts (like me and my two children) will happily eat it by the bowlful. Olives are the surprise ingredient here; their briny bite perfectly complements the sweet, chewy barley and the earthy flavor of baby spinach. Pearled barley, which is high in fiber and a good source of protein, offers a great change of pace from brown rice, and it cooks in the same amount of time. Serve this dish with a soup and salad, and you’ll have a delightful and complete meal. If you cook the barley ahead of time, this dish comes together very quickly. —MYRA

Serves 6

1 cup/200 g pearled barley, rinsed

Salt

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, medium dice

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

5 oz/140 g baby spinach

¹/₂ cup/70 g chopped green salad olives (without pimientos)

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the barley, 2¹/₂ cups/600 ml water, and ¹/₂ tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Cook on high heat, covered, until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and cook, covered, until the barley is chewy but tender and all the water is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, fluff the barley with a fork, and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until it is soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir the barley into the onion mixture and add the remaining 2 tbsp oil, stirring to combine. Heat slowly over medium heat and, when the barley is hot, add the spinach in handfuls, stirring continually. When all the spinach has been added, stir in the olives. Cook until the spinach is just wilted and the olives are warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and serve.