Recipe - Barley Risotto With Roasted Tomatoes And Nicoise Olives

3 Tomatoes (about 1 1/2
pounds); cut crosswise
5 cup Water; more if needed
1 One half cup Chicken stock; homemade or
canned
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Onion; chopped fine
1 One half cup Pearl barley (about 11
ounces)
1 One half teaspoon Salt
1 One half tablespoon Butter
6 tablespoon Parmesan cheese; grated
2 tablespoon Heavy cream; optional
3 tablespoon Nicoise olives; chopped

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the halved tomatoes, cutside up, on a
baking sheet. Dry the tomatoes in the oven until shriveled but still
juicy, not hard and dry, about 2 hours. Let cool and then cut into 1/2inch
pieces.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and stock to a boil. Remove from the
heat and keep covered.

In another medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion
and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the barley and stir to coat. Add about a third of the hot stock
mixture and cook at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until absorbed.
Add another third of the stock and cook, stirring frequently, until
absorbed. Add the remaining stock and the salt and cook, stirring
frequently, until the barley is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes total
cooking time. Any stock that has not been absorbed should be thickened by
the starch from the barley.

Stir the barley vigorously to make the texture creamier. If it is dry, add
more water. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, the cream, if using, and three
quarters of both the tomatoes and the olives. Serve the barley risotto
topped with the remaining tomatoes and olives.

Chef's Notes: This is a "Dean's Quisine Recipe" from Dean Fearing's weekly
cooking segment on KDFWTV in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Dean Fearing is
the Executive Chef of the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas.
Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #204

Date: 17 Aug 96 15:14:58 EDT

From: Paul & Terri Law 103366.1520@CompuServe.COM