Recipe - Green Barley

2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
1 md Onion; finely chopped
1 Clove garlic; minced
2 cup Finely chopped Swiss chard
and arugula; mixed
1 cup Pearl barley
1 sl Prosciutto; minced
3 cup Chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg
One fourth cup Chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon Chopped chives or scallion
tops
Salt and pepper; to taste

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Add the
onion and cook 1 minute. Add the garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in the
chopped greens, tossing to coat with the onion mixture. Add the barley,
prosciutto, stock, and nutmeg. Heat to boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer,
covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the barley is tender,
35 to 40 minutes. If the barley seems too chewy, add more broth and
continue to cook. If it is too wet, uncover, raise the heat slightly, and
cook until the liquid is absorbed. Then stir in the parsley and chives, and
salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 to 6.

NOTES : Author notes this dish is from the Marches of Northern Italy. In
the spring the farmer's wives there stir barley (or rice) into a brodo made
of any strongflavored greens they can find growing outside their kitchen
doors. It is said to purify the sluggish winter blood or rejuvenate the
slack tongue after a night on the town.

Recipe by: unknown cookbook

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #1066 by Mardi Desjardins
amdesjar@mb.sympatico.ca on Jan 31, 1998