Recipe - Lisas Spicy Barley-Vegetable Squash

1 Carnival Squash, halved and
seeded (looks like a white
acorn squash, white flesh,
doesn't get quite as soft
when cooking, also comes in
a marbled green and white
variety, as well.
[apparently])
One half cup Uncooked medium pearled
barley
3 small Summer (yellow) squash,
thick cut or sliced up and quartered
(about 2/3 cup)
3 Ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
(about One half cup)
One half cup Mushrooms, thick cut or sliced up and
halved
One half Vidalia onion, chopped
2 teaspoon Crushed garlic (up to 3)
One half teaspoon Fresh ground cumin
One fourth teaspoon Fresh ground basil
3 teaspoon Spike (up to 4)
3 teaspoon East Indian Hot Curry (I
used WilliamsSonoma, it
has a really nice blend of
flavors, to include the
addition of cardamom and
saffron) (up to 4)

Bake squash at 350 degrees, half side down in about One half water for 30 min,
until slightly tender. Bring 3 cups water to boil, add barley, cook 3040
minutes until tender. In the meantime, chop/slice veggies, set aside. Brown
onion and garlic in pan, with "trace" olive oil until onions are
transparent. Add water as needed, if pan gets too dry. Add chopped yellow
squash, mushrooms, and spices cook until moisture is released from
mushrooms. Add tomatoes and cook for about 23 minutes until tomatoes are
heated, but still firm.

Add prepared barley and cook till barley is reheated and coated with spices
and juices.

Before filling squash cavity, dust with curry, prick with fork and rub in.
Fill with barleyvegetable mixture. Bake additional 3040 minutes until
squash is tender.

Serve with additional filling on the side or this will easily fill two
squashes! (I had planed on freezing the rest, but there were *no*
leftovers.) I made this up as I went along, and used a pretty heavy hand
with the Spike and the curry, as I like my food with *ZIP*. I got rave
reviews from the group that I tried it out on tonight.

Posted to Digest eatlf.v096.n170

From: filmgal@magicnet.net (Lisa C. Ferguson)

Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 00:07:52 0400