Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley

When I was little my grandfather would sing random songs in a deep (unnatural) baritone voice. He would draw out the words making the song much longer than it needed to be. One he used to sing all the time was a chorus that went as follows;

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow

Oats, peas, beans and barley grow

Can you or I or anyone know

How oats, peas, beans and barley grow?

From inspiration from my sister and her 2011 resolutions, I decided it was time to eat up what was in my cupboards. I bought barley a while ago to put in beef soup and decided I needed to find a way to eat it up. I began looking at recipe websites and determined it was ultimately like cooking rice. Newbies beware, rice doubles, but barley quadruples. So I sauteed some onion and the barley in some butter (you must say butter in your best Paula Dean accent), and it in chicken broth and chopped mushrooms. It was so good! It didn't get gummy like rice does, and has such a nutty flavor.

This is not the most appetizing photo, but as I was eating my leftover barley for lunch today I had to take a picture to share with you. It was just as good, if not better, leftover the next day!

Next step is to try barley as a breakfast cereal. I saw something on it in my last Martha Stewart magazine. I just have to find the magazine now . . .