Greek Barley with Vegetables

La storia di questo piatto

This is a home-style Greek table dish, not an ancient recipe: barley, grilled vegetables and brined white cheese brought together by the generosity of Mediterranean summer. Feta, Kalamata olives, oregano and lemon speak plainly of Greece, a sun-soaked pantry gathered in a single bowl.

Ingredienti

• 320 g Pearl barley
• 2 medium Medium eggplants
• 2 medium Medium zucchini
• 2 whole Red bell peppers
• 250 g Greek feta
• 150 g Pitted Kalamata olives
• 150 ml Extra virgin olive oil (50 ml for brushing the vegetables, 100 ml for the dressing)
• 2 whole Fresh lemon
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 teaspoons Dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons Fine salt (1 teaspoon for the barley water, 1/2 teaspoon for the vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon for the dressing)
• 1 teaspoons Ground black pepper (a pinch for the vegetables, the rest for the dressing)
• 2 handfuls Fresh parsley

Preparazione

1. Fill a large pot with water and add 1 teaspoon of fine salt: the water should taste well seasoned so the barley absorbs flavor from the start. Bring to a vigorous boil, then add the barley and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes, tasting after 25: it's ready when the grain is soft and translucent but still has a slight bite. Drain well in a colander, then transfer to a large bowl while still warm so it absorbs the dressing better.
2. While the barley cooks, prepare the vegetables calmly. Slice the eggplants and zucchini lengthwise into rounds about half a centimeter thick, no thinner or they will fall apart. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds and white membranes carefully, and cut them into wide strips. Brush each slice and strip on both sides with the 50 ml of oil set aside for grilling (eggplant soaks up a lot, so brush generously but without exceeding the amount) and sprinkle with the half teaspoon of salt for the vegetables and a pinch of pepper: vegetables burn on the grill if they aren't well oiled. Salt the eggplant right before grilling, not earlier, so it doesn't release water.
3. Heat the grill or griddle until it is very hot: hold your hand a few centimeters above it and you will feel the heat strike immediately. Grill the vegetables in batches. Eggplant and zucchini: lay them down and don't touch them for the first 3-4 minutes, until the edges brown and grill marks appear, then flip once for another 3-4 minutes; they should be tender inside but still have some resistance, not limp. Peppers take longer: about 8-10 minutes per side, skin side toward the flame, until the skin blackens and blisters. Close the peppers while still hot in a covered bowl or a bag for 10 minutes, then peel them. Transfer all the vegetables to a cutting board and, while still warm, cut them into irregular pieces. Between grilling in batches, resting and peeling, this takes about 45 minutes, running in parallel with the barley cooking for the first part.
4. In a bowl, pour in the 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil, the heart of the dish, and squeeze in the juice of the two lemons. Add the very finely minced garlic (2 cloves are enough, with the germ removed), the 2 teaspoons of dried oregano rubbed between your fingers to release its aroma, the remaining half teaspoon of salt and the remaining pepper. Whisk with a fork until the oil and lemon bind into a creamy emulsion. Taste: you should enjoy it like this, because it will be the dressing for the salad. Pour it over the still-warm barley, which will absorb it all.
5. Add the grilled vegetables, the already pitted Kalamata olives and the freshly chopped parsley to the dressed barley. Toss gently with two wooden spoons, without crushing anything: each ingredient should remain distinct, not turn into mush. Taste a spoonful while it is still lukewarm and adjust the salt or lemon if needed.
6. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes: the flavors meld and the barley finishes absorbing the dressing. At serving time, crumble the feta over the top with your fingers into generous, irregular pieces, without pulverizing it, so it stays present and creamy and doesn't dissolve into the dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.