Hull the Barley

Most of us have used pearl barley in soups and stews, but hulled barley has a rich, wholesome taste and is vastly better, in my opinion. It’s inexpensive and can be bought in natural-food stores. With mushrooms and a generous addition of black pepper, hulled barley makes a satisfying dish that lends itself to many variations.

Afterward, serve lemon sponge custard, another wonderful, but almost forgotten old-fashioned recipe. The recipe is easy to measure and mix, and it is very good served with fruits or berries. The uniqueness of this recipe is that while it bakes, it magically separates so the top becomes a sponge cake and the bottom becomes a lovely lemon custard.

HULLED BARLEY WITH MUSHROOMS

3 quarts water

Salt

1 1/2 cups hulled barley

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound mushrooms, cut in half

4 shallots, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Put water in large pot, add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to boil. Add hulled barley and cook until tender but chewy, about 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes.

While barley cooks, melt butter in saute pan and add mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms turn slightly dark.

Drain barley when done. Add cooked shallots and mushrooms. Add chicken broth, pepper and salt to taste, if needed. Stir to mix well. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

257 calories; 1,426 mg sodium; 16 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.98 gram fiber.

LEMON SPONGE CUSTARD

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup lemon juice

Grated zest 2 lemons

Whipped cream, berries or sliced fruit of choice, optional

Beat butter in mixing bowl until soft and creamy. Slowly add sugar and beat until smooth and well mixed. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at time. Beat until mixture is completely smooth. Add milk, flour, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix well. It’s OK if batter looks slightly curdled.

In bowl beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold whites into batter. Spoon batter into 1 1/2-quart ungreased baking dish. Put dish in larger pan and fill larger pan with hot water halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees about 40 minutes, or until skewer comes out of custard cleanly. Remove from oven and let cool. Serve either tepid or at room temperature with whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

204 calories; 91 mg sodium; 120 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.01 gram fiber.