Mushroom and barley salad - country living

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2½ cup Water
¾ cup Regular pearl barley
1 teaspoon Plus 1 T fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
2 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
½ teaspoon Finely grated lemon rind
⅛ teaspoon Ground black pepper
6 ounces Assorted cultivated wild mushrooms (we used oyster, chanterelle, and hedgehog), stemmed
½ cup Yellow whole-kernel corn
Dressing (recipe follows)
6 cups Mixed salad greens (we used mache, baby red-leaf and Boston lettuce, and arugula)
12 Cherry tomatoes, halved
Sprig fresh thyme (opt.)

Directions

1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat water to boiling. Add barley, 1 t thyme, and the salt; cook, covered, 45 minutes over medium-low heat or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Spoon into medium-size bowl; set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until golden brown. Add shiitake mushrooms, remaining 1 T thyme, the lemon rind, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften-about 5 minutes. Add remaining assorted mushrooms and cook, stirring gently, until just tender-about 2 minutes. Set aside about ½ C cooked mushrooms in small bowl. Add corn to skillet and cook, stirring, until corn is cooked-about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl with barley.

3. Prepare Dressing; add half to barley mixture and toss gently.

4. To serve, place greens in large serving bowl or platter; spoon barley mixture on top. Scatter reserved ½ C mushrooms on top of mixture; place cherry tomatoes around edge of bowl on top of greens.

Drizzle remaining Dressing over salad. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Dressing: In food processor fitted with chopping blade, process ⅓ C olive oil, ¼ C white-wine vinegar, 1 small clove garlic, 2 T fresh lemon juice, 1 t fresh thyme leaves, and ⅛ t salt until mixture thickens.

Country Living/Sept/93 Scanned & fixed by DP & GG

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