62 | Oregon Home Pearl Barley Risotto with sparagus and ecorino Salad Paired with 2023 Tualatin Estate Chardonnay Serves 4 Salad Ingredients: • 2 ¼ T olive oil • 4 portobello mushrooms, stems and caps thinly sliced • 1 medium leek, thinly sliced • 10 thick spears asparagus, woody stems trimmed • ½ C pecorino cheese (not grated) • 1 ½ t lemon juice Preparation: Add 2 T of the olive oil in a large sauté pan and place over high heat. Add the mushrooms and leeks and cook for 3 minutes, until softened but not colored. Leave in the pan and set aside. To make the salad, run a vegetable peeler from the base to the tip of each asparagus stalk to make long, thin ribbons. Place them in a mixing bowl, then do the same with the cheese. Add these to the asparagus, along with a ½ tsp of the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands and set aside. Don’t make this salad too long before serving (it won’t improve with sitting around). When ready to serve, add the barley to the pan of leek and mushroom and pour over the remaining 1C of stock. Mix well, then place over medium high heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add wild garlic and spinach puree and stir for a final minute to warm through. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and serve at once, with the asparagus and pecorino salad on top. Preparation: Place the barley in a medium saucepan and add 7 cups of the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, uncovered, until the barley is tender but still retaining a bite. Drain and set aside. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the leaves to a colander. Rinse well under cold running water (this will help prevent discoloration), then squeeze out the excess moisture and set aside. Keeping the pan of water at a boil, add the wild garlic and follow the same procedures as the spinach. In a saucepan, add 2 T olive oil, along with 2 T of the unsalted butter. Place over medium heat, add the shallot, finely chopped cloves of garlic, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft but browning. Add the thyme and bay leaf, pour in 2 C of the stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes so the stock reduces down to a quarter. You should have about 3 ½ tablespoons left in the pan. Add the spinach and wild garlic and cook for a final 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and lift out and discard the bay leaf and thyme. While still hot, carefully transfer to a blender with ½ tsp of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Blend, adding the remaining 6 T of diced butter a few cubes at a time, waiting until one batch has been incorporated before adding the next. Set aside. • 1 ½ C pearl barley • 2 ½ qt (10 C) vegetable stock • 3 ½ oz baby spinach leaves • 7 oz wild garlic (when available) • 2 T olive oil • ½ C unsalted butter, cubed • 1 medium shallot, finely diced • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 3 thyme sprigs • 1 bay leaf • Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Risotto Ingredients:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==