Sunday Feast № 47 | Mushroom Barley Salad

Do you like mushrooms? Have I got a recipe for you, adapted from Food & Wine magazine November 2015 issue. I used more sage (2 tsp vs. my 2 tbsp) and was happy for it as the sage added a woodsy-like smell to go with button, baby bella, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms. "Mushrooms. Meat for vegetarians." was the advertising tagline for Australian mushroom growing industry. Makes no difference to me. I like mushrooms, vegetarian or not. The wilder, the better. Maybe it's the childhood memories of my Grandma picking fresh mushrooms in the forest, or their smell as she dried them for winter, or how they add flavor to warming dishes. Having barley also induced childhood memories. Such a filling grain. Nutritious, too. One cup is loaded with more fiber than you would think (~ 32 g), has a high amount of protein (~ 23 g), and appears to be a nice source of magnesium, iron, and vitamin B-6! This one is good for lunch (~ 6 servings) or as a side (~ 8-10 servings). Bring it to room temperature, if you prepared it earlier or maybe zap it in the microwave on the vegetable reheating setting. Prepare to be satisfied.

2 tbsp olive oil 2 lbs/1 kg mixed mushrooms 5 cups cooked barley 2 tbsp fresh sage chopped ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil salt and pepper

In a cast iron pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil, add mushrooms in batches, cooking each batch over high heat, stirring until golden, ~ 5 min each. Transfer each batch to a bowl before cooking the next one, adding more oil as necessary. When all mushrooms are cooked and in the bowl, stir in the barley, sage, lemon juice, and ¼ cup olive oil. Mix and season with salt and pepper.