WHAT IS BARLEY AND WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
So you ask, what is barley? Barley is a wonderfully versatile cereal grain with a rich nut-like flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency. In fact, if you did not know better, you would swear it was pasta. In most grocery stores, it is in the soup aisle and is packed in a box about the same size as a pasta box. It simmers and swells just like pasta does in soup. There are two kinds, Medium Barley and Quick Barley. Medium Barley cooks in about forty-five minutes, and Quick Barley cooks in about twelve minutes. I use the medium version with the chuck roast when things are more leisurely. I use the quick version with the stew meat when pressed for time.
