Barley and Mustard Greens

We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving Monday night with a harvest risotto of barley, butternut squash, and purple mustard greens.

Canadian Thanksgiving is much less of an ordeal - er, celebration - than the U.S. version. It's the last three-day weekend before winter sets in, so people clean out their garages, test the snow blower, put up the winter bird feeders, and enjoy the colorful fall leaves and crisp air. Dinner is turkey (at least it was at my house). When I became a vegetarian, Mum added a stuffed pumpkin to the table.

This year, Larry used the Columbus Day holiday to clean out the garage. I puttered in the garden. And then we gathered in the kitchen to stir up dinner.

Risotto is usually made with arborio rice, but I read it could be made with barley, which felt more Canadian (even though most Canadian barley is fed to beef). Barley is a nutritional powerhouse which balances blood sugar, lowers cholesterol and improves cardiovascular health.

The purple greens and orange squash were stunning as I added them to the pot, but the purple faded to green as it cooked. Still beautiful, with that little kick that mustard greens have. You could substitute any greens, but boil tougher ones like collard greens and kale separately to be sure they're well cooked and not bitter.

You won't need a whole butternut squash. Keep the leftover piece (with its peel intact) well-wrapped in the fridge for a few days to use in soup or stews.

Risotto requires constant attention. This recipe might have worked if I had just boiled everything together, but Larry and I enjoy the companionship of cooking risotto. There's something about gathering in the kitchen around a simmering pot that makes us feel thankful.

Barley Risotto with Mustard Greens and Butternut Squash
4-5 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup pearled barley (the brown kind from the health food store)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup butternut squash in 1/4 - 1/2 inch dice
1 bunch mustard greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
salt and pepper

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a covered saucepan. Keep it barely simmering on low.

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and barley and cook, stirring often, about five minutes until the barley is lightly golden and aromatic. The oil will be absorbed and you'll be dry-roasting the barley in the pan.

Add the garlic and cook another minute. Then stir in 1/2 cup hot broth. Stir until it is absorbed, then add another cup along with the butternut squash. Keep adding 1/2 cup broth as it gets absorbed. Stir regularly. (This is where I always worry the squash will never cook, but it does.)

After 10 minutes, add the greens, stirring the barley up from the bottom and onto the greens so that the heat compresses them down into the dish.

Keep adding broth and stirring as needed for another 20-25 minutes. The barley will be chewy, and then will suddenly soften and become toothsome. Add 1/2 tsp salt and many grinds of black pepper. Taste, season more as needed, and serve.

Serves 4

Happy Thanksgiving.