Risotto is one of the typical go-to recipes to make the most of any foraged greens you pick up. This recipe uses pearl barley instead of risotto rice: my tip is to be patient when making risotto with pearl barley as it takes about 45-50 minutes to cook.
Pearl barley contain less gluten than wheat so it must be avoided if you are following a gluten-free diet, however if you are not following a specific diet you might be interested in knowing that it has a low GI (glycaemic index).
INGREDIENTS
80 gr pearl barley
60 gr Alexander tops, chopped
5 wild garlic mustard leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
250 ml vegetable stock
1 pinch salt
1 pinch oregano
METHOD
Start cooking the pearl barley in boiling water for 30 minutes. In another pan, cook the wild garlic mustard in the oil for 2 minutes then add the Alexanders and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the pearl barley and any water it is cooking in, a couple of ladles of vegetable stock and the salt. Cook for another 15 minutes, topping up with more vegetable stock if the pearl barley has absorbed all the liquid, and add the oregano at the end of the cooking.