Warm Mustard Green & Barley Salad

Using the sweet radish pickles I made Sunday, today's lunch is a warm mustard green and barley salad, with a few additional bits added for flavor.


I started with a batch of Japanese Barley and Rice from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann and built from there. The base recipe calls for barley and short grain brown rice cooked with white miso (see page 154). It takes quite a while, so plan ahead.

Warm Mustard Green & Barley Salad
Serves 2

1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
2c Japanese Barley and Rice (prepared as mentioned above)
1c sweet radish pickles, diced
4oz seasoned baked tofu, diced (I used Soy Deli's Honey Sesame)
2T sesame seeds, toasted
1T toasted sesame oil
2t ume plum vinegar

Sweat the mustard greens till just tender. Add the toasted sesame oil, ume plum vinegar and sesame seeds. Mix well. Add the barley/rice mixture, integrate and heat through. Remove from heat and toss with pickled radishes. Enjoy!

The bits of sweet pickled radish were a perfect complement to the bitterness of the greens and absolutely made the dish. The only possible change I'd make would be adding a bit if heat -- maybe a pinch of wasabi?