Beef and Barley There Stew

Hello friends! I write to you tonight with great delight because tonight's dinner was oh so yummy! Kara is behind the creation of beef and barley stew, with some 'crusty on the outside and soft on the inside' bread. It was a great dinner for this cold weather we are experiencing here in Laramie. When I came home from class late this afternoon, I walked into a house that smelled of a savory dinner. And to snack on a little something before the stew was ready, we enjoyed some bread torn into little pieces with some olive oil and vinegar to dip it in. So good.

The beef and barley stew recipe that Kara used is one that she has stored up in her head. Thank goodness she can remember it because you wouldn't want to forget this one. Here is what you need to do to make the stew:

Ingredients
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 onion (white or yellow), chopped
1 package of stew meat
1 bag frozen veggies (or whatever veggies are in season: we used zucchini)
1 cup barley (cooked per packaged directions)
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon butter
1 box of beef broth
1 head coarsely chopped kale (or spinach/leafy green)

Directions
In a pan, saute mushrooms in butter until they are cooked through. Add thyme and a little red wine if you desire (once around the pan). In another large pot, heat olive oil and cook onion until translucent. Add stew meat, salt and pepper. Once the meat is cooked, dump in veggies and diced tomatoes, beef broth and cooked mushrooms. Meanwhile, cook the barley according to package directions. Then add the barley to the big pot with the other ingredients. Let simmer 20-30 minutes. Just before you serve, put in chopped kale and let it wilt. Serve with bread.

This dinner was really tasty and really healthy too. You get your vegetables and protein and grains! Which brings me to my next story.

While at the dinner table, I asked if barley was an oat or something else. Juli, Kara nor Tim knew the answer so with Juli's dad Randy being the farmer, we had to phone a friend. According to his expertise barley is a grain. Along with barley in the grain category is oats, so the distinction was made. And you'll never believe this...barley is technically a fruit too! Because it has a seed they consider it a fruit. Weird. And while Juli was on the phone with her dad, she said he was crackin' some funny jokes. For instance, "wheat a minute!" or "I have some corny jokes for ya" (he's an organic corn farmer). What a funny guy!

Well, yet another exceptional dinner was made tonight here at the 812 house. Beef and barley stew with some soft and airy bread with a crusty crust!

Stay tuned for some more bangin' dinners!