The inspiration for this recipe came from my own vegetable garden. It was early fall, the Swiss chard was looking luscious and begging to be picked, the carrots had patiently waited all summer long to be pulled (their moment had arrived!), and the scallions were threatening to invade the whole patch.
I returned to the kitchen with a basketful of the three veggies. Now, what to do with them? I wanted to make something healthy, earthy, juicy. Braising the carrots immediately came to mind, so it became the starting point for this dish. Once braised, I tossed the carrots with scallions and Swiss chard then sautéed them until they both became sweet and mellow, infusing the dish with delicious earthiness. The recipe had just taken shape.
But what really made the whole thing distinctive were the caraway seeds! Their exotic flavor is brilliant with the braised and wilted veggies.
Served on a bed of semi-pearled barley and drizzled with the savory pan juices, the dish turned out to be just as I envisioned – incredibly tasty, yet light and wholesome.
On a side note, pearled barley is hulled barley. Its inedible outer hull is removed by being milled or “pearled”. Semi-pearled or pearled barley is therefore more palatable and more delicate to the taste buds.
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Disclaimer: As always, my point of view is my own. I do not accept samples, and have no commercial relationship with any product, food or wine company.
