Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Lemon

(Makes 4 servings.)

Excerpted from 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2012 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup pearl barley
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 4 cups reduced-sodium ready-to-use vegetable broth, divided
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, divided
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and barley; cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is softened. Add wine and cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes or until liquid is evaporated.
2. Stir in 2 cups (500 mL) of the broth. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining broth and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until barley is tender and mixture is creamy (there should still be some liquid).
3. Stir in asparagus and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in peas, half the basil, cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice; simmer for 1 minute or until heated through. Serve sprinkled with the remaining basil.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 345
Total fat: 6 g
Saturated: fat 2 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sodium: 430 mg
Carbohydrate: 57 g
Fiber: 15 g
Protein: 12 g
Calcium: 183 mg
Iron: 2.8 mg

Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Lemon The Saturday Evening Post

And sorry ladies, but in this case, the male hybrid of the species really does have the edge, according to researchers at Rutgers University who started a program in the 1980s to improve the performance of asparagus using a more productive male hybrid plant. The gentlemen of the species actually produce more and slenderer spears, while the ladies tend to be (how shall we put it) more on the pleasingly plump side.

The female plants waste a lot of time and use a lot of energy producing seed, which can be a hassle for gardeners when tiny sprouts begin shooting up like weeds all around the asparagus patch. It seems the guys produce a yield of spears that is 20 to 30 percent higher than the females. Many garden experts are now recommending Jersey varieties such as “Jersey Supreme,” “Jersey Giant,” and “Jersey Knight”—all products of the Rutgers University research that was done in, where else, New Jersey.

Note, however, that these Jersey male hybrids aren’t really all male after all. They are 93 percent male and 7 percent female.
As for the nutritive value of male vs. female asparagus, researchers in China have found male spears are higher in amino acid, carotenoid, iron, and zinc, while the female spears have higher fiber content, suggesting the males are of higher quality. The females, however, have higher soluble sugar, calcium, and fat content than the males.

Asparagus Tips

1. Asparagus dormant corms can be planted a month before the last frost date.
2. Asparagus plants prefer sandy loam, but will grow in heavier soils as long as they have good drainage.
3. To plant, dig a trench 18 inches wide and deep. Add a few inches of rich compost and space roots fanning outward about 18 inches apart. Cover with a few inches of soil and wait for the plants to sprout, then slowly fill the trench with soil as the sprouts grow, never covering the tips, until the trench is filled to the top.
4. If you live in a warm climate such as California, plant a California variety such as “Atlas,” “Apollo,” or “Grande.” These are crosses between New Jersey male plants and a nonmale California hybrid, designed to produce taller spears that won’t fern out prematurely under high air temperatures.
5. Here’s the hard part: Don’t cut any spears until the third year. After that you will get more abundant spears each year for 20 years or more if you keep your patch weeded and add fertilizer to the bed every spring.

Increase Your Asparagus Harvest The Saturday Evening Post