I'm a barley girl, in the barley world

I have a confession to make: I didn't love barley until about a week ago. As a pizza and bread baker, barley was difficult for me. It made my pizza crusts weak and my loaves tight.

Here's what piqued my interest, the recipe that turned me into a fan, and a little something to jumpstart your barley journey.

Barley World

This free zine out of Oregon State University, with funding from the USDA Organic Agriculture Research Extension Initiative, is such a perfect place to start with barley. Filled with fascinating tidbits, each of the two volumes is quick to read and contains an extensive section of recipes developed by some very recognizable names in food. Some of my favorite learnings:

• In Tibet, where the harsh climate and high altitude make it difficult to grow fruits and vegetables, nearly all the fiber in people's diets comes from barley. Despite eating a high amount of meat and butter, Tibetans maintain low rates of cholesterol and heart disease, which may be due to their daily barley intake.
• Barley came to symbolize the regenerative nature of Irish resistance to British rule, and the ballad The Wind That Shakes The Barley is a reference to grains that Irish rebels had in their pockets, which would later sprout at the sites where they'd been buried in unmarked graves.
• In addition to being a great source of fiber, Barley's protein content can be as high as 25% in some growing conditions.

The recipe that turned me into a fan

Barley does contain gluten, but it's not strong enough to perform like wheat and bread flours. After a failed pizza and a loaf that I probably wouldn't make again, I went hunting for barley recipes online. While it can easily be swapped for a portion of all purpose flour in muffins and scones, I really wanted an approachable bake that could be made with 100% whole grain barley flour (this is Grain Club, after all).

I stumbled upon clafoutis—a rustic crustless cherry tart from France that can be eaten hot or cold—which importantly doesn't need to rise. In fact, I'd describe it as a grain custard. Interesting!

I looked up a few recipes then tried this one to immense success on the first go. Technically, it's called a flaugnarde if you make it with anything other than cherries and it's generally served as a dessert, but I thought it was an excellent breakfast when warmed up slightly. With barley having the highest fiber content among whole grains, you could do a lot worse.

Purple barley flaugnarde

Yield: 1 tart

75g purple barley flour 

40g sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 c milk

2 eggs

2 tbsp butter melted, plus more for pan

3/5 c stone fruit

Optional: Beans from 1 vanilla pod

Powdered sugar for serving

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Preheat oven to 350 F

Butter the inside of a 10" cast iron pan

Roughly chop stone fruit and add to pan

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt)

Whisk in milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla beans (if using) until smooth

Pour batter into cast iron pan and bake until center is cooked through and edges are browned and crispy, about 45 min - 1 hour

Dust with powdered sugar and serve!