It is the time of year when the fruit syrups get moved to a more accessible shelf at our local supermarket. They have a range of eight to 10 flavours, but the two that dominate are mint and orzataluminous green and cloudy white syrups respectively, that need diluting with fizzy water and maybe topping up with ice. I have mentioned orzata here before, how popular it is in Italy and how the name means a drink made from orzo (barley), and also how at some point the barley was replaced by almonds; then, at another point, the almonds were replaced by deacidified benzoin, which is a balsamic resin obtained from trees of the genus Styrax from south-east Asia. Deacidified benzoin is actually delicious and I become dependent on orzata at this time of year, and the sound of the ice clanking against the side of the glass as I walk my cold, cloudy drink back to my hot desk is the sound of summer.
However, I have always wondered what orzata made with orzo is like. And finally an opportunity presented itself when, having lifted cooked barley out of the pan with a slotted spoon, I was left with a pan of cloudy water at the back of the stove. I would have thrown it away, if I hadn’t had a glass of orzata on the go. Straight from the pan, the barley water tasted like milk diluted with water, thin porridge and a mouthful of soapy bath water. Undeterred, I consulted Mrs Beeton, who has it in her cooking for invalids section and suggests adding just lemon zest. Then I looked at the ancient Roman guide Apicius, who suggests boiling it with prosciutto and adding pepper. I found my answer on an Italian website called Agrodolce and drained the water, strained it, sweetened it with caster sugar, added a strip of lemon zest, then, for an aesthetic transformation, poured the whole, cloudy lot into an Ikea glass bottle with a stopper. A few hours later, I mixed 50% barley water with 50% fizzy water and added ice and, I have to say, it was fantastic. Yes, ever so slightly soapy still and reminiscent of porridge, but above all like barley, barley sugar and lemon drops, soft, cold and clinking.
The thing about making Roddy orzata is that, as a result, you will have 400g cooked barley to deal with – you can use pearl (hulled) or pot. My suggestion is to mix it with roast vegetables: red pepper, tomatoes, onion and aubergine, a few cooked green beans and lots of herbs.
While this salad is more than substantial just as it is, it can be bolstered by a tin of chickpeas, white beans or tuna, a few snipped anchovies and a handful of olives. It is also lovely with crumbled cheese (feta or salted ricotta), grilled halloumi or chopped hard-boiled eggs. It is also a patient dish that will sit around at room temperature until you are ready to serve. Just add a little more olive oil, a teaspoon extra of vinegar and toss again before you serve, with an optional glass of orzata on the side.
Roast summer vegetable, herb and pearl barley salad
Serves 4
2 red onionspeeled and sliced into chunky moons
1 large red pepperstalk, pith and seeds removed, flesh cut into short, chunky strips
1 auberginecut into 2 cm cubes
300g ripe tomatoesroughly chopped, or halved cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
250g pearl barley
200g cooked green beanschopped into little bits (optional)
1 big handful fresh mint, basil, parsley, oregano, dill
1 tsp red-wine vinegar
1 tsp honey vinegaror other sweet vinegar (optional)
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the onion, pepper, aubergine and tomatoes on a baking tray, spoon over four tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss well so all the vegetables glisten. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables are very soft and golden at the edges; if they are also a bit mushy, that is fine, too.
Meanwhile, boil the pearl barley in plenty of salted water for 15-20 minutes, or until al dente, then drain and spread on a plate to cool slightly.
Mince the herbs and put them in a large bowl with the lemon zest, three tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of red-wine vinegar and, if you wish, a teaspoon of honey vinegar or other sweet vinegar. Add the pearl barley, roast veg and green beans, if using, and toss well.
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