Black Barley Stew with Squash & Sage

Method

1. Put the black barley, a pinch of salt, peppercorns, the flattened garlic cloves, and half the squash into a medium saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer, balancing the pan lid loosely on top so it is not fully covered. Leave for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast your walnuts in a hot oven for about 8 minutes, until smelling nutty and beginning to brown. You could also do this in a hot dry pan, stirring furiously, although they will likely colour unevenly, or fry them in oil over a medium heat for a few minutes. Set aside.
3. After the 20 minutes, give everything in the saucepan a stir and top up the water as necessary. Add the rest of the squash and the roughly torn fresh sage leaves. Bring to the boil again, reduce, and leave to simmer for a further 25 minutes, or until the grains are tender and the liquid mostly reduced. The first set of squash will have melted into a saucy consistency, coating the grains, with some of the later additions still retaining their shape for a variety of texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
4. To make the salad, chop your toasted walnuts. Separate the leaves from the chicory bulb into a shallow serving bowl, then tumble in the walnuts and tear over the parsley. Lightly drizzle with mustard vinaigrette to your liking (I like 2 parts apple cider vinegar, 1 part olive oil, a big spoon of dijon mustard) and toss.
5. To serve, spoon the stewed grains into a bowl and pile the dressed salad onto the side. Finish with black pepper.