Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Barley Salad W/ Basil Puree

To make basil puree: In blender or food processor, combine garlic and olive oil. Process ingredients until smooth. Add lemon juice and basil. Blend entire mixture until smooth. You may have to stop machine once or twice to scrape walls of blender to redistribute ingredients. To make the salad: In large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add bay leaf and pearl barley and toast lightly, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer until barley is doubled in size (about 40 to 50 minutes). Drain any excess water and spread grains on baking sheet to cool. Remove stems of portobello mushrooms. Toss mushrooms with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and salt and pepper. Slice zucchini into rounds on the diagonal. Slice red onion into rounds. Toss both with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill all vegetables over medium flame, then chop mushrooms and onion into small pieces. To serve: Combine chopped portobellos with cooked barley and red onion. Mix in about one-third of the basil puree (refrigerate remaining puree for another use). Spoon salad over grilled zucchini slices. Adjust seasonings to taste. Grilled portobello mushrooms with pearl barley, zucchini and roasted red peppers. This salad pairs ancient and modern tastes. Barley dates back to the Stone Age and has been used for everything from cereals to breads to soups. Portobellos are a trendy favorite mushroom. Pairing these two is a takeoff on the classic mushroom-barley soups of Middle Europe, Stehling says. Pearl barley is barley that has had the bran removed and has been steamed and polished. It comes in several sizes (coarse, medium and fine). Different kinds of barley are available; be sure you get the pearl barley for this salad, Stehling says. Notes: Hominy Grill on Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC Hanneman: Recipes provided by "Ann Burger" on July 30, 1997, Recipe by: Robert Stehling, Chef, Hominy Grill Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by Kitpath on May 17, 1998