Miraculous!

     It is John who records in his gospel the account of Jesus feeding the masses with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish brought by a small boy.  Barley (Horem vulgare) is one of the first plants cultivated for food and has been found at archaeological sites in the Fertile Crescent indicating that its domestication dates back 10,000 years.  Barley has the distinction of being one of the founder crops of Old World agriculture.

      While not as flavorful as wheat it is similar but will grow in more arid climates and is thus more prevalent and can be baked into bread without the use of yeast.  It has been termed the poor person's grain and was used by families who could not afford to purchase yeast.  It is a cereal grain that has a wide usage not solely for baking bread but can be also boiled as a porridge, added in soups and a accompaniment to dinner entrees.  Barley is also used commercially as animal feed, and is a major component in the production of beer and other distilled beverages as well as being a health food supplement.  Due to its low gluten content is is considered heart healthy and can reduce high blood pressure and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

     Barley is one of the world's 4 most important cereal crops after wheat, rice and corn.  the largest commercial producers around the world are Canada, United States, Russia, Germany, France and Spain.  But it is England that has given the lowly grain a lasting global distinction.  In 1324 King Edward II standardized the measurement of an inch as being "3 grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end lengthwise."  It was the Spanish that introduced barley to South America and the English and Dutch that brought it to the Northern Hemisphere.

     So it's time to give barley the acclaim it deserves!  Try this Apple Barley Bread recipe and serve it up with a salmon fillet for a miraculous meal of your own.