Barley with Cucumber and Yogurt-Dill Dressing

I like Mark Bittman's simple dishes, but this one didn't do it for me. I may have liked it better as a side dish, with fish or chicken or something, but I didn't love it by itself.  The yogurt kind of ruined it for me, but that is my own issue; you might like it! It was definitely refreshing, but in the future I might substitute more olive oil for the yogurt.


Barley with Cucumber and Yogurt-Dill Dressing
From: Mark Bittman

Ingredients

1 cup pearled barley
1 English cucumber, 6 Kirby (pickling) cucumbers or 2-3 medium/regular cucumbers
3-4 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup fresh dill
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a saucepan, cover the barley with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until the barley is tender. Drain and let cool, or rinse with cold water.

2. Peel and cut the cucumbers into bite sized pieces. (Bittman says to remove any seeds, but it was fine with seeds).

3. Make the dressing: whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and yogurt. Toss the dressing together with barley, cucumbers, and scallions.  Add salt and pepper to taste.