In case I’ve never shared this with you I am crazy about the zooooks. I grew up eating my mom’s wonderful sauté of yellow squash and zuccchini that was a regular staple in our house and I find myself picking up zucchini whenever I can. And lately I’ve made many a quick summer evening meals out of zucchini and summer squash alone. It’s simple, easy, flavorful and delicious.
This dish began as a side to accompany a grilled chicken but soon became a main dish for me. I think it began from a recipe I tried a while back and mutated into something so simple and easy. It’s really more of a serving suggestion than recipe since the exact measurements don’t matter. And I say they do not matter because I haven’t bothered to measure. See how sneaky I am?
I’ve been known to add a few thick slices of smoky grilled purple onions to this and have it for dinner without anything else. As long as cheese is involved (and a glass of wine) I really don’t need much else.
In case you’re wondering who Mateo is, that’s me. That’s my name in Spanish, a title only used at home by my grandparents and when I did something terribly wrong as a child.
I was walking through my local farmer’s market today and saw a new vendor called the Maine Connection Seafood Company.
Barley is a wonderfully versatile grain with a rich nutty flavor and a nice chewy, pasta-like consistency. According to the Whole Grains Council, “barley is highest in fiber of all the whole grains, with common varieties clocking in at about 17% fiber.”
Refreshing, sweet, crunchy texture, pretty....I love this! And as my husband schlurps away on this, he keeps repeating, "this is so good, but it's not soup". I'm pretty sure he's doing it to annoy me, since I had an annoyed reaction when he said it. So he knows he's pushing my buttons, and it's working. "Of course it's soup, duh!", I said. We're such great communicators. 
