Warm salad of braised vegetables and barley

Onions, carrots, celery and garlic form the base of most European dishes in one way or another. It’s that magical combination of flavours, which, when cooked together, provides a kind of culinary harmony upon which other flavours are pegged—in this case, sweet pumpkin, earthy cumin, tangy lemon and the robust and mostly underrated charm of pearl barley.

Serve this alongside any winter roast or spoon it into pasta bowls and top with grilled sausages for a hearty meal.