Barley feta thyme salad

Ingredients:

1-      Cups raw barley

2-      3 bunches wild thyme

3-      1 bunch rocca

4-      Spring onions to taste

5-      3 cups cherry tomatoes

6-      6 cucumbers

7-      Green pitted olives to taste

8-      1cup lemon juice

9-      ½ cp to 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

10-   500g  feta cheese

11-   Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1-      Bring 2 cups barley and 4 cups water or broth to a boil.

2-      Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes.

3-       Let stand 5 minutes.

4-      Cool (http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101/shopping_cooking_guides/whole_grain_cooking_guide)

5-      Wash the vegetables and dry them

6-      Slices cucumbers

7-      Cut cherry tomatoes in half

8-      Chop spring onions

9-      Cut feta cheese into cubes

10-  Mix green thyme with rocca, add half the cherry tomatoes, the cucumbers, half spring onions, and cooled barley

11-  Place in your serving dish

12-  Add green olives, feta cubes, the rest of the cherry tomatoes, and the spring onion in a decorative way on top of the rocca/ thyme/barley mix

13-  In a bowl: mix lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste

14-  Just before serving poor your dressing all over the salad

Note:
The feta cheese is very salty, therefore you barely need any salt
This salad was made for a big group, around 10 people. If you want to have a smaller portion, keep around the raw ingredients in your fridge, and have some barley cooked and kept in the fride for a last moment salad.
Benefits of barley found on below links:
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/health-benefits-of-barley
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-799-BARLEY.aspx?activeIngredientId=799&activeIngredientName=BARLEY