Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  3                     tomatoes -- (about 1 1/2
                        -- pounds), cut
                        -- crosswise
  5               cups  water -- more if needed
  1 1/2           cups  chicken stock -- homemade or canned
  1         tablespoon  olive oil
  1                     onion -- chopped fine
  1 1/2           cups  pearl barley -- (about 11 ounces)
  1 1/2      teaspoons  salt
  1 1/2    tablespoons  butter
  6        tablespoons  parmesan cheese -- grated
  2        tablespoons  heavy cream -- optional
  3        tablespoons  nicoise olives -- chopped

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the halved tomatoes, cut-side up, on a baking sheet. Dry the tomatoes in the oven until shriveled but still juicy, not hard and dry, about 2 hours. Let cool and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and stock to a boil. Remove from the heat and keep covered. In another medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the barley and stir to coat. Add about a third of the hot stock mixture and cook at a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until absorbed. Add anotherthird of the stock and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Add the remaining stock and the salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the barley is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes total cooking time. Any stock that has not been absorbed should be thickened by the starch from the barley. Stir the barley vigorously to make the texture creamier. If it is dry, add more water. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, the cream, if using, and three quarters of both the tomatoes and the olives. Serve the barley risotto topped with the remaining tomatoes and olives.

Nutritional Information:

287 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 44g Carbohydrate; 18mg Cholesterol; 1210mg Sodium