Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

4 cups chicken broth
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 sweet sausages
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted
1 bunch dinosaur kale, chopped coarse
1½ cups barley
¼ cup Asiago cheese, grated
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

In a medium sized saucepot heat chicken broth until warm and simmer while making risotto. In a separate medium-sized saucepot add olive oil and sauté garlic and onion, 5 minutes. Then crumble in sausages and add fennel seeds, sauté until sausage is cooked, 5 to 7 minutes, remove sausage and fennel seeds from pot and set aside. Next, add kale and sauté until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add barley and ½ cup broth, reduce liquid and then add another ½ cup broth every 7 minutes or until barley is cooked through and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add sausage and fennel seeds back to pot and combine. Remove the pot from heat and finish with cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve.