Winter vegetable casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, each cut into 6 wedges
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 celery sticks, cut into chunks
• 400 g (14 oz) sweet potato or swede, cut into chunks
• 1 liter (1¾ pints) hot vegetable stock, preferably home-made
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 leeks, about 300 g (10½ oz) in total, thickly sliced
• 150 g (5½ oz) pearl barley
• 2 tsp dried sage
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas mark 4). 
2. Put the onions, carrots, celery and sweet potato or swede in a large flameproof casserole. 
3. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.
4. Add the garlic, leeks, pearl barley, sage, and seasoning. 
5. Stir to mix the vegetables together. 
6. Cover and transfer to the oven to cook for about 1 hour or until the vegetables are just soft, and the barley is tender.
7. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve. Thick slices of farmhouse bread are an excellent accompaniment.