Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Prepare the pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Cut the pumpkin into cubes about 2.5 cm across and the onion into wedges. Arrange them on a baking sheet and toss with 20 ml olive oil, 1 g salt, and the black pepper.
Roast the vegetables
Roast for 20 minutes, then add the whole sage leaves to the pumpkin and roast for another 5 minutes. The pumpkin should be tender with browned edges, and the onion softened and golden in places.
Cook the barley
Rinse the barley in a sieve. Bring 450 ml water and 1 g salt to a boil in a saucepan, add the barley, and simmer uncovered over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender but still slightly firm to the bite. Drain if any water remains.
Toast the seeds
While the barley finishes cooking, add the pumpkin seeds to a dry pan. Toast for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to pop gently. Transfer them to a plate so they stop toasting.
Season and serve
Combine the warm barley with the roasted pumpkin, onion, and sage. Add the remaining 10 ml olive oil and the apple cider vinegar; toss and taste to balance the sweet pumpkin with a fresh tang. Divide among plates, crumble the goat cheese on top, and sprinkle with the toasted seeds. Serve warm.
