Cooling Barley Salad

The healing properties of barley are many cooling thermal nature; sweet and salty flavor; strengthens the spleen-pancreas, regulates the stomach and fortifies intestines; builds the blood and yin fluids and moistens dryness.  Paul Pitchford:  Healing with Whole Foods, Contains gluten so this is a grain that would be excluded from the menu of someone with Celiac disease. 
 

½ cup barley                                          ½ cup curly parsley, chopped into small pieces
½ green onion (scallion), chopped       ½ cucumber, diced into small pieces
1 tomato, diced                                      light dressing (lemon juice, seasoned olive oil)

cook barley in one and one quarter cups of water, bringing to a boil, then simmer until water is absorbed (approximately 60 minutes) After barley is cooked, place in a strainer and rinse with cold water 
Mix the vegetables together, fold in dressing that is seasoned to your choice
Add barley, mixing to combine ingredients,  and chill in refrigerator.