cooked multi-grain

I don't know what else to call this.  It is a bunch of grains cooked together.  I couldn't pick one so I cooked them all.

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup purple barley
2. 1/4 cup forbidden rice
3. 1/4 cup oat groats
4. 1/4 cup buckwheat 
5. 1/4 cup red quinoa

I have them ordered in their cooking time (longest first).  Total cooking time was 1 hr, 15 minutes or so, plus another hour to cool.  This is one of those things you do when you are at home doing other things. I was reading a book and the breaks were okay because it was one of those books that makes you think.

• Add the barley to 3 cups water, bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cook for 25 minutes.
• Add the forbidden rice, bring to boil, turn down to simmer, cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the oat groats; cook for 10 minutes.  While that is cooking, prep the buckwheat and quinoa.  I put each in a bowl with some water and microwaved for 30-60 seconds to get hot.  let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse.  why?  well, the buckwheat has this layer that turns gooey in water so I like to rinse that off.  and I'm told the quinoa has a bitter outer coating.  Rinse both. 
• add the buckwheat, return to simmer/boil;  see if you need to add more water
• add the quinoa, return to simmer/boil,  cook for 15 minutes.  check.  cook longer if needed
• when it's done, if there is too much water, take the lid off and stir and let some evaporate.  you can pour it off too.  then call it "sticky grains" and pretend you intended it this way.

It sounds complicated but the times aren't set in stone.   Grains are pretty forgiving.  It's not like baking.

This makes 4 cups: