Nourished Kitchen's Homemade Yogurt and Spelt Crackers

This recipe comes from Nourished Kitchen (one of the most righteous food blogs in all of cyberspace), and quickly became a new favorite. The method is special in how the flour is mixed with yogurt and soured overnight to improve digestibility, nutrient density and flavor. The result is a deeply flavorful cracker, with buttery, nutty quality.

Ruminant animals who primarily live off of grasses (and grass seeds/grains) have the advantage of multi-chamber stomachs to help break down the anti-nutrients found in these foods. Us humans however, must use our large brains (in proportion to these animals) to carefully prepare grains instead, to avoid compromised digestion.

As discussed in the original recipe, soaking and souring of grains, legumes and seeds provides an environment similar to the first stage of digestion, allowing the properties which hinder nutritional absorption (like phytic acid) to be released prior to eating. Proper souring also provides an environment for friendly bacteria to multiply. This is why sour leavened breads and fermented foods are highly regarded for their superior nutritional quality.

I used homemade kefir in place of yogurt which proved to be a lovely substitute, and I allowed the dough to rest for the full 24 hours. These crackers are so good, they will literally fly off the baking sheet. Heavenly with slices of aged, grass-fed raw milk cheddar.

For the complete recipe, visit the original post by Jenny at Nourished Kitchen. You will be glad you did.

Applewood Smoked Barbecue Ribs

If you've ever wondered what the Neanderthals were thinking as they gnawed on the meaty portion of a woolly mammoth rib, you are not alone. I figured it out the other night. They were thinking about barbecue sauce. Sweet, smokey, spicy and absolutely perfect. My only hope is that as they thought about it, their ignorance served as some type of bliss, because once you've braised grass-fed ribs in homemade stock and garden tomatoes, smoked them over applewood chips, and slathered them with this slowly simmered sauce, you will feel remorse for all who have never had the experience.

A few tips:

1. You may want to place a straw in your wine, because once you pick up a rib, you will not be able touch a hard surfaced vessel without a scene.

2. Wear a dark colored shirt or a slicker.

3. A die hard fan of cloth napkins for every meal, place a roll of unbleached paper towels in the center of the table for this meal.

4. Toast to the cave men and women who could only dream of such an experience.

This meal was put on by my friend Donna. I fell in love with her barbecue sauce. She granted me permission to pass it on to my lovely readers. Hang onto this one. . .

Donna's Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce:

*1 Tbsp. Ume plum vinegar

*3 cups unfiltered, and unpasteurized apple cider

*1 Tbsp. tamari

*4 Tbsp. sorghum syrup, honey or molasses

*1 tsp. red pepper flakes

*1 1/2 Tbsp grainy mustard

*1/4 tsp. cumin

*1/4 tsp. ground ginger

*2 garlic cloves, pressed

*1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder

Begin sauce as the ribs are near the end of braising. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour for reducing.

Place all ingredients in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Allow to very gently simmer until reduced by half, and liquid becomes thick and sweet.

Applewood Smoked Ribs:

*3-4 pounds grass fed beef ribs (this would also work well with bison or pastured pork)

*sea salt and pepper for searing

*4 cups grass fed beef stock

*5 whole Roma or other small tomatoes

*1 chopped onion

*3 cloves garlic, whole

*2-3 cups applewood chips

Rinse and pat dry the ribs. Season liberally with sea salt and pepper. Sear each side of each rib in a heavy pot or skillet over medium heat to lock in the juices. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 275.

Place stock, tomatoes, chopped onion and garlic in a large roasting pan. Arrange the seared ribs in the liquid. Slow roast for 5-6 hours.

Meanwhile, soak applewood chips in a bucket filled with cool water.

Toward the end of roasting, start bed of charcoal. Remove ribs from oven. Once coals are glowing, place drained chips over coals to one side of grill. Place rack over top. Arrange ribs on rack, cover and smoke for about 1 hour.

Using a basting brush, begin coating ribs for last 15 minutes of smoking with the barbecue sauce. Remove from grill. Allow to rest before serving.

Place extra sauce in center of serving area.

Braising liquid can be skimmed and ladled over wild rice.

Enjoy!

Leek Flamiche

I recently catered a party and thought I would throw this picture on here merely because it is so easy to look at. I have been sworn to secrecy involving recipes, but essentially this is homemade pastry filled with leeks and béchamel, baked on a hot stone.

Seeds

The season begins. . .

Magnolia

Cardoon

Mammoth Sunflower

Amaranth

Stewartia

Paw Paw

Broom Corn

. . . the same way it ends.

Celery Root Purée

Homely? Yes. But some of the best things come in unsuspecting packaging. Celery root (or celeriac), is one of two fall favorite ingredients of mine. The other is leeks, a vegetable I have been involved in a long standing love affair with. The two go so well together, a dish featuring their combined simplistic pleasure is worth center stage. Perfect as an accompaniment to whole roasted chicken, grass-fed burgers or steak. Enjoy.

Celery Root Purée:

*2 large celery roots

*1 large leek

*2 medium gold potatoes

*3 Tbsp unsalted butter

*1/2 cup raw goat, jersey milk or cream

*1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

*sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

*chopped parsley for garnish

Set a pot filled halfway with cool salted water over high heat. Bring to a boil.

Wash and peel celery roots. Quarter. Trim top of leek, leaving only light green portions. Slice lengthwise. Rinse well, peeling back leaves to remove any dirt. Partially peel potatoes (leaving a little skin if you like).

Drop celery root, leek and potatoes into boiling water. Reduce heat slightly. Cover and simmer until all items are tender.

Strain. Transfer potatoes and celery root to a large mixing bowl. Slightly cool leek and chop into small pieces. Add to bowl with remaining ingredients. Whip with an electric mixer until mostly smooth and creamy. Add more milk if needed. Adjust seasonings and serve hot garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

Sopa de Pescado

The gorgeous speckled trout purchased from Frank (Let It Grow Organic Gardens) at the Saturday tailgate market, insisted on being part of a lovely Fall soup. I'm glad I listened. This was one of the best dishes I've recently sat down to enjoy. While acclimating to the brisk weather, nothing, absolutely nothing, beats a good bowl of hot, brothy, salubrious soup.

Sopa de Pescado:

*4 strips thick cut grass fed bacon, cubed

*1 large leek, (rinsed well, all green parts removed but the first 2 inches), chopped

*1 med onion, chopped

*4-5 medium gold or assorted garden potatoes, cubed

*3 cloves garlic, minced

*2 celery ribs (plus any leaves), chopped

*1-2 garden tomatoes, chopped

*2 bay leaves

*5 cups fish stock (see stock making post)

*1 large sea trout, salmon, cod, haddock or other favorite fish fillet, (bones and skin removed) cut into 2 inch cubes

*1/3 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

*handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

*sea salt and pepper

Place a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until just crispy. Remove from pot using a slotted spoon. Place bacon on a paper towel and set aside.

Pour off all but 2-3 Tbsp of the bacon grease. Return to heat. Reduce to medium low. Add the leek, onion, potatoes, garlic and celery. Cook, occasionally stirring for about 7 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper. (If need be, add a bit of butter to keep sauteing veggies well greased).

Add the chopped tomatoes and bay leaves. Allow to simmer for about 2 minutes before poring in the stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

Simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Increase heat just to a low boil. Drop in the fish pieces and cover. Allow to cook about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley and basil. Season with additional salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves.

Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon pieces. Enjoy with thick slices of buttered sourdough toast.

*Variations:

Clams, mussels, shrimp, squid, or octopus pieces would make a great addition to this soup.

For more kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

To make this into a chowder, simply add raw milk and cream to your liking.

Quince Jam

I have always misunderstood quince. After the magnificent show it puts on in the early spring, it tends to fade into the periphery of a landscape, playing the role of ugly duckling for the remainder of the year. The apple-like fruit may seem tempting in the fall, until a curious nibble proves instantly disagreeable. Rarely are you able to remove it from your landscape without a battle. It's stubborn. Thorny. A borderline menace. Until today.
My neighbors have been diligently landscaping their property, (one similar to our's), full of old-timey plantings in their mature years. The quince on the corner recently received a healthy grooming, and has been winking at me all season, especially as it began dropping its yellow fruit. So, I bit the bullet and asked my neighbor if I could collect some fruit to mess around with. He laughed and kindly told me to take as much as I liked. I filled my hat and came back to the house to look over a few recipes for jam. After reading up, I found that quince used to be in almost every backyard or garden as a hassle free addition to the homemaker's edible landscape. I ended up going back to get more.

The jam turned out to be just lovely; tart and full of that distinct flavor of times long since passed. The taste reminds me of other nearly forgotten pleasures, like sassafras tea and homemade butter.
For this gal, quince will never be the same. After our time together in the kitchen, and its beautiful dance on my tongue, I am proud to call it a friend.

Quince Jam:

*about 6 cups shredded quince (including skins), cored and seeds removed

*4 cups water

*juice from 1 lemon

*zest from one lemon

*3 1/2 cups demerara, rapadura or other form of raw cane sugar

*2 tsp high quality vanilla extract (optional)

*2 cardamom pods, grated (optional)

Wash quince and slice lengthwise in half. Cut away any wormy areas. Grate the fruit to the core. Discard core and seeds.

Place water in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and zest. Reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes.

Return to a boil and add sugar. Stir. Cook over med-low heat for about 40 minutes. Add the vanilla and cardamom during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Ladle hot jam into sterilized jam jars and fit with sterilized lids. You can skip this process and pack jam in clean jars and store in the fridge. Enjoy!