Sprouting

Around the time the veggie garden is done for the season is a good time to start sprouting seeds for fresh greens. The canning jar in the foreground above consists of a rounded tablespoon (T) of alfalfa seeds and about a teaspoon of radish seeds.  The one in the background consists of 1 1/2 T mung bean seeds.  Pour the seeds in the bottom of a widemouth Mason jar and cover with a couple inches of water. Soak for 10-20 hours.  (10-12 for small seeds such as alfalfa,radish, and mung beans;  18-20 for larger beans such as black beans.  The large beans will also need more water for soaking: pouring the larger beans into jar to a level of 2 inches will require adding water to a level of 3 inches above the beans.)  Screens for the top:  One option; purchase the widely available plastic tops that come in a set of three with different size holes.  The finest screen  of the three does not allow water to pour through easily though.  I finally gave up and cut a small hole in the top near the edge to pour water through, and then drain the water out the other side.  A second option is buying precut metal screening that fits into a widemouth lid.  A third option (the most cost effective) is to purchase a piece of stainless steel or brass window screen (one that doesn't rust) from your local hardware store, trace with a wide mouth lid and cut out as many as you need.  Place into a widemouth canning ring and you're set.  These work well for whatever you are sprouting, as the holes are small enough to contain seeds such as alfalfa seeds but water flows through easily.  On the jar in the foreground above is a plastic ring a friend gave me years ago which is especially nice because it will never get rusty as the metal rings will.  The only place I have seen a plastic ring for sale is at sproutpeople.org but have not purchased any from them.  After soaking for 10-20 hours, drain, cover  with water, let sit for 5-10 minutes, drain, and set on its side away from direct sunlight.  Do this 2-3 times a day until the sprouts are the size that taste the best to you, (approximately 3-7 days,)  At this point the jar can be set in a sunny window for a few hours to green up the sprouts and increase their nutrtional value.  Next cover with water again, drain well, replace screening with canning lid and store in the fridge for 3-4 days, rinsing and draining once a day.  (I have seen plastic widemouth caps for sale at Amazon which are nice for storing sprouts in the fridge.)
 Be sure to use seeds, grains, and beans specifically for sprouting.  (Ones purchased for food should sprout, as long as they are same season seeds, grains, and beans.  Older ones may not germinate as well.) Other seeds I have sprouted are: green lentils,broccoli seeds, and wheat.  Broccoli sprouts are especially nutritious, but I suggest trying a few at a time with other seeds, as they have a very strong flavor.  Some other options for sprouting:  rye berries, seame seeds, squash seeds, whole barley, buckwheat, celery, sunflower, chia, dill, fenugreek, pumpkin, onion, and lettuce seeds, quinoa, and any dry beans such as black beans, pinto beans, and chic peas.(all raw of course.)
Something to be aware of: in warm humid weather the risk of the sprouts molding is greater. (Being sure all components are cleaned in hot soapy water between uses will minimize this risk.) Fortunately by then there are other fresh greens available in the local farm markets or your own garden to take their place.
If you haven't grown sprouts before I encourage you to give it a try.  The nutritional boost to the diet, especially in the winter is well worth it.
Have a joyous and blessed day!

The Impatient Vanilla Extract Maker

Today was another good day to experiment.  Let me back up a bit.  October 2012 I delved into making Pure vanilla extract.  First there was the decade or two old bottle of bourbon my awesome Uncle Bob gave me to experiment with.  (Because of who he is, not because of the bourbon!)  Second I purchased a couple middle priced vodkas to use for a taste comparison. Third was the hunt for bottles.  The ones you see above are 8.5 oz.  There is something to be said for just taking 4-8 ounces out of a liter of vodka and dropping in a bunch of vanilla beans, but I like the convenience of the smaller size bottles.  In my research most people slice the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and put  3-5 beans in an 8 ounce bottle, shake it up and place in a cool, dry, dark place for 2-6 months, shaking up every week or two.  (I used five beans.)  After 6 months it was not strong enough for my taste, and after 12 months it was better, but I was hoping for a more pronounced vanilla flavor still.  Hence the two bottles above.  In the interest of getting as much vanilla flavor as possible, I individualy blended the contents of several bottles in the Vitamix blender until very smooth.  It isn't as pretty as the bottle with whole beans in it, but how it tastes is what really matters.  I'll let you know in a couple months.  Thus far on the different liquids for the extract: using either vodka would be my choice next time.  The other extract comes out as more of a vanilla flavored bourbon than vanilla extract.  (Just for the record, I have several of my baking friends do the taste testing for me.)
Made two different gluten free peanut butter cookie recipes this week.  Still waiting for all the reviews from the testers.  Will keep you posted on the results soon, along with the improved kashi breakfast bake.
Happy cooking!

Coconut Cream Brussel Sprouts

Coconut Cream Brussel Sprouts

In the continuing journey of getting more cruciferous vegetables into the diet, 'Coconut Cream Brussel Sprouts' was born.  (Cruciferous being the cabbage family: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, bok choy/pak choi.)  Brussel sprouts have a certain harshness to them I have never fully appreciated.  Adding coconut oil and creamy coconut milk mellows them into a tender, savory, delicious veggie I would happily eat several times a week!  (Native Forest brand organic classic coconut milk with it's thick creamy conistency works well.)  This recipe makes approximately 4-5 cups once cooked.  The 8-9 cups raw fits nicely into a 15" cast iron pan. The garlic enhances the flavor a great deal also, and using garlic powder works well to evenly incorporate through the mixture.  ( 1 T minced fresh garlic is another option.)  A 2 pound bag of brussel sprouts will give you the 1  1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds of  trimmed brussel sprouts needed.  As the photos above show, the stem is trimmed off, along with any so-so outside leaves leaving them somewhat smaller, rounder, and ready for the food processor.

                                                  Coconut Cream Brussel Sprouts

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds (#) trimmed brussel sprouts, (8-9 cups, slightly packed)
2 1/2 Tablespoons (T) extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon (tsp) garlic powder
1 tsp whole salt
3/4 - 1 cup creamy coconut milk

Proccess the trimmed brussel sprouts in a large food proccessor using the 4mm slicing disc.  (approximately 1/8 inch thick.)  Warm a 15" cast iron pan (or equivalent) on medium/low.  Once warm but not smoking, melt coconut oil in it and add the brussel sprouts.  Mix in the seasonings and continue to stir the mixture every 1-2 minutes for 10-15 minutes until the thicker pieces are about half-cooked.  (Veggies should simmer gently without browning.)  Stir in 3/4 cup coconut milk.  Stir and simmer another 5-7 minutes, until the thick pieces are al dente and the outside pieces are still a nice green color.  (overcooking turns the leaves yellowish and the flavor is not as desirable.)  For a creamier version (our favorite,) stir in the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, bring just to a simmer and serve. 

Enjoy!

Finally!

Finally!  The 'Comfort Food' recipe book is now available for sale here!  Just click on the Comfort Food tab for more information.


This week brought temps of -2 F with windchills of -35 F, and today it's 50.  As they say around here:  if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes- it will change.  There are still several Winterbor kale  plants in the garden, and they've actually made it through once again!

Soon there will be a new brussel sprout recipe and kashi recipe posted, but they need a little more tweeking.  Will get back to you on those soon.
Blessings,  Jeanne

Storing Apples

Every fall my wonderful friend Terri lets me come and pick organic Burgundy, Granny Smith, and Empire apples from her trees to distribute to many families, food pantries, and local shelters.  She is such a blessing to so many!  We first store ours in the garage with netting over them to discourage  the furries from taking them: usually chipmunks and the occasional squirrel.  Although this year our dog Jack managed to slip his nose under the netting of one basket that quickly went from convex shape to concave. For about a week his first trip out in the morning became rather desperate.  Ahh, the laxative effects of too much fruit sometimes. Apparently all things in moderation is wise for dogs as well as humans!   The next location when there is a risk of freezing, is to put the remaining apples in a couple metal trash cans that have 1/4-3/8" holes drilled in the sides and top for air circulation. (Drill inside to out so the rough edges are on the outside.  We also put a short (2-3") wood stand drilled with holes in the bottom, but not sure if that is really needed.)  Then they are placed in the basement/root cellar  away from any squash that may be down there in their own fresh food only trash cans; apparently the apples reduce the keeping time of the squash. Last night the last of the Granny Smith were enjoyed as Apple Crisp bake.  Even though they were all a bit soft with some even a bit wrinkly, they baked up as well as the fresh ones.  The Public Market (Farmer's Market) in Downtown Rochester NY is open all year round (since 1905) with (among lots of other things) local apples for sale.  They are not as perfect this time of year as the ones in the stores but are still good for eating and especially baking, at a much better price. With a little searching you may find one in your area that stays open all year round too! 
(My apologies for the delay: making the recipe book available here has taken  longer than I anticipated.   The Comfort Food recipe book will be available on this site in approximately 7-10 days.  If you would like one sooner, it is also available on Amazon.)
Have a joyous and blessed day!

Comparing Buckwheat Flours

In the process of experiementing with gluten free flours more, I noticed the buckwheat I ground fresh was a uniform creamy white color and the buckwheat flour purchased was much darker with black speckles throughout.  The whole buckwheat is green buckwheat, and the pre-ground is black buckwheat.  The green is a nice substitute for all the flour in the apple crisp bake: (no one noticed any difference) and the black buckwheat is really good in the easy crunchy crackers, along with making them a very attractive color.  More uses for buckwheat in the future-  it is quickly becoming my favorite gluten free grain.

                                            green buckwheat flour    black buckwheat flour

My apologies for the time it has taken to make the recipe book available online; that will change in the next week or two.
Have a joyous and blessed day!

Kale Chips

I love kale; nutritious, but sturdy.  A couple weeks ago the temperature ranged from roughly 18-58 degrees F, the next 10 days between 25 and 40, and the Winterbor kale popped back every time!  The spinach and arugula hung in there through the nights in the upper 20's, but nowhere near as long as the kale.  It does have its limit though so it was time to pull all but the last couple.  The kale crisp recipe in the book reduces a lot of kale down to a smaller more concentrated amount to store in jars for snacking later, or to crunch up and throw in soup.  Tossing and baking a smaller amount to eat up in a few days though produces a lighter snack with a little less concentrated kale flavor.  They're like potato chips- you can't eat just one!

What you'll need for these (in approximate amounts) is as follows:

3/4 pound kale, midribs removed before weighing (1-2 bunches: if washed, dry before weighing)
3-4 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1/2 T fresh minced)
1/2 tsp + whole salt

Toss the kale with 3 T oil, then the powder and salt.  If at least 90% of the Kale leaves aren't lightly coated with oil, toss in up to one more Tablespoon oil.  Spread a single layer of leaves onto a cookie sheet with sides.  Bake in a 275 degree F oven for 10 minutes, flip over as best you can, and bake another 5-10 minutes until light and crispy.  Cool completely.
Thanks for the idea Kristy!