Candied orange peel is a nice finisher for a garlic-laden meal. It cuts the garlic and ends things on a sweet note.

Chop the candied slices into small bits to add to baked goods like breads, cookies, and cakes. Add them to savory dishes like pilaf, roasted vegetables, or slow-cooked chicken dishes. Sprinkle the candied orange peel on a green salad along with toasted pine nuts. Delicious!

You could go a step further and dip half of each slice into a fine melted chocolate. Cool the slices and you have gourmet candy to indulge yourself or give as gifts.

You will find a number of processes online for making candied orange peel. I’ve tried a few and have settled on this as the one that best fits our use of oranges on a daily basis. The process is simple enough, it just takes a bit of time.

Use organic oranges to avoid the plethora of chemicals that get sprayed on mass-produced orange crops. Better yet, grow your own. That takes a while, so as you wait for your own precious oranges, look for a friend who is growing enough organic oranges to share with you.

As for sugar, I have tried using an unrefined sugar instead of the typical white sugar. Unfortunately, the unrefined sugar makes a dark and much more tough peel. It is great to use as an ingredient in cooking but it is too tough for projects such as chocolate-covered orange peel. It is too brown for any project where you want to see the bright orange color. Use the sugar of your choice.

Candied Orange Peel Ingredients

• 10 oranges, cut in half and squeezed of juice

• 2 cups water
• 4 cups organic sugar

Candied Orange Peel Steps

1. Slice the squeezed orange halves into quarters.

2. Place the quarters into a pan large enough to cover the quarters with cold water.
3. Starting with cold water in the pot, cook the orange peels until they have reached the boiling stage and have boiled for five minutes.
4. Pour off the water and replace it with cold water. Repeat step 3 two more times. These two times will not take as long as the first time because the pot itself is already hot. The boiling remove some of the bitterness from the peels.
5. After the third boil, strain off the water and place the orange peel quarters in a strainer to cool.
6. When the peels are cool enough to handle, scrape the white pith out with a spoon.
7. Slice the orange peels into 1/4 inch wide strips.
8. In a large pot heat the water and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar crystals.
9. When the sugar water begins to boil, add the orange slices. Stir them around a bit, pressing them down into the sugar water. Turn the heat to simmer.
10. Simmer until the orange peels become translucent. This could take as long as an hour. Check them every 15 minutes or so and press down the slices to keep them well into the syrup.
11. Place a cooling rack on a cookie sheet for receiving the orange peels.
12. Spread the slices out on the cooling rack.
13. If you have a gas oven with a nice warm pilot light, place the candied peels in there to dry a bit. No pilot light? Turn the oven on low and dry the peels for a couple of hours.

Store your candied peels in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. They should be fine for about six weeks. If you plan to keep the peels longer than that, consider freezing them to maintain the bright flavor.

Save the syrup. It is a treat unto itself. Use the syrup to sweeten herb teas, to pour on pancakes, as sweetener in salad dressings. You will have no shortage of ways to dispose of your orange syrup!.

We women are born with all of the eggs we will ever have and the egg quality we are born with varies from person to person. As time marches on for each of us, our egg quality diminishes. Egg quality drops precipitously at 35 and at 40. Some of us fight against that quality to create a family; some of us will pass on that struggle to our children.

Scientists discover new factors everyday that help us improve egg quality, sperm quality, and all of the other factors that keep us from having as big of a family as we may choose. Everyday, scientists vindicate a healthy diet in general and, specifically, fertility superfoods as keys to overcome some of the fertility barriers we may have inherited from our own grandmothers.

As brief examples, there is promising research on these foods as fertility-boosters:

Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Antioxidants

Finding: Infertile women are more likely to have lower levels of beneficial Omega 3 fats and antioxidants.

Citation: Savita S Mehendale, Anitha S Kilari Bams, Chaya S Deshmukh, Bharati S Dhorepatil, Vandana N Nimbargi, Sadhana R Joshi. Oxidative stress-mediated essential polyunsaturated fatty acid alterations in female infertility. Hum Fertil (Camb). 2009 12(1):28-33.

Folate, Zinc, and Antioxidants May Prevent Fertility Problems

Finding: In a review of scientific studies, the authors find an important role for folate, zinc, and antioxidants in male and female fertility.

Citation: I M W Ebisch, C M G Thomas, W H M Peters, D D M Braat, R P M Steegers-Theunissen. The importance of folate, zinc and antioxidants in the pathogenesis and prevention of subfertility. Hum Reprod Update. 2007 Mar-Apr;13(2):163-74. Epub 2006 Nov 11.

Reducing Oxidative Stress Improves Pregnancy Outcomes

Finding: In a review of scientific studies, the authors find an important role for folate, zinc, and antioxidants in male and female fertility.

Citation: S Estany, J R Palacio, R Barnadas, M Sabes, A Iborra, P Martínez. Antioxidant activity of N-acetylcysteine, flavonoids and alpha-tocopherol on endometrial cells in culture. Anticancer Res. 1998 Nov-Dec;18(6A):4083-90.

Reducing Oxidative Stress Improves Pregnancy Outcomes

Finding: In a review of scientific studies, the authors find an important role for folate, zinc, and antioxidants in male and female fertility.

Citation: Juan J Tarín, Sonia Pérez-Albalá, Antonio Cano. Oral antioxidants counteract the negative effects of female aging on oocyte quantity and quality in the mouse. Mol Reprod Dev. 2002 Mar;61(3):385-97.

From the Ethicurean:

To counteract billions in marketing dollars, parents must start young.

When the subject of McDonald’s came up during a Christmastime car journey with the in-laws, Frederick chimed in: “McDonald’s food tastes good because they put chemicals in it.”

Gasps were audible. I took the opportunity to discuss some of Eric Schlosser’s information in “Fast Food Nation.”

During a recent snowy weekend, I reinforced the message with some more “Omnivore’s Dilemma” storytelling. Here is Frederick’s version.

I found this rub on All Recipes. The full post includes a seasoned couscous that you may be interested in. We had our chicken with some brown rice pilaf that is standard fare in our home. (I make enough for 3-4 meals at a time.)

This is a rich curry flavor with little to no heat depending on the chili powder you use. If you like heat, use a hot chili powder or some cayenne pepper. When you have mixed up all the dry ingredients you will probably think this is plenty for two chickens. Use it all on one! This is not too much flavoring.

For best results, brine your chicken before applying the rub. The brining process ensures a moist tender chicken. The rub ensures unforgettable flavor.

The following recipe has been adapted a bit from the original. You will probably adapt it still more. The important thing is to find the flavors that bring your family running to the dinner table!

Roasted Curried Chicken Rub Ingredients

(For one chicken)

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 8 teaspoons curry powder
• 4 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered sage
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 4 teaspoons light olive oil

Roasted Curried Chicken Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare your roasting pan.

2. Wash and dry your brined chicken with paper towels.
3. Rub the chicken inside and out with olive oil.
4. Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
5. Use all of the rub to liberally coat the inside and outside of your bird. The amount of rub may seem outrageous to you. Get past that! The amount of rub is what produces the full, rich flavors.
6. Place the rubbed chicken into a roasting pan, breast side down, and place in the preheated oven.
7. Roast for 30 minutes and turn the chicken on its back.
8. Roast another 30 minutes and turn the chicken again.
9. Roast for another 30 minutes with the chicken on its back. Baste the chicken with juices from the pan a few times during that last half hour.
10. Check for doneness by one of these methods:
    • Use a thermometer: 175-180 is ideal.

    • Pierce the thickest part of the chicken with a sharp knife — the juices should be clear and not pink.
    • Slice into the thickest part of the meat and checking for color: If there is any pink showing, put the bird back in the oven for further cooking. Check again in 15 minutes.
11. Allow the cooked bird to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This keeps more juice in the meat and makes for prettier slices of white meat.

Try not to shout and holler while you eat. This chicken is that good!

Yes, you could buy some of that toxic-smelling oven cleaner, spray it on, and wipe it off. Your kitchen will smell like a toxic wasteland and your burner pans won’t be much cleaner than they will be with this “volcano” method. Every science fair has a variant of this cleaning project: pour vinegar over baking soda and watch it bubble and fizz.

Stove Top Cleaning Steps

1. Simply remove your burner pans and place them on a cookie sheet or in some container that will hold a bit of vinegar.

2. Sprinkle the burner pans with baking soda.
3. Pour regular white vinegar over the soda and pans.
4. Watch it fizz and say “Oooooo!” (Do it while your kids are away if you want the job all to yourself.)
5. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes and, at best, some hours.
6. Scrub with a metal scrubber or good abrasive scrubber.
7. Rinse and repeat as necessary.

The burner in the picture was treated two times and allowed to soak about 30 minutes each — a short time because of the anxiousness of the helper in the picture. After two scrubbings, there was still a bit of black on the pans but the pans more than met my standard. Your standards may vary.

Here’s the scoop. The giant chicken processors brine their chickens before sending them to market. Brining is rather like marinating. With brining, the chicken soaks in a salt water bath for a couple of hours. During that time, the flesh of the chicken absorbs and holds water.

Brining has two advantages:

1. The meat of the bird will be moist and juicy when cooked.

2. The weight of the bird is increased by the water and you get to pay more for it.

What about the free-range chickens? Brine your own!

The process is super simple and you will end up with the most amazing chicken.

1. Place 1 gallon of water in a large container.

2. Stir in 1/2 cup of salt.
3. Place your uncooked chicken in the brine for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
4. Discard the brine, rinse and dry the chicken, and you are ready to go.

Brining can get a bit more sophisticated, but that is not necessary for fantastic chicken results. For more brining savvy check out Brining 101 at Cookshack.

Frederick: “You can COOK a banana?”

Me: “Yes, just pull your stool closer to the stove so you can stir these bananas and keep them from burning.”

I gave Frederick a couple of options as to what we would add to the ice cream. We ended up making candied nuts because he was so fascinated with the idea that sugar can melt in a skillet.

Besides the wonder of watching this happen, Frederick got to listen to the story of how badly his mother got burned on just such an operation when she was his age. Amanda was at a friend’s home. She and her buddy were cooking without supervision.

Lesson: “Frederick, this is blazing hot and you never try it by yourself!”

While some of the roasted banana recipes out there call for oven-roasting, we opted for roasting the banana slices on the stovetop so Frederick could be more hands-on. Feel free to use your oven!

The final product was rich and satisfying. Frederick excitedly served bowls of ice cream to the family. His first ice cream! What a delicious reminder to get your chores done!

Roasted Banana Ice Cream Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sucanat (or sugar of your choice)
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Candied nuts

Roasted Banana Ice Cream Steps

1. Melt the butter in a small heavy skillet.

2. Peel and slice the ripe bananas. Toss the slices into the butter and cook. Five minutes will take care of this. Stir often. Better yet, stand there and continue stirring to prevent a burn. Enjoy the aroma. Heavenly!
3. Pour the cream and sugar into a blender. Add the egg only if you are certain of its freshness. We used one still warm from the nest.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients other than the nuts. Blend well. You want the banana to to unrecognizable. This ensures a thorough blending of the roasted banana flavor through the ice cream.
5. Pour the ice cream mixture into a container that will sit in the freezer for a couple of hours. Stir the mix now and then.
6. Process the ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions for your ice cream maker.
7. When the ice cream is finished, fold in the candied nuts.
8. Serve immediately as soft-serve or return the ice cream to the freezer for a few hours. Use the same container you did before to save washing an extra item.
   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/roasted-banana-ice-cream/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/rich-dense-nettle-soup/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/rich-dense-nettle-soup/#comments Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:33:07 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6812 Are you looking for a spring tonic, possibly an almost-free spring tonic? Stinging nettle can be your answer. We have decided that it is on the top of our list for staying healthy.

   With renewed focus and dedication to nettle, we are tracking it’s life cycle and finding new stands of it. By far, the easiest to forage and the most delicately flavored is the early spring nettle. Read our post on spring nettle or a more general discussion of nettle leaf for more information on foraging.

   Having a delicate flavor means that the nettle can be more highly concentrated in juices and soups. This is the point of our rich and very green soup described here. When a green is this concentrated, then you can have just a cup of it with a meal, along with some other offerings. If the green is not concentrated, we make a whole meal of the soup to get enough of the greens. This can become boring after a bit and we struggle to continue with our soup consumption.

   Additions of thick cream and cream cheese make the soup satisfying and appealing to the little guys in this family. When they have a half cup of soup they’ve taken in more nutrition than most full plates of food can offer.

   Before you begin your soup making, thoroughly clean the nettle. Those leaves hold on to find bits of sand. Get rid of them. Here are our instructions for cleaning any green. This process is essential when cleaning nettles.

   Dense Nettle Soup Ingredients

   

   • 2 quarts rich chicken bone broth (or vegetable broth)

   • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
   • 1 large onion, diced
   • 5 garlic cloves, minced
   • 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
   • 1 gallon cleaned tips of stinging nettle
   • 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
   • 1 cup whipping cream
   • 1 cup cream cheese
   • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
   • 2 heaping tablespoon sorghum flour or thickener of your choice
   • 1 cup water

   Dense Nettle Soup Steps

   1. Heat the oil in the largest skillet you have.

   2. Saute the onion and garlic together until the onion begins to brown. Stir often. You want the onion brown, but not burned. Sprinkle on the Herbs de Provence.
   3. While the onion is cooking heat up the bone broth in a large soup pot.
   4. Pile the washed greens on top of the onion mix and toss lightly for a few minutes. The large pile will wilt to almost nothing…or so it will seem.
   5. Puree the nettle/onion mix in a food processor, being caution because of the heat. You may need to do this in multiple batches, depending on the size of your processor.
   6. Add each batch of pureed nettles to the soup pot with the bone broth. Stir well so the nettles do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
   7. When all the nettle mix has been pureed and added to the soup pot, add the cream and white wine, if you are using wine. Keep the soup pot over a very low flame.
   8. Place the cream cheese in the food processor. Add a large ladle of soup. Process until smooth and creamy. Add more broth if necessary. You want a slush, not a paste.
   9. Stir the cream cheese slush into the soup.
   10. Taste for salt and pepper, making any necessary adjustments.
   11. Measure the cup of water into a medium bowl and add the thickener. Use a small wire whip to mix it up and break up any lumps.
   12. Slowly add the thickening mixture to your soup, stirring the whole time.
   13. Keeping the soup over a low flame, allow it to cook for another five minutes while the thickener does its magic. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can repeat the process.
   14. Serve up in warmed bowls and be healthy!
   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/rich-dense-nettle-soup/feed/ 1 http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/pollan-painting3/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/pollan-painting3/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:30:16 +0000 Amanda Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6590 The blast-from-the-past Pollan Painting series celebrates the release of Michael Pollan’s new book Cooked. Some five years ago, my own little Frederick, 5 years old at the time, sat with me one rainy weekend as I read Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma. I read chapters to him and he painted a related painting. This painting was posted on the Ethicurean back in 2008. (See Pollan Painting #1 — “Children of the Corn” and Pollan Painting #2 — “Chicken Little at Magic Mountain.)

   From the Ethicurean:

   Michael Pollan’s chapter about boar hunting reminded some of the people in this house of my own hunting training.

   “Do you know the barrel end of a gun?” I’ve been asked.

   “Hey watch your mouth! I’m real good with that BB gun!”

   Frederick has seen the effects of wild boars, which wreak havoc on the lawn at the local elementary school, but he has yet to see one in person. On our recent “Pollan painting” weekend here in the Sequoia National Forest, he imagined wild boars cute and pink.

   

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/pollan-painting3/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/orange-olive-oil-ice-cream/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/orange-olive-oil-ice-cream/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:16:00 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6822 Does the thought of olive oil in ice cream make your nose wrinkle? Before this past weekend, that was my experience but having used olive oil in cookies and cake in these past months, I was feeling more adventuresome.

   Check out olive oil recipes online and you will find them all pretty much the same. Jenny’s recipe at Nourished Kitchen (here) stands out as more nutritious, so that was my starting point.

   While we all love ice cream and watch our nutrient intake, I am especially conscious of what the little guys are getting. It’s so satisfying to see them working their way through mounds of ice cream, knowing that the ice cream is stacked with health benefits.

   Use the best ingredients you can manage. We had a bottle of olive oil from Mountain Rose Herbs, saved for a special occasion. This was the occasion. If you do not have access to fresh pastured eggs (like from your own hen house), then do plan to cook the yolks in the milk like a custard before cranking up the ice cream. (Read more about raw egg safety and how to pasteurize your yolks for ice cream). For sweetener I used local honey, purchased to help the boys fight allergies in the spring. Use whatever sweetener works for you and your dietary specs.

   Jenny flavors her ice cream with blood oranges and food grade orange oil. We had no orange oil and the blood oranges were lovely but fairly tasteless. Turning those oranges into an ice cream ingredient does not improve the flavor.

   Punt! By the time I discovered the deadness of the blood oranges, I had already assembled some pretty dear ingredients in the mixing bowl. More than that, we had our taste buds ready for orange ice cream. As a result, besides the orange zest, I added chopped candied orange peel, a splash of citrus-y Triple Sec and a tablespoon of the syrup left from making the candied orange peel. (Yes, you can make your own).

   Having gone into creative mode, I now decided that a bit of shaved chocolate would be a splendid addition to the ice cream. It was!

   The acid test in evaluating this recipe came when we fed the ice cream to Matt and Cody who had been burning tree prunings, part of our wild fire preparedness. These two guys are not ones who would order olive oil ice cream at the deli. When they were almost done, we told the guys about the olive oil. They were stunned! The were especially stunned about the amount of oil in the recipe.

   Cody has an ice cream maker and a serious interest in making this ice cream for himself. Did this recipe pass with flying colors? Indeed!

   For the load of food value in this ice cream, none of us felt the discomfort of having over-indulged but it was a number of hours before anyone considered eating again. Talk about stick-to-your-ribs!

   Orange and Olive Oil Ice Cream Ingredients

   

   • Zest from 2 oranges

   • 3/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
   • 2 cups heavy cream
   • 2 cups whole milk
   • 6 egg yolks (very fresh from pastured chickens)
   • 1/3 cup honey
   • 2 tablespoon Triple Sec or 8 drops of food-grade orange extract
   • 1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel
   • 1 tablespoon syrup from making candied orange peel (optional)
   • 1 good pinch sea salt
   • 1/2 cup good quality grated chocolate (or your home-made chocolate chips)

   Orange and Olive Oil Ice Cream Steps

   

   1. In a large mixing bowl whip up the egg yolks and mix in the honey until the honey and yolks are totally blended.

   2. Slowly add the milk as you continue to mix.
   3. Add the cream, orange zest, Triple Sec, salt and syrup (syrup’s optional). Mix well.
   4. Taste for sweetness and salt. Make any necessary adjustments.
   5. Stir in the chopped orange peel.
   6. Place the mixing bowl in the freezer for an hour or two to get a jump-start on the ice cream making. Stir it up every 30 minutes or so. During this chilling time the candied orange peel begins to release flavor into the mix. A good thing!
   7. Run your ice cream through your ice cream maker, following instructions in the owner’s manual.
   8. When the ice cream is done, spread it out in a large container (e.g., glass pie plate) that has been sitting in the freezer for this occasion. Nothing melts your newly cranked ice cream like putting it in a room temperature container.
   9. Sprinkle the grated chocolate over the ice cream surface. When you are ready to scoop the ice cream, the chocolate will appear as a swirl rather than a total mix of chocolate bits in the ice cream. Call me picky! I just like the look of that. It seems more planned and artistic. Call me opinionated. You’re right!
   10. Place the ice cream container in the freezer for another hour or so to really firm it up. The oil and the Triple Sec will keep the ice cream from turning into an immovable brick, easier to scoop, creamy to eat.
   11. Scoop the ice cream into cold bowls and garnish with orange slices and mint or lemon balm. Do enjoy! This stuff is amazing.
   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/orange-olive-oil-ice-cream/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/raw-egg-safety-ice-cream/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/raw-egg-safety-ice-cream/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:14:59 +0000 Amanda Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6846 As ice cream season begins and we add new recipes to this website, I thought I’d take a minute to describe our raw egg philosophy. Many (if not all) of our recipes will contain raw egg and I wouldn’t actually recommend raw egg to everyone reading this site.

   Eggs are little balls of salmonella.

   Raw egg is a high risk food for salmonella. Chickens carry it like its a natural part of their feathered bodies and that pathogenic bacteria can get into their eggs.

   If you’ve ever needed a visual that eggs can be contaminated on the inside as well as on the outer shell, we’ve got it. Here’s a gecko that took a real bad turn up the back side of a hen and spent its final days swishing around in egg white. That’s an egg you’d want to cook. (Check out the story of the gecko discovery: ABC News.)

   Now that I’ve ruined eggs for you forever, I’ll tell you why we don’t take the extra step to pasteurize our eggs for ice cream.

   This second picture is my child getting exposure to salmonella in our yard. I could include a collection of pictures of my children crawling through dirt around the hens. My kids are exposed to the muck of our chickens nearly daily and develop a resistance to the specific strains of pathogens the chickens carry. It’s not to say that some foreign grime won’t make it into those eggs and make us all sick, but we are far less likely to get sick from our own eggs than those we buy at the supermarket. We likely have an immunity to the bugs on our chickens already. Eggs from a small farmer might be a bit safer because then hens are likely to be a little more healthy but you should use your judgment because there is no safety guarantee. If your immune system is weak, you ought to use more caution still.

   We do take the risk in our household because the risk is not big and raw animal fats are a great addition to the diet (if they don’t kill you).

   You may wish to enjoy your ice cream with pasteurized eggs. In fact, you may find websites like this one with great raw recipes that you want to adapt to a pasteurized version. To do so is simple but takes a little more planning.

   How to Pasteurize Eggs for Ice Cream

   To convert a raw egg ice cream to a cooked version, simply warm the milk and cream portion of your recipe and add your beaten egg yolks. Stir well. Use a thermometer for extra insurance and heat your mixture to 160 degrees. You now have a custard. Let it cool and place it in the refrigerator. Besides the extra cooking step, you need to allow time for your mixture to get cold again. Try to make it in the morning of your big ice cream day so that it will be cold when you need it. If you need the custard more quickly, immerse it in a bowl of crushed ice and water.

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/raw-egg-safety-ice-cream/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/strawberry-balsamic-muffins/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/strawberry-balsamic-muffins/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:14:21 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6807 I love Elise over at Simply Recipes. She has a masterful sense of food. I trust her. That’s the only reason why I considered putting balsamic vinegar and black pepper in these muffins. What a combo! It makes me want to plant another row of strawberries in the garden.

   Months later Frederick convinced me to try some cookies with black pepper and rosemary. I think it all began with these muffins.

   Since enjoying these muffins, I have come to discover that strawberries and balsamic vinegar combination is not news. I guess I was too busy gardening to notice!

   The recipe that follows is a bit of an adaptation of Elise’s recipe to better fit our diet specs. You may want to check out Simply Recipes to see where this luscious muffin came from.

   Strawberry Balsamic Muffins Ingredients

   • 1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats

   • 1 cup plain yogurt
   • 1/2 pound strawberries (about 1 1/2 cups of chopped berries)
   • 1 tablespoon of softened (liquid) honey
   • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
   • 2 eggs at room temperature
   • 1/2 cup melted butter
   • 1/2 cup sucanat (whole cane sugar, or sugar of your choice)
   • 1 teaspoon vanilla
   • 1 cup freshly ground spelt flour
   • 1 tablespoon baking powder

   • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
   • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
   • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
   • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

   Strawberry Balsamic Muffins Steps

   1. For a less chewy muffin, whirl the oats in the blender for about 30 seconds. Mix the oats and yogurt together in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

   2. Wash and slice the strawberries. Bruise them just a bit to release juices and add the honey and vinegar. Stir gently and set aside.
   3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
   4. Place muffin papers into a 12 muffin cup pan, or grease each muffin cup.
   5. Add the eggs, butter, sucanat and vanilla to the oat mixture. Stir well.
   6. Stir the dry ingredients into the oat mixture. Do not over-mix. The dough will be thick.
   7. Pour the strawberry mix on top of the batter and gently stir it in.
   8. Work fast. The baking powder and baking soda are already mixing with the vinegar and going to town…rising! Get that batter into the muffin cups.
   9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The tops should be lightly browned and a toothpick stuck into one of the muffins should come out clean.
   10. Remove the muffins from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving. It’s tough to wait once you smell these muffins in the making but lack of restraint could get you burned. The fruit sugar is really hot.

   These muffins are a treat any time. The first time we had them we hung over the deck and watched the sun go down.

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/strawberry-balsamic-muffins/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/homemade-citrus-salts/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/homemade-citrus-salts/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:45:06 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6829 Last year I was inspired by Heidi Swanson’s post to make my own citrus salts. The process is such a no-brainer, drop-dead easy one! Heidi offers suggestions on how to most enjoy these salts as “finishing” salts on things like avocado slices.

   I was inspired. It took me a whole year to work on the inspiration, though. Hope it doesn’t take you that long. You really don’t want to miss out on all this salty goodness for a full year.

   Be adventuresome and experiment with different sorts of citrus: lemons, limes, tangerines, and your usual garden variety orange. Whatever variety you use, go for organic to avoid the many chemicals found on most commercial citrus peels.

   Use a good sea salt, one that you find to be a fine finishing salt just as it stands. Add the citrus zest and you really have a winner.

   There has been some question about how to keep the citrus salt from clumping. Mine has not clumped. I believe there are two important keys here:

   1. The citrus should be clean and DRY before the zest is removed. If need be, allow the washed citrus is sit out overnight to air dry. Spread it out, not piled in a bowl.

   2. Dry the zested salt until the zest crumbles easily when you rub it between your thumb and index finger.

   If you still have clumping problems, add a cracker to your storage container to absorb the moisture.

   Depending on the size of your salt flakes, you may need to punch larger holes in your salt shaker. Personally, I like the citrus salt in a small jar where I can reach in and get a pinch — it is part of the total experience for me. Please be free to build your own experience.

   Your citrus salt needs to be dried out before it gets to the jar, however. Here are some drying suggestions:

   • Spread it on parchment paper-lined racks of your food dehydrator and set the temp at about 100 degrees. Four or five hours should take care of it.

   • Spread it on a cookie sheet and set the sheet in a pilot-heated oven overnight.
   • Set the cookie sheet in an oven heated to 225 degrees for about an hour and a half. The citrus zest is easy to burn, so keep an eye on your project.

   Citrus Salt Ingredients

   

   • 1/2 cup sea salt

   • 1 tablespoon citrus zest

   Citrus Salt Steps

   1. Pour the sea salt into a small bowl.

   2. Sprinkle on the zest and work it in with the back of a spoon. A mortar and pestle works well is you have one.
   3. Spread out the salt on strips of parchment paper to dry in any of the three ways described above.
   4. Check for dryness by rubbing some zest between your thumb and index finger. Look for the zest to easily crumble. If it does not, apply a bit more drying time and test again until the zest is completely dry.
   5. Allow your citrus salt to cool completely and then you could:
      • Bottle it up in a clean dry jar with a tight-fitting lid.

      • Return the salt to the grinding bowl for a bit more grinding before it is bottled.
      • Run the salt through a small food process to break down the crystal size and to more thoroughly mix in the zest before bottling.
   6. Store your citrus salt in a cool dry place and it should maintain flavor for a couple of months. Store it well, but do not hide it and forget to use this lovely stuff.

   Sprinkle citrus salts on salads, roasted or steamed veggies, casseroles, bean and rice dishes, popcorn, homemade crackers, fresh tomato slices, and crunchy cucumbers from the garden. I’m sure you have a hundred other suggestions!

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/homemade-citrus-salts/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/forage/spring-nettles/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/forage/spring-nettles/#comments Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:20:38 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6796 If you have foraged for stinging nettle more than a few times, you are well aware of how tall those plants can get and how vicious those stingers can be. The further into the growing season, the more chance you have of experiencing the wrath of the stinging nettle.

   You probably realize I am writing from personal experience. Ouch! Yes.

   Here’s the good news: the first nettles of spring have stingers but very little sting. They just seem to be warming up, practicing for the big show, as it were. This is the time to go full boar on nettle foraging. Think big! You can freeze or dehydrate what you do not immediately consume.

   Four Reasons for Foraging in Spring

   1. You will still need gloves and good shoes and clothing to gather nettle, but you will have a lower likelihood of getting stung.

   2. You can clip a lot of tender nettle tops. The whole top can be cooked, along with the tender stems. There is no need to strip the leaves off tough stems as you do in the summer months. This is a super time saver.
   3. The tender leaves of spring have a more delicate flavor. Being more delicate, the nettle leaves can be used in greater concentration in soups, hence more nutrition. Given the “Spring Tonic” status and blood purifier status given to nettle by Dr. Christopher, you will want to take in all the nettle possible. I recommend you make one of our greens soups.
   4. The early nettles tend to come on before most of their weedy neighbors, making the nettles easy to spot and easy to reach. Later in the season, you could end up having to cut a path to your favorite nettle spots.

   Five Points to Remember for Foraging Nettle

   

   1. Wear closed shoes and long pants. This is not a shorts and sandals job. Use leather gloves and a pair of sharp little clippers.

   2. Take a container that stands open on its own. Foraging time is shortened if you don’t have to continually battle the bag or box.
   3. Just clip, don’t pull. The nettle plant will continue to make new shoots through the season. You can return to a good foraging spot every few weeks to clip the tops of new shoots.
   4. Take only the nettle you can use or process in the next 24 hours. After day or so, it really starts to go down hill and you are losing those precious nutrients that sent you out foraging in the first place.
   5. While you gather nettle, look for the seedlings of lamb’s quarters and dandelion. They often grow in a happy commune. If you refrain from trampling those seedlings, you can return in a month to harvest these nutrient powerhouses. You could end up harvesting part of your daily nutrition all season long. If you are not savvy as to what those seedlings look like, find a more experienced forager take you out on a tour. Always be looking for someone to learn from. Before long, you will be the expert.

   Handling the Clipped Nettle

   Keep it Cool: If you are not going to cook or process your nettle upon returning home, put it in the refrigerator. We pick early nettle in the valley below us. At home the temperatures are still quite cold and we keep the bag of nettle on the back porch. We call it our “walk-in” refrigerator. As temperatures warm up, we harvest nettle right into a cooler.

   Clean it: Before you cook or process nettle, wash it well. It may look squeaky clean, but do not be deceived. All those microscopic hairs hold on to microscopic grains of sand. This is all the more true of the flowers and seed heads. Follow these instructions for cleaning greens.
   My experience with the spring tips is that I can handle them with bare hands in the washing process. This is not true later in the season, believe me! It may or may not be true for you. We all have different levels of sensitivity to nettle.

   PS: If you need any boost in motivation for foraging these spring nettle, do read the nettle entry on Dr. Christopher’s site. You will be rushing for your gloves and clippers. I promise!

   Good luck, good eating, and good health!

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/forage/spring-nettles/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/nettle-allergies/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/nettle-allergies/#comments Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:06:42 +0000 Amanda Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6783 My 10-year-old son has increasing problems with seasonal allergies — we brace ourselves as spring comes with its pollen because this kid really reacts. Last year we kept him comfortable with over-the-counter medications, local honey, regular elderflower tea, lavender oil in a nebulizer/diffuser concoction as he sleeps, and a chest rub of lavender and eucalyptus oil in a carrier oil. The remedies helped keep him comfortable but he still needed a small dose of allergy medication, nearly daily.

   With each year we have added some new tools to the arsenal but it has felt impossible to stay in front of the problem, until now.

   As of April 8, he has had allergy medicine twice. When he would normally be taking a small dose each evening he has only had medicine on severe pollen days (and he played outside to boot on those days, tempting fate apparently and unaware of the pollen count).

   This season’s addition has been near-miraculous for him: nettle leaf.

   By “nettle leaf,” I do mean the stuff with the stinging hairs that leaves an itchy rash on your skin for a few days. (We wrote more about nettle leaf here.)

   In fact, its the same stuff that my same son and I laughed about on a video a few years ago as we picked it. I ended up with a rash up my pants. The video ends with my son saying “Can’t we just buy nettle?”

   You can definitely buy nettle dried online (here) but we have been consuming so much this season that we have harvested it in great quantities locally. We have had it in soups and infusions several times a week for the past two months. We gathered enough to save three gallons packed of dried leaves and 28 quart-sized baggies of blanched and frozen nettle for soup.

   We have hauled nettle infusions on trips for allergy relief and packed soup in my son’s lunch, all for a kid who will eat nothing else green. He consumes nettle because his relief is near-immediate. Last week an attack came on and his eye began to look like he had a shiner. I tried to capture his agony in a photo and the relief one hour later, after 1/2 cup (~ 4 oz) of nettle soup. The pictures aren’t the greatest and his eye was not as bad as it can get, but we caught the allergy attack in time, threw some nettle at it, and Frederick went on with the rest of his day like a normal 10-year-old.

   Our two key tools are nettle soup and nettle infusions, both cooked to neutralize the stinging property of the nettle leaf. We have a standard nettle soup recipe (here) but it can be seasoned in many ways for variety. We do use fresh or frozen nettle but my mom promises to develop a soup recipe using dried nettle that you can purchase online. In the meantime, experiment with dried nettle in soups — just rehydrate it in your cooking process.

   We also make strong infusions with nettle stems and leaves that are left over from our nettle foraging and processing but you can use fresh or dry nettle. Place it in a pot with boiling water, turn off the heat, cover and let it sit overnight or for up to 24 hours. Strain out the liquid — that liquid is your infusion. We make a very strong infusion because of the quantity of nettle we have, so strong that we add citrus juice and a sweetener to cover the grassy taste. Experiment with what works for you in terms of flavor and concentration. A cup of soup or infusion brings near-immediate relief to my son but each cup we make may be stronger than what you end up cooking up in your own kitchen.

   The rest of the household gets a nice energy boost from nettle as well. It’s really a no-lose situation and is now a key part of our spring time regimen.

   Buy nettle online: For the quantity of nettle you will want to experiment with, we recommend buying it in bulk. This is a good option along with free shipping from our Amazon affiliate partner.

   This post was shared at Wellness Wednesday and Common Sense Preparedness.

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/nettle-allergies/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/greens-thai-soup/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/greens-thai-soup/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:56:47 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6770 Greens soup has become a staple in our diet, so much so that we continually develop new recipes to avoid greens soup boredom. If you are going to eat healthy, densely green soups on a regular basis, you will want some variety in the flavors. Enjoy every spoonful.

   Thai cooking bursts with flavor, so it’s a great place to turn for inspiration. You are not likely to find this soup in a Thai restaurant but lovers of Thai food would recognize the signature Thai flavors in your lovely meal.

   Use any mildly flavored green or combination of mild greens. Use what is in season, what you can forage, what is prolific in your garden, or what is available at the farmers market.

   We use bone broth in our greens soups because of its richness in flavor and nutrition. You may choose to use water or vegetable broth. Either way, you end up with a steaming bowl of luscious, healthy soup.

   Greens Soup Ingredients

   • 1/2 gallon bone broth (or vegetable broth)

   • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
   • 1 large onion cubed
   • 6 garlic cloves, minced
   • 2 tablespoons minced ginger root
   • 1 bundle cilantro (well cleaned)
   • 1 head cabbage, chopped as you would for coleslaw
   • 1/2 gallon tender green leaves (well cleaned)
   • 2 teaspoons fish sauce or tamari soy sauce
   • 1 tablespoon curry paste
   • 2 cups rich coconut milk
   • 2 tablespoons thickener of choice like sorghum flour or tapioca flour

   Greens Soup Steps

   

   1. Heat the coconut oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. The skillet needs to be sizable enough to accommodate all the vegetables that will simmer and stew.

   2. Add the onion to the oil and saute until the onion just begins to turn translucent.
   3. Stir in the garlic and ginger root. Continue to cook until the onions just start to caramelize.
   4. Combine the cabbage with the onion mixture. Place on a tight-fitting lid and turn the temperature to low. Stir often. The moisture from the cabbage will probably be adequate to keep the vegetables from sticking and burning. If not, add some broth or water.
   5. Start the bone broth warming in a large soup pot, a gallon size or larger.
   6. When the cabbage is almost cooked to a soft stage, spread the cleaned cilantro over the top, stems and all. Replace the lid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
   7. Add the tender green leaves and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes depending on which leaves you are using. Kale and chard need the ten. Nettle and lamb’s quarters need no more than 5. You want these greens cooked through and tender.
   8. Puree the fully cooked vegetables in a food processor or blender. Watch it! This stuff is hot. You will probably have to blend multiple batches. Scrape out each pureed batch into the hot broth.
   9. Add the fish sauce and curry paste. Stir well and taste. Add more of either or both. Season it to suit yourself and your family.
   10. Stir in the coconut milk and continue to simmer over a low flame while you prepare the thickener.
   11. In a small bowl mix the thickener with a cup of water. Stir it up well and mash any lumps.
   12. Slowly add the thickener mixture to the hot soup, stirring continually to prevent lumps. Simmer the soup for another 3-4 minutes while it thickens. If you like a thicker soup, just repeat the thickening process.
   13. Ladle your soup into warmed bowls and garnish with slices of citrus, sprigs of cilantro, or mint and dig in!
   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/greens-thai-soup/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/profiles/lambs-quarters/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/profiles/lambs-quarters/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:04:01 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6533 Are you passionate about great health? Would you be interested in a free healthy green? Free? Yes, free!

   If you answer yes to either question then you will be so pleased with the widely available weed, lamb’s quarters. You may even have lamb’s quarters growing by your door. When you do not know what it is, you end up pulling the weed and tossing it into the green waste. Most gardeners have gotten rid of tons of lamb’s quarters, not realizing their value. I too remember the heaps I have thrown to the chickens.

   In the event you do not know what lamb’s quarters looks like, check out this two-minute video that helps with identification.

   Folks who remember growing up in the great depression are well aware of lamb’s quarters. This green was foraged by many families to add nutrition to their limited food resources. It was also used as fodder for animals like chickens and pigs, giving lamb’s quarters names like “pig weed” and “fat hen”.

   That was the great depression, but the nutrition and the availability are still there…just waiting for you. Build your health, fatten your hen, or both!

   Culinary Value of Lamb’s Quarters

   If you enjoy spinach, you will enjoy lamb’s quarters. The flavors are very similar. Lamb’s quarters lack the spiciness of mustard and the bitterness of dandelion. It has a delicate flavor that makes it an easy companion to many other vegetables and grains. In fact, Lamb’s quarters was the “spinach” of Europe hundreds of years ago. It was displaced, however, by cultivated spinach. It is still displaced, unless you forage!

   Fresh Uses – The tender leaves picked from the tops of the lamb’s quarters plants make a good salad addition. They also make a good addition to a green smoothie. Just be sure to clean the leaves well, using the wash method you would for any green. (More on cleaning greens.)

   Cooked Uses – Lamb’s quarters can be cooked in the same way as you would spinach: sauteed, steamed, in soups, stews, and omelets.

   Lamb’s quarters has become a treasured addition to our densely formulated greens soups, our “fountain of youth”, our great energizer potion in a bowl. Such a soup could be quite costly to put together if you were buying all the greens at a farmer’s market but when you can get most of the greens for free by foraging, your super-food soup costs you only pennies. I can tell you are already thinking about where to look for your first haul of lamb’s quarters.

   For the most part we enjoy lamb’s quarters cooked because of the high content of oxalic acid, which can be hard on the kidneys. Lamb’s quarters is mineral rich but also comes with high levels of mineral-blocking oxalic acid. To counter this problem, boil the leaves for about three minutes and then drain off the cook water. You do lose some nutrients this way, but you are also dumping a lot of the oxalic acid. This way you can eat lots more lamb’s quarters and not be concerned. We handle the lamb’s quarters this way for our green soups because of the vast quantities we consume. Of course, if you are just adding some lamb’s quarters to your salad, there is no reason to worry about the oxalic acid unless you are on a low oxalate diet for some reason. Greens in a salad is a small amount of this green in the grand scheme of things.

   Locating Lamb’s Quarters: A Few Pointers

   

   • This plant has naturalized in all but the most desert regions of the United States. It loves moisture and well drained soil, just like stinging nettle. In fact, if you find one you will probably find the other. Lamb’s quarters sprout later in the season than nettle, preferring warmed soil.

   • When you find a robust stand of lamb’s quarters, make certain that the land has not been treated with artificial fertilizers, as this plant does an amazing job of taking up nitrates. Not good! Go for the wild unkept land.
   • Do not forage near a busy roadway because of the pollution from traffic.
   • Some stands of lamb’s quarters are much more lush than others. The variables are water and soil fertility. Needless to say, the lush stands will probably produce a higher nutritive value. If you have a choice, go for the lush stands. It’s worth the time for searching and the hunt can be a lot of fun!

   Gathering Lamb’s Quarters: A Few More Pointers

   

   • Clip only the top stems of the plant. It will continue to grow and you will be able to harvest several times in a season.

   • There is a lamb’s quarters “look-alike” that is not edible. It smells foul when you pick it. This is your clue to stay clear. True lamb’s quarters just smell “green” like spinach, not much of a scent at all.
   • Gather only what you can eat and/or process. We ended up with a carload on our first big expedition and spent three days dealing with all of it. You may not have three days, so be mindful of what you can handle. We’ve learned this the hard way.
   • Leave enough time for the lamb’s quarters to go to seed to ensure a crop for next year. They reseed readily, as long as you let them set some seed. In fact, lamb’s quarters is so intent on growing, that commercial farmers have had trouble finding an herbicide that can actually wipe it out. Bravo for lamb’s quarters!
   • You could gather some mature seed for yourself to get it started in or near your own vegetable garden. This way you don’t need to make a day-trip out of foraging.

   Preserving Lamb’s Quarters

   Freezing – A space-saving way to freeze the leaves is to let them boil for about three minutes in a large pot of water. Strain off the cook water (and the oxalates with it). Place the leaves in freezer bags. Those leaves will have collapsed and formed an almost solid mass in the bag. One quart-sized bag will hold an enormous amount of cooked lamb’s quarters.
   Drying – The lamb’s quarters leaves can be air-dried or processed in a dehydrator. Do not dry them in the sun as the green will fade dreadfully. Store the crispy dry leaves in a glass container with tight-fitting lid in a cool dark place. Dry leaves can be rehydrated and used in soup. You can also make a powder that can be added to soups, sauces, smoothies.

   You could make quite a study of lamb’s quarters. If you would like to read more, start with this website that is filled with splendid information. Be careful! You could spend hours there.

   Lamb’s Quarters as an Itch and Nettle Rash Remedy

   Our excitement in discovering lamb’s quarters as a key ingredient in our spring time soup is surpassed only our its effectiveness as an itch remedy. Amanda posted last year about relieving a stinging nettle rash by rubbing a lamb’s quarters leaf on her skin (read more here). Although extremely sensitive to nettle, the pain from the rash and its physical appearance were both removed completely by simply rubbing her rash with a lamb’s quarters leaf. In her excitement she made a lamb’s quarters extract as well and reported on using it successfully as an itch remedy (here). This season we haul the same bottle of extract around when we are harvesting nettle. It works wonders.

   Nutrients in Lamb’s Quarters

   It will not surprise you to discover that lamb’s quarters belong to the Goosefoot family along with two popular healthy foods: beets and quinoa. A difference between lamb’s quarters and its two cousins is that the cousins have made it pretty big on the commercial market. Lamb’s quarters is not available commercially, probably because this “weed” looks so limp and unattractive within an hour of harvest. Don’t be put off by this appearance. Even wilted lamb’s quarters is a powerhouse of nutrition.

   Based on data from the USDA nutrient database, lamb’s quarters is loaded with vitamins and minerals. For a prolific weed free for the taking in many places, you are missing a great nutritional opportunity if you are not hunting it down. It is a great source of B vitamins (save vitamin B-12 found in animal-based foods). 100 grams of lamb’s quarters meets more than 100% of our daily requirement of vitamins A and C. No wonder we feel great when we are eating our foraged bounty.

   Macronutrients In Lamb’s Quarters

   Component	Amount	% Daily Value*
   Calories	43
   Protein	4.2 g	8%
   Fat	.8 g	1%
   Carbohydrate	7.3 g	2%
   Fiber	4 g	16%
   Potassium	452 mg	13%
   Sodium	43 mg	2%
   Sugar	. g
   Water	84.3 g
   Ash	3.4

   *The daily value is based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.

   Vitamins In Lamb’s Quarters

   Vitamin	Amount	% Daily Value*
   Vitamin C	80 mg	133%
   Thiamin – B1	.16 mg	11%
   Riboflavin – B2	.44 mg	26%
   Niacin – B3	1.2 mg	6%
   Pantothenic Acid – B5	.09 mg	1%
   Vitamin B6	.27 mg	14%
   Folic Acid	0 mcg
   Food Folate	30 mcg
   Choline	. mg
   Vitamin B12	0 mcg	0%
   Vitamin A – IU	11600 IU	232%
   Vitamin A – RAE	580 RAE
   Retinol	0 RE
   Vitamin D – IU	0 IU	0%
   Vitamin D – mcg	0 mg

   *The daily value is based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.

   Minerals In Lamb’s Quarters

   Mineral	Amount	% Daily Value*
   Calcium	309 mg	31%
   Iron	1.2 mg	7%
   Magnesium	34 mg	9%
   Phosphorus	72 mg	7%
   Zinc	.44 mg	3%
   Copper	.29 mg	15%
   Manganese	.78 mg	39%
   Selenium	.9 mg	1%

   *The daily value is based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/profiles/lambs-quarters/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/rugged-garlic-dressing/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/rugged-garlic-dressing/#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:49:59 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6564 Are you looking for a salad dressing that will wake up your senses? That will turn the simplest dishes into gourmet fare? That will cause your dinner guests to never forget their meal? Here it is! Your own…rugged garlic dressing!

   This dressing has been a family favorite for almost 25 years. It comes from Julie Jordan’s Cabbage Town Cookbook. The Cabbage Town Restaurant is gone and the book is out of print but get a taste of this dressing and you will go in search of a used copy of the book. It is worth the hunt! There’s lots of fab recipes between the covers of this classic.

   This dressing is yours for the making. Basically, rugged garlic dressing is a homemade mayonnaise with a major kick to it — an intense kick, a super-healthy kick, an unforgettable kick.

   If you are still reading, I assume you love garlic. How could you not? When you run out of garlic, you close down the kitchen. Right? Well, you at least put it at the top of the grocery list, even make a special trip to the grocery for more.

   Using the following recipe, you could produce two very different flavors with this dressing. In one instance use fresh garlic; in the second use roasted garlic. The fresh garlic produces a sharp heat. The roasted garlic is intensely earthy and garlicky, but not hot. Enjoy them both!

   Besides using this dressing on salads, like our red cabbage slaw, use it as a dip for veggie sticks, a spread on sandwiches, topping for steamed or roasted vegetables. Use it as regular mayonnaise whenever you are feeling bold.

   When you make this dressing, make enough to last a week. The flavor stays fresh and bright for that long. Of course, you will want to keep it refrigerated in a tightly covered glass container.

   Rugged Garlic Dressing Ingredients

   1. 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt

   2. 12 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
   3. 2 cups light olive oil and ½ cup more of red wine vinegar
   4. 1 cup of lightly packed fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, dill, basil…finely chopped

   Rugged Garlic Dressing Steps

   1. Use a food processor for the amounts given here. They could overwhelm a blender.

   2. Place the eggs, salt, garlic and 2 tablespoons of vinegar into the processor. Whisk until creamy.
   3. Begin adding the oil in a slow trickle. Watch for the change of texture to take place. The mayonnaise will “take” and become thick. Continue whisking as you add the oil and vinegar alternately – in thin streams.
   4. Fold in the finely chopped herbs.
   5. If for some reason the mayonnaise doesn’t “take”, just use it as a salad dressing. None of its superb flavor is lost.
   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/rugged-garlic-dressing/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/pollan-painting2/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/pollan-painting2/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:58:32 +0000 Amanda Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6586 The blast-from-the-past Pollan Painting series continues as we await the release of Michael Pollan’s new book Cooked. From my own little Frederick in 2008, 5 years old at the time, this painting was posted on the Ethicurean back in 2008. (See Pollan Painting #1 — “Children of the Corn.”)

   On our recent Pollan Painting weekend, my five-year-old son Frederick and I read with interest about the slaughter technique used at Joel Salatin’s natural poultry operation. Frederick has some personal knowledge of poultry slaughter but was curious about commercial slaughter operations. A Google image search of “chicken slaughter” inspired him to paint this:

   

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/blog/pollan-painting2/feed/ 0 http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/acorn-pancakes/ http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/acorn-pancakes/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:29:43 +0000 Jeanie Rose http://www.traditional-foods.com/?p=6541 Realizing the sticking power of acorns in any recipe, I now view pancakes through a different prism. Pancakes that always seemed more like “fluff” to me have now become an actual meal. Acorns are a “no-fluff” ingredients to add to almost any baked good. (Read more about foraging for and cooking with acorns.)

   You can enjoy these acorn pancakes for any meal — we have. Each time I’ve added bits of cooked ham, sausage, or bacon. The topping of melted butter and maple syrup is a perfect finisher for flavor.

   The batter is thin and the pancakes are small, just right for small growing boys to eat a plateful or for busy parents to pick up the pancakes like finger food. I’m not keeping track of how many I have eaten this way, but quite a number.

   If you have any pancakes left over, store them in something airtight to maintain the softness and then use the pancakes later in the day as sandwich bread. The pancakes themselves are really not sweet and lend themselves to any kind of sandwich filling. These will, of course, be little sandwiches: CUTE little sandwiches!

   Acorn Pancake Ingredients

   

   • 7 strips of bacon, cooked and broken into bits

   • 1 3/4 cup freshly ground spelt flour (or wheat, wheat substitute)
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
   • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   • 2 large eggs
   • 1 1/2 cup milk
   • 2 tablespoons sucanat (or sugar of your choice)
   • 1/3 cup acorn grits (leached, cooked, and well drained)
   • 1 tablespoon oil, preferably from cooking the bacon
   • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

   Syrup

   Butter and maple syrup in a 2:1 ratio – Heat together in a small saucepan.

   Acorn Pancake Steps

   1. Lightly oil and warm up a heavy, well seasoned skillet or griddle over medium heat.

   2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
   3. In a samller bowl mix the eggs, milk, sucanat, oil, acorn, and orange zest.
   4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Sprinkle on the bacon pieces and stir only enough to wet the dry ingredients. Do not over work the batter.
   5. Ladle out the pancakes in about 1/4 cup measures. Leave enough room in the pan to be able to flip the pancakes.
   6. Cook until the pancakes have bubbles forming on the top. Flip. If the cakes are looking too dark on that flipped side, turn down the heat. This recipe needs to cook slowly.

   Serve hot with hot buttery syrup drizzled over the top. If the topping is not sweet enough for you, find your own ratio. You may even prefer a honey-butter to the maple butter, homemade apple butter, or apricot jam from last summer’s crop. The possibilities just make me hungry.

   ]]> http://www.traditional-foods.com/recipes/acorn-pancakes/feed/ 0