No-Knead Sandwich Bread
Flour + Yeast + Salt & Time.
I know you have probably heard of Mark Bittman’s No-Knead Bread recipe. It makes a great loaf, and for many people, the recipe revolutionized their beliefs about the quality of bread they could produce at home. With one loaf, they understood that they too, the home baker, could make beautifully crusted bread with an open crumb, at home, in their own oven. I love it.
This process is an adaptation of his loaf.
The Buzz on Stinging Nettle
Foraging for that peppery zing.
You know, sometimes, I feel like I am going to get that reputation for being that crazy plant girl. People always stop and ask me what I am doing when they catch me with my black medical gloves, basket, fully clothed from head to toe heading into the forest.
Habanero Hot Sauce
Turnin’ up that heat.
This week I decided to make a batch of habanero hot sauce with some of the habaneros I have sitting in the freezer from last season. I use this master hot sauce recipe as a guideline to make almost all of my hot sauces because I believe it creates the perfect base for you to create your hot sauce masterpiece.
Kombucha Fruit Leathers
Probiotic zing in roll form.
Surprisingly delicious, unless told, most people have no idea that these fruit leathers are that different from the store-bought ones. Maybe they have a little bit more sourness and zing to them, but honestly, I find them way better than that over-processed, dyed, sugar-filled store version. The tangy flavor and chewy texture of SCOBY is perfectly suited to these on-the-go probiotic-rich snacks.
Tomatillo Chicken Pozole
Tangy, funky, and hearty
The week before Aki and I moved, I made this soup and put it in the freezer. Let’s just say, as I was happily and excitedly stirring this pot of pozole, I had no idea that basically everything that could go wrong in terms of moving in the week to come, would.
Cream of Nettle Soup
Emerald green deliciousness in a bowl.
One of my absolute favorite springtime soups, this bowl of emerald green feeds my soul.
Stinging Nettle Pasta
The prize of springtime wild harvesting.
I dropped a batch of homemade pasta off at a friend’s house, and her wife answered the door. She looked incredulously at me as I told her the pasta was made with stinging nettle. She is a huge trail runner and only knew the plant as something you didn’t want to stumble in. She almost looked like she wanted to hand the container back, and I don’t blame her, but I urged her to try it. Later I got the text. “Rachel, the pasta, it’s so incredible.” I felt like I had just won the plant a new friend, and put a huge smile on my face.
Overnight Oats
Set yourself up for success.
I have noticed that if I eat a proper meal for breakfast, I do a much better job with the rest of my day. More often than not my morning time becomes jam-packed and unless I plan ahead, breakfast is often the first thing that gets compromised…
Farm Girl Carnitas Recipe
How to feed a crowd, where everyone leaves happy.
I show my love through cooking for others. So if I wanna get a group of us together, it’s often, “Come over. Let’s eat tacos.” Everybody loves tacos. Without any extra work on your part, people can make them vegetarian by leaving off the meat. Or your guests can just not use the tortilla and eat fewer carbs. Serve them with corn tortillas, and poof, they are gluten-free. Whatever their diet, they can find a way to eat them.
Fennel Seed Infused Honey
A versatile savory drizzle
I love infusing honey with different savory elements. It elevates what could be a cloying sweetness by adding body and complexity that gives your dish that “oh, that’s good” double-take.
Polenta
All day’s work kinda fuel
I have happy memories of standing barefoot in the kitchen stirring pots of bubbly lava. Up there with melted cheese and boiling syrup, making polenta can be a dangerous affair. Though, it is well worth the effort. After a long hard day’s work, nothing refuels the body like a bowl of this creamy yellow deliciousness.
Roast Chicken with Sumac and Rhubarb
Rhubarb. More than just pies.
I know rhubarb is called in many places in our country, the pie plant. But trust me. It has so much more to offer than just pies. For example, rhubarb can be the shining star in this roast chicken recipe from Melissa Clarks cookbook Dinner: Changing the Game.
Pea Shoot Pesto
Earthy delicious.
Pesto, to me, is one of the most versatile sauces. Wait, is it a sauce? Or is it a dip? I actually don’t know what I would classify it as, other than a combination of ingredients that have the possibility to be simply delicious.
As controversial as it may be, basil pesto, while very good, is not my favorite.
Have dried tomatoes? Make dried tomato pesto. Garlic scapes, stinging nettle, or in this case, pea sprouts… give it a try.