RECIPES

Organized by Lucy Graves

FERMENTATION
by Jason Ford

Ancient and modern peoples sacredly prepared foods from harvest to table, including fermented foodstuffs such as vegetables, cheese, yogurt, bread, and inebriating meads, wines, and beers. These bubbling creations were often prayed over, celebrated, and infused with Spirit. Techniques of fermentation have been practiced by ancient peoples from all parts of the world, and they ‘insist’ fermentation was “given to human kind through the intercession of sacred beings” and “contain within themselves some of the essence of the sacred source from which they come.”(1)

Fermented food provides the body with probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that started colonizing our bodies thousands of years ago. They also provide amino acids, vitamins and minerals, boost immunity, and help the body to digest, and absorb essential nutrients. They are detoxifying, and powerfully anticarcinogenic. Fermentation is a sacred process, and we have been fermenting foods for at least 30,000 years, if not much longer. We do not live in a sterile environment, and neither did our most ancient ancestors. Bacteria have been essential to the evolution of mankind, and we have evolved to co-exist in symbiosis with them. It may even be argued that we evolved from them!

Billions of years ago the universe was its own ferment, and from the primordial waters the first bacteria emerged, and eventually became all the life that populates this earth. Fermentation is a way to bring the primordial waters of creation back into our lives, to benefit not just our health, but our spirit as well. Uncertain about our relationship to bacteria? Consider this: using gene analysis, scientists have discovered that the mitochondria and white blood cells in the human body were once free-living bacteria that in ages past developed a symbiotic relationship with us, and even have now become a part of our anatomy.(2)

It is through carrying on the ancient tradition of fermentation, that we are continuing to ally ourselves with the microbial world we have been connected to for as long as life has been present on this planet. Our external environment contains billions of microbes, our internal environment does as well. The making and consumption of fermented foods ensures that we are supplying our bodies with enough of these allies to strengthen and protect our immunity. It is actually a lack of probiotics that leads to dis-ease, as it is the beneficial bacteria that help keep pathogenic bacteria in check when they do find their way into our bodies.

Try this homemade Sauerkraut recipe, it's simple:
Take one Cabbage, and grate, or chop it up, and put it into a ceramic crock or bowl. Pour some salt into it, I would say 1–4 tablespoons is adequate, depending on the size of the cabbage. Knead the grated and salted cabbage with your hands like bread dough until a good deal of frothy juice or brine is produced. I recommend using your hands to knead the cabbage because it will introduce the lactobacillus strains unique to your own flora. This creates a ferment specially designed for your body's health and well being. The cabbage should be submerged completely under the brine when held down by a ceramic or glass plate.

During the summer months, the crock can sit in the corner of the kitchen, with cheesecloth covering it. But, when it turns cold I put my sauerkraut into the oven where it can stay warm. I usually bake something, and then after the oven cools off, I place the bowl of cabbage inside. Be careful not to heat your cabbage, however. This will kill the precious bacterial growth! Let the cabbage sit 1–4 weeks before eating, checking on it daily. Enjoy!

1. Stephen Buhner, Paradise Lost: Of Healing, the Sacred, and Beer (1998) An online article found at www.gaianstudies.org.

2. Stephen Buhner, Herbs for Hepatitis C and the Liver (North Adams, MA:Storey Publishing, 2000)

Cabbage image thanks to Alice Deane from her garden on San Juan Island.

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YULE HAM – Julskinka/Juleskinke
“Dipping Day” is Christmas eve in Sweden. Families gather around a large pan of pork boiling over the fire. Each person uses their Jule bread to “dopp i grytan” or “dip in the pan” in order to soak up the rich fatty juices floating on the surface. Here is a recipe for Jule Ham that takes only two weeks to brine and provides a nice “soup” into which the whole family can dip.

Ingredients
1 leg of pork (10 lb.)
1 1/2 pound salt
1/2 pound dark brown sugar
2 bottles dark beer
2 bottles light beer

Glaze
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons dry mustard
fresh orange juice
whole cloves

Rub the leg of pork with 3 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Place leg in a large crock and leave for 24 hours. Combine beer, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cool the mixture and pour over the leg of pork. Leave in brine for two weeks turning daily. When ready, simmer leg for four hours in unsalted water. You can use this “soup” to dopp i grytan. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Cut away the rind and slash the fat into a diamond pattern. Mix up 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons dry mustard. Add fresh orange juice until you have a thick spreadable paste. Rub all over the leg and stud the diamond intersections with whole cloves. Bake at 350? for 30 minutes. Serve hot for dinner or cold for lunch.

Adapted from a recipe in Norway’s Delight by Elise Sverdrup.
Arthur Vanous Co, 10th ed. 1980

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GOULASH
Porkolt is a hot dish which originates in Hungary that we generally refer to as Goulash. Porkolt is derived from the Hungarian verb porkolni which means “to roast” or “to singe” the meat. Any type of meat can be used when making Porkolt. Most common are beef, lamb, chicken, and pork; but tripe, liver, or even fish can be used. Paprika is a key ingredient that was introduced to the Hungarian cuisine by the Turks during the 150 years that they ruled over parts of Hungary during the 1500–1600s. There are local varieties of Porkolt in Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Every family of course has their own version. Here is a German-style Porkolt that is easy to prepare and a pleasure to eat.

Patti’s German-style Goulash
1 pound cube steak cut into one inch cubes
1 small yellow onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper – chopped
1 cube beef bouillon
1 1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup tomato paste or stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream

Sautee your onions, garlic, and peppers in butter until they are soft. Add the cubed steak and cook until browned. Add all of your remaining ingredients except the sour cream. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. You can serve this Goulash with egg noodles, potatoes, or dumplings.

Recipe thanks to Pattie Dickerson.

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GINGER CAKE
Ginger is an amazing plant that imparts a distinctively complex flavor to your food while providing strong medicinal benefits. Ginger has been used throughout the world to treat: nausea, headaches, fevers, vomiting, depression, abdominal bloating, blood clots, diarrhea, high cholesterol, menstrual pains, infection, weak immune systems, sore throat, ulcerative colitis, arthritis and rheumatism. The list goes on and on. Here is a spicy ginger cake that you can serve year round, but tastes best in cold weather, during your winter festivities.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

In a medium sized bowl, sift and thoroughly mix together flour, baking soda, and spices. In a small bowl, whisk together hot water, molasses, and honey. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and egg. Add the wet and dry ingredients alternately. Whisk your batter well after each addition. Mix in the crystallized ginger if you so desire. Pour batter into a square 9 inch pan that has been buttered and floured. Bake at 350? for 1 hour. Let cake cool for 10 minutes and serve with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

Recipe thanks to the Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer.
Simon & Schuster New York, NY 2006

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FELINE FOOD
Making your own home made cat food may seem like a daunting endeavor at first. But with a relatively little amount of planning and effort you can create delicious and nutritious gourmet meals for your feline family members. This is a fairly loose recipe in which you can mix and match the ingredients as long as you stick to the basic proportions.

60% Protein
Raw ground chuck, raw organic chicken, raw organic egg yolk, cooked egg white, cooked chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef.

*Never use cooked poultry bones as they tend to splinter and can injure your cat internally. Pork products are not recommended for cats, as the fat globules are rather large and tend to clog the cat’s blood vessels. Canned tuna is no longer recommended for cats (or humans for that matter) due to the high levels of the toxic metal methylmercury.

20% Vegetable
Finely grated raw zucchini, carrot, finely chopped alfalfa sprouts, lightly steamed broccoli, carrot, or corn. Baked squash, yam or sweet potato.

20% Grain
Soaked oat bran. Cooked barley, millet, oat flakes, brown rice, teff, quinoa, amaranth, sweet corn, or mashed potato.

When you begin making your own food, prepare small amounts until you find the combination that your cat finds to their liking. When you begin making larger batches, you can freeze them in plastic baggies or small yogurt containers. Thaw as needed in a bowl of hot water. Raw food can be stored in the refrigerator for two days and should never be left available to your cat for more than 30–40 minutes. Cats can be fairly finicky eaters and any changes in their diet can be stressful. I recommend slowly mixing in small amounts of your home made food with their current diet, each day adding a little more of the new food and a little less of the old food. Eventually your cat will be dining solely on their new diet. Right away you will notice added energy, a velvety coat, and a sparkle in their eye. You can feel good knowing that you are providing the purest, most nutritious nourishment for your feline companions without worrying about any scary, unknown ingredients.

Here is a recipe for a feline supplement that you can add to your cat's current diet or use along with your new homemade food.

Vita-Mineral Mix
1 1/2 cup yeast powder (Any food yeast: brewers, tarula, or nutritional)
1 cup kelp powder or 1/4 cup trace mineral powder
1 cup lecithin granules
2 cups wheat bran
2 cups bone meal, calcium lactate of calcium gluconate

Mix together and then refrigerate in a covered container. Add 1 teaspoon of Vita-Mineral Mix to each meal.

Vita-Mineral Mix and homemade cat food recipe thanks to The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier. Penguin Books, New York, NY 1990

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CARROT CAKE
~ from Kitchen Medicine and Magic
I developed this carrot cake recipe from a combination of several recipes tested and re-arranged during the fall of 2006. Trying a combination of grains, sweetners and add in's, this final product is relatively high in fiber and other nutrients making it healthy and still very tasty. The recipe yields 2 thick 8 or 9 inch round cakes and could easily be adapted to sheet cakes, cupcakes, bread pans, or whatever shaped pan is desired. This cake tastes wonderful plain or with icing, and in fact one can be left plain and the other cut into two cakes horizontally and iced as a layer cake.

Teresa’s Carrot Cake
1 cup each of unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour and quick cooking oats
3 teaspoons each of baking soda and cinnamon
1 teaspoon each or baking powder, salt, nutmeg and vanilla
4 beaten eggs
¾ cup of oil
½ cup each of sugar and honey
2 ½ cups of applesauce
3 cups of shredded carrots, the finer the shred the better the cake
1 cup of raisins

1 cup of chopped toasted walnuts. (Toast in medium hot, iron skillet until they just start to brown. Remove from pan to cool before chopping.) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil two round cake pans and line bottom with oiled parchment paper and set aside. In large bowl mix together the two flours, the oats, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In medium size saucepan, melt honey over low heat to thin consistency. Remove from heat and add applesauce, sugar, oil, beaten eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Fold in carrots, raisins and nuts.

Combine wet and dry ingredients stirring just until mixed. Divide evenly between the two round cake pans and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and continue to cool on racks.

Cakes can be eaten plain or cream cheese frosting can be added to dress them up. To add frosting slice one of the cakes in half horizontally. Place cut side onto serving plate, spreading 1/3 of the icing on this first layer. On top, place the other layer cut side down, and add the remaining frosting to center and spread over top and sides of cake to cover. Decorate the top with whole or finely shredded nuts if desired. Cover and store in refrigerator and use within a few days.

I like to leave the other round cake plain and cut it into squares for a healthy and tasty snack.

Frosting—Bring ½ cup/1 stick real butter and 8oz of cream cheese to room temperature. Blend both together and add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract along with 16 oz of sifted powdered sugar. Whip until creamy and spread evenly over cooled cake.

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