Scratch and Sniff Heaven

I am making my list leaving plenty of room for impulse buys. I have made sure that my calendar in clear for the morning. It is so hard for me not to be too anxious, anticipating tomorrow. The Asheville Herb Festival begins tomorrow, sunny skies and warm temperatures are guaranteed, and this year I have a new garden with plenty of empty space. Last year, on my first visit, I was more of a voyeur with a wish list. The farmer selling mitsuba and shiso, which was able to go home with me, also had wasabi. The new house has a stream running through it where I have already planted watercress and ostrich fern is about to get another roommate. I am chomping at the bit to see if I can manage growing wasabi; stashed away, a shagreen wasabi grater I have had since living in Tokyo is ready to come out of retirement.

I love farmer’s markets, no great revelation, and all those brilliant vegetables and fruits I come across. However, it is the employment of herbs and spices that increases the pleasure of a dish: peas are taken

to another level with the simple addition of mint and summer savory should be as basic in your repertoire as parsley and thyme. So, heading to an event dedicated to olfactory satisfaction is pure nirvana. Even with more than fifteen herbs growing around the house, there is always room for more. 

 Bread Salad  - serves 6 to 8

3 cups of cubed bread – from crusty Italian peasant loaf or baguette

2 garlic cloves – crushed to a pasted

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1-cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes - halved

1 hot house cucumber - ¾” diced

1 small red onion - sliced thinly

3 celery stalks - ¾” diced

1-cup fresh peas

5 scallions - diced

2 bunches arugula - washed and roughly chopped

1-cup torn sorrel leaves

2-tablespoons pine nuts - toasted

½-cup torn mint leaves

¼-cup red wine vinegar

Spread the bread cubes on a baking tray and dry out in a 250-degree for about 10 minutes. Do not allow the bread cubes to develop too much color, but dry out.

Place the vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper in a food processor and pulse. Pour in the oil and process till smooth.

Toss all ingredients together making sure to distribute the dressing thoroughly.  Serve.

If you want you can assemble the components of the salad up to 24 hours in advance.  Keep the bread and dressing separate until you are ready to serve. 

What I Knead

I had such a crash on a bread maker that I use to be a vendor of mine – his arms pulsed as he pushed a slightly sticky mass of dough forward, over and then back. I always hated to interrupt his work for the manual manipulation of the dough was so sensual to me – I felt like a peeping tom catching a moment of an intimate dance. Our relationship never moved beyond stalker and victim. I slowly let go of any fantasy of waking up in the pre-dawn to find him working a loaf for me. I was left with an urgent sensation to knead.  

I own a standing mixer, and have never worked in a place without one, but I always insisted on working any bread I was making by hand. Kneading a dough mass, for me, is a rhythmic flow where you and the dough keep it going to efficiently incorporate the flour and liquid until smooth and soft – I say, keep going until a trickle of sweat runs down your spine to the base of your back. Yes, this is a workout, oh the rewards.

Whole Wheat Flatbread – yields 12

16-ounces plain yogurt

2-cups chickpea flour

3-1/2 to 4 cups whole-wheat flour

2-teaspoons salt


Combine the yogurt, chickpea flour, whole-wheat flour and salt together in order to create a dense, but moist, dough mass. Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes, and then rub with a bit of oil. Place in a bowl and cover, or into a plastic bag and allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Cut the dough into 12 pieces, and form in a ball.

Flatten the ball of dough, and roll them out to about 1/8-inch thick rounds. Make sure to rotate the dough as you are rolling in order to prevent it from sticking to your work-surface. It is ideal not to flour the work-surface when rolling out the flat breads. Though if it is sticking to the work surface dust with chickpea flour.

Heat a cast iron skillet or flat top griddle over a high heat. Cook the flat breads for about 2-3minutes a side.

Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Spring

Turing the corner

Overstayed, has been your residency

Roughed up, we all have been

Welcome the change

Slowly we’ll transit and blossom

Oatmeal Bread - yields 12 slices

1-cup oat bran

1-1/3-cups whole-wheat flour

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

¼-teaspoon baking soda

½-teaspoon salt

½-cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1-cup vanilla flavored non-fat yogurt

1-large egg

¼-cup canola oil

¾-cup soy milk

1-tablespoon honey

Pre-heat the oven to 375-degrees.

Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Using a whisk stir the oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to thoroughly combine.

In a bowl mix the old-fashioned oats, yogurt, egg, canola oil, soy milk and honey to combine.

Mix the yogurt mixture into the flour to just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Shut off the oven, and allow the bread to cool in the oven.

Run a knife along the sides, and invert the bread onto a wire rack – let the bread completely cool before slicing.