Growing up, I tagged along on many trips to the grocery store with grandfather and grandmother. They never worked from a list but relied on memory and their palettes. Our cart was filled with eggs, olive oil, butter, green and black olives, various types of cheese, milk that grandmother would turn into yogurt later that evening, fresh seasonal produce, flour to make bread and sweet confections, and the freshest meat available from the butcher. All single ingredient items which later were used to create delicious meals that would feed a family of seven for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the course of a week. Their taste buds knew what real wholesome food was supposed to taste like, and so they hunted for the best places where they could gather what was needed to feed our family.
It is our misconception that hunting and gathering has evolved into the simple task of walking into a building deemed a "Grocery Store" to gather the contents of our list or what we see, into a cart. Unload it on a conveyor belt, pay for the purchase, have a complete stranger load the items into a bag and place them back into the cart to be transported to our vehicle, load them into the vehicle to be transported home, then unload once more and finally put away the items into the appropriate storage compartments to be consumed later.
Simple?.. I think not. We have complicated matters so deeply that it will take some time before we understand why it is not the mere trouble of loading, transporting and unloading that is the problem. But that whom we have given the responsibility of "growing and manufacturing of what we consume", which will eventually lead to our children reaping what we have sown. In an effort to simplify our lives we have almost eliminated the concept of seasonal and local consumerism.
We found that the best way to stay aware and teach the concept of eating seasonal organic local fresh fruits and vegetables is to plant our own. We started with a simple herb garden and now have a mini orchard growing all around our home. With the realization of the drought, the concept of turning ones front or backyard into an edible garden is quickly gaining favor with Californians.
If you don't have the time or space to grow your own food, thankfully there are those special people who appreciate the art of eating seasonally and provide us with the great harvest right to our door. The farmers that work through Abundant Harvest Organics.
Our Saturday Bounty!
"Our Daily Bread"
Proofing your yeast
1 tbsp. of yeast
1 cup of warm unfiltered water
1 tbsp. of raw sugar
1 tbsp. of unbleached white flour
Mix the sugar, white flour and warm
unfiltered water until blended then
add the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile add the dry ingredients listed
below to a large mixing bowl.
1 cups of whole wheat flour
2 cup of unbleached white flour
1/2 cup of flax seeds or flax seed meal
1/2 dark rye flour
1 tbsp. of dark cocoa powder
2 tbsp. of sunflower seeds
2 tbsp. of pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp. of caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. of sea salt
4 tbsp. of cooked hard wheat
Give these dry ingredients a stir to make sure they are well mixed.
Now check on your yeast. It should have doubled in volume. If it has
then it is ready to be used.
In a measuring cup add
1 cup of warm unfiltered water
and 2 oz. of extra virgin olive oil
Next add your yeast to the dry ingredient bowl and start mixing
with a spoon, then add the remaining water olive oil mix to the
bowl a little at a time as you keep mixing with the spoon.
Once it becomes difficult to mix with the spoon you need to
start using your hands to knead the dough. You may use
some white unbleached flour to help knead the dough so
the dough doesn't stick to your hands.
Once you are done mixing and kneading the dough, let
it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Then go back and kneading some more.
Do not pull apart the dough. Just keep lifting it off the bottom of the bowl
and push down on it. Lift and push away from you. You may do this on the table
instead of in the bowl if you like. Let it rest again and go back after 10 minutes
to knead. Do this about 3 to 4 times. Then divide your dough into 2 even size balls by cutting
it with a knife. You may refrigerate the extra loaf for up to 3 days in a sealed zip lock bag.
Oil your baking pan, ( this could be a round glass, rectangular or square oven safe baking dish).
Set the dough loosely on the pan and put it aside near the stove for it to rise, it should double in size in about an hour. If the weather is cold the warmth of the oven will help the dough to rise.
Once your dough has risen or doubled in size you may bake it for 30 minutes at 500 F.
Before taking the bread out. Mix 2 tbsp. of water and 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil.
Take the bread out of the oven and while it is still hot brush the oil and water mix
onto the bread. Let it cool for at least 30minutes. This recipe will make 2 large loaves of bread
Dried Herb and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend for Dipping Bread
4 tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. of dried oregano
1 tsp. of dried thyme
A sprinkle of sea salt, garlic powder
and fresh ground black pepper.
Mix all of these ingredients in a flat bowl and set aside for dipping your
bread. You can make this as needed. It is easy to do and tastes amazing!
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