Simply Granola

Life on Applegarth Grange is filled with simple pleasures. One of them is homemade granola.
Here is a recipe we use, from the "More With Less" cookbook that we bought when we visited a Mennonite Dairy in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I highly recommend it. We have worn it out and I need a new copy!

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine in a large mixing bowl:
2 cups whole wheat flour
6 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of shredded coconut
1 cup of wheat germ (I never used this, figured fresh ground whole wheat flour was enough)

Blend together separately:
1/2 cup of water
1 cup of oil (like organic non-gmo canola or safflower, not olive)
1 cup of honey
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 tablespoon of salt
And I add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (not in the original recipe).

Add blended liquids to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spread out on two greased cookies sheets and bake 1 hour, or until dry and golden.
Store in covered containers.

Add any other ingredients you may want to add after the granola is baked.
*DO NOT ADD ANY DRIED FRUITS OR NUTS UNTIL YOU ARE DONE BAKING. They will get too crispy and not taste good! This I know from experience.

Now enjoy your breakfast cereal with fresh homemade almond milk!

Spelt

Wheat is the best basic grain for Man. On Applegarth Grange we eat Spelt. Spelt is an ancestor wheat to the grains of more modern times. It is more nutritious and not hybridized or genetically modified. It is what our ancestors would have eated. It makes light delicious breads and rolls. We use fresh cracked Spelt for the most delicious hot cereal, which recipe is included below. We have a Diamant hand mill which you can see at: Lehman's. We fill the hopper with about two cups of spelt, set it to crack the grain, and get to work. Next we sift out the finer particles and freeze the cracked grain in a freezer bag. Then we pour the sifted spelt back into the hopper, set it to grind a fine flour, get to work, then freeze the finished product until we are ready for baking. You can turn your grinding time into an upper body workout if you count and balance your repetions as you turn the hand crank. Here is the cereal recipe we use:

To serve 2 adults -
2 cups of distilled filtered spring water (or whatever you happen to have)
2/3 cup of cracked spelt

Boil the water, add the spelt, get it back up to a boil, then turn on simmer. Takes about 20 minutes.

Divide into two bowls and add - really whatever you like, but what we like is:
1/8 cup dried organic currants
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1 pat of organic butter
1/8 cup dried pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/8 cup crushed pecans (I keep these in the freezer too)

Enjoy! We had it for breakfast this morning!

From the Far East: Eggrolls

Ygraine welcomes travelers to visit Applegarth Grange to share their stories and cuisine. For a time a friend from Okinawa visited from time to time and introduced the Grange to foods from the Far East. Here is a variation of Egg Rolls and Gyouza Sauce.

1 package of won ton skins
1 package of mung bean sprouts
1 root of ginger root, peeled and shredded, divided in half
1 head of bok choy, just the leaves chopped (save the stalks for another day)
1/2 white onion, sliced into quarters
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup of finely sliced (on the diagonal) celery
1 cup of finely diced red bell peppers (or one jar of Pimientos)
1 cup of shitake mushrooms (If dried soak in 2 cups of water for an hour before cooking. Save the broth for another day.)
1 cup of cashews, before crushing (put in plastic bag and break up with a marble rolling pin)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup of Mirin Rice Wine
Peanut oil
Organic Sesame oil

Put peanut oil and sesame oil in a large cast iron skillet.
Add one half of the ginger root, onions, carrots, celery, green peppers, and saute until colors brighten.
Add everything else except the won ton skins and cook until heated through.

Heat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
Oil a cooking sheet with peanut oil.
Using a large spoon, put a scoop of vegetable mix in the center of a won ton skin, and wrap like a burrito. Place on cooking sheet until it is full.
Oil the tops of each egg roll with peanut oil.
Cook until lightly browned, then serve with Gyouza Sauce.

Gyouza Sauce

1/3 cup naturally brewed organic shoyu sauce
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
the remaining half of the ginger root
1 Tablespoon of organic sesame oil
several drops of chili oil
three finely chopped green onions

Mix all ingredients together and let sit in the refrigerator for a while. This sauce will last for a couple of weeks and can be used on chicken, beef, or for stirfrys.

ENJOY!

A Beautiful Day

Today is a beautiful day at Applegarth Grange! The sky is blue with no clouds and no strange long white streaks that turn into haze, streaks left behind the trails of huge white birds. It is warm with a light breeze. The gardens are watered, a few strawberries harvested, weeds pulled, lawns watered, the asiatic lillies and the tomatoes are planted. The fig tree has been moved from the great room onto the patio to give shade from the morning sun into the dining area. The only thing lacking is the laughter of children playing in the sprinkler.

Arroz de Perea

Ygraine descends from a long line of Pereas--from Spain to California via Sinaloa Mexico. She has no receipes from them, per se, but over the years she has modified many ethnic family foods to suit a more modern and vegetarian palate. This one is warm and filling.

Arroz de Perea

Cook 1 cup of long grain brown rice in 2 1/4 cups of water until water is absorbed.

In the meantime, back at the hacienda--

Slice and half-slice one small spanish onion or 1/2 of a large one.
Dice one half of a large green bell pepper.
Saute in 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet (cast iron works best).

When the onions are beginning to turn clear and brown slightly, add the following:
1 can of S&W brand San Antonio-style beans, or any other spiced canned bean you like, or one 1/2 cups of home cooked beans;
1 can of corn;
1 can of diced tomatoes;
Simmer slightly until the ingredients are heated through.

Dice 1 small bunch of fresh cilantro and add to the skillet.
Add the cooked rice.
Add the juice of one lime or about 1/4 cup of bottled lime juice.
Stir until heated through and a complete protein--filling and tasty is ready to go. Will serve four people comfortably, may add a salad and/or cornbread to stretch the portions.

Wildrice and Mushroom Skillet Dinner - Vegetarian

This is one of Ygraine's favorite meals. Wild Rice is not a true rice but it is a grass seed raised in the marshes of the northlands of Minnesota and other Great Lakes States. It is still harvested by hand and is considered expensive, but a little goes a long way, especially if mixed with long grain brown rice as in this recipe, which serves four.

Cook 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1/2 of wild rice with 2 1/4 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable broth powder. Bring water to a boil, the simmer until water is absorbed.

Soak 1 handful of dried mushrooms of your choice (shitakes are great!) in 1 cup of milk OR 1 can of evaporated milk.

Dice 1/2 white onion and 2 large stalks of celery (or the equivalent of smaller sections).
Saute in 1/8 cup of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of dried parsley (or equivalent fresh).

Crush 1 handful of raw organic almonds in a ziplock bag. Add to the sauteing mixture.

When onions begin to go clear, stir in 1 can of cream of mushroom soup. When that is mixed thoroughly, add the mushrooms and milk. Stir occasionally until heated though. Add the cooked rice/wild rice mixture. Stir well and serve with a garden salad topped with a light basalmic vinegar spicy dressing.

This is even better as leftovers! Bon apetit!

The Ultimate Noodles and Cheese Dream Dinner

Ygraine has long been a rebel against all things pre-packaged, with ingredients not easily understood by the non-scientific mind. She has noted that many people are suffering from a lack of culinary delights. Here is her first recipe for the intrepid seeker of delicious gastronomic concoctions.

First, cook 1/2 large package of flat egg noodles according to the directions on the package (or an equivalent amount of your own homemade ones, that would be a lesson for another day).

Second, fry up a pound of bacon and crumble it when it is cool (you may have to taste test this just be sure....:-)!

Third, shred a 1/2 pound to a pound of cheddar cheese, depending on how cheddary you like it.

Fourth, drain the noodle, put them back in the pot and, while they are still hot, add 1/2 stick of butter, the shredded cheddar, and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Stir around several times helping the butter, cheese, and sour cream to mix, mingle, and melt.

Fifth, add one can of diced tomatoes (could be homemade but that is a tale best told at canning time in the fall), not drained. Stir well.

Sixth, add one can of corn (could also be home canned or frozen and cooked), drained. Stir well.

Seventh, add the bacon. Stir well and let sit until all the cheese is melted.

Finally, make a salad with a savory italian dressing, and some brussel sprouts or other green vegetable of your choice.

Most importantly---ENJOY!