This simple but satisfying salad is made with fresh spring peas, mint and lemon. The marinated feta and toasted pine nuts add tangy and earthy flavors. For an additional kick I topped the salad with ground Sumac. If you’ve never used Sumac give it a try. It has a tart, slightly sweet flavor that is great over salads of all kinds. Try using it on any dish on which you might squeeze fresh lemon juice. If it’s not in your pantry and you don’t want to wait Paprika also works well.

1 cup wheat berries (from the 2012 CSA share)
3 cups water, chicken broth or veggie broth
Juice from 1 small lemon or half large lemon
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 cup fresh peas
Artichoke hearts (14 oz. can or 3 fresh, steamed with outer petals removed)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely diced
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, roasted
salt & pepper to taste
Sumak or Paprika for topping

Sort and rinse wheat berries. Place in heavy sauce pan and cover with water. Soak overnight or for 6-8 hours. If using broth, drain water and add broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Break up the feta into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add juice from lemon and 1/2 tsp. of paprika and toss lightly. Set aside to marinate.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, then add artichoke hearts and garlic. Cook for one minute, then add peas and cook until crisp-tender (about 2 minutes).

Place wheat berries in a large bowl. Add artichoke and pea mixture and toss lightly. Add mint and most of the pine nuts (reserve a few for placing on top) and toss again. Spoon onto serving plates and top with feta, remaining pine nuts, and sprinkle with Sumac (or paprika).

Popcorn is good for you. Avoid the ubiquitous bad toppings and you have a nutritious, delicious, whole grain snack that is high in fiber and low in fat and calories. Why not snack guilt free and indulge in delicious toppings like herbs, spices, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and sea salt? Some favorite spice blends of mine include curry, harissa, and pumpkin pie. I have a friend who spent time in Ecuador and became hooked on popcorn with chile powder and squirts of fresh lime. Experiment with coconut oil or olive oil in place of traditional vegetable oils. Of course, I’m also a traditionalist and I have my moments when only melted butter and salt will do.

Recently, my good friends Gwilym and Brynmor helped me make a batch of popcorn with sea salt and drizzled dark chocolate. This was their first time shelling popcorn but as you see from the photos they are naturals.

Ingredients

1/2 cup popcorn (from the 2012 CSA share, shelled)
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
sea salt to taste
2.5 oz. of dark chocolate

Directions

Using a bowl with high sides, point the cob down into the bowl and push the kernels off with your thumbs. Start at the bottom and work your way up and around the cob until all the kernels are removed. The cobs make great compost.

Place the chocolate in a small bowl over low heat and stir continuously until melted. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Place three kernels in the oil and wait for them to pop. Once popped, add the remaining kernels, cover and shake in small circular motions until you hear the popping slow to two or three every few seconds. Remove from heat, carefully remove the lid allowing the steam to escape away from you, and pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with the melted dark chocolate. Enjoy!

p.s. For more ideas check out the great Amanda Blake-Soule of soulemama who’s blogging a year of popcorn, one recipe a month for one year. Including this one for Maple Pecan Popcorn.

Black Bean Patties
makes 4-6 patties

2 cups cooked black beans
1/3 cup fresh ground cornmeal (I used Mandan Bride from this year’s share)
1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary
1 garlic clove
1/4 small onion
1 small carrot
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil for frying
paprika (smoked or regular) for dashing on top

Everything can be easily mixed in a food processor. Just be careful not to over process. Start with the onion, garlic, and carrot and pulse for about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the black beans, cornmeal and spices and pulse just until combined. Add the remaining black beans and gently fold them into the mixture. If the mixture is too dry add the 1-2 tablespoons of water. Add slowly, you just want the mixture moist enough to form patties. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes. Add the olive oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium until the oil is good and hot. Place the patties in the skillet and cook about 5 minutes on each side. I like them “well done” and good and crispy so adjust the cooking time to your taste.

I bring them into our kitchen, and get out my now-empty jars from last year's share.  We use glass jars to store our share – our favorites are these large ones from Anchor Hocking, but we also have a few miscellaneous ones we've collected over the years.  For the smallest pieces of the share, we just use mason jars, with the lids not tightly screwed on at first.

Using a canning jar funnel, I pour the jewel-like grains and beans into their new homes.

As the jars are filled, I move them to the counter.  We prefer to display our jars right there on the countertop, next to our Komo mill.  They're beautiful, and when we see them, we use them!

What doesn't fit on this counter, goes on the counter on the opposite side of the kitchen.  We have an average-sized kitchen, but we don't have lots of appliances on the counters, so there's plenty of room for grain   A few smaller jars go into my cabinet, which has no doors, so I still see them and enjoy them.

Walter, our fabulous community outreach team member shared these photos of his grain storage, with his Komo mill on the counter above them:

How about you?  How do you store your beautiful grains and beans?  Send us a photo of your stored share, via Facebook or email, and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a special PVHG prize!  Photos must be submitted by Friday, February 8, and by sending them, you give us permission to share them on the localgrain site.  Can't wait to see everyone's displays!

I recently had a craving for Sloppy Joes, or in my case Snobby Joes, the lentil version from the great folks at Veganomicon. Nothing beats a poppy seed crusted Kaiser Roll for sandwiching this classic comfort food. A good Kaiser roll should be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. This recipe is adapted from The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz. It’s easy and makes a quick half dozen rolls. I haven’t perfected the hand shaping that gives them that classic  Kaiser roll look, but the taste is just as good.

The Sponge

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon malt extract or honey
1/2 cup buttermilk, scalded and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups (6oz.) fresh ground whole wheat flour (I used Arapahoe from the 2012 share)
1/2 cup cool water

The Dough

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups (4-6oz) fresh ground whole wheat flour (Arapahoe again)
the sponge
Poppy seeds for sprinkling on top

Make the Sponge
Proof the yeast in the warm water. Mix the malt, or honey, and sugar in the slightly cooled buttermilk. In a large bowl add the yeast, flour, buttermilk, and water and mix well with a wooden spoon. I mixed with some vigor for about 6 mins. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Make the Dough
Mix the salt with the flour and gradually add by 1/4 cups to the sponge. Continuously mix well with a wooden spoon. Once the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Continue to add flour as necessary while kneading the dough for 7 or 8 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in size. It took 1 1/2 hours for mine to double in size.

Divide the dough into six equal parts. Press them into flat disks on a well floured work surface. Punch the center with your thumb while pulling a section from the edge and folding it into the center. Repeat this three or four times until you’ve folded it up into a ball. Press the center to seal it tightly.

Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet, brush them lightly with oil, place another sheet of parchment on top, a baking sheet, and finally something heavy on top. I used a cast iron skillet. After 20 minutes remove the skillet and continue to let rise for a total of 35-40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450º. Sprinkle the rolls with poppy seeds. You want steam in the oven while baking so squirt the rolls with water or pour boiling water into a preheated cast iron skillet and place it int the oven. Bake for 20-25 mins. I rotated the pan half way through baking to brown evenly.

This is a great multi grain pancake recipe based on Crescent Dragonwagon’s Multigrain Pancakes in The Cornbread Gospels. I substituted barley for the buckwheat used in Crescent’s recipe because I was inspired by the new share. The Nothstine is so sweet and light that it adds wonderful flavor and texture to the pancakes. I’m also looking forward to trying the colorful Mandan and Plymouth varieties. That’s the beauty of this recipe. It’s a great base from which you can use endless combinations of grains. Have fun!

Multigrain Pancakes

1/2 cup ground cornmeal (I used Nothstine Dent from the 2012 share)
3/4 cup fresh ground wheat flour (I used Arapahoe from the 2012 share)
1/4 cup fresh ground barley flour (also from the 2012 share)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups of buttermilk
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Melt the butter in the large skillet or griddle you’ll be using to cook the pancakes. Beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl, then pour in the melted butter from the pan, add buttermilk and mix well. While stirring, add the wet mixture to the dry. Don’t over mix.

Cook the pancakes over medium heat. Flip the pancakes as soon as bubbles form and remain around the edges of the pancakes. Serve immediately. We have a rule in our house that says, for pancakes, you don’t have to wait for everyone to be served before you start eating! These are best right off the grill.

Have fun, and let us know how you are using your share!

This recipe was inspired by a CSA I belonged to while living in Vermont. Dwight Miller Orchards presses cider and makes their own apple cider vinegar. This time of the year they include both items in their weekly share pick-up. It’s become a favorite dish that I make every Fall. It also makes a tempting new dish to try on your Thanksgiving menu.

Wheat Berry Salad

1 cup wheat berries (from the 2012 CSA share)
1 1/2 – 2 cups water
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium size carrots, diced
1/2 medium size red onion, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

Dressing

4 tbs apple cider vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs molasses

Sort and rinse wheat berries. Place in heavy sauce pan and add water and apple cider. Soak overnight or for 6-8 hours. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. If any liquid remains, instead of draining, simmer with the lid off for a few additional minutes (you don’t want to lose any of the apple cider flavor). Immediately after cooking toss the cranberries with the warm wheat berries. Set aside and let cool.

While wheat berries are cooking dice the celery, carrots and red onion and toss together in a large bowl. If using, add walnuts. Add the cooled wheat berry/cranberry mix to the vegetables and toss to combine. Drizzle with the dressing and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

What to do with an abundance of Carnival Squash? One little vine in our community garden plot produced enough of the colorful little squash to easily fill my bike’s pannier. The timing is perfect since Fall is bringing cooler days and turning my food cravings to all-things-baked. I decided to stuff the sweet tasting squash with a hearty pilaf of Farro, black beans, and potato. I topped the whole thing off with Gruyere cheese which added rich and slightly salty flavors to the earthiness of the other ingredients. As a hearty, satisfying Fall dish this hit the spot. Enjoy!

Farro and Black Bean stuffed Carnival Squash

Ingredients:

4 carnival squash
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 c. Farro (also known as Emmer, from the 2012 share )
1/2 c. Black Beans (from the 2012 share)
2 medium size potatoes cut into 1/2″ squares
1/4-1/2 c. Gruyere

Directions:

Place black beans in a 2qt. pot with a tight fitting lid, cover with water, and soak overnight or for 8 hours. At the same time, in a separate pot soak Farro with 1 cup of water.

After soaking, bring beans to a boil, reduce flame, and simmer for 50 mins. After 25 mins. bring Farro to a boil and simmer for 20 mins., or until tender but not mushy.

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Cut squash in half through the stem side and remove seeds. Brush inside lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in 13″x8.5″baking dish, cut side down, and fill with 1/4″ water. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in 8″x8″ baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes.

Place cooked beans, Farro, and potatoes in a large bowl and mix to combine. Gently fold in 1/4 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese. Remove the cooked squash from the oven, a fork should easily enter the flesh and the water should be close to evaporated.

Turn the cut side up and fill squash with the stuffing, sprinkle the top with remaining shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 mins. or until the cheese melts and is lightly browned.

Any extra stuffing can be served as a side or for leftovers.

Serve with a simple vinaigrette salad. Enjoy.

Alan Zuchowski checks this year’s crop of Mandan corn. This variety mills into a very fine, lavender colored flour.

The recently harvested heritage wheats are drying in the barns at Alan Zuchowski’s Lazy Acres Farm in Hadley, MA. Meanwhile, varieties of milling corn like Flint, Mandan, Nothstine, and Hopi Blue are ripening in the fields alongside this year’s new crop of popcorn. Alan worked with the Agriculture Departments at U Mass, Waltham and Plimouth Plantation to reintroduce varieties of grains almost lost to this area. Many of these varieties have a history in the Pioneer Valley predating the settlement of the Plimouth Colony, and are, in fact, what the Pilgrims would have encountered Native American Indians growing.

A close up showing the multi-colored kernels of Mandan corn.

Cultivating these varieties is important not only for preserving our heritage and because they are well-adapted to our region’s climate but because they also taste great! Mandan, for example, has a very fine pericarp or outer skin, and a soft, plump kernel so it mills into a very fine, delicious flour that is slightly lavender in color. Nothstine Dent makes one of the sweetest corn meals you’ll ever taste, making it perfect for cornbreads, muffins, and pancakes. We look forward to including these milling corns in this year’s share and can’t wait to start using them ourselves!

Popping corn ripening in the field.