Reviving Traditional Foods
Dutch baby pancakes, puffy and golden brown, are my go-to dish for wholesome and nourishing breakfasts. At night, when I’ve tucked my son into his cotton quilts and woolen blankets, I ask him what he wants to eat for the next morning’s breakfast. So many dishes, properly prepared, need time – soaked oatmeal porridge, baked [...]
Winter squash soufflé, sweet and mild yet robust with the complex flavor of roasted garlic, finds its way to our kitchen table towards winter’s end every year. It’s this point in mid- to late-winter that we sort through the remnants from autumn’s harvest gleaned from the last days of our farmers market: stray turnips [...]
Frittatas with fresh herbs or seasonal vegetables are a main-stay of our diet, and we often serve them on the weekend for a late breakfast or early brunch. In the summertime, we serve them with fresh tomatoes or roasted peppers and goat cheese; in the spring, we serve them packed with garden herbs or occasionally [...]
The first snow of the season greeted us this morning, blanketing our mountain town under a thin, cold and icy film. Grey clouds hung low against the hills, revealing the peaks only by the fleeting whims of a chilly autumn breeze. Each year when the snows first arrive, we celebrate – last year they arrived [...]
Herb Fritattas, fluffy and light, are remarkably versatile and when hens in the valley are producing at their height and the farmers market is chugging along, we often find four dozen (or more!) eggs in the kitchen each week. And, as the season progresses, that number dwindles until the darkest days of winter when we’ve [...]
This version of french toast makes use of sourdough bread with its wonderful and rich tartness, pairing it against a sweetness provided by maple syrup. I find that grade B maple syrup offers a more complex flavor for a better price than grade A maple syrup, and recommend it in this and in other recipes (mmm … sprouted spelt shortbread.) Of course, one could omit maple syrup entirely from this recipe and serve it unsweetened, perhaps paired only with fruit and fresh cream for an equally charming breakfast.
Raw milk yogurt is a sort of holy grail for traditional foods enthusiasts, coupling the enzymatic and probiotic components of both fresh milk and fermentation in one glorious, creamy, lovely food. Served over baked oatmeal or soaked oatmeal porridge, on its own or as a basis for savory dipping sauces, a good yogurt can find [...]
Baked oatmeal – a staple in our home on the weekends – nourishes our family, providing a much-loved alternative to soaked oatmeal porridge. When my father, a man who rarely enjoys a home-cooked meal, comes to visit there is, inevitably, one imperative dish on the menu: baked oatmeal – all the better when it’s dotted [...]
Whole grain buttermilk biscuits are a rare treat in our home. We begin most mornings with a breakfast of pastured eggs and wilted greens or homemade yogurt and soaked oatmeal porridge. Occasionally, just occasionally, I find the time to prepare whole grain buttermilk biscuits as a special treat. I dust the flour off Meta Given’s [...]
Oeufs en cocotte, with their simple elegance, make a for a charming, nourishing breakfast and are well-suited to a variety of accompaniments: fresh herbs, raw milk cheeses, ham or bacon or even my favorite – homemade gravlax. Easily prepared in single-serving portions, oeufs en cocotte are perfect for those cooking for only themselves or [...]
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Jenny McGruther is a wife, mother and cooking instructor specializing in real and traditional foods. Her work has been featured on CNN, the Globe & Mail, the Atlantic, the Christian Science Monitor, Denver Post and WebMD. Click here to learn more.
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