Oregon Consumers and Farmers Association newsletter

The latest OCFA newsletter is within a couple of days of being finished, only awaiting a couple of phone calls to verify information before I send it to the printer.

This issue is JAM PACKED with NAIS and raw milk news, as well as news about food safety bills in the US Congress.  A normal edition is 8 pages; this issue will be at least 14 pages! 

If you would like a copy mailed to you, please email me at localvorefresh@aol.com. 

Gluten free gingerbread

This gingerbread is moist, very flavorful and has a nice texture even people who can eat gluten will enjoy.


Mix: 1 c. sorghum and 3/4 c. each brown rice flour and tapioca starch with 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp xanthan gum, 2 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Add and mix: 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 c. honey, 1/2 c. molasses and 1 stick (1/2 c.) melted butter.
Add and mix: 3/4 c. chopped candied ginger.

Bake 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees until a tester comes out clean.

No knead yeasted rye bread

I used to be able to tolerate rye if it were soaked.  I haven't had it in awhile, but wanted to make some tonight.  We'll see how I feel in the morning.  So far, so good!

This bread does not require kneading.  It is dense, but has good crumb and tastes good.  Rye is low, but not no gluten, so people who are gluten intolerant should do well with it but people who have celiac disease may not.  The yogurt and raw honey are included in the sponge specifically to start the digestion process.

I whipped this up on a whim, writing down quantities as I went.  This is how I usually cook and most of the time, the results are excellent.  Gluten free breads have often required two or three trials before I am happy with them.  This one fell a little, but I suspect that is because the house started smelling good and I opened the oven to take a peak only 20 minutes into the baking.  Despite falling, the texture is very nice. 

Mix:  1 1/2 c. whole milk yogurt brought to room temperature
         1/4 c. warm water
         1/4 c. melted butter
         3 1/2 c. rye flour
         2 tbsp. raw honey
         1 package yeast
Cover bowl and let sit at least 3 hours. 
Mix in salt and various herbs or spices to taste.  You want to add the salt late in the process because it inhibits the action of the yeast, and low or no gluten breads need all the help they can get.  Be sure you mix it thoroughly, though.

Put in greased pans.  I used one oval casserole dish, but generally low/no gluten breads do better in smaller loaves.  Let rise 45 minutes or so and preheat oven to 375 degrees.  My one loaf took 40 minutes to bake.  You are looking for the bread to be golden, pulled away from the sides and to fall easily out of the dish rather than for it to sound hollow when tapped.

I use Azure Standard's organic unifine rye, which has an extra fine texture that helps lighten the bread. 

Avgolemono (chicken/lemon soup), yogurt salad dressing

Instead of chicken noodle soup, I crave Avgolemono when I am sick.  The traditional way to make it is to beat egg whites into stiff peaks and fold it in, but the way I make it is still frothy and a lot faster. 

I much prefer it made with a whole chicken and a lot of onions and other vegetables cooked down into stock, then the chicken removed for other meals. 

So you can adjust up or down for the size of your family, the formula is 2 eggs, 1/2 c. cooked brown rice and one lemon for 2 c. of stock.

Cook 1 chopped up onion, 2 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. salt and 2 cloves garlic in 4 c. chicken stock until onion has just a little crunch left to it.  Add 1 c. brown rice.  Turn heat to lowest setting. 

Blend 4 eggs and juice of 2 lemons until frothy.  Add hot soup a little at a time until egg mixture is hot, blending between additions.  Pour egg mixture into soup slowly, stirring.  Let cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring often.

If I weren't sick, I'd serve this with a huge crunchy salad with yogurt dressing and a hunk of bread. 

Here's my yogurt dressing recipe: 
1 c. whole milk yogurt
pinch of salt
1 tsp. dried dill leaves
1/4 tsp garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil
lemon juice to taste

Cough Syrup

After spending two weeks emptying and cleaning out barns that were full of litter and cobwebs, I have a horrible sore throat.  I made some cough syrup and it is actually extremely yummy.  I didn't write down quantities since I didn't expect to like it.

Black cherry juice concentrate (Knudsen's, sold at Sherm's in the health food section)
slices of ginger
a little honey
juice of a couple lemons

I cooked it down until the ginger was limp and the liquid was reduced to a third of the total.  I thought about adding onions.  Next time I probably will. 

Stretch Roast 3 Days, Without Boredom

This will also be in Becky Holm's Douglas County News, although shortened a bit. 
GOOD FOOD CHEAP

Stretching A Roast 3 Days, Deliciously
By Larisa Sparrowhawk, localvorefresh@aol.com

You will need 1.75 lbs of boneless beef roast plus a soup bone for two people plus 1.0 pounds for each person thereafter.

Day One, French Onion Soup: Today’s recipe is time consuming, but the next two are quick. Cook roast and bone on low heat with enough water to cover, 2-3 onions, 2-4 ribs celery , a few garlic cloves, a bay leaf, some carrots, apples or any vegetable except potatoes. Add 1/4 c. red wine vinegar, which helps draw the minerals from the bone.  Simmer at least 6 hours. Skim off any foam. Turn off and let cool. Skim fat off and save for later. Remove most of the beef and split between two containers; refrigerate. Discard most of the vegetables.

Blend stock and remaining vegetables with 3-5 tbsp. flour, preferably rye. Sautee the beef you saved out with 2-3 chopped onions and 2 tbsp. butter until onions are carmelized. Add blended stock and ½-1 c. red wine if desired. Add ½-1 tsp. each salt, white pepper, dry mustard, rosemary, thyme and nutmeg. Add 2-3 tsp. garlic. Simmer another 15 minutes. Serve with bread and cheese.

Day Two, Sesame Beef:  Stir fry (high heat) 1 chopped onion in 2 tbsp. sesame oil until translucent. Add 1 rib chopped celery, half a chopped broccoli head, 1-2 chopped carrots. Cook 2 minutes, stirring.  When sesame oil begins to dry, add 1 tbsp. each red wine vinegar and sherry or mirin. Add garlic or ginger if desired. Add 1 chopped bell pepper and 1-2 tsp. black bean garlic sauce or soy sauce. Add one portion saved beef. Stir constantly until hot. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Day Three, Stroganoff: Cook in a cast iron skillet until carmelized: reserved beef fat, 1 chopped onion. Add 1-2 c. chopped mushrooms. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining beef, 2-3 tbsp. red wine vinegar. When beef is warm, add chopped scallions and/or parsley for color. Mix ½-1 tsp. each salt, white pepper, dry mustard and 1 tsp. paprika and garlic into 1 c. whole milk yogurt.  Mix a little of the beef and vegetables into yogurt to warm it up. Add to the skillet and cook just a couple minutes longer.  Serve over rice, rye or pasta.