Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (126 page)

IRISH OATMEAL

Serves 4-6

1 cup whole oats

1½ cups warm filtered water

4 tablespoons
whey
,
yoghurt
,
kefir
or
buttermilk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1½ cups filtered water

Place oats on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until they turn light brown. Process roasted oats to a medium grind in a home grinder. (The resultant meal should be part flour, part small bits.) Soak from 7 to 24 hours in a warm place in 2 cups warm water plus whey, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk. (Note: Those with severe milk allergies can use
lemon juice or vinegar
in place of whey, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk.) The fine flour particles will rise to the top and may be lifted off carefully with a spoon.

Bring additional 1½ cups water and sea salt to a boil, add soaked oatmeal and cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.

Samuel Johnson defined oats as "a grain used in England to feed horses and in Scotland to feed the populace." It has been observed that in these two regions oats have produced magnificent examples of both species. Folklore values oats as contributing to strength, endurance, energy, beauty and perceptiveness.

Although first discovered growing wild in barley fields in Russia, northern Africa and the Near East, oats thrive in colder climates of Scotland, Ireland and England. They were planted in Massachusetts in the 1600's and served as porridge for the growing nation. Oats are rich in B vitamins and in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. They contain more oil than most grains. Oats are low in gluten but contain more phytates than almost any other grain. Thus, it is very important to soak oats before preparation. The phytates are contained in the bran of the oat and can have a chelating or detoxifying effect. This is why the oat bran fad gave beneficial results at first; but frequent ingestion of unsoaked oat bran can lead to mineral losses, allergies and irritation of the intestinal tract.

In Scotland it was the custom to prepare oatmeal in large batches and pour the cooked cereal into a drawer in the kitchen hutch or dresser! Squares of congealed oatmeal could then be cut out as needed and reheated by adding a little water. This process allowed the oatmeal to ferment a second time.

Avoid buying rolled or cracked (steel cut) oats from bins as they may be rancid. Buy them in packages or, better yet, coarse grind whole oats in a grain grinder or "roll your own" with a grain roller. (See
Sources
.) SWF

MISO PORRIDGE

Serves 4

1 cup oats, rolled or cracked

2 cups filtered water

2 tablespoons naturally fermented light miso (See
Sources
)

In the evening, cook oatmeal in water for 5-10 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Allow to cool and mix in miso. Cover and leave the mixture at room temperature overnight. In the morning, reheat gently without bringing to a boil.

MUESLI

Serves 4

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup crispy almond slivers (
Crispy Almonds
)

¼ cup
dried sweetened coconut meat
or commercial dried unsweetened coconut

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1½ cups warm filtered water plus 2 tablespoons
whey
,
yoghurt
,
kefir
or
buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup filtered water

¼ cup raisins

1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)

Mix oats with almonds, cinnamon and coconut. Combine oat mixture with warm water mixture, cover and soak at room temperature for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours. (Note: Those with severe milk allergies can use
lemon juice or vinegar
in place of whey, yoghurt, kefir or buttermilk.) Bring an additional 1 cup of water to boil with sea salt. Add soaked oats and raisins, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes. Meanwhile, grind optional flax seeds in a mini grinder. Remove cereal from heat and stir in flax meal. Serve with butter or cream and a natural sweetener like Rapadura, date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar or raw honey.

In the history of food, gruel and porridge came before bread. For cereals unsuitable to bread making, such as oats, corn or millet, this remains the principle way of consuming these grains. In northern Europe, oat and rye porridges were daily fare. "Porridge is the mother of us all" is a Russian proverb. Millet and buckwheat porridge were eaten in warmer regions. They were very popular in Germany as well as in eastern Europe and in France. The Gaules were great consumers of millet porridge.

The term "gruel" and "porridge" covers preparations of differing consistencies, from rather liquid gruels that are drunk to
polenta
, which you can cut with a knife. In what measure were these preparations fermented?. . .
. Braga
, one of the most ancient sour gruels that we know of, is prepared with a thick porridge of cooked millet that is then diluted and fermented. Of a rather liquid consistency, it is drunk rather than eaten. Like other sour gruels of central and eastern Europe—
kiesiel, gieslitz, zu, braga—
can be compared to certain "beers" made from grains in Africa and South America—it is impossible to draw a precise line between these gruels and traditional beers. These are true liquid meals, like that of the Babylonians called "drinkable bread" and have played an important role in almost all civilizations. In Brittany
l'ar yod kierc'h
—oat porridge—was formerly eaten after one night of fermentation. This overnight fermentation gives this traditional dish its characteristic taste, slightly acid, that one seeks in vain in modern porridges. . .. But who still eats oatmeal—evenin Brittany? Claude Aubert
Les Aliments Fermentes Traditionnels

FRIED MUSH

Serves 3-4

1½ cups leftover
breakfast porridge or grits

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter or lard

This makes an excellent and economical after-school snack. Mix porridge with egg. Saute by spoonfuls in butter or lard until golden and the edges are crispy. Serve with maple syrup, sorghum syrup or honey.

FIVE GRAIN CEREAL MIX

Makes 10 cups

2 cups wheat or spelt

2 cups millet

2 cups short grain rice

2 cups barley or oats

2 cups split peas or lentils

This combination of grains conforms to the five grains recommended in the
Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine
.

Mix together and grind coarsely. Store in refrigerator.

The poisons and medicines attack the evil influences. The five grains act as nourishment; the five fruits from the trees serve to augment; the five domestic animals provide additional benefit; the five vegetables serve to complete the nourishment. Their flavors, tastes and smells unite and conform to each other in order to supply the beneficial essence of life. Each of these five flavors—pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salt—provides a certain advantage and benefit. Their effect is either dispersing or binding and gathering, retarding or accelerating, strengthening or softening.
The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine

FIVE GRAIN PORRIDGE

Serves 4

1 cup five grain cereal mix

1 cup warm filtered water plus 2 tablespoons
whey
,
yoghurt
,
kefir
or
buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup filtered water

1-2 egg yolks

Combine five grain mix with warm water mixture, cover and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours. (Note: Those with severe milk allergies can use
lemon juice or vinegar
in place of whey, kefir, yoghurt or buttermilk.) Bring an additional 1 cup of water to a boil with sea salt. Add soaked cereal, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and stir in the egg yolks. Serve with butter or cream and a natural sweetener, such as Rapadura, date sugar, maple syrup or raw honey.

Flax is an ancient plant found in northern climes whose seed oil is the richest known source of triple unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. Before the advent of large commercial oil presses, flax "beaters" in European and Russian villages pressed oil out of flax seeds and sold it from door to door on a weekly basis, much as dairy products and eggs were also sold. Without knowing why, northern European peoples valued flax oil as a folk remedy. Flax oil has been used in natural programs for the treatment of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, PMS, arthritis and inflammatory and fibroid conditions. It can be added to the diet in small amounts but should not be consumed in excess.

Flax is also an excellent source of mucilage and fiber. Flax is the richest known source of lignans, substances that have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and anticancer properties. It is also rich in silica, needed for healthy skin, hair and ligaments as well as for flexible bones. Flax seeds are low in phytic acid and therefore do not require soaking if they are consumed in small amounts. SWF

AFRICAN MILLET PORRIDGE

(Ogi)

4 cups millet

filtered water

¼ cup whey
Whey and Cream Cheese

This is a recipe for the brave, the adventurous and the curious. Place millet in a large bowl. Cover with water. Place a clean towel over the bowl and leave in a warm place for 24 hours. Pour off water and process until smooth, in batches, in a food processor. Place ground millet in a bowl and mix with a generous amount of water. Strain through a strainer into another large bowl or pitcher, discarding the coarse bran slurry left in the strainer. Mix whey with strained liquid, cover and leave in a warm place for 24 to 72 hours.

This thick liquid may now be cooked as porridge. Place 1 cup in a small pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, for several minutes. The resultant porridge will be very sour and may be eaten with a natural sweetener and butter or cream. Store the remaining ogi in the refrigerator until ready to prepare.

The
ogi
may be also be reduced to a very sour paste, called
agidi
, by the following method: Line a large strainer with a linen towel and pour the
ogi
into the strainer. Tie up ends of the cloth to make a sack and tie this sack to wooden spoon suspended over a pitcher or bowl. Let the
ogi
drain, just as you would drain cream cheese (see
Whey and Cream Cheese
). Store the strained
agidi
in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To prepare as porridge, bring
1 cup water
to a boil with
½ teaspoon salt
. Stir in
½ cup agidi
and simmer, covered, several minutes. Eat as you would porridge, with a natural sweetener and butter or cream.