Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook - Nourishing Recipes Inspired by Our Ancestors (11 page)

• We highly recommend a quality mineral-rich fine sea salt, rather than refined table salt.

• In our baking recipes, we rely on fresh-milled, sprouted flour, which creates very light, airy flour. Regular store-bought flour will not produce the same result.

• All vinegar is unfiltered.

• All honey is raw.

• All water is filtered.

CHAPTER 6
FIRST BITES

LET’S BE HONEST—we don’t make a whole lot of appetizers for a typical family dinner. These dishes are pulled out for company, a welcome nod for someone special. The last few minutes in an entertaining kitchen can be hectic. An appetizer acts like a shiny object, distracting guests from noticing any kitchen mishaps. One night, I actually returned a sheet pan to the oven with a potholder stuck on the bottom, but thanks to the Roasted Shrimp Salsa (
page 70
), our guests “barely” noticed the billowing smoke!

One of the great things about having a big garden is having lots of culinary herbs. It may feel excessive to buy the four bunches of parsley to make tabbouleh, but not when it’s plentiful in your garden! Typically made with bulgur wheat, this salad substitutes in quinoa, which allows our gluten-free friends to partake. I like serving it with cucumber rounds.

3 cups (555 g) cooked quinoa (
page 53
)

3
/
4
cup (109 g) dried currants

1 cup (180 g) seeded and diced tomato

3 cups (180 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 4 bunches)

3
/
4
cup (75 g) diagonally sliced scallion, both white and green parts

1/3 cup (80 ml) lemon juice

1/3 cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1
/
2
teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Combine the quinoa, currants, tomato, parsley, and scallion in a large-size bowl. With a fork, toss the ingredients to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Pour over the quinoa mixture and using your fork, toss again.

Chill for 2 hours, if desired, and serve.

YIELD: 8 CUPS (1,800 G), OR 10 TO 12 SERVINGS

RECIPE NOTES

• To seed a tomato, cut the tomato in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds and “gel” of the tomato with your finger or a spoon. It is not necessary to remove the more dense tomato “ribs.” The tomato seeds are removed to avoid adding excess liquid to the salad.

• A food processor is a quick way to chop this amount of parsley. Remove the coarse parsley stems before chopping. The parsley should be dried thoroughly before chopping. A salad spinner makes this a breeze—or just pat dry with a kitchen towel.

• To make garlic paste: Mince the garlic on a cutting board. Once minced, sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt over the top. Chop some more. Then, using the flat side of a knife, carefully press down firmly on the garlic and drag the knife along the cutting board and through the garlic. Pile the garlic again and repeat until it forms a paste.

If you only grow one thing, grow a tomato plant. Upon your first taste of a homegrown, sun-ripened tomato, you’ll understand why. And if you grow little grape tomatoes, this recipe is a must. Serve with Multi-Seed Crackers (
page 76
) for a great way to start off a cookout.

Roasted Shrimp Salsa

FOR SHRIMP:

1
/
2
pound (225 g) 16/20 count shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

1 tablespoon (14 g) coconut oil

1
/
4
teaspoon ground coriander

1
/
2
teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

FOR SALSA:

1 cup (180 g) halved grape tomatoes

1
/
4
cup (38 g) small diced yellow pepper

1
/
4
cup (30 g) peeled, seeded, and small diced cucumber

1 tablespoon (9 g) minced jalapeño

1
/
4
cup (40 g) minced red onion

1 tablespoon (4 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons raw honey (
page 64
)

1 teaspoon garlic paste (see Note,
page 69
)

1
/
4
teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sea salt

1
/
2
teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1 cup (146 g) medium diced avocado

TO MAKE THE SHRIMP: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Rinse the shrimp and dry thoroughly with a paper towel.

Add the coconut oil to a small-size sheet tray (although any size will do). If the coconut oil is solidified, place the tray in the oven as it preheats for 2 minutes, to melt the oil.

To the pan, add the shrimp, coriander, sea salt, and pepper. Toss well with a spatula and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and re-toss the shrimp. Transfer to a plate to cool.

TO MAKE THE SALSA: In a medium-size bowl, combine the tomatoes, yellow pepper, cucumber, jalapeño, red onion, and parsley. Set aside. In a small-size bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, coriander, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture. Toss gently with a spatula to combine.

Dice the cooled shrimp into
1
/
2
-inch (1.3 cm) pieces. If serving immediately, add the shrimp and avocado to the tomato mixture. Toss gently with a spatula to combine and serve.

If not serving immediately, toss the shrimp with the tomato mixture and chill. Right before serving, add the avocado and serve.

YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS, OR 3 CUPS (780 G)

Cultured Cream Cheese Olive Dip

Do you remember cream cheese balls that were rolled in walnuts and served at most holiday gatherings? Here’s a wholesome take on that classic appetizer. Here, we use our homemade tangy cream cheese and creamy mayonnaise. Goodbye additives, hello flavor!

8 ounces (225 g) Yogurt Cream Cheese (
page 40
)

2 tablespoons (28 g) Simply Mayonnaise (
page 178
)

1 teaspoon fish sauce (
page 217
)

2 tablespoons (12 g) minced black olives

2 tablespoons (12 g) minced green olives

1 tablespoon (10 g) minced sweet onion

1 tablespoon (4 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1
/
2
cup (60 g) finely grated white Cheddar cheese

1
/
4
cup (28 g) finely chopped crunchy walnuts (
page 49
)

In a medium-size bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, fish sauce, black olives, green olives, onion, and parsley. Combine with a hand mixer. Fold in the cheese with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

Spread the dip into a small-size ceramic dish fitted with its own lid, which is helpful for storage while chilling. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Coat the top of the dip thoroughly with chopped walnuts. Serve cold with crackers, sliced vegetables, or sliced apples.

RECIPE NOTE

To finely grate white Cheddar cheese, it is necessary to use a microplane grater, which is a very convenient kitchen tool that’s also great for zesting citrus and grating Parmesan.

After one taste of this hummus, you may permanently retire the store-bought variety. Homemade is cheaper, fluffier, and it’s easier! It allows endless flavor options. Green Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato are shared below, but feel free to create your own!

FOR TRADITIONAL HUMMUS:

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/3 cup (80 g) tahini

1
/
4
cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1
/
2
cup (120 ml) water

1
/
2
teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups (720 g) cooked chickpeas (
page 52
)

FOR GREEN OLIVE HUMMUS:

3
/
4
cup (75 g) pitted green olives

1 recipe Traditional Hummus

FOR SUN-DRIED TOMATO HUMMUS:

1
/
2
cup (27 g) sun-dried tomatoes (
not
packed in oil)

1 cup (235 ml) hot water

1 recipe Traditional Hummus, made with tomato soaking liquid instead of water

FOR GARNISH:

Extra-virgin olive oil

TO MAKE THE TRADITIONAL HUMMUS: Using a food processor, chop the garlic until minced. Add the tahini, lemon juice, water, sea salt, and cayenne. Process until smooth and well combined.

Add the cooked and drained chickpeas and process again, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once blended, process for 1 additional minute. The extra processing gives the hummus a fluffy texture. Serve immediately or chill.