To the cooler, I pack all my fresh vegetables, 3 frozen protein foods, eggs, buttery spread, frozen (homemade) sourdough waffles and drop biscuits and an open bottle of maple syrup. In a grocery bag, we carry a few potatoes, apples, crackers and my home canned baked beans and applesauce. Along the way we buy some local produce, homemade fudge and seasonal fruit. At the last stop (about 45 minutes from our destination) we add milk, Swiss cheese, deli turkey and frozen corn.
In the 1-room cabin is a fully stocked kitchen complete with china and utensils. I pack one treasured tool for our cabin adventure-the large paella pan I found in the Aldis gadget aisle. In that pan we cook the protein food alongside vegetables over an outdoor wood fire grill. No recipe or sauce needed-the smokey flavor, some salt, pepper and fresh herbs is all it takes.
I bake three potatoes in the cabin oven the afternoon we arrive. (1 for each of the 3 meals).
The wood fire took little time to heat. The park provides the logs, kindling and one fire starter. Dinner Day 1 was steel cup trout (I removed the skin), 1/2 baked potato and an Italian type vegetable mixture with carrots and broccoli (precooked in the microwave) and local zucchini. All pans had shallots, peppers, garlic and assorted fresh herbs (chives, oregano, parsley and tarragon) to flavor.
I
cook eggs sunny side up on the indoor stove top for breakfasts-served
over a waffle or biscuit. Lunch was leftover dinners, deli turkey,
cheese, baked beans and crackers.
Dinner Day 2 was chicken tenders and a vegetable blend with diced baked potatoes, corn, yellow squash and celery, along with my first batch of home grown sweet peas (shelled on site and precooked in the microwave). The fire cooked the meal in little time despite the drizzling rain.
After this meal, we walked to
the park restaurant to enjoy a homemade dessert and ice cream. My choice
is the Blackberry Cobbler while Bob chooses the Hot Fudge Cake. The
baker-caterer is both talented and friendly and sits on the back porch
under the hummingbird feeder to rest after a 14 hour day. She let me explore the kitchen one year!
Dinner Day 3 had 1 petite beef fillet, potatoes and assorted vegetables. For dessert I peeled and cut
peaches, sprinkled with maple syrup and cooked on the fire in a cast
iron skillet while we ate our beef-vegetable platter.
To my delight, the park still has a few of the original state park fiesta-ware china plates. (These treasured collectibles are inventoried when you check out).
Deep in the peaceful hills of West Virginia, we and the wildlife eat well while enjoying every minutes of our stay.
It's a playlist of grains-each with it's own persona. Each grain is unique in flavor and color. Some have gluten forming the structure, others are gluten free. Then there's the nutritional benefits. Each grain has it's unique profile.
Get more nutrients eating a variety of grains. The nutrients and phyto-chemicals in each grain has its own benefits.
- Oats contain beta-glucan, a fermentable prebiotic fiber that lowers cholesterol.
- Barley is full of soluble fibers.
- Millet is a high magnesium grain.
- Rye has a low glycemic index, promoting a rapid feeling of fullness favorable for weight loss and diabetics.
This mix has the right balance of flavors:
- Oats are quite sweet.
- Rye works well with sweet flavors.
- Barley gives a boost of flavor to the other grains.
- Millet is buttery and adds color.
- Whole wheat is nutty.
- The sourdough starter discard adds a tang.
This multigrain flour mix is in pastry chef Kim Boyce's cookbook, Good to the Grain. The waffle recipe was based on one in this book as well.
Multigrain Waffles with Sourdough Discard
Flour Mix
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup barley flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup rye flour
Waffles
(12-14)
In a separate bowl, mix multigrain, additional whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder and soda.
1 cup Multigrain Flour Mix
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Add milk and eggs to sourdough starter discard. Beat eggs.
1/2 cup sourdough starter discard
1 cup skim milk
3 eggs
Add dry ingredients and stir with a spoon, mixing only until combined.
Grease top and bottom of waffle maker by brushing with melted butter.
1 tablespoon buttery spread, melted
When waffle maker is heated, portion 1/4 cup batter onto each square. Bake until top of waffle is brown. Repeat with remaining batter.
We enjoyed our waffle for dinner, served with an egg.
Homemade pasta shapes, sizes, thicknesses, colors, flavor and even the nutrient content remain unique as the maker. Adding cooked vegetables shifts the color, texture, flavor and nutrients even more.
This 4-flour mix has a medley of color and nutrients. Two of the flours are whole grain-whole wheat and Kamut. Semolina and Kamut lend a golden yellow tint. Kamut is a high protein grain, strengthening the dough as well as the nutrient profile.
The butternut squash is sweet, orange and rich in vitamins. This vegetable and the matching spice-nutmeg- add sweetness to the dough.
As to the uniqueness of the maker-I continue to learn the art of pasta making. The shapes of my noodles will never be uniform. That's okay-I can make lasagna with the different dough widths. And why worry about the bits and pieces of spaghetti and fettuccine-they may not be photo worthy yet we'd be cutting it before placing in our mouths anyway.
I've learned to make the dough in the morning and refrigerate till the afternoon before rolling and cutting.
The food processor is a great tool for dough making. I add the semolina flour first (it's a coarsely ground flour) and pulse it about 30 seconds. The squash in this recipe adds enough coarseness.
Basic Recipe for Pasta Flour
1/4 pound whole wheat flour
1/4 pound Kamut flour
1/4 pound semolina flour
1/4 pound all purpose flour
Butternut Squash Pasta Dough
(4 meals-8 servings)
In bowl of food processor, pulse together flours and nutmeg.
3/4 pound pasta flour mix
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Add squash and eggs, mixing until all of squash is pureed and mixture forms a ball.
1/2 pound cubed, peeled and cooked butternut squash
3 eggs
Wrap dough ball in greased plastic wrap. Flatten into a disc and refrigerate one or more hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide in 4 pieces. Roll until dough is thin, adjusting roller thickness one notch thinner until dough thickness is achieved. Cut into desired shapes. I cut mine into spaghetti, fettuccine and lasagna noodle shapes.
At this point, I dehydrated the noodles by placing on parchment lined baking sheet and placing in a 150 F oven for 1 hour. That enabled me to freeze the various shapes to pull as needed for meals.
For dinner, we covered our cooked pasta with cheese sauce. Yum!
I was the first dietitian for university dining services, charged with one primary task: planning monotony breakers for residential dining. Together with the food service managers from the four dormitories, we brain stormed themes for the year. Some monotony breakers were seasonal-some were meant to impress the parents.
The four resident halls ranged in size from 200-1000 students. I tested the recipes in large and small settings. Each hall presented the food differently. The staff dressed for the occasion and enjoyed the time.
The pepperoni rolls, a West Virginia favorite, went over big in the tailgate meals. The fresh oranges flung onto Mountaineer Field when the Syracuse Orangemen arrived were a bad idea.
Popular recipes like the chicken enchiladas were placed on the cycle menu. These were made onsite from scratch. My favorite item-Challah bread-was enjoyed on Rosh Hashanah Eve.
I was recruited to return to the hospital as a senior dietitian. My first task was to revive the bake shop offerings.
There was a movement then to forego bakers' labor and buy processed baked goods from purveyors. I never thought that was a good idea! Our bakers made breads, Challah, 3-flour braided bread, Reuben loaf (for which we won an award), apple strudel, pineapple nut coffee cake and pumpkin roll. We enlarged our repertoire of gourmet cookies (chocolate cordial cups was one of my recipes).
St. Lucia's Wreath, a holiday bread, came complete with candles and ribbon. Our bakers received training for cake decorating.
Patients received decorated items to coincide with special events.
Catering for daily meetings and special events became routine. There was plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Many hors d'oeuvres were homemade. I learned much from the catering managers, production staff and director.
While the department no longer had a meat cutter, the cooks still roasted meats. There were few processed foods and no pre-washed or pre-cut produce. We still bought milk from the university dairy.
I was pleased to find the 3-flour braided bread recipe in the hospital quantity recipe books from the early days. I was even more pleased to find the home-size version in my own recipe collection. This bread is made with half whole grain flours and is moist and soft. The recipe starts with one base dough, divides it in thirds, then adds the other 2 flours (so you can use the same mixing bowl). The only draw-back is it requires quite a few bowls for rising!
Three Flour Braided Bread
(1 loaf-16 servings)
Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast in bowl of electric mixer with dough hook in place.
1 cup 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 tespoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
Melt butter into warm water. Gradually add to mixing bowl, beating at medium speed 2 minutes.
1 cup 2 tablespoon water, heated to 125 F
2 tablespoon butter
Add 1/2 cup flour. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of dough.
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Divide dough in thirds, placing 2 of the 3 batters in separate bowls.
Whole Wheat Dough
To the dough in the mixing bowl, add molasses and whole wheat flour. Knead at low speed for 5 minutes. Place whole wheat dough in another bowl greased with olive oil spray. Cover bowl.
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 cup 2 tablespoon whole wheat flour
Rye Dough
Place another piece of the original dough in the mixer. Add molasses, caraway, cocoa and whole rye flour. Knead at low speed for 5 minutes. Place rye dough in another bowl greased with olive oil spray. Cover bowl.
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup 2 tablespoon whole rye flour
White Dough
Place the remaining piece of the original dough in the mixer. Add all purpose flour. Knead at low speed for 5 minutes. Place white dough in a separate bowl greased with olive oil spray. Cover bowl.
1/2 cup 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
Allow all dough pieces to rise until double, about 45 minutes.
Punch dough down. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a rope, about 14 inches. Braid 3 ropes together, forming one loaf. Pinch ends together and fold under. Place braided bread dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise until double, about 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
I was the one who made the whipped potatoes every afternoon. First I steamed the potatoes-yes real potatoes-scrubbed, peeled and halved by early shift employees. Then I mashed them in a mixer taller than I-with gears and clutch to boot! I carefully separated out four batches for specific diets-low salt-fat free, fat free, low salt and regular. To those I added milk, margarine or salt according to the prescription. I did not have a recipe but was given demonstration and guidance from the head cook-Virginia Stoneking-who I adored.
"Stoney" helped me fix things when my whipped potatoes were too runny or too thick and seemed to like me in spite of that!
What foods do I remember from the hot line? I remember meatloaf, roast beef, turkey, chicken a la king, whipped and boiled potatoes with parsley and lots of vegetables. The kitchen had a meat cutting area where whole carcasses of beef were delivered via overhead pulley and cut and prepared by skilled meat cutters. We had one walk-in cooler designated the "bone" room where bones were stored prior to preparing broths and soups. The beef gravy for the potatoes was supreme!
From the cold line-I remember the custard and jello. There were layered salads of jello, some with cream cheese. The baked custard was made on site with a sprinkling of nutmeg on top and always held it's shape when cut. The milk was made on campus by the university dairy. I couldn't forget the zero dressing, made with low sodium tomato juice and lots of vegetables, then blended and portioned. The smell of the peppers lingered throughout the cold line refrigerators.
I loved the little individual carafes each patient received, filled with either coffee or hot water for tea. The carafes were special, though the coffee smelled strong and after sitting in the large urn I'm suspecting it was just that!
Throughout my adult career, I worked at the hospital in four jobs, five different decades, with intervals between graduation and moves to four cities. My 37 year career with WVU Medicine started and ended in the same kitchen. That was the reason I was the designated keeper of the early recipes from the 70s and 80s. Tonight's dinner was made following those original recipes.
Salmon Loaf
(Serves 7)
Saute celery in butter until soft. Add paprika.
2.4 ounce celery, diced
1/2 ounce butter
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Puree.
Pour celery puree over bread cubes.
4.8 ounce bread cubes
Beat eggs. Add milk.
2 eggs
2.4 tablespoon scalded milk
Pour over bread cube mixture.
Drain salmon. Remove skin and bones. Mince with fingers.
1-14 ounce can salmon
Add salmon to celery-bread and egg mixture. Combine well. Form into a 3 inch loaf.
Place on greased baking tray. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.
Note that in the 4 recipe books from the old University Hospital, there is no recipe for whipped potatoes!
When I first saw a recipe for bean brownies I remember thinking that was a heck of a lot of work to cook and puree beans in baked foods. Yes-it would have been much easier to use canned beans. Yet my cabinets are full of dry beans and grains-and these black beans are locally grown. My friend Julie Mallow of the Vegetable Garden & Davis Brothers in Masontown, West Virginia grows and harvests these tiny black beans. Black beans are full of fiber and minerals and help to keep one full, so what can be better than adding these to brownies?
This recipe is based on one from Kat Detter. The sweet cherries were on sale at the grocery store this week-and what goes better with chocolate than cherries?
Cherry Turtle Bean Brownies
(8 or 12 Servings)
Cook beans in a counter top pressure cooker for 30 minutes. Allow to naturally release. Drain beans.
1/2 cup dry beans
2 cups water
Add beans to a food processor. Add oats, applesauce, dates, eggs, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt and chocolate. Puree until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
10 pitted dates
2 eggs
1/4 cup 100% cacao cocoa (not the Dutch processed kind)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup 48% cacao chocolate, ground
Spread mixture into bottom of a 7-inch springtime pan, greased with olive oil spray. Cover bottom of pan with aluminum foil.
Spread chopped cherries over top of batter.
1/2 cup pitted fresh cherries, chopped fine
Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
1 wedge, cut in 8 servings has approximately 150 calories, 6 grams of fiber and 7 grams of added sugar. I enjoyed my first piece for breakfast with a glass of milk!
Savor homemade soups any season of the year. The leftovers are perfect for a quick picnic meal. This soup made yesterday develops full flavors overnight as it blends and mellows in the refrigerator.
Follow these steps to transport a soup meant to be served hot:
- Heat water to boiling on stove top or microwave. Fill the thermos with water and close lid.
- Heat the leftover soup on stove top. This one is not a cream based soup, so I heated it to boiling. (Cream based soups can curdle when too hot.)
- Empty the thermos of boiling water.
- Fill with hot soup.
This soup will remain hot for about 2 hours.
Field Pea & Squash Soup
(Serves 5)
Turn on programmable pressure cooker and set to brown or saute. Add oil and allow to heat 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic and heat for 3 minutes.
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Stir in seasonings.
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
Add water, pulses, squash, apples and cinnamon stick.
6 cups water
1 cup dried pulses (mine has yellow split peas, red field peas and green lentils)
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 cup apples, peeled and cubed
1 cinnamon stick
Tighten lid of pot and close the pressure valve. Cook at medium pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15 minutes. Switch pressure valve to open. When the steam is completely released, remove the lid.
Stir in tomatoes, juice and soy sauce.
3/4 cup diced fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Blend ingredients in high speed blender until smooth, taking care to cover lid with a dry cloth to prevent burning.
This soup is full of protein from the pulses and complemented with even more vitamins in the vegetables and fruit.
To round out the meal, serve with a good bread. This bread is made with my sourdough starter discard.
Sourdough Whole Wheat & Paprika Buns
(Serves 8)
In bowl of electric mixer with dough hook in place, add 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and sourdough starter. Slowly add warm water to bowl. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl down.
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
5 ounces water, heated to 125 F
Add egg, oil, salt and 1/2 cup flour to bowl. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl down.
1 egg
3 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Turn speed to low and add remaining flour over the next 5-7 minutes. Scrape bowl down and knead until dough ball leaves the side of the bowl.
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Place dough into a covered dish greased with olive oil spray. Allow to rise until double, about 1 hour.
On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle, about 10 X 7 inches long. Brush with melted butter mixed with paprika.
1 tablespoon melted buttery spread
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Beginning at long end, roll dough into a log. Cut into 8 pieces. Arrange buns into a 8 or 9 inch cake pan, greased with olive oil spray. Brush top of dough with remaining paprika seasoned butter. Allow to rise about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.
While this pre-Memorial Day picnic turned into a hot 80 degree day, the picnic under the trees kept us cool enough to enjoy the meal and surroundings.
