Terra Americana

I first made this recipe five or so years ago for a family St Patrick's Day party.  The bread did not make it to the meal as everyone I passed with the basket grabbed a slice, with not even a crumb left for me.  I have been thinking about it ever since, but for whatever reason I have not made it since.  That is until last week. 

Today I finished the last piece.  I have had it on its own, alongside soup, topped it with tofu and slathered it in sauce.  My favorite hearty way to enjoy it is toasted with mashed avocado, sprinkles of Picante Passion, sea salt and twist of lemon.  It wont take another 5 years for me revisit this classic.

This recipe can be made with traditional all purpose flour instead of the sprouted spelt.  I adapted it from the basic recipe in Jim Lahey's, My Bread.  Honey was added because it helps the spelt to rise better, you do not need it when using traditional wheat flour.

• 3 cups sprouted spelt flour
• 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp yeast
• 1 1/3 cup water or whey from making cheese (55-60 f )
• 1 tbsp local honey
• 1 red potato, diced with skins on
• 1 cup chopped chives or 4 stalks green onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
• 2 tbsp caraway seeds, optional for topping

Thoroughly combine flour, salt and yeast.  Add the whey or water and honey.  When mixed the dough will be sticky.  Cover loosely and allow to rise in a warm environment for 12 to 18 hours.

Dust a piece of parchment with flour and remove dough from the bowl.  Stretch the dough and top with the stuffing ingredients (herbs, potatoes and chives) and roll up dough, then fold it back together, leaving the crease resting on the paper.  Cover with a towel and let rise for 2 hours.  You can either bake it in this form or twist it in to a circle and place in your cast iron pot. 

After 90 minutes of the rising time place your pot or baking stone in an oven that has been preheated to 475 f.  When the dough finishes rising, sprinkle with seeds and carefully slide it into the hot pot or onto the stone.  Bake 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Check to see if the internal temperature is 200 f.  If it is and the bread has browned to your liking it is finished.  Should you want a darker crust put it back in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.

Special Spud Suggestions:

• Baked Potato Salad

• Moroccan Potatoes

• Red Fire Farm Potato Tacos

• Cajun Fries, pick a potato or pumpkin

Photo Credit: Julie Cecchini

Pistachios aren't just for holiday snacking.  After cracking my hundredth salty shell I thought about about the piscachio cakes my mother used to make when I was a little girl.

With that food for thought in my head, I came accross a recipe for Financier when I was looking for something to do with all those egg whites from the Chocolate Truffle Tart I made on Valentine's day.  I had Nick Malgieri's Perfect Cakes on my shelf forever and am embarrased to admit I had never paid much attention to it.  Brown Butter - Hazelnut Financier got my notice.  Below  is what I created with what I had on hand.

• 1 cup Almond Flour
• 1 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup Arrowroot
• 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 10 tbsp Soy Garden  or butter
• 2 tbsp Mount Gay Rum
• 1 tbsp Pure Pistachio Extract
• 1/4 cup Orange Vanilla Sugar
• 1 cup large egg whites, about 8 or 9
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts, lightly chopped, about 1-ounce 
• Whipped cream with a dash of green food coloring to top