Lughnasadh ~ Buttermilk Bread

 

Lughnasadh, August 1st, is the Gaelic festival marking the beginning of harvest season and honours the first grain and first loaf and fruits of the season. The days are beginning to grow shorter as we celebrate the Celtic Sun God, Lugh and the Goddess, Tailtiu. August is Lugh's sacred month as he initiated great festivities in honour of his mother during this time. Think fullness, fulfillment and abundance as they are present at harvest which already holds the very seeds for future harvests.  

With the sun beginning to wane, activities of growth are slowing down and darker days of winter and reflection are calling. It is a time for gathering and reflecting back over the past months and appreciate the progress and growth while also giving thanks for what you have.

Herbs and grains associated with Lughnasadh or Lammas are wheat, barley, corn, oats and rye. Mint, meadowsweet, sunflowers and Calendula are also represented as well as blackberries and all berries, grapes and pears. Colours are of green, gold, yellow, red and deep shades of orange.

Things you may do in solitude or with family and friends to celebrate are: bake bread or berry pies, make corn dolls and harvest knots, dance, light candles in festival colours, create a harvest jar, make a crown of flowers, harvest herbs, play games and sports, share a feast and collect seeds for future harvest.

This buttermilk bread is a delightful way to honour and celebrate Lughnasadh.

Buttermilk Bread for Lughnasadh

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2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

sprouted seeds, optional

500ml buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

 poppyseeds for decorating

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, place the flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, pinch of salt and sprouted seeds, if using. Whisk to combine. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough feels springy. If the dough feels sloppy just add a bit more flour. Turn out on to a floured surface and pat until you have formed a round shape. Place on the prepared baking tray and take a sharp knife and score into eight sections, one for each festival. Brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with poppyseeds. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the bread has changed to a golden brown colour and sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack before tying a Lughnasadh coloured ribbon around the loaf.   

 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Focaccia Bread

 

My son gets full credit for creating this tasty Focaccia Bread. It is a crispier recipe then the traditional spongy Focaccia Bread however delicious all the same. It has a subtle herb and tomato flavour that was brushed with lashings of a buttery garlic topping. When sliced we dipped our pieces in olive oil with balsamic vinegar for a tangy afternoon snack. - JD  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Not sure why I haven't posted a chocolate chip cookie recipe before, it's certainly not a lack of making them, many chocolate chip cookies have been created and ate. Perhaps because of its classic cookie status I felt the need not to. With many chocolate chip cookie recipes out there, trial and error, seem relevant and plausible, plus I am sure quite a few have their favourite go to recipe, like I most often do. However, with most recipes I bake, I research recipes, I read multiple recipes, and I tweak recipes, until I am content and go forward with a recipe; at times being dependant on what I have on hand, ingredient wise, to create that recipe. This is one of those times where multiple factors came in to play and resulted in one delicious cookie! - JD     

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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3/4 cup (1 and 1/4 sticks) soft unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 x 300g package dark chocolate chip morsels 

112g (half of a 225g package) of white chocolate chip morsels

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (170ºF). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

In a small bowl, gently melt the butter. Allow the melted butter to slightly cool for a few minutes.

In another bowl, combine the flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine then add the dark and white chocolate chip morsels to the flour mixture, stir again. 

In a large bowl combine the dark brown and caster sugars and add the slightly cooled, melted butter and beat together. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture, in three additions, to the butter sugar mixture until just blended.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet, making sure that the cookies are about 3 inches apart. (While one batch is baking, pop the bowl with the remaining cookie dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake the second batch. I, did not do this and found that the second batch of cookies spread just a little bit more than the first batch.)    

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 17 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on the baking tray for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Healing Spices ~ How Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper, and Other Spices Can Improve Your Health, Life, and Well-Being

Spices have earned a place in pantries and kitchens around the world and often if not most times are the key or sole ingredient to a dish. Fresh herbs and spices are best however dried should not be overlooked, they are handy. Some believe that if you want to add more flavour to your food and possibly cut down on salt, sugar and oils, spices are the way to go. 

Spices flavour many dishes, sauces, and meats however they seem to offer some benefits such as improving certain aliments and overall health. Spices, such as turmeric, cinnamon, ginger garlic, cloves and sage, to name a few are abundant in antioxidants and polyphenols, which may help with inflammation and may help chronic conditions.

I didn't know much about Instructables.com until I was given this book. It is a compact cookbook with dozen of cooking and baking recipes including beauty remedies with step by step guides. Not only are there recipes and remedies but this book gives a detailed guide about the benefits of each spice and herb. The photos in the book are step by step no frills which adds to its charm; as any glossy artistic food photos would completely deminish that. The book is quirky however insightful and helpful. Good, if you are curious about spices and herbs in a compact form and the recipes are easy to get you started. 

I will share the Tikka Masala recipe, as it is written from the book. To find out more about Instructables and other recipes, visit their website, Instructables.com

Chicken Tikka Masala with Turmeric Rice - by Nerdinista

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Step 1: Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion

1 medium tomato

2 small cloves of garlic

1/4 piece (about 1 inch) ginger root

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

For the marinade:

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garam masala 

2 small cloves garlic

1/4 piece ginger

2 tablespoon plain (or vanilla) yogurt

Trim the chicken and cut into small cubes. Mix all marinade ingredients and fold in to chicken. Marinate at least 15 minutes, but the longer the better.

Chop onion, tomato, garlic, ginger. Sauté onions in canola oil over low heat until golden brown. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add tomatoes and sauce until moisture has evaporated. Add cumin powder, garam masala, salt, and sugar, then simmer for 2 minutes. Add water and simmer for 2 minutes. 

In a separate pan heat olive oil and sauté chicken over low heat. Add chicken to sauce and mix well. Bring briefly to a boil before removing from heat. Transfer to a plate and serve!

Step 2: Turmeric Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (I used basic brown)

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chicken broth

Wash and drain rice -  soak in fresh water for 20 minutes and drain. Melt butter in pan on low, add rice and stir-fry for 1 minute. add salt and turmeric, then stir. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam for 5 minutes. Stir and serve! 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! - JD 

Strawberry Bread

Strawberry Bread is traditionally made at Beltane, however I felt the need to make it during Midsummer/Litha as strawberries and honey are still seasonal. A dense berry fruit bread that has a delicate subtle sweetness.    

Strawberry Bread

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3 cups strong white flour, I used unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

500ml buttermilk

6 tablespoons clear honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg beaten, for glazing

sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. 

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda and chopped strawberries. Using a wooden spoon, stir together. Do not worry if the flour mixture gets clumpy, it will due to the strawberries. 

In another bowl combine the buttermilk, honey and vanilla extract. Gently whisk together until smooth. 

Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and stir together until a dough has formed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a circle. I found the dough to be a bit sticky so I turned the dough out onto the prepared baking tray and using my clean hands form into a circle the best I could. With a sharp knife lightly score the bread in half. Brush the top with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. When bread is cooled break into two halves along the score mark.  

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble

Apple crumble is a classic however nectarine blueberry crumble serves a greater need for a tangy sweet summer dessert. It is also a great way to use any ripe fruit you may have laying about your kitchen or pantry. The tartness of the nectarines is enhanced and balanced by the tender blueberries and sweet crisp crumble topping. This dessert generously serves four to six people and a nice scoop of French vanilla ice cream would not go a miss!       

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble 

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4 cups nectarines, peeled and sliced

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Brown Sugar Oat Crumble Topping:

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3/4 cups oats

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºF).

Place the sliced nectarines, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss to coat.

In small bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and caster sugar. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or a pastry cutter, I cut the butter into pieces with a knife, then added the cut pieces to the oat mixture and using clean hands quickly mix together, until the butter is combined. You may have chunks of butter and that is okay as the butter will melt in the oven.

Place the nectarine and blueberries in a 9 - inch baking dish. Top with the brown sugar oat crumble.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crumble gently browns and begins to bubble. 

The weather did cool down however temperatures have now risen creating another heatwave. Have a lovely weekend everyone! - JD    

Food Photo of the Day ~ Baked Tortellini

 

When summer heat is glaring down and you have a craving for comfort food; you switch off all the lights, allow the sunlight to filter through the window, crank the floor fan on high and grin and bear it to create a delicious meal, such as baked tortellini. Worth the effort every time! 

-JD