Lughnasadh ~ Lammas ~ Graham Bread

 

Lughnasadh ~ Lammas, August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and February 1st in the Southern Hemisphere, is one of four Gaelic festivals and marks the beginning of harvest season and corresponds with other harvest festivals such as the Welsh festival Gwy Awst, also known as Gathering Day. It also marks the halfway point between Summer Solstice, Litha, and Autumn Equinox, Mabon, and honours the Celtic Sun God Lugh as August is Lugh sacred month. 

The days are beginning to grow shorter and the sun is beginning to wane and the darker days of winter are calling. As we gather and reflect over the past months, think fulfillment, abundance and giving thanks during this time as harvest season already holds the seeds for future harvests. 

Other festivals celebrated around this time are: Lammas/Loaf Mass Day (Christian), Calan Awst (Welsh) and Puck Fair (Irish, August 10 - 12th, 16th Century), International Friendship Day (August 2nd), International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (August 9th), International Lefthanders Day (August 13th) and the Assumption of Mary (August 15th). 

Making a whole wheat bread such as Graham Bread to celebrate Lughnasadh is perfect as it symbolizes abundance, growth and the beginning of the harvest season. This bread is succulently spongy and dense with an unmistakable robust flavour.

Graham Bread  (Whole Wheat Bread) 

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1 1/2 cups graham flour or sprouted whole wheat flour

1/2 cup steel cut Irish oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter, slightly cooled

1 beaten egg

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour a 2 lbs. loaf baking tin and line the bottom with baking parchment. 

In a large bowl combine the flour, Irish oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together until well combined.

In another bowl add the molasses, buttermilk, melted butter and egg. Whisk together and then add to the flour mixture, stirring the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing quickly and well. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle the top with Irish oats. 

Bake in the preheated oven until edges pull away from the pan and it is golden brown, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.  Allow to rest for a few minutes in the tin before gently removing and allowing to cool on a wire rack. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

 

To call these muffins may be a stretch as their spongy texture appears to be more cakey than muffiny. They are a decadently rich and slightly sweet and salty muffin with the perfect balance of velvety chocolate and creamy peanut butter. These moist muffins will please most chocolate and peanut butter lovers or anyone wanting that familiar flavour combination in a simple baked snack or an uncomplicated dessert.  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

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makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons peanut butter 

extra peanut butter for decorating

honey roasted peanuts for decorating

Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Grease or line a muffin tin with baking papers.

In a large bowl combine together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a medium bowl add the egg, milk, olive oil and peanut butter. Whisk until frothy and combined. There will be flecks of peanut butter in the milk mixture, do not worry. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until only just combined, the batter will be lumpy.   

Fill the prepared muffin cups about 2/3 full. Using the extra peanut butter spoon a teaspoonful on each muffin and using a toothpick swirl the peanut butter around and then top with honey roasted peanuts.  

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  Allow to cool on wire racks. 

The Suffragette Cookbook ~ Professor Kate Williams

 

The Suffragette Cookbook is a cookbook in recognition of the Suffragette movement and a celebration of female innovation, power and love. With a history of feminism, female strength along with male solidarity being told alongside recipes, quotes, charming pocket-sized portrait photos and letters and correspondence gives insight to a time when there was much less consideration towards women and women's rights and the struggles for equality, not only with voting but in their everyday life. This cookbook gives us and educational and thought provoking glimpse, sprinkled with a serious lightheartedness that is indicative of the feminine spirit inside and outside the home and kitchen.  

There are traditional American culinary recipes, whether they be classified as retro or vintage, household management and cook's tips given for the respective time period. With seventeen recipe categories, ranging from soups, meats, savouries, sandwiches, dessert and candies, it is fair to say that most recipes featured in this book are legacy recipes, past down from grandmother to mother to child, generation to generation and quite possibly many of these recipes are still made today. Although there are a few recipes that do come off a bit incoherent making it highly unlikely that those were even made or served at all. 

If you are interested in collecting retro or vintage recipes or wanting a condensed history on a portion of the Suffragette movement this is a great cookbook to inspire and feel connected to those historic women... and men who stood along side them. For myself I feel compelled to look up the various women mentioned in this book to learn more about them and their contribution not only to the Suffragette movement but possible other causes as well. 

The recipe I am sharing, from the book, is a light one. May it grace your salad this season.     

Suffragette Salad Dressing

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yolks of 2 eggs

3 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of tarragon

vinegar

1 pinch of salt

Beat well; cook in double boiler. When cold and ready to serve, fold in 1/2 pint of whipped cream. 

Coconut Lime Loaf

 

Delicate, light and airy with just the right amount of sweetened coconut and a hint of lime to delight and waft through the summer afternoon. A drizzle icing would be acceptable and compliment this cake however I found it not required as often times during the warmer months my level of sweetness wanes. That said, if I was serving this for an occasion it would be iced whether it be drizzled or lusciously layered with a cream cheese icing.    

Coconut Lime Cake

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juice and grated zest of 1 whole lime

3 eggs

1/3 cup light olive oil

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yoghurt

1/2 cup shredded coconut  

2 cups self-raising flour

extra shredded coconut for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 2 lb. loaf tin and line it with baking parchment. 

In a large bowl combine the lime zest and juice, 3 eggs, olive oil, sugar, sour cream and shredded coconut. Stir until smooth. 

Add the flour and stir until blended and no dry streaks are left. Pour into the prepared baking tin, sprinkle shredded coconut on top of the cake and bake for about 40 to  50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Have the cake rest in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully removing from the tin. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.    

Rigatoni Broccoli Bake

 

A not to creamy casserole bursting with bright broccoli and the comforts of garlic cheesy goodness, hits the lighter side of sedate stodgy casseroles. You can pre-cook or steam the fresh broccoli, if a more tender vegetable is your preference, however I found that adding the broccoli raw to the cheesy pasta and then baking, cooked the broccoli to my preference, tender firm.  

  

Rigatoni Broccoli Bake

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3 1/2 cups (875 ml) Rigatoni pasta, about 225 g

 1 1/2 lbs. (680 g) Fresh broccoli, cut up 

or 2 x 300g packages of frozen broccoli, cooked

1/3 cup (75 ml) butter

1/3 cup (75 ml) unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) paprika

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

3 cups (750 ml) milk 

3/4 cup (175 ml) shredded parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup (175 ml) shredded Mediterranean Cheese Medley or Swiss cheese  

Prepare the broccoli by washing and cutting the broccoli florets into pieces or if you using frozen broccoli cook according to package directions. 

Cook pasta according to package directions and your preference, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm. Drain, return to pot and toss the pasta lightly with olive oil. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).  

In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika, whisk together then add the crushed garlic. 

In a large saucepan melt the butter over low to medium heat. Once the butter has melted whisk in the flour mixture, constantly whisking until it begins to bubble. Stir in milk, turn heat to medium and stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning and sticking to the bottom of the saucepan, keep stirring until boiled and the mixture has thickened.

Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese to the now thicken milk. Stirring until the Parmesan cheese has melted, then add the Cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheddar cheese as melted, pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta. Stir until coated, then add the broccoli and mix well. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. 

Sprinkle with the Mediterranean Cheese Medley or Swiss cheese. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until cheese has melted.

Coffee Ice Cream

 

I have made this velvety whipped ice cream many times... double chocolate peanut butter, strawberry, rum raisin, mixed berry and chocolate chip were some of the flavours I made before. This coffee ice cream in all its adulating and urbanity is simply scrumptious even for the light coffee connoisseur. I added bits of chocolate cake, as surprisingly I had a slice... or two to spare, you don't have to though, it just heightens and gourmets its luscious texture and robust taste.  

Coffee Ice Cream

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1 pint (473ml) whipping cream or heavy cream

1 can (14oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoon instant coffee crystals

 

chocolate cake chunks, optional  

Using a mortar and pestle, place the instant coffee crystals in the mortar and using the pestle grind the coffee crystals to a fine powder. Set aside. 

Cut chocolate cake slices into bite sized pieces, if using, set aside.  

Place the whipping cream into a large mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the condensed milk, vanilla extract and ground coffee crystals. Blend until thick.   

Using a spatula fold in the chocolate cake pieces if using, until blended.

Then pour the ice cream mixture into a clean freezer proof plastic container, I didn't have one quite large enough so I ended up pouring it into two containers. Lightly sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and extra crushed coffee crystals, if you wish.

Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight. 

Notes: I use a large metal mixing bowl that I place in the freezer with the beaters, for an hour or two before wanting to make the ice cream, to help speed the whipping process along and keep things chilled.