National Indigenous Peoples Day ~ Summer Solstice ~ Cornmeal Bread

 

National Indigenous Peoples Day ~ Summer Solstice, June 21st recognizes and celebrates the history and heritage of First Nations, Inuit and Métis throughout Canada. Many Indigenous communities and groups celebrate their culture and heritage on or around June 21st because of the significance of the Summer Solstice, being the longest day of the year. 

This cornmeal bread is a significant way to honour and reflect upon the strength, resilience and diversity of Indigenous People. This recipe is from the cookbook, First Nations Recipes by Gregory Lepine, and corn was a staple for the Huron Wendat of Ontario, which they ground into a coarse flour to make an unleavened bread. 

Delicious as this bread is, this time, I did add some frozen Saskatoon berries and blueberries for a touch summery sweetness. 

Cornmeal Bread - First Nations Recipes by Gregory Lepine

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1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all purpose flour

1 cup (250 ml) Yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup (125 ml) Granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons (10 ml) Baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt 

1 Large egg

1 cup (250 ml) Buttermilk or soured milk (see notes)

1/4 cup (60 ml) Butter or margarine, melted

Measure first 6 ingredients into a large bowl. Stir. Make a well in centre.

Combine remaining 3 ingredients in small bowl. Add to well. Stir until just moistened. Spread in a greased 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan. Bake in 350ºF (175ºC) oven for about 30 minutes until wooden pick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let pan stand for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool. Cuts into 12 pieces.

Notes: to make soured milk, measure 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar or lemon juice into a 1 cup (250 ml) liquid measure. Add enough milk to make 1 cup (250 ml). Stir. Let stand for 1 minute. 

 

Litha ~ Midsummer ~ Summer Solstice and Lemon and Rose Water Shortbread

 

Litha ~ Midsummer ~ Summer Solstice, June 20th to June 25th, in the Northern Hemisphere, celebrates the beginning of summer and marks the longest day and the shortest night and although its seen as a time for balance between light and dark, the sun reaches its peak, the power of the sun begins to wane and the days begin to grow shorter and the nights grow longer, it is a return to dark.

As we celebrate the Goddess, Mother Earth and the Sun King, God, think abundance, fertility, renewal and life, as the sun, flowers, plants and the earth are all in full bloom. Bonfires, feasting, singing, dancing and festivals are activities during this time as well as getting outdoors to connect with nature, to celebrate and honour the abundance and growth of the natural world. It's a time for new beginnings, as always with the change of seasons, saying goodbye to self reflection and moving forward and open with the sun's energy.  

Other celebrations around this time are: Golowan (Cornish) Gwyl Ifan Ganol Haf (Wales), Kupala Night/Ivan Kupala (Ukraine), National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada), Saint John's Feast Day/ Saint John's Eve (Christian - Canada, France, Portugal, Spain), St. John's Night, Sobotka or Noc Kupaly (Poland), Adonia (Greece), St. Hans Day (Norway and Denmark), Jānvi (Latvia), Uttarayana (India), World Humanist Day (June 21st), World Environment Day (June 5th), World Refugee Day (June 20th), Juneteenth (US, June 19th) and LGBTQ+Pride Month (June). 

Although mildly fragrant these lemon and rose water shortbread are bright and lemony, like reflecting the aura of summer sun.   

Happy Litha... Midsummer and Summer Solstice to all!  

Lemon and Rose Water Shortbread

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1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature soft

1 teaspoon (5 g) Kosher salt

2/3 cup (134 g) granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons Rose water

2 cups (256 g) unbleached all purpose flour

the zest of 1 large lemon

1 - 2 tablespoons fine white sugar for sprinkling

edible rose petals for decorating

Heat oven to 325ºF (170ºC). Line the bottom and a bit of the sides of a 9 - inch square baking tin with baking parchment. 

In a large bowl stir the room temperature butter with a wooden spoon until soft and creamy, the texture should resemble mayonnaise. Add the salt and stir to combine. Add the sugar and Rose water and stir again until combined, then add the flour and lemon zest and stir until just combined, the dough will be coarse and a bit lumpy, so not to worry. 

Press the dough into the prepared baking tin, smooth the top using the bottom of a drinking glass and gently prick the top with the tines of a fork. Using a sharp knife carefully pre-mark or score slices, not cutting all the way through, this makes it easier to cut when warm.  

Bake until golden brown 30 to 40 minutes for a 9 - inch pan. Checking around 30 minutes.  

Carefully cut into bars or squares, using the pre- cut marks as a guide. Sprinkle with 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and place slices on a wire rack to cool. Once cool sprinkle with the edible rose petals. 

Notes: if using an 8 - inch square baking pan bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven.    

Leftovers # 66 ~ Coconut and Cashew Basmati Rice

 

Having leftover Basmati rice almost never occurs whether that's because I have my portions correct so it all gets ate or what, however there are times when I am a bit off with my portions causing me to have leftovers. This is a quick way to reimagine that leftover rice. It's mildly fragrant, scrumptious and enhances the leftover rice, only taking a few minutes and a few ingredients. 

First, chop and dice about half a yellow onion. Then warm a bit of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat, I used avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the fry pan and give a stir, allow the onions to sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes then add 1 to 2 teaspoons cumin seeds. Give a stir to infuse the onion and cumin seeds together and keep stirring as you don't want the seeds to burn. Once the cumin seeds become fragrant and toasty add some dried shredded coconut to the pan, how much and how sweet will be up to your preference. Keep stirring until the coconut becomes slightly toasted. Add the leftover basmati rice, I had about 4 cups, and gently break up the clumps while sautéing, making sure the rice get incorporated with the oil, onions, seeds and coconut. Take a handful of cashews and roughly break them into bits and add them to the rice mixture and stir together, allowing the cashews to get toasted. Now at this point you could add some coconut milk or chicken broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed, however I had neither so I kept it simple which worked really well as I wanted a more lightly fragranced drier rice then a moist sticky one to go with the spicy Tikka Masala I was serving.

Nigella Lawson's Cumin Seed Cake

 

I've been wanting to make this cake for a while and I'm so glad I final did. I get many recipes filtered through my email and while researching ingredients, recipes do pop up. If you can't find orange blossom water then I suggest using the juice from the orange, it may not be as fragrant however still delicious all the same. This is one scrumptious cake, you must bake and have anytime of the year however the perfect time for me was right now.

Although I have shared the recipe here, this recipe and other Nigella Lawson recipes can be found by visiting her website: nigella.com

Nigella Lawson's Cumin Seed Cake - At My Table 

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Serves: 12 slices   

INGREDIENTS:  

4 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 1/3 cups (300 grams) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 sticks (250 grams) unsalted butter (soft)

1 cup (200 grams) superfine sugar (plus 1 teaspoon)

1 orange (finely grated zest)

2 teaspoons orange blossom water

3 large eggs (at room temperature)

3 tablespoons (15 ml) whole milk   

METHOD:

You will need 1 x 2lb (900g) loaf tin, approx. 25 x 12 x 7cm / 10 x 5 x 3 inches.

1. Toast the cumin seeds in a dry, hot pan, until their earthy aroma wafts up: keep watch over your pan, as you don’t want the seeds to burn. Transfer to a plate to cool. Mix the flour and baking powder together, then set that aside, too.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/325°F and pop a paper liner into your loaf tin, or line the base and sides with baking parchment.
3. Beat together the butter, the 200g of sugar and the orange zest until light and fluffy. Beat in the orange blossom water and then, at a slightly lower speed, about a third of the flour mixture. Once it is incorporated, beat in one of the eggs until it too is incorporated and continue in this vein until both flour and eggs are finished.
4. Give a good scrape down to mix in any flour clinging to the sides of the bowl then, still gently, beat in the milk and the cooled toasted cumin seeds. Finally, give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon, making sure there are no speckles of flour remaining, and gently dollop the stiff batter into the lined tin.
5. Smooth the top, sprinkle the teaspoon of superfine sugar over and bake in the oven for 50–60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake has a beautiful, golden-crackled top. Place on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely before removing from its tin.