Gluten-Free Sourdough Pizza

Ingredients

• 270g non-chlorinated water

• 5g ground psyllium husk 

• 1 tbsp ground flax seed

• 1 tbsp ground chia seed

• 6g salt

• 100g active gluten free sourdough starter

• 228g Gluten Free Bread Flour Mix (I have also subbed for gluten free all purpose flour with success, just minor differences in texture)

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk quickly until a thick gel forms.

2. Add salt and again mix until thoroughly combined.

3. Add starter, and mix thoroughly.

4. Next add the flour and stir until flour is well incorporated. Then add oil, stirring until combined.

5. Cover and let ferment for approximately 4 hours at room temp (if your home is cold it may take up to 6 hours).

6. After it is done fermenting it will be slightly puffed up but not double in size. Preheat oven to 500*f with a pizza stone, cast iron skillet, or baking pan in it.

7. Gather two pieces of parchment paper big enough for your pizzas and divide the dough in two.

8. Put one piece of dough on each of the parchment papers and with wet hands shape the dough into the pizza shape you desire, leaving a ridge for a crust.

9. Once the pizza is shaped, use a fork to gently poke holes all over the flat (center) part of the crust.

10. When the oven is preheated, carefully lift the parchment with crust on it, onto the pizza stone (I use a dinner plate to help with the transfer).

11. Next, close the oven door most of the way and carefully use a spray bottle to spray water on the side of the oven wall to facilitate steam (this is what makes the crust rise) then quickly close the door the rest of the way.

12. Turn the oven to High Broil for approximately 1 minute. Then turn it back to 500° F to finish baking.

13. Bake for about 5-7 minutes or until finished rising but not all the way browned yet. Take out of the oven and top as desired.

14. Put back in the oven to finish baking at 500° F for another 7-10 minutes or until the crust is browning and the cheese or toppings are bubbly.

15. Repeat with other pizza!

Roasted Corn Miso

**Makes 1 Quart

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Roasted corn (we cut corn off the cob and roast on a sheet pan) 

• 1/2 cup Raw corn 

• 1 cup Koji 

• 3 TBS Non-Iodized Salt 

• Water to cover the mixture 

Instructions

1. Once the corn and koji mixture is covered with water, put the lid on and then shake the jar well. Move to a cool/dark place to ferment. 

2. Ferment for 5-10 days. 

3. When the corn miso is active, foggy in color, and shows signs of bubbling, then move the mixture to the blender. Mix till a loose paste consistency. 

4. Optional step: add jalapenos, garlic, thyme, red chilis, or other ingredients to the mixture. Blend a second time. Ferment for another 2-10 days.

Aged Miso Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw, unsalted cashews

• 1 cup filtered water

• 1 tablespoon dark miso

• 3 teaspoons unrefined sea salt, divided

• ½ cup coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a bowl, soak the cashews in water for 8-12 hours. Then drain. 

2. Pour the cashews into a blender with the miso, and blend until they are combined. Cover and let sit for twenty-four hours. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt as well as the oil, and blend until smooth. You may need to push the ingredients down with a spatula a few times to ensure a creamy, smooth consistency.

3. Pour the cheese mixture into a cheesecloth-lined bowl that is the shape you’d like the finished cheese to be. Refrigerate for four to six hours, or until it is firm. Remove the cheese from the bowl, and peel away the cheesecloth.

4. Gently rub the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt over the full surface of the cheese, including the bottom. Carefully place it on a wire rack in a cool, dark, and undisturbed place, and allow the cheese to air-dry for seven to twenty-eight days, or longer if desired. After you have aged the cheese, refrigerate and serve, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Apple Cider Vinegar / Fruit Scrap Vinegars

Ingredients

• 1 pound of fruit or fruit scraps 

• ⅓ cup of sugar 

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar

• Cover with water 

Instructions

1. Place everything in a glass jar and cover with tight-knit cheesecloth, muslin, an old t-shirt, or a hand towel and secure with a rubber band

2. Mix once a day with a spoon or chopstick for one week to help the acetic acid to produce. Acetobactor-like air.

3. Leave for 4 weeks to 3 months for the initial ferment.

Almond Gruyere Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw, unsalted cashews

• 1 cup filtered water

• 1 tablespoon dark miso

• 3 teaspoons unrefined sea salt, divided

• ½ cup coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a glass or ceramic bowl (with a lid), combine the cashews, water, and miso, and stir until they are combined. Cover and let sit for 24 hours.

2. Pour the cultured cashews into a blender. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the ½ cup of coconut oil, and blend until smooth. You may need to push the ingredients down with a spatula a few times to ensure a creamy, smooth consistency.

3. Pour the cheese mixture into a cheesecloth-lined bowl; a bowl that is the shape you’d like the finished cheese to be. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, or until it is firm. Remove the cheese from the bowl, and peel away the cheesecloth.

4. Gently rub the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt over the full surface of the cheese, including the bottom. Carefully place it on a wire rack in a cool, dark, and undisturbed place, and allow the cheese to air-dry for 7 to 28 days, or longer if desired.

5. After you have aged the cheese, refrigerate and serve, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Milk Kefir (Dairy and Non-dairy)

Milk Kefir (Dairy)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon kefir grains

• 8–16 ounces of milk (Goat or Cow: Organic, Non-Homogenized, and Raw are best.)

Instructions

1. Add 1 tablespoon of kefir grains to 8–16 ounces of raw milk in a jar with a lid. 

2. Let it sit on the counter at room temperature for 24–72 hours depending on how sour you like it. You can taste it to check.

3. Shake a couple of times a day to keep fresh nutrients available to the grains.

4. Strain the milk so you can keep the kefir grains to make a new batch.

5. Put the strained kefir in a jar with a tight lid and keep it out of the fridge for a few hours. This will increase fizziness.

**NOTES: The grains multiply. You can share them with friends or keep growing more. They work better if you keep them outside of the fridge. If you need to take time off from kefir, you can place them in some fresh milk and then put them in the fridge indefinitely. Once you are ready to use them again, rinse them off and begin the process from the beginning.

Milk Kefir (Non-dairy)

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon kefir grains

• 8–16 ounces of full-fat canned coconut milk or you can get young Thai coconuts and use the water and scrape the pulp and blend to make your own coconut milk.

Instructions

Use the same recipe for the original milk kefir; just replace the dairy with coconut milk. 

**NOTE: Make sure to put the grains in dairy milk every 2–3 batches to keep them happy and healthy.

Fermented Mustard

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup yellow mustard seeds

• 1/3 cup yellow or brown mustard seeds (or split and do both) 

• 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup water (or even more for a thinner consistency)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 clove of garlic 

• 1 tsp tummeric (optional) 

• 2 tbs white vinegar or apple cider vinegar 

Instructions

1. Take your seeds, add salt, and then cover with water and let ferment for 7 days till bubbly.

2. Add turmeric (optional), garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and blend until pretty smooth.

3. Add water slowly, until mustard reaches your desired consistency.

4. Remove from the food processor and stir in vinegar. 

5. Place in a jar, then place in the refrigerator.

Fermented Salsa

**Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 large tomatoes, diced

• 1 medium green pepper, diced

• 1–2 jalapeños, diced

• Clove of garlic, minced

• Handful of fresh cilantro

• Lemon and lime juice to taste

• 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients.

2. Place the salsa in a fermentation container, pressing down to release some liquid. Add a weight so that the vegetables are submerged under the liquid. Add a bit of extra water if needed.

3. Ferment for 3+ days at room temperature.

4. Remove the weight and move to the fridge and enjoy!

Fermented Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Kefir

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons parsley

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion powder

Instructions

1. Place all the ingredients in a jar and mix well.

2. Cover the jar and leave to ferment at room temperature for 1 day.

3. Transfer to the refrigerator.

PREPARATION TIP

This dressing can easily be turned into a dip by separating the kefir from its whey, resulting in a thicker, creamier ranch dip. Do this by pouring the dressing into a wire mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a few coffee filters and set over a bowl. Once the whey has dripped out, transfer the dip to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready for use. If you wish to reserve the whey for other uses, complete this step before adding the spices so that the whey is not flavored.

Kimchi

Ingredients

• Sea salt

• 1 pound Chinese cabbage (napa or bok choy)

• 1 daikon radish or a handful of red radishes

• 2 whole carrots

• 1 whole onions

• 1 leek

• Scallions

• 10 cloves of garlic (minced) 

• Dried red chili flakes

• 3 tablespoons fresh grated gingerroot

• 4 tablespoons brown rice flour (or alternative)

• Water

• This yields 1 quart of kimchi.

Instructions

1. Mix a brine of 4 cups water and 4 tablespoons of salt. The brine should taste good and salty.

2. Coarsely chop the cabbage, slice the radish and carrots (and/or any additional vegetables), and add the veggies to the brine. Let the vegetables soak in the brine, covered by a plate or other weight to keep the vegetables submerged until soft, for at least a few hours, but overnight is even better.

3. Prepare the spices: In a pot heat ½ a cup of water with 4 tablespoons (more if needed) of brown rice flour. Heat on medium constantly stirring till you get a medium-thick paste. Cool the paste and then add the red chili flakes, grated ginger, minced garlic, and onion. Mix well. You can add fish sauce to the spice paste (just make sure it has no chemical preservatives that function to inhibit microorganisms), shrimp flakes, or other spices as well.

4. Drain the brine of vegetables after soaking. Reserve the brine. Taste the vegetables for saltiness. If they are too salty, rinse them. If you cannot taste the salt, sprinkle a couple of teaspoons and mix.

5. Mix the vegetables with the cooled spice paste. Mix everything well and then pack it into a clean quart-sized jar. Pack it, pressing down until the brine rises over the vegetables. If necessary, add a little of the reserved vegetable soaking brine to the submerged vegetables. Put a weight in the jar to keep the veggies submerged under the brine or, if you remember, you can just push them down with your fingers daily. Cover with a lid and put in a cool dark place to ferment. Ferment for at least one week and enjoy!

Beet Kvass

**Recipe makes half-gallon 

Ingredients

• 2-4 red or golden beets (pending on size) 

• 1 tbs sea salt 

• Water 

• Starter: such as sauerkraut brine, kimchi brine, etc (optional) 

Instructions

1. Clean your beets well to remove dirt and debris. Remove the ends of the beets, but keep the skins on.

2. Slice the beets into ½ inch pieces and place them in your jar or vessel.

3. Using a second container mix the water and salt until it is dissolved.

4. Pour over the beets until they are well covered with the brine.

5. Optional: Add herbs, ginger root, or lemon for a more diverse flavor. Cover with a lid and leave to ferment for 2-4 days.

Idli Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils (Urad daal) 

• 1 cup white basmati rice 

• 1 tsp sea salt

• water (as needed)

• idli steamer ** you can find this at any Indian market or online for cheap

Instructions

1. Put the lentils and rice in a bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak for 24-48 hours on a counter.  You can soak them separately or together.  Drain your grains and lentils and blend adding water as necessary. It should be a thick pancake consistency.

2. Pour into a bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to ferment for 24-48 hours. Fermentation time will depend on the ambient temperature and other factors. Signs of fermentation will be that it will fluff up and rise, you might see a pool of liquid on top of the batter, the smell will be yeasty, etc. 

3. With ghee or oil, grease the idli steamer, and fill each section with batter. Take a stock pot with 1-2 inches of water and bring it to a boil and then lower the filled idli steamer into the pot of water and cover with a lid. 

4. Steam until a knife inserted into them comes out clean, around 15 minutes. They will fluff up and change color.

Vegan Miso Gravy

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons amaranth flour

• 
2½ cups water


• 1–2 tablespoons miso paste and/or 1 bullion cube 

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil)

**NOTE: I recommend using a red, brown, or hatcho miso to get the desired flavor.

Instructions

1. Dissolve miso and bullion in a little water in a saucepan.

2. Add the remainder of the water and keep on low heat.

3. In a separate frying pan heat oil over medium heat and stir in amaranth flour.

4. Cook while stirring constantly with a flat spoon or whisk for about 5 minutes. Watch as the flour starts to golden brown.

5. Add the broth and stir until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.

Herbal Medicine Meets Fermentation by Meghan Hintz

We're super excited to have guest blogger Meghan Hintz writing this fantastic blog on herbal medicine, fermentation, and sharing her recipe for Nettles Kraut! Meghan is a Fermentationist, Functional Nutrition Health Coach, and creator of Herba Flora, ( http://herbaflorahealth.com/) a line of herbal digestives free from alcohol, sugar, and other common allergens. She lives in the Pacific Northwest where she is currently fawning over the glorious awakening of spring.

HERBAL MEDICINE MEETS FERMENTATION

While fermented foods are celebrated – and rightly so – for their digestive and

immune support, they are also notable for the increased bio-availability of their

nutrients. As friendly microorganisms break down cellulose, vitamins and minerals

are liberated making them especially easy for our bodies to absorb. Beyond the

nutrient value, fermentation releases a more mysterious and nuanced quality of

plants – their medicinal actions.

Just as the fermentation process frees nutrients, it is able to extract the therapeutic

properties of herbs. This can be a fabulous alternative to alcohol-based tinctures, as

alcohol can increase intestinal permeability and may not be suitable for children,

pregnant women, and those experiencing alcohol sensitivity or addiction.

When choosing herbs for your ferment consider flavor and herbal actions. Food

herbs like fennel, ginger, and turmeric are naturals and help ease gas, settle an upset

stomach and decrease inflammation, respectively. Rose is calming to the nerves and

pleasantly floral, but also astringent so start with small amounts. Remember that

your ferment will take time so herbs that become harsh after a long steep (think

lavender) may not be the best fit. Likewise, steer clear of herbs with strong

antimicrobial actions that could kill off friendly bacteria and halt fermentation.

Favorite spring tonic herbs, all suitable for sauerkraut and miso, include burdock

root for the liver and skin, dandelion root and leaf (the leaves can be quite bitter, the

root more mild) for the liver and kidneys, and my favorite: nettles.

Stinging Nettles, Urtica dioica, are exceptionally high in minerals, anti-inflammatory,

and supportive of the adrenal glands. With their bright color, grassy flavor, and

nutritional boost they are the epitome of spring. They grow wild in parts of North

America and can be found at farmers markets this time of year, but you can also use

dried nettles. They lose their sting when cooked, dried, or fermented, but be sure to

wear gloves while handling them fresh!

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. It’s the perfect time to look beyond the well-loved

traditional benefits of fermentation and experiment with the new flavors and beneficial actions

spring herbs have to offer.

Nettle Sauerkraut (1 quart)

1.25 lbs Green cabbage, evenly sliced (reserve the core and one outer leaf)

½ cup packed fresh nettle leaves, chopped (don’t forget the gloves!)

OR

2 Tbsp dried nettles moistened with 1 Tbsp heated water

2-3 scallions, sliced into rings

2 ½ tsp coarse grey Celtic sea salt

Use your favorite fermentation technique to make your Nettle Sauerkraut. I use

Sandor Katz’s technique.

Now that you’re wildly curious about nettles, here’s a lovely write-up for more info:

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Energy_Stamina.htm

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Please consult

a medical professional before beginning any healthcare regimen.

Jalapeno's with Lemon

Sometimes I think the simplest ferments are the best ferments! I've been working on goodies for our Fermentation CSA pickup this coming week and this recipe made it in this time around! There was no shortage of amazing looking organic jalapenos at the Food Coop last week and with the weather warming up I am thinking what better than fermented jalapeno and lemon brine for cocktails?! Eat it straight or mix it with some gin or vodka for a fantastic cocktail! Here's my recipe...

Cheryl's Jalapeno's with Lemon

1 quart jar

1 lemon

6-7 jalapenos (pending on size)

Take the jalapeno's and slice them up at about 1/8" to 1/4" in size. Peel the skin/rhine of a lemon and put that with the jalapeno's in a jar. Make a salt water brine of 2 tbs of salt to 1 quart of water. Pour over the jalapeno's. Add a lid or airlock and let ferment from 7 days to 3 weeks.

Too simple? Consider adding turmeric root, garlic cloves, black peppercorns, or red chilis. Additionally this is a great way to make fermented hot sauce! Check back for that recipe soon!