Buckwheat!

No, not Billie Thomas of Our Gang/Little Rascals. I mean buckwheat groats. I made kasha last year and my husband enjoyed its roasted nutty taste. High in protein and niacin, buckwheat has magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and copper. Here are some Buckwheat recipes:

RECIPE
Kasha Or Buckwheat Groats
Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 2 cups quail broth, or fresh or canned chicken broth
* 1 cup kasha or buckwheat groats, preferably medium grain
* 1 egg, well beaten
* Salt to taste if desired

Preparation

1.Heat butter in a saucepan and add onion. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add broth. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer.
2.Put kasha in a nonstick skillet and add egg. Stir to blend and cook over gentle heat, stirring all over the bottom, until grains of kasha are coated with egg but grains remain separate. Cook until grains are slightly toasted and lightly browned.
3. Pour the simmering broth over kasha. Add salt and cover tightly. Cook about 15 minutes over very low heat or until all the liquid has been absorbed and grains are tender. If necessary, continue cooking 5 minutes longer or until grains are tender.

YIELD
6 servings


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Chocolate Chip Cookies with Buckwheat Groats
Makes 20

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buckwheat groats (kasha)
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into chip-sized chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a mixer or bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and two extracts until well-combined.

3. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and buckwheat, and add to the butter mixture, beating to incorporate. When combined, add the chocolate and stir to combine.

4. Drop 2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, 3 inches apart. Bake for 6 minutes, then reverse the sheet pan in the oven and bake for an additional 6 minutes. The cookies should be still slightly pale in the center and golden brown on the edges.

5. Cool the cookie sheet on a rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack directly with a spatula.
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2 ts Safflower oil;

2 Shailots; chopped

1 cl Garlic; minced

1 Celery stalk; sliced

1/2 c Sliced mushrooms;

1 Egg white;

Pinch salt & pepper; 1 c Buckwheat groats;(kasha)

2 c Chicken broth;

1 tb Pine nuts/sunflower seeds;

In a non-stick saucepan, heat oil and add vegetables. Cook, stirring, over medium heat about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, beat egg white with salt and pepper. Stir into saucepan. Stir in groats, then add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes until tender. When liquid is absorbed, add pine nuts and fluff with a fork. Garnish with parsley
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Buckwheat Groats with Noodles

Ingredients

* 1 cup buckwheat groats
* 1 egg
* 1 cup uncooked bow tie pasta or uncooked gluten-free egg noodles (or other short, flat noodle)
* 2 cups chicken stock, brought to a boil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 quart water
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons corn oil or chicken fat
* 1 1/2 large onions, chopped coarsely

Directions

1. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Add kasha and stir until every grain is well coated with egg. Place in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the egg begins to dry and the groats separate. Some of the groats may stick together and/or brown slightly.
2. Pour boiling chicken stock over the kasha. Mix in salt and pepper and stir thoroughly. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the kasha has absorbed all liquid. Remove from heat.
3. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook the pasta until done. Drain and set aside.
4. In a skillet, heat the oil (or schmaltz) on a medium flame. Saute the chopped onions until thoroughly browned. Add the onions and noodles to the pot of kasha, and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Thoughts on checking The Ultimatest Grocery List

Get your copy at GroceryLists.org

I am experiencing technical difficulties typing this. One of the animals sprayed on the bed, a definite no-no, and because we don't know which one did it, we've limited bedroom access to creatures who can twist a doorknob. In retribution, the cat most vocal in protest has sat on my list.

The grocery list isn't exhaustive. Every subcategory in Foodstuffs and Household has two blank lines for specialty, unusual or local items. I did not see a category for dried beans, peas, legumes and bulk grains. Cereal is in "various groceries." How we shop for foods is more complicated, now that our eyes have been opened to food politics.

The devisers of this Ultimatest Grocery List have a hilarious Household subcategory of Carcinogens: pick up arsenic, asbestos, cigarettes, radionuclides, and vinyl chloride. Radionuclides I wasn't aware of until now. Judging from my family's history, I don't have to work hard to get cancer, don't understand why I should pay for it.

Meat we usually order once a month from a rancher in Walla Walla.
Fish we get either from a longtime company in the Univ District or from the Farmers' Market. Although we have been buying from Trader Joe's.
Dairy and eggs we get at Trader Joe's or nearby supermarket in a hurry.

When we feel we have a big list (20 items or more) we'll go to a regional chain store that offers bulk cereal, grains, and features food offerings from local producers.

But seriously, the more reading one does, the more one comes to understand a lot of processed food just isn't good or healthy.
Costco is where we go for toilet paper, olive oil, detergent, cat litter, toothpaste, tooth brushes, bleach, fruit juice, coffee, soup base, broth, soups, chicken breasts, pens.

Vegetables and fruits we get from a Community Supported Agriculture subscription or from farmers' markets or farms in special cases, like our annual county Harvest Celebration tour.

Now that we've learned to read labels, there's so much we no longer buy from the supermarket. We used to spend about $5000 at the corner supermarket, but management idiocy, irritated check-out personnel ("I know the other store's club card works but I'm not allowed to scan it and neither are you.") and displays that restrict foot and mobility wheel traffic keep us burning fossil fuels elsewhere. Another reason to consider moving, I guess.

Mama bakes bread

Yes, this reads as a consumer testimonial, but I used King Arthur All-Purpose Unbleached Flour and its dry milk powder for extra rise action. The loaf rose very well indeed, maybe a little beyond what the recipe called for.

I have to say that the dough becomes less pliable with repeated rollings. I was trying to get it into a flat circle for loaf formation and it was most accommodating on the first try, although it was more rectangular.

I should dedicate one day to making multiple loaves. I compensated for my husband caving into our child's demands and buying factory-baked bread not on special: my rule for this year is no bread over $3.00/loaf.
Check out KAF recipes.

Soon to come: Mama makes apple pie for (Cdn) Thanksgiving.