Blackberry-Chipotle Cornbread

Old fashioned, locally ground yellow cornmeal, pastured dairy, seasonal berries, raw honey and smoky chipotle are combined in this variation of traditional skillet cornbread..

Blackberry-Chipotle Cornbread

1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
1 1/4 cups unbleached, organic all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 aluminum-free teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 large pastured egg
1 3/4 cups fresh buttermilk
3 tablespoons cultured butter

1/2 pint fresh blackberries
1/2 cup filtered water
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons raw honey, more or less to taste
1-2 chiles chipotle morita

Remove the stem, seeds and ribs from one or two small chiles chipotle morita and grind into a fine powder.  Place the blackberries in a non-reactive pan with the lemon juice, water and chile powder and simmer over medium-low until reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to about 100 degrees then stir in honey to taste.  Allow to cool completely.

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and buttermilk.  Slowly stir the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until just combined.  Don’t over-mix.

Allow the batter to stand while you melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet in a 400 degree oven.

Swirl the cooled blackberry-chipotle sauce into the cornbread batter, leaving it streaky.  Remove the skillet from the over and swirl to coat the sides with the hot butter.  Pour the batter into the skillet and bake uncovered until just set in the middle, about 25 minutes.

Brush the top of the cornbread with a little more blackberry-chipotle sauce if you think it needs it, then allow  to stand 5 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Cream Scones with Honey-Lemon Curd

Drop scones made from sprouted wheat, fresh cream, cultured butter & pastured eggs, blueberries, wildflower honey and freshly-squeezed lemon juice..

Blueberry Cream Scones with Honey-Lemon Curd

For the Scones (adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman)

1 cup organic sprouted wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 cup unbleached organic all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons local, raw honey
5 tablespoons pastured butter, cold
3 pastured eggs
3/4 cup fresh heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over (substitute frozen blueberries in the off season)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Cut the chilled butter into the flour, ensuring that it is thoroughly combined. Beat 2 eggs with the cream, then stir into the flour.  Fold in blueberries.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead until barely sticky.

Drop heaping tablespoons of mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with with a scant amount of water and brush the top of the dough.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until it passes the toothpick test, about 12 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving with honey-lemon curd.

For the Honey-Lemon Curd (recipe by Dede Sampson)

5 large pastured egg yolks
1 large pastured egg
2/3 cup freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons wildflower honey
4 tablespoons pastured butter, cut into 8 pieces

Crème fraîche for serving

In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the whole egg, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest and the honey. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Set the bowl with the lemon mixture over the boiling water, reduce the heat to moderate and cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pass the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 3 hours.

This post is part of A Moderate Life’s Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop !

Chicken Char Siu

Char siu translates literally as “fork burn/roast”, an ancient method of fire-roasting wild boar.  While most modern Chinese BBQ uses domestic pork (and lots of red food coloring), the flavors are  also well suited to chicken.  Here I have marinated chicken pieces in a mixture of fermented soy, sherry, hoisin, 5-spice, local raw honey, chili and red bean paste (with organic beet powder for color), then slow-roasted (3 hours at 15 degrees) them until fork-tender.  The sticky, hot, sweet and sour flavors play well with sesame-roasted asparagus on the side..

Chicken Char Siu

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Sprouted flour, pastured butter, honey, fresh lemon and poppyseeds are the only ingredients you’ll need for this wholesome treat..

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Lemon Poppyseed Cookies

Makes about 18 cookies (adapted from a recipe by Michael Ruhlman)

3 oz raw honey
6 oz pastured butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
9 oz sprouted flour, finely milled
zest of 2 small lemons
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Using an electric mixer, whip together honey and softened butter until light and fluff.  Stir in the zest of 2 lemons (a micro-plane works best for producing tiny zest), poppyseeds and vanilla (if using).  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour a little at a time until just combined.  Turn out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter.  Twist the ends and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.  Using a thin-bladed knife, cut the dough into 3/8 inch-thick rounds and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.  Best eaten within 2 days, not that that should pose a problem for anybody 🙂

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Elderberry Syrup

“European elder is a plant native to Europe, Northern Africa, and Western-and Central Asia. Its flowers and berries have a long history of use in traditional European medicine. Elder berries have also been used for making preserves, wines, winter cordials, and for adding flavor and color to other wines. Native Americans used the flowers, berries, and bark of elderberry trees to treat fevers and joint pain for hundreds of years, but elderberry’s real claim to fame is as a cure for the flu. Israeli researchers have developed five formulas based on elderberry fruit that have been clinically proven to prevent and ameliorate all kinds of influenza.”  –Mountain Rose Herbs

“This syrup is especially helpful for those with colds or flu. The elderberry will assist with the healing while the added cinnamon, ginger and cloves will help the syrup to be warming and the honey adds an antibiotic and quality while also making the syrup soothing for sore throats and coughs. Take 1 tablespoon per hour during illness.  Elderberry syrup is also a wonderful preventative so you can take a few tablespoons of this syrup each day during cold and flu season to help avoid getting sick. Better yet, pour it over your pancakes and benefit from it’s health promoting properties while enjoying this special breakfast treat!”  –HerbMentor

1/4 pound dried organic elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
5 cloves
1  cinnamon stick
1 heaping tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 cups filtered water
1 cup raw honey

Combine all ingredients except honey in a small pot.  Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer until the liquid has reduced in volume by half, about 25 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then stir in honey.  Transfer to a sterile jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Take up to 1 tablespoon per hour during illness or up to 3 tablespoons per day during cold and flu season to help avoid getting sick.

This post is part of The Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays

For educational purposes only.  This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.