Almost Vicki’s Ancient Grain Salad

 

Photography by Kim Mennan, Styling by Ali Nardi

 

The worst part of jetlag is the boredom. Being awake at all those odd hours with no one to pester but the cat. No matter which country I am in, this time difference business really gives me the sh*ts. Maybe we should revert to a nocturnal lifestyle in Australia? Of course I am thrilled to be back in NYC for a visit, but these first few days are always a little trying.

Lucky for me, a laundry list of must-do’s has piled up, including putting out this blog post with a recipe someone has been eager to get (you know who you are), so I don’t really have an excuse not to be productive during these odd hours.

About a month ago, when Anders and I had both hit sheer exhaustion after working without a break for we-lost-count amount of days and the cold weather just kept hanging on, we both took a day off and headed to a new friend’s country property for a mini-get away. Vicki Jackson and her partner Simon have a gorgeous little plot in a quirky town with just a post office, a pub, and some endearing little leftovers, like an old out-of-use gas pump in someone’s front yard where the gas-station used to be.

Vicki and Simon were fantastic hosts, and Vicki is a vegetarian chef and author of the Squirrels Vegetarian Cookbooks. She has cultivated an impressive veggie garden, and cooks from a wood-fired stove, which really brings it up a level. When she says she uses whole foods, she means it.

As you may have guessed, Vicki prepared an outstanding veggie meal for us and one dish was a real stand out: her Ancient Grain salad. I don’t know exactly what Vicki puts in hers, but after interrogating her at the table, I attempted to re-create it, or rather make something similar and as tasty, and I am pretty happy with the results. I added a few extras: seeds and buckwheat– but the rest is really all Vicki. This is a lose recipe and the tartness can be adjusted to taste. I like it fairly zingy. You could add almond slivers or an extra grain or take out the barley and add more lentils to make it gluten free. If basil is in season throw it in. It’s a good one to play with.

Vicki’s walnut maple pie was also insanely good, but it’s probably best I don’t know how to make that one…

Almost Vicki’s Ancient Grain Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup dry green or brown lentils, soaked, cooked and cooled
• 1/3 cup dry buckwheat, soaked, cooked and cooled
• 1/3 cup dry barley, soaked, cooked and cooled (omit and add extra lentils and buckwheat for gluten free)
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup sun flower seeds
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 red onion or small shallot, finely chopped
• a few generous handfuls of fresh parsley and cilantro/coriander, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat’s cheese (omit for dairy free)

For the dressing:

• 1-2 tblsp pomegranate molasses or tamarind paste
• zest and juice of one lemon (add in lemon juice gradually to adjust to taste)
• generous tsp honey
• a few tblsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Toast cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over low heat until dry and fragrant. Cool and grind in a mortar and pestle.
2. Combine spices with the following 8 ingredients and gently fold in cheese
3. For the dressing, whisk ingredients until well combined (taste as you go) and add to the salad. Enjoy as a side or a vegetarian main

Buckwheat and Spelt Pancakes

My relationship with pancakes is up close and personal, like all or nothing, like once I start I can’t stop (refer to the photo for in your face effect). So in the same way say, an addict will keep an addiction, like smoking cigarettes after quitting crack, I have quit white flour pancakes in lieu of healthier and in the end, much tastier buckwheat and spelt flour pancakes with coconut milk and coconut oil instead of dairy.  My grandmother used make me buckwheat pancakes when I was a child, and perhaps it’s the nostalgia factor, but I actually prefer them to your standard white flour pancakes. The buckwheat based pancakes I have had in the past, however, have tended to be a bit on the floppy side, so I was aiming for fluff factor when I developed this recipe. And they deliver. They are fantastically fluffy, dynamic in flavor, and have a lot more nutrition than your typical syrupy stack.

Buckwheat and Spelt Pancakes

Makes about 8 largish pancakes

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup white spelt flour
• a generous pinch of salt
• 1 tspn baking soda/bicarb soda
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 large egg, separated
• 2 tblspn melted coconut oil (or butter), plus extra for cooking
• 1 tblspn honey
• syrup, honey, fresh fruit or jam for serving

1. In a medium bowl, mix first 4 ingredients. Then add coconut milk, egg yolk, 2 tblspn coconut oil, and honey, and whisk until just combined. In a separate bowl, beat eggwhite until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter.

1. Melt coconut oil in a hot skillet, and pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. When many air bubbles have formed on the pancakes, flip them over, and cook a little longer before transferring to a plate and serve with your favorite topping. Turn heat down if pancakes brown to quickly.