Life’s little challenges
Whole grains move to the top of my list
By Kim Carlson
June 3, 2008
Follow along through the month as Carrie Floyd, Culinate’s food editor, posts about her effort to eat whole grains every day, at every meal: It’s the Whole-Grain Challenge.
When Carrie floated the idea of the Whole-Grain Challenge, I’ll admit: I didn’t bite . . . immediately. I love my forays to the farmers’ market and am grateful for the neighborhood feel of our local co-op, but honestly, planning, shopping, preparing, and getting dinner on the table often is challenge enough.
Already, we’re trying to eat closer to the source, learn more about who’s growing our food, and grow some of our own. Do we really need to take on more?
But as we talked, I was won over. Sure, I know that eating more whole grains will be good for my health (and that of my family members). But I’m looking forward to the Challenge for the variety: I’m eager to find new ways to cook grains that I’ve grown accustomed to, and to discover grains I’m not so familiar with (hello, teff).
I’m lucky that my children are old enough to be intrigued, rather than repulsed, by the idea of new grains. (Although one did comment on spelt’s unappetizing name that it “sounds like a cross between spit and felt.”)
We’ll be putting up new recipes throughout the month, and learning more about what flies and doesn’t fly in our kitchens. Meanwhile, take a look at the Whole-Grain Collection of recipes we’ve pulled together; Heidi Swanson’s whole-grain recipes on 101 Cookbooks; and the recipe collection at Bob's Red Mill, a great source for grains.
In an effort to help inspire members of the challenge, throughout the month we’ll be giving away copies of Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way and Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book. To be eligible to win, join the challenge.
Now, off to bake bread: Ellen Jackson’s no-knead whole-grain bread, to be exact, which, over the last few weeks, has become a staple at our house.
The Whole-Grain ChallengeGrain strategiesDo these four things and you can’t help but eat more whole grains |
Our Table | |
| Pull up a chair. Here’s the latest on Culinate, with regular dispatches from Editorial Director Kim Carlson. | |
- Tastemakers — The Taste Pavilions at Slow Food Nation fed the curious
- Slow Food Nation: Friday — Policy for some, food for all
- The long road to Slow Food Nation — Thursday: The gathering takes shape
- Newspaper backlash — Good food is so yesterday
- The voice of good food — Radio fave Lynne Rossetto Kasper
- Find — and eat from — a market near you — Recipes, blogs, photos, and more from farmers’ markets
- Slow Food Nation coming in late summer — Road trip!
- Life’s little challenges — Whole grains move to the top of my list
- Indroducing Marissa — We welcome a new Health+Food columnist
- Decisions, decisions — Putting my money where my mouth is
- A matter of taste? — Let’s make a scratch cookie to rival the Pillsbury Bake-Off winner
- New bloggers on Culinate — We welcome two authors with just-published books
- ‘King Corn’ on television — An abundance of corn trivia
- The perfect food? — Eggs in a starring role
Want more? Comb the archives.
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There are 5 comments on this item
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1. by mamster on Jun 3, 2008 at 8:28 PM PDT
I read about the challenge, said, “I’m too busy with other stuff this month,” and then found some farro in the freezer, which cooked up in 35 minutes in the pressure cooker. Fabulous! I served it with coffee-ancho braised short ribs (the recipe is on Epicurious) and roasted baby turnips and onions. The farro was the best part, and there’s even some left for breakfast.
2. by Kim on Jun 3, 2008 at 9:49 PM PDT
Farro tomorrow. Does that rhyme? Or would it be farrow tomarrow?
I did pretty well today, although the rice with my lunch bento was as white as the driven snow. I partly made up for it with wild rice in tonight’s salad (with Italian kale and fennel and red cabbage), and then there were cookies, — Carrie’s yummy millet cookies (recipe to come).
3. by maggiediva on Jun 4, 2008 at 11:24 AM PDT
This will be the perfect excuse to use up that millet in my pantry.
4. by cafemama on Jun 6, 2008 at 9:45 AM PDT
it’s lovely timing as I’ve just picked up ‘Nourishing Traditions’ and ‘Wild Fermentation’ (two books that have lots of interesting whole grains recipes) after my recent workshop with Monique Dupre. so far my revelations have been quinoa as breakfast cereal (delicious!) and I have big plans to make farro and rye berry salads. also, farro is expensive! I’m considering doing a grain CSA with bluebird grain farms in washington.
do beans count as grains?
I’ve been playing around with soaking whole-wheat flour (‘nourishing traditions’ recommends soaking flour 12-24 hours in buttermilk, whole-milk yogurt, or creme fraiche) and the waffles I made that way came out better than any I’d ever tasted -- no one knew I’d used all whole grains. it’s brilliant and, evidently, it makes the grain more ‘nutritionally available.’
5. by carrie on Jun 6, 2008 at 4:18 PM PDT
cafamama: If you can find farro in the bulk section it tends to be cheaper than the pretty packages from Italy. You could also try spelt berries or barley in salads; someone told me today that she can’t tell the difference today (in taste or appearance) between farro and spelt. I don’t think beans count as grains, but they sure make a nice complement, both in taste and for a complete protein. I’m going to try the flour-soaking technique, thanks for the inside tip!
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