Bring a Plate... a Savoury Idea

"Bring a plate" is a kiwi food sharing custom ...and for those with great baking skills, an opportunity to shine in your community. When I grew up, most gatherings were catered by "bring a plate".  Tressle tables groaned with club sandwiches, sausage rolls, slices, pavlova and some gloriously high rise sponge cakes.

My Mum would normally contribute something savoury as she knew she couldn't compete on the sponge cake front.  Besides, she would say "There'll be too many sweet things and not enough savoury". She was usually right.

Beetroot and Walnut hummus is from Hugh
Fearnley-Whittingstall's "River Cottage Everyday"

At a recent workplace birthday celebration we were all to "bring a plate". I decided, like my Mum, I would contribute something savoury.... Beetroot and Walnut Hummus.   To my delight and surprise the hummus disappeared faster than the cakes!

Its glorious colour and the earthy sweet taste of beetroot makes for a dip that is not at all "run of the mill".  The true test of it's success...everyone wants the recipe.

Beetroot and walnuts get the headline but another important ingredient in this recipe is the roasted cumin seeds.
"Aside from their shared earthiness, beetroot and cumin couldnt be more different. The sweetness of beetroot is enlivened by cumin's smoky citric edge." Niki Segnit "The Flavour Thesaurus".

Beetroot and Walnut Hummus

200 g beetroot cooked (you can use canned beetroot but not pickled)
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
50g walnuts
25g stale bread, crusts removed OR 2 Tbsp of couscous
1 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
A little olive or good vegetable oil (optional)

First cook your beetroot.  I like to wrap washed beetroot in foil and bake in the oven (about 180 C)  until you can easily put a scewer through the beetroot. Once cooled you should be able to easily push the skin away from the cooked beetroot flesh.

 200 g of beetroot is equivalent to a beetroot the size of a grapefruit.
The cooking of the beetroot can be done at an earlier time and after
skinning covered and kept in the fridge.

Next toast 1 Tbsp of cumin seeds in a small frypan over medium heat.  Shake the pan constantly until they begin to darken.  A sign that they are done is the release of their aroma. It will take less than a minute.  Crush the dry fried seeds with a mortar and pestle ... or use a coffee grinder to make short work of it.  You don't need to roast your own seeds, you can just use ground cumin, but there is nothing quite like freshly ground cumin and a little extra effort will reward you with extra flavour.

I use a coffee grinder that is just for spices - you wouldn't want
to do this in the grinder you use for coffee beans unless you want
coffee flavoured cumin or cumin flavoured coffee!!

Now spread the walnuts on a baking tray and toast in an oven 180 C for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant.

If you have time, give your walnuts a good long soak in water
before roasting as this will make the nuts sweeter and more digestible.

Break the bread into small chunks and put in a food processor with the walnuts.

I didn't have any old bread so I tried using couscous instead and it worked really well. I used 2 Tbsp of dry couscous and added enough boiling water to allow it to expand and soften. If you put in too much water just drain before adding.  I didnt put couscous in with the walnuts but later when I added the beetroot.

For a gluten free beetroot hummus, use some cooked rice or quinoa - or perhaps a few chickpeas. The bread or couscous is simply used as a thickener.

Now add the beetroot (cut into 2-3 cm cubes), the tahini, most of the crushed garlic, (the couscous if using instead of bread) and a good pinch of the cumin, half the lemon juice, a little salt and a good grind of pepper. Blend to a thick paste.

Add caption

Taste the mix and adjust the flavour by adding more cumin,  garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, then blend again until you are happy with it.  If you feel it needs a little oil, add this now.

Refrigerate until required but bring back to room temperature to serve.

This dip is best accompanied by toasted pita bread or flat bread.

Here is a quick spring time lunch idea using the hummus.   I had a small amount of leftover Beetroot and Walnut Hummus.  I had to make it go further so made a platter with toasted pita bread, lettuce sliced with some chopped coriander and onion weed bulbs (but you could use spring onions), grated carrot with a little orange juice and a few fennel seeds with a yoghurt dressing on the side.

When I decided to "bring a plate" of Beetroot and Walnut Hummus to the office birthday morning tea, I didn't realise that both beetroot and walnuts are good for the brain. Nor did I know that beetroot increases stamina and walnuts relieve fatigue.  All good things to offer my office colleagues on a plate... and a great alternative to the many cup cakes and slices on offer.

"Resisting the Call of the Cupcake" an article in the NZ Herald where business columnist 
Dita De Boni looks at eating habits in the office.   The illustration is by Anna Crichton 

But, cupcakes and junk food are not the only health risks to the many of us that have desk jobs.
The Huffington Post  gives six good reasons why we should make a major effort to get up from our desks at regular intervals.

To my horror one of the six reasons is ...sitting increases the size of your bottom!  
"Researchers have found that putting pressure on certain body parts (i.e., your bottom) can produce up to 50 percent more fat than usual." 

Spring brings Asparagus, Onion Weed, and Nasturtiums to the plate

Spring in Auckland has crept up and surprised me - I really didn't see it coming.  It seems just a couple of weeks ago that the gracious Plane trees lining our streets gave us an open view to the sky.

Plane Tree archway down Picton Street, Ponsonby

Newly clothed with green they lean together to create the charming archways that are a feature of Auckland's leafy suburbs.  The trees leafing up, longer days, and packed garden centres are clues that there is definitely a change of season.

I know spring is here when asparagus arrives.  Asparagus is the first vegetable of the new growing year.  Price wise, now is a good time to eat asparagus as there is plenty at the markets and in the shops.

Another spring time resident on our property, and most likely in yours, is often cursed by gardeners as a nuisance.  For me wild onion or onion weed is a spring onion alternative and it's free! To harvest, use a fork (unless the ground is very soft with rain) otherwise you will fail to get the small bulbs out. Eating them is a most satisfying way to keep your wild onion weed under control.  They take a little time to wash and sort but they are really tasty.

The onion weed with its distinctive clusters of white flowers marked with fine
green lines.  You can eat all parts of this weed, the small onion bulbs,
the stems and the flowers .  Test that its not a decorative bulb by running
your hand down the stem and it will smell of onion.

Spring inspires us all to get back into salads. Here's a way to make one bunch of asparagus go a long way.  This salad could be a satisfying lunch on its own or a wonderful side to the first barbequed sausage of the season.

My Risoni salad as photographed by my daughter Tansy with a proper camera

Risoni Asparagus Salad with Onion Weed and Nasturium Flowers

This salad because can fool you. It's made from Risoni (pronounced ree-soh-nee) and while it could be mistaken for rice, it's actually a type of pasta. It's also known as risi (Italian for rice) and is sometimes referred to as orzo, although this tends to be slightly larger.  Risoni in Italy is often used in soups.

 I really like to use Risoni for  salads - because it looks like rice but has a smooth soft texture that takes up the flavours of olive oil, herbs and lemon to create a salad that is eaten with relish in our house. 

I was missing my old glass lemon squeezer so Peter found me this
wonderful kitchen tool, its a lemon squeezer, zest and fine grater all in one..
its so useful and only cost $5

Ingredients:

One bunch of asparagus (or as much as you like)
juice of a lemon
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 Cup of Rizo pasta
a handful of walnuts chopped
Preserved lemon rind finely chopped (optional but really gives this salad a lift)
About 1/2 cup of chopped onion weed bulbs and white part of the stems
Salt and Pepper
Generous bunch of herbs chopped- whatever is available
Alternatively if you have some pesto you could add 1-2 tbsp (to taste)
Cos or any lettuce leaves

On the base of risoni build up the flavours with herbs or pesto, spring onions
or onion weed, chopped nuts (optional) and then add the lemon juice and
olive oil to taste and then add sliced up asparagus.

Cook the risoni pasta as you would any other dried pasta - with plenty of well salted water.  I use 3/4 of a cup of dried pasta and this made plenty of salad for 3.  Once cooked (don't overcook it or it will all stick together and not free flow) pour into a sieve and run cold water through the pasta to separate.

While the risoni is cooking, also cook the asparagus.   You could oil them and simply grill them, but for this recipe, I prefer to cook them in a high sided pan in salted boiling water until "just" cooked. It only takes 1-2 minutes.

Make sure you don't include the end woody bits.  I simply bend the asparagus holding the stalk end until it snaps.   It breaks in the place where the stems are soft.   You may think what a waste but you don't want to chew on woody asparagus.

Take out of the hot water immediately and spread out on a tea towel to cool quickly. This will ensure the asparagus remains a good green.

You can use more parsley and herbs for this
recipe than I did here as I was restricted by the
quantity available.  Two tablespoons of parsley
per person gives you your daily vitamin K requirement.

Next chop up your herbs.  I use whatever herbs I have around - parsley, I nearly always use, and on this occasion added some fresh mint that goes really well with asparagus, a little fennel and coriander.  In the summer tarragon and basil are great additions too.

Put all the ingredients together, adding the oil and lemon juice last and to taste.  You may not need to use all your lemon or you may want more.  It's so important to taste your salad to ensure you have a good balance of flavours.

I served this salad on a bed of mini cos lettuce that gave a crunchy contrast to the soft flavourful risoni.
I added two of my favourite edible flowers nasturium and calendula petals. Both these plants are flowering now and I find their bright colours make for a happy and tasty salad.   Nasturtiums are also called Indian Cress.  The flowers give a peppery bite to the salad.

I discovered a great blog and will try this recipe  Garden Betty's Nasturtium Pesto
when I find enough nasturtiums.

Photo from Mens Health.co.uk that I liked.

Asparagus is a powerhouse vegetable and I discovered a great description of the health benefits of this first vegetable of spring on   UK Mens Health in an article titled "Four Reasons to Eat Asparagus"
They also have recipes and suggest using asparagus in risotto...I whole-heartedly agree.

In spring at the Otago Farmers Market in Dunedin everyone waits in anticipation for the asparagus from Palmerston.  It's sought after because it is so fresh. There is no comparison with the asparagus you buy from shops.  Asparagus quickly deteriorates, eating its own sugars, so to taste the sweetest asparagus you need to grow it yourself, or buy directly from growers, or at a farmers market.

Peter seeking shade and smelling the pelagonians
at Auckland Botanical Gardens

It's Labour Weekend.  Traditionally this is a time to plant your potatoes and other spring crops.   Do take some time out from work to just stop and enjoy the warmth, soft colours and birdsong of spring.

The Secret to Light and Fluffy Oat Pancakes

In our house oat pancakes are a breakfast favourite.   Now, oat pancakes are not usually associated with "light and fluffy" but I have discovered just the right proportion of oats to flour to avoid heaviness. The secret to light pancakes is aerating the mix and I thank one of my favourite cooks Lois Daish for the tip.

You don't need oats at all but I like the added health properties of soaked oats and the nutty flavour.

One of the benefits of eating a breakfast that contains oats is that the oat-beta glucan in oat fibre slows down the increase in blood sugar levels after the meal.  When the oat-beta glucan is digested it forms a gel which makes the contents of your stomach and the small intestine more viscous (a thick consistency between solid and liquid).  This slows the uptake of carbohydrates into the blood stream and digestion takes longer, preventing sudden fluctuations in blood sugar. That's why you feel satisfied for longer after eating oats for breakfast. (See my previous two postings on the other health benefits from oats).

Oat pancakes has to be pre-planned as you need to soak half a cup of oats overnight in water.

Oat Pancakes (serves 4)

1/2 cup of soaked rolled oats 

*1/2 cup of Spelt or wholemeal flour

1 cup of plain white flour

2 eggs 

1 Tbsp of oil like Avocado (my favourite) or Grapeseed or if you prefer.. melted butter 

1 Tbsp caster sugar

2 tsp of Baking Powder

1- 11/2 cup of milk (or a mix of yogurt and milk) or **Buttermilk (approx)

You need a couple of bowls to make these pancakes but lightness achieved is
worth the dishes. 

*You can  make pancakes just using white flour, but I just like to add different flours to add more nutritional 'punch' to breakfast.  I did try Buckwheat flour but found even 1/4 cup made the mix a dry unappetising consistency.

** I always look out for specials on buttermilk as it makes excellent pancakes, scones etc (and can be kept in the fridge for longer than it says on the packet). Tip: By using a mix of yoghurt and milk you get a similar taste to buttermilk.

The big secret to these pancakes is the separation of egg yokes from whites and then beating the egg whites until stiff.   Beaten egg whites add lightness to the mix.

I use this method of adding beaten egg whites to any fritter recipe and it
works a treat - try it next time you make corn fritters.

Start by adding to the soaked oats, the two egg yokes, then the flours, sugar and baking powder.  Add enough milk to mix to a pouring consistency batter - a little like lightly beaten cream.  You may need more or less milk... judge by sight.   If you have added too much milk all is not lost, just add some extra flour.   You don't have to worry about over working the mix...until you add the fat (either your chosen oil or melted butter).  Add this next and fold in.   

Finally, add the beaten egg white.  First, take a spoon full of the beaten egg white and fold through the mix.   I usually use the egg white I knock off the egg beater against my hand (not on the bowl) into the mix.  (I add egg whites to any mix - it prepares the mix for the rest of the egg white as a little lightens the mix to allow the remaining egg white to more effectively blend with the mix).

The resulting mix should have a lot of air - make sure you
fold in the egg white with a metal spoon until just mixed to
keep the air.

You can add slices of banana, frozen blue berries, or my favourite, frozen blackcurrants to the mix...
 or just pop a few currants on top of the pancakes.

I learnt about adding currants to the top of the uncooked mix
from my friend Maerushia and decided I would surprise Beau with a smiley
face pancake.

If using caste iron you need to heat it for a while before using so I usually turn the heat on slowly while preparing the pancakes.

Rub the warmed pan with butter paper or give it a light spray with cooking oil.  Always make a small sacrificial pancake first, to see if you have the pan at the right temperature.  You need enough heat to cook them through but not too high that they cook on the outside but remain uncooked on the inside.

Flip the pancakes when bubbles appear and start to burst on the surface of the pancake. If they don't have a firm under-surface when you try to flip them, it means you are flipping too early.

Once cooked, keep them warm in a low oven until ready to eat.

I usually serve pancakes with fruit compote or a bowl of fresh summer fruits, maple syrup and yoghurt.
One of my favourite compotes is pureed cooked gooseberries.

Of course true maple syrup is the best with pancakes, but
if you want to try something produced closer to home,
Pear Syrup produced in Hawkes Bay is a good  replacement.
It's made from 100% pears, no extra sugar added.

The best pancakes are made from using a heavy caste iron pan because the heat is constant making an even crust.  Our landlord and friend Chris has a wonderful selection of cooking pots and I keep one of his large caste iron pans just for pancakes so that I don't get other flavours transferred to the pancake.

In Dunedin I would use my griddle iron... and you griddle fans, you will find it in my September  2012 posting   "A Vintage Morning Tea - Nan's Pikelets".  If you are 'griddleless' try hunting one down  in a second hand shop...  then you will discover perfect pancake production.

Beau loved his smiley face pancake made from currants. He likes his
pancake cut into wedges then a squeeze of syrup.

Every culture has some form of pancake cooked on a stove top.  My work colleague Elizabeth told me about savoury breakfast pancakes they cook in India.  These are made from fermented rice, lentils and oats, and are called Dosa's. Elizabeth says that adding oats gives the dosa more crunch.  I now have the method so I am keen to give them a try.  Will keep you posted. 

If only the Three Bears had made Bircher's Muesli

 I wonder... if the 3 Bears had decided on Bircher muesli instead of porridge would they have left their house, bringing about a home invasion and chaos? Bircher muesli originates in Switzerland and is made from soaked porridge oats.  It's an especially delicious breakfast option for summer with fresh fruit.  Best of all, it doesn't have to be cooked at all. The soaking prepares the oats for efficient digestion that's easy on your system. 

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" Retold and Illustrated by Jan Brett (pub Simon & Schuster)
  I took this book with us from home for grandson Beau. I love the northern European detail in the
 illustrations with lots of woodland plants and animals referenced - a visual feast.
This book was gifted to my son Francis when he was 2 - now 26!

Bircher Muesli

I like to use jumbo or whole grain oats because you get more texture, but if you want a softer or mushier mix then use rolled oats. You need to start the night before you plan to eat the breakfast.  This recipe is for 4-6 people.

This is what the whole oats look like after soaking overnight in milk.

Soak the ingredients together in bowl in the fridge overnight:

• 2 cups whole jumbo oats or rolled oats
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice (lemon juice aids in the fermentation or breaking down the oats) 

In a separate bowl soak a handful of almonds or walnuts overnight.  Like grains, if soaked, the goodness in nuts is made more easily available for your body.  The water will turn brown due to tannins in the skin.  Roughly chop the drained nuts. (Discard the soaking water).

The finished Birchers Muesli creamy with a crunch of the nuts and  the freshness of the apple.

The next morning mix in:
nuts drained and chop to a size you want
Grate 1-2 apples with their skins on
2-3 Tbsp runny honey
1 1/2 cups of plain Greek style yoghurt

You can eat the muesli just as it is but I like to top with cut up seasonal fruit ..  and in the muesli
like to add as much apple as possible in a nod to the original recipe that contained more apple than oats 

I serve this with a mix of chopped up fresh fruit and a slurp of Flax seed oil.   But you can be creative as you like with the fruits you choose or added seeds and nuts.

I was surprised when my daughter Tansy said young Beau had a taste of the Birchers Muesli and really liked it.   Being a 3 year old he is quite conservative with his breakfast usually preferring Weetbix or an egg. It's worth considering offering Birchers muesli to children for breakfast.

Dr Maximilian Bircher-Benner, a physician based in Zurich in the 1900's put Birchers muesli on the map. As is the way with many recipes he didn't come up with the idea from scratch.  While hiking in the Swiss mountains he came to rest at an alpine hut and was offered by a local woman a delicious and reviving dish of grated apple, mixed with soaked oats, lemon juice, condensed milk and almond meal. He realised this was the dish he needed to get his patients eating more fruit.

Dr Bircher-Benner eating he muesli before he evening meal.
It wasn't originally thought of as a breakfast food but as an entree probably
because the apple aided digestion.

Dr Bircher-Benner became increasingly interested in Naturopathy. He saw that food could help cure some of the ailments his wealthy clients suffered from.  He set up what became a world famous sanatorium in Zurich where patients would partake in a diet high in fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains and he encouraged regular exercise. Birchers Muesli was a tasty way of getting them to eat fruit. This regime was seen as controversial by his peers in the 1900's so he was indeed a man ahead of his time.

No need to limit this dish to breakfast - it's a most satisfying snack during the day. It will keep for a couple of days in the fridge so it's worth while making the quantity I have suggested.

Oat-Banana Thickie

This is an ideal "breakfast on the run" using soaked oats.  I make this recipe using whatever fruit I have but I will give you the original Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe.

Left: the Banana Oat Thickie as per Hugh's recipe; centre the addition of
frozen mixed berries instead of ice cubes; right addition of about a Tbsp of
freeze dried blackcurrants.

Serves 2
2 Tbsp porridge oats soaked overnight
2 All Good Bananas (my choice)
300 ml Milk (or 150 yoghurt and 150 milk)
1 Tbsp runny honey
2-3 ice blocks

You can use a blender or a stick blender to mix.   Males 2 large glasses.

This is the sort of recipe you can really have any combination of fruits.  The banana gives body but you could reduce to one banana and add other fruit.  It's particularly tasty with a handful of frozen berries.   And try to find All Good Bananas that deliver a fair deal to the growers and have less harmful chemicals than other bananas on offer.

Another addition I make is to add 2 Tbsp of whey protein powder to make this a truly power breakfast.

You can choose to replace milk for fruit juice but keep those soaked oats they make the shake thick and rich and you get all those nutrients from oats.

Frozen fruit or ice cubes make the drink lovely and cool.

One of the important benefits of soaking oats before cooking or eating raw is to ensure the gluten is partially broken down making gluten easier to digest.  

 And how about this for an incentive?

You could avoid your "digestive mechanism breaking down with age or overuse, resulting in allergies, mental illness... chronic indigestion and candida albicans overgrowth." 

Sally Fallon, "Nourishing Traditions".

It's not just oats that need soaking, all grains should be soaked before cooking including corn, quinoa, barley and wheat.

Beau loves this story often read by Poppa Pete

Just as the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears has been handed down through generations,
there is folklore about the value of oats.

It is stated that strength, endurance, energy, beauty and perceptiveness are gained by those who regularly partake of oats (soaked of course).

A Big Soak

How about starting your day with a breakfast that lowers your colestral, helps lose weight, makes you feel fuller for longer, keeps your heart healthy, grows healthy bones and bolsters your immune system?   What is this wonder food?

It's not new
             - not expensive
                          -  doesn't contain additives

                                                      - it's porridge!  

There are secrets to making a truly delicious bowl of porridge... the most important is the practice of soaking the oats overnight.  This not only gives a creamy textured porridge but it's also vital for your well being.

Three types of oats can be made into  porridge.
Right: after hulling the husk and resulting oat groat having time in the kiln, the next step is cutting up the oats into different sized pieces to produce steel cut or pinhead oats
 Centre: jumbo or whole rolled oat groats are not cut but steamed and rolled  (you can still see the whole grain form);  Left: Scotch Oats are rolled oats made even finer by more steaming, flaking and rolling.

I usually make porridge from ordinary rolled oats but when I found porridge can be made from oat groats that have been cracked or cut I just had to try it.

The oat groat is the whole oat with the husk removed.  The whole groat after time in the kiln  is used in Pinhead or Steel cut oats. You will probably only find this product in a health food or organic supply shop.  The only whole grain steel cut oats I found were Bob's Red Mill organic oats from the US. 

Steel cut, pinhead or Irish oats need a lot more cooking than rolled or whole oats but for me the result was worth the effort because the resulting porridge had a texture more like rice pudding with a real "nutty" flavour.

This is the steel cut or pinhead oats after soaking overnight.

 Why we should soak or ferment oats before cooking?

I was introduced to soaking oats a couple of years ago.  My friend Kate had been to a fermented food workshop and told me soaking the oats makes porridge easier to digest. I didn't look into why at that time but took to soaking oats because Kate is usually right.  I discovered the resulting porridge had a better consistency so have continued this practice just like my Scottish ancestors would have done.

I thought you would want to know why soaking is so important.  I went straight to my ever handy nutrition bible "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. 

This book puts modern scientific findings together with traditional
cooking practices to enable us to better understand the
chemistry and nutrition of the food we prepare.

 "All grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer or bran. Oats contain more phytates than almost any other grain.  Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.  Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacillli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid.  The simple practice of soaking cracked or rolled cereal grains overnight will vastly improve their nutritional benefits."

"Soaking in warm water also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, present in all seeds, and encourages the production of numerous beneficial enzymes.  The action of these enzymes increases the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins."

Sally in this book does challenge those who believe saturated fats are our ruin.  For example she suggests "porridges marry very well with butter or cream, whose fat-soluble activators provide the necessary catalyst for mineral absorption".  Yum ... perhaps you can use that leftover cream on your morning porridge and not feel guilty.

Whole rolled oats are steamed and rolled into flat flakes, and being less processed
has a higher nutrient and fiber value than the finer rolled oats.

Whole rolled oats make for a more chewy porridge but they soften up beautifully after a good soaking.  I particularly like them soaked for a couple of days and then made into a Bircher Museli but you will need to wait for my next posting for that recipe.

Scotch Oats are steamed and then finely rolled to create even thinner
flakes of oats than normal oats. 

Dunedin's Harraway's Oats have Scotch Oats.  I thought they were just rolled oats in different packaging.  So I put them to the test and compared them to standard rolled oats and I could see they are finer flakes.  These oats do cook quickly and produce a smoother and creamier texture.

How to make a good porridge

I am demonstrating with the steel cut or pinhead oats, but the process is the same whatever oats you choose - just the cooking time differs.

Note how the grains have softened through the soaking process
making cooking a faster process.

I soak a handful of oats per person, but if you want a measurement, between 1/3 to 1/2 cup per serving.  Next morning most of the water has been taken up by the oats - especially the rolled or Scotch oats.  I then heat to boiling point another couple of cups of water in a medium sized pot.   Cook the porridge in milk if you want,  but I prefer water and if I want extra protein then I add a couple of tablespoons of whey powder.  The whey can be added at the time of soaking and aids in the fermentation process.

I heard from an International Porridge Champion
that he stirs the oats in one direction only - you might
like to try this to see if it produces a better porridge.

Once the water is boiling gradually add the soaked oats and continue stirring so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.

The porridge at the start will be watery and you may think you have porridge soup!  Then it begins to bubble like a mudpool in Rotorua ...suddenly it thickens.  Have a boiling kettle near by and add water to make it just the right consistency for you.  I prefer it to have a runnier consistency rather than a thick lump.

Take care not to get too close to the "plip plopping" pot of
porridge.  Hot splatters of porridge on your skin is no joke!

Cooking steel cut oats will take 10 to 15 minutes, but soaked whole oats or rolled oats will just take a couple of minutes.  Once it has thickened and is smooth, not too thick or too runny then add salt to taste 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp last thing.  (Another hint from the champion porridge maker).

The creamy result -  rolled oats and Scotch oats
will be a lot smoother.

Final secret is to cover the porridge in the pot, turn off the heat and let it sit and steam for a couple of minutes. It benefits from that time sitting undisturbed.

In Scotland it was the tradition that in every farmhouse there was a porridge drawer.. not to keep the oats but to hold the poured porridge for the week. They let it set and sliced it up (you could call it Scottish Polenta!)  and took into the fields for lunch or to reheat for porridge all week.

So with porridge nothing goes to waste - you can reheat it with a little water the next day and its still good.  Work's a treat.

Pinhead oats take a long time to cook so I cooked extra (2 cups)
poured it into a shallow dish and when cold cut up into slices for instant
porridge on work mornings.   These blocks can also be frozen.  Just add extra water
 and heat and mix with a whisk to break up the porridge and to mix in with the water.

I grew up eating porridge which isn't a surprise with my Scottish lineage (Mackay, Ross, and Mowat) and we lived 20 minutes from the Flemings factory that produced porridge oats.

In the small town of Gore, Southland,  you can't help but notice the Creamoata Mills where Sgt Dan stands guard on its towering factory walls...they seemed towering to me as a child. Tom Fleming chose Gore for his oat processing mill because Southland had a perfect climate to produce the best oats.

The Creamoats Mills in Gore are a Category 1 NZ Historic Place because it's a
"tangible example of industry design from the 19th Century through to the mid 20th Century"
It is now owned by a stockfood company who seized the opportunity of using the name Sgt Dan.  

The invention of "Creamoata" was made possible in 1918 by using a new drying machine and this one product helped expand the mill operation and the fortunes of Gore and Southland. In the 1950's and early 60's up to 5 railway wagons filled with bags of Creamoata left Gore each week.  Back then it was considered the "National Breakfast".

Unfortunately, you can't find Creamoata on supermarket shelves today. The appeal of Creamoata was its fine grain that produced a porridge with a semolina like quality and was very creamy, as the name suggests.  I remember it's almost jelly like quality if it was allowed to sit and steam before serving.  I loved the way the brown sugar would melt, and if I was lucky I got the top milk.

There is an Auckland connection to the Creamoata story... the original Sergeant Dan artwork was created by Charlotte Lawlor for an Auckland advertising agency in the 1920's.

Your porridge needn't be predictable - here's 7 ways to serve porridge

1.  Seasonal Fruit with Pear Syrup - plain porridge with sliced fresh fruit (pears are cheap and available now), yoghurt, the yellow stain of flaxseed oil and this delightful find - Pear Syrup made entirely of pears (no preservatives) produced in Hastings at ENZA Foods and employs 150 seasonal workers, so a good product to support.

2.  Sunrise Porridge features freeze dried Viberi Organic Blackcurrants and cranberries to create a pink porridge.  You can add a little honey or brown sugar to counter the tart blackcurrants.   Add the dried black currants at the start of cooking, or if soaked overnight, this dried product can remind you of summer blackcurrants in the middle of winter.  I add a dollop of yoghurt sprinkled with powdered blackcurrant and a drizzle of flaxseed oil to make it look and taste exotic.

3.  Ginger and Almond - this is a real family favourite.  I add chopped crystallised ginger and almonds at the end of cooking.  But I also usually add a couple of slices of ginger before soaking the oats to get an infusion of ginger.   Ginger is a warming spice that assists in blood circulation, regulating blood sugars and aiding digestion.

4.  A Warm Start  - Apple and Cinnamon - while the porridge is cooking grate an apple, skin and all and add to the porridge.   Just before you turn it off to sit, sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon on top.  Cinnamon is considered one of the warming spices perfect for a cold winters day and is said to be a remedy for colds and to assist circulation.
Alternatively add the cinnamon as a topping mixed with rich brown sugar.

5.  Get up and Go - a topping of prunes soaked in Earl Grey Tea with honey and ginger - delicious!  Soak prunes  overnight just covered in hot tea, plus a couple of slices of root ginger and a quirt of liquid honey to taste.  Prunes are well known as a natural laxative but are also high in antioxidants and vitamin K which is vital for strong bones.  The tea thickens and sweetens to a rich syrup with the prune juices overnight.   Serve with a dollop of yoghurt or cream.

6. All Good Porridge - Banana and Raisin. I add sliced All Good Bananas (see my  posting "Like a proper 'Nana?" April 2013) to the porridge at the end of cooking so they slightly melt but are not completely 'mushy'.  I also add a handful of raisins and sometimes some chopped nuts as well.

7. Decadent Porridge -  curd and yoghurt
This is a porridge treat when I make a batch of lemon curd (to see how, visit my posting "Lime Curd and Daffodils" Sept 2012 )... and I can think of no nicer way of absorbing the goodness of the oats than by adding rich lemon curd made with butter and the added protein of egg.    I put a spoonful of curd and a spoonful of yoghurt on each plate.

One cup of porridge gives you 70% of your daily manganese (manganese is an essential element for the body to function properly - and is important for growing bones).  We are encouraging our grandson Beau to enjoy oats for breakfast.

Oats are one of the cheapest breakfasts you can have.  Each serving of 50g of Harraways rolled or whole oats will cost you 20 cents, Harraways Scotch oats cost 22 cents, and Harraways organic whole oats cost 34 cents a serving.  I like to support Harraway Oats because it is still owned locally, uses local grains and has been an important industry in Dunedin for 140 years.

Weetbix cost about the same and has replaced porridge as the "National Breakfast" for children, but  doesn't offer the same nutritional values of soaked oats. Weetbix are made by an extrusion process in which the shape is formed at high temperatures and pressure.  Unfortunately this destroys many valuable nutrients in the grain. (read more on cereal values in "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon)

There is more to oats than porridge, and spring is here so next time I will be featuring a couple of ideas for a breakfast using oats during the summer months.