One such book is called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It is a great primer for eating basic and natural foods. Although I won't be eating her recipes for raw beef anytime soon (ahem, never!) She does have the basics covered in terms of fermenting, culturing and sprouting and all other traditional foods.
One recipe that had me intrigued were the crackers where the flour soaked in yogurt overnight. Since I happened to still have more than my fair share of expired yogurt to use up, this was an excellent find! I had to tinker with the recipe to make it easier to make and reduced the butter a bit. A food processor is one of my favourite tools in the kitchen and here it makes the recipe so easy!
This is a very basic cracker recipe- she called for sesame seeds and other recipes call for herbs but in this case I just wanted to make a plain cracker that would be perfect for serving with a cheese plate or showing off my garden produce (my multi-coloured radishes!) These are great for that.
Sally says that you can use any grain in these crackers- spelt, kamut, rye or whole wheat. Let the dough rest for several hours- start this in the morning or even the night before! The key in this recipe is to roll out the crackers quite thinly and bake until very crisp (but not burnt!) They will last for a few days if completely crisp when they come out of the oven. If not, you may need to pop them into the oven before serving the next day. So fabulous on a cheese tray or spread with unsalted butter and topped with sliced radishes!
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or flour of your choice)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, softened or melted
1-2 tbsp melted butter
sea salt
1. Combine flour and yogurt in the food processor for a few minutes or until mixed in well. Add salt, baking powder and butter and process for another few minutes until it comes together.
2. Shape into a ball, cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and place in covered container for several hours or overnight.
3. Dust work surface with more flour and roll out until quite thin, about 1/8" thick. Brush with additional melted butter and sprinkle with a touch of additional sea salt. Cut into squares (or use cookie cutter for shapes!) and place on baking sheets, with just a tiny amount of space between the pieces. Bake in 300 degree F oven on top third and bottom third racks for approximately 35 minutes (until crisp and light brown), alternating trays half-way through baking. Reduce heat if needed so they don't brown. Let cool on racks. Store in covered containers. Crisp in oven for a few minutes before serving if desired.
