Bob's Red Mill Cookbook

To my wife of 56 years, Charlee Lucille Coote Moore, I owe a unique distinction. She was instigator and director. Together we bought our first stone mill and connected with farmers. Charlee packaged by hand while I learned to mill with stones. Together, we established a simple, sustaining way of life. Now, they tell me we are an institution, with minimal packaging, wholesome whole grain goodness and markets around the globe. This business, nursed along at our kitchen table, is satisfying beyond our wildest dreams.

To my mother, who taught me not only to cook, but to love to cook.

Back in the early days when Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods was a mom-and-pop store-front in Oregon City, any customer looking for guidance on cooking with this or that whole grain could simply walk up to Bob Moore, founder, or his wife Charlee and ask away. Charlee was the one with the answers—it’s her passion for cooking with whole grains that led the Moores into the milling business. More often than not, she’d send the customer off enlightened, not only with the low-down on cooking with wheat berries or oat groats or some other whole grain delight, but also with one of her recipes for a favorite bread or biscuit, salad or soup, pilaf or casserole, cake or cookie. Before long, back that same customer would come, ready to buy more whole grains—and to share personal recipes, usually a combination of old standbys reworked to incorporate healthier whole grains, traditional dishes from times and cultures where whole grains were the norm, and the occasional creation inspired by “new” whole grain foods and flavors.

Beginning at the beginning, the Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook opens with Morning Food, a chapter offering more than 40 great ways to start your day. The recipes feature whole grains and other deliciously healthful foods, and as with the other chapters in this book, you will find a generous helping of g luten-free recipes throughout, all marked with theicon.

Whole grains and beans, staples of the Bob’s Red Mill line of products and central to any healthy diet, are perfectly suited to salads—a surprisingly broad range of preparations that have in common the trait of being dressed in some manner and served in a bowl or platter. Set aside the images of little bowls of leaves that the title of this chapter may bring to mind, because among the 40 recipes here, including numerous dressings, basic preparations, and variations, you will find an extensive array of dishes incorporating grains and beans, both individually and in combination, and befitting most any meal, any day of the week, any season.

Strict botanical definitions aside, raw whole grains and dried legumes are, basically, seeds—seeds that are inedibly hard until properly soaked, steeped, or stewed, whereby they are transformed into deliciously tender morsels, as rich in essential nutrients as they are in flavors and textures. Is it any wonder, then, that no other preparation for grains and beans truly rivals the ease, flavor, and soul-satisfying pleasure of soup? A rhetorical question, to be sure, but one to which this chapter offers more than 30 worthy answers.

A long with the flatbreads and dips, pilafs and baked beans one would expect to find in this chapter, some rather surprising delights are on offer as well. Consider, for example, flavorful cocktail snacks like Spice-roasted Garbanzos (page 226) and golden Pakoras (page 236), or inspired starters like Jalapeño Teff (page 238), Grilled Millet and Butternut Squash Cakes (page 239), and Quinoa-stuffed Collard Wraps (page 241), any of which could also be served as a main course. Spin an old standby in a delicious new direction, as with Blue Cornbread (page 222), Mediterranean Split Peas (page 272), and Barley Hash (page 255). Or venture into uncharted territory with unfamiliar ingredients, as may be the case with Amaranth Polenta with Wild Mushrooms (page 259) or Roasted Soybeans (page 227). And remember that holidays and potlucks are the perfect time to turn to this section for classic grain accompaniments, from the comfortingly conventional (Savory Rice Pilaf, page 253) to the deliciously new-fangled (Quinoa Stuffing with Dried Cherries and Almonds, page 265).

Cooking with whole grains and legumes is an ancient practice the world over, and though it may have become less evident over the course of the twentieth century, these staple ingredients are as central to the culinary traditions of North America as they are to various Eurasian and African cuisines. The international smorgasbord of great meal options in this chapter will help restore grains and legumes to their rightful place at the center of the American supper table—at least the one in your home.

The cookbook closes with a chapter devoted to treats and desserts. This chapter draws upon generations of kitchen wisdom and tried-and-true heirloom recipes to deliver treats that satisfy the sweet tooth while maintaining a health-conscious, whole grain-based approach to every meal of the day. A truly healthy diet may not include dessert after every meal, or even on a daily basis, but a good balance of pleasure—and, yes, maybe even a big splurge now and again—is essential, and the occasional whole-grain sweet can offer just that. Some of the recipes in this chapter feature grains in a starring role, as with Blue Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 387) and Wild Rice Cake (page 401). Others incorporate whole grains into beloved family recipes like Carrot Cake (page 400), Apfelkuchen (page 402), and Blue-Ribbon Banana Bread (page 398). And a choice few others employ whole grains in outright decadent affairs, like Bodacious Blondies (page 393) and Chocolate-Rippled Banana Bread Pudding (page 426). A good assortment of sumptuous gluten-free treats are on offer, as are a few vegan options.