fermented

Summer Soul Bowl

Bowls are the key to keeping everyone in the house happy, including your belly.

It’s an opportunity to build your own dish, so each person can add what they want-heck, they could even build this on a plate if they prefer! Grab a few seasonal veggies, blend up a simple seed-based sauce and top it with a handful of herbs. My bowls change slightly every time I make them, but one thing that is an absolute for me is a spoonful or two of fermented foods as a topper – kraut, pickles, kimchi…pick your favorite.

Why the fermented foods? These are filled with powerful bacteria (probiotics) that help keep our guts running smoothly. Did you know that over two-thirds of our immune system is located in the gut? A happy and healthy guts keep you free from sickness, helps to fight viruses and keeps the engine running smoothly (so to speak!)

Often I make my own fermented foods, but I also rely heavily on purchased products to ensure I have fermented foods on hand at all times. Cleveland Kitchens makes 7 kinds of fermented kraut- a delicious way to get more plant-based power and gut-boosting probiotics into your body. But what I really love is their commitment to local Midwest farms and to more innovative shipping and packaging material that are made from recycled plastic bottles. All a win-win in my book…er, fridge!

My recipe involves making a dressing from scratch using sunflower seeds- it’s more simple than you think! But, I do keep a back-up dressing or two in the fridge for those days I run out of my own homemade version. Try this Gnarly Miso Jalapeno or the Roasted Garlic for another scrumptious boost to the belly.

Happy Eating,
~Monique

Summer Soul Bowl

2 tbls olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small delicata squash, halved/seeds scooped out and sliced
1 cup broccoli or fresh beans or sweet peppers, chopped
4-6 colorful carrots
1 tsp pink salt
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp turmeric powder
few turns of fresh black pepper
1-2 cups cooked Sorghum

Cold Toppings:

Sliced figs (or peaches)
Thinly sliced purple cabbage
Thinly sliced radish
Toasted nuts and seeds (I used pepitas and Brazil nuts)
Cleveland Kitchens Fermented Kraut (I used the Beet Red Kraut)
Handful of fresh herbs- basil, parsley and mint is a great combination
Avocado
Popped Sorghum

Smoky Paprika Tahini Sauce

½ cup raw sunflower seeds
1 garlic clove, smashed
3 tbls lemon juice
1 tbls tamari
½ tsp smoky paprika
~½ cup water

Directions
Cook the sorghum according to package direction, if it’s not already cooked.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the veggies with the spices and olive oil, spread onto a sheet pan and roast until browned and just fork tender ~ about 20-30 minutes.

Blend the Tahini sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, adding just enough water to create a thick, drizzle-able sauce. Taste, adjust seasonings.

Put it all together: If I’m serving this at home, I create stations so everyone can build their own bowl. Place the figs, sliced cabbage, radishes and herbs on a pretty platter. Set out ramekins of the avocado, nuts, and fermented foods. Place the cooked veggies and sorghum on warming pads.

Let everyone build their own bowl by adding a few scoops of each item. Top with a good drizzle of the smokey tahini sauce and a small spoonful of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy while veggies and sorghum are still warm. Top every bowl with the fermented kraut for a happy belly!

Top with my Popped Sorghum for a little whimsical finish if desired.

Try this Beet Red Kraut on top of your Summer Soul Bowl for a delicious, plant-based probiotic belly boost!

Fermented Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes have a way of of expanding, doubling, tripling and even taking over sections of your garden. I only eat tomatoes in the fall, fresh off the vine, but honestly there’s only so many one can eat at a time. So it’s important to find ways to preserve these bounties.

Fermentation is hands down my favorite way to preserve food, though it’s not the only reason I ferment. Fermenting is actually one of the best ways to strengthen and populate the good bacteria in our guts.

See, our microbiome is the brain of the body and houses two-thirds of our immune system. The stronger we keep that area, the healthier our bodies will be.

I know the idea of fermenting can be scary- leaving food on counter for days, weeks or months while it grows good bacteria. The key is to keep the food under the salt-water brine, this is creating an anaerobic environment where bad bugs can’t grow. I went through my own set of nerves during my first trials with it. And I’ve had a number of ferments go south as well. Use your eyes and nose, if you see mold or it is smells ‘off’, just toss it.

I’ve been serving these tomatoes at parties the last few weeks and at least one person at each party asked for the recipe for my little effervescent tomatoes.
It really is quite easy, you just need to try it.
Happy Eats!
~Monique

Fermented Cherry Tomato Bombs

3 cups firm cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced or chopped onions
2 sliced or chopped garlic cloves
3 tbls salt (I prefer this celtic salt for my ferments)
4 cups water
Add-ins: fresh basil, parsley, cilantro, coriander seeds, peppercorns, hot peppers.

->Make the brine by slightly warming and stirring the water and salt over low heat, just enough to dissolve the salt.

->Use a pin or sharp pairing knife to make a tiny poke in each tomato. This allows the brine to get inside.

->Place any seeds at the bottom of a quart-sized jar, then layer in the tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs.

->Pour the brine over the tomatoes, making sure to cover them completely.

->Use a fermentation weight to keep the tomatoes under the brine, and cover the jar with a cheese cloth or light towel with a rubber band to help it stay in place. Or top off the jar with a ziplock bag partially filled with water (this will serve as a weight to hold down the tomatoes).

->Put in a cool and dark corner to ferment for about a week, maybe two.
Taste them along the way. When the tomatoes are ready, they will burst with a champagne like effervescence when you bite into them.

->Add a lid to the jar and store in the refrigerator.

Notes:
*The key to fermenting is to create an anaerobic environment, so keep food under the brine.
*If mold develops, it’s best to throw it out, sterilize the jar and start over.
*Use firm tomatoes, even under ripe tomatoes are perfect for this recipe.
*Don’t use iodized table salt. Pink Himalayan or sea salt are other great options.