REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 1

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Theodora Townsend
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1 REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 1

2 REAL FOOD 101 TRADITIONAL FOODS, TRADITIONALLY PREPARED GRAINS, NUTS, BEANS, AND SEEDS 3 SPROUTED WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR 4 SOAK, SPROUT, AND DEHYDRATE: NUTS, BEANS, AND SEEDS 6 WORKING WITH RAW DAIRY 9 MAKING BUTTER AND BUTTERMILK FROM FRESH CREAM 10 HOMEMADE RAW MILK YOGURT AND 24- HOUR YOGURT 14 MAKING WHEY AND CREAM CHEESE FROM YOGURT 18 SALAD DRESSING 20 BASIC VINAIGRETTE 21 GARLIC HERB VINAIGRETTE 22 RANCH DRESSING 23 TRADITIONAL BONE BROTHS AND STOCKS 24 CHICKEN STOCK 25 BEEF STOCK 28 SHELLFISH STOCK 31 LACTO- FERMENTED CONDIMENTS 33 HOMEMADE KETCHUP 34 HAND- BEATEN MAYONNAISE 36 TRADITIONAL SAUERKRAUT 38 PROBIOTIC DRINKS 40 BEET KVASS CLEANSING TONIC 41 (STRAWBERRY) WATER KEFIR 43 THANK YOU 47 REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 2

3 Chapter One: Grains, Nuts, Beans and Seeds Grains are considered the staff of life, which is understandable considering the various breads, crackers, cookies, cakes, and pastas we have all seen. For many people in the world, grains also help soften the cost of food for their families. If you have good health and do not suffer from gluten intolerance, enjoy a good amount of whole grains. Whole grains provide vital nutrients, especially when they are soaked and sprouted. Preparing grains traditionally actually increases the nutritional value of the grain. Fortunately, we have records of how traditional peoples prepared their grains. They soaked their grains and sprouted them to increase digestibility. Sprouted grain berries are milled into sprouted flour, which can be used in recipes where you cannot easily soak or sourdough your grains. This is usually the case with cookies and cakes in particular. Like grains, nuts, beans, and seeds also benefit from soaking and sometimes sprouting. This is because grains, nuts, beans, and seeds contain variable amounts of an anti- nutrient called phytic acid. There are also enzyme inhibitors present in some of these foods nuts in particular. Soaking these vital foods in salt water and sprouting them can do wonders for your health. Let me show you how easy it is to help your staple foods be kind to your body! REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 3

4 How to Soak, Sprout, and Dehydrate Nuts, Beans, and Seeds Why should I go through the trouble of soaking nuts, beans, and seeds? I have found that if I soak nuts, beans, and seeds, then dehydrate them to their crispy state again, I tend to handle them better. It turns out that there is a good reason for this. If you soak or sprout them, you not only neutralize enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, and lectins, you have also prepared the nuts or seeds for optimal absorption for your body. This is similar to sourdoughing grains for bread to make them more digestible. In Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon, (buy Nourishing Traditions here, an excellent first real food book) it says: The method for sprouting all grains and seeds is the same--only the length of time needed to accomplish full germination varies, depending on the size and nature of the seed. So what is the difference between sprouting and soaking? Answer: Time. If you do well with nuts and seeds that are merely soaked in saltwater overnight then dehydrated, this is enough. Simply start the practice of soaking nuts and seeds overnight, then putting them in a dehydrator the next day (or an oven set as low as possible) until they are crisp again. It does take a little planning ahead, but it entails very little active work. Plus, the benefit of simply soaking and dehydrating will increase not only your ability to digest the nuts and seeds you eat, but will significantly increase their nutritional content. I find that soaking overnight is enough for me to digest nuts and seeds well. If you need more digestive help, consider sprouting. Sprouting increases the nutritional profile of your seeds and nuts even more than soaking. This still begins with an overnight soak in saltwater, but continues for 1-3 days more depending on how long that particular nut or seed takes to sprout. You will know the time is up when you can see the sprouts growing. Remember that only truly raw nuts, beans, and seeds will sprout, so check your sources well. For example, in California there is a mandatory pasteurization process for nuts, so even when they are sold "raw", they are not truly raw and will most likely not sprout. You can buy truly raw nuts and seeds here. Why should you soak seeds, beans, and nuts? There are many reasons, the most convincing of which (to me) is that it is what our ancestors did. And they had a good reason. Again, from Nourishing Traditions: The process of germination not only produces vitamin C but also changes the composition of grains and seeds in numerous beneficial ways. Sprouting increases vitamin B content, especially B2, B5, and B6. Carotene increases dramatically--sometimes eightfold. Even more important, sprouting neutralizes phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains [and in nuts, beans, and seeds] that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc; sprouting also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract...finally, numerous enzymes that help digestion are produced during the germination process. REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 4

To simplify the process of soaking and dehydrating various seeds, nuts, and (sometimes) grains, I found it worth my time and money to purchase a dehydrator.

Plus, if you remove all the trays, you can use it for proofing and raising bread dough. I also use mine to make yogurt, because I can set the dial to a specific temperature.

5 To simplify the process of soaking and dehydrating various seeds, nuts, and (sometimes) grains, I found it worth my time and money to purchase a dehydrator. Dehydrators are more than just handy for making fruit leather and beef jerky. They can also aid with dehydrating all your sprouted beans, grains, seeds, and nuts. Plus, if you remove all the trays, you can use it for proofing and raising bread dough. I also use mine to make yogurt, because I can set the dial to a specific temperature. The icing on the cake for me is that dehydrators use very little energy. So I prefer my dehydrator to my oven or a yogurt maker. It's very handy to have a multi- use appliance since it simplifies my life and saves energy for our planet. Basic Soaking Process for Nuts, Beans, and Seeds 4 cups nuts, beans, or seeds (buy truly raw nuts and seeds here) 1 tablespoon sea salt (buy unrefined sea salt here)filtered water 1. Put the water and salt into a non- reactive bowl or a half- gallon glass canning jar. Stir to dissolve salt. Add nuts and stir. Cover with a sprouting screen or kitchen towel to keep dust and bugs out and to let it breathe. 2. Soak for different amounts of time, depending on the nut. Generally, just soak overnight, hours. You can also see the chart here. 3. When the soaking time is over, drain the jar of all its water, either by pouring the contents through a sieve or by using a sprouting lid. Rinse the nuts or seeds well by running filtered water over them a few times and draining. 4. Now lay the nuts and seeds in a single layer on either a parchment- lined cookie sheet or a dehydrator tray. If using a dehydrator, set to 120 degrees and dehydrate until crispy (usually overnight or 24 hours). If using an oven, heat to the lowest possible setting (usually 170 on most ovens; but go down to 150 degrees or lower if you can) and dehydrate until crispy (usually overnight or so). In the summer, I put my dehydrator on a shelf on the back porch, and in the winter I leave it on a shelf in my kitchen. I own the 9- tray Excalibur Dehydrator, but you can also use the smaller dehydrator if you are pressed for space or cost. However, you may not be able to fit quart jars for yogurt and bowls of bread dough in it, which is one main reason why I love my dehydrator. Equipment Needed: half gallon glass jar wide mouth canning funnel sprouting lids, like these or these pie plate or another flat dish for draining small or large dehydrator REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 5

Basic Process for Sprouting Nuts, Beans, and Seeds 4 cups nuts, beans, or seeds (buy truly raw nuts and seeds here) 1 tablespoon sea salt (buy unrefined sea salt here) filtered water 1.

6 Basic Process for Sprouting Nuts, Beans, and Seeds 4 cups nuts, beans, or seeds (buy truly raw nuts and seeds here) 1 tablespoon sea salt (buy unrefined sea salt here) filtered water 1. Put the water and salt into a non- reactive bowl or a half- gallon glass canning jar. Stir to dissolve salt. Add nuts and stir. Cover with a sprouting screen or kitchen towel to keep dust and bugs out and to let it breathe. 2. Soak for different amounts of time, depending on the nut. Generally, just soak overnight, hours. You can also see the chart here. 3. When the soaking time is over, drain the jar of all its water, either by pouring the contents through a sieve or by using a sprouting lid. Rinse the nuts or seeds well by running filtered water over them a few times and draining. 4. Place the jar, sprouting lid side down, to drain into a glass pie plate. This way the air can circulate and allow the seeds and nuts to sprout. Rinse 2-3 times per day until you see the desired amount of sprouting. 6. Lay the nuts and seeds in a single layer on either a parchment- lined cookie sheet or a dehydrator tray. If using a dehydrator, set to 120 degrees and dehydrate until crispy (usually overnight or 24 hours). If using an oven, heat to the lowest possible setting (usually 170 on most ovens; but go down to 150 degrees or lower if you can) and dehydrate until crispy (usually overnight or so). 5. Use fresh sprouts as is, or, if desired, continue with dehydrating to return to a crispy state. REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 6

7 Thank You. Hopefully this ebook has given you a foundation to stand on as you delve further into real foods and whole foods. I hope you are feeling a connection to your ancestors as you revive the lost arts of traditional food preparation. I hope you feel a difference in your vitality and energy as you embrace the truly nourishing foods we were meant to eat. Most of all, I want to thank you for supporting me. It s an honor to share what I have learned so that we can all pave this path to greater health together! Love you all, Kendahl REAL FOOD 101: Traditional Foods, Traditionally Prepared Page 7

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