Whole Grain Spaghetti by Andrew Scrivani for the New York Times

Whole Grain Spaghetti by Andrew Scrivani for the New York Times

I’d like to say that I read every article and recipe that leads to healthier living for all, but I don’t.  Luckily, I have many friends who are on the look out for me.  One just sent me this article from the New York Times by Melissa Clark on Whole Grain Pasta.  Clark highlights the most important rule about food: it can only be as good as the ingredients you put into the final product.  I started making pasta in 2003 with whole oat flour because I knew it would make a better tasting pasta and add fiber to my diet.  The exact combination was a question of trial and error.  With my mother’s help, Smith Meadows eggs and La Grande Cucina Italiana, I came up with some excellent dough. I found the best local flour I could easily get my hands on for an affordable price.  We blend whole grain, organic  flours from Frankferd Farms in Pennsylvania with semolina that comes from the mid west, but is milled locally in Winchester.  Customers love our pasta.

Soaking Flour

Soaking Flour

Now that more people are gluten sensitive or intolerant there are requests each week for gluten-free pasta.  For the foreseeable future the closest Smith Meadows Kitchen will get to gluten-free is buckwheat pasta or pasta made with flours that have been soaked.  One of our customers and nutritional counselors from Takoma Park, Monica Corrado, has recently posted a blog about her classes on soaking grains.  She has made huge strides in educating people on how to get the most nutrients from the staples in there diet.  We will be demonstrating her techniques and those from the cook book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon in our cooking class in December on Pasta.

Home Made Stock

Home Made Stock

This week we have planned a class on Soups for Saturday October 23 from 10-1.  Chef Kimber Herron and I will be demonstrating making stock, and two kinds of soup: Borscht and Mrs. Ratner’s Russian Cabbage Soup with Short Ribs.  The importance of stock from grass-fed animals cannot be overemphasized.  Once you learn some easy techniques to make and store your stock, it can easily be incorporated into your regular kitchen routine.  Join us for an instructive class, a gourmet meal and wine from 3 Fox Vineyard.