Cup4Cup Gluten-free Holiday Rolls

Cup4Cup Gluten-free Rolls

Back in the day when I was growing up in Bakersfield, a holiday meant eating more food at one sitting than you normally ate in the two entire days previous.

And then, everyone needed a nap.

And then, we ate again.

It was also the time my Mom broke out the ‘fancy’ roll recipes.

Sure, we had whole pans of “pull-aparts” featuring oatmeal or milk with our meals on a regular basis, but a special occasion merited a 3-part “clover” or split “Parker house” style roll made in a muffin tin.

Sad to say, I haven’t a neat gluten-free version of those down yet – but I do have a pretty good GF roll recipe to share.

Cup4Cup GF Crostini

These are best served hot from the oven.  They reheat well and can be sliced, toasted, and made into crostini or croutons.

Cup4Cup GF Pizza

I even made a springy 12-inch pizza crust that was crispy on the bottom – because there are always Christmas feast leftovers to use as toppings.

Cup4Cup Gluten-free Roll with Redbarn Butter

 Gluten Free Holiday Rolls

Makes 5 rolls or one batard

Base:

1 Cup Cup4Cup GF All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Yeast

2 tsp. Local Honey

½ tsp. Kosher or Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Redbarn Buttermilk, room temperature

1 x-Large (farm fresh) Egg

Mix together and let rise 1 -2 hours.

Knead in:

  

1/4 – ½ Cup GF Flour

1 TB Hemp Seeds

2-4 oz. Willow Hill Farm Butternut or any hard aged cheese, grated

2 TB Redbarn Butter, room temperature

Dough will be soft and pillowy. Use oiled hands and divide into five round rolls or one batard.

Place on a cast-iron skillet or doubled sheet pans and let rise 40 min. to 1 hour.

Set oven to 375f

Bake 35-40 minutes.*

Tip out onto rack to cool.

*Use 400f to bake a pizza with the same timing.

Wild Lawn Pesto

Dandies, Lamb's-quarter, Daisy, Oregano, Wood Sorrel, Garlic Chives, Dame's Rocket 

There are apple, plum and pear trees living on my lawn.

Songbirds nest in maples and bring their babies to the seed feeders, who in turn do the same.  An occasional bunny, turkey or quail, stops by. 

I consider this a success, but it hasn’t been all roses and kittens.

There was the double-down disaster that was the first two lilac hedges (wrong species for our sub-climate).

Peaches and sour cherry starts were run over twice in two years by the lawnmower. 

Gooseberries, blueberries, elderberries? We have the wrong type of soil.

Nowadays, there’s heavy shade to contend with and I didn’t divided the irises or lilies in decline.

Plants thriving at this level of neglect are hostas, weeds, and wildflowers.

This week, garlic chives busted out all over.  A twenty-year old oregano patch struggled to make it just one more season; wood sorrel (sour grass) and Lamb’s-quarter (pigweed) came up. *

Each became an ingredient in my lawn-pesto recipe.

My mother’s reaction to this news, ‘You’re eating weeds now?’

Yes, yes. I am.  And, they’re delicious!

*Lamb’s-quarter tastes like mild spinach and can be used fresh or cooked.

Weed and Wildflower = Pesto

Lawnmower Pesto

Makes about 1 Cup

1 Packed Cup Mixed Greens (Lamb’s-quarter, Garlic Chives, Wood Sorrel, Oregano)

¼ - ½ Cup Sunflower Oil

2 – 4 TB Grated Hard Cheese (I used Comte)

1 TB Hemp Seeds (or pine nuts)

Salt

Wildflower Petals: Dame’s Rocket, Dandelion, Garlic Chives

Wild Lawn Pesto

Pick and wash your greens.  Let them drain in a colander to give any hitched-a-ride insects the opportunity to vacate the premises.

Place all ingredients (except oil and petals) in a food chopper fitted with a blade.

Slowly drizzle in oil with the motor running until you have a serviceable paste.

Process, taste, adjust for salt.

Stir in flower petals. 

Store under refrigeration.

Recent Cooks: Gluten-free!

Squash Ravioli fried in Bacon Fat!

 Handmade gluten-free rice/quinoa ravioli with Doe's Leap pancetta.  Buttercup squash, shallot and pecan filling.  Will have the recipe written down soon :)

Cup4Cup Pizza

Gluten-free pizza shell from the "box".  Works well using a cold cast iron pan (to reduce the incidence of overcooking).  Still haven't been able to perfect a "scratch" recipe to use in the wood-fired pizza oven.

Parmesan-crusted Halibut

Brilliant baked halibut with pan-fried purple (and white) potatoes.  Dan said the cheese crust overwhelmed the fish, but I thought the flavors were very complementary.

First dish: Stuffed Peppers!

Stuffed Peppers

The first cook in the new pizza oven!  

Fresh peppers stuffed with homemade chili, topped with Willow Hill Farm Butternut cheese, some mozzarella and local heirloom tomatoes.  Baked until peppers went wrinkly (this took about an hour and a half next to the coals, turning the pan every 20 minutes or so).

Recent Cooks...

Sunny-side Up with Duck confit

 And cheese.  And onions.  Sunnies are my favorite, next to poached...

Gluten-free Calzone

 Dough had olives and Parmesan in it.  Filling was mostly leftovers: smoked pork, broccoli, carrots, onions, shiitakes, Jack and Mozzarella, and a few fresh cherry tomatoes.  Ate this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cup4cup GF flour has no equal - so far :)

Crockpot Country Pork Ribs

 Meh...I missed the smoke from cooking outside.

Farm Fresh Eggs and Sausage

Our eggs, our sausage.  And I need to point out - properly made scramble!  Eggs go whole into the pan - not whisked beforehand.   Way I was taught to make them- but can't remember by whom...

Venison Tenderloin

Quick and Easy: Baked Walleye

 Baked Walleye

Here’s a fish dish that comes together quickly and takes very little time to cook. 

That’s important because standing for long periods of time is difficult with this cast on my foot.  Plus, I keep bumping into the cabinets and the cats, and tripping when I catch an uneven kitchen floor tile.

This recipe is from a very long time ago, when I worked a 9-5 job. I wanted the flavor of chowder without the work.

And comfort.  And convenience.

When I was growing up, plain kettle-style chips were used to embellish tuna casserole and mac ‘n cheese.

The chips in this particular recipe are not just for the pretty; they provide both salt and texture.

There are so few ingredients – every single one has to “bring it”.

The cheese doesn’t have to be Havarti, but it’s butteriness and acidity complements fish and cream without becoming dominant.

Serve with oven-roasted winter vegetables. Preferably the ones that don’t take a lot of fuss - like slender baby carrots and Brussels sprouts, especially if you need to be off your feet.

Like me.

Easy Fish Dish

 Simply Baked Fish

Serves 2-3

1 lb. Walleye Filets (or Cod)

Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

½ Pint Heavy Cream

4 ounces Havarti, Shredded

A handful of Plain Kettle Chips

Preheat oven to 375f

Place fish in a shallow oven-proof dish just large enough to accommodate it. 

Season with pepper on both sides.

Pour cream over fish, top with havarti.

Crush chips and sprinkle over the top.

Fish Casserole

Bake for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.