THE OAT GRAIN IS the seed of a grass that originated as a wild species and may have originally spread as a weed in fields of preferred wheat crops. Oats grow well in cool climates like northwestern Europe and Canada. To process, the oats are hulled (originally through two millstones) and then sifted out to make groats, which are a whole grain cereal, chewy and nutritious. You can find groats in health food stores and online if you want to try them (see Resources, here).
Most oats are further processed by rolling or steel cutting the hulled oat grains, which are then roasted and packaged for breakfast and for baking and cooking.
MAKES A BAKING SHEET OF CRISPS / ACTIVE TIME: 20 MIN /INACTIVE TIME: 5 HRS
I like to include something crunchy but not too sweet in a dessert. The recipe is very flexible; measurements need not be exact. As long as you have at least 1 cup, it will work. The crisps can be broken up to add crunchiness to ice cream, yogurt, or other smooth pureed sweets, especially Wheat Bran Ice Cream (here); it can be used as well as bread crumb–like topping for macaroni and cheese or even with your favorite dip.
1 cup or more leftover cooked oatmeal
Salt
Sweetener, such as brown sugar, molasses, honey
Preheat the oven to 150°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine the already cooked oatmeal with enough water (¼ to ½ cup) to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Cook over low heat until it is really mushy, about 5 minutes. Add some salt and sweetener.
Spread the oatmeal evenly and thinly on the lined baking sheet and bake for 5 hours, until crisp. Store in an airtight container for a few days.
WE DON’T USE A lot of rice in Denmark so I have been amazed at the different kinds of rice that are available here in the United States and the uses for them. I’ve been inspired by chef Sean Brock’s reintroduction of heritage rice in the American South.
Rice is the seed of the rice grass. It is harvested and dried, and the inedible outer layer or husk is removed, along with the bran and germ, to make white rice. (Rice bran can be purchased separately and is a traditional product used for pickling.) For brown rice, only the husk is removed, so it retains the fiber and nutrition that is discarded in making polished white rice.
Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, which leads to a lot of leftovers, and thus numerous uses for day-old (and older) rice.
TMW
SERVES 4 / TIME: 1 HOUR
For centuries Asian cuisines have enjoyed some version of rice porridge, usually for breakfast, but also as an easily digestible, comforting meal.
2 cups leftover (day-old or older) cooked rice
6 cups stock (a high-quality chicken stock)
Choice of condiments
Combine the rice and stock in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, until creamy like a porridge. (There is room for individual preference in consistency, as some like porridge creamier and some like it more soupy.)
Serve with a variety of condiments, such as leftover chopped meat; minced green onions or chives; something crunchy such as fried shallots; sliced pickled mustards or cabbages; something spicy such as sliced chilies or Sriracha; and dashes of soy sauce, sesame oil, or fish sauce.
TMW
SERVES 6 / TIME: 30 MIN
2 cups leftover (day-old or older) cooked rice
4 cups half-and-half
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Loose jam or syrup, for drizzling (optional)
In a medium pot, combine the rice, half-and-half, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until the rice is meltingly soft. Stir often and watch so it does not burn or stick.
Remove from the heat and stir in eggs and vanilla. Spoon into bowls and serve warm or refrigerate. If you like, drizzle with loosened jam or a fruit syrup.
TMW
SERVES 4 / TIME: 15 MIN
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 cups leftover (day-old or older) cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
Choice of refrigerator scraps, such as cooked ham, bacon, or chicken; dark greens; and something crunchy like celery or shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 egg
Heat the oil in a large wok or cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the rice and salt and cook, turning often so it does not stick or burn, until warmed, about 10 minutes. Add the scraps, ginger, and green onions and cook, stirring vigorously, for 3 minutes, until combined and heated. Turn off the heat, add the egg, and stir until incorporated. Serve immediately.
RYE IS A MAJOR GRAIN in Northern Europe, where I come from. Thought to have originally grown as a weed in fields of the “luxury” grain (wheat), it is hardy, and therefore a good crop for colder climates. In addition to rye flour, rye berries—which are the whole rye grains from which rye flour is ground—can be purchased in health food stores and online (see Resources, here).
SERVES 8 / ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN / INACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN
As a child I loved a porridge called Ollebrod, made from old rye bread soaked in beer. We ate it for breakfast, but also alongside fish, pork, whatever. It would simmer in a big pot on the stove throughout the day. Guests would come inside and hear it bubbling, grab a spoon, and help themselves. Now, many chefs (Nordic and otherwise) use bread porridge as a canvas for gorgeous flavors, using grains and breads other than just rye.
As a dessert, not a breakfast gruel, porridge becomes a light, delicious, not-too-sweet, and comforting way to conclude a meal. I don’t like overly sweet cakes or sugary icing, but ending with something a little naturally sweet and light is satisfying. I love it with a scoop of caramel ice cream and a drizzle of apple balsamic vinegar.
1 pound stale rye (or other) bread, torn into small pieces or crumbled (5½ cups)
2 cups flat beer, preferably dark beer or ale (less than 2 bottles)
1¾ cups sugar, half granulated/half brown
¾ cup heavy cream
cup dark chocolate chips
Apple balsamic vinegar, for serving
Salted caramel ice cream, for serving
In a medium pot, combine the bread, beer, and sugars over low heat and cook, stirring gently, for about 20 minutes, until the bread is softened and the liquid is absorbed. Add the cream and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes more, until it starts to thicken. Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and cool. Store in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).
To serve, spoon into individual bowls, drizzle with apple balsamic vinegar, and add a scoop of caramel ice cream.
WHEAT IS A COMMON GRAIN, but most of us have little idea what it looks like in a field or what parts are discarded through processing it into flour. The wheat kernel heads are cut and then threshed to remove the grain from the rest of the head, which is known as the chaff. For white flour, the grain is then milled so that the germ, endosperm, and grain are further separated and discarded or used for feed. These parts of the kernel contain much of the nutrition of the plant. The remaining white grain, ground into flour for bread, pasta and pastries, has to be fortified with vitamins. Whole-wheat flour retains much of the discarded kernel and is a more nutritious choice.
Although wheat flour has a long shelf life, once baked into fresh bread it will only stay soft for one or two days, or up to seven days or more for packaged bread. The package will often have a printed “best by” date that represents when it is softest, after which it may become hard and dry, although it is still perfectly edible. Bread is truly no longer edible when it becomes moldy, at which point it should be composted. Some prepared processed dough rolls and biscuits have oils in them that will go bad; you can tell by the rancid odor. As an ancient staple food, there are many traditional uses for bread once it has passed its peak freshness.
SERVES 4 TO 6 / TIME: ABOUT 1 HR (including roasting the garlic)
For a weekend brunch I slather this with the Scraped Salmon Tartare on the Bone (here) and serve with Wrinkled Berry Salsa with Herb & Kale Stems (here).
18-inch or other large loaf country bread, halved lengthwise
Generous ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably Wilted Herb Butter with Garlic (here), at room temperature
Roasted Ugly Garlic (here)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the butter on the open halves of the bread and then drop heaping spoonfuls of the garlic over the top. Close the bread halves and wrap in foil. Bake for 5 minutes and then remove the foil, open up the halves, and bake for another few minutes, until the butter is melted.
TMW
SERVES 6–8 / ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN / INACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN
This classic bread salad is a filling meal with Italian origins.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups 2-inch chunks of stale, dry (but not moldy) bread (crusts removed and saved for bread crumbs, here)
3 cups vegetable scraps cut into chunks (such as tomatoes, cucumbers), or ½ onion, chopped
1 to 2 cups chopped herb scraps such as parsley, basil, and thyme
½ cup Celery Scrap Pesto (here), Carrot Top Pesto (here), or other leftover pesto; or ½ cup vinaigrette, or oil and vinegar salad dressing
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bread chunks and toast, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl and add the vegetable scraps and herb scraps. Add the vinaigrette or pesto and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 30 minutes so flavors can be infused.
TMW
SERVES 12 / ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR / INACTIVE TIME: 1 HR
The bread pudding method is the same, whether sweet or savory. This recipe is adapted from the leek-Gruyère bread pudding in the December 2006 Martha Stewart Living magazine.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch leeks, white and light green parts (save the roots and dark green parts for Vegetable Scrap & Peel Stock, here, or for other uses, see here)
4 cups half-and-half
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
5 eggs, lightly beaten in a large metal bowl
1 loaf stale bread (about 1 pound) crusts removed (save for bread crumbs, see Other Ways to Enjoy Old Bread, here) and torn into chunks
3 cups mixed grated sharp-flavored hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, Gruyère, and sharp Cheddar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened. Add the half-and-half, salt, and pepper and bring to a bare simmer.
Whisk 1 cup of this heated mixture into the bowl with the eggs, then pour the entire contents of the bowl back into the pan. Continue to cook the leek-egg-cream mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Layer half of the bread chunks on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Pour 2 cups of the leek mixture over the bread and sprinkle with 1½ cups of the cheeses. Let stand 10 minutes. Arrange the rest of the bread chunks on top and add the rest of the leek-egg mixture, then finish with the remaining cheeses.
Cover the casserole dish with foil and place in a large roasting pan. Add hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the casserole dish. Bake until the top is light brown and set, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake until deep golden brown, another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve at room temperature.
MAKES 2 PINTS / ACTIVE TIME: 1 HR / TOTAL TIME: 6 HRS, includes chilling time
This sweet treat takes on the toasted nutty flavor of wheat bran. Wheat bran is the skin of the wheat grain. Commercial products such as Raisin Bran cereal and wheat germ include the wheat bran and have higher nutrient and fiber contents than refined flours. However, they also have a number of other additives, including sugar. Recently, pure wheat bran and wheat germ products, such as from Bob’s Red Mill, have become available online and in the specialty sections of grocery stores.
2 cups wheat bran (available from Bob’s Red Mill)
2½ cups whole milk
2½ cups heavy cream
8 egg yolks
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark honey
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional garnishes:
a few Leftover Oatmeal Crisps (here)
a few tablespoons of Flat Beer Jelly (here)
a tablespoon of Black Walnut Puree (here)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spread the wheat bran on an 8 × 12-inch baking sheet and toast in the oven for 12 minutes; you will be able to smell the toasting and see a little smoke.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the milk and cream and scrape the toasted wheat bran straight into the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until almost boiling. Remove from the heat, cover, and let infuse for 45 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Pour the wheat bran infusion into the bowl, whisking continuously. Holding a large medium-mesh strainer over the pot, strain the mixture into the pot. Add the honey and salt and cook over medium heat, gently stirring, until the mixture thickens to coat the back of the spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Strain in batches through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours, until well chilled.
Transfer to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
To serve: Scoop in a bowl with a drizzle of black walnut syrup and a dab of beer jelly. Top with a toasted oatmeal crisp.
TESTER’S NOTE:
It tastes like a toasted nut ice cream, using inexpensive wheat bran. I only had a small strainer, though, so the straining was a bit tedious so that the bran did not go through to the cream. I would recommend using a large (medium-mesh) strainer if you have one.