Chapter 9

Breakfast

Culture for the Gutsy

When we worked the markets, some people couldn’t imagine kraut in the morning; others couldn’t start without it. Once tried, ferments for breakfast become almost an addiction. So many people, ourselves included, have felt our days start brighter with improved digestion. From elaborate weekend breakfasts to simple spreads to top your toast, we hope these ideas enhance your mornings.

Rancher Enchiladas

Most of the ways we eat our ferments just happen; there are no recipes. Having a ferment on the table with any meal is as natural as the ever-present salt and pepper shakers.

There is a pantheon of regular flavors. These are the ones that we know will dress up the meals, whose flavors will blend and satisfy the simplest of foods. For us this is Curtido, Leek–Cracked Pepper Kraut or Fresh Nettle Kraut, Edgy Veggies, a chile paste of some kind, and Kimchi. You’ll find your favorites, and before you know it you will be just adding the ferments and not thinking twice.

Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas

Hot Cereal

Make your favorite oatmeal, steel-cut or regular, soaked or instant. Just be sure to cook it in water, not milk.

Top with a pat of butter or a tablespoon of olive oil, and heap on a healthy dose of kimchi. Or substitute hot rice cereal for oats, add an egg, and top with fermented veggies.

Fruit and Green Smoothies

Don’t forget to add fermented goodies to your smoothies. A tablespoon or two of Cranberry Relish or Carrot Kraut adds pizazz to fruit-based smoothies, both green and yogurt. If you are a savory green smoothie drinker, the field is wide open; pick any kraut or brine to liven it up.

Omelets, Scrambles, Breakfast Burritos, and Eggs

Any egg breakfast lends itself to the addition of a kraut or fermented vegetable. Toss a little kraut into scrambled eggs at the end of cooking. Pour Sweet Pepper Salsa on top of over-easy eggs or huevos rancheros. And here are some of the endless omelet possibilities:

Schmears

“Schmear” is New York deli slang for a bagel topping, like cream cheese. These spreads can be schmeared on anything from a bagel or toast to tortillas or collard leaves.

The instructions are the same for each of these. Place room-temperature cheese in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Add brine as needed to achieve a creamy texture. These spreads will keep, covered, for 1 week in the refrigerator.

Herb Schmear

Combine the cream cheese and paste in the food processer and blend until combined. Add brine as needed to achieve a creamy texture.

Kimcheese

Combine the cream cheese and kimchi in the food processer and blend until combined. Add brine as needed to achieve a creamy texture.

Krautcheese

Combine the cream cheese, feta, and kraut in the food processer and blend until combined. Add brine as needed to achieve a creamy texture.

Cranberry Blue Cheese

Combine the cream cheese, blue cheese, and cranberries in the food processer and blend until combined. Add brine as needed to achieve a creamy texture.

Gado Gado Schmear

Combine the peanut butter, honey, and shoyu in a bowl. Lightly squeeze the kimchi to drain, saving the brine; chop finely. Add the kimchi to the peanut butter mixture. Stir until smooth, adding brine as needed to achieve a creamy texture.

Sauerkraut Frittata

serves 4

Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

Sauerkraut is a natural with meats and sausage, and it is just as well suited to eggs and cheese. A frittata is essentially a flat omelet that has the stuffing baked into it. It has the flamboyance of a quiche without the work or the gluten of the crust. Another advantage is that it is ready to be served all at once, with none of the hassle of keeping individual omelets warm.

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be varied easily just by changing the type of kraut or herbs. For a richer dish, add smoked salmon or Italian sausage.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. 2. Sauté the onion slowly in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until caramelized; set aside.
  3. 3. Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil, and the garlic. Beat lightly.
  4. 4. Gently squeeze the kraut to remove most of the liquid; it should be moist but not dripping. Stir the kraut and the cooled caramelized onions into the egg mixture.
  5. 5. Heat a 10-inch ovenproof sauté pan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter in the pan, turn off the heat, and pour in the egg-kraut mixture. Then transfer the pan to the oven.
  6. 6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until set.
  7. 7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese, if using.
Christopher Writes

Though it may seem an eternity when you’re in the middle of it, the bountiful zucchini days are not all that long. During the zucchini storm, zucchini muffins are a standard at our farm, mostly because it’s harvest season, which means breakfast comes between early-morning garden harvesting and midmorning in the fermentation kitchen.

We have tried to preserve the bounty through freezing and drying, and both work reasonably well. Kirsten has used the frozen shredded zucchini in sauces of various stripes in the winter, and the seasoned dried zucchini chips are popular straight out of the dehydrator, which means they don’t last long. We were looking for something new when Kirsten gave fermentation a try, and the positive results gave us another preservation option for the abundance.

Now our muffin breakfasts extend into autumn, at least until our last crock of fermented zucchini is finished. I love all things sweet as much as Kirsten loves savory, so we have a recipe for both camps. If you have a favorite zucchini muffin recipe, try it with fermented zucchini. Our only suggested modification is to reduce the salt a bit, maybe by a third. You will also find these muffins rise wonderfully.

Savory Zucchini Muffins

yield: 12 large muffins

Vegetarian

These muffins are best eaten warm with a thick slab of butter in the middle or slathered with cream cheese.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. 2. Beat the coconut oil and eggs in a large bowl.
  3. 3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the herbs and scallions.
  4. 4. Alternate adding the fermented zucchini and the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
  5. 5. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.
  6. 6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. 7. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from pan.

Spiced Zucchini Muffins

yield: 12 large muffins

Vegetarian

Little time is needed to get these muffins ready for the oven since the zucchini is already prepared.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. 2. Beat the coconut oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.
  3. 3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
  4. 4. Alternate adding the fermented zucchini and the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.
  5. 5. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.
  6. 6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. 7. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.

Rancher Enchiladas

serves 6

Gluten-Free

Years ago, when we were still in college, a friend made a variation of this recipe. These were the enchiladas that her mom ate on the ranch she grew up on in Silver City, New Mexico. We dubbed them Rancher Enchiladas, and the recipe has traveled with us through the years and is now updated with the addition of curtido. This Latin American ferment shines here. Prepare this for a Sunday morning brunch or for any meal.

This recipe is simple, but it requires a bit of finesse at the end to put it all together and get the six plates to the table.

Filling

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the broiler. Set six ovenproof plates on the counter.
  2. 2. Make the filling: Sauté the diced onion in the olive oil until translucent; add the beef. Sprinkle in the chile powder and cumin, and continue to fry until the beef is browned and cooked through. Keep the filling warm over low heat.
  3. 3. Fill the bottom of a small pan with enough oil to cover a tortilla. Heat the oil until very hot but not smoking, and fry the tortillas, one at a time, for about 5 seconds each, until softened but not crisp.
  4. 4. Using tongs, transfer the tortillas to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
  5. 5. Place one tortilla on each plate. Evenly divide the beef filling among the tortillas. Spoon about 1⁄3 cup curtido over each one and top with another tortilla.
  6. 6. Using multiple pans, fry the eggs over-easy in the butter, and place one on top of each tortilla stack.
  7. 7. Divide the enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas, sprinkle on the cheese, and place the plates under the broiler for 5 to 8 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

Smoky Kraut Quiche

serves 6 to 8

Vegetarian

The smoky kraut gives this a rich “meaty” flavor, while remaining totally vegetarian. We often serve this at our class, Kraut Around the Clock. While our students are in the fermentation kitchen with Kirsten, Christopher is in the other kitchen preparing all things sauerkraut for lunch.

Smoky Kraut Quiche

Crust

Filling

Instructions

  1. 1. Make the crust: Put the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the egg and the salt, and combine with a fork until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
  2. 2. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead lightly until the mixture holds together. Try not to overwork the dough.
  3. 3. Shape the dough into a 4-inch disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. 4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Put the drained kraut in a bowl and toss with the shredded cheese. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the half-and-half; stir in the nutmeg.
  5. 5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  6. 6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let soften for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough on your work surface, flouring the rolling pin as necessary, to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Fit the crust in the pan and crimp the edge.
  7. 7. Spread the kraut/cheese mixture in the crust evenly, then pour the egg mixture over that.
  8. 8. Bake the quiche for 30 minutes, until set and nicely browned. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.