Pumpkin Butter Bread
Pumpkin Butter Bread is a rich, moist bread with hints of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mace and clove that give the bread depth and flavor. The recipe calls for using two types of pumpkin – pure, unadulterated organic pumpkin (with no additives) and Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter (made of pumpkin, sugar, lemon juice, pecans and spices) but you can substitute additional pumpkin for the pumpkin butter. Despite its name, there are no butter, eggs, or dairy ingredients in Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter meaning this quick bread is plant-based (vegan). Read more 
Sunflower Seed Whole Grain Bread by Sant Ambroeus
Rarely am I impressed with bread served in a restaurant so when a friend who hails from New York City insisted I try the Sunflower Seed Whole Grain Bread at Sant (St.) Ambroeus, my expectations were low. For me, the most excellent of breads must have aroma – that yeasty smell that is indisputably comforting, a crunch on the outside, a soft, chewy texture on the inside and most important of all: flavor. There are many loaves of bread that look good but very few that look and taste incredible. Just like men, right? Just kidding. Read more
Whole Grain Blueberry Flax Bread
Blueberries are not often paired with bread unless the fruit is in the form of jam but the combination of whole grain and bread flour blended with ground flaxseed, walnuts, cashews, coconut flour, pecans, dates, vanilla bean, and freeze-dried blueberries makes a wonderful loaf of bread that isn’t just for breakfast. With no added sweeteners, Whole Grain Blueberry Flax Bread is a nutrient dense no-knead loaf that is wildly different and wildly delicious owing to a 1.75 ounce packet of instant hot cereal (Wildway Blueberry Flax Instant Hot Cereal) that gives the bread a subtle blueberry but robust grain flavor and moist texture. Read more
Easy No-Knead Whole Grain and Seed Bread
We light the oven so that everyone may bake bread in it. ~Jose Marti
Most of us don’t have to light our ovens anymore but we certainly can put them to good use so why not make a delicious loaf of bread with whole grains and seeds? Making homemade bread (sans a bread machine) can be an intimidating and daunting, messy task especially for inexperienced bakers. It’s one thing to spend precious time and energy to make a homemade loaf and quite another to have the bread turn out flavorful and delicious. But, what if you could make a scrumptious loaf of bread by simply combining a few ingredients, waiting for the dough to develop, and then baking it? Read more
California Suncakes
Sometimes the most delicious products are found in the most unlikely places.
Iowa City is known for a lot of things – a huge university (University of Iowa – home of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop), local breweries, the Iowa City Jazz Festival, the Airliner Bar (where Ashton Kutcher was discovered by a modeling scout), and the New Pioneer Food Co-op (think of a small-scale Whole Foods Market but better) which is where I found California Suncakes: 4-ounce oatcakes that come in 6 varieties: Read more
Pumpkin Oat Walnut Muffins
Pumpkin is often associated with the Autumn leaves and Thanksgiving but there is no reason we shouldn’t enjoy this tasty and nutritious fruit (yes, pumpkin is a fruit and part of the squash family) all year-round. Shelf-stable puree pumpkin is available in cans and boxes in most supermarkets so keep a few in the pantry to make these moist, delicious, dairy and gluten-free muffins any time of the year. Read more
Sweet Olive Oil Tortas
Years ago while living in Madrid, Spain, sweet olive oil tortas (tortas de aceite) were a common snack that was often referred to as a “merienda” – a light snack in the late morning between breakfast and lunch or in the late afternoon between lunch and dinner. Although each neighborhood seemed to have their own bakery version, Ines Rosales was the most popular national brand simply because her tortas tasted the best. Read more
Jennifer’s Homemade Breadsticks and Flatbread
You can taste the love in every bite.
Jennifer’s Homemade Breadsticks and Flatbread are made from scratch with only the finest natural ingredients: wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh rosemary. Crunchy, delicious, and naturally vegan, the breadsticks and flatbread are versatile which makes them perfect for snacking and entertaining. Simply place the flatbreads in a bread basket or the breadsticks in a wide mouth jar on a table and watch them disappear. Read more
Bruschettini
Bruschetta is one of those hors d’oeuvres that is loved by many but made by few because there are three aspects to this tasty tidbit which require planning and time:
- Having a baguette or Italian toasts on hand;
- The topping (which is easily made with chopped tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper);
- Bruschetta must be served and consumed promptly or the toasts get soggy.
Paul’s Grains
Paul’s Grains is a hidden gem in a land of few jewels. Most farmers in Iowa grown genetically modified corn and soybeans but Paul’s Grains has been growing a variety of grains (spelt, barley, buckwheat, oats, corn, soybeans, millet, flax seed,quinoa, and more) without chemical fertilizers since 1964.
Going against the grain, Wayne and Betty Paul purchased 160 acres of land in a small town in central Iowa called Laurel. After graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in agriculture, Wayne was introduced to chemical-free farming using healthy, natural fertilizers for weed and insect control, which is how it’s been done for 51 years. Read more
Paddock Post 