Vegan Gnocchi

adapted from Heidi Swanson's recipe: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/how-to-make-gnocchi-like-an-italian-grandmother-recipe.html)

Scant 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 large russets)
3/4 cup of organic whole wheat flour
fine grain sea salt

Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes. Save the potatoe water.

Remove the potatoes from the water one at a time with a slotted spoon. Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. Also, peel each potato as soon as possible after removing from the water (without burning yourself) - I've found a paring knife comes in handy here. Be mindful that you want to work relatively quickly so you can mash the potatoes when they are hot. To do this you can either push the potatoes through a ricer, or do what I do, deconstruct them one at a time on the cutting board using the tines of a fork - mash isn't quite the right term here. I run the fork down the sides of the peeled potato creating a nice, fluffy potato base to work with. Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even consistency with no noticable lumps.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. When you are ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the flour across the top. I've found that a metal spatula or large pastry scraper are both great utensils to use to incorporate the flour into the potatoes. Scrape underneath and fold, scrape and fold until the mixture is a light crumble. Very gently, with a feathery touch knead the dough. This is also the point you can add more flour (a sprinkle at a time) if the dough is too tacky. I usually end up using most of the remaining 1/4 cup flour, but it all depends on the potatoes, the flour, the time of year, the weather, and whether the gnocchi gods are smiling on you. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy. Cut it into 8 pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch. Dust with a bit more flour.

To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork,cut ends out. With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This step takes some practice, don't get discouraged, once you get the hang of it it's easy.

Now that you are on the final stretch, either reheat your potato water or start with a fresh pot(salted), and bring to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. They will let you know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Have a large platter ready with a generous swirl of whatever sauce or favorite pesto you'll be serving on the gnocchi. Place the gnocchi on the platter. Continue cooking in batches until all the gnocchi are done. Gently toss with more sauce or pesto (don't overdo it, it should be a light dressing), and serve immediately, family-style with a drizzle of good olive oil on top. Serves six.

NOTE: you can also fry the gnocchi in olive oil instead of boiling

Swedish Limpa Bread

Use your basic bread recipe, with these ingredients. If you dont have a bread recipe, stay tuned, we will add a basic bread recipe here soon!

This was a breadmaker recipe, which Evelyn Nelson adapted for use with our flour! It is DELICIOUS! It makes a round flattish loaf on a cookie sheet, or add extra flour for a more regular fatter loaf.

1 1/3 cup water 2 tsp anise seeds
1 ½ tsp salt 2 tsp caraway seeds
¼ cup molasses and/or maple syrup 2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp butter 2 tsp orange zest
1 cup rye flour 2 ¼ tsp yeast
2 ½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup white flour

375 degrees -- bake half hour

Walnut Date Bread

Walnut Date Bread (use a basic bread recipe—if you don’t have one, stay tuned, we will add one here soon!)

4 cups flour
1 1/2c. water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar or molasses
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp oil

Walnut date cookies

8 oz whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 sticks melted butter
¾ c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda. Mix in chopped dates and walnuts. Stir sugar into melted butter when hot. After butter reaches room temp, stir in flour mixture. Mix together until well-combined. Make balls and flatten. Bake at 350 degrees about 18 minutes.