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Ingredients Half cup dried whole barley One cup split pea One inch piece Kombu Two carrots diced Three stalks of celery diced One onion diced Eight cups water (approximately) One bay leaf 1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt Soy sauce seasoning to taste Thyme, parsley, chives, scallions, parsley, and celery leaves your choice, try all, they make great flavor and nutrients.

Preparation  Bring the water and kombu to a slow boil, remove kombu, set aside for later use. Add onions, allow to become transparent, add tofu, when tofu floats to the top, add wakame and mushrooms. Ladle some broth into a cup with the miso to soften, lower the flame to a simmer, add the melted miso. Do not boil miso, since miso is a live food, boiling will kill the microorganisms contained in the life of the miso. When the broth begins to move in a waving motion, 3 to 5 minutes turn it off and serve with the fresh scallions on top. This soup does not take long to make. It will keep in the fridge if leftover, but best served right away.

INGREDIENTS Three cups of oat flakes 1 tsp. Sea salt ⅓ cup flax seeds ⅔ cup chopped walnuts One cup chopped almonds ⅓ cup sunflower avocado oil ¼ + cup maple or rice syrup ¾ cup dried apricots diced ½ tsp. Vanilla ¼ tsp. Almond extract 1 tsp. Cinnamon One cup of raisins

The Easiest and quickest way to cook dried beans

How to Make Polenta in an Array of Presentations, starting with one simple recipe.

STUFFED CUCUMBER ROLLS

Natto is made from cooked whole soybeans that have been fermented with koji spores. Once it is prepared, there is no need for further cooking. It is usually served as a side dish as an accompaniment with grains and noodles. It can be prepared by stirring it to bring out the stickiness, then adding different flavors, such as soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, daikon radish, jinenjo mountain potato, mustard, horse radish, chives, scallions, nori slivers, and other seasonings. It can be made at home with a bit of preparation and can be purchased in Asian markets or online. I find it is difficult to find Natto made with organic soybeans, so I am going to attempt to make it at home. I ordered the Kawashima Natto Starter Powder through Amazon, will update when I do it. I made it years ago with Sensei Muramoto, and remember that it was very different and more delicious than the frozen packages available. Natto has a distinctive smell and flavor that people either love it or hate it. I have heard that people who eat a lot of dairy do not like it, I am not sure how true that is. The benefits to enjoying Natto are enormous. It is a super nutritious food. It is originated in Japan, where the cooked soybeans were wrapped in rice straw which naturally had the bacillus subtillis bacteria on its surface. This allowed the sugar in the beans to ferment creating Natto. Soybeans are a very hard bean. It takes a long time to cook them. Soybeans are a very important part of the vegetarian diet because they are a one of the highest quality sources of plant based protein, vitamins, minerals and isoflavones. They do contain anti-nutrients such as lectins, however, it has been studied that fermentation reduces the content by 95%.

When I lived in Southern California, studying with Sensei Muramoto, we made dried persimmons. We would get cases of them. It was early winter and he had a wood burning stove, since it would get chilly. He built what appeared to be a makeshift fort to dry the peeled persimmons. He used grass mats and built them all around the wood burning stove. We would sit for hours peeling them. He took great pride in being able to peel the whole fruit with one long peel. I never could do it. Every day, he would turn them. When they began to be more dry, he would press them slightly in the middle. It took several weeks before they were ready. In the morning, we would slice them in slivers and serve them with green tea. It was the most delightful combination. He said it created a seventh taste. After I moved back to Philadelphia, we remained good friends. Every year, he would send me a big box of dried persimmons for Christmas. And every year, I would send him a wool vest with leather buttons from Lord & Taylor. My children and I loved them. His persimmons were the most beautiful, they would have a natural sugary coating and beautiful texture and sweetness. His hands had golden microbes. Every food he touched blossomed into it's most highest potential. There is no real recipe to creating dried persimmons. Buy fresh persimmons not too ripe. Wash and then carefully peel the skin off, leaving as much fruit as possible. Set them out on a clean straw mat or something that would be makeshift. The area should be warm, near a wood burning stove. Make sure they don't touch each other. With clean dry hands, turn them each day. When they begin to crystalize on the outside, press the center slightly. When they are completely dried yet tender, store them in a dry air paper box, like cardboard, with wax or parchment paper to store. I would slice them and best serve with green tea.

Mary's Warm Residential Retreat & Healthy Cooking Classes and Meals

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Directions Coming

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How to make fermented foods part of your life without much fuss.

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Green vegetables come in many ways, from leafy to varieties of the Brassica family of cabbages and mustards. They are also known as cruciferous vegetables or Cole crops due to their stem or stalk. There are infinite ways to cook these wonderful green vegetables, yet it is essential to retain their deep color and nutritional value.  Methods of cooking can determine the outcome towards the full potential of the result of the dish. There are many techniques for working with green vegetables: Blanching, steaming, boiling, sauteing, frying, pressed salad, pickling. Keeping green veggies in our daily diet is essential. It is easy to cook them quickly by blanching, steaming, or boiling.

Millet is one of the most versatile and understated of all the grains. How to cook and use this remarkable tiny grain millet in so many ways from warm creamy porridge, fluffy main or side dish, nori wrapped appetizer, corn crusted tempura squares and easy preparations.

Easy Salsa with fresh veggies, black beans , and avocado. This is just one version of so many ways to make sassy salsa. So easy to do and so worth it for the freshness of taste and liveliness of the newly cut vegetables. Here's a way to get it right every time! I once entered a Best Chili Contest in Ocean City, New Jersey held at the Flanders Hotel. There were so many entrants, yet I was the only one labeling mine as "Chili Non-Con Carne with Homemade Salsa". To my huge surprise, I won first prize! I was so excited. One of the judges told me, it was my salsa that really won them over. Here is just one of many types of salsas you can play with. I hope you enjoy it.

How to make a one pot stew or "Hot Pot" meal using just vegetables, rice and noodles. Nabe Mono, as is called in Japan, translates to "pot thing" or things in a pot. There are so many variations to this wonderful dish, it is endless to the different ingredients you can use, making it new every time. It is considered one of the most versatile home-cooked dishes and social party food. It can be cooked at the center of the table with a cooking component. Enjoy yourself with your friends and family surrounded by the table with all the ingredients raw and cooked to go into the pot, so much fun. This is such a social time to share conversation and expression because you are ALL eating from the same pot, it makes for easier mingling, talking, and enjoying each other; as a great social gathering and dinner party.

I have been making pickles for a long time. Sometimes with immense success and many times disastrous enough for compost. Being able to pickle is one of the most challenging of all challenges for me in the history of all my kitchen endeavors. I do not give up. So, for those of you hesitating to take the pickle plunge, don't give up because it can be extremely rewarding. Pickling requires fermentation, and fermentation requires many factors, some of which you will have little control over. There are many ways to study fermentation, simply put it is the process of preserving foods in an acid or salt solution. I am going to talk about my experiences with pickling to share with you through my successes and failures. First, you must start by having fresh whole ingredients, preferably organic grown. Wash very well. Then begin to cut as you desire. Make sure that all your utensils are clean, clean. You need superior quality additions, such as sea salt, soy sauce, Ume vinegar or juice, miso, vinegar. Make sure the air quality in your kitchen area is fresh and clean, not stale. Years ago, between 1983 and 1984, I had the supreme honor of working with Sensei Noboru Muramoto. He is the author of Healing Ourselves and Natural Immunity. We processed Sea salt, miso, soy sauce, natto, tempeh and umeboshi with home grown purple shiso. I was always amazed at his hands, everything he touched and made turned to "gold". He explained his hands had years of working with fermented foods, I could only derive that his hands had great power to make the different foods he worked with respond to beyond the intended potential. When we made soy sauce, we first cooked the wheat, then added the koji culture. He would turn the wheat mixture with his hands, the perfume and heat from the big wheat mound was intoxicating. He told me that some people ruined the wheat during fermentation because of the bacteria on their hands. That made a significant impact on me to know how important our hands are in our food preparation. So, hand lotion is not recommended prior to food prep. Also, start with small quantities until you are more comfortable. There are long term pickles and short-term pickles. This recipe is a short-term pickle since it is ready in just a few days. You may add many accompaniments, such ginger, sesame seeds, tasty herbs, shiso greens, etc.

45 minutes from start to finish. Thank you Mary! -- Jane Williams

INGREDIENTS One white onion sliced thin double half moons Two cups cooked whole oats (recipe follows) Four cups spring water One inch piece Kombu One cup of plant milk, preferably oat milk 3/4 tsp. Sea salt 2 tsp. Soy sauce or white miso to taste Scallion slivers or chopped parsley or both for garnish 1/2 tsp. Toasted sesame oil (optional)

Recipe Coming Soon

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Ingredients Two carrots sliced large 1/2 chunks One onion large chunk Two stalks of celery cut one-third inch One green zucchini is cut into thick rounds then in half or thirds Two green onions sliced one inch 11/2 cups Broccoli stems & heads 1 Can of unsweetened coconut milk One cup of plant milk or water Two - four cloves' garlic to taste minced One Tbsp. Fresh minced ginger Grated fresh ginger juice to taste One Tbsp. cumin Two - three Tbsp. curry powder 1 tsp. Sea Salt 1 1/2 Tbsp. Toasted sesame oil Soy Sauce to taste at the end of cooking Lots of chopped parsley and cilantro

Apple Pomegranate Tarte

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Thanksgiving Veggie Way For years, I have been making seitan a substitute for the all-famous central figure of Thanksgiving - the endearing Mr. Turkey. Seitan is a wheat gluten protein made from whole wheat flour. I grind mine from organic whole Hard Red Spring Wheat ordered from Great River Organic Milling Company. Many cultures throughout the world commonly use seitan or “wheat meat” in place of meat. Every year, I try to hone this dish to its best potential, always learning more ways to improve it, as it can be very time-consuming. The goal in making seitan is to remove the bran and starch, leaving only the gluten, which forms a dough to be used in many ways.

INGREDIENTS 3 Ears of organic corn or frozen corn Two cups of whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp sea salt Fifteen scallions (white part only) 1/3 cup miso (Mugi) 2-3 Tbsp. water 4 Tbsp. Toasted sesame oil

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Ingredients One ½ cups Fresh Organic Strawberries 1 tsp Maple syrup A pinch of salt

Ingredients Two cups of dried black beans 5-6 cups water 1-inch piece Kombu 1-2 bay leaf 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp soy sauce 

Ingredients Three -4 Red peppers washed 1 tbsp. chopped garlic 1 tsp. Sea salt ¾ cup extra virgin olive oi

INGREDIENTS Three cups of cooked long-grain rice Two cups of soy or almond milk ¼ cup sweetener (maple) One cup of raisins 1 3-inch stick cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp sea s alt

Ingredients Two cups dry French Lentils Four cups of water to start Add more water to cooking 1 tsp sea salt 1-2 Whole Bay Leaves One inch piece of Kombu ½ tsp Soy Sauce

STUFFED CUCUMBER ROLLS

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Grain & Bread connect to so many sayings: "Bread is the staff of life", "Home is where the heart is", "With a grain of salt", "Give us our daily bread this day", "One grain ten thousand grains". Our human history begins around gathering wild grasses, grains, & around the hearth and baking bread. Go ahead & take the dive into bread making - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients ⅔ cup diced onion 4 cloves garlic chopped ¼ cup chopped parsley 1 Tsp. Olive oil (XV) ¾ Cup water 3 Tbsp. mustard ⅓ Cup maple syrup ⅓ Cup vinegar 2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Cup tomato sauce or comparable puree 4 Tbsp. Allspice 1 tsp. Sea salt, Hot spice (optional)

Preheat Preheat oven at 350° for approx. 35 to 40 minutes INGREDIENTS Two cups cornmeal (best freshly ground dried whole organic corn) One cup water 1 1/2 cups Pastry or Un bromated all-natural white flour 1 tsp sea salt 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch 1/3 cup excellent quality oil One cup of plant milk 3 tbsp maple or rice syrup ½ tsp vanilla 2 Tbsp baking powder mix with 2 Tbsp. plant milk