Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Buckwheat



Buckwheat with roasted vegetables


Today I did a kitchen inventory and rotated my pantry, task I perform every 3-4 months. And each time I find some dry ingredient that I forget to use for some time. To my delight I bumped into a jar of buckwheat. 
I need to tell you, that I don't actually have a real pantry, a room with shelves from top to bottom, where dry goods stored on one side, preserved food on the other, and all my "technical support" in the middle. That's a dream pantry. 
In reality I have a couple tight places where I keep my dry goods in mason jars in two rows, hence sometimes I forget what is in the second row that I don't see. My preserved food and "technical support" Kitchen Aid stand mixer, juicer and food processor occupy a bookshelf in the kitchen/dining area.

Back to buckwheat. I simply cooked one cup of buckwheat groats in two cups of water, and served it with roasted vegetables, bound together with sauteed shallots and tomato sauce. 


A few interesting facts:
1. First cultivation of buckwheat was around 6000 BC.
2. Too much fertilizer, nitrogen especially, reduces yield of buckwheat. 
3. Buckwheat has no gluten. 
4. Buckwheat is not related to wheat grain; it comes from the same family as sorrel and rhubarb.


What is you favorite food made with buckwheat? 


See you,
Marina

13 comments:

  1. Marina-your creation of the buckwheat paired with the roasted vegetables are incredibly delicious, and so healthy.
    I use to make a simple Jewish style bowtie pasta dish with toasted buckwheat combined. Can't remember the name for it...another recipe that I haven't used in ages. Now, I have a new one to add to my collection of "tried and true" which is this simple and great recipe you shared:DDD

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    1. Thanks Elisabeth! That pasta and buckwheat sounds very interesting, I need to try it.

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  2. I should do the pantry rotation more often as I hate finding things that have gone off or expired! I don't use buckwheat as often as I should though :)

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    1. When my parents were here, we had buckwheat almost every other day in one form or another. I too forget about it and don't use as often as my mother.

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  3. I have a cupboard full of dry goods that I forget about or can't think of anything to cook with them. I really must use that freekah, polenta, cracked wheat, couscous etc more often.

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    1. I fell in love with grains lately, and I can't have enough of polenta. I think I need to take pictures of what I cook more often...:)

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  4. Oh man, I really need to rotate my pantry. I'm afraid of what I'd find LOL

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    1. My husband keeps me on my toes: he doesn't like when food is wasted, and actually neither do I.

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  5. I have never cooked up buckwheat and eaten it like that! I love buckwheat, but I usually grind it and use it as a flour! Thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. We grew up on buckwheat similar to this one, but I hated it when I was little. The only way I ate it was with milk, like cereal. Funny how our taste changes!

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  6. Looks delicious! I don't think I've ever had buckwheat! I need to clean out pantry! Note to self... thanks

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  7. I've never cooked with buckwheat but you have me intrigued! Your meal sounds yummy!

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  8. simple and delicious. Love it. My favourite way to have buckwheat is with creamy mushrooms mixed in it (creamy without dairy that is), for some reason for me the two (mushrooms and buckwheat) go perfectly together. Now, I need some buckwheat :)

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Your warm comments put a smile on my heart.