Whole Grains from the Middle East – Freekah

Years ago I read about green wheat – freekah in one of Paula Wolfert's cookbooks. It sounded interesting, but I didn’t go out of my way to find it in the US. Years later, after I moved to Israel, my friend Sophie called me. Her son bought freekah at an Arab market in Haifa and she wanted to know how to cook it. A few months ago she told me that freekah was now sold at the upscale natural food store near her house in Tel Aviv. Another ethnic food that's become a "health food"!

Freekah is young, green durum wheat that's processed by burning. The chaff is scorched, making the grain easier to remove. It's got an almost wild, grassy smoked taste and a haunting aroma.

Nutritionally, freekah is a winner. Compared to other grains, it's high in fiber, protein, calcium, iron and potassium. (This is according to the Australian Government Analytical Laboratories. A company there is marketing freekah.) It's also got a low glycemic index, so it's an especially good carbohydrate for diabetics.

I like to serve freekah as a side dish with roast chicken or turkey breast. For a lovely vegetarian grain salad, cool the pilaf and add fresh parsley, mint and/or coriander. To avoid rancidity, store raw freekah in your freezer.

Freekah Pilaf (Parve)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup freekah, picked over and rinsed

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baharat *

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until it's soft and lightly brown.

While the onions are cooking, soak the freekah in water for about 5 minutes. Drain it well and add it to the onions, along with the salt and baharat. Cook it for a minute or two, while stirring. Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are cooked. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makes 3 cups

* Baharat is a blend of spices used throughout the Middle East. In Israel, Pereg Gourmet sells a fine blend. I'm partial to the baharat (with a "bite") made by The Spice House in Milwaukee, a mix of black pepper, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, paprika and chile peppers.

If you don't have access to store-bought baharat, make your own using either of these recipes:

Baharat Blend 1

2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Baharat Blend 2

1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ tablespoon ground allspice

½ tablespoon ground nutmeg

Winter Squash in Summer

Making aliyah has its challenges – language, culture, manners (or lack of) all require getting used to – or not. Even the food takes getting used to. Although Israel has modern grocery stores and an abundance of locally grown produce, food elicits nostalgia, and most olim (new immigrants) want at least a little "taste of home" once in awhile.

For me, that nostalgia hits once a year, at Thanksgiving. Turkey, stuffing, wild rice, cranberries and pumpkin pie, which I can easily do without all year round, start to make my mouth water. So I roast a turkey breast, bake cornbread and make stuffing. I cook wild rice with dried cranberries. But American-style pie pumpkins aren't grown here.

There's another problem with winter squash (that's what pumpkins are) in Israel – they come to market in the middle of summer! Right now, in July, we're eating the most delicious squash of the season – and I don't mean zucchini, which haven't been offered for months by our organic subscription farm. The fresh picked butternut squash is wonderful. Acorn squash – new in the Israeli market, is small, sweet and nutty tasting.

Here's a very easy way to cook winter squash: Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the stem and cut the squash in half lengthwise, from the stem end to the bottom. Take out the seeds. (A grapefruit spoon makes it easy.) With your fingers or a brush, rub the cut edges and the inside of the squash with olive oil. Sprinkle the surfaces with salt and pepper and bake, cut side down on the baking sheet until the edges begin to brown and the squash is soft.

With the abundance of delicious winter squash throughout the summer, I really don't miss it during the winter. What do I make for dessert on Thanksgiving? I use what's readily available at that time of year and make sweet potato pie!

Apricot Jam – Easy on the Sugar and Easy on You

Between the fruit trees in our yard and the nearby orchards (now subdivisions), there was always a surplus of summer fruit when I was growing up. First my mother made pies, and then jelly and jam. I remember pouring a layer of melted wax over the jelly – an old (and not very safe) method for sealing.

Now I still enjoy making jam, but usually in small batches. Last year I made cardamom fig preserves and apricot jam. When this year's crop of berries arrived from the Golan, I made blackberry jelly, raspberry preserves with berry liqueur and cherry jam.

Making jam does take time and effort. Between standing over the stove and stirring, cleaning jars and processing them in a water bath, it's definitely a project. And then there's the sugar. Jam takes a huge amount of sugar – most recipes call for equal weights of fruit and sugar.

Then I found a recipe for apricot jam that I had cut from a magazine ten years ago. (Yes, in addition to keeping recipes on my computer, I still clip and file.) It's nearly effortless and it uses just a little sugar and no pectin. (That's also good, because pectin isn't available in Israel.)

Pit and cut up the apricots. Add a small amount of sugar and lemon juice. Microwave.

Between cooking for a few minutes in the microwave, the jam cools for up to 3 hours before getting zapped a few more times. That's about it. There's no water-bath processing, so you'll have to store this jam in the refrigerator. It should last for several weeks.

Of course, I had to play around with the recipe. I used demerara sugar instead of white and added Amaretto to the first batch. The second batch has chopped candied ginger (I'm sure I used too much – but that just means more for me!) and a splash of orange juice.

Apricot season just ended here, but next week I'm hoping to try the recipe with plums.

PS We're not big jam eaters, but I still find plenty of uses for it. A small spoonful is wonderful with plain or frozen yogurt. I recently used homemade blackberry jam to fill two layers of a very simple birthday cake. I'm thinking of some apricot jam, white wine and herbs for this Shabbat's roast chicken. I also like to pour the jam into small glass jars and give them as gifts.

Microwave Apricot Jam (adapted from Sunset Magazine)

1 ¼ pounds (½ kilo) fresh apricots

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup sugar (white or demerara)

2 tablespoons Amaretto, orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice

Wash and pit the apricots. Cut them into quarters and put them into a large microwave-safe bowl. (I use an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup.) Add the sugar and lemon juice to the apricots and mix.

Heat the mixture in the microwave, on full power, for 6 to 8 minutes, until it boils. Take it out, stir gently and let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Microwave the mixture again for 5 or 6 minutes, or until it comes to a full boil. Take it out, stir and let sit again for 1-3 hours.

Now stir in the liqueur or juice and microwave for 12-15 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes. You should see lots of big bubbles. Pour the jam into clean jars (I pour boiling water into them so they're sparkling clean.) Cover, cool and store in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups

Probiotics

They're added to yogurt, snack bars, water, baby food and pizza crust. You'll find them in chewing gum, fruit juice, lozenges and toothpaste. They're even in dog food.

Are probiotics just another "health food" gimmick? What are they and what do they do? Should you add them to your diet?

Although they don't have a legal definition in the US, the World Health Organization defines probiotics as "Live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host."

"Live organisms" can also be described as "friendly or beneficial bacteria". They've been around for thousands of years in fermented foods like yogurt and kefir. But because the science of probiotics is just emerging, there are still a lot of unknowns. In typical fashion, the marketplace is often ahead of the science. Products containing probiotics are all the rage. But not all of them are effective or worth your money.

Here's what you should know:

The full name of the probiotic, including genus, species and strain

For instance, a popular yogurt drink contains Lactobacillus (genus) casei (species) DN-114 001(strain), a probiotic that may help support the immune system.

Another yogurt product contains Bifidobacterium (genus) animalis (species) DN-173-010 (strain), a probiotic that may help relieve constipation.

What's it supposed to do?

Different strains of probiotics provide different benefits. Targets for probiotic influence include digestive function (traveler's and antibiotic related diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose digestion, colic), oral health, allergies, eczema, vaginal and respiratory infections, and even brain function.

Is there scientific research to back up the claims?

The most important question to ask is whether the claim made for the product is true. Has it been tested on humans and shown to have a benefit? Search the web or call the company for details that may not be on the package. Check for articles published in scientific journals. Some products have their own website with links to clinical studies.

How much probiotic is in a serving size or a dose? What is the expiration date of the product?

It doesn't matter if a probiotic is added to food or if it's in supplement form. What's important is whether reliable research substantiates the health claim and whether there's an adequate amount of probiotic for therapeutic benefit. The minimum dose must be the dose shown to have a health benefit in controlled studies.

Are probiotics for everyone?

Check with your physician before giving probiotics to infants, the elderly and anyone with a seriously compromised immune system. Terminally ill cancer patients and people whose conditions have the potential for leaky bowels (including acute pancreatitis) should not take probiotics.

In Israel, there are a number of kosher yogurt products containing probiotics. In the US, similar products may or may not be kosher. Many yogurts in the US contain non-kosher gelatin, so check the labels. I found one probiotic supplement in the US with kosher certification, though most seemed to be non-kosher, due to their gelatin-based capsules.

Considering their possible benefits, probiotics are a low-risk intervention. They're worth a try as long as you do your homework and find the right product (and the correct dose) for what ails you.

For additional information about probiotics, try these websites:

http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/diet-medications/probiotics

http://isapp.net

http://www.usprobiotics.org