Louise Frazier's Whole Grain Cookery Chart
by Louise Frazier
In our history as gatherers, then cultivators, humankind and grains have long lived in partnership on the Earth. In our earliest days as nomads, we gained warmth and strength nibbling on grass-seeds, berries and plants. Stands of wild oats, barley, millet and other cereal grasses grew plentifully the world over, with tubers to nourish those in tropic areas. We soon learned to pound grains and soak them in water for a fresh grain cereal mash. Priest-King Zarathustra is acknowledged as being the father of agriculture, with grains among the first plants grown under his tutelage over seven thousand years ago. He knew that cosmic forces of the Sun rayed into the grains and were able to work on within the human being, and he taught that "the Sun will rise in you when you enjoy the fruits of the field." The ancient Egyptians and Greeks cultivated fields of grain and pounded and soaked grains for their fresh grain breakfast mash. However, it was soon discovered that the sun baked the leftover mash patties into a cracker form they could break off and eat later in the day.
With fire, cooking began, bringing stews of grains and plant roots and greens. Seafaring Phoenicians and conquering Roman legions carried their grain mills with them to provide themselves with fresh, hearty grain cereals. The Scots made crowdie, at first a soaked mash and later a cooked oat porridge. Middle Eastern tabouli has its origins as cracked wheat mash. Kept for a long time out of the sun, fresh grain mash began to rise, becoming lighter when baked, and then we had leavened bread. Cities grew around the miller and the baker, while people in the countryside invented many more dishes that combined vegetables and herbs with whole grains. Even delicious puddings were made with cooked grains, sometimes with the addition of fruit. In the Alps, rye grains were roasted and carried in deep trouser pockets for lunch.
As time passed, the monoculture of grains became more common, with the reliance on one grain bringing famine and fear when crop failure occurred. This eventually led the Europeans to introduce the cultivation of the newly discovered South American potato in the sixteenth century. At first, the populace did not take to the potato, but farmers were forced by law to grow them "to keep the bellies of the peasants full." New eating patterns were established as the potato replaced grains in the stew pot, and with this, the timeless tradition of whole grains as the staple of our diet became eroded. Whole grains were relegated more and more to their role in baked flour products.
A new art in baking came to the fore with the French chefs-Messieurs Brillat-Savarin and Cereme with their "haute cuisine"-which was still based on whole-grain flours. It is said that this cuisine underlies the high development of civilization at that time in France. And then, with the coming of the French Court and its decadence, came white flour, white asparagus, white refined food. In efforts to emulate royalty, western society sought more and more "refinement," eliminating in the process the vitality of foods in their natural state.
Today there is a growing interest in the revival of food in its more natural form. Western traditions in North America mostly go back to the era of whole grains in bread or breakfast form, save for the Native American corn recipes adapted in the New World. Westward-bound pioneers found that whole-grain flours turned rancid when held for long on a shelf or carried in wagons, and refined flours, which kept longer, became widely preferred. In Europe, where traditions still include the older grain-pot cookery of its ethnic groups, a wide array of dishes combining whole grains, complementary herbs, and vegetables or fruit is being revived.
Notable in this regard is the nutritional research, parallel to Biodynamic farming, originating with Rudolf Steiner. A rhythm of preparing a different grain for each day of the week has been suggested, beginning with rice on Monday, barley on Tuesday, millet on Wednesday, rye on Thursday, oats on Friday, corn on Saturday and wheat/spelt/kamut on Sunday. When preparing a pot of grains, we usually double the amount to have some for another meal, saving time and energy all around. Leftover cooked grains can be kept covered in the refrigerator for a few days; however, they do lose some of their qualities each day, so it is best to use them within four days. Make them into patties to bake in the oven, prepare them as satisfying summer salads, or add them to soups and stir-fry dishes. Combining grains with seasonal Biodynamic vegetables and complementary herbs can bring a wealth of flavorful goodness and sunshine to our days!