Have you been following the Summer Olympics? We’ve really enjoyed watching the events and rooting for our favorite athletes—in fact, we’re a bit sad that the games are almost over. Delectable recipes always cheer us up, though, and this British cookbook from our friends at Ryland, Peters & Small is not only full of tasty treats, it’s also fun way to commemorate the London Olympics.

Ryland, Peters & Small is a book publisher dedicated to capturing, “in words and pictures, those elements of life that give the greatest pleasure: sharing the perfect meal with friends, baking a batch of cookies with your children on a lazy Saturday and a home that makes you happy every time you open the front door.” When they reached out to us with this new book from their line, we loved it and thought you would, too—so we’re going to give away a copy!

Classic Artisan Baking by Julian Day compiles recipes for the most popular baked goods from Meg Rivers Artisan Bakery, a renowned British bake shop. Artful photos of delicious desserts fill the book, which is divided into sections for cakes, cookies, bars, breads and tarts. Each section is introduced with photos of English manors, farmhouses and countryside, setting a mood that perfectly complements the recipes—classic and crisp with a touch of rustic charm. Though there is definitely an emphasis on traditional English confections (tiffin, parkin, treacle tart and Banbury cakes, to name just a few), you’ll also find recipes for classic tarts and cookies from France and Italy, as well as solid renditions of universal favorites including brownies, carrot cake and banana bread. The difficulty level ranges from quite easy to rather challenging, and there are goodies for almost any occasion, whether you’re looking for an everyday snack like hearty muesli bars or a Christmas pudding for a special holiday meal. One thing we especially appreciate about this book is that the author helpfully provides American measurements and oven temperatures, so you don’t have to worry about converting from grams or Celsius.

Here’s a sample recipe to give you a taste of what Classic Artisan Baking has to offer.

Lavender Loaf

Lavender has been used for centuries as a flavoring for food, and it takes just a tiny amount to transform this simple cake into a delicately flavored delight, perfect for summer eating.

• 1 stick plus 2 Tbsp Butter, soft
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• grated zest of 1 Lemon
• 3 Tbsp ground Almonds
• 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup Self-Rising Flour*
• 3 tsp dried Lavender flowers

1-lb loaf pan lined with loaf-pan liner

Serves about 8

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the lemon zest, ground almonds and flours and beat to a smooth batter. Finally, add the lavender and stir through.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, spread level and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This cake is best eaten on the day of baking, but will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container or frozen for up to 2 months.

Tip: If using homegrown lavender, be sure to wash it thoroughly and dry it in the oven on low heat. Alternatively, you can buy dried lavender online at www.thefrenchybee.com.

*To make your own self-rising flour, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.

Want to win a copy of Classic Artisan Baking? To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post telling us which kind of baked good is your favorite to make with Bob’s Red Mill products. Cake, cookies, brownies, bread? We want to know! We’ll pick a winner from those of you who comment by 11:59 pm on 8/16. In addition to this wonderful book, the winner of the giveaway will receive a package of our Organic White Flour and a bag of Baking Powder, so you’ll be ready to try out a classic artisan recipe right away. 

We hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as we do. We only have one copy to give away, but if you aren’t the lucky winner and you’d like to get one for yourself, it is available for purchase on the Ryland, Peters & Small website.

Recipe and photos copyright Ryland Peters & Small $24.95; www.rylandpeters.com

Photography by Steve Painter 

If you’re in the Portland area on Friday, come out and join us for the 2nd Annual Spar for the Spurtle Cook-off. Festivities begin at 2 pm on Friday, August 10th and wrap up around 3 pm. We’ll have a talented local bagpiper and celebrity judges including Kim Sunée, author of A Trail of Crumbs; Jocelyn Zuckerman, Executive Editor of Whole Living Magazine; and Martha Rose Shulman from The New York Times. Our three finalists will compete to see who will travel to Scotland this October to compete in the 19th Annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.

If you missed who our finalists are, we chose Lanie Smith with her Paradise Porridge Potstickers, Kerri Willoughby with her Raspberry Oatmeal Dumplings and Laurie Figone with her Italian Pinhead Torta. Check out their videos here.

Come on down to our Whole Grain Store, have lunch on the patio and join in the fun at 2 pm on Friday. We hope to see you!

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie OR 97222
503-607-6455

I usually like to feature a main dish for Meatless Mondays to inspire you with a whole meal. Today, however, I’m sharing this fabulous recipe for Savory Oat Bread using our Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats. This quick bread is so easy to make and can be done in just 30 minutes if you want to make muffins or 40 minutes for a full loaf. The combined flavors of sun dried tomatoes, feta and green onions make it the perfect addition to a Greek or Caesar Salad (vegan in honor of MM). If warming up the oven doesn’t appeal on a hot summer day, try making these first thing in the morning when it’s still cool. Then, just pop them in the oven quickly to reheat before serving. Pair with a green salad of your choice and some grilled veggies, might we suggest this recipe for grilled zucchini or this one for spicy grilled eggplant?

Savory Oat Bread

Yield one 8 x 4 loaf

• 1 cup Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• ¼ cup dried or 1/3 cup packed in oil, rinsed Sun Dried Tomatoes
• (1 cup Boiling Water for dried sun dried tomatoes)
• 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
• ½ cup Olive Oil
• 1 cup Unbleached White Flour
• ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ½ cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup Green Onions, sliced 1/4″

In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk and let stand 1 hour.  Pour boiling water over dried sundried tomatoes, if using, to rehydrate and let stand 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Lightly oil an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan or line a muffin tin with paper liners.  Drain sundried tomatoes, reserving soaking liquid, and roughly chop.

Sift together flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add egg and oil to oat mixture, stirring until just combined.

Add dry ingredients to oat mixture, stirring until just combined.  Fold in sundried tomatoes, feta and green onions.  If batter seems very thick, add reserved tomato soaking liquid, about 2 Tbsp, until the batter reaches a thick yet pourable consistency.

Pour batter into prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to release any large air bubbles.  Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 25 – 30 minutes for muffins or 35 – 40 minutes for a loaf.

Serve warm.

If you’re local to Portland, you’re probably familiar with OMSI (The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). If you haven’t been, it’s truly a wonderful way to spend the day. Whether you’re a child of 8 or 80, OMSI has exhibits that will grab your attention and hold you spellbound. This weekend’s events are no different and are a wonderful time to explore this Portland attraction.

Dirt to Dinner is a free festival open to the public that will highlight “activities and organizations that support sustainable choices.” The event will also “explore the life cycle of food, from farm to table and beyond.” This is a great event to teach children about where their food comes from and learn more about those in the greater Portland area who are supporting and promoting this process.

Demonstrations and food tastings make up the majority of the day on Saturday, August 4th and Sunday, August 5th. Events start at 11 am and run through 4 pm. It’s going to be a hot and sultry weekend, why not escape to the waterfront and enjoy some good *free* food?

Bob’s Red Mill will be on hand on Saturday morning at 11:30 am to talk about our oats and give you some ideas for new ways to use them beyond oatmeal. Check out the full schedule of events here- we hope to see you there!

OMSI
1945 SE Water Ave.
Portland, OR 97214-3354
1(800) 955-6674
omsi.edu

Proper long term food storage will keep your food free from spoilage and bugs, as well as keep you fed in the event of a natural disaster. We have a few great tips for storing your food over the long term.

Safe, long term storage starts with:

• Clean Product. You can trust Bob’s Red Mill for clean and pure product.  Our relationship with our product starts at the source, with the farmer who produces the grain. We maintain personal relationships with farmers from across the country and make an effort to visit their farms. Together, we ensure that we’re offering the best product available, while always using best practices.
• Clean Storage Container.All of Bob’s storage containers are safe for your home storage.
  • 5 Gallon Bucket:  This high quality bucket is made in the USA from virgin resin. It is BPA free and FDA approved food grade plastic, making this bucket excellent for long term food storage. This bucket includes an airtight lid with a food grade rubber gasket to ensure against contamination or infestation.
  • Bob’s Clear Plastic Containers are made in the USA, BPA Free, and FDA approved for food. These bottles come in 32 ounce and gallon sizes. These plastic containers are not dishwasher safe; please wash by hand.
• Air Tight Seal. All of Bob’s Red Mill storage containers come with an airtight lid. The Gamma Seal Lid is a great convenient option for buckets accessed on a regular basis.  This lid snaps on airtight for safe storage, but has a spin off lid that enables easy access to ingredients. When done, simply spin the lid back on to seal with an airtight gasket.  Gamma Seal Lids are made in the USA and fit the 5 gallon bucket that we sell.
• Oxygen Absorbers. These packets eliminate the presence of oxygen in foodstuffs such as grain, rice, and beans. Oxygen absorbers are just what you need for long-term shelf stability. Use one oxygen packet per 5 gallon bucket. Our premium oxygen absorbers remove the oxygen from airtight sealed food storage containers. Removing oxygen stops oxidation to dramatically extend food’s shelf life and helps prevent insect activity. These absorbers are single-use and cannot be reused.

Do you have more tips for easy and safe long term food storage? Let us know in the comments.