I’m not sure who the Event Coordinator was for this month, but it seems we’ve got quite a pile-up of activities penned in for the upcoming week. It certainly doesn’t leave a lot of time to linger on any of these festivities, but perhaps this mélange of springtime holidays will rush in some spring-like weather, too.
Well, at any rate, to enjoy our multiple celebrations, we simply need some well-thought-out multi-tasking. For instance, one batch of cookies, divided, could be easily rolled out into shamrocks, spring tulips and Easter bunnies. Or Easter eggs at the end of a rainbow. Or Leprechaun bunnies—these could really be something!
For those of us who are eagerly awaiting next week’s advent of spring, try a little simple, cheerful gardening. Plant some hard wheat berries (available as a grain in most health-food stores) in a plastic-lined basket. You can lay them thickly on top of the soil; water well and cover with plastic wrap. With a little luck o’ the Irish, these golden kernels will sprout up by the first day of spring (take the plastic off as soon as they start to grow) and be the perfect bed of real grass into which you can nestle your Easter eggs.
Suffering from cabin fever? Just plant your wheat berries right away and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of “mowing” your Easter grass. Then, throw the cuttings into a juicer and enjoy one of Mother Nature’s most healthful substances—wheat grass juice. If you can take it straight, toast with this green drink on St. Patrick’s Day (just don’t let any real Irish catch you doing it!)
Here’s a menu item that can do double duty as your Irish breakfast, (add green food coloring, if you must) or it can be a nice side dish to an Easter brunch. For St. Patrick’s Day, try it with currants and chopped pistachios; for Easter, tart cherries, apricots and sliced almonds.
Overnight Oatmeal
1 c. steel-cut (or Irish) oats*
½ c. dried fruit
½ tsp. cinnamon
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
finely grated zest from one orange
2 c. milk
¼ c. nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
real maple syrup and additional milk, for serving
In a glass or ceramic bowl, combine the oats, dried fruit, spices, salt and grated orange zest. Stir in the milk, cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
When ready to serve, transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and heat just to boiling. Simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the consistency by adding additional milk to taste. Divide into bowls (serves 4), sprinkling each with toasted nuts and drizzling with a little real maple syrup.
*Don’t substitute rolled oatmeal for the steel-cut oats, as it will break down and won’t have the right texture. Steel-cut, or Irish-style oats, are available in bulk at the Food Co-op. Irish Oats (steel-cut oats actually from Ireland) can be found in tins in specialty stores and international food isles.
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Editor’s Note: Angela Denstad Stigeler writes a food column each week for the Caledonia Argus. She, her husband and their two young children live in Caledonia.
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