Snacks / healthy snack

[caption id="attachment_707" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Pretty pickles made with Fire Cider![/caption] This recipe was sent to me by my friend Helen, yes, she's a nurse and she knows what's good for us- whole, organic foods!  This quick pickle recipe is an excellent way to preserve all those cucumbers that have taken over your garden.  Raw cucumbers are a cooling summer food.  When combined with some hot pepper, garlic, ginger and vinegar these pickle become a perfect fall condiment or snack.  Enjoy! Fire Cider Pickles:

• 2 or 3 cucumbers sliced into thin rounds
• half an onion sliced into half moons
• 2 cloves garlic
• a thumbnail of ginger, peeled

For the Brine:

• Few pinches of kosher salt
• Crushed red pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup Fire Cider
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

[caption id="attachment_708" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Boiling the pickles[/caption]   1. Put the cucumber, onion slices, ginger and garlic into a clean quart canning jar. 2. Add the remaining brine ingredients to a pot an boil on the stove top for 5 minutes.

Comfort foods can be healthy foods: These grain free buttermilk biscuits will leave you feeling full without the sugar crash or carbohydrate cravings from traditional wheat biscuits.   Wheat is a common allergen and with Spring on its way now is a great time to try cutting wheat from your diet:  Some people report dramatically lowered seasonal allergy symptoms from eliminating wheat.  High quality eggs, buttermilk and butter or coconut oil make these a great source of brain food and lasting energy-perfect for an afternoon snack!  The flours, flax and buttermilk are available locally at Berkshire Organics, Guido's and the Berkshire Coop Market.  These are perfect for brunch: as a base for Eggs Benedict or topped with Fire Cider Chutney.  Oh, and how about biscuits and gravy? Yum!  Set your oven to 425 and get baking! First, mix together your dry ingredients, making sure to break up any lumps.

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
• 2 Tablespoons almond flour- Bob's Red Mill makes a superior almond flour.
• 2 Tablespoons finely ground flax
• 3/4 cup coconut flour

Once your dry mix is thoroughly combined:

• add 6 Tablespoons (a heaping 1/3 cup) of cold coconut oil or cold, unsalted pasture butter, broken up into small chunks.

Cut the fat into the dry mix using a pastry cutter until you get a pea sized meal.  Stop combining before it starts to clump together into a ball. [caption id="attachment_522" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Crumbly flour and butter mixture.[/caption] Combine in a separate bowl:

• 1 generous cup of buttermilk- I buy Evan's Farmhouse brand at the coop and I use it to start my creme fraiche too.
• 1 large egg

Whip the egg into the buttermilk. [caption id="attachment_523" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Evan's Cultured Buttermilk is great to bake with.[/caption] Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold to combine. The batter will be very wet, but as it sits for a few minutes the coconut flour will fully absorb the excess liquid. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop out biscuits, I have used 1/4 cup measure as well as an ice cream scoop.  Make them as big - 8 biscuits or as small - 16 biscuits- as you like.  Use your hands to flatten them a bit into shape. Bake for 18-22 minutes- til browned and set.  They will be more fragile that regular grain biscuits so let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet first. Eat immediately or let cool completely and keep in an air tight container in the fridge. [caption id="attachment_525" align="aligncenter" width="538"] Warm buttermilk biscuits topped with creme fraiche.[/caption]