This is the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest. It is a celebration of the abundance of summer foods. Foods related to this sabbat are: Breads, grains, fruits, berries and fresh grown vegetables.
Makes a 1/2 lb loaf
Heat a medium saucepan with hot running water until the pot feels warm. Drain, add lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Stir. Put lid on pot, and set aside for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, add flours, wheat germ, soda and salt and seeds. Stir to combine. Make a well in center of flour mixture.
*To toast seeds and wheat germ, put both in a small ungreased skillet over medium heat, shake pan until seeds are fragrant. Let cool before adding to dough.
Once yeast has dissolved (it should look bubbly), add buttermilk and vegetable oil, stir to combine. Pour yeast mixture into well you made in the flour mixture.
Combine flour and yeast mixture, working it in in circles. If the mixture seems too moist, add a little extra flour to make the dough smooth and elastic. Or, if it seems too dry, add a little more lukewarm water.
Punch and knead dough for about 8 minutes. Once dough is nice and smooth, and elastic, cover with a clean tea towel and set it in a warm place to rise. You're sunny window sill is a great place. Let rise until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours.
Once doubled, punch down dough, and knead again for only a couple minutes (overkneading makes the bread hard). Cover and set aside again to rise for about 1-2 hours.
Grease large baking sheet or 10 inch cake pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Once bread has risen, punch down and make into a ball. Slightly flatten the ball and put onto greased baking sheet. Bake bread for 1/2 hour or so until the top is golden brown. Once bread is baked, remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.
*This bread is great for the next recipe, and should be made a day in advance for it. If you are going to eat the bread to accompany a meal, don't bother slicing, let everyone grab a hunk of, just like to old days.
Serves 8
Grill eggplant and zucchini slices until browned on both sides. Set aside.
Cut bread in half horizontally, and remove some of the insides (save for bread crumbs or croutons for another use). Spread bottom of bread with hummus. Layer eggplant, zucchini, peppers and arugula. Spread pesto on top half of bread. Wrap sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and let chill for 1/2 hour. Cut into wedges and eat.
*If using cheese, top peppers with cheese before adding arugula. You may wish to warm the bread slightly to melt cheese, just wrap bread in foil, and put into an oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Serves 8-10
Stir sugar and flour together in large bowl. Add apples, raspberries, blackberries, and rhubarb. Toss together, and turn into pie shell. Cover with pastry top. Trim and seal edges. Cut vents in top. Brush pie top with butter and milk. Cover edges with foil.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, take foil off after 30 minutes.
Cool completely before slicing.
*This recipe adapted from Bonnie Stern's Simply Heartsmart cooking.
