Recipes: Sour Rye Porridge; Warm Rye Sandwich with Farmer's Cheese & Herbs

SOUR RYE PORRIDGE

For Estonians, Rye bread has been the most important source for nutrition for centuries. The reason is quite simple: in Northern climate, rye is much more reliable crop than wheat. Porridge had similarly important place in daily meals, commonly made from barley, oats, rye and buckwheat, or mixture of different grains. This sour rye porridge was probably made when rye bread bake was planned saving some of the pre-ferment for the porridge.

Pre-ferment:

30 gr 100% rye starter

375 gr warm water

125 gr organic whole grain rye

Mix all ingredients and ferment at room temperature for minimum 10 hours, up to two days moving it to the fridge at 12-14 hour mark. Rye pre-ferment tastes naturally quite sour and pay attention to how sour it is. Sourness of the pre-ferment depends on the sourness of your starter, but it can also be regulated with the length of the fermentation. More sour pre-ferment will result with more sour porridge.

Porridge:

500 gr rye pre-ferment

250 gr water

250 gr dried fruit soaking water, juice, or water

100 gr dried cranberries, raisins, cherries, or other dried fruit

Orange rind*, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods (optional)

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp honey

Bring the mixture to boil while stirring to prevent clumps from forming. Turn the heat to low and keep cooking for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste, adding brown sugar or more honey if more sweetness is desired. Let the porridge cool for about 15 minutes, and whip it with hand mixer for few minutes to lighten the texture. Serve as breakfast or dessert pouring over with milk, yoghurt, compote and/or adding fresh fruit. It is equally wonderful warm, at room temperature, or cold.

*peel orange rind with veggie peeler whenever eating oranges and dry or freeze the rind for later use to flavor desserts and drinks

Compote:

300 gr plums, stone removed, cut into 6-8 sectors or sliced

50-70 gr light brown sugar, or substitute some with honey

Orange rind*, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom pods, 2-3 cloves, grated fresh ginger*

Instructions: Heat sugar and about ¼ of fruit in the sauce pan for few minutes, creating syrup with melted sugar and fruit juices. Add and cook crated ginger for a minute before adding rest of the fruit along with spices. If the fruit is dry and not releasing juices quickly, add some water. Cook until desired doneness. Serve warm or chilled over rye porridge.

This is a recipe that asks for creativity. One almost has to adjust the quantities depending on the type and ripeness of the fruit used. We used plums to top our rye porridge, but feel free to use any fruits and/or berries you like. Taste compote while cooking and adjust the flavor to your liking.

WARM RYE SANDWICH with Farmer’s Cheese & Herbs (8-10 slices)

This is a wonderful addition to weekend breakfast or brunch. Possible flavor combinations are endless, this recipe being very Estonian: quick, simple, and flavored with lots of herbs.

300 gr farmer’s cheese (salted or plain)

150 gr zucchini, shredded

100 gr sour cream

Herbs: 2 tbsp or more fresh dill* and parsley (chopped), 1 tsp of dried chives and pinch of oregano (fresh or dried), caraway seeds (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Tomatoes

Estonian Dark Rye bread (100% rye sourdough)

Slice the rye bread and arrange them on baking sheet. Mix all topping ingredients and season. Cover the bread slices with farmer’s cheese mixture topping everything with sliced tomatoes. Bake the sandwiches at 395 F for 15-20 minutes. Decorate with more fresh herbs and serve warm or at room temperature.

*storing tip: wash the dill and spread it on towel to dry. If the stems are too thick and fibrous, separate them and chop the rest of the herb finely. If the stems are thin and “young”, separating is not necessary. Freeze chopped dill and use as fresh in salads, on mashed potatoes or fish. Freeze or dry the thicker stems and use them to flavor soups, stews, or boiled potatoes (scoop them out of the liquid before serving).