Saint Hildegard of Bingen, a twelfth-century mystic, cured every imaginable ailment with spelt. "When someone is so weakened by illness that he cannot eat, "she wrote, "then simply take whole spelt kernels and boil them vigorously in water, add butter and an egg. Give this to the patient and it will heal him from within like a good healing salve."
Unlike Saint Hildegard, I do not claim that spelt will cure your ills but I do maintain it is good for you.
Spelt is an ancient relative of red wheat that thrived in Europe thousands of years ago. You can even find it mentioned in both Exodus and Ezekiel in the Bible. It is recognized as one of the oldest cultivated grains. Now we enjoy this amazing organic grain grown locally which, additionally, presents health benefits.
Spelt is naturally high in fiber, contains significantly more protein than wheat and is also high in B complex vitamins. Although it is not gluten-free, some gluten-sensitive people have been able to include spelt-based foods in their diets.
This delightfully nutty-flavored organic grain can be substituted for wheat flour in breads, pastas, cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins, pancakes, and waffles. I often cook spelt kernels and toss them in salads for a nice twist. Spelt also compliments rice and pilaf dishes.
May I suggest you try spelt and then use your imagination? It is worth the time to experiment. Feel good about buying local and eating local.
Upcoming Featured Grain: Buckwheat
Buckwheat lovers or not - gear up! Next month we are taking buckwheat to a whole new level. Buckwheat is almost too good to be true. Featuring buckwheat is also my attempt to make peace with the grain. You see, I have suffered from the long-term effects of my dear Grandmother Scarlett's buckwheat pancakes. She knew enough to feed me this amazing grain; I just didn't have sense enough to appreciate its goodness. It never occurred to me that I might be able to come up with an alternative to Grandma's pancakes. For me, at that time, there was not enough butter or syrup to make them acceptable. Please know that I did eat them, with a smile, and Grandma never knew what I really thought! Redemption is nigh. I cannot wait to share with you my "new-take" on Grandmother's buckwheat pancakes.
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