From the raw beauty of Hawaii to the golden sun of California's coast and the fertile farmland of the Midwest, Natalie Friedrich's appreciation for the earth and its bounty has been a constant thread woven through a life as colorful as the salads she creates. Her passion for creating fresh, organic food was modeled by her Japanese mother who carried a strong dedication to using healthy, quality ingredients and who always cooked everything from scratch. From her, she learned the importance of avoiding processed foods and of choosing vegetables and other produce from local farmer's markets. From her father she learned the art of reeling in a fine catch from the ocean, which she then cleaned for dinner. It's not so strange, then, that this girl with roots in Hawaii's rich heritage would choose to marry a mid-western farmer and settle in the fertile hills of Ohio where they are raising their two young children in the simplistic lifestyle of self-sustainability on an organic farm.
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| Natalie, with daughters Audrey and Hazel. |
Natalie's skills in the kitchen were enhanced by working along California's central coast as a baker of confections in a cafe, then by managing a local chapter of "Foot Not Bombs" where she cooked large quantities of seasonal food from local farms for the homeless, travelers, students, needy families and the elderly. This is also where she met her husband!
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| Audrey with Grandma Betty and the Friedrich's flock of chickens. |
Since moving to Ohio, Natalie has been involved with local food cooperatives and has helped establish a cafe for an indoor farmer's market, creating a seasonal and diverse menu using fresh ingredients. She has also developed new food skills such as wild foraging, fermenting, using food as medicine, and practicing the many methods of preservation.
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| Milkweed blossom risotto for dinner with these beauties. |
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| Passing along the tradition, from mother to daughter, of freshly gathered food. Here, mulberries from the trees in the back yard. |
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| Triple-berry pie and pastry cutouts to delight a child's heart. |
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| Big gardens take lots of work and most days find Natalie working in these beds with her trusty helper, Audrey. |
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| Need a salad for dinner? Grab a knife and a bowl. #asfreshasitgets |
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| Shelling peas on the front porch with family and friends is a great time for conversation. |
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| This week's harvest of heirloom tomatoes - some for eating, some for preserving. |
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| "When you find apple trees on clearance for $5 each, you buy all of them." |
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| Amazing, organic, unadulterated milk - straight from the source. |
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| A harvest of potatoes and the next crop of lettuce for the garden. |
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| The Friedrichs have chosen a purposeful lifestyle of taking time to enjoy all the little details that make life meaningful. |
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| Lavender from the garden - for cooking, for soothing, for beauty. |
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| Carrot cake, made with the most delightful orange nubbies, straight from the garden. |
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| Natalie with daughter, Hazel, who pretty much goes wherever mommy goes, at this age. |
To follow Natalie Friedrich on Facebook, click here. You can also find her on Instagram as @gnatandbee.
Recipes...
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| Freshly sliced peaces for ice cream |
Peach Ice Cream
4 cups sliced seasonal peaches
¾ cups maple syrup or 1 cup sugar
¼ cup orange juice concentrate
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Blend all ingredients until smooth and freeze in an ice
cream maker according to your maker’s instructions. Freeze until hard, scoop
& enjoy.
Alternatively – if you do not own an ice cream maker: Use
frozen peaches and blend all ingredients in a good blender or food processor –
drizzle extra milk until smooth. Freeze until hard, scoop & enjoy.
*This same recipe can also be used with
strawberries in place of peaches! |
| High Protein Zucchini Waffles |
High Protein Zucchini Waffles (4 servings or about 10 small waffles)
2 eggs separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup grated zucchini
1/3 cup neutral cooking oil or melted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole spelt flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp raw sugar
Combine sifted flours, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and sugar in a medium size mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl whisk buttermilk, egg yolk, and oil. Separately whisk eggs whites in a small bowl until stiff peaks form. Add grated zucchini and orange zest to the dry and toss to coat, fold in dry ingredients, then fold in beaten eggs whites. Take care to not over mix and fry according to your waffle maker.
Serve with plain greek yogurt, pure maple syrup and oranges on the side, Enjoy!
Tip: If you want decadent dessert-like waffles add a handful of chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips to the batter.
Also – if you can find golden spelt flour (which has some bran sifted out) I would use it for all 2 cups of flour to have fluffy all spelt waffles.
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| Leek and Feta on the left - Caramelized Onion, Feta and Bacon on the right. |
Leek and Feta
Quiche
6 eggs
1 ½ cups
whole milk
3 medium
leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 cup
crumbled feta cheese
1 clove
garlic, minced
2 Tbsp.
butter
1 Tbsp fresh
thyme (or 1 tsp. dry)
¼ tsp. white
pepper
¼ tsp. dry
mustard (optional)
dash of
freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
9” pie plate
of flaky whole-wheat crust (below)
Preheat oven
to 375 F
1. Heat
skillet and add butter, leeks and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until leeks
become soft, approximately 5 minutes.
2.
Meanwhile, add the eggs, milk, and seasonings into a medium sized mixing bowl
and whisk well.
3. Set
sautéed leeks and feta cheese into the pie crust. Slowly pour the egg mixture
into the crust and press filling lightly with a fork so it is coasted with the
egg mixture.
4. Bake for
approximately 50 minutes until the egg mixture has set (a knife inserted into
the center should come out clear). Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cut
into 8 wedges.
Flaky
Whole Wheat Crust
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus
more for work surface
1 cup (2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter,
cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup ice water
Dash of salt
Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor;
pulse until the color is even. Add butter and pulse briefly until mixture forms
large crumbs.
Add the ice water and continue pulsing until
a dough has just formed but is not smooth.
On a lightly floured work surface, evenly
divide dough. Form each piece of dough into a disk about 1 inch thick. Do not overwork
the dough. (Refrigerate if necessary, if so, set out 20 minutes before rolling)
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough
into a 15” round. Fit dough into a 9” pie plate then gently press it into the
pan. Trim excess dough with a sharp knife, flute edges. Chill or freeze for future use.
Bacon, Spinach and White Cheddar Quiche
5 eggs
1 ½ cups
whole milk
1 medium
onions, halved and sliced
½ pound
bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups of chopped fresh spinach
1 cup shredded
sharp white cheddar
1 clove
garlic, minced
2 Tbsp.
butter
1 tsp. dry
ground rosemary
1 tsp. salt
(scant)
dash of
pepper
dash of
freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
9” pie plate
of flaky whole-wheat crust (below)
Preheat oven
to 375 F
1. Heat
skillet and add butter, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium
heat until onions have broken down and caramelized. If they are drying out, add
a splash of water. Cook for 15-20mns.
2.
Meanwhile, add the eggs, milk, and seasonings into a medium sized mixing bowl
and whisk well.
3. Layer
Fillings: Spread the caramelized onions onto the bottom of the crust, then add the
cheese, spinach, then the bacon. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the crust and
press filling lightly with a fork so it is coasted with the egg mixture.
4. Bake for approximately
50 minutes until the egg mixture has set (a knife inserted into the center
should come out clear). Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cut into 8
wedges.
Quiche Variations: Take creative reign over your quiches!
Here are a few examples:
Broccoli and Cheddar cheese
Swiss chard, mushroom and sharp white cheddar
Mushroom, Onion and Herbs and Gouda
Wild Mushrooms, Herbs, and Cherve
Zucchini Ribbons and Muenster cheese
Summer Tomato, Basil and mozzarella with asiago
Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato
Fresh (raw) Sweet corn and Tomato
Asparagus, Leek and Gruyere
Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola
Rainbow Chard, Leek and Gruyere
Sausage, Sweet Pepper and Swiss cheese
Ham, Caramelized onion and Swiss cheese
Bacon, Broccoli and Cheddar
Smoked Turkey, Mushroom, Caramelized Onion and
Gruyere
Crab meat, Dill and Havarti (splash of
Worcestershire sauce)
Bacon, Apple, Arugula and Smoked Gouda
Tips
while improvising:
*Do not add too much moisture to the quiche.
Example: If using tomatoes, remove seeds and drain. Do not add too many.
*Sauté
most vegetables to release water (peppers, mushrooms, greens used in large
amounts) Squeeze out water if necessary.
*Sauté
onions to release sweetness. Caramelize onions to impart a deep, rich sweet
flavor.
* Feta cheese is soaked in a salt brine, do not
add salt to your quiche if using all feta.
Cheese
Flavor Profiles:
Cheddar-
mild melts well, sharps melt well when shredded, flavor varies among age.
Baby
Swiss- Mild and sweet, creamy and smooth melting character, available smoked.
Blue
Cheeses- Crumbly texture and sharp tangy strong flavor, melts, mold enriched.
Chevre-
French for goats milk cheese, very fresh, soft, tangy yet mild flavor.
Colby-
Mild, sweet flavor ranging from mild to tangy, used like cheddar
Gouda
– Mild and buttery flavor, rich tang with age semisoft to firm, melts well
Feta-
crumbly, salty strong and sharp pickled flavor
Gruyere-
Mild and slightly sharp melts well, hard cheese
Havarti
– Creamy, mild to mellow flavor, smooth body, melts well
Asiago-
rich, nutty and slightly salty, use aged in small amounts blended well with
cheddar or mozzarella
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| Boots and beets. |
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