Paganocity

Lembas

Lembas is elven way-bread as named in Tolkein's cycle of the ring.  All of the cool breads from those novels were based off of hardtack.

Well, I just happen to have a recipe for hardtack.  So I modified it taking into account what I recalled reading and what I found when I read through a dozen other recipes for Lembas as developed by other geeks.

So here is what I put together for my first lembas.  I plan on altering this recipe next time.

1 cup whole hazelnuts, ground into flour

1.5 cups oats, then ground into flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup corn meal

1 cup rye flour

1/4 cup chia seed

3 eggs

1 cup half and half

1 stick of butter, melted (1/2 cup) 

1 cup honey

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Get a very big bowl.  Blend all of your dry ingredients, and thoroughly mix them.  I used a food processor to turn the oats and hazelnuts into flour.  Get it all mixed together at a doughy consistancy.  I had to add more flour when I first made it, because I had too much fluid, but the recipe above SHOULD reflect those increases.

After having it all made up, store it in a cool place over night.  I put mine in the fridge.  This direction comes directly from the hardtack recipe.  The next day, roll it out, and cut it into whatever shape you think it should have, like cookie dough.  Hard tack is traditionally about half of an inch thick.

Make a milk and honey glaze by combining milk and honey.  This glaze will brown up nicely, and the more honey, the darker the glaze as the sugars caramelize.  Coat each piece with the glaze.

Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 20-30 minutes, or whenever you feel they are done.  If you leave out the eggs, there is nothing to worry about.

So, here are my reasons for the ingredients I chose.

I selected a variety of grains, because each of them handle different nutritional needs better than others.  Oats are hearty, and the main ingredient in hardtack.  Corn is yellow, and I liked the cornbread appearance of the movie lembas (even though "real" lembas should be light brown inside and dark brown outside.)  Rye is slightly healthier in my oppinion than whole wheat, so I used more of it.

I used a cup of honey, because honey is one of the only ingredients we KNOW is in lembas.  All else is conjecture.  For all we know, true lembas is made of honey and halfling babies as part of a modest proposal to feed everyone adequately.

The eggs, chia, and hazelnuts I selected because they are all high in protein.  Protein keeps one satisfied, and since a single bite of lembas is supposed to last all day . . .

Chia seed is available at schmancy fancy organic grocery stores.  The seeds are higly absorbant of fluids, consist almost entirely of fiber, carbohydrates, and omega three acids.  According to corporate spiel they were eaten by mesoamerican peoples to keep them fed while running all day.

Hazel nuts I remember once hearing were associated with wisdom, so I chose them over other nuts.  Someone (like myself) OUGHT to look up nuts, and traits they are associated to make a well informed decision.  One of the other recipes I ran across used almonds.

Ginger is an anti-toxin and tasty, so I added just a bit of it, though I'll probably add more next time.

Vanilla is just wonderful, and hence it was added.

The glaze was designed to make it darker on the outside, so that it would be closer to how the book describes.

Lembas is regularly shaped, and that is why I used cookie cutters to form it.

You will have to find your own leaves to wrap it in.

Good luck in Mordor!

Seed sprouting is a useful skill for any Human being interested in playing an active role in the cycles of life that surround and sustain us.  Sprouting seeds before planting them in the soil may improve germination rates and plant health.  Sprouted seeds of many types can be eaten at various stages in development, providing fresh, living nutriton for anyone with access to clean water, seeds, air and a little bit of light. 

To sprout seeds, soak them in water until the seed coat softens and the seed has swelled with water.  Drain the water and rinse the seeds.  Keep seeds in a container which will retain moisture but allow some air exchange.  Rinse with fresh water and inspect growth at least once per day until they are ready to use.  For planting in soil, nestle those babies in before their 1st root gets too long and fragile, and water immediately(ideally in morning or evening in my climate, where mid-day heat is already enough to kill tender seedlings.)  If sprouting for fresh greens, you will want to expose your sprouts to light for the last 1-2 days to activate chlorophyl. 

Having no patience for precise measurement and charts, the basic formula above plus a keen interest in observing my little growing things is all I ever use.  There are resources available that get much more specific about the best soaking times, sprouting times, temperatures, and containers for each type of seed.  (www.sprouting.com has some nice resources for all types of edible sprouts, from bread grains to crunchy legumes and baby greens.)

I am sprouting tender warm-weather vegetables now (tomatoes, peppers, squash, and beans.)  Once we pass through the Equinox, south Florida gets less of the rain brought down from the North in cold fronts, and with the warming sun comes drought.  New seedlings of these water-lovers don't stand a chance without intensive care, so I hope to have them well-established by then.  This spring, I think I will be experimenting with sprouting more legumes and greens in the kitchen for fresh eating, so the home-grown/locally-grown parts of my diet won't be completely limited to spiny, tropic things (okra, papaya, and prickly pears, oh my!)

A fun link I found through Yahoo! that I thought I would share in case anybody hasn't seen it already.

The all-online instant Pagan name generator- http://www.fjordstone.com/fjo/generator.html

*note- please do not think that this is a serious site! lol*

Late Winter is a perfect time to get cozy with Ginger.  The warming properties of this plant's rhizome harmonize nicely in teas, sweet recipes, or savory entrees.  Ginger contains substances that reduce inflammation, making it a frequently recommended part of diets to prevent or treat inflammatory disease.  Ginger may have blood thinning properties and is said to increase blood flow to an area when used as a warm compress.  Perhaps it is the increase in blood flow that gives Ginger its reputation for stimulating digestion when consumed.  I always find Ginger to be soothing when I have a cold or allergy symptoms, even my herb-ophobe husband likes having some Ginger tea mixed in fruit juice when he has a cough.  Hence Ginger holds an important position in our home this time of year. 

In researching Ginger today, I found this Wiki post of how to grow a plant from a store-bought rhizome.  I may try it this year, since my climate is mild enough that I'd need only worry about protecting it in January and February.  This year Feb. 24th is the first new moon past Imbolc, so that seems like a good time for root and bulb planting.  Maybe I'll throw a few Garlics in this year too.

Please do your homework, if considering using Ginger to affect any diagnosed health condition, and consult the health professional of your choice.  I believe this site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ginger/NS_patient-ginger to be a reliable source to begin with.