Cooking During Lent...so, here's a work of Appalachian Art to try out on a Friday...

BAKED BEANS & SPAGHETTI SQUASH with Seeded Honey Whole Wheat Toast, Fermented Turnips, Bread & Butter Pickles, Red Onion, Cilantro and Avocado...and don't forget a thick shot of High West double rye.

My mother's mother's family were Appalachian. My mother's father's family were Italian and had Berber ancestors. My father's family came from what is modern day Ukraine and Slovakia. This recipe is an anthropological homage to my ancestors during this season of Lent. So...

Here's my updated version of my family's BBQ baked bean recipe. Everything is plated so it can be spread on the toast...or eaten separately. However you want, it all goes together. In my recipe I used awaze in the sauce for the beans. Awaze is a traditional Ethiopian condiment. I bought mine in powder form from an Ethiopian shop in Oakland, CA. It is Brundo brand. You can also sometimes find it bottled in sauce form. Below you will find the recipe for everything here that I made from scratch. The only thing I didn't make were the Bread & Butter Pickle Chips. I bought "Bubbie's" brand.

MY FERMENTED TURNIPS

INGREDIENTS:

two large fresh turnips, peeled and cut into baby carrot sized pieces

1 star anise

2 allspice balls

1 tsp whole coriander seed

enough pickling salt

distilled water

DIRECTIONS:

Clean a large mason jar. Put the star anise, all spice balls and coriander in the bottom. Pack your turnip pieces in as tight as you can. mix your salt and distilled water together until the salt is all dissolved. Pour it over the turnips until they are covered. Put a fermenting weight on the top of the turnips and put a lid on the jar loosely. Put it in the fridge for two weeks. Then eat them.

The amount of salt will vary depending on how much water you use, how big your turnips and jar are. I know how much is enough by looking at it, but you can do a quick search to find out exact measurements/ratios. These turnips are awesome. Use them the same way you would a pickle.

MY SEEDED HONEY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

enough whole wheat flour

enough spelt flour

enough psyllium husk powder

enough salt

enough oil of your choice...I used sunflower oil

enough honey

enough warm water

enough dry active yeast

enough honey

1 egg while

a 1/4 cup of a mix of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl put your water, 1 cup spelt four, yeast, salt and honey and whisk together. Cover and allow to develop for 10 minutes.

The amount of water and flour will vary depending on how many loaves you want to make, your elevation, and the humidity of your kitchen. This recipe is a 3 to 1 ratio of whole wheat flour to spelt flour. The psyllium husk powder is kneaded in and adds extra fiber and a spongier texture to the dough.

Once your yeast has started to foam stir in your oil then start mixing on your flour incrementally. The dough should be satin and elastic and slightly wet. Then add the psyllium husk powder. If a batch is making two loaves I add 4 to 6 T psyllium husk powder. Knead the dough until it is well distributed adding a little four if needed. Cover and allow the dough to rise in a warm but not hot spot for an hour and a half.

Punch the dough down and recover it allow it to rise for another hour. Cut the dough into the desired number of loaves and place on/in your pans or baking sheets. Cover and let rise a final time for 45 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Score the loaves as you wish. Brush the loaves with the egg white. Sprinkle with the seed mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Cool before slicing.

MY BAKED BEANS

INGREDIENTS:

3 cans butter beans drained and rinsed

1 medium yellow onion diced coarsely

3 T dry awaze powder

1T ground fresh ginger root

1T ground fresh turmeric root

1 T sweet Hungarian paprika

5 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tsp coriander seeds

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 T dried parsley

1 tube tripple concentrated tomato paste

1/4 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup pickle juice

1/2 stick of butter

Oaktown Spice Shop Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Put your drained and rinsed beans in a corningware dish with the diced onion and stir together. In a mixing bowl stir together all of the other ingredients except the butter. Pour it over the beans. Use a touch of water to rinse all the sauce out of the bowl and pour it on the beans. Stir the sauce through the beans. Put the stick of butter on top of the mixture. Put the lid on the dish. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 1.5 hours.

NOTE: If you use awaze purchased in sauce form use a quarter cup. If it's not Lent, you're not vegetarian and you wish to have this dish with meat: lay strips of bacon over the beans before you cover them and put them in the oven to bake then remove the lid for the final 10 minutes to crisp the bacon.

MY BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

INGREDIENTS:

1 spaghetti squash washed and cut in half with the seeds removed

1/2 a stick of butter

1/2C water

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In. each half of the squash place 1/4 stick of butter and salt. Put the water in the base of a deep corning ware dish. Stand the squash halves upright in the dish. Cover with the lid. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake covered for 1 hour. When the squash is done use a fork to scrape the squash out of the hard shell to plate.

MY GARNISH DISH

INGREDIENTS:

1 avocado sliced (per two people)

fermented turnips

small bunch fresh cilantro chopped coarsely

1/2 a small red onion minced (per two people)

bread and butter pickles

seeded honey whole wheat toast tips

DIRECTIONS:

Plate your squash and beans side by side in a shallow pasta bowl. On a large side dish arrange your garnish toppings and pile your toast tips. Serve side by side. Top the toast tips with the beans, squash, avocado and other garnishes.

I served this with a shot of High West Double Rye. It was AMAZING.

END NOTE: You can also make the beans and squash on the grill. Prepare the beans as above but put them in a cast iron skillet and cover it with foil. Stir every 5-10 minutes over medium heat until the onions are tender and the sauce darkens but isn't burned. If you are going to make the beans on the grill with bacon, cook the bacon in the skillet BEFORE you add the onions and beans in the sauce and cover with foil. For the squash, prepare as above but forget the water...wrap in foil making a flat foil base so they stand upright on the grill. You want the butter to stay in the hollow of the squash. Leave on the grill covered on medium/high heat for 30 to 45 minutes. OF COURSE HICKORY OR FRUIT WOOD CHARCOAL IS BEST.