How to build a smorgasbord for anytime! A Swedish word to describe a variety of something from hot and cold meats to casseroles and side dishes to cheese spreads and appetizers. You can’t go wrong making a favorite and colorful spread of whatever you have on hand!
One Saturday morning (because all my favorite breakfasts start on the weekends), I opened my fridge and pulled out a conglomeration of goods; half of an onion, a bright red tomato, leftover steak, eggs and feta cheese. All these ingredients reminded me of breakfast in Norway starting with a piece of hefty bread, golden butter, a chunk of cheese and a variety of veggies, most likely cucumber and tomato. My husband Kosta and I don’t eat a lot of bread in our house, but when we do, it tends to be sourdough or sprouted bread!
In traditional cultures, they soaked, sprouted and dehydrated their grains, oats, beans, nuts and seeds. The reason they did this was because by doing so, the natural preservatives like phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors in these foods, were broken down through the process of soaking. The phytic acid in grains can make it hard for people to digest, but in this process of fermentation, the yeast and bacteria work together to predigest the starch in the grains. This is why sourdough is my top choice of bread because of the beneficial nutrients it provides.
After chopping Greek salad ingredients, I’ll put them in a big bowl and pour extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar on top. This is a perfect salad for dipping bread into and if you go to a restaurant in Greece they will provide you with fresh bread rather than pita. Some people say it’s easier to digest bread in Europe and this is because they harvest wheat different than America.
Many people who have difficulty of digesting whole wheat or even sprouted bread, are able to digest sourdough bread. Those who are gluten free might do well on this kind of bread as well.
When possible, buy organic sourdough bread from a local bakery or farmers market! One of these days, I’d like to try baking my own sourdough bread. I’m thinking the crispy, Minnesota fall weather will be the perfect time to experiment with baking. And then I’ll start another lazy weekend off at the St.Paul farmers market buying a Cherokee heirloom tomato for my smorgasbord breakfast spread:)
Resource:
1. Maria Atwood: To Gluten or Not To Gluten? www.WestonAPrice.org