Creamy Locke’s Mill Polenta

•  4 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

• 1 Cup Locke’s Mill Polenta or Cornmeal

• ½ Teaspoon Salt

• ¼ Teaspoon White Pepper

• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme Leaves (Optional)

• 2 Tablespoons Butter

• ¼ Cup Grated or Shredded Cheese

Add stock to a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil along with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. (If using a salty cheese like Parmesan, omit or reduce the salt.)

Slowly add polenta or cornmeal to boiling stock while whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously.

Cover pot, turn off heat, and let steep for 40 to 45 minutes.

Add butter and cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Locke’s Mill Grits Recipe

• 1 ½ cups Water

• ½ cup Milk 

• 4 oz. Unsalted Butter

• 1 tablespoon Salt

• 3 tablespoons Sugar (optional; for sweet grits)

• 1 cup Locke’s Mill Grits

  Directions:

Place all ingredients (except the grits) in a pot and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, whisk in grits and reduce heat to low. 

Keep stirring (preferably with a wooden spoon) for about 30 minutes. If the grains aren’t fully cooked through by the time they’ve thickened, add a bit of water.

Once grits are tender, serve with additional toppings — like cheese, bacon, scallions, syrup, honey, or more butter — or enjoy as is.

Old-Fashioned Cornbread

• 2 Cups Locke's Mill Cornmeal

• 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder

• 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda

• 1 ½ Teaspoons Diamond Krystal Kosher Salt

• 2 Large Eggs

• 2 Cups Buttermilk

• 6 Tablespoons Neutral Oil, Divided

• ¼ cup Honey

Directions:

Place a 9-10" cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 375° F

Mix together cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix together eggs, buttermilk, 3 tablespoons of oil and honey. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add wet ingredients, mixing until well-combined. 

Let batter rest 5-10 minutes to allow the cornmeal to absorb some of the liquid, but stir well before putting it in the pre-heated pan.

Remove hot skillet and add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. (You can also substitute bacon fat, coconut oil or another oil with a high smoke point.) Return the skillet to the oven for 3-4 minutes or until just starting to smoke a bit.

Remove skillet and carefully pour cornbread batter into hot greased skillet; the cornbread will start to set up a bit around the edges almost immediately. 

Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 27-35 minutes, or until cornbread has set in the center and springs back. (Use a longer baking time for red and blue cornmeal and a shorter baking time for yellow and white cornmeal.)

Cool 5 minutes before eating. Serve with salted butter and honey or molasses.

Ancient Grain Recipes

recipes are from Roxana jullapat’s cookbook, mother of grains, featured in bon appetit magazine, feb. 2021

Blueberry Spelt Muffins

Makes 8-10 muffins

Streusel

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray (optional)

• 3 Tbsp. spelt flour

• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

• 2 tsp. dark brown sugar

• Pinch of cinnamon

• 2 Tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” pieces

Muffins

• 1 1/2 spelt flour

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 large egg

• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 1/3 cup buttermilk

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

  Directions:

Streusel: Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. Whisk spelt flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add butter and toss to coat. Working quickly, smash in butter with your fingers until pieces are about pea-size. Chill streusel until ready to use.

Muffins: Whisk spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until there are no lumps. Make a well in the center with your hands. Whisk egg, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour into well and whisk to combine. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Evenly divide batter among 8-10 muffin cups, filling each with about 1/4 cup batter. Top each muffin with about 1 Tbsp. streusel; bake, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 24-27 minutes. Let muffins cool in pan 20 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack; let cool completely.

Ricotta Cornmeal Pound Cake

• Nonstick cooking oil spray

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup fine-ground white or yellow cornmeal

• 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

• 3/4 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1/2 tsp. Morton Kosher salt

• 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• Lightly whipped cream and/or lemon curd (for serving)

Directions:

Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Lightly coat an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2” loaf pan with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving overhand on the sides. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl, add half of dry ingredients, and beat on low speed just to combine. Add sour cream and remaining dry ingredients and mix 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl, add ricotta and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface. Bake cake 40 minutes. Rotate pan and continue to bake cake until golden brown all over and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-30 minutes more. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack, at least 1 hour. Carefully run offset spatula or pairing knife around sides of cake and use parchment paper to lift cake from pan; remove parchment. Cut cake into slices and serve topped with whipped cream and/or lemon curd.

Chocolate Buckwheat Cake

8-10 servings

Sponge

• 1 tsp. instant yeast

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

• 1 Tbsp. honey (buckwheat honey if you have it!)

Cake

• nonstick vegetable oil spray

• 4 large eggs

• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 1/4 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

• pinch of kosher salt

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

You will need a 9”-diameter springform pan

Directions:

Sponge- Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water in a medium bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Whisk in buckwheat flour and honey. Cover with a kitchen towel or plate. Let sit at room temperature until surface of sponge looks frothy with big and small bubbles across the top, about 1 hour.

Cake- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Separate yolks from eggs over a large bowl to catch egg whites. Place yolks in another small bowl; set egg whites aside. Combine chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch water). Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Stir in sponge.

Add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar to bowl with reserved egg whites. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Fold half of egg whites into batter until smooth, then fold in remaining egg whites until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface.

Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cake cool in pan. Run a paring knife around edges of cake, then unmold and place on a plate. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Cake without powdered sugar dusting can be made 1 day ahead. store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Macadamia and Brown Butter Blondies

Makes 12 in 9”-diameter round cake pan

• nonstick vegetable oil spray

• 1/2 cup whole raw or toasted macadamia nuts

• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

• 18 Tbsp. unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup barley flour

• 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 cup plus 7 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 pints of ice cream of your choice (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9”-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray and line bottom with a parchment round. If using raw macadamia nuts, toast them on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Scrape vanilla seeds into small saucepan; add pod and butter. Set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter foams, then brown 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, scraping in all of the browned bits. Using tongs, remove and discard vanilla pod.

Whisk all-purpose and barley flours, baking powder, and salt in another medium bowl. Add brown sugar to brown butter and stir to combine. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in dry ingredients, then vanilla extract and nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake blondies, rotating halfway through, until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cool.

Turn out blondies, remove parchment, and cut into 12 wedges. Serve each with a scoop of ice cream if desired.