This is my kitchen table, one of the most heavily used places in my house. It is the focal point of my kitchen: I display a portion of my rock collection here; display my mail; do all my art and writing projects; lay out my garden projects and read my cookbooks here. And, this is where I roll out the dough for my home-made bread.Recently my gardening friend Steve gave me 9 cups of coriander seeds (left-over from his backyard garden last summer). He didn't want them, saying he 'has gallons left at home'. I was very happy to get them, as one small bottle of coriander at the store can cost up to $3.00. I was thrilled - I could make coriander bread!
First, I ground all the seeds in my coffee grinder to make a powdered spice. This spice is similar to cardamon, with a fragrance that is absolutely heavenly. So, I found a recipe for Finnish Cardamon Bread, and made a few changes.
I made my bread with a bag of spelt flour which is an ancient nutty-flavored flour. To this I added a half cup of wheat germ, cinnamon, brown sugar, and about 1/4 cup of the coriander powder. I had some coconut milk left over, so I added that too, along with the yeast and a couple of eggs.
Since I warmed the milk-eggs-oil mixture before adding the flour, it was a soft warm dough when I began kneading it. Once the dough was kneaded, I split it into two sections,
then split those into three more sections which would be the basis for the 'braids'. I mixed almond paste with crushed walnuts and spread it on top before rolling each section into a braid.
This provides a flavorful nutty streak inside each braid, slightly sweet. Then I took the braid strands, wove them together and put the two loaves into a long pan.
I brushed the top with egg, brown sugar, and crushed almonds.
This is the finished braided bread, after it has risen in the pan and ready for the oven. I put my dough in a lightly warmed oven for all the risings.Baking coriander bread is a good way to make the entire house smell good!
As you can see, spelt flour has a wholesome texture, a heartiness of flavor and color. I sliced up one loaf with 1" slices which I plan to dip in batter for French Toast. I'll fry it early, wrap it up tightly in foil, and pack the prepared slices in the cooler for our camping trip next Wednesday. They can be laid on a baking sheet over the morning campfire for a quick, nourishing taste-thrill while enjoying morning coffee. 
Cinnamony, slightly sweet, this coriander bread is a 'poor man's substitution' for cardamon bread. When my friend Steve gave me the 9 cups of coriander seeds, he was unaware of how useful this spice could be - many gardeners use only the plant (Cilantro), and ignore the value of the ground seeds. He'd never heard of it being used in cookies and breads. Here are some Flickr sets showing additional ways to use coriander in breads and other dishes, like beer bread with gruyere cheese, ham and coriander; camote bread with coriander spread; rye and coriander sourdough bread; and carrot and coriander soup.
Today I plan to put my tomato sets into my garden, about a dozen plants, Roma, which is an determinate strain that cause all the fruit to ripen at the same time rather than over a succession of weeks. I make my own spaghetti sauce from these pear-shaped tomatoes in the fall using all my own home-grown spices. Then I process the sauce in Kerr jars over the stove. Yes, it is labor-intensive, but very rewarding. The flavors are simply outstanding when produce is home-grown.
Since I'll be gone five days on our camping trip, I plan to heavily mulch my tomato plants. I've got some of my seeds planted, and have yet to put in my eggplant and celery starts. This year I'll try fava beans, as I like broad-beans in rice casseroles; however, the poor soil at my plot will have to have some compost hauled over to it for this plant to do well. All of it will be an experiment, just like my coriander bread. I like the element of surprise!
With company coming on Sunday and a Baha'i Feast here Saturday night, I suspect I'll not be posting until we have returned home from our camping trip to Lake Wenatchee, sometime after Memorial Day. I just have too much to do. Until then, here's wishing everyone a memorable Memorial Day weekend. Take care...
