The Forum: Some go-withs for garden goodies

All too soon now — just how soon, though, is anybody’s guess — Forum gardeners will have to rush out and pick, pluck, cut and gather the last of this summer’s this or that.

Whether your garden looks like a magazine picture of salad or soup stuff (maybe both?), Marysville cook and cookbook author Dianne Berst has two bread recipes that will work well with either or both.

They’re borrowed from her first cookbook, “Sharing Our Best,” and she tells us, “I REALLY like the crunchy bread. My daughter Julie made this bread when she had a bread project in 4-H. It goes well with any soup, stew or salad. The oatmeal bread is easy to make and, like the crunchy bread, goes with any soup, stew or salad.”

Come Wednesday, we’ll have some good go-withs for Dianne’s bread. Until then, here’s the how-to for her:

Crunchy bread

1/2cup cracked wheat

13/4cups water

2teaspoons salt

1/4cup butter or shortening

1tablespoon sugar

3tablespoons molasses

2packages dry yeast

1cup warm water

1cup graham flour

3tablespoons wheat germ

1/2cup quick oats

3-4 cups bread flour

Add the cracked wheat to the 1 3/4 cups water and cook gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add salt, shortening, sugar and molasses; mix well and turn into a large bowl to cool.

Dissolve yeast in the cup of warm water; add to the cooked wheat mixture. Mix in the graham flour, wheat germ, oats and enough of the flour to make a stiff dough.

Knead for 10 minutes on a floured board. Place dough in greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down. Cover and let rise again. (If using rapid-rise yeast, do not let dough rise again until dough is in the pans.) Punch down, divide into two equal pieces and shape each into a loaf. Place in greased 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Let rise until light. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Makes 2 loaves.

Oatmeal bread

4cups boiling water

3cups rolled oats

2cups all-purpose flour

2tablespoons dry yeast

4tablespoons salad oil

1/2cup molasses

2tablespoons salt

5 1/2 to 6 cups bread flour

Make a sponge: In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the oats and allow to cool, then mix in the 2 cups all-purpose flour, yeast, oil and molasses. Allow mixture to rest, uncovered, in a warm, draft-free place until it is bubbly.

When bubbly, add the salt and work in bread flour. Turn out onto a floured board and knead (or use an electric mixer with a dough hook), using extra flour, if necessary, to make a smooth, pliable, firm dough — about 10 minutes.

Turn into a greased bowl and let rise again. It is very important to leave the dough uncovered during the rising process.

When the dough has doubled in bulk, divide into 3 equal parts and form into loaves to fit 3 buttered 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise again, uncovered, until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when removed from the pan and rapped on the bottom. Cool bread on racks before slicing.

Makes 3 loaves.

If you have a great go-with bread for soups, stews and salads, don’t hesitate to send it along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

Please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, address and telephone number. No exceptions, and sorry but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.