Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits with Ham and Red Eye Gravy
4-5 servings
Classic biscuits and gravy get a local twist with Local Spicery’s Bada Bing Bouillon Oooh-Mommy Umami and Anchor and Tree coffee.
Ingredients
For Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for kneading
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk
4 oz (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional: 2 Tbsp chives, minced
1 large egg, beaten, plus 1 Tbsp water
For Gravy:
4 oz bacon
1 lb ham steak, cut in 1 oz portions
½ white onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup coffee, like Anchor and Tree
1 Tbsp Local Spicery Bada Bing Bouillon Oooh-Mommy Umami
1 cup hot water
¼ cup heavy cream
Dash of hot sauce
Pinches of salt, pepper, sugar
Optional: Parsley for serving
Directions
Make 8-10 Biscuits: Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne.
In another large bowl, whisk together butter and buttermilk. Pour over dry ingredients, stir until moist. Carefully fold in chives (if using) and cheese.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3-4 times until incorporated. Roll out dough 1 ¼” thick. Cut rounds using 2 ½” cutter/drinking glass.
Combine beaten egg and water for egg wash, brush top of each biscuit.
Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.
Make Gravy: Add bacon to cast iron skillet over low-medium heat, cooking slowly so fat renders out – about 10-15 minutes.
Add ham steaks to pan, sear/brown both sides. Remove ham, bacon and extra rendered fat – leaving 2-3 Tbsp fat in skillet.
Add onion, increase heat to medium. Cook until lightly browned. Add pinches of salt/pepper.
Whisk in flour, cook for a minute. Whisk in coffee/bouillon until mixture becomes a thin gravy. Cook it down, allow to thicken.
Add cream and hot sauce. Chop up bacon, stir into gravy. Adjust seasoning with pinches of sugar/salt/pepper as needed.
Keep gravy warm until serving time.
Serving: Split biscuits and top with ham steak. Spoon gravy on top, sprinkle on chopped parsley right before serving.
This is an “All-Bulk All Star” recipe, in honor of Plastic Free July. Every ingredient is available in our Bulk Section!
Bring your own jars when you buy the ingredients, no plastic required.
Ingredients
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans
1 cup pepitas
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ cup melted cocoa butter
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup dried cherries
½ cup chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine oats, pecans, pepitas, cinnamon and salt.
Melt cocoa butter and add maple syrup at the end to warm slightly. Pour mixture in bowl. Add vanilla to bowl and mix everything together well so all is lightly coated.
Spread granola in even layer on parchment-covered pan, pressing down gently.
Bake 10-12 minutes, then stir granola. Press down in even layer before returning to oven. Cook 10-12 minutes more, or until light golden brown.
Cool completely, about an hour or more. Add cherries and chocolate chips on top and break into chunks with your hands.
This smoothie uses melon seeds! Rich in vitamins, minerals and protein, tap into their nutrition by blending with water and straining/discarding solids.
Ingredients
2 cups spinach, collards or kale, stemmed
½ cup fresh mint, stemmed
2 cups melon, fresh or frozen (cantaloupe, galia, canary, piel de sapo…)
½ – 1 banana
1 kiwifruit, peeled
1 cup “melon seed water” (see note), or your alt-milk of choice, plus more for desired consistency
Ice as needed
Optional: ½ tsp cinnamon
Directions
Load the ingredients into your blender in the order listed. Blend at high speed until smooth and creamy.
Note: To make “melon seed water,” blend seeds and inner melon goo with 2 cups water until seeds are broken down. Strain through nut milk bag, very fine strainer or cheesecloth so you remove all seed bits.
Atole (“ah-toh-leh) is a popular beverage in Mexico, made with masa harina, cinnamon, brown sugar and milk or water. Folks enjoy it at breakfast, with an afternoon snack, lending a taste of tradition and comforting hominess to both every day and celebratory events like Day of the Dead and, with the Mascogos, Juneteenth.
It’s usually made with piloncillo, big brown cones of sugar. Here we use substitutes in case you don’t have an easy source for it.
Ingredients
5 cups combo of water/milk or unsweetened almond, oat, cashew milk
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
5 Tbsp sucanat panela, or combo of this and pitted medjool dates (sub 2 for each Tbsp panela)
½ cup masa harina
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1 –2 Tbsp Spicy Cocoa – like Equal Exchange
Directions
If using dates as part/all of sweetener, pit then soak 4 hours – overnight.
Blend all ingredients except vanilla and salt in a blender until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Note: If using Spicy Cocoa, lower the amount of other sweetener by 1-2 tsp per Tbsp used.
Pour mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
When mixture reaches a boil, lower the temperature and whisk steadily for five minutes as masa harina thickens.
Remove atole from heat, stir in vanilla and pinch of salt. Adjust sweetness using reserved water from soaking dates, stirring well between each addition.
Best served immediately. Can be stored in fridge for up to two days; it’ll thicken so add a little water/milk before reheating.
The bright flavor of cornmeal goes great with summer’s bounty of fresh peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cherries. And remember, raspberries and blackberries are stone fruits too!
Add in some orange zest for a gentle, warming zing.
Ingredients
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 Tbsp)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp salt
3 cups fresh stone fruits, pitted and sliced ½ inch
1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and ½ tsp salt. Cook/stir until the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, let cool slightly.
Arrange fruit in a circular pattern in bottom of skillet. Set aside.
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and ½ tsp salt in a small bowl.
Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment – or a hand mixer – beat remaining butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each addition.
On low speed, add half the dry ingredients, half the milk, the remaining dry ingredients, then remaining milk. Increase speed to medium, beat just until well mixed, scraping down bowl once. Make sure no dry ingredients are stuck at the bottom of the bowl.
Drop big dollops of batter over fruit, then smooth it out with a spatula without disturbing fruit.
Bake 40-45 minutes, until top is golden brown, puffed and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. With cake still warm, run butter knife around edges, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm.
