Mix the yeast in with the warm water. Add in the mashed potatoes. Add the salt to the flour. Slowly stir in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Gentle knead together until the dough forms a ball. Do not over knead. Place in a large bowl and cover with a cloth. It should double in size in 30 minutes. Turn it onto a flat floured baking pan and press it into an oval shape about 8 inches long. Decorate however you please. Sprinkle a little salt and pour the oil over the top. ​

Zucchini can be such an abundant crop!  However, you may start to wonder, what am I going to do with all of this squash!!?? Today we are going to teach you how to make Zucchini Spaghetti! This is a delicious and easy way to use zucchini even when it is very large and may be too tough for other recipes. It is a super healthy alternative to traditional pasta that allows you to bring more garden fresh ingredients to your table!

• Don’t peel the zucchini. Peeled zucchini noodles are mushy and have little crunch. Plus, it adds a step and we’re looking for dinner on the table fast.
• Don’t salt the zucchini ahead or time or while it cooks in the pan. Salt draws out water from the zucchini. This will make it less crunchy when it’s cooked. Since salt makes things taste good, we prefer to salt the sauce and not the zucchini.
• Don’t overcook. The noodles should be cooked to al dente (just like pasta). This means they will look wilted, but still have a crunch.

Since zucchini has a tendency to become watery, we do our best to reduce this as much as possible in our recipe. Even so, you will still find some water left at the bottom of the serving bowl. This is okay with us. The liquid mixes with tomato, garlic, cheese, and olive oil, so it’s delicious.

This article was written by Dana Richardson, co-producer of Back to Eden Film.

The first time I ever heard of kombucha was from Paul Gautschi during the making of Back to Eden Film in 2010. Sarah Zentz (co-producer) and myself spent an amazing year with Paul learning and documenting his gardening methods to share with the world through our documentary. He mentioned it one day to us as a health recommendation and our first responses were "kom...bu...what?" Although the origins of kombucha are thought to date back to ancient China or Japan, to us it was something completely new! In fact, at the time kombucha was a lesser known secret among most people and only available at speciality stores. Now it has become a popular beverage found in most major grocery stores for a whopping $4.00+ per bottle!

Of course Paul Gautschi was one of the pioneers who was "in on the kombucha secret" long before it hit the shelves! In his usual freely giving character Paul took the time to freely share his personal kombucha recipe instructions with us. He even gave us one of his SCOBY starters to use. SCOBY is an acronym for "symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast." I started brewing my own kombucha with Paul's recipe and have been hooked on it ever since. Now you can try it too! It will not only save you tons of money, you will also be able to ensure it's ingredients are pure and adapt it to your personal taste preferences.

"Health is something that is maintained not something that is achieved." 
​-Paul Gautschi

• Improves digestive health due to being a high source of probiotics.
• High in B-Complex Vitamins such as thiamin and niacin.
• Rich in green tea antioxidants that benefit your immune system, weight loss and blood sugar stability.
• Kombucha is rich in tea polyphenols and acetic acid that act as inhibitors to the growth of undesirable bacteria and yeasts.
• Test-tube studies show that kombucha may suppress the growth of cancer cells. 
• Improves cardiovascular function due to lowering cholesterol.

​INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 quarts filtered water (14 cups)
• 1 cup organic sugar (regular granulated sugar works best). 
• 8 bags organic green tea, (or 2 tablespoons loose tea)
• 2 cups starter tea from store-bought kombucha (unpasteurized, original flavored). NOTE: You'll only need to use add the store bought bottles for your first batch. For future batches you will use 2 cups starter tea from your previous home brewed kombucha batch.
• 1 SCOBY per fermentation jar

KITCHEN TOOLS

• Glass Cookware . You will need to use glass pots two to boil enough tea for this recipe. Do NOT use metal.
• Wooden Stirring Spoons. You can NOT use metal stirring utensils.
• 1 Gallon Glass Jars. You can purchase a glass 1 gallon jar online. It is important that is has a wide mouth and no metal. We recommend this pack of two jars. 
•  Alternatively to storing your ready to drink kombucha in a 1 gallon jar you use smaller glass bottles. In this case you'll need a glass or plastic funnel to pour the kombucha into them. It can be more convenient for space and drinking purposes.

 INSTRUCTIONS
​1. Boil Water: Bring filtered water to a boil in your glass cookware. You don't want to add any extra chemicals like chlorine to your brew so make sure it's not just tap water. 

2. Dissolve Sugar: Remove your boiling water from the heat and carefully pour in the sugar to the water. Gradually stir in the sugar with your wooden spoon until it dissolves. Don't skip out on adding the full amount of sugar. This is what the culture "feeds" on to grow a healthy kombucha brew. 

 3. Brew Tea: The best tea bags to use are organic and do not have staples on the bags. If your tea bags do have staples carefully remove them before brewing your tea. No metal allowed! :) Add the tea bags to the water and cover with a lid to allow to steep until the water has cooled to room temperature.  Depending on the size of your pot, this could take a few hours. I like to put mine in the fridge on a heat safe surface to cool faster. You can discard your used your tea bags to your garden compost bin!

4. Add Kombucha Starter Liquid: Once the tea is cool, remove the tea bags. Now you can stir in the starter liquid from the store bought bottled kombucha. (The starter tea makes the liquid acidic, which prevents unfriendly bacteria from taking up residence in the first few days of fermentation.) Make sure the kombucha is cooled to room temp. because the heat will kill the living cultures.

 5. Add the SCOBY: Pour the mixture with and the SCOBY into your sterilized 1-gallon glass jar. Wash your hands to prevent any contamination into your brew. 

6. Cover the Jar: Cover the mouth of the jar with a few layers of cheesecloth and secure it with a large a rubber band. It should fit snug. This is what allows the brew to "breathe" in order to properly ferment while keeping our any unwanted particles.

 7. Ferment in a Dark Location:  Keep the jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and in a safe place it will not be disturbed. Allow it to ferment for at least 7 to 14 days, checking the kombucha and the scoby periodically. I have found for the first batch it takes a little longer than the subsequent batches.

8. Bottle, Chill, Taste: After seven days, begin tasting the kombucha daily by pouring a little out of the jar and into a cup. It will be slightly bubbly to the taste and not overly sweet when it is ready to drink. The longer you allow it to ferment the less sweet it will become. Paul's preference is a less sweet kombucha usually 10 to 14 days of fermenting. Once it is ready either pour the kombucha liquid (without the SCOBY) into your second gallon jar or funnel it into your glass bottles. Seal the ready to drink kombucha jar with a lid or plastic wrap and store it in your fridge. When your kombucha is stored and sealed in the fridge it will not continue to ferment. Keeping it sealed helps keep it pure of contaminants and prevents it from going flat. 

9. Serve: Most people prefer to drink the kombucha chilled and without the SCOBY remnants. The SCOBY particles won't hurt you, it's simply more palatable. Pour your kombucha slowly or use your cheese cloth to filter it for drinking. You can mix it with your favorite organic juice in your glass to enhance the taste. Most of sugar ferments away, but I always rinse my mouth with water or brush my teeth after drinking anything sweet.

Bottom Line: It may look gross but it's worth it for the end results!

9. Repeat: Always mark on your calendar or keep track of when you made your kombucha and schedule a reminder of when to create your next batch. Paul recommended we use two 1 gallon jars to create a brewing/drinking cycle.  He would wait 10-14 days for his kombucha to brew and then use 1 glass gallon jar to for Drinking Kombucha to store in his fridge and the second 1 gallon glass jar for Brewing Kombucha. He would make a new batch of kombucha tea to brew on the same day he would put the drinking kombucha in the fridge. This way by the time he consumed the drinking kombucha the second batch was ready to begin consuming. *Remember to always leave about 2 cups of the previous kombucha liquid in the Brewing Jar with the SCOBY when making a new batch.

Over time your SCOBY will continue to grow in layers in your gallon jar. It is normal for it to appear white with some brown sediment and bubbles. This is all part of a normal, healthy fermentation process. It should smell slightly sour like vinegar with a sweet aroma. Periodically you will need to remove some of the layers of the SCOBY when they fill the glass jar too much. You only need about 2-4 inches of SCOBY to remain in your Brewing Jar. The Kombucha SCOBY is actually high in probiotics, vitamins and protein. Therefore, Paul feeds the discarded SCOBY's to his chickens or sometimes even his dog! Yummy! They love it and turn it into fertile compost! If you don't have chickens or a hungry dog you can still add it to your compost bin to eventually dress your Back to Eden garden soil.

The longer you allow the kombucha to ferment the higher the alcohol content will be and the less the sugar content will be. It has been tested that kombucha is usually only 0.01% to 3% alcohol content, depending on how long you allow it to ferment. It is not enough alcohol to get drunk when consuming a 1-2 glasses. 

If your kombucha starts to smell or taste rotten you know that something is not right and the batch should be thrown out. It could actually make you very sick to drink contaminated kombucha. This would usually occur if the brew fermented for too long (over 2-3 weeks). It could also occur due to contamination of unwanted bacteria, not getting enough oxygen or not having enough sugar. So make sure your tools and clean and follow the instructions. In all my years of making kombucha I have never experienced any negative results. However, take precautions and use care like any home fermenting process. Make kombucha at your own risk and consume it wisely.

TIPS:

• Use organic ingredients.
• Sterilize all equipment with boiling water.
• Never allow any metal to touch the kombucha liquid brew. 
• Paul suggests trying your kombucha with some organic grape juice added to your cup. It tastes amazing!

( Serving Size: 4 Prep Time: 15 Min. )

 A Paella is a traditional Spanish recipe that is great way to use tons fresh in season ingredients easily incorporated into a large skillet with rice. In this version of a Paella fresh Back to Eden harvest veggies are the star!

Did you know that tomatoes and basil have a symbiotic relationship in the garden and when paired in the kitchen? When tomatoes and basil are grown together the tomatoes will be sweeter. Basil reduces inflammation, slows aging and fights bacteria and Lycopene in tomatoes fights disease. When paired together basil helps neutralize inflammatory qualities of tomatoes.

This recipe uses the cooking oil Ghee Butter to lightly sauté garden fresh veggies. Ghee Butter is one of Paul Gautschi's preferred cooking oils due to it's high heat index providing health benefits.

NOTE: The most important step in a Back to Eden garden recipe is to use live food, fresh and in season! Use whatever veggies and herbs are available in your garden!
INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 heaping teaspoon saffron or turmeric
• 2 tablespoons Ghee Butter 
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups green beans 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 lb. (16 oz) tomatoes, diced 
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 – 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups short grain rice (Valencia or arborio)
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 cup green peas 
• 1 can/jar (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered.
• Chopped basil leaves, to garnish.
• Lemon wedges, to serve.​

GHEE BUTTER          VEGETABLE BOUILLON             ARBORIO RICE             HIMALAYAN SALT        MANDOLIN SLICER

INSTRUCTIONS

• Harvest Cherrie Tomatoes, Cooking Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Zucchini, Green Beans, Sugar Peas, Carrots, Bell Pepper, Lemon and Garlic from your Back to Eden garden. 
• Cook 2 Cups organic rice with 1 Tbs. vegetable bouillon added into 4 1/4 Cups water for 40 minutes. 
• Add fresh Basil, Paprika, Bay Leaves, Saffron a pinch of mineral rich Himalayan Pink Sea Salt to the rice. Substitute Saffron for Turmeric if needed.
• Dice garlic cloves and chop the fresh veggies and artichoke hearts. 
• Lightly sauté the garlic and veggies, leaving out the peas and artichoke hearts, over a medium high heat in a sauce pan in 2 Tbs. ofGhee Butter for 5 minutes.
• Remove veggies from heat and set aside in a bowl.
• Chop the cooking tomatoes into chunks and add them into the rice. Allow them to cook together until rice is soft. 
• Chop the basil in fine strips and add half of it to the rice and tomato broth. 
• Remove rice from heat after it is cooked by taste. Some of the liquid tomato broth should still remain in the pot with the rice.
• Preheat oven to 425 F
• Pour the contents of the rice pot into an oven safe dish such as a cast iron skillet.
• Pour the bowl of sautéd veggies layered on top of the rice. Like mulch! ;) 
• Lightly Sprinkle on top with melted Ghee.
• Cook the paella in the oven for 15 min.
• After 15 minutes of cooking, scatter the peas and artichoke hearts on top.
• Broil for an additional 5 min. 
• Remove the cooked paella from the oven and serve into dishes. Discard bay leaves before eating. 
• Garnish each paella dish with your fresh basil and parmesan cheese and fresh lemon wedges for each person to squeeze into their dish.
• Serve and impress your family, friends and taste buds with your garden fresh meal!

LIVE FOOD, FRESH AND IN SEASON!
We all love Back to Eden gardening because it's simple and everything grows better! Eating from a Back to Eden garden should also be a simple and delicious experience! We will be sharing monthly recipes that are simple, nutritious , straight from your Back to Eden garden harvest to your kitchen table!

Subscribe to the new Back to Eden Garden Channel on Youtube!
​
Cucumbers are a super healthy anti-inflammatory food. 
They help remove toxins and promote hydration on hot summer days!

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Harvest several of your smaller cucumbers (5-7 inches) to avoid large seeds. 
• Scrub and rinse off the exterior of the cucumber using a scrub sponge.
• Cut cucumbers in thin, horizontal slices with a mandolin slicer and place in a bowl.
• Add one tablespoon of Organic Rice Vinegar.
• Add one tablespoon of Organic Sesame Oil to a mixing bowl.
• Marinade the cucumbers in the vinaigrette for 5-10 minutes.
• Add one teaspoon of Organic Minced Ginger.
• Optional: Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

-By Dana Richardson, Back to Eden Gardener

"When people come to my place I just love to have them sample my food and the response of everybody is 'that is so sweet and tastes so good'.  And my gut feeling intuitively is that the nutritional value of food is relative to it's flavor."  
-Paul Gautschi

Submit Your Garden Recipe
Have a delicious and nutritious Back to Eden garden recipe you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you!
Submit a recipe for a chance for your recipe to be featured in an upcoming newsletter and demo video!
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Still have unanswered gardening questions? Looking for some expert advice? Please purchase the Back to Eden DVD which has incredible Bonus Features! Paul answers the most frequently asked questions about Soil Prep, Fertilization, Irrigation, Weeding, Pests and even does a pruning demonstration and so much more! 
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