Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Savory, Fat-Free (Almost!), Foraged Clover Bread Recipe



While on a tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill, we came upon a field of sweet clover, the red/purple kind; which the "Wildman" told us was very good for you. Upon tasting the flowers, I was reminded of this dandelion bread from Fat of the Land; and I knew I had to try to make a clover version--with my own small twists, of course!

I wanted to try to create a somewhat healthier version of the original. I substituted half of the white flour for whole wheat flour, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. I also decided to use an old trick for reducing the fat of a dish, by replacing unsweetened apple sauce for the oil. The result is an almost fat-free bread--the egg still has a little fat in it. My first loaf was missing something, so the second batch got a dash of vanilla extract, which really perked it up.

There is a slightly bitter note in this bread; I would assume it comes from the green parts of the flowers, which are impossible to remove entirely. Still, it is rich, hearty and dense, with a touch of sweetness and a very pleasing texture. It tastes great with a pat of creamy butter, or toasted with a drizzle of maple syrup; but my favorite way of serving it is to add a razor thin slice of sharply-flavored cheese (I used Asiago), to top each slice of bread.

It is difficult to categorize this bread. It could be an appetizer, certainly, but it is also very nice for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea. And its delicious when paired with beer, so. . . However you look at it, its a tasty little anytime bread.

Since the clover heads more difficult to break up than the dandelion blooms, I gave them a whirl in the food processor. Alternatively, you could mince them with a knife. Unfortunately, the lovely purple color is lost in cooking.

1 Cup of packed red clover blossoms, leaves and stems removed
1 Cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white flour (or 2 cups white flour)
1 1/2 Cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
4 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup or sugar)
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1 Egg
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1/4 Tsp salt
Cooking spray (or butter or oil)
  1. Inspect your clover blossoms. Remove leaves and stems, and make sure no foreign material is mixed in. Give your blooms a rinse (optional), and make sure to check for insects.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350.
  3. Working in batches, places the blossoms in the food processor. Once broken-down, remove as many of the large green "cores" that you easily can. You may want to remeasure, and add additional flowers to get to a full cup.
  4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour(s), chopped clover blossoms, baking powder and salt. Stir gently to combine.
  5. In a larger bowl, combine milk, apple sauce, honey or other sweetener, vanilla extract and the egg. 
  6. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring as you go. The batter can be lumpy, and will be fairly wet. 
  7. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray (or butter or oil). Pour the mix into the loaf pan.
  8. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, start checking for doneness by inserting a butter knife into the thickest part of the loaf. If it comes out clean, its done. If not, keep checking every 5-7 minutes more.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Makes 1 loaf, serves 10-14

3 comments:

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  2. Thanks for the clover recipe, I featured it on my blog today :) http://www.colorfulcanary.com/2016/06/wild-sweet-11-captivating-clover-recipes.html

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    1. Thank you so so much Canary! I subscribed to your blog, I have to catch up on your posts!

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