Feeling nature
Adding love to the cooking pot
Small & perfectly formed.
Naturally appetising
Green smoothies. Spoonfuls of pleasure
The power of grapes
Demeter. For the benefit of our Earth
Colourful plates.
Salads & starters
Asparagus. Fresh and from a jar
Frozen lemon. A condiment with a great deal of potential
Blossoms as food
Hot & cold.
Soups for summer and winter days
Alkaline dishes are good for our sense of well being
From the store cupboard to the table
Salt does not equal salt
How food can become a remedy
Tasty and healthy.
Main courses with and without meat
Don’t throw anything away!
Fine accessories.
Side dishes which can also take centre stage
Interval fasting
Sweet treats with fruits.
Cold desserts and desserts from the oven
Fruit. Plant power in its sweetest form
A pause for thought
Good for both body and soul.
Water and wine
Turning your kitchen into a home apothecary
Water is life
Wine is pleasure
Skin & hair.
Cosmetics from the kitchen and the vineyard
Internal and external beauty
The Nikolaihof Estate and its produce.
The ad vineas Guest House
Index of recipes
I live with my wonderful family at a place which is steeped in history. The full force of nature is contained within the plants and fruits bestowed upon us by the surrounding soil. We work together with our staff to help the earth develop its strength. Watchfulness and love are required in order to achieve this. We also need to act in a way that is in tune with the seasons.
When I stand in my kitchen and work with all this fantastic produce, it reflects everything that has been going on in the soil during the growth phase. A carrot, a potato, a rose petal or one of our grapes will never taste precisely the same as the year before. Each plant gives of its best regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. Rain may have been plentiful or scarce. Late frosts may have occurred or not. Year after year. My job as a cook is to select the available flavours and combine them to create a healthy and delicious whole. I take a conscious approach to this work and am full of good sentiments. Each stage of producing a dish is a type of meditation which stirs my spirit and allows me to feel a link with nature.
I would like to encourage you to browse through this book, to experiment whilst you are cooking and to seek inspiration. Perhaps some of the thoughts expressed will strike a note with you. Above all, I wish you joy as you go about your task. Enjoying what we do keeps us healthy and ensures that even the simplest of recipes will become an exquisite accomplishment.
Christine Saahs
Cooking pots have been a part of people’s lives ever since it was discovered that fire can be used to produce food. Pots may differ in terms of shape and material, but their purpose is always the same – to prepare contents in such a way so as to satisfy human nutritional needs. At least this was the case before industrially manufactured foodstuffs conquered the market and ready meals rendered the cooking process virtually superfluous. But does pre-prepared food really offer us the right kind of sustenance? Or does it just fill us up? What are we missing out on when we cook using genetically modified grains and fruit and vegetables which have been treated with pesticides and are grown on soils which can only be nurtured by strong chemical fertilisation? Does it do us any good to eat meat from animals which live (and die) under terrible conditions, are kept “healthy” with antibiotics and are fed with hormones?
And can any of these products really be designated as “food”?
I have been interested in Demeter cultivation for over 45 years. All wines produced at the Nikolai Estate and (nearly) all the ingredients used in the dishes served at our wine tavern comply with the strict guidelines of biodynamic agriculture. I do not intend to go into the precise details of these principles here (indeed the relevant information can be found on the Internet at any time). My aim is to tell you about the innate vitality that is contained within every plant and every living being, including ourselves.
If a plant is growing in healthy soil and is exposed to water and sunlight, it will receive everything it needs in order to become strong, blossom and give forth fruits or seeds. Such a plant can access the very best support at every stage of growth. A healthy plant can automatically ward off natural pests and many diseases. It does not need any additional aids. An inherent strength is passed on to any living being which consumes it. We are also provided with an optimum source of sustenance that allows us to evolve our own vitality and remain healthy. In my view, this cycle of nature reflects creation.
If a plant’s growth has been chemically influenced or if its seed-producing capacity has been altered (perhaps to zero), then an essential part of the circle of life has been removed. A vital element of our own nourishment will also be absent if we use such produce in our food. Deficiencies of this kind may also lead to physical ailments such as stomach upsets, intestinal disorders and a weakened immune system. They may also result in psychological impairments. We are then forced to combat these problems in the same way as a plant that has been chemically treated by taking additional substances into our bodies in the form of medications. This is a futile loop and is also something that is exploited by major food production companies and the pharmaceutical industry.
This book does not seek to act as a wagging finger, telling you what you should and should not eat. My aim is to give you an understanding of what does me good and to present you with some of the ideas which motivate me. I have collected recipes which I enjoy making and have added a few comments and tips relating to health, physical well being and achieving a mental balance. My daughter Dr. Christine Saahs has helped me along the way. Of course, all the dishes included are prepared using organic produce or ingredients that comply with Demeter guidelines. Love is also involved. A love of nature, of nature’s produce, of the activity of cooking and of the people around me is the main driving force which has led me to embrace biodynamic Demeter agriculture. This is an approach which maintains the flow of life.
My recipes are based on fruit and vegetables that have been grown in accordance with Demeter principles. Produce is washed but left unpeeled wherever possible (except for persons with a particularly sensitive stomach). Herbs, leafy vegetables and salads are washed and then shaken or spun dry.
Whenever the season permits, I use blossoms and herbs that will enhance the taste and look of my dishes. Give the blossoms a good shake to rescue any small insects that may be sheltering in the chalices and between the leaves.
Both my family and I have always enjoyed the benefits or an alkaline or largely alkaline diet. For this reason, I have included many dishes of this type. The relevant entries are marked:
PREDOMINANTLY
Alkaline
Alkaline
And, because there are many small households, most recipes have been designed with two people in mind. If a dish is better prepared in larger quantities, the amounts of ingredients have been increased accordingly. The recipes presented are intended as suggestions that may be varied according to the season and in line with your own whims and moods.
Ingredients for 2 – 4 portions
¼ bunch of chives
2 fresh sage leaves
1 clove of garlic
½ a small onion
1 pinch of caraway
1 teaspoon of tarragon mustard
125 g curd cheese (20% dry matter fat content)
125 g sour cream
Crystal salt
Milled pepper
Preparation
1 Finely chop the chives and sage, peel the garlic and chop very finely. Peel the onion and cut up very small, finely chop the caraway on a wet board.
2 Mix all the ingredients in a bowl (stir only briefly, otherwise the mixture will become liquid) and season. I find that crunchy jalapeño provides a very good contrast to the mild taste of the cream cheese.
MY TIP
A good spread for a snack, a perfect accompaniment to freshly cooked potatoes in their skins and an excellent vegetable dip. The cheese will keep for several days in the fridge and can also be frozen in portions in screw top jars.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
Finish by adding nettles and other wild herbs. The version shown here features sage, garden orache, rucola and a few rose leaves to give colour.
WINE RECOMMENDATION
Grüner Veltliner Federspiel
Ingredients for 2 portions
125 g butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon of mixed herbs (see tip)
½ teaspoon of herbal salt according to taste
A little finely grated frozen lemon (see p. 48)
Blossoms (lilies, dahlias, nasturtium, roses) to garnish
Preparation
1 Mix the butter in a bowl using a whisk or mixer until it becomes creamy. Pluck the herb leaves from their stalks, chop finely and thoroughly mix into the butter together with all other ingredients. Season, put into decorative containers or cups and leave to go hard in the fridge.
2 Dip the vessels briefly in hot water prior to serving and tip the butter out onto plates. Decorate as you like with various blossoms.
MY TIP
Many garden and wild herbs are suitable for the flavouring of butter. Depending on taste and availability, these include parsley, chives, oregano, marjoram, lovage (predominates slightly), rosemary, lavender (not everyone’s preference), sorrel, nettles, dandelion and many more besides.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
Blossom butter can be prepared in exactly the same way as herb butter using roses, violets, dandelions, lilies, dahlias, lime blossoms, fruit tree blossoms and all other edible varieties. Blossoms and herbs may also be mixed.
A wide range of different flavours can be created by also using garlic, milled pepper, saffron, chilli, turmeric and other spices.
Making your own herbal salt
Use a mortar to grind crystal salt with dry herbs such as yarrow, ground ivy, daisies, dandelion, sainfoin, meadow sage, nettles, sorrel, origanum, parsley, marjoram and oregano. Store in a screw top jar.
Ingredients for 2 portions
125 g butter at room temperature
2 – 3 fully ripe apricots (depending on size)
1 teaspoon of herbal salt according to taste
A little finely grated frozen lemon (see p. 48)
Honey according to taste
Preparation
1 Mix the butter in a bowl using a whisk or mixer until it becomes creamy. Remove the stones from the apricots, chop up finely and thoroughly mix into the butter together with salt and lemon. Season (add a little honey if the apricots are not sweet enough). Put the butter into decorative containers or cups and leave to go hard in the fridge.
2 Dip the vessels briefly in hot water prior to serving and tip the butter out onto plates.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
Plums and other ripe fruits can also be mixed with the butter. Try it out!
PREDOMINANTLY
Alkaline
Ingredients for 2 baking trays
500 g flaxseed
2 large tomatoes
4 dried tomatoes
½ teaspoon of hot paprika powder
Herbal salt (see p. 18) according to taste
1 pinch of cayenne or Tabasco
Dried basil or oregano
Preparation
1 Empty the flaxseed into a sufficiently large container, add just enough water to cover and leave overnight to soak.
2 Remove the stalks from the fresh tomatoes, chop tomatoes roughly and use a blender to mix finely with the dried tomatoes. Bring to the boil in a small saucepan. Allow to cool, and then add the mixture to the softened flaxseed (including the water in which it has soaked). Add the spices, mix well and season.
3 The mixture created will be relatively liquid. Spread out thinly across two baking trays lined with baking paper (or on the trays of a dehydrator) to a depth of about 2 mm. Allow it to dry in the oven at 60 °C for around 10 – 14 hours (do not bake). Leave the oven door slightly ajar to enable the moisture to escape.
4 Break up into pieces and store in glass containers.
MY TIP
The crackers can be eaten dry or slightly moist to accompany salads or soups. In the former case, you will find that they totally eclipse any kind of industrially produced snack.
During winter the fresh tomatoes may be replaced with a good quality tinned variety. On warm summer days, the crackers will dry out in a hot sunny spot.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
The crackers may be varied in a number of different ways by using sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, herbs, garlic, finely grated cheese, turmeric and many other spices.
Prior to drying, they may also be sprinkled with flaxseed or sesame (picture).
Alkaline
Ingredients
Soft stoneless prunes (without preservatives)
1 sage leaf per prune
A little grape seed oil, olive oil or ghee according to taste
Fresh sage blossoms and leaves to garnish
Preparation
1 Wrap each prune in 1 sage leaf, fasten with a toothpick.
2 Heat a little fat in a pan and lightly fry the sage prunes on all sides. (Take care, they burn easily!) Serve hot. The prunes make a great starter when garnished with green or vegetable salad.
MY TIP
Sage prunes may be prepared in advance. Wrap up, fasten and store in a container in the fridge. They will keep for about 1 week. Fry off in the pan as needed.
In the summer months, sage prunes are also a tasty barbecue option!
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
The fruits may also be wrapped in nettles or other large-leafed herbs instead of in sage leaves. Wrap in thin rashers of bacon to create tangy bacon prunes.
WINE RECOMMENDATION
Muscat Blanc or Neuburger
Alkaline
Ingredients for 2 – 4 portions
200 g hemp nuts (peeled hemp seeds, available in organic food stores)
Total of about 90 g herbs, e.g. 20 g basil, 20 g dill, 10 g sorrel, 10 g lemon balm, 5 g coriander, 5 g savory, 5 g hyssop, 10 g tarragon, 2 g sage leaves (or any other mix according to taste and season)
100 ml hemp oil (available in organic food stores)
Crystal salt
Milled pepper
Finely grated frozen lemon (see p. 48) according to taste
Preparation
1 Lightly brown the hemp nuts in a pan without adding fat, then finely grind using a mortar.
2 Pluck the leaves from the herb stems, purée all ingredients in a blender, season with crystal salt, pepper and lemon.
MY TIP
The small hemp seeds (hemp nuts) contain large amounts of healthy antioxidants, Vitamin E and the B Vitamins. They are also one of the best suppliers of B2.