What's for Breakfast?
A good friend of mine came over for a late breakfast this morning. I made scones and scrambled eggs, and served them up with a pot of fresh brewed coffee on the side. It was wonderful. The scones were made with whole wheat flour and the conversation and laughter made a much better spread than butter ever could. Make them tomorrow for someone special - your family, your significant other, yourself!
*2 cups whole wheat flour *1/2 cup sugar *3 tsp baking powder *1/2 tsp salt
Mix all these together in a large bowl.
*1/2 cup cold butter, or margarine
Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter or margarine, until crumbly.
*1 egg *2/3 cup milk (I have used skim milk. Use 1% or 2% if you prefer a richer scone.)
Beat the egg into milk and then pour into the dry mix. Use a fork to stir up a soft dough. Flour your hands and then pat the dough into two circles, about 6" diameter. Place the rounds on a greased baking sheet, and use a very sharp knife to score the top into 6 pie shaped wedges. If you want a crisper, sweet finish, brush the scones with milk and sprinkle them with sugar before baking. Bake in a 425 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until the scones are risen and golden brown. Let cool on the pan for ten minutes before you split and serve them. Bon appetit!
Now, let's talk about that coffee you're going to serve with them. Where do you buy your java? Have you considered buying Fair Trade coffee? Here in Toronto, Kicking Horse Coffee, one Fair Trade brand, is readily available for those with discerning tastes and a sense of social justice. Central and South American coffee growers have been hard hit lately by falling prices and a glut on the market. The World Bank has aggressively promoted coffee growing in Vietnam, and it has all come together to mean a loss of livelihood for far too many struggling families in the 'coffee climes'. Research tabled in a report by Oxfam indicates that coffee production has increased at a rate twice that of production, a state of affairs expected to continue for some years more. It has left millions destitute, while companies like Nestle and Starbucks are announcing record profits. Farmers receive 30 cents or less for every pound of coffee sold in America, while pickers get 14 cents average. Think back to the last pound of coffee you bought. How much did you say you paid for it? Maybe by now, the word "rip-off" is entering your thoughts. It's not just you though. It's that farmer and his family back in Nicaragua, or Brazil, or Mexico. They're getting ripped off, too. The next breakfast on their table depends on your help. For the multinationals who are doing the ripping-off, it's all a game of creating, and then satisfying consumer demand.
Make those scones I gave you the recipe for. I've been using it for decades, and my family and friends can all tell you - it's a good one! Sit down to enjoy them with that cup of coffee close at hand, and give a thought to the people who grew and picked that coffee. While you're eating, look around the table at the smiling faces, and the plenty on your table. Talk with the people there about heading back to wherever it was you bought your coffee and asking them if they stock Fair Trade coffee. If they do, buy some. If they don't, demand to know why. After all, you are the consumer they want to please.
Breakfast Scones
*2 cups whole wheat flour *1/2 cup sugar *3 tsp baking powder *1/2 tsp salt
Mix all these together in a large bowl.
*1/2 cup cold butter, or margarine
Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter or margarine, until crumbly.
*1 egg *2/3 cup milk (I have used skim milk. Use 1% or 2% if you prefer a richer scone.)
Beat the egg into milk and then pour into the dry mix. Use a fork to stir up a soft dough. Flour your hands and then pat the dough into two circles, about 6" diameter. Place the rounds on a greased baking sheet, and use a very sharp knife to score the top into 6 pie shaped wedges. If you want a crisper, sweet finish, brush the scones with milk and sprinkle them with sugar before baking. Bake in a 425 degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until the scones are risen and golden brown. Let cool on the pan for ten minutes before you split and serve them. Bon appetit!
Now, let's talk about that coffee you're going to serve with them. Where do you buy your java? Have you considered buying Fair Trade coffee? Here in Toronto, Kicking Horse Coffee, one Fair Trade brand, is readily available for those with discerning tastes and a sense of social justice. Central and South American coffee growers have been hard hit lately by falling prices and a glut on the market. The World Bank has aggressively promoted coffee growing in Vietnam, and it has all come together to mean a loss of livelihood for far too many struggling families in the 'coffee climes'. Research tabled in a report by Oxfam indicates that coffee production has increased at a rate twice that of production, a state of affairs expected to continue for some years more. It has left millions destitute, while companies like Nestle and Starbucks are announcing record profits. Farmers receive 30 cents or less for every pound of coffee sold in America, while pickers get 14 cents average. Think back to the last pound of coffee you bought. How much did you say you paid for it? Maybe by now, the word "rip-off" is entering your thoughts. It's not just you though. It's that farmer and his family back in Nicaragua, or Brazil, or Mexico. They're getting ripped off, too. The next breakfast on their table depends on your help. For the multinationals who are doing the ripping-off, it's all a game of creating, and then satisfying consumer demand.
Make those scones I gave you the recipe for. I've been using it for decades, and my family and friends can all tell you - it's a good one! Sit down to enjoy them with that cup of coffee close at hand, and give a thought to the people who grew and picked that coffee. While you're eating, look around the table at the smiling faces, and the plenty on your table. Talk with the people there about heading back to wherever it was you bought your coffee and asking them if they stock Fair Trade coffee. If they do, buy some. If they don't, demand to know why. After all, you are the consumer they want to please.
2 Comments:
Fair Trade -- reminds me of a quote I read in recent Wired Magazine. Marcelo D'Elia Branco, a coordinator of Brazil's open source software movement said, "Every license for Office plus Windows in Brazil - a country in which 22 million people are starving - means we have to export 60 sacks of soybeans." The rich get richer and stay rich on the backs of the poor. A fairly shortsighted view when you think of the riches we could all have if some of us weren't starving. I'm sure many conflicts could be avoided or settled with dialogue if there weren't huge inequalities in the world.
Anyway, the scones were great!
one question before i attempt to make the scones. How long in the oven before they are risen and golden brown (approximately) Penny
Post a Comment
<< Home