Do you arrive home after full day’s work, too tired to cook, too hungry not to, wondering what to make for dinner? You want something tasty and nutritious and you want it now. Here is where a devoted “friend of miso,” Barbara Coughlin, can help. We met Barbara by chance (or was it grace?) this summer while visiting Camphill Village, a residential community serving special-needs adults in Copake, New York. She and her husband were stocking up on some of the Village’s fresh baked whole grain sourdough bread.
I was delighted to learn that she had been developing simple, easy ways of using South River Miso – just what I wanted to feature in our fall newsletter. Here are excerpts from an e-mail she sent soon after meeting us:
“Your miso is an integral part of my nourishment and pleasure. Using South River Miso, I can quickly transform any dish into one that satisfies taste as well as nutrition. I keep almost every variety on hand, according to the desire for sweetness or bitterness. I don’t use recipes, but rather rely on my imagination and spontaneity for quick and simple dishes.
If I make a bean or vegetable soup, I blend miso into the stock at the end of cooking. For grain, bean, vegetable dishes, and salads, I dilute miso with water to the desired consistency, to make an instant sauce or dressing in the following combinations:
Occasionally I use miso straight from the jar, spread thinly on crackers [ we recommend Sweet White Miso for this – ed. ], or bread, topped with cheese and/or vegetables. Tempeh with miso-spread is a staple in our house, as are shredded beets and hard boiled eggs with miso and mustard. Potato salad with miso-mustard sauce and vegetable oil is sumptuous.”
In addition to Barbara’s suggestions, here are a few easy ways that I incorporate miso into my day:
Thank you, Barabara, for sparking our enthusiasm and sharing some easy, creative ways to use miso. I end with your words:
“South River Miso sustains me deeply. It is a comfort and a delight, something I look forward to every day. I feel that it is one of the fundamental nutrient-dense foods needed in these times”
A new post and beam vat storage building with offices on the second floor has doubled the usable space at South River! We began foundation work for the 75ft x 22 ft. facility in late spring 2004, and are now nearing completion-housing fermentation vats and moving into new offices.
We fortunate to have two master timber-framers, Jerry Sawma and Scott Wallace, as our builders. Jerry built our first miso shop in 1981, almost a quarter century ago. Since then, together they have built over 20 homes and other timber frame buildings in our local area.
Our new building features a radiant heated floor, fired by a wood-burning furnace. It will house over 20 wooden vats with a total storage capacity of 150,000 pounds of hand-crafted miso in various stages of fermentation. Upstairs is a meeting room, kitchenette, a light-filled office space with pine floors, color-tinted plaster walls, and refreshing views of South River Farm.
The scale of our production, our methods, and equipment remain the same. Our new facilities will allow us to grow as a community better able to serve our expanding customer base and re-dedicated to the health and well-being of all our relations.
Mighty Instant Soup
-Mix 1 heaping teaspoon of Garlic Red Pepper miso with a little hot water in a mug
-Add finely chopped onions and fresh parsley.
-Add hot, boiling water to fill the mug.
-Stir and let sit for a few moments before drinking.
(Other varieties of miso can be used. Dandelion Leek Miso is especially good for this instant soup.)
Easy Dressing
1 teaspoon Dijon type mustard
21⁄2 tablespoons rice or cider vinegar
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unrefined flaxseed oil (optional)
1 tablespoon Sweet White Miso or other one-year variety
With fork, mix miso into mustard, vinegar, and oil in a glass jar. (Recycled South River Miso jars are great for this.) Screw on lid and shake vigorously immediately before using.
Miso-Ginger Hot Shot
This recipe is adapted from one sent to us from Japan by Miyuki Embree, who writes: “I love miso and I use it everyday when I cook meals for my family. Here is a special recipe that we use as a home remedy for colds. This has been well received by my Canadian in-laws; they think it really works.”
2 teaspoons Garlic Red Pepper or other light Miso
1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped scallions or onion
-Put all the ingredients in a mug and fill with hot boiling water.
-Stir and drink before going to bed.
-Next morning you will be back in great shape.
Miso Tahini Spread
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons light miso
2 tablespoons water
My miso arrived with a “puffy” lid. Is it OK to use?
Yes, your miso is fine. Our unpasteurized miso is in a process of continuous fermentation which may cause expansion of the jar lids. You can open the jar, allow the air to escape, and refrigerate. Miso will keep for an unlimited time when refrigerated.
I have heard it is best not to cook miso; if so, how do I make miso soup?
Each teaspoonful of unpasteurized miso contains millions of active microorganisms which are beneficial to the dynamic digestion and assimilation of all foods, and which help to establish and maintain a healthy, vigorous digestive system. For these rea- sons, miso should not be subjected to pro- longed cooking or high heat. Add miso at the end of cooking and turn the heat source down very low or remove soup from the stove and serve several minutes later, allowing the flavors to blend.
How much miso should I use?
For greatest benefit miso should be used in small amounts on a regular basis. One to two tablespoons per day would be average use. When seasoning soup, begin by adding a small amount of miso – one to two teaspoons per cup of liquid – adding more if needed. Miso soup should taste neither too salty nor too bland. The miso should mingle with the flavor of the soup and enhance, but not overpower it.
I have been using your miso for about a month and it is absolutely fabulous, I am an acupuncturist/ herbalist in Los Angeles and I am so excited to have found South River Miso. I will be recommending it to all my patients.
S.J, LOS ANGELES, CA
I am impressed with your miso. With every other brand I’ve ever tried, the dominant taste to me is salt. Your miso has a subtle symphony of flavors. The difference between yours and other brands is the difference between mass-produced store-bought bread and bread made at home with love and freshly milled flour. Bravo!
R.W., OREGON
A friend of mine gave me four jars of your wonderful miso, and as I result I cannot be happy with any other miso.
M.B., PENN VALLEY, CA
It’s the best tamari I’ve ever tasted and the miso is probably the best in the world- truly crème de la crème.
J.S., COCOA, FL
…I swear to all the gods of Yin and Yang, to George Obsawa’s memory, to the spirits of the Native Americans who lived here before us, and to the Rice Spirit that looks over us that the miso soup that I bad this morning was SINGING. It was half way between a buzz and a bum, with a little bit of a crackle for some harmony. I swirled it around for a few seconds thinking maybe that it was some freak temporary phenomenon, and it kept singing! Eventually I drank it, and…well, maybe it kept singing inside my stomach.
R.C., BOSTON, MA
Your fermented porridge recipe bas helped me greatly! I use it to ferment amaranth seed-this gets very watery so I mix in buckwheat and/or whole oat groats or whole rye berries. I add a bunch of wild blueberries and have an excellent meal!
V.W., SEYMOUR, TN
I especially appreciate your use of glass instead of plastic. It really makes a huge difference regarding health issues as well as taste. It is a true gift to our health and homes.
D.M., ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
PH: 413.369.4057
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