Grains of Discovery (Bob's Red Mill)

I love Bob's Red Mill. My morning gluten-free muesli is from Bob's and it's always comforting to the see the certified GF label on the bag. Bob's does so much to support the GF community and is such a household name (for my people, at least!) that I was thrilled to receive an invite to the launch party for their new Grains of Discovery project.

Grains of Discovery highlights the flavor and health benefits of nine ancient grains, including six which are gluten-free: teff, amaranth, chia, sorghum, millet, and quinoa. While these are all familiar to most gluten-free folks (raise your hand if you have quinoa in your cupboard right now), they aren't exactly household staples. That Bob's is endeavoring to teach people about these healthy grains warms my public health heart.

To be honest, I thought there would be some info packets and small tastes of the grains or some such. I was wrong. So wrong.

BOB!

Yep, Bob was there. And man sure can throw a party. There was a wonderful band, cocktail stations, and - oh yeah - he flew in nine award winning chefs to create signature dishes with each ancient grain. Like this: 

NOT a sad little taste of grain. 

That lovely plate was Chef Vitaly Paley's Sorghum Tamale with Moxie Braised Goat and Oxtail, Spicy Sorghum Salsa, and Puffed Sorghum. And, yes, it was as good (and interesting) as it sounds. 

As was Chef Naomi Pomeroy's Quinoa Salad with Asian Vinaigrette, with a delicate bit of fish alongside. 

And the burnt orange negronis: 

So delicious, I had two. 

But I think my favorite dish, the one I'm most likely to replicate at home, was from Bob's in-house chef Sarah House: Teff Pudding Cakes with Coffee and Berbere. 

Teff porridge with coffee and berbere, cooked thick, cut and pan fried. It was remarkable. I grew up eating Cream of Wheat and miss it so. I've tried all the common gluten-free porridges - cream of rice, buckwheat, etc. but none were as satisfying as this teff. Thankfully, the good folks at Bob's hooked me up with the new grains, so I'll be playing with the six gluten-free ones, including that tasty teff. 

That gluten-free label - so reassuring! 

Big thanks to Bob's Red Mill - for a wonderful event and so many safe delicious grains!