My name is Harley Songin, and I am the newest addition to the Oldways team, as the Program Assistant for The Whole Grains Council.

My path to this position was neither direct, nor planned, but I am beyond excited to have finally found what I’ve always been looking for!  As a Sociology and Psychology major, I spent most of college trying to figure out what I was truly passionate about. While I explored different fields through Northeastern University’s co-op program, the one thing that remained constant in my life was getting creative in the kitchen.  I was always experimenting with new fruits, vegetables, and grains to come up with healthy and colorful creations to share with friends and family.

Another constant was my love of learning about different cultures, which happens to pair quite nicely with my love of food. I was lucky enough to be able to travel a good deal during my undergrad years, where I learned that the best way to really understand another culture is through their food. You can learn so much about a place while immersed in a local street market, out on a rice terrace, or in your homestay mother’s kitchen.

In all of the places that I’ve visited thus far, some of the best memories and experiences I’ve had have been centered around preparing and sharing good food in great company, which just happens to be the mission of our parent organization, Oldways.  Through my position here, I hope to be able to spread the knowledge that food is best when prepared using fresh, nutritious ingredients and when it is shared with loved ones.

To celebrate the beginning of my time at the Whole Grains Council, I’ve shared below some of my favorite whole grain recipes that I’ve picked up on my travels!

Whole Grain Pizza Dough (Rome, Italy)

Italy is overflowing with some of my favorite foods including pizza, pasta and cheese. While traveling in Rome, my meal of choice became the traditional Italian Margherita pizza. This is a recipe for whole grain dough that you can top with slices of local mozzarella, fresh basil leaves and the last of your garden fresh tomatoes to recreate my perfect taste of Italy! Or get creative with some seasonal toppings like pumpkin, ricotta, and sage.

*Will make one regular pizza or two thinner crust individual sized pizzas

2 ½ cups whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting

2 ¼ tsps active dry yeast

¾ tsp salt

1 cup warm water

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp sugar

• In a small bowl combine yeast, water, and 1 tsp of sugar — set aside and let sit for 5 minutes

• In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar. Make a well in the center and add the contents of the small bowl plus your olive oil

• Stir using a spoon until the dough just comes together then knead for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour 1 tbsp at a time until dough begins to pull away from sides of the bowl or is no longer sticky

• Shape dough into a smooth ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap to rise about 45 minutes to 1 hour

• Put dough on a lightly floured pizza stone or floured counter top and roll out to your desired crust thickness. Let this rest for about 10 minutes

• Preheat oven to 500°F.  Use this time to add your toppings

• Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are cooked. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing

Arepas (Costa Rica)

I’ve traveled to Costa Rica for animal rescue twice now, saving both sea turtles and sloths, but no matter where I was visiting, a staple of my diet was Arepas. Arepas are essentially handheld corn pockets than can either be stuffed with savory ingredients or eaten on their own. My first introduction to these treats was in the cozy kitchen of a lovely family situated in a beautiful, secluded seaside village called Gandoca on the Caribbean side of the country.

*Will make about 8 arepas

2 cups good quality masa harina

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups warm water

1 cup warm milk

1 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp queso fresco, finely crumbled (feta will also work)

Cooking spray or olive oil for brushing

• Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray or olive oil. Set aside.
• In one bowl mix your dry ingredients (masarepa or masa harina, salt, and baking powder). In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients (milk, water, and melted butter). Add your wet mixture into your dry mixture and combine well using a fork. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add in the crumbled cheese. Knead the mixture in the bowl for approximately 5 minutes.
• Pre-heat a non-stick skillet (or preferably a seasoned cast iron griddle) on medium heat.
• Make one arepa at a time, forming them using wet hands (about ½ cup of mix per arepa). Note: mixture should not be too wet or too dry — if the mixture is cracking when you are trying to form it, add a bit of water.  Lightly oil the side that you will put down on the skillet or griddle.
• Grill for about 3-5 minutes on the first side, creating a nice crust. *put it down and don’t touch it!*  Lightly oil the other side before flipping over. Grill until both sides are light golden brown. (Make sure not to burn the arepas  — they will brown more in the oven)
• Transfer the arepas to the prepared cookie sheet and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. When they begin to puff in the middle and turn a beautiful golden brown you know that they’re done!

Mormon Corn Bread (Southern Utah)

I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Southwest corner of Utah three times now, volunteering at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab. Being all about the animals, Best Friends runs a completely vegetarian/vegan cafeteria on site. In the spirit of helping the animals, while visiting I also experimented with many different vegetarian delicacies in my own kitchen. This area of the country is also known for their high Mormon population. Being vegetarian, whole grain, and delicious, I’d love to share this Mormon Corn Bread recipe from the West!

1 cup whole grain yellow cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup milk

¼ cup cooking oil

• Sift together cornmeal, wheat flours, baking powder, salt and sugar
• Add remaining ingredients and stir until flour is moistened — do not beat
• Pour into greased 8 x 8 inch pan
• Bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes 

Bubur Injin or Black Rice Pudding (Bali, Indonesia)

Last year, I had the opportunity to explore health and wellness traditions in Bali, Indonesia. In addition to practicing yoga and meditation, I immersed myself in local culture and food practices, and learned a great deal about the strong family bonds that form the foundation of their society. Typically, multiple generations live together on family compounds, engaging in communal mealtimes, sharing incredibly ornamental, fragrant feasts together. In some villages, children even come home for lunch in the middle of the day! One of my personal favorite dishes was this sweet and wholesome dessert. *Ingredients can be found at your local Asian market, can be ordered online if desired, or substituted as noted

*Serves 4-6

½ cup black rice

2 tbsp sticky white rice or plain white rice

4 cups water

⅔ cup palm sugar syrup* (can be found at some Whole Foods but can also be substituted with ⅔ cup dark brown sugar plus 2 tsps molasses)

1 pandan leaf or essence* (optional)

1 vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla essence (actual vanilla beans make a real difference if you can afford to splurge!)

½ tsp sea salt

2 cups coconut milk

• Place the black rice and the water in a large saucepan and leave to soak for about 8 hours. Add the white rice for the last 2 hours
• Bring the rice to a boil with the pandan leaf, salt, and vanilla bean (if using essence, do not add it here) for at least an hour or until the water has evaporated and the rice is soft
• Stir in the palm sugar (and vanilla essence if using). Mix well while simmering over a low flame for 1-2 minutes. When done, the pudding should be a thick consistency
• To serve, top individually with coconut milk