​Ingredients:

• Soup stock (we like to use both onion soup stock and veggie soup stock combined).  We cook LARGE batches so you need to gauge your own amount.  I would recommend about 12-14 cups of stock to 6 cups of cooked berries/barley.
• Veggies - onions, celery, chard, mushrooms, peas, grated zucchini for serving
• Rye berries or wheat berries or barley
• Local cheese (parmesan-like is best), grated - about 1-2 cups per 6 cups cooked base
• Butter

1. First, prepare the rye/wheat berries or barley.  These local ingredients simply take longer to cook than rice. Preparation can be done within 48 hours ahead of time or the morning of (store the cooked base covered in the refrigerator). Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the berries or barley and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring back to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender but still with a lot of "chew to them", timing can range from about 45 minutes to 2 hours. Drain and set aside.
2. Next, In a large, deep pan (we like to use a wide pot or wok), cook the onions and chopped celery in local butter and cook until the begin to soften, about 3 minutes. 
3. Add the cooked berries/barley to the pan and cover in stock. Stir!
4. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until thick and saucy, about 10 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more stock, as necessary.  You will likely need to add stock 2-4 times in the cooking process.  Be careful not to burn or to overcook the risotto mixture.
5. Once the risotto appears/tastes just about ready, add the peas, and cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until the peas have warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
6. Fry up the mushrooms in butter separately.
7. Serve with the fried mushrooms on top, along with a little extra grated cheese and grated zucchini on the side.

YUM!  NOURISHING!

Otherwise known as the vegetarian staple, "The Buddha Bowl," at 'Niwas we aim to make the commitment to keep all of our Buddha Bowls as "local" as possible, depending on the season.

Always start with your base!
The best Farm bowl starts with a hearty base.  During summer and fall season, we like to roast a mix of potatoes and root vegetables from the Farm or from local Farm friends at the Farmers' Market.  Some options for your hearty base include (but are not limited to!):

• potatoes (baby potatoes are divine!)
• patty pan squash
• sweet potatoes/yams
• pumpkin
• turnips
• fennel
• zucchini
• cauliflower (riced cauliflower can also be a great Farm bowl base)
• various other squash options!
• Sometimes, instead of the root vegetables we incorporate our own locally grown Barley Risotto as a base (we can provide this recipe soon!)

Of course, in the winter season or early Spring, we may have to supplement with an organic quinoa or rice base.  This can also be an option.

Then select your greens!
There are so many options here!  We like to select our various lettuce greens if we cook the base in advance and can let the base cool for more of a hearty salad.  For a warm bowl, you can use beet greens, kale, and/or mizuna.  They can be fresh or sautéed for some variation.

​Then add some locally-sourced veggie pizzazz!
Keep your base and greens company with some locally sourced veggies.  At least 2 other ingredients keep the Farm bowls looking beautiful and offering dense nutritional value.  Some options we incorporate include:

• shredded carrot
• shredded and/or pickled beet
• shredded zucchini
• chopped tomato
• steamed beans
• chopped/fried cabbage
• steamed broccoli/cauliflower
• capsicum/pepper
• sliced radishes
• fruits and berries can be a nice addition too - we often incorporate Huckleberries, apples, and/or pears

Protein is a nice addition.
Some local proteins we add include chopped Alpine meadows cheese, homemade Halloumi cheese or boiled eggs.

Fresh herbs are necessary in our books.
We love our fresh garden herbs around here.  Our favorite is chopped dill however chopped parsley or cilantro can also add some depth of flavour.

Don't forget the dressing!
Farm Bowl dressing is a staple at 'Niwas.  The general recipe we use is:

• 4 parts oil (olive, safflower, or coconut)
• 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 part sweetness (maple syrup or honey)
• 1 part Tahini sauce
• 1 part tamari
• 1 part nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 scallions
• salt and pepper

Blend and voila!  Feel free to play around with the amounts and parts.  During our "local" Sadhana, we only use oil, apple cider vinegar, local honey, tamari, nutritional yeast, scallions and any herbs we see fit.

Buddha and Farm Bowls become such a fun and playful way to simplify your diet, connect with seasonal items, and share ideas with friends.  Do you have any tips for your local bowls?  We'd love to hear them!

5.   Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. The dough will become smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour and continue kneading.
6.     Let stand for 30 minutes before rolling. If rolling the dough by hand, use a pasta-specific rolling pin if you can and roll it very thin. Cut in 1 cm strips for fettuccine.​
7.  Try to procure a pasta machine, This helps!  Always follow the machine instructions for rolling and cutting.
8.    To cook pasta, this should be done right before serving, with all the sauce and fix-ins ready and waiting!  Cook in a pot of boiling water (we like to add a bit of salt as well).  Fresh pasta only needs 2-3 minutes generally, as compared to dried packaged pasta which requires close to 10 minutes.  You will know the pasta is ready after it floats, and a taste test of course!