The holidays are officially here, and many families celebrate the holiday season with food.  This month’s gluten free recipe features an old holiday favorite: sweet potatoes.  Sweet potatoes are one of nature’s most sweet and nutrient dense gluten free foods.  Although you can find sweet potatoes year round, November/December is their peak season; perhaps a reason they have become a holiday meal mainstay.

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Labor Day is this weekend, signaling the transition from summer into fall.  It also means back to school or just starting school for the first time for your little ones.  Fall also brings pears into peak season so they are featured in this month’s gluten free recipe along with polenta.

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About Millet
Millet is one of the oldest foods known to man and may possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes.  Referenced in the bible, millet was the primary grain used to make bread and has been used as a staple grain in Africa and India for thousands of years.   Some breads you might have encountered such as chapatti, roji, or uji are all made with millet.  Millet was actually the primary grain in China before rice came along.  Today, millet sustains 1/3 of the world’s population and is rated as the sixth most important grain worldwide. 

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 About Amaranth
While over 60 different species of amaranth are recognized in the plant kingdom, only about 3 species of this ancient grain are currently being cultivated.   Amaranth originated from a weed-like species, which can come in handy as it is easily harvested, produces lots of seeds (fruits), and the grains grow rapidly in a wide variety of climates.  Once a staple grain in the Andes, as well as a holy grain for the Incas and Aztecs, amaranth can be found in health food store across the US.  Most of the amaranth used today is still being grown in Mexico  Guatemala, Nepal, India, and Peru; but there is lots of potential for cultivation in the US and has been dubbed the “grain of the future″.

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About Montina
With popularity increasing, Montina is gluten free grain that is gaining notoriety.  Montina was a Native American staple grain known as Indian ricegrass.  Scientists at Montana State University and the grower collective Amazing Grains has once again brought this gluten free grain into kitchens worldwide.   Montina is high in protein and iron, as well as being much higher in fiber than most other gluten-free grains.  It is the high fiber content that makes Montina an excellent grain substitute for celiacs, as it helps baked goods rise providing a fluffy texture.

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