We've made our cook book club virtual! We may not be able to meet in person and cook for one another, but that doesn't mean we can't create together. Each month we will highlight a different spice or seasoning. Kits will include this spice, a recipe that highlights it, a little history on the spice or recipe, and some best practices. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking!
A Little Background On Poppy Seeds
Adapted from Florgeous.com, The Poor Print, and others
The poppy has been a popular symbol throughout history and prehistory. The Ancient Greek and Romans used it as an offering to the dead. The Greek goddess Demeter was said to have poppies be her symbol and they were sewn during crop rotation, thus becoming a symbol of regeneration and abundance. Internationally, the poppy is used as a sign of respect and remembrance towards fallen soldiers. It was used as a symbol for the dangers of apathy and complacency in the Wizard of Oz, for oblivion in Keats, for the corrupting and destructive nature of wealth and power in the Tibetan novel, Red Poppies, by Alai.
Poppy seed use and cultivation itself goes back to at least 3,500 years and has often been used to represent the journey between life and death. While the poppy flower originates in Asia and Greece, the seeds have been discovered in prehistoric lake dwellings in Switzerland as well. As far as cooking is concerned however, while they have been used for millennia, it is only as early as the first century that they were used as a condiment and third century before it was used as an actual ingredient in cooking.
It does have a proud history as a primary ingredient in many of the holiday food traditions of Poland and those of Slovak origin, especially around the Christmas and Easter seasons, as well as pre-Christian holidays such as Yule. During these holidays, dishes stuffed with the seeds such as Makowiec (bread made by rolling dough with layers of poppy seed filling, sometimes not much more than the filling covered by a thin layer of crust), Bobalky (fried dough balls tossed in a poppy seed and honey mixture), or any of any number of other poppy seed flavored sweets and savories. The poppy flower, after all, has a long and rich spiritual history, representing a variety of concepts from sleep to death, peace and imagination to dreams, beauty, and so much more. Is it any wonder that a flower representing death and peace, dreams and beauty should be used to represent holidays that celebrate death and rebirth?
Best Practices On Using Poppy Seeds
Adapted from Culture.PL, DrugFoundation.org.nz (MythBusters), & The Washington Post
First and foremost, don't eat foods with poppy seeds a day or two before a job application requiring a drug test. The fluid from the buds of the poppy flower is what is used to create morphine and opium. This fluid is only present before the seeds are mature. But while you won't get high from eating the seeds, and in fact there are no narcotic properties in the fully mature seeds, there are enough trace amounts of certain chemicals remaining that you will test positive for the narcotic as if you were on opiates.
This is especially true in Europe and Australia where they still test for the chemical at 0.3 micrograms per milliliter as opposed to the US, where the level for testing is a full 2 micrograms. There are even papers in criminology journals (especially in Poland, where the use of poppy seeds are a regular occurrance - especially during the holidays) discussing the difficulties in determining amounts and origins... Professional athletes, law enforcement and political officials alike have found themselves in sticky situations because of poppy seed induced test failures.
Otherwise, the poppy is a fairly versatile ingredient. sprinkle it on a dish or mix in a breading for a slightly nutty flavor. Grind it up and it has a vaguely fruity taste. Sprinkle it on rolls, add them to soups or smoothies, use them as a condiment. It all works.
Main Event:
Creamy Carrot Soup with Scallions and Poppy Seeds
As adapted from Food&Wine Magazine for use by the Brown Deer Cookbook Club
Active Time: 35 min, ● Total: 1 hr. ● Servings: 12
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
1 quart water
2 pounds carrots, sliced 1/3 inch thick
6 large scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a large pot, melt butter in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and water along with the carrots and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add scallions and poppy seeds and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the scallions are softened, about 1 minute. I found that you might want to make extra as this really adds to the enjoyment of the dish.
Working in batches, puree the carrot soup in a blender until smooth and transfer to a clean saucepan (or use an immersion blender on the whole pot and keep it in the same pan). Stir in the cream and milk and simmer over moderate heat, stirring. Season the soup with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls. I found using more salt and pepper than you think you need was necessary to really pull out the flavors to their full potential. Garnish with the scallions and poppy seeds and serve. Again, I found I liked it better with more of the scallion and poppy seed mixture and adding in croutons to the finished product for a little more texture.
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