Groundhog Summer Fine Herb Crackers

Fresh garden herbs are one thing I look forward to and absolutely LOVE about summer.

What are your favourite tastes and smells of summer?

These crackers are seriously awesome. You will not find a better tasting, healthier, gluten free cracker anywhere. this is my best recipe thus far and my curry loaf crackers are second best. 

Let's do it!

Process:

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup shelled hemp seed/hearts

In a large bowl, mix:

• the processed ingredients as listed above
• 1 to 2 cups green vegetable pulp (mine had spinach - do not freeze!- which sparked this whole recipe idea, celery, broccoli stems, lemon and green cabbage)
• 1 cup milled flax seed mixed with 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup any of the following: whole hemp seed, whole chia seed or sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• at least 1 cup chopped herbs of your choosing

Optional, to dehydrate alongside the crackers:

• 2 or 3 very thinly sliced strawberries
• very thinly sliced fresh pineapple pieces

Tip: To prepare herbs and most fresh produce, I rinse thoroughly and then leave to soak in water with a Tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar (white vinegar or non raw varieties work too). This removes traces of bugs, bacteria, waxes (stuck on store bought apples for example).

Top left to bottom right: sage, basil, vietnamese coriander, coriander/cilantro, rosemary, chives and greek oregano.

working near the window, I felt his presence while chopping the herbs in the kitchen so went outside to take a peek at him, the groundhog who has been feasting in our gardens! (we've had dear come by do a bit of plant damage, as well as a snapping turtle wanting to lay eggs last week among the carrots. Twice!)

Forming Cracker Rounds

Form roundish dough shapes with your hands and place on the trays, you'll be flattening them later.

Cracker Flats

 Dehydrating details: Set the temperature to 105F for 26-28 hours, until the crackers are crispy. About two hours after dehydration has begun, take each cracker out to flatten with your hands or rolling pin on a cutting board. Turn them all over an hour or two later so they flatten with gravity! Then, fill spaces between the crackers with the sliced fruit or leftover herbs you want to preserve and leave them to dehydrate. It should take as long as the crackers will. You can store everything in the same container, in the fridge, and have very yummy healthful snacks to take on a picnic!

Enjoy your summer!