Uncovering the Truths About Sorghum

Get ready as sorghum prepares to take us by storm. This grain, which is becoming more and more recognized in the United States, is featured by The Whole Grains Council as June’s grain of the month. Originating in Egypt 4,000 years ago, sorghum could be the world’s most versatile crop. It’s used around the world in porridges, stews, flatbreads, tortillas, and beverages. It is also made into sugars and syrups and malted like barley in the production of beer. For popcorn lovers, you can even pop sorghum. If there aren’t enough applications in food, sorghum is also used in livestock feed, hay, floral arrangements, waxes, dyes, renewable fuel, in firewood, weaving, and broom-making. In fact, broomcorn is a variety of sorghum that was introduced to the U.S. by Ben Franklin for yes, making brooms. One of the growing commercial uses in the U.S. for sorghum is in gluten free flours. Sorghum best imitates wheat in texture and taste. Flour blends that contain sorghum flour are outperforming the blends from the early days of gluten-free baking. This mighty grain has come center stage in recent years with the increase of celiac disease, gluten sensitivities, and those following a gluten free diet. We’ll never forget our first experience working with sorghum and making gluten free flour blends. We were working at Walt Disney World, and Carol Fenster came as a guest chef representing the National Sorghum Producers. We made pizza, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins, and chocolate brownies with Carol’s famous flour blends. The chefs loved the dishes and this event helped launch Disney as one of the most food allergy friendly places on earth. Since then we have been colleagues and friends. We applaud Carol for all she’s done for the world of gluten free baking and cooking. Visit her blog at Savory Palate. Sorghum has a lot more going than just being gluten free. According to a new study from the University of Georgia, certain varieties of sorghum bran have greater antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than foods such as blueberries and pomegranates. Sorghum retains the majority of its nutrients since it doesn’t have an inedible hull like many other grains. The National Sorghum producers shared that the pet food industry uses sorghum because of its low glycemic index, which helps to control diabetes in companion animals. We love cooking with sorghum and are excited to share one of our favorites, a sorghum cobb bowl. This dish is free from the top eight allergens, and awesome enough for everyone to enjoy. So spice up your meals with sorghum, a crop with a great future in food!

Sorghum Cobb Bowl

Many stories exist recounting how the cobb salad was invented. One says it came about in the 1930s when Robert Cobb, manager of the original Brown Derby in Hollywood, created it. The salad became a staple at the Brown Derby, and eventually an American classic. Our twist on the Cobb showcases sorghum, eliminates top allergens, and contains a festival of flavors. Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup Whole Grain Sorghum, cooked, drained and cooled
• 1 package of 3 Romaine Hearts, trimmed, washed, and chopped
• 2 cups Black Bean Corn Relish (recipe below)
• 2 cups Cheddar-Style “Cheeze” Shreds, such as Daiya
• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
• 2 Avocados, diced
• 1 cup Cilantro Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 2 cups Corn Chips

Divide the romaine between four large salad bowls. Place sorghum on top of each forming a row down the middle. In strips on either side of the sorghum place the black bean relish, cheese, cherry tomatoes, and avocados on top of the greens. Drizzle cilantro vinaigrette over the salad. Toss to combine. Garnish with corn chips and enjoy. Black Bean and Corn Relish

• ½ cup Red Onion, finely diced, soaked in cold or ice water for 15 minutes and drained
• ¾ cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
• ½ tsp Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Jalapeño Pepper, minced
• 1 tsp ground Cumin
• ½ tsp ground Chili Powder
• 1 tsp fresh Oregano, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups Corn Kernels, fresh or frozen
• 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Combine all the ingredients for the relish in a medium bowl. Toss well. Store in refrigerator. Heads up, you will only need about half of this for the salad. Cilantro Vinaigrette

• 4 tbsp Jalapeño Pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp Ginger, minced
• ½ cup fresh Lime Juice
• 2/3 cups Honey
• 4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• ½ cup firmly packed Cilantro Leaves, approximately ½ ounce
• 1 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Place jalapeño, garlic, ginger, lime juice, honey, vinegar, salt, and cilantro into food processor or blender. Pulse a few times to blend. Turn the food processor or blender on low speed and slowly drizzle in olive oil until incorporated. Makes 2 cups. Recipe Notes

• One cup of uncooked sorghum yields approximately 2 ½ cups cooked.
• Soaking red onions in cold water mellows out their flavor. The sulfur compounds which cause the harsh flavor and powerful aftertaste dissipates into the cold water.

Joel and Mary Schaefer are the husband-and-wife team behind yourallergychefs.com and share a passion for teaching allergy-friendly and gluten free cuisine to food service professionals and consumers alike. Joel, a certified chef de cuisine, is the former Special Dietary Manager at Walt Disney World who developed the food allergy program used across the Disney properties and cruise line. Mary is a certified executive pastry chef and an expert in gluten free baking. Joel lives with gluten and milk intolerance. Mary has recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and sensitivities to gluten, milk, soy, egg, and almonds. Look for their blog, www.yourallergychefs.com, coming this August.