Eat this Scroll

Scripture is saturated with the language of food. Often, we find a metaphorical connection between eating and understanding: just as we might “stew over” or “chew on” an idea, we take in the wisdom of God through all of our senses.

Week Three: Simply in Season

A healthy diet has a fair amount of seasonality to it: using fresh, local ingredients when they’re in season. In the same way, encountering Scripture has a seasonal dimension.

Follow along to make seasonal sweet potato hash with eggs

Recipe

Ingredients

  • Three large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • One green pepper, seeded and diced
  • One red pepper, seeded and diced
  • One onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 tablespoons ghee (or other oil with high smoke point, like avocado)
  • 4 eggs
  • Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley and chives, chopped

Directions

  • Melt ghee over medium high heat
  • Add diced onions and salt; sauté until tender
  • Add diced peppers; sauté until tender
  • Add diced sweet potato, seasoning with salt and fresh ground; sauté until tender
  • Reduce heat to low
  • Create four small indentions in hash with back of spoon or ladle
  • Crack eggs into indentations. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and steam until eggs are set
  • Garnish with parsley and chives

See the full sermon:

Week Two: The Spice

Exploring the rich diversity of Scripture—and the complexities of culture—through chicken tikka masala

Follow along to make chicken tikka
Follow along to make the masala sauce

Recipe (adapted from The Pioneer Woman and 40 Aprons)

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Plain yogurt
  • 4 tablespoons ghee
  • 3 onions, diced
  • 8 – 12 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, finely diced
  • Fresh grated ginger or ginger paste (approx. 3 tablespoons)
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • One pint heavy cream
  • Whole Cumin seeds
  • Whole coriander seeds
  • Cumin powder
  • Kashmiri chili powder
  • 3 tablespoons garam masala seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Deggi Mirch
  • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

  • Generously season chicken with salt, cumin, and chili powder on both sides
  • Coat with yogurt on both sides
  • Broil, approx. 10 – 12 minutes per side until exterior is blackened and chicken is fully cooked
  • Dice cooked chicken and set aside
  • Melt ghee in large sauté pan
  • Add onion and salt; sauté until tender
  • Add jalapeño; sauté until tender
  • Add minced garlic and ginger sauté until mixture begins to caramelize
  • Toast cumin seeds (3 – 4 minutes on medium-low heat) and grind in spice grinder
  • Toast coriander seeds (3 – 4 minutes on medium-low heat) and grind in spice grinder
  • Add garam masala, deggi mirch, toasted cumin, toasted coriander, fenugreek leaves, cardamom, and coriander to sauté pan. Cook until richly aromatic.
  • Add diced tomatoes and deglaze pan.
  • Add brown sugar and stir to combine
  • Add heavy cream and yogurt. Stir to combine
  • Blend entire masala mixture using an immersion blender or traditional blender. If using a traditional blender, be cautious with hot liquids. Blend in batched, being careful not to fill blender over half full.
  • Combine masala sauce and diced chicken.
  • Serve with cooked basmati rice and naan.

To learn more about the history of the Osage nation and the Drummond family, listen to the In Trust podcast from Bloomberg News. To learn more about Mitla Cafe and Glenn Bell, see this CBS News article.

If you’re local to Lancaster, you can find authentic spices at Everest Grocery.

See the full sermon:

Week One: Rightly Divided

or: understanding the hermeneutics of Jesus and Paul through making carbonara

See the process

Recipe (adapted from Bon Appétit)

  • 1 lb. pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
  • 7 – 8 oz. guanciale or pancetta, diced
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 oz. parmesan reggiano cheese, grated
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Crushed red pepper

Directions:

  • Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving pasta water
  • Sauté guanciale in olive oil until crisp
  • Whisk together egg yolks and eggs
  • After cooked pasta has cooled slightly, add egg yolk mixture to pasta, stirring quickly.
  • Slowly add approx. 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
  • Stir in cheese and cooked guanciale
  • Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
  • Top with additional cheese to serve

See the full sermon: