MY FAVORITE RECIPES By Mary Collins: Meet Jodi Prout

Stephen and Jodi Prout share a love of the environment and have worked together on habitat restoration projects.

Jodi Prout grew up as a fourth generation Union Flat farm kid while Stephen Johnson is a native of Whittier, Calif. They met in 2005 right out of high school when they were both doing Americorps volunteer internships through the Student Conservation Association in California’s Sonoran and Mojave deserts.

The year-long effort was focused on restoring critical habitat for desert tortoises and horned lizards. For both Jodi and Stephen the experience sparked a love for the environment, restoration, and education.

The two continued to work together for the Student Conservation Association for another five years leading high school volunteers performing trail work and interpretation in national parks and public lands. At the same time, Jodi earned a BA in anthropology with a minor in natural resources and Stephen studied for a BS in biology with a minor in comparative ethnic studies from WSU in 2011.

Both Jodi and Stephen continued their education. In 2015, Stephen earned a MS in Land Resources and Environmental Science from Montana State University and in 2016 Jodi earned a MS in Natural Resources and Environmental Education from the University of Idaho. Stephen's graduate work involved working with dryland grain farmers in Montana to reduce soil erosion with the integration of cover crops and sheep grazing. Jodi’s graduate work involved fostering an interest in science in middle-schoolers while exploring the Idaho batholith.

They both have worked many other jobs. Stephen as an agricultural technician for USDA Winter Wheat Breeding Crops and Soils at WSU, riparian restoration with Washington Conservation Corps and Jodi as a Park Service Ranger at Mount Rainier, Circulation Assistant at Neill Public Library and Agricultural Researcher at WSU.

The two were married on Payette Lake in McCall, Idaho in 2016. They started married life in the Bitterroot Valley, Montana. Stephen worked for the Montana State University Western Agricultural Research Station as the Farm Manager and Jodi worked for the Audubon Society as an Environmental Educator. When opportunities opened at the Palouse Conservation District they were excited to return home to the beautiful Palouse and be close to family.

Stephen is the Regional Conservation Partnership Program Coordinator for the District while Jodi is the Education and Outreach Specialist. Stephen said he “enjoys helping farmers and community members make a difference on their land to conserve natural resources for current and future generations.” Jodi likes “working to bridge community members with conservation issues in their backyard.”

When not working the two like gardening, hiking, fly-fishing, skiing and mushroom hunting. Stephen also likes playing the banjo, piano and guitar, tying flies and brewing beer. Jodi enjoys watercolor painting, quilting and photography. Busy now, the young couple will be more so in the spring when, as they say, “they are expecting a little sprout!”

Stephen is the family baker, while Jodi likes to assemble interesting salads and other things that don’t require so much precision. Here are some of their favorites.

Recipes

Roasted Beet and Lentil Salad

3 cups cubed beets

3 cups cubed carrots

1 cup chopped red onions

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup black beluga lentils

3 cups chopped kale

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Roast chopped beets and carrots at 400F until tender. Cook lentils in 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (for enhanced flavor) until water is absorbed. Once cool, combine beets, carrots, lentils, onions, tomatoes and kale. Pour dressing over. Serve chilled.

Aztec Cornbread

1/4 lb. softened butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt with 1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup cornmeal (we like milled Aztec corn that is a little coarser)

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine butter, sugar and eggs. Add yogurt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour and salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Bake in a 9" cast iron skillet or square baking pan for 30-40 minutes. If desired, add green chiles or fresh corn and cheese.

Lemon Bars

Crust

1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 tsp. salt

Filling

8 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup lemon juice

3 Tbsp. lemon zest (the more the better!)

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar. Combine flour and salt and add to sugar and butter mixture. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake until lightly browned (approx. 15 minutes). Whisk eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, zest and flour. Pour over crust and bake until filling is set. Once cooled, dust bars with confectioner’s sugar.

Chewy Ginger-Molasses Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling

1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger

1/2 cup molasses

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar, molasses, candied ginger and eggs until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Scoop a tablespoon of dough at a time, and roll the domed part of each scoop in sugar. Place them onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.