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with feathery leaves. Caraway fruits, which we call seeds, have an aniselike favor, and I use them to make my rye bread. You can substitute fennel seed for the caraway.
    1¾ cups chopped celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cacao or carob powder
1½ cups flax meal
1½ cups filtered water
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
    Place the celery, olive oil, cacao, flax meal, and water in a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth.
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    Spread the dough on one 14-inch-square Paraflexx-lined Excalibur Dehydrator tray. Sprinkle with caraway seeds and press them lightly into the dough.
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    Dehydrate at 104°F for 4 to 6 hours. Flip directly onto mesh tray. Peel away Paraflexx sheet. Score it into nine slices. Dehydrate for another 4 to 6 hours, or until desired consistency.
ZUCCHINI BREAD

    MAKES 9 SERVINGS
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    This is a soft bread that combines zucchini and almond meal with the flax meal. The olive oil and squash’s cellulose fiber make this a lighter bread that stays moist and pliable.
    2 cups chopped zucchini
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup almond meal
1 cup flax meal
    Place the zucchini, oil, and salt in a food processor, and process into a puree. Add the almond meal and flax meal, and process into batter.

    Spread the batter evenly on one 14-inch-square lined Excalibur Dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 104°F for 6 to 8 hours. Flip directly onto mesh tray, peeling away the Paraflexx, and dehydrate for another 4 to 6 hours. Note that the bread will remain moist and flexible.

SUNFLOWER BREAD
    MAKES 9 SERVINGS
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    This hearty yet soft bread is made with sunflower seeds, flax meal, and celery.
    1½ cups chopped celery
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1½ cups flax meal
1 to 1¼ cups water, as needed
    Place the celery in a food processor and process into small pieces. Add the sunflower seeds and process into small pieces. Add the flax meal and water, and mix well, using only enough water to make a spreadable batter.
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    Spread the batter evenly on one 14-inch-square lined Excalibur Dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 4 hours at 104°F degrees. Flip and peel off the Paraflexx, then place back on the liner and score into nine slices with a butter knife. Be careful not to cut through the mesh. Dehydrate for another 2 to 4 hours, or to desired consistency.

SOAKING AND SPROUTING
    The easiest way I soak is to simply place nuts and seeds into at least double the amount of filtered water overnight. In the morning, I rinse the nuts and seeds well and discard the soaking water. If you really want to get into it, there are specific soaking times for different seeds and nuts, but I like taking the easiest route possible.
    I find it easiest to drain soaked nuts and seeds through a fine-mesh sieve after rinsing. To sprout them, I’ll keep them in the sieve, balanced over a bowl or container, until I see a small tail starting to sprout. Depending on the nut or seed, this can take from hours to days. I run water over the sieve to rinse the nuts or seeds a few times throughout the day.
    The benefits to soaking and sprouting is that this begins the germination process in the dormant nut or seed, making it easier to digest and converting the carbohydrates to protein. When I’m traveling and on the road, it’s impossible for me to soak or sprout, so I’ll forego it then, and do the best I can when I’m at home.

    Ideally, you want to soak all nuts and seeds before using them in your recipes. But again, do the best you can. I find that lately I have less time for soaking and sprouting than I used to.
    I take the easy route and soak the nuts and seeds overnight. If you want to follow more specific instructions, here’s a general chart to work from:

FERMENTING AND PICKLING
    Pickling is a way to preserve food and creates a tangy flavor that is a tasty accompaniment to any dish, including sandwiches, wraps, rice, and even salads. It creates healthy bacteria during the fermentation