PICNIC

I’ve decided to devote myself to bread making for a little bit. I think it’s time for me to get more serious about it. The sourdough culture is on day 6 and smells very lively. Tomorrow I’ll use the very ripe starter to mix up some dough for bagels. In anticipation of that I’m making cream cheese. I tried two methods. One uses tartaric acid and high heat, the other involves culturing the cream and then draining. The last time I made cream cheese, several years ago, I realized that knowing the point at which to stop the draining is very critical. If it’s drained too much it develops a texture like ricotta.

I got a call back from the Health Department today. Apparently my proposed menu is ‘the largest that has ever been applied for’ in a Portland cart, and had to be reviewed by a supervisor. They had some specific objections. Alfalfa seeds are currently being recalled for salmonella infections! Who knew? I had some for lunch anyway though. Cheese making is a possible source of Listeria, especially fresh cheese. Apparently no negotiation was possible on those fronts, so I explained that what was really important was making bread and curing meat. I can live without making sprouts and tofu for now.  The supervisor will again be consulted and they will consider whether I’m capable of cooling large cuts of meat at a HAACP specified rate. Meanwhile I’m drawing up water piping schematics and ordering waste water storage tanks.

Kate is away visiting family on the East Coast and in her absence I’m tending the garden. She really took charge of it about 2 weeks ago during the first gorgeous days of Spring, now I’m watching her first labors begin to grow. In the compost pile she scrounged up amazing things such as rotten beets and potatoes sending out healthy shoots. With some arugula ends I was tossing away after making a salad she performed a little experiment by planting them in a pot, and lo!, they are growing. I’m amazed. I’ve been watering the garden every night, then this morning I saw the first uprising of the little Boston Lettuce!

Inside the house I’ve been building up my sourdough. It’s on the third day and the fermentation has definitely begun. The ‘barm’ consists of whole wheat flour, raisin water, honey, diastatic malt (a yeast nutrient derived from sprouted barley). Today it’s bubbling and smells like sweet yogurt. The alfalfa sprouts are growing fast. I’m going to leave them out in the sun where they might grow little leaves. The sauerkraut has been less successful. After scooping green mold off the top for a few days I’ve realized I have no desire to eat it. I think this brine method is flawed, next batch I’ll try the dry salt method.

Oh my goodness! I need to rethink everything….