A New Way of Baking Sourdough Boules

For the past two years or so, I've been baking our own sourdough bread at home every week (except when it's very, very hot - then I skip it, not wanting to turn on the oven). I keep a sourdough starter in the fridge; I take it out every Thursday night, feed it twice on Friday, and then either bake with half of it or put it back in the fridge if it's too hot to bake. I'm happy with my starter and hope to keep it going for the rest of my life. But I haven't been happy with my bread results lately. 

First of all, I was having to order organic wheat berries from a family farm in Washington State. I was happy to support them and their mission, but the shipping costs were not sustainable. So I started to do some more searching and then I had a brainstorm. We love a farm about an hour from here, in the Capay Valley, called Full Belly Farm. They are 100% organic, and I called them to see if they grow or sell grain. And they do!!! They grow and sell four different kinds, three of them new to me. I instantly ordered four pounds each of Hard White Wheat, Iraqi Wheat, and Frassinetto Wheat. The cost is $3 for each 2 pound bag, quite a bargain. (They also sell Hard Red Winter Wheat, which I skipped this time, as I still have some in the freezer.)

Frassinetto is an Italian wheat, an heirloom, dating back to 1927. It has protein levels up around 13%, and apparently makes great pasta and bread. The Iraqi durum wheat is indeed originally from Iraq, but it apparently grows well in the Sacramento Valley, which means it could catch on in the local wheat movement. It is a hard wheat with a high protein content. The Hard White is still a whole grain wheat, don't let the name fool you (white flour is traditionally flour that has been ground, with the kernel and bran removed - I am using the whole berry). But it does have a lighter color and flavor, which I am after, because Kate doesn't like the hearty, brown bread I've been making.

I'm thrilled to find a local source of organic wheat. I grind the berries myself in my NutriMill Classic Grain Mill. I try to grind only what I need each week, but whatever is left is stored in the freezer. I keep the berries in the freezer too. As a matter of fact, I also keep all whole flours and meals in the freezer, to keep the nutrition intact, and to keep them from spoiling (since I am using the whole grain, the oil in the kernels can go rancid, especially after grinding). 

I also finally broke down and ordered some proofing baskets. I've been proofing the dough in bowls, and while it's worked just fine, I decided it was time to up my game. They weren't terribly expensive, I was able to buy a couple with liners on Amazon for about $25 total.

And while I was at it, I decided I needed a new method of making bread, or at least a way to slightly skew my method. I believe that whole grains need 100% hydration or close to it, so I wanted to stay with a wet dough, with a fairly light kneading routine, but I wanted an expert opinion. Around this time, a blog I like (Root Simple) posted a video of bread baker Josey Baker speaking to some folks at Google and demonstrating his method. Here's the link. I enjoyed watching his method and promptly bought his book. I wish I had purchased it years ago as he takes you from the very earliest beginner steps, up through to what I'm doing, which is baking a whole grain country loaf from a sourdough starter. 

So, last night I made my levain (or pre-ferment), this morning I ground my wheat (I used half Iraqi and half Hard White), and then I made some bread. I like this method because if you start early enough in the morning, you can get the whole deal done in one day, which means one loaf of bread for dinner and another for the freezer. My previous method was a two day event, with an overnight retardation in the fridge. 

And I have to say, this dough was simply beautiful. The kneading in this method is minimal, and the dough came together with hardly any work from me, into a big, puffed up hill of goodness.

It's a soft, lovely dough. Here it is after shaping, in my new proofing baskets.

And after baking:

I slashed slightly too far to the side (I'm really a dunce with the slashes, the only thing to do is keep practicing! I've ordered a new bread lame for this purpose, I'll report after next baking) so the ear is not great, but there's nice brown crust. 

The crumb was moist but dense. I need to prove the loaves longer in the baskets to get a higher rise. And I might bake it just a few minutes longer. But the taste! Delicious, rich but lighter than we're used to. Kate had two big pieces with butter for dinner (we had it with a frittata) so I guess it was considered delicious by all!

If any of you have a favorite recipe for sourdough, I'd love to have it.

Native Bees in Your Backyard

Today, Tom and I travelled about 120 miles northwest of Walnut Creek to the town of Hopland, CA, to the Hopland Research and Extension Center of the University of California. We went to participate in an event called "Native Bees in Your Backyard," presented in partnership with the Urban Bee Lab at UC Berkeley. We heard three speakers, Dr. Gordon Frankie of the Bee Lab, Dr. Rollin Coville, noted insect photographer and bee expert in his own right, and Kate Frey, author of 'The Bee Friendly Garden.' We had a beautiful catered lunch by Black Dog Farm, and then got to tour Kate Frey's own garden nearby. Tom and I finished our trip with a visit to Cal Flora nursery in Santa Rosa and came home tired, but happy, with some new plants for pollinators, and armed with a lot of new information and inspiration.

The bee experts talked first, describing the research the Urban Bee Lab is doing, and what the preliminary findings are from that research - how many species are found in urban backyards, the general health of these bees, what they are eating and how they are nesting, and how to provide habitat for them in our own backyards. 40% of the country's native bee species are found in California, because we have such diverse habitat. The native bees evolved to survive with native plantings, so our discussion about flowers revolved mostly around California native plants. However we did get some tips for what non-native flowers are also good for pollinators. 

The information that I found most exciting from this talk was the research and education that Dr. Frankie and the Bee Lab are doing in our local agricultural communities. We have a lot of family farms near here - a large area in Brentwood, east of Mt. Diablo, and another in the Capay Valley, north of Vacaville, etc. There are many farms within each of these areas, both organic and conventional. European honeybees are often relied on to do most of the pollinating on these farms, and since honeybees are in trouble and suffering declines, the Bee Lab wants to get farms accustomed to relying on native pollinators to do that work instead. In order for that to happen, certain habitat requirements must be met. Many farmers aren't familiar with those requirements and need some guidance. I find this kind of mentorship really encouraging because the things that native bees require (for example, letting patches of weeds and flowers grow between the fruit trees) also really help with increasing soil fertility and keeping moisture from evaporating, both important features in a farm setting. 

Then Kate Frey gave us a brief overview of her philosophy and design esthetic with regards to gardening for bees and other pollinators. With a promise that we'd talk more at her garden after lunch, we broke for a delicious Thai curry and fruit salad. Plus honey ice cream! We got to talk to the other workshop participants during our meal which was fun. I sat near Dr. Coville and got to chat him up about photographing insects, and what cameras he might recommend if I decide to get more serious about it. That was fun. Then we headed over to Ms. Frey's home to tour her garden. And, oh my. What a garden it was. I didn't take many pictures because I was too busy gawking.

I wish I could just take a video camera and go around her yard and give you a tour, it was such a beautiful place. And the bees were literally on every flower. It was a pollinator haven. It was fun to follow Kate around and hear her talk about different areas in her garden, then follow Dr. Frankie around and listen to him talk about all the native bees (not one of which I took a picture of, sorry). 

During the course of our day in Hopland, I met the owner of CalFlora, a great nursery in Santa Rosa - I have often looked up plants for ID on their website, but I had never been there. On the way home we stopped and bought several asters, a pitcher sage, and some native sunflowers. I'll be planting them tomorrow morning. You can never have enough plants for pollinators!

This was just the most marvelous day. If I could give you just one tip after all I learned today, it would be this: Take some time to watch the activity in your garden and on your flowers. Chances are, you'll see a native bee no matter where you live. And once you see one, you'll start seeing many, and then you'll begin to get excited about how they live and what jobs they are doing in your garden. They really are the most marvelous creatures. And if you live in California, it's worth it to get Dr. Frankie's book, California Bees and Blooms. 

Take Control of your Food. Do it now.

There have just been so many things in the news lately about food - and not about the deliciousness of it, or the versatility of produce, or anything good like that. No, the news is all rotten, and it depresses me. 

By now, I'm sure you've heard about Monsanto and Bayer merging. Let me just say at the outset, I don't think these two corporations are the devil incarnate. I think there are an awful lot of people working there that are just trying to make a living. Both of these companies make products that actually make the world a better place. They are not all bad. And them getting together like this is probably really good for some people, good for the bottom line. We're capitalists. Making money is often the goal. 

No, what concerns me about this merger is the ownership of seeds. The patenting of life. The fact that our nation's farmers, already stretched too thinly, must grow food a certain way in order to make a living. And that we, as consumers, must buy and eat food grown this certain way, sometimes without our knowledge or permission.

Do we know what we're eating? I mean, really know? When we buy a box of pasta at the store, what are we really getting? (And trust me, I've bought my share of pasta.) Certainly genetically modified wheat. From Round-up Ready seeds from Monsanto? Possibly. We can't really know. That ice cream we're purchasing - is the milk from grainfed cows? probably. What grain was given to those cows? Genetically modified corn, most likely. 

My sister-in-law texted me last night, having just watched a movie called "Consumed." (I have yet to watch it, but apparently it's streaming on Netflix.) "It's scary, Elizabeth," she wrote to me. "How can we know what we're eating?"

A smaller news story also has me quite disgusted. Perhaps you've heard of the Heirloom Expo? it takes place every September in Santa Rosa, which is in Sonoma County, a couple hours northwest of where I live. This festival celebrates heirloom fruits, vegetables, and herbs; 15,000 people come from all over the world; vendors from seed banks come to show off their wares; there's music and community - you know, just like a county fair. Sure, there are some pretty 'out there' ideas, but there's also companies like Baker Creek, a world-famous seed house with two locations in the United States. I really wanted to go to the Expo this year, because I'm not working at the moment and it takes place in the middle of the week so I've never been able to before, but I couldn't figure out how to get back in time to pick up the kids at school. I would have loved to go and taste all the varieties of tomatoes, squashes, apples that they had there. I would have loved to pick up some packets of heirloom seeds and chat with like-minded folks.

But guess who did show up on the third day of the event? The Sonoma County Health Department, who fined any booth that was giving away samples of fruits and vegetables, saying it was 'not to code.' This event has been going on for six years. They couldn't have worked all this out before the expo started? The fines were hundreds of dollars, for things like giving away a free apple. Listen, I'm a rule-follower, but this is ridiculous. (The news this morning is that the director of the Health Department resigned. Chalk one up for common sense. You can find the whole story here.) Some people feel this was a direct hit against those who are saving seeds, against the 'pure-food' movement.

All of this leads me to think we need to make a real shift in the way we think about food. How can we take back control?

Growing your own is the ultimate way to thumb your nose at big agriculture. Only by doing it yourself can you be absolutely certain of what you're eating - what seeds or starts you're buying, how the fruit was grown, etc. If I eat a tomato from my property, I know the history of the seed, what's in the soil, the conditions the plant grew in, if there were any chemicals used, etc. I can prepare it the way I want, using the ingredients I want. You can't get much better, or more honest, than that. And it's gotten to the point where growing your own food is a radical act. You're saying 'no' to these genetically modified seeds. Did you know farmers can be fined for growing things like corn and wheat from seeds they have saved? Since when are seeds, seeds that you yourself collect from your own harvest, not your property? Stick up for seeds, saved down through generations. Spend your money at local seed houses who believe the same things you do. 

If you can't grow your own, the next best thing is to find a farmer close to you. Go to the farmers markets. Get to know who's growing your food. Ask them about the seeds, how the plant was grown, what tastes best, how to prepare it. They will be absolutely thrilled to answer every single one of your questions, and if they're not, that's not the farmer for you. Start a relationship and see if that farmer doesn't start saving you the best things every Saturday.

The next best thing after that is to buy organic. If something is grown organically, by law it cannot be from a genetically modified seed. It seems ridiculous to buy organic bananas because you're going to peel them, right? Buy organic anyway. Use your food dollar to support doing the right thing. Buy grass-fed beef, pastured pork, pastured chicken, wild fish. Yes, you will find that your food bill doubles. Do it anyway and give up something else, like your daily Starbucks (are you sure your coffee is grown sustainably?) or HBO. Make no mistake, this is important. If we support the good guys, even in small ways, our food votes will add up. Packaged food is hardest to buy, because there are so many ingredients that it's hard to know where it all came from. Organic always helps. The Non-GMO label tells you something too. Bread and grains are the hardest thing, I've found, to make the switch to. Keep looking, keep searching for the best possible food you can buy.

This is important. This is something all of us do, every single day - buy food and eat. I'm not saying to be militant about it - once in awhile you're gonna want to eat an In-n-Out burger. That's ok. It's what we do the majority of the time that will start to make an impact. Because what's next? Probably not doomsday, no, but it's just one more way in which our choices are being made for us. Take back control. Do it now. 

Our Favorite All-Purpose Summer Sauce

Sure, in the winter we crave ragu made with sausage and fennel, or ground beef and tomato paste; but in the summer nothing but the lightest and simplest sauce will do.

This sauce is so simple that it doesn't need a recipe. All measurements are flexible (in fact, I've never measured anything while making this sauce). If you like onions instead of garlic, then make that switch. If you like fresh oregano rather than basil, go for it. But for us, it's five ingredients, always - fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, and olive oil. 

Any tomatoes will do. When I have lots of cherry tomatoes ripe on the vine, I'll use them for this sauce, halving them before roasting. Plum tomatoes and beefsteaks are of course great too. You can mix and match. Whatever you've got that's ripe, that's what you want to use. I add plenty of chopped garlic - we still have tons from our garden, though I had to transfer it to the extra fridge to keep longer. You need a handful of basil from the garden too. I like coarse sea salt here. We'll save the discussion about olive oil for another time, but you're buying the closest to local you can, right? (Imported stuff may not even be olive oil - for more info check out the book 'Extra Virginity' - you will never buy cheapo oil again.) 

Preheat your oven to 375 or 400, somewhere around there. Get out a roasting pan, or a sheet pan, or a skillet that can go in the oven (actually you could do this on the stovetop too), and slick the bottom with oil. Chop up your tomatoes and garlic and spread them in the pan. Add a generous amount of salt. If you're using paste tomatoes, you'll want more olive oil; for beefsteaks, use less (because there's more juice in those). Scatter leaves of basil around. Stick the pan in the oven, and roast for at least 45 minutes (start checking around 30 minutes, especially if you're using cherry tomatoes) and up to an hour. The tomatoes should be cooked and wilted, but not blackened. Let cool in the pan, then decant into mason jars and either refrigerate or freeze.

We use this on everything - pasta, homemade pizza, bruschetta. You could use it to make a panzanella or caprese salad. You could eat it with a spoon (I certainly have). Just don't water-bath can this stuff - the inclusion of oil, garlic, and herbs makes it too low in acidity to do that safely. If you have a pressure canner, that would work. 

Usually the day I make this sauce, half gets used right away, and half gets frozen for the winter. Tonight it'll be used on pizza, with Tom's homemade mozzarella. We have tried a LOT of pizza dough recipes, and have settled on this one from Alton Brown. You have to plan ahead and make it the day before, but trust me, it's worth it. (By the way, you don't need bottled water - just boil some tap water and let it sit out with the top off for a while - the chlorine will off-gas.) 

Enjoy!

Dawn

On weekdays, I'm up before dawn, taking care of the animals and getting everyone ready for school and work. It's just too hectic to go out in to the yard and enjoy the morning.

But on weekends, I still get up at 6, and it's wonderful to go into the garden when it's still early. The birds are waking up and chattering (lately I've really noticed the Bewick's Wrens singing every morning as they scratch in the dirt among the flowers), the bees are foraging as soon as it's light, and the chickens like that I bring them whatever the squirrels destroyed the night before (usually watermelons, argh). 

Many of the flowers in the garden bloom only in the cool hours of the morning, such as the Nicotiana Alata, which is a white flower which smells lovely. Or the squash blossoms, which usually close up in the heat of the day. The light is nice too, gentle and cool. In short, the garden is a different place in the early morning hours than it is in late afternoon when I'm usually out there working. I like to sit in the mulch and watch the activity around me, while scratching the cat or the dog.

Tonks, Hermione, and Ginny

Pumpkin

Tasha

Ladybug eating aphids on fennel blossom

Black Cherry

California Sunflowers

Chitalpa, showing signs of Autumn

Amaranth

Jalapeno

Cosmos, cuphea, and tithonia not yet blooming

Delicata

Fennel seeds drying

Russian Sage

Calabrese peppers 

Verbascum, or Mullein

Snap peas 

Cantaloupe

Winter Brassicas just starting in trays

this cucumber grew in the wrong place, no?

Gall wasp nests on the Valley Oak

Cherokee Purple

One of our canning shelves

I hope you're all having a lovely Saturday, and getting to enjoy some time outdoors, too.