November Breads: It’s All About the Flour

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Dave

This is another monthly update about our adventures in baking all our own bread products.

Usually the focus of my bread making is the finished product, and my monthly updates reflect that. I mean, you bake bread to eat it, right? But this month, the breads I made were really all about the flour. Perhaps I should explain a bit.

My wife and I have been toying with the idea of milling our own flour for some time now. Our main reason for wanting to grind our own flours is for taste and nutrition. And after a lot of research into various brands and types of grain mills, we finally settled on the Nutrimill.  It helped that we got a first hand testimonial from the Cannon family at Stonewall Farms. They have been using their Nutrimill for some time now and are happy with the results. That and the lifetime warranty clinched the deal for us.

Nutrimill grain mill (click on any image to enlarge)

And I can say that after using ours for a month, we are happy with the results too! So far I have used it to make flour from wheat, buckwheat and popcorn. Did I just say popcorn? Yes! Grinding popcorn makes a great corn meal that has more fiber (74%), less starch, and more protein (34%) than corn meal made from yellow dent corn (USDA nutritional data found here). Not all grinders can handle popcorn, but for the Nutrimill it is a breeze.

Since we were anxious to try the ground popcorn, the first bread I made using freshly ground grains was some cornbread, using a modified King Arthur recipe that called for 2 cups of corn meal and 2 cups of whole wheat flour. I got the popcorn and wheat from a local health food store that has bulk grains (Elbert’s), and ground it right before I baked the cornbread. I baked it in my trusty square cast iron pan, and the cornbread turned out great, with a wonderful taste and texture.

Cornbread made with ground popcorn

Next up was a Rustic Buckwheat bread, using a recipe I saw on the Fusion Grain Cooking show on BYUtv. This recipe from Chef Brad sounded interesting to me, using fresh ground buckwheat flour, sourdough starter and cocoa nibs. I modified the recipe a bit, using 2 cups buckwheat flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup whole wheat sourdough starter and 3 cups unbleached flour to boost it up to over 50% whole grains. And it has a whole cup of yummy cocoa nibs in it! If you’re not familiar with cocoa nibs, they are cacao beans that have been shelled and cracked into pieces (I used raw organic nibs from Navitas Naturals). They aren’t sweet, but have a crunchy texture and an intense cocoa flavor. I also added a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten to the bread to compensate for the lack of gluten in the buckwheat flour.

Rustic Buckwheat Bread

I formed half the dough into a free form loaf, and the rest into rolls. We pretty much devoured the loaf in a couple of days, and I froze the rolls for later use. The buckwheat flour gives the bread a nutty flavor as well as adding fiber, minerals and flavonoids. The rolls make a great snack, thawed and warmed slightly then drizzled with a little honey. And with any luck next year it will be our own honey. I’ll be making this bread again for sure.

Rustic Buckwheat rolls

Another bread I made this month was our Whole Grain bread, that featured freshly ground white whole wheat and some cooked black quinoa. I got a 25lb bag of Wheat Montana’s Prairie Gold hard white spring wheat that should last us for a while. The flour from this wheat is light in color and long on nutrition (similar to the white whole wheat flour found in stores).

25lb sack of hard white wheat

Later in the month I made another batch of Whole Grain bread, this time grinding some local high protein red wheat I got from Rivercity Co-op. I ground this wheat more coarsely, and you could see the brown flecks of bran in the flour.

coarsely ground whole wheat flour

For this bread I added some leftover Black Forbidden rice. The rice made for an interesting looking dough! If you look closely you can also see the raw millet I used for this bread and the pieces of bran..

black rice and millet in dough

I baked this loaf in a loaf pan. We used this bread to make turkey sandwiches with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and we also had it with our turkey vegetable soup.

Whole Grain bread with black rice

I don’t know what breads will be on our plates for December, but I am sure they will include some freshly ground grains. I also have an oatmeal cookie recipe I want to try, using some whole grain oat flour. I hope you’ve enjoyed this latest update – I know we’ve loved eating the breads!

 

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Photo Friday: The Buck Stops Here

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Dave

No, I’m not talking about the fact that I don’t go shopping on Black Friday. Actually, wild horses couldn’t drag me out shopping today. But earlier in the week something did get me running outside with my camera.

I’ve mentioned our ever growing herd of deer on several occasions. I’m no math major, but with that many deer, there has to be one or two males present. And last weekend one of them was out grazing in broad daylight at 11am in the morning!

male white-tailed deer (click on any image to enlarge)

This buck had a pretty nice sized rack on him. I tried to get closer for a good look with my telephoto lens. The buck was amazingly cooperative, letting me get to within fifteen feet of him before he turned tail and ran. He’s probably not used to being challenged like that by a camera-pointing human.

getting up close to buck

I make it out to be an eight point buck. So he’s been around for a while for sure. And he’s likely been prolific as well, judging by all the young deer I see running around.

I finally got a little too close

He paused for one look back before heading into the woods.

one last look

He really does need to be a little more cautious though. It’s hunting season, and not everyone out there is going to be ‘shooting’ with a camera like me!

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Giving Thanks

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Dave

Today I pause and give thanks for the many blessings in my life, including plentiful food and warm dry shelter. Today Lynda and I will help dish up Thanksgiving meals at the Evansville Christian Life Center, where volunteers have been busy cooking for the last week or so. That has been our Thanksgiving Day tradition for the past six years., and it is one that helps me focus on the true spirit of the holiday as I see it.

These meals will be delivered to anyone who requests them. As of Tuesday, a little over 2300 meals had been requested, which is down from the 3000 or so that were delivered last year. I’d like to think that means people in our community are doing better than they were a year ago, but I know that isn’t the case. In reality, more local organizations have joined in serving Thanksgiving meals and food baskets, which is a good thing. What would be even better is if everyone had plenty of food and the other basic creature comforts, and there was no need for such a community outreach.

Tomorrow we will enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner that features locally grown foods, including many we have grown ourselves. And once again I will pause and give thanks, because I believe every day should be a thanks-giving day.

Wishing all of you all of the really good things in life, in abundance!

Posted in Holidays, Traditions | Tagged | 4 Comments

How Hardy Is Lettuce – 2011 Trials

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Dave

Last year I tested several different varieties of lettuce, plus a few other greens, to try and determine just how much cold weather they can take. I grew the lettuce and greens in my cold frames, which were covered with spunbonded polyester row cover fabric (like Reemay or Agribon). If you are interested in my cold frames, you can read about how I make them here.

The light row cover material works here in Southern Indiana because we rarely get a large amount of snow at one time. The material keeps out wind, and provides some protection against the cold. It also provides protection against deer, which are a real problem here in our garden in every season.

The results of last year’s trial were very encouraging. The lettuces that did well included Oak Leaf, Sea of Red, Radichetta, Winter Density, Ruby and Spotted Trout (aka Forellenschluse and Freckles). The tested greens all did well (Arugula, Komatsuna, Yukina Savoy and several varieties of Spinach). The survivors all endured repeated freezing and thawing cycles, and several periods of below freezing temperatures that lasted for days.

cold frames after December, 2010 snow (click on any image to enlarge)

Last year the varieties I planted were limited to what seeds I had on hand for fall and winter planting. This year I planned ahead when ordering seeds, and I have included some varieties I selected specifically for their reported cold hardiness.

And this year I have more cold frames to devote to the testing. Soil preparation included adding about a one inch layer of compost to each bed, plus some slow release organic fertilizer (5-3-3). I tested the pH and it was fine, so no lime was needed. The spinach was direct seeded, all others were transplants that were started inside under lights and then grown on in the greenhouse and outside. The seedlings were all about 3-4 weeks old when planted.

new cold frames added this spring

The spinach was all planted in one cold frame. I have the hybrid variety Space, and the open pollinated heirloom varieties Giant Winter (Gigante Inverno) and Viroflay. Seeding was done on 9/5 and 10/3. Spinach generally survives our winters with a little protection, so I am really interested in seeing which varieties perform best here. I was able to start harvesting some of the leaves in early November.

cold frame with spinach

The second cold frame (#2) is planted all in lettuces: Winter Density, Black Seeded Simpson, Flashy Trout Back, Radichetta, Kweik and Merlot. Flashy Trout Back is a Frank Morton selection of Forellenschluse with more uniform red splotches on the leaves. Kweik is a butter head with cold tolerance suited for tunnels and unheated greenhouse production. The lettuces were all planted in mid October (10/17).

cold frame #2 with lettuces

The third cold frame (#3) is a mix of Asian greens and arugula. I planted Ice Bred and Even’ Star Winter arugula, plus Mei Qing and Ching Chiang pac choi, along with Komatsuna and Yukina Savoy tatsoi. The Komatsuna is an open pollinated variety I got from Nichols Garden Nursery. Ching Chiang is a green stem pac choi supposedly with heat and cold tolerance. I will compare it to my old standby Mei Qinq, which does well in all seasons here. I will likely harvest both of the pac chois when large enough to use and then replant those spots with some Mizuna seedlings I have growing. This cold frame was planted on 10/25.

cold frame #3 with arugula and Asian greens

The fourth cold frame was just planted recently (11/19), and is mostly lettuces with a little tatsoi. The lettuces are Oak Leaf, Spotted Trout, Winter Wunderland, Hyper Red Rumple Waved, De Morges Braun, Rouge D’Hiver, and Ruby. The tatsoi is Even’ Star Tender Tat, which is actually a mustard and tatsoi cross that is supposed to grow more upright than tatsoi and be very winter hardy.

cold frame #4 with young lettuce seedlings

I also have a small cold frame (not homemade) that I planted with some Senposai seedlings. Senposai is a cross of Komatsuna and regular cabbage. I grew it this year in spring and summer and it was very promising. It has large green leaves with a mild cabbage flavor. It will be interesting to see if it can survive the winter here.

cold frame #5 with Senposai

I will report back on these trials in the weeks and months to come, and share the results. My main goal of course is to keep us supplied in greens all winter long, while testing the performance of different varieties. And of course I love to experiment!

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Midnight Truce

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Dave

In the past I’ve mentioned we have some feral cats hanging around HA. The last year or so I have been feeding at least one of them, a black male we call Midnight.

At first he was just a shadowy figure seen flitting about during the day, running whenever he heard a loud noise or saw someone working ourside. But I am happy to report we have made some progress in the trust department.

Midnight, waiting for breakfast (click on any image to enlarge)

Now, he is waiting for me most mornings when I refill the food bowls I keep just outside the workshop building. He still maintains his distance, but that distance is less than it was in the beginning. He usually sits waiting near the food bowl, then retreats a few feet when I move to fill it. As soon as I turn my back and walk away, he jumps up on the plant stand where I keep the food bowl.

I think I'll wait down here for a bit

I’d love to have him neutered and get him vaccinated, but we haven’t gotten that far yet in our relationship. We have reached a kind of truce though, Midnight and me. As long as I don’t get too close, he’ll stick around and show himself. Of course I’m sure the feeding bit helps a lot. He’s even gotten used to the local paparazzi, with their cameras making funny noises. Well, sort of!

could you point that thing somewhere else?

I did discover one thing while working in the shop yesterday afternoon. Unbeknownst to me he had come for his afternoon snack, and when I opened the door to the shop he ran off when he heard the sound of the blaring music I was listening to. Perhaps he’s just not a George Thorogood fan? Oh well, he was back this morning for vittles, so I guess he doesn’t think I’m Bad To The Bone!

When I lived on a farm, I always had outside cats that were tame and friendly. They were well cared for pets, actually, with a warm dry place to sleep and hang out, and they all got spayed and neutered. Some of them even followed me around whenever I worked out in the gardens, and I miss that. I’m not sure Midnight and I will ever get to that point, but that’s all right. A relationship with a cat is usually what the cat wants it to be anyway. If I’ve made his life a little better, that’s good enough for me.

Posted in Cats, Life | Tagged | 5 Comments

November Harvests

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Dave

I love gardening this time of year. The pace is slower for one thing. And most of the vegetables don’t demand daily harvesting. I did cut quite a bit of broccoli the other day before our first hard freeze – over three pounds of it actually. We’ve been enjoying it a lot, especially since we got very little of it this spring.

some of the broccoli harvest (click on any image to enlarge)

But most of the greens are harvested on an as needed basis. I cut some of the Beira Tronchuda for a lentil kale soup I fixed. I cut the stalks away from the leaves, and my wife and I ate them raw for a snack. We were amazed at how tender and tasty they were! And the large lower leaves were mild and tender in the soup too.

Beira Tronchuda and head of cabbage

I harvested the first fall spinach this week and used it for a wilted spinach salad. That made for a nice lunch one day. The spinach is coming from a sowing I made back in August in one of the cold frame beds, and is a mix of Viroflay, Giant Winter and Space varieties.

spinach for salad

I’ve been harvesting lettuce as needed for salads too. The Anuenue and Red Sails made a nice and colorful combination.

Anuenue and Red Sails lettuce

The hard freeze last week finally got the tomato vines, but we still have a few fresh ones ripening. They don’t have a lot of flavor but we’ll use them anyway for cooking and on salads. It will be along time before we have fresh ones again!

last tomatoes of 2011

I also got the first figs of the season, mostly the Hardy Chicago variety. The figs were not great producers this year, though the plants themselves grew well. And they were loaded with figs, but most just didn’t ripen in time. There’s always next year I guess.

Hardy Chicago fig

And my wife and I harvested the luffa gourds that were mature enough to use. I didn’t weigh these, since we’re not eating them, but there were quite a few. There were about a dozen of the large luffas, and a shoe box full of the little hedgehog luffas. We put them out in the garage for drying.

luffa harvest

That’s a peek at what we’re harvesting here in November. For more gardeners’ harvests, visit Daphne’s Dandelions.

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Photo Friday: Blue Morning

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Dave

One morning this week a pair of bluebirds came to visit. So naturally I dropped what I was doing and grabbed my camera.

female bluebird

It is likely they are the same pair that nested here this year. If so, I didn’t see any of the young birds with them.

female and male bluebirds on top of nesting box

They only stayed a while, checking out the accommodations.

male bluebird exiting nest box

I am hoping they will be back next spring. It is so nice having bluebirds around the house!

bluebird male

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