Here’s the thing about Westphalian pumpernickel… this smells amazing right now. And it smelled amazing in the oven for 24 hours (!!!). But it will be 48 more hours until I can taste it.
A very rough adaptation of Stanley Ginsberg’s recipe in The Rye Baker. First attempt; I’m just glad that nightmare of a dough held together!
For a first attempt, I was surprised at how well this whole grain focaccia turned out! I didn’t really expect to see a recognizable focaccia crumb, but there it is — even the springyness between the teeth. The recipe is from “Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads,” but using Kamut wheat, a tetraploid species related to durum.
I expect to use this often, topped with random veg, to use up odd harvests this year.
It always delights me to observe how well Capsicum annuum competes with C. chinense on productivity, despite (typically) having 1 flower per node versus 2-4. These close siblings faced selection pressure for high productivity and arrived at entirely different, but similarly effective, results.
I took the time to identify the beautiful and tasty Oxalis spp. which grows in our rented (but pleasingly diverse) lawn. I had assumed Oxalis stricta, but the appressed (vs spreading) hairs on the stem indicate Oxalis dillenii. Fun surprise!
It also shows up in many of our potted plants, which we generally allow — it flowers readily and cheerfully, and the leaves add a tart pop of flavor (provided by oxalic acid, natch) as garnish.
This week and next are the busiest of my gardening season. I’m a renter and garden exclusively in containers, so my first task is to tease the soil from last season’s root balls. I recovered about a third to half the volume used last year, which is better than I expected! Next up is mixing it with roughly equal parts fresh soil and composted manure.
In the meantime, the starts are hardening off on the front porch.
I didn’t have enough Jalapeño Zapotec germinations to rogue this guy out, but I’m glad because it’s been fascinating to watch. I’ve since learned that this “Zapotec twist” is a trait which shows up regularly within the landrace, but usually straightens out shortly after germination.
This one is really taking its time, and I suspect won’t straighten fully — the lower stem is already starting to lignify.
I made an attempt at root beer syrup over the weekend. Oils of sassafras and wintergreen; extracts of sarsaparilla root, licorice root, marshmallow root, dandelion root, and vanilla. Sweetened with sugar, honey, and molasses. Embittered and caffeinated with cola nut.
I expected the ratios to need a lot of tinkering, the mouthfeel to be muddy, the oils to separate, and the syrup to not mix easily. It’s actually really good and easy to use!
My mind is reeling with other flavor possibilities.
My snow peas have been busily helicoptering their tendrils, in search of support, and I just noticed the first success holding fast against the wind. Fun to watch.
A few weeks behind, but the ol’ jardin potager is beginning to take shape.
The most whimsical addition so far this year is Porophyllum ruderale (papalo, one of the more-cilantroey-than-cilantro herbs). Its seeds look like little broomsticks, or like a hemp-wearing, hippy dandelion.
The mature plant is not meant to be particularly delicate, but everything about its germination has been threadlike.