Pickled Eggs

One of Em and myself's favorite snacks is a pickled egg or two with a beer - preferably a pilsner or kolsch. However, they are pretty tough to get unfortunately. Chuckanut Brewery has them for $1 an egg, which is a fine deal in my opinion but who wants to go out every time to get an egg? I tried my hand at pickling a dozen maybe a month ago and they missed the mark for me. They were down right tasty but the recipe I used had too much sugar in the brine and was just a bit too far on the sweet side for me. So yesterday, with beer in hand, I did a large batch of two dozen with a brine concoction of my own that I felt would be more in tune with our tastes. Riley and Co. are coming up to vist in a couple weeks so I thought it would be nice to have some eggs to go along with the homebrew.

 This is an experimental brine and I am crossing my fingers that it will work out. I simmered about 4 cups white vinegar with 2 cups of water, 5 garlic cloves, 4 jalapeños, a tablespoon of mustard seed, 1⁄2 cup of salt, and 1⁄3 cup of sugar. I covered the hardboiled eggs with this and dropped in half of a white onion and 3 dried chilis. And now we wait, we'll see!

Lamb Burgers:

Easy, fast, and tasty.

For two …

One pound ground lamb, the best you can find (if you have a package from our freezer you are off to a great start)

Lots of Salt and pepper. Shape patties into equal size and even thickness. Grill medium rare.

Great Buns ! No sweet bread here. We have used whole wheat, but I think chewy sourdough would be best.

Greek style – tomatoes, raita, feta and romaine lettuce and avocado

Indian style – mango chutney mixed with mayo, some butter lettuce and a slice of fresh red onion.
Bistrot- sauteed onions, guryere, dijon, and frisee.

Carey Had a Little Lamb

To Lamb Lovers everywhere (I know you are out there)
 

This entry is so long overdue it is a crying shame.

All summer long Jose and I have been enjoying this outrageously delicious organic and grass-fed lamb that we bought in Sonora this spring. Being the lamb lovers that we are, having a freezer full of spring lamb is truly a comforting feeling. This is the best stuff you’ve ever had – and I say this with considerable experience in lamb consumption.
 

Back in the winter of 2012 (was there really a winter?) I contacted a gentleman; whose name and number I will keep to myself; and ordered one animal that would be ready to butcher in the spring. We talked over the phone about how big it was going to be, and when he thought it would be ready, as well as how I might want it packaged. When we picked it up at Rawhide Meat (story to follow) I was surprised that it all fit into a relatively small box!  35 lbs of meat all told. The butchers had butterflied the legs for me, packaged shanks and shoulders separately, and cut the chops into individual portions. The very best part of all, is the rest has been ground. Lamb burgers, Indian Kofta, Greek Moussaka, souvlakis, Shepard’s Pie, etc……

The possibilities are endlessly delicious. I am including a few recipes for your own lamb, organic or not.
 

One of the really great side benefits of buying this lamb from a local Tuolumne County resident is that it has opened a few windows for me onto the small farms, ranches and family owned dairy businesses in our foothill communities. Look for more input on some of these little gems very soon!

Chum Slum

Don't know about you but I've heard from a lot of sources that Chum Salmon is great for smoking.

Disagree.

Did my first batch of Chum (also known as Keta, Dog, or Silverbrite) last weekend and it was a total bummer. Ted (Em's dad) and I were to have a "smoke-off" out on Lummi Island during her graduation party. The party was great as well as the crabbing once we hit the motherlode, so that was a great success. The smoke-off, however, was a total disaster.

Windy, 60°, and an overcast rocky beach doesn't make for the best smoking weather. But hey, you learn to deal. First thing that went wrong–late start. I finally made it out to the island and got the salmon in the smoker around 1pm. Ted had his in around 11. Second thing that went wrong–electricity deficit. The power at the cabin was not sufficient enough to power two smokers apparently. This slowed down the smoking process immensely (ultimately ended up taking the salmon home and finishing them the next day). Third to go wrong–Ted's cord had been chewed through by a rat or something of the likes and further slowed his Big Chief. After realizing that his cord had been compromised, we moved all of the salmon to my Little Chief, filling every rack wall to wall. Rule of threes, this smoke-off just wasn't meant to be. So needless to say we didn't have any salmon that night. Ted finished them off on Sunday and delivered half of the batch that evening.

Bellingham Bay w/Mt. Baker

Taste time. We have a really similar brine so there wasn't much variation between the two. The fish however, the actual breed, was terrible. So many people have told me that Chum is a good smoking fish and after this I think it's just because Chum isn't really good for grilling or baking, therefor people just smoke it. It's a good-for-nothing fish. Maybe it's a fighter and fun to reel in, but when it comes to eatin' I give this fish two thumbs down. It is dry and has a mushy texture. Not much of a trace of that beloved salmon flavor either, plus the color is an off-pale pink. I say stick with Sockeye and King. Of course these are the best for grillin' too so one must pick their priority wisely. The oils in both of these breeds keep the fish perfectly moist and really grab onto the flavor of whatever chips you're using. Can't complain about free fish though, alas, beggars cannot be choosers.

Juniper Smoked Salmon

Smoking salmon has become a favorite hobby of mine. Riley and I grew up with smoked rainbow trout. I moved to the PNW (salmon capital of the US) about four years ago and couldn't afford to buy smoked goods so ended up trying my hand with the Little Chief electric smoker. The first couple of rounds were overly salted. Ended up reducing the amount of salt in the brine and rinsing the fish more thoroughly post-brine bath.

After fine-tuning a basic brine, I've been using that as my control while experimenting with some different flavor profiles. My favorite so far has been adding crushed Juniper Berries to the brine. It sounds a little counter-intuitve; typically with smoking we want to avoid using any piney woods or cedar because the smoke renders the fish sour. However, balanced out with some sugar and spices, the Juniper berries offered up a nice unexpected tang that complemented the sweetness of the maple syrup I use in the brine. Juniper berries do get pricey though so if you plan on trying them out, do a small batch of fish first. Haven't tried them on trout yet but reckon the trout may be a little delicate for the strong flavor of Juniper, could be a hit though–let ya know when I get there.

Rubbing the brown sugar into the flesh

Juniper Brine:

4 Cups water
1/4 Cup Salt
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (or you can use Agave if    
   the maple is too bold for you)
Juice of 1 organic lemon
10 Cloves crushed garlic
2-4 Tbsp crushed Juniper Berries (depending on
      how much you want to taste)




I like to let it brine for at least 12 hours, sometimes longer. Rinse the fish really well to get the excess salt off (the majority of the salt has seeped into the fish which acts as the preserving agent), otherwise your fish is going to taste extremely salty. Then rub some more brown sugar into the flesh, you should see the sugar melting a bit to create a thick syrup on top. Fresh cracked black pepper is optional but highly recommended. I like to let the fish sit on the smoke racks for about 30 minutes to let any excess moisture from the rinse run off. Depending on your smoker and whether you like the salmon more dry or moist, smoking times vary. Again, this is a pretty sweet brine to balance out the tartness of the Juniper, but I think you'll be pleased. Enjoy.

All things tomato

clcJuly 29, 2012 3:19 PM

I say all things tomato right now. Now that the heat is on, they are coming in strong. Wish I had a garden of my own dedicated to the heirlooms, but, alas, I don't. I rely on Fisher Farms, a little farmstand along 120 eastbound just a few miles past Jack Tone Rd. They have an entire barn filled with bins on every type of tomato you can think of...just ask to go back there.

Juicy, sweet as candy yellow ones, little green gems, brandywines, BIG beefsteaks for the best BLT , on and on. Basically it is tomato heaven.

We just had the Best BLT aka BBLT. Big fat slices of juicy ripe tomato, applewood bacon (extra thick slices) sweet white onion, avocado and arugula; all held together with mayo, (best foods, of course) on chewy thick slices of toasted sourdough rye bread. That is key, the bread. It has to be thick and dense enough to stand up to the juicy tomatoes, and no trace of sweetness. I highly recommend this while catching the exciting Olympic action!!

Tips and Terms

We'll update this post as necessary. If you find something in a different post that you want clarified let us know and we'll do our best to sort it out.

Bread Terms:

Leaven: Recently fed starter. If you plan on making bread soon, it works out best to get a leaven ready one half of the feeding cycle ahead of time (I usually feed the starter every morning, so I make the leaven the night before the morning I plan on making the bread). To make the leaven throw out most of the starter and feed it equal parts flour and water, just like for a normal feeding. The main differences here are that: 1- you are getting rid of most of the old starter so that the majority of the active yeasties in the leaven will be fresh and vigorous, 2- you are feeding it way more than usual so that you have lots (up to two cups) of usable active leaven with enough left over to be more starter, and 3- you are planing on using it when it is still young and fresh (instead of letting it get all flat and funky like the starter does if you give it a whole feeding cycle).

Bakers percentage: The total amount of flour used will be the 100 for the given recipe. All of the other ingredients will be given with a number that represents a percentage of that 100. So, if you aim to make a lot of bread (three loaves I made for a big dinner party) start with 1000g flour and go from there.

How to make a starter:

Easiest thing ever. Just put a few hand fulls of organic flour in a bowl, add enough unchlorinated water to get an oatmeal-like consistency, and let it sit at room temp for a week covered with cheese cloth. After a week, it should be pretty nasty looking and strong smelling. Throw of this out "its called a "sponge" now) and add another healthy dose of flour and water. Let it sit again for a few more days until it gets nice and funky.

At this point, your sponge should be feeling strong enough to respond well to some more regular feedings... Just throw half of it down the drain and mix in enough new flour and water to get it back to its original size. After a week or so of regular feeding it should be smelling pretty nice. Et Voila!

Bread Making Tips:

-Feed starter regularly. Feeding it on a schedule (like at the same time every day, or consistantly gapped days if kept in fridge) really helps it perform more predictably.

-The longer it takes, the better it tastes!

-Use a dutch oven, or something to keep the moisture from the bread from being vented during baking. I bake the bread on our pizza stone with our big stock pot covering it like a hood. Bread house.

"House" Bread

These are the basic guidelines that I follow to make our "house" breads. The base is a simple country bread leavened with the wild starter that I have been maintaining for the last two years or so. I developed it from what I learned from Tartine Bread with some adaptations based on trial and error.

The base recipe makes a slightly sour, doughy, and waxy bread with a pretty open crumb and truly amazing candied crust. I adjust the flour composition, leavening time, the wetness of the dough, starter condition, and shaping technique based on what I am looking for. The variations you can produce with a few simple adjustments is amazing.

For a more sour loaf: Feed the starter in the fridge for a few days instead of at room temp. The organisms in the starter that produce sour acids out perform the more neutral bugs at lower temps. Also, a longer, slower rise produces a more developed yeast character in the final bread, so letting it rise for two days in the fridge rather than for half a day at room temp will yield a much stronger flavor contribution from the yeast.

For a chewy, open crumb: Use a higher percentage of high-gluten flour combined with a long rise. I find that King Arthur's Bread flour is so high in protein that it yields a super airy and waxy bread without any kneading. Just let the yeast develop the gluten and give it plenty of time to get nice and airy.

For a softer, nuttier bread use more whole wheat flour. I find that whole wheat flour in the starter mellow the flavor out a bit, too.  The bugs seem to really like the extra nutrients because they start fermenting much more vigorously. This means a shorter rise time, and less strong flavors.

For pizza, make a wetter-than-usual dough and a big, healthy dose of recently fed starter, a quick rise, and add some oil. This makes for a nice neutral taste and a softer texture.

Some other guidelines and outlines of terms, basic concepts, and techniques can be found here.

So the basic recipe: Rustic Country Bread

Tap Water 75%
Fresh Leaven 20% *Give it a big feeding about 8 hrs before you mix the dough*
White Flour 90% *My favorite is Whole Foods Organic All Purpose Flour. Regular All Purpose Flour is a little too soft, and bread flour is a little too hard.*
Whole Wheat Flour 10%
Salt 2% *If you can find smoked salt, it really adds a neat depth.*

Dissolve the leaven in the water. Add the rest of the flour and mix by hand just enough to get it all wet, then let it just sit for at least 30 min.

Add the salt and turn by hand just enough to be sure that everything is evenly distributed. Let the dough sit in a covered container for at least 4 hours at room temp, folding the dough over its self in the container every 20 min or so (less often and more gently after the first three hours). *If you find that the bread is too soft, consider spending a few minutes slapping the dough to help develop the gluten more*


Remove from container and divide into as many hunks as suits your desired number, shape, and size loafs. Gently shape each hunk into a rough ball and let sit for 15 min or so so that he gluten can fully relax for the shaping. *For pizza, just stretch it out, no need for a second rise. Top it add nauseum, and bake in the hottest possible oven (seriously, 3 min at 900F is ideal).*

To shape the balls gently flatten the dough and fold it into thirds like a letter and in half again the opposite way, then pinch the seam together. Let 'em rise for two to four hours covered and coated in rice flour (to prevent sticking) seam side up.

When it is all fat and puffy its time to bake it. Have the oven ready at 500, flip 'em onto the pan seam side down, cut some big scores in the tops so that they have room to grow (and it looks pretty) and cover with the lid. Leave it covered for the first 20 min, then turn the oven down to 450 and take the cover off. Bake for another 20 min, turning reg so that you don't get uneven burning. Dun.