Buckets!

We've enjoyed the fruits of a lot of home fermentation in the past few months, including delicious pickles and sauerkraut. But we're hoping to expand our operation to include kimchi, miso, tempeh, water kefir, kombucha, and even more sauerkraut. Right now all of our fermentation vessels are occupied with sauerkraut in varying stages of done-ness, which is putting a severe cramp in our lacto-fermented style.

Over the weekend a friend gave me a tip: ask restaurants for their surplus food-grade buckets. A lot of restaurants buy ingredients that come in buckets, but don't have a use for the buckets themselves. So they are happy to give them away. Well, today while buying a sandwich over lunch, I made a major bucket score at Sub King. Thanks Kelly, for the sandwich and the buckets!!!

Hot Dogs for Dinner!

Veal wieners from the market for some, vegan apple sage seitan sausages for most, and all with homemade buns, sauerkraut, and fries. Delicious!

Makin' Kraut!

Sauerkraut is easy to make and great in sandwiches or with potatoes. Since our weekly CSA box has been bringing giant heads of cabbage lately, we're making tons of delicious sauerkraut.

Just shred any cabbage and pack tightly into a ceramic or glass vessel, while adding generous pinches of salt between the layers. Add a little sauerkraut to the top, then put a plate on top and add a heavy weight; a jar filled with water usually works. Let the whole thing ferment in an out-of-the-way spot in your kitchen for 4-6 weeks.  If the cabbage doesn't provide enough moisture to cover within a day or  two, add enough brine to completely submerge the cabbage. To make brine, mix 1 tbsp of non-iodine salt with one cup of water.

For more information on how easy making fermented foods can be, check out Wild Fermentation.

Frying homemade dill pickles!

If you happened to pickle ten or more jars of kosher dill pickles .. say in a mad rush at the end of cucumber season ... this is a decadent treat. Coat in buttermilk (or a non-dairy equivalent) and then a cornmeal/flour mixture - then repeat. Fry at 350 until nice and brown.