Smithy

Today I tried out another crumpet recipe, this one from a Washington Post article about what to do with extra sourdough starter. Their recipe is here: Sourdough Crumpets. I don't like this recipe as well as the one I tried earlier; I find the flavor a bit too sour and I'm sure it depends on the quality of the starter. You're supposed to start with nonrefreshed starter, but I think my nonrefreshed starter was a bit too old and would have benefited from refreshment. That said, I did use up the extra starter! Aside from that, I'm happy with this batch. I have a better feel for the needed consistency of the batter (I thinned mine slightly) and the heat needed, so these have great texture. As for the flavor: well, some crabapple jelly (see the lower right image) helped. I may end up using honey yet!

Thanks, @weinoo. Interesting about the blanching step. I considered it, but didn't do it. As it happens, I had spare time for projects before I saw your response, so my methodology was a little different. I'm still looking forward to the results! From left to right: Ramp / chive oil, buzzed up with a bit of salt; ramp butter (wish I'd thought of lemon!); pickled ramps using methodology from last week's episode of The Splendid Table; and then what was left of my usual lemon vinaigrette, with the ramp/chive oil that wouldn't fit into the jar at the left. I just had a salad using the dressing. Yum. Until May 1 I was away from home and using a small kitchen in our trailer. It is a lovely, delightful luxury to be able to spread projects out and really play in the kitchen! And then...throw most of the dishes into a dishwasher!

I really don't see a problem with skipping aisles at the end-caps. Passing in the aisles may be more problematic, in narrow aisles, but the local procedure (the local culture is very polite) is to say "excuse me, sorry!" or something similar, and then other person says "no problem, sorry!" or some such, and everyone holds their breath and the passing happens. Or it doesn't, because aisle-blocker moves on. So far it's working here although I still see some folks not bothering with masks. Boggles the mind....

@rotuts, my perspective may be different due to living in a less crowded area, but it's common here to skip aisles. Our markets are also marked with directional signs (although not everyone is paying attention yet) but the broadest and most open sections (produce area) are two-way and provide easy opportunities to pass at a safe distance. So, for instance, I might go up the outer area, through produce and dairy, then go down aisle 8 for the bread, and up 9 for the coffee. I also think that a brief noncontact passing within 6 feet, if nobody is sneezing and both are masked, is very non-risky.

I dunno, looks to me like you're on to something here!

I have been trying in vain to find KA Bread Flour in Duluth. I couldn't even find a slot for it in one of the grocery stores we frequent. Finally, after I struck out at our most upscale grocery store - the one that has reliably carried it for years - I called that store's representative. "Are you planning to stock King Arthur flour again?" I asked. He replied, "Yes ma'am, as soon as THEY have a supply again."

Beautiful, and absolutely the kick I need to do the same thing before my ramps all go off. How did you go about them, please? Was it just finely chopped or blitzed ramps in that butter, or did you add other seasonings? What pickling mixture did you use? Will that jar live in the refrigerator, or is it shelf-stable?

...and so we did. Here's an excerpt from dinner. The rest of the dinner wasn't photographed / snapped. Corn on the cob (too early in the season, I think) and oven-baked breaded pork steak: tasty but tough, probably a sign of the times.

Actually, shabakeh3 has asked the question elsewhere. We will simply hope that one of the experts can help. But thanks for the recommendation, @Kim Shook.

Dried cherries, yes. Dried cranberries, yes. Dried barberries, yes yes yes. But perhaps due to overexposure in childhood, I flinch at raisins now. The broccoli salad I made today has barberries in place of raisins, and we'll love it. ...but.... wouldn't you know it...now that I've taken to baking bread again, my DH is reminiscing about his mother's cinnamon rolls and hinting strongly that I should make them. With raisins.

Sad face because I just spent $3 more than I needed to! (I had already succumbed to temptation.)

Mind you, I love potatoes in just about any form...but the baby potatoes may be my favorites!

@Shelby, my husband rhapsodizes every year about new potatoes and peas in white sauce. If I show him your photo, he'll go berserk and demand that we go shopping right NOW! My father, rest his soul, also would have found that image evocative of his happy childhood and his mother's spring cookery.

I hope you'll show the results! That must be a pretty big smoker, to take all that at once. I'm in the market, maybe, for a new smoker, so I'd be interested to know more about the smoker itself as well as the results.

Doggone it, rotuts -- just when I think I've succeeded in my resolve to not collect more cookbooks, you come up with this temptation! Even the salad and dressing on the Amazon page looks good. There goes my resolve.

Salmon, ramps and asparagus alfredo, more or less. The way this came about was that DH was jonesing for my pasta alfredo with smoked salmon, and I had to do something with fresh salmon. And some gorgeous ramps. And asparagus. I had other plans to use those elements, but what the heck. It was pretty good, and there are leftovers. They too will make good meals.

I'm not sure how I could remove the bran and work it back in later, except in the sense that I mixed the two flours. Perhaps that's what you mean? The recipe calls for 500F, with the Dutch Oven preheated, and that's what I've been using. After about 30 minutes you remove the lid to let the dough brown, but there's no call to reduce the heat. In this case the bread was already dark brown when I took the lid off, but a thermometer said the bread wasn't done. I think a lower temperature is in order. Now that you mention it, my Peter Reinhart recipe for this sort of bread (although it isn't in a Dutch Oven) calls for starting at around 450F to get oven spring, and then lowering the temperature to 375F. Maybe that's a better way to go. Next time I'll start at 475F, and maybe lower the temperature per Reinhart. Does that sound reasonable?

Thank you for this advice, dtremit. I tried following it today, using the same recipe as before except that I mixed all-purpose flour in with the artisanal bread flour. I autolysed the artisan flour separately while I let the A/P flour mix with the starter; then mixed them all and added the salt. Whether it was the separate autolysis or substitution of A/P flour (for about 1/3 of the flour) I don't know, but the dough came together and developed in a much more civilized fashion. It folded. It developed a tight skin. It rose. It did all those things without relentless kneading and excessive resting! And then it stuck to the basket on the way into the preheated Dutch Oven. And when it hit that hot pot, all out of shape, it deflated and stuck to the sides of the pot. Grr. See that crispy-looking edge? That's where it stuck, and charred. The side view shows how deflated it is, and is reminiscent of Jughead's porkpie hat, for those of a certain age. Or maybe a cross-section of a pagoda. Still. The crumb is tender (more so than the last batch) and the flavor is pretty good. Next time I'll try a slightly lower temperature in the oven, in hopes of its not being quite so dark, and I'll work more diligently to keep the loaf from sticking to the banneton. A heavily-floured liner cloth, perhaps? The basket was heavily floured already, but I didn't line it. As before, advice will be welcome. @dtremit's suggestion was very helpful.

Hello, Mehdi / @shabakeh3, and welcome! I do hope someone knowledgeable can answer your question. (Note for other members: Mehdi has asked the same question here, where the topic will not lock after the designated time.) We hope you'll tell us more about the food you eat and cook where you live. We enjoy reading about other cultures. Google Translate is very useful! If you have questions about how to post in the forums, or where to post in the forums, feel free to contact a host (like me) by PM.

@shain, I grew up in an area where many houses had "pet" pomegranate trees. Despite that, I don't think I ever noticed the blossoms, until they were at the end of a fruit. Thank you for that picture.

Sorry Shelby, I've apparently been asleep at the switch. What is "that lime cilantro dressing"? I like that flavor combination but wasn't happy with my attempt at it.

I'm sorry, and slightly embarrassed, to say that when we moved into our current house over 20 years ago I found one of these in some cranny behind a corner kitchen cupboard. I couldn't figure out its value, and I tossed it. I wish I could remember more clearly! Maybe it was just a couple of parts instead of the entire piece? . . . Yep, that's it...it was only a couple of parts, not the whole thing. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I'm happy to report that the fishing businesses I referred to are still in business and the supply is good. Our local stores' supplies of seafood (and freshwater fish) are as good as ever. I'll be interested in reading about online supplies, but I can keep supporting the local guys.

That's part of my hesitation. The other part is that we have a couple of local fishermen who make their living providing Alaskan fish to stores and businesses here. I haven't had the chance since we got home to see how that stock is holding up, but if they're still in business I'd rather support them. I'll be able to find out this week.

I'm on their mailing list and have been considering buying from them. I like their sales pitch. I haven't bought anything from them yet, though.