Showing posts with label Cabin Fever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabin Fever. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Rye Bread


This morning's temperature outside: -7 degrees.   Tomorrow's alleged high for the day?  A whopping five degrees.  Nothing is happening yet as far as showing any signs of spring.... temperature-wise anyway. 

All we can do is keep making hot soup and baking good bread, and try to keep ourselves (and our bellies) content until change is in the air and we have something to look forward to again.  Right? Bake away, my friends....Bread, that is.

Rye Bread

3 Cups of Flour
1/2 Cup of Rye Flour
1 Tablespoon of Yeast
1 1/3 Cups of lukewarm water (who was "Luke" anyway?)
2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
1 Tablespoon of Fine-ground Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons of Caraway Seeds
1 beaten egg white

Fill a small bowl with the water, sprinkle your yeast on top and let sit for ten minutes. 

Add your salt and olive oil to the water and whisk it all together.

In a large mixing bowl combine both white and rye flours.  Add only 2 tablespoons of the caraway seed, reserving the last tablespoon.  At this point, I chuck everything into my KitchenAid mixer, fitted with the dough hook, and mix it all up on medium speed until the dough pulls from the sides of the bowl (about five minutes)  Once this happens, cover your bowl with plastic and throw a dishtowel over it.  Let it sit for 2 hours, or until you are ready to bake it.  You could also mix everything by hand, if you're in need of some exercise.

Preheat your over to 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Take your bowl of dough and gather it into a loaf-shape.  No need to let it rise again.  Brush the loaf with beaten egg white and sprinkle on the remaining caraway seed.  Put your loaf directly onto your baking stone that has been heating in the oven, or onto a greased baking sheet, and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Let it cool before slicing if you can help yourself...it makes for better sandwich slicing.

Oh by the way...apparently, the word "lukewarm" turned up around the 14th century as a description for "slightly warm."  Within a couple of centuries, it also took on a figurative meaning, to describe "lacking enthusiasm."  "Luke" was derived from  "lew," "lewk" or "leuk," of which meant "tepid" or slightly warm, in Middle English.  So now you know. 

Please be a farmstead/homestead/farmer friend and share your favorite homemade bread recipes with me at monabrifarm@yahoo.com or in the comment section below, or just to say hello and tell me about your farm and what you raise on it.  I love hearing from new people and sharing good recipes!  ~A


















Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Curing Cabin Fever


I think I have cabin fever.  I'm sure I have cabin fever.

Last night I was dreaming of a fresh warm tomato, picked straight from the vine ( I could smell it!), sliced and layered with fresh mozzarella, slivered fragrant basil leaves, and lightly drizzled in fruity virgin olive oil...

And then I woke up and had to pee...

It isn't even Christmas yet, and I find myself counting down days.  Not days until Christmas mind you, because that day in fact I absolutely cannot wait for to be over with and done.  Really. I could care less for the holiday. Am I related to the Grinch?  Perhaps...

No! I am counting down days for things like New Year's Day (14 days away), when I can start a fresh new year, reflect back on the old year, and move forward!  I'm counting down the days until Groundhog Day (46 days), when I know that right about that time I will be so entirely sick of the snow, ice and cold, that I am positive I can take no more. 

I'm counting down to the Spring Equinox (92 days), when I know that spring bulbs will soon be making their appearance.  And mostly, I am counting down to the middle of July (208 days), when I know I will be harvesting garlic, and the garden will be bursting with life! And real tomatoes...

How do YOU cure cabin fever?




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