I didn’t cook it. Well, I made the vinaigrette. I sat down to eat a late winter/early spring affordable feast, made from what we had, and I liked it so much I thought you might enjoy knowing about it.
The menu:
- The incredible Jim Lahey-Mark Bittman no-knead slow rise bread (made with Weisenberger bread flour and a scant tablespoon salt instead of the smaller amount in the original recipe)
- Elmwood Stock Farm‘s certified organic short ribs, made according to Dave Lebovits’s recipe, substituting a homemade grape jelly/ketchup/soy blend for the hoisin sauce missing from our larder
- Mashed redskin Elmwood organic potatoes made with butter and local creme fràiche
- “Available” slaw, made with what we had on hand: 1/3 head grated red cabbage, two grated carrots, and (YEA!!!) fresh tarragon and chives from our herb garden; vinaigrette made the utterly French way (a thumb’s length of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and three tablespoons olive oil – more or less).
Why it amazed me?
- It smelled so good – for hours, thanks to the long cooking time for the chocolatey dark roasted short ribs, and then the bread – heavenly.
- The bread is as good as any artisan bread from any restaurant or bakery, and that still amazes me, given its great ease of preparation. To sit in my own kitchen eating homemade bread that, before November 6, 2006, could only be had in Europe or a small number of great bakeries and restaurants in the USA – it is still a source of wonder.
- The fresh taste of our own land in the herbs, so early in spring, making the slaw a crisp, acidy foil for the rich ribs – I am awed to have the growing season already underway, already making meals wonderful at my house.
- More amazements:
- Most of the food grew within 15 miles of my house.
- The world wide food web also made its contribution, yielding the bread and ribs recipes along with the processes behind the creme fràiche and vinaigrette.
- The big world of food and the essential local world of food came together on a foundation of basic food knowledge, a gift from our many food ancestors: start with what’s on hand; treat the ingredients well; savor the results.
The richness of these simple, beautiful foods, and the way the foods brought out the best in each other, guaranteed the savoring. What blessings and riches we find in our kitchens and gardens.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Does the method work for sourdough?
I don’t know, but it seems worth a try! It might take longer, even, for the rising, and it would be a matter of experimentation to learn how much sourdough to use. Or I suppose with very active sourdough in sufficient amounts, the dough might get in a hurry. Let me know what happens if you try.
Does the method work for sourdough?
I don’t know, but it seems worth a try! It might take longer, even, for the rising, and it would be a matter of experimentation to learn how much sourdough to use. Or I suppose with very active sourdough in sufficient amounts, the dough might get in a hurry. Let me know what happens if you try.
Rona,
It was great meeting you yesterday at the Food Literacy Project farm in Lou!
I’ve made the Lahey recipe recipe, but wasn’t aware that Weisenberger made bread flour ( I’m a big fan of their corn meal and grits). Any idea where I can buy it locally?
Thanks,
Deb Reese
Hi, Deb – What fun meeting you yesterday!
Our Good Foods Coop on Southland Drive has all these wonderful Weisenberger flours – and they seem to keep coming. I just bought some “Fine Ground Whole Wheat” as opposed to “Coarse Ground Whole Wheat” — first time I’ve seen that option, too. In addition, people in my neighborhood have been buying in 25 pound bags and re-distributing – just like the old bulk buying days – but I think they are wearing out on the work (and dust) involved with flours. None of this helps you in Louisville, though. I was going to recommend http://www.weisenberger.com, which usually has all the products listed – but the site seems to be down right this minute. I hope that connecting may be easier tomorrow, perhaps. I would suggest a call to them to ask where they are selling a full array of products in Louisville. Surely there is such a place!
I do find that the Weisenberger bread flour is a bit less “chewy” than King Arthur’s bread flour. I think there may be about a percent difference in the proteins, but I can’t locate an accurate source for that guess. I find the Weisenberger works wonderfully for the breadmaker in my household, and for this particular kind of bread (and a challah that is our other standard.)
I hope this helps a little -
Rona
Rona,
It was great meeting you yesterday at the Food Literacy Project farm in Lou!
I’ve made the Lahey recipe recipe, but wasn’t aware that Weisenberger made bread flour ( I’m a big fan of their corn meal and grits). Any idea where I can buy it locally?
Thanks,
Deb Reese
Hi, Deb – What fun meeting you yesterday!
Our Good Foods Coop on Southland Drive has all these wonderful Weisenberger flours – and they seem to keep coming. I just bought some “Fine Ground Whole Wheat” as opposed to “Coarse Ground Whole Wheat” — first time I’ve seen that option, too. In addition, people in my neighborhood have been buying in 25 pound bags and re-distributing – just like the old bulk buying days – but I think they are wearing out on the work (and dust) involved with flours. None of this helps you in Louisville, though. I was going to recommend http://www.weisenberger.com, which usually has all the products listed – but the site seems to be down right this minute. I hope that connecting may be easier tomorrow, perhaps. I would suggest a call to them to ask where they are selling a full array of products in Louisville. Surely there is such a place!
I do find that the Weisenberger bread flour is a bit less “chewy” than King Arthur’s bread flour. I think there may be about a percent difference in the proteins, but I can’t locate an accurate source for that guess. I find the Weisenberger works wonderfully for the breadmaker in my household, and for this particular kind of bread (and a challah that is our other standard.)
I hope this helps a little -
Rona
This sounds incredible! I can’t wait to try the short rib recipe.
Any savory recipe with chocolate and chili is for me! Hope my wife appreciates it.
N
This sounds incredible! I can’t wait to try the short rib recipe.
Any savory recipe with chocolate and chili is for me! Hope my wife appreciates it.
N