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| Delicious Food At The Farmhouse |
I began the day (after taking care of the Barn Girls) making a batch of hickory syrup. Once that was done, I mixed up the makings for focaccia. Focaccia starts with a wet mix called "poolish" that needs ten to fifteen hours to ferment. I made that on Saturday afternoon.
After the poolish is fermented, it's added to the rest of the ingredients and that begins a series of further fermentation until it's ready to form into pans. Fully formed and fermented, I added cooked Italian sausage, hand-grated Parmesan cheese, and caramelized onions. Top with a little basil and red pepper flakes, and it was ready for the oven. I also made a tomato/onion/green pepper mix that I roasted as a side dish for the focaccia.
As the focaccia was fermenting, I took another twenty minutes to hand churn some butter. I hadn't tried that before, but I'd purchased a Kilner churner when we first moved here, and I decided it was time to take it for a spin. Handsome helped me turn the churner crank when my hand got tired, but it really didn't take long for the butter to take shape. 300ml of whipping cream was turned into 3.5 ounces of salted butter, and 3/4 cup of buttermilk (which is the perfect amount for a batch of buttermilk biscuits later this week).
All the photographs in the mosaic show 1) finished hickory syrup, and then clockwise 2) focaccia - before and after, and 3) butter - after and before. As always, you can click on the mosaic to enlarge it for a better view.
I'll be working in the studio today, but yesterday in the kitchen was really wonderful. I must make a point of doing that more often. I'm going to get the hickory syrup labeled, and an order of it packed and shipped first. I'd better get busy!
Looks like you made some delicious food yesterday!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's fun to spend a day in the kitchen.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn-
DeleteIt’s was hard, rewarding work. I really enjoyed myself.
xo
Donna
mmmmm - wish I could take up residence in your kitchen and be your official taste tester! I'd do a good job, I promise!
ReplyDeleteI remember making butter with my kids when they were little....we just used a mason jar and lots of shaking (mostly done by me of course!)
Hi MA-
DeleteWouldn’t that be fun? I’m sure you’d do a great job. I was surprised how quickly the cream turned to butter. I love that you have that memory with your kids. ❤️
xo
Donna
Such a lovely day in your kitchen would inspire me to be a tad bit more domestic. I have made orange flavored butter for some orange scones I made. I used my Kitchenmaid mixer and it all worked very well and tasted scrumptious! My husband remembers having to mix two packets together to put the yellow color in the butter when he was young.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry-
DeleteWhen margarine first came out, my dad’s friend (who worked on the railroad) would bring it from IL to WI for us. Being The Dairy State, it was contraband here fir a while. I remember the little orange packets Mum would add to the margarine to turn it yellow, too.
xo
Donna