making my own mustard

The boyos got to talking about fermentation.  The boyos are just an interesting combination of men of all ages and ideas.  Three and a half to almost sixty.  The ideas just seem to go all over the place.  That is how fermentation came up.  And I presented recipes. 

I started with mustard.  After putting it together, I had to ask why we have ever bought mustard.  A blender is helpful.  I would not wish to make this with a pestle and mortar but it possible.  I like the modern convenience of blender. And I know exactly went into this mustard.  No allergy or sensitivity concerns.  The oldest of the boyos was tempted to sit down and just eat the jar for dinner.

Yes.  They are an interesting bunch.

This mustard is a Bavarian style and slightly sweet.  It goes well with all the different sausages.

Bavarian-style Sweet Mustard

Note:  I used the recipe from Taproot magazine, Issue 10.  I substituted a bit because I did not wish to special order.

1 cup filtered water that has sat for about open for about an hour or more.

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice

3/8 cup yellow mustard seeds

1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) brown mustard seeds

1/2 large yellow sweet onion, peeled and chopped coarsely

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons honey or to taste

1 pint jar plus a 1/2 cup jar is what I used for fermentation.

In a small saucepan, put the water, cloves, and allspice.  Bring to a boil.  Let boil one minute.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Strain out the spices.

In a blender bowl, put the onion, mustard seeds, salt, and infused water.  Blend this for about ten minutes.  Yes, ten minutes.  The mustard will start out thin, but as the onion breaks down and the mustard seeds start to break up, the mustard will thicken to a spreading consistency.

Spoon the mustard into a pint jar, making sure there are no air pockets.  I had a large onion, so I also needed the 1/2 cup jar.  Cover with a lid and tighten.  Let sit on the counter for three days to ferment.

After three days, mix in the honey.  Without a little bit of sweet, this mustard bites back.  That might be the goal though so use what tastes right to you.  Also, do not be surprised if there is a bit of pop when you open the jar.  That is the yeastie beasties at work.

Store in the refrigerator unless you have a gang of boyos who eat things like this straight . . .

We are off to the races tomorrow.  I am experimenting with a sour cherry walnut rye.  I wonder how this will taste on that.

to be used to stop a battalion of werewolves (or things said at my house)

I have had two summer interns to work with this summer.  I would usually groan but they have both been fabulous.  One brought in whole wheat cinnamon rolls with coffee icing one morning.  I almost cried the rest of the day because they made me homesick.

I have never been a big whole wheat fan, especially since my parents really like wheat berry bread.  I have come to realize that I do not like chunks in things that I do not believe should be chunky.  Brownies and ice cream should not be chunky.  Cookies should not have hard chunks in them.  Bread should not hurt to eat.  And since most of the whole wheat bread I grew up with either had seeds in it or could be used as doorstops, I was not fond of whole wheat bread.

That was until I found a whole wheat cinnamon roll as big as a plate in Bellingham, Washington during college.  It was light.  There were no nuts.  It was yummy.  There was probably white flour in it but I do not know.  But the cinnamon roll that Miss C brought to work was as good if not better then the cinnamon roll from my past.  I all but cried all day.  Just wanted to be home on the mountain, which is not far from Bellingham.

I asked for the recipe and tweaked it for sourdough.  The only thing that you need to do to make light cinnamon rolls with this is really watch how much flour is used.  I have already made this multiple times and I find that five cups is all you need.  Also, this is a dough that can be easily made vegan if you use something other then honey for the sweetener.

The werewolf quote is from my Beloved.  He loves these.  Dips them in frosting (I leave it in a bowl on the counter) and eats them out of hand.  They would stop a battalion of werewolves because they would need to stop to eat them as well as the first batch I made they rolls so large they had some heft.  I was going for dinner plates.  Feel free to laugh.

whole wheat cinnamon rolls

sourdough starter

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup water

2 3/4 cup water

1/2 cup walnut oil or an oil of your choice

1/2 cup honey or a similar sweetner

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups old fashioned (thick) oats

4 - 5 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar, brown or granulated

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 - 1/2 cup soft butter

powdered sugar

vanilla

milk, cream, or coffee

The night before, mix the sourdough starter, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup water in a large bowl.  Cover and let sit overnight or until bubbly.  Remove a couple tablespoons of starter for next time and store in the refrigerator.

Mix in 1 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup honey, and 1/2 cup oil.  Mix in the oats.  Mix in two cups whole wheat flour.  Cover with at cloth and let sit until bubbly like pancake batter.

Mix in salt.  Mix in 1 cup flour.  You may have stiff dough at this point depending on how the oats soaked in the water.  See if the dough can be kneaded.  Start mixing in or kneading one more cup of flour.  The dough should be silky and smooth, not to sticky but still very soft.  If the dough is stiff from too much flour the rolls will not be as light as they could be.  The extra cup of flour may be needed if everything is just that sticky.  Cover and let rise until double.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.  Roll into a large rectangle.  The larger the rectangle, the more swirl you will have.  You will also make smaller rolls.  Smear with butter.  Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.  I have been using granulated.  Sprinkle over the surface.  If you want smaller rolls, roll from the long side into a snake.  If you want larger rolls, roll up from the short side.  Pinch the edge into the roll.

Cover a baking sheet or a casserole pan with parchment paper or butter well.  Cut the rolls in 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch slices.  Place the cut edge up.  I plumb them a little to make a better shape.  Cover and let get puffy.

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Put in the rolls.  Bake for 35 minutes.  They will be golden on the edges, stiff to touch, and hollow if tapped.

I did not give you proportions for the frosting because my family lots.  I pour powdered sugar into a bowl, add a teaspoon to tablespoons of vanilla.  I then ask if vanilla or coffee frosting is wanted.  I mix a bit of heavy cream or milk in to make vanilla.  Brewed coffee to make frosting.  Start with a couple tablespoons of liquid until the frosting is the consistency you wish.

So good!  I have been asked to make another batch for travels this week.  We are gallivanting for motorbikes come mid week.  I am hoping I can sit in the grass and watch people go in circles.  Maybe add an adult beverage.  I will have crochet or spinning with me.  I always get looked at funny!

strained yogurt (yogurt cheese)

I decided to take some of my newly made yogurt, which turned out quite well, and strain it.  It makes a yogurt cheese or a yogurt that is more similar to a skyr style yogurt.  The skyr type is my favorite right now.  It reminds me of cheese.

I took a coffee filter, put it over a jar, and poured almost the rest of the yogurt I had just made into it.  I did save out some for the next batch of yogurt.  Then I covered it and stuck it into the frig for overnight. 

I was in heaven!  Berries, a bit of honey (I would cut back next time), and my yogurt cheese.  I could not ask for more.  This is my favorite homemade yogurt so far.  And I can use it as a cheese if I wish. 

More plotting needs to be done!

salmon burgers

I have been craving burgers lately.  And I have been reacting to beef.  Much inflammation.  Including grass fed beef.  But I find when I am craving burgers it is really more that I am craving the protein and the iron.  The iron is an ease fix because I have always been close to anemic.  I start taking iron pills.  Now the protein . . .

I eat a lot of vegetable protein but my body says at times it needs a more easily digestible type.  I found this recipe on pinterest for salmon burgers.  I tweaked it with what we had in the house and it was so good.  I may be making it again soon.  Maybe Sunday?  I might try the brioche buns minus the squid ink that with the recipe.  I just do not wish to track down squid ink.

salmon burgers

Note:  adapted from Drizzle and Dip

1 pound salmon, skinned and bone

about 1/4 cup white onion, peeled and chopped coarsely

2 small slices of rye bread (about 2 tablespoons), broken up into chunks

1 teaspoon wasabi powder, or to taste

juice of one lemon, minus the seeds

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fish sauce

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Put a cast iron skillet over medium low heat.  Let heat.

Take a third of the salmon, in chunks, and put in a blender or food processor.  Add the lemon, mayonnaise, mustard, wasabi, onion, fish sauce, and rye bread.  Blend into a paste.  Put in a bowl.

Chop the rest of the salmon into a fine chop. 

Add the oil to the pan.  Heat.

Shape the mixture into burgers.  I made large burgers but you could make four.  Cook four to six minutes a side.  Four is more rare.  Six is well done.

Serve on salad, with a cabbage salad, on bread.  Just yummy.  I am thinking about trying it with the exceptional smoked salmon we get from the fish market in Cascade Locks.  I have been told, if you call, they will ship cans of their smoked salmon.  Well worth it.  I will document how the smoked salmon turns out if I do that one.

cold soaked oatmeal

When it comes to oatmeal, I like hot steel cut oats.  It is about all I eat anymore but quick and old-fashioned oats all taste like flour paste too me.  Flour paste was actually used as wallpaper paste so I could have said that but then someone in my life would have asked if I had ever tasted wallpaper paste.  It becomes a circular argument.

One of the summer interns that I work with was eating this cold soaked oatmeal concoction one morning, most mornings.  I asked Miss C about it and she told me the recipe.  My Beloved keeps telling me it is too hot to eat his normal breakfast so I thought I would try it, even though I only had quick oats in the house for granola. 

He liked it.  Oatmeal in summer.  The texture reminds me of my Dad's cream of wheat so this is not something I will eat but I did not make it for me.  Three nights this week I have put this together so far so my Beloved has breakfast.  Now Koda Bear, he is still eating fishes in the morning.  I am with the small bear person on that one if I cannot have tea and toast or some type of bread.

cold soaked oatmeal

1/2 cup oatmeal (every recipe I read said old-fashioned but I have been using quick)

1/2 cup dairy or non-dairy milk (I have been using honey almond)

1/2 cup greek, bulgarian, or icelandic yogurt

a squirt of agave or maple syrup, what is to your taste

1/2 cup berries:  raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries

The night before, in a mason jar, mix the oatmeal, yogurt, milk, and sweetener together.  Put the fruit on top.  Close the lid.  Put in the refrigerator unitl the next morning when you are ready to eat.  More fruit can be added or some nut butter too.