kitchen

Kombucha

May 27, 2017

Hi Friends!

First off let me apologize for disappearing for a few months. For those of you who follow me on Instagram you may have figured out that I had a campaign to run. I sit as an elected official on borough council for my home town and was up for re-election. It took up quite a bit of my time and I am happy to report that I won the primary election on May 16th! It feels good to have worked so hard but also to have more free time. I am excited to jump right back into this space. I missed you all!

To make up for my absence I would like to finally honor a request made by many of you about sharing how I make my own Kombucha.

Kombucha or as we like to call it, booch, is a lightly sweetened fermented drink that is produced by fermenting tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). You can enjoy it plain or with fruits, spices or herbs for an added punch. There so many flavor possibilities and combinations and it has been fun experimenting.

I had tried store bought Kombucha a few years back and liked it but it wasn’t until I tried my friend’s homemade batch that I was hooked and had to try making my own. She walked me through the process and I got right to work collecting my supplies. I admit to calling her each time I made a new batch to make sure I had the calculations just right but over time it definitely got easier and part of my weekly routine.

Making your own kombucha may seem intimidating (it was for me!) but I can assure you it really is quite easy, requires only a few ingredients and supplies and is much more affordable than store bought brands. There are many online sources and videos along with starter kits. But most of what you need you can find in your own kitchen or from a friend or local source.

Supplies

+1 gallon crock or glass jar (I own a 2 gallon crock for when I want to make larger batches)

+1 dozen airtight glass jars/bottles .

Note: While essentially any glass container with a lid can be used to store kombucha, to achieve the best carbonation, it is important to bottle kombucha in airtight bottles. While canning jars work well, they are not truly airtight, allowing for carbon dioxide to leak from them reducing the fizziness of your kombucha. Since I love a really fizzy booch, I use these 16 oz EZ cap bottles. They work great for the second fermentation/carbonation phase and they are the perfect serving size.

+plastic funnel (plastic utensils are recommended as metal is generally detrimental to kombucha. The only possible exception is stainless steel.)

+plastic or wooden stirring utensil

+tightly woven cloth like a cotton dishtowel

+large rubber band

+measuring cups

Ingredients

Makes up to 8 16oz bottles

+ 10 organic green tea bags

Note: The type of tea used to brew kombucha can affect the health of the SCOBY as well as the taste of your finished brew. If you’re just getting started, it is recommended to use plain black tea to insure a healthy SCOBY. I have used both black and green tea, both of which have worked well. After getting a few batches under your belt and allowing your SCOBY to grow big and strong you could experiment with white tea, rooibos, oolong, Yerba matte and other herbal teas.

+ 1/2 cup organic sugar

+ 16 cups filtered water

+ Active SCOBY (Read here about where to find a healthy SCOBY.) Anyone who is making kombucha tea usually has more than enough to share. I got mine from a friend. Ask around, or check for fermenting groups in your area. I have even seen posts about SCOBY sharing on Facebook and Craigslist. When you find a good source for a SCOBY also ask for 2 cups of starter tea, enough to make your first batch.

+ 2 cups starter tea (See above. If you can’t obtain starter tea from a friend you can use a bottle of store-bought raw, unflavored kombucha tea.)

+ 2 cups organic juice with no added sugar. We have used sour cherry, pomegranate and grape. You can also use fresh fruit, herbs and spices. Use seasonal fruits. I just tried a homemade strawberry rhubarb booch that was to die for!

Instructions

Bring water to a boil.

Turn off heat and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Add tea bags.

Cool the mixture to 68-85ºF. The tea may be left in the liquid as it cools or removed after the first 10-15 minutes. The longer the tea is left in the liquid, the stronger the tea will be.

Remove tea bags

Add starter tea.

Add active SCOBY

Cover crock or jar with a tight-weave towel and secure with a rubber band

Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed at 68-85°F, out of direct sunlight, for 7-30 days, or to taste. The longer the kombucha ferments, the less sweet and more vinegary it will taste. Time of year will affect the rate of fermentation. My booch takes much longer to ferment in the winter months. I keep it on top of our radiator to help speed things up. In the summer months it ferments much quicker. I typically let it sit for 10 days. How do you know if fermentation is taking place? Flavor becomes less sweet and more vinegary, SCOBY thickens, look for stringy brown yeast particles, tea has lightened in color.

Remove SCOBY and 2 cups of tea (this will be your starter for the next batch) and hold in a separate container.

The finished kombucha can be flavored and bottled, or enjoyed plain.

If wanting a flavored non-carbonated booch, add 2 cups of juice. Mix and store in glass jars in refrigerator for up to 14 days. You can also add fresh fruit whole or pureed and strained to each jar. Have fun experimenting. An easy one is adding lemon rind and a large chunk of ginger to each jar or bottle.

If wanting a plain non carbonated booch, simply pour into glass jars and store in refrigerator.

Now if you are wanting to bring it to the next level for a delicious, refreshing fizzy carbonated brew there are just a few more steps, but well worth the trouble and wait!

Making A Fizzy Carbonated Booch

To make a fizzy Kombucha, a second fermentation is required.

A second fermentation period allows the flavors to meld and achieve a deeper and more complex flavor. Additionally, if bottled in an airtight container, the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation will remain, giving the kombucha the fizzy texture.

Add the desired flavoring and mix to combine.
Using the funnel pour flavored kombucha in to airtight bottles leaving a few inches of head space.
Leave the bottled kombucha to ferment for 2-14 days at room temperature.
Once the second fermentation process is complete, store in the refrigerator.

When it’s time to pour yourself a glass of booch use caution when opening bottles. Creation of carbon dioxide during the secondary fermentation period means the contents of the bottle will be under pressure. Cover the bottle with a cloth to catch any spraying liquid and open the bottle slowly over the sink.

And now it’s time to make yourself a whole new batch of Kombucha!

I know this is a lot of information to absorb but before you know it you will have a continuous brewing routine and system and a fridge full of refreshing Kombucha to enjoy. You will have fun experimenting with different flavors and get to know your booch. It has a mind of it’s own and with intuition you can work with it for the perfect texture and flavor.

Let me know if I can answer any questions you may have. Or for you fellow booch brewers out there please share your tips!

Enjoy!

Early days of Autumn

October 4, 2016

Valentines weekend

February 15, 2016

We had a fun- filled weekend starting with Hannah’s first winter formal dance. It was a 1920’s theme and I think she pulled off lady Hannah rather beautifully. And Chris was quite the dapper chaperone!

While Hannah and Chris were off dancing the night away, Norah and I went out for Indian food.

Saturday was spent cooking, cleaning and sprucing up our home for dinner guests that evening.

On Sunday we hosted an afternoon Valentine tea party. There was lots of chocolate, whipped cream, heart shaped sugar cookies and of course conversation hearts. But my favorite were the pickled radish hearts. We have an over abundance of watermelon radishes from our winter CSA share and last week I packed a huge mason jar full and covered them with a salty, spicy brine. I was pleasantly surprised to find that within a few days they had turned a beautiful shade of pink. Cut into hearts, they were perfect paired with cheese and nuts.

We ended the evening with Downton and all was right with the world:)

Today Norah cashed in on one of her Christmas gifts and attended a 4 hour long cooking class. She came back even more inspired to cook new things (if that was even possible).

It is now snowing and we are getting ready to cozy up and watch this.

How was your weekend my friends?

Sunday’s Roast Chicken

January 20, 2016

I love Sunday. It is definitely my favorite day of the week. I try to keep Sunday sacred by leaving it completely open and most of the time I strive to never get into a car or even leave the house (except for my morning walk or maybe to walk to the market).

Our Sundays shift and change with the seasons but Sundays in the winter and autumn are definitely my favorite. There’s always a late, sit down breakfast. There’s always a fire. And there’s always a chicken in the oven by late afternoon.

There is something so slow and intentional about making a meal on Sunday. And there is something so special about ending the week with your favorite people eating that meal.

I use this recipe every time but use different roots from week to week and usually serve it up with garlicky sauteed greens such as kale, collards, swiss chard or mustard greens.

After the chicken has been carved and picked over, the bones and carcass are thrown into a pot and covered with water. I simmer the broth over night for 12 or more hours and wake to find a golden elixir!

Monday night is chicken soup night. I make several variations but always fall back on a few simple tricks. This week I made a curried vegetable, chicken soup. There is always a salad and if time allows, homemade biscuits or corn bread with a hunk of cheese.

If there are left overs, lunches on Tuesday consist of thermoses of hot soup. Although I admit to eating it for breakfast too.

Curried Chicken Soup

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 onion chopped

3 stalks of celery chopped

4 carrots sliced

2 tablespoons curry powder (I am a curry-aholic. Feel free to half this)

1-16 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes

6-8 cups of homemade chicken broth

1 cup frozen riced cauliflower (my new favorite TJs find!)

1 bunch fresh spinach or kale, leaves finely chopped

3 cups of cubed cooked chicken

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat butter in bottom of soup pot. Sautee garlic and onion. Once translucent, add celery and then carrots. Add 1/2 the curry powder and a pinch of salt. Once the veggies are soft, add the tomatoes and then broth. Let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add cauliflower, greens and chicken and rest of curry powder. Simmer for 30 more minutes. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.

This soups improves with age.

Applesauce

November 5, 2015

I grew up eating a lot of applesauce. There was always a jar in the fridge and I loved a bowlful sprinkled with cinnamon. One of my favorite meals served up at Nan and Pop’s house was pork-chops and applesauce.

I had only experienced store bought sauce until my first farm apprenticeship in my early twenties. Aside from learning how to grow my own food, a whole new world in the kitchen was opened up as I began to experience making many a thing from scratch. Homemade salsa, tomato sauce, fresh baked bread. But I will never forget my first taste of freshly milled applesauce. I was hooked and I have been making it every year since.

The orchard at the farm where I work had a bumper crop of apples this year.
We grow a large variety including Jonagold, Stamen, Cortland, Braeburn and my favorite, an heirloom variety, Cox’s Orange Pippin.

We like to stock up on sauce to eat throughout the winter months but also to give as holiday gifts.

I have been making the same simple recipe over the years but like to try something a little new and different from time to time.

Applesauce

4-6 pounds of a variety of apples (the sweeter variety, the better)
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS cinnamon

Core apples and chop, leaving the skins on.

Cook apples down in a large soup pot with a little water or apple cider to prevent from burning the bottom of the pot. Simmer until apples are very soft.

Turn apples through a food mill. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.

:: I recently remembered reading somewhere about adding lemon rind to the apples as they simmered down. I tried it and was pleased with the results.

:: I like to use sweeter apples rather than tart to avoid using sugar. I sometimes add a few over ripe pears for a little extra sweetness.

Pickled Beet Hard Boiled Eggs

April 6, 2015

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and for those who celebrate, a joyous Easter.
We certainly did and will share through photos tomorrow.
For now I will share with you a favorite springtime treat~pickled beet hard boiled eggs.
It really is the perfect combination don’t you think?

Now that spring is here, our hens are laying daily which means lots of hard boiled eggs to be pickled.
I used fresh horseradish from our garden-the first harvest of the season!
The beautiful crimson beet juice soaks right through the egg white and yolk making for a show stopper plate of deviled eggs.
Enjoy!

Pickled Beet Hard Boiled Eggs

6 medium beets
1 medium white onion, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. whole cloves
2 tbsp. grated peeled fresh horseradish
3 tbsp. peeled sliced fresh ginger
3 cups cider vinegar
4 tbsp. sugar
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled

Trim stalks off the beets. Wash beets and put into a medium pot, cover with water, and boil until soft, 45–60 minutes. Drain, slip off skins, slice beets, and put into a large glass jar.
Add onions, peppercorns, cloves, ginger and horseradish.
Bring cider vinegar, 3 cups water, and sugar to a boil in a small pot, then pour into jar. Set aside to cool, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Store in refrigerator up to 1 month. Add eggs to jar at least 4 hours and up to 5 days before serving.

Fish fry

March 25, 2015

It was our turn this week to host dinner with Izzy.
It’s always fun to share some of our favorite recipes with the ones we love, so we smoked up the house with a fish fry.

There was breaded fish made with coarse cornmeal served with garlicky roasted potatoes and sauteed swiss chard and kale. In the middle of the table there were dishes of tartar and cocktail sauce and slices of lemon.

No one seemed to mind the smoky fog as we delighted in the fact that we are now eating dinner without having to turn on a single light!

Chris’s Fish Fry

4 fillets of atalantic cod, talapia or sea bass
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal
Olive oil or coconut oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Rinse fillets.
In a large cast iron pan heat 1/2 inch of olive or coconut oil at medium to high heat.
Coat fillet in flour on both sides.
Dip floured fillet in egg wash, coat entirely.
Coat fillet heavily in cornmeal.

Fry in oil on both sides until cornmeal turns golden brown. About 3 minutes on each side.
Drain on a paper towel.

Mondays: Baking with Norah

February 25, 2015

Norah has been inspired these days by this show and was wanting to branch out and bake something a little more fancy this week.

Her heart was set on a cake and she wanted to include berries with pink frosting.

She chose a recipe for a simple yellow cake from Joy of Cooking but added mixed berries that she had cooked down with some sugar.

She strained the berries to make a simple syrup which she then added to a cream cheese icing to get the pink hue she was going for.

Once the cake was cool she adorned it with fresh strawberries and icing where she got to use her new piping set she got for Christmas. She tested out each tip size and used the finest one for a face on each strawberry.

It was so much fun watching her come up with her very own creation. I helped a little but really just followed behind wiping and cleaning up.

Next week she wants me to have a list of ingredients laid out when she comes down in the morning to challenge her to make something with them.

I see a future cooking show star on our hands!

Chicken Pot Hand Pies

February 5, 2015

We made these last night for dinner and they were to die for.
True comfort food I tell ya.

Early morning I started a whole chicken in the crock pot and when I arrived home in the afternoon I made the dough and filling. I saved the fun part of constructing the pies for Norah and Chris. They got straight to work rolling out and crimping the dough when they got home.
We make a good team.

I doubled the recipe so there would be plenty of pies to pack in everyone’s lunch the next day with still a few left over to freeze.

Everyone declared that pretty much anything wrapped in that cream cheese dough would be delectable.
So we came up with a list of different fillings we want to try.
Stay tuned…..

What I rely upon when entertaining

January 12, 2015

Yesterday as I was preparing and setting up to host a few lady friends for a gathering I found myself in a rhythm. I truly love to entertain (maybe that’s where Norah gets it) and have found a routine that I seem to follow as I primp my home for guests.

I always rely upon a few items when entertaining. The tools I use for parties and gatherings are part of my every day decor. I don’t have to rummage through cabinets and closets each time I entertain. Because I buy things that I find beautiful and that I truly love, these items are always out on display and easily accessible.

:: My glass pedestals (all thrifted) live on the top shelf of my open pantry. I have a variety of heights and sizes and love how they look all displayed together. Pedestals look beautiful all on their own holding a cake or quiche or towered on top of one another with cookies, bars and chocolates. I find a table presenting foods at varying heights is pleasing to the eye.

:: Cutting boards, many of which were thrifted, are daily essentials in my kitchen. They live stacked up against one another on my counter top and I have a few hanging up almost as artwork around the kitchen. They are all easy to grab and I find myself reaching for them every time I entertain. They work great for anything that needs to be sliced or forked like meats, fishes and cheeses. I like to add a few bowls with olives and nuts on top. Remember this big cutting board I made! I have a variety of shapes and sizes and love the organic feel they bring to the table.

:: I adore my antique cutlery caddy (thrifted) and have it out on full display in my kitchen at all times. It’s beautiful, functional and versatile, the perfect combination. I keep my antique silverware in it which gets used on a daily basis. When it’s party time I add a few paper napkins on the other side of the silverware, grab the handle and plop it where it needs to go. In the dining room, by the stove for soup, outside on the patio. Makes for easy set up!

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