Newbies to the sausage set include a roasted garlic and black pepper sausage and the smokey chipotle chorizo.
for some reason, one of the world's most international sausages really has a weak following in Freeport, Me. Look up chorizo sometime, under other spellings but often a very similar recipe.. there's a lot to look at, portugal, spain, mexico, france, most of south and central america.. they all make one. it doesn't do well for us. anyway we like it and were motivated to motivate our customers. Does the name lack a ring aside maple blueberry or toasted coconut and curry? Do people not know what it is? Are the customers after something more exotic? tell us, we'd love to know. Regardless, our solution was adding more stuff to it. There's smoked paprika now, a little natural mesquite smoke flavor and the warming bite of chipotle pepper ( a smoked jalapeno.) We think a good thing just got better.
other news was the roasted garlic - black pepper pork sausage. This, in retrospect, was probably a no-brainer but it took us a while to conceive. It's an all pork sausage with background spices of garlic and onion and big front notes of black pepper and copious fistfuls of the delicious roasted garlic which the deli department lovingly prepared and was willing to share with the meat folk. there's an abundance of garlic in every bite, even unmashed chunks, which get a caramelly toast to them in the pan. The finish is laced with biting pepper to balance the richness but definitely finishes leaving a rich and sweet garlic note behind, mingled with pork fat and waning pepper spice. Love it or leave it.
These could both easily mingle with simple weekday side dishes or find their way to the grill if we get more good weather. :Try the chorizo in a robust tomato based stew or toss the garlic sausage onto a pizza, cooked and chopped. rediculous? no. delicious? but of course.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
over board, man...
Some were worried today, but not I! We ventured into uncharted (to my knowledge) territory in Sausage Land, yup, crossed the bridge. I might have accidentally burned the bridge down on the way over, but that's over and done with. I don't know if one ever really comes back after a move like this... Holy Mole Chocolate Sausage. Should I keep going? okay then...
Smells a bit like a coffee perhaps? there's coffee in it.
Rich and chocolate-y? there's chocolate in there..
Finishes a bit fiery? that's the chili powder.
Fanciful and fascinating.. few who tried it were without opinion, that's for sure. It will inevitably fall into the Love/ Hate category but for me it's the prior :) I did in actuality smile and giggle uncontrollably when I tried the first bit of the finished recipe.. hope you will too. Come by, try it and be sure to share your creative applications of this brand new sausage with the staff, I personally would love to hear it. Cheers!
Smells a bit like a coffee perhaps? there's coffee in it.
Rich and chocolate-y? there's chocolate in there..
Finishes a bit fiery? that's the chili powder.
Fanciful and fascinating.. few who tried it were without opinion, that's for sure. It will inevitably fall into the Love/ Hate category but for me it's the prior :) I did in actuality smile and giggle uncontrollably when I tried the first bit of the finished recipe.. hope you will too. Come by, try it and be sure to share your creative applications of this brand new sausage with the staff, I personally would love to hear it. Cheers!
Monday, September 19, 2011
wet hop ale and pickle experiment
the beer is coming along as expected. WLP0001 (Sierra Nevada's yeast) did it's job well finishing the ferment quickly and compacting nicely. Racked into secondary a week ago and added some hop pellets. I didn't want to but wasn't crazy about the recurring wet tobacco/ smoldering leaves aroma abound in my harvest ales. Anyway, should be bottling shortly. will keep you posted.
Also opened the Jalapeno Pickles and was pleasantly surprised. They taste more like the peppers every day. The peppers on the other hand could stand a little mellowing. WICKED HOT. I have trouble with them... suppose they will be for Shanna as expected. Nice crunch to the pickle though and the brine has good balance I think. Read recently about fermented pickles and got curious... any advice or comments appreciated :)
Also opened the Jalapeno Pickles and was pleasantly surprised. They taste more like the peppers every day. The peppers on the other hand could stand a little mellowing. WICKED HOT. I have trouble with them... suppose they will be for Shanna as expected. Nice crunch to the pickle though and the brine has good balance I think. Read recently about fermented pickles and got curious... any advice or comments appreciated :)
sauerkraut fermentation
If you've known me for any amount of time you've probably heard of my homemade sauerkraut. This is followed by an awkward explanation of how I make it and my funky fermenting contraptions... well for those who have been waiting, here's the digs.
I've also included a close-up to show you in better detail the bubbles from a live active, gas-producing fermentation. I don't really ferment this stuff outside, that's just where the good light was. the pint glass and duct tape are there to press the kraut under the brine so it ferments properly instead of rotting. These photos were shot around day 3.. in about a week the bubbles will go away and it will be sufficiently tart but very crunchy still. For more tender raw kraut I'll leave it in the jar till the color turns a dark gold, it mellows a bit and gets more sour and tender as it ages. That's the best stuff but I don't often wait that long.
to make it, shred a head of cabbage and begin to pack it into a big jar. I've found that 2- 2.5 tsp of salt per head of cabbage is enough to get a good ferment and protect the product from rotting without it being overly salty. This head was much larger than the average store bough cabbage so i increased the salt according to the size of the container i was filling but a normal head of cabbage fills a 24 oz jar, roughly. you need to pack the cabbage into the jar as tightly as possible and work the salt in as you go. at the end, place the full glass on top and tape it in place. water will sweat out of the cabbage and make the brine and as it begins to ferment it will shrink down on its own under the weight of the water. let it go until the bubbles stop, or longer if you can keep it clean. good luck :)
I've also included a close-up to show you in better detail the bubbles from a live active, gas-producing fermentation. I don't really ferment this stuff outside, that's just where the good light was. the pint glass and duct tape are there to press the kraut under the brine so it ferments properly instead of rotting. These photos were shot around day 3.. in about a week the bubbles will go away and it will be sufficiently tart but very crunchy still. For more tender raw kraut I'll leave it in the jar till the color turns a dark gold, it mellows a bit and gets more sour and tender as it ages. That's the best stuff but I don't often wait that long.
to make it, shred a head of cabbage and begin to pack it into a big jar. I've found that 2- 2.5 tsp of salt per head of cabbage is enough to get a good ferment and protect the product from rotting without it being overly salty. This head was much larger than the average store bough cabbage so i increased the salt according to the size of the container i was filling but a normal head of cabbage fills a 24 oz jar, roughly. you need to pack the cabbage into the jar as tightly as possible and work the salt in as you go. at the end, place the full glass on top and tape it in place. water will sweat out of the cabbage and make the brine and as it begins to ferment it will shrink down on its own under the weight of the water. let it go until the bubbles stop, or longer if you can keep it clean. good luck :)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Our Civil Duty as Omnivores
starting to think it's a given now that these posts will involve new sausages at the market. Well just in case you're curious.... I passed the baton to Michael for the day who whipped out a great looking batch of "Red Hot Italian Sausage". It's a bit of a burner with more black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne powder and even some fresh poblano diced into it for flavor. Tasty, tasty, tasty. For fans of the style. come support the cause.
Believe it or not, your participation in this project doesn't go without notice. If the sausage sells, we make more, if it doesn't sell, we don't make more. It sounds simple but it's greater than that. By purchasing the sausage of the week, you're really taking a stand for democracy... So get behind your right to vote and come tell us what to do! Think, all you have to do is eat well :)
On another note, I cut into a bleu cheese last night which I made and started aging about two months ago. Whoa. dag.. gosh. Funny things happen in my basement and I knew that, but this caught me off guard. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised. I was. Anyway, the whole thing was actually intended to be a two pound farmhouse cheddar, but I left it out to dry for a lot longer than usual before moving it to the basement. Blue stuff grew UNDER the rind. I probed it to find a few good Penicillium colonies so I pierced it like a bleu cheese and put it into a closed container to retain humidity. Over night while considering the unexpected turn the cheese had taken I decided I needed to fully commit to the new plan and the following day I doused the cheese in a couple ounces of english blue stilton pureed into a bit of milk which would serve to sufficiently inoculate the cheese with blue mold. Two months passed. Got a bit of the infamous black mold in the taste but liked it enough otherwise. There's an intense and almost hot blue quality with a bit of cellar must lurking underneath. The texture is firm and a touch waxy, but generally good. I'm getting closer to what I'm after. here's the pics....
Believe it or not, your participation in this project doesn't go without notice. If the sausage sells, we make more, if it doesn't sell, we don't make more. It sounds simple but it's greater than that. By purchasing the sausage of the week, you're really taking a stand for democracy... So get behind your right to vote and come tell us what to do! Think, all you have to do is eat well :)
On another note, I cut into a bleu cheese last night which I made and started aging about two months ago. Whoa. dag.. gosh. Funny things happen in my basement and I knew that, but this caught me off guard. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised. I was. Anyway, the whole thing was actually intended to be a two pound farmhouse cheddar, but I left it out to dry for a lot longer than usual before moving it to the basement. Blue stuff grew UNDER the rind. I probed it to find a few good Penicillium colonies so I pierced it like a bleu cheese and put it into a closed container to retain humidity. Over night while considering the unexpected turn the cheese had taken I decided I needed to fully commit to the new plan and the following day I doused the cheese in a couple ounces of english blue stilton pureed into a bit of milk which would serve to sufficiently inoculate the cheese with blue mold. Two months passed. Got a bit of the infamous black mold in the taste but liked it enough otherwise. There's an intense and almost hot blue quality with a bit of cellar must lurking underneath. The texture is firm and a touch waxy, but generally good. I'm getting closer to what I'm after. here's the pics....
Sunday, September 11, 2011
pickles and oysters
so, the quick pickles mentioned in a post a week or two ago ended up pretty good. They were quite tart the next day and got more tender since then. the brine is quite a bit more acidic than regular pickle brine and it seems to be breaking the veggies down quickly. but for pickles on the fly, they're pretty good.
new oysters at the market are johns river and taunton bay. I like them both quite a bit. what you'd expect from Maine oysters, medium sized and briny... delicious. tomorrow should be a good sausage production day BTW. may be trying out a new recipe in the next day or two, pork ginger lime basil... swing by if you're curious :)
new oysters at the market are johns river and taunton bay. I like them both quite a bit. what you'd expect from Maine oysters, medium sized and briny... delicious. tomorrow should be a good sausage production day BTW. may be trying out a new recipe in the next day or two, pork ginger lime basil... swing by if you're curious :)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
more new sausages today...
today we debuted the rich and indulgent mushroom-herb turkey sausage which was made with fresh mushrooms and laced with truffle oil and fresh rosemary. I think this one works well on a savory plate of veggies and mashed potatoes but could also be used in a rich stew, perhaps a creamy one, or in a ragout tossed with vegetables over pasta. Or try cooking it and mixing it into a poultry stuffing for the cool nights coming up.
also new to the scene today was a tasty and fun turkey sausage with toasted coconut and curry. This could be a quirky appetizer served with a sweet thai chili dipping sauce or alongside a simmered Indian dish like saag with rice. It could also make a festive addition to a thai style crunchy sautee of bell peppers, carrots and onion over noodles or rice and topped with fresh thai basil.
as always, keep posted for up and coming items and additions to the fall case which we will be rolling out soon :)
also new to the scene today was a tasty and fun turkey sausage with toasted coconut and curry. This could be a quirky appetizer served with a sweet thai chili dipping sauce or alongside a simmered Indian dish like saag with rice. It could also make a festive addition to a thai style crunchy sautee of bell peppers, carrots and onion over noodles or rice and topped with fresh thai basil.
as always, keep posted for up and coming items and additions to the fall case which we will be rolling out soon :)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
da' bread!
made a loaf of one of my favorite bread recipes a day or two ago and slightly altered it with a folded in layer of fresh garden herbs.. thought you'd like to see. i call this stuff ciabadam. akin to the ciabatta or pane francese but not identical to either.
it is made with a rather slack dough (meaning it has a high moisture content) and with a stretch and fold method rather than the more common kneading steps which don't work due to the stickiness. often the best recipes call for a long and slow proof for flavor a gluten development but I have circumvented these time consuming steps by utilizing a fair amount of sourdough started as a portion of the ingredients and use almost all high-gluten bread flour instead of soft wheat which is more common in the regions where the recipes were developed. i also use a fair amount of bread yeast to accelerate the rise. the bread is allowed to bake on a stone in a really, really hot oven (475-500) for only 15-20 minutes depending on my mood and is pulled out when it is the color i like it, a tad on the dark side. the center is moist and the crust crunches like a cracker when it's fresh. It should billow steam from the center when it's broken with a friend. needs only butter. come over and i'll make if for you :)
other news from the market, new sausage of the week is the deadly bacon cheddar and mushroom sausage...oh, dear (!)
it is made with a rather slack dough (meaning it has a high moisture content) and with a stretch and fold method rather than the more common kneading steps which don't work due to the stickiness. often the best recipes call for a long and slow proof for flavor a gluten development but I have circumvented these time consuming steps by utilizing a fair amount of sourdough started as a portion of the ingredients and use almost all high-gluten bread flour instead of soft wheat which is more common in the regions where the recipes were developed. i also use a fair amount of bread yeast to accelerate the rise. the bread is allowed to bake on a stone in a really, really hot oven (475-500) for only 15-20 minutes depending on my mood and is pulled out when it is the color i like it, a tad on the dark side. the center is moist and the crust crunches like a cracker when it's fresh. It should billow steam from the center when it's broken with a friend. needs only butter. come over and i'll make if for you :)
other news from the market, new sausage of the week is the deadly bacon cheddar and mushroom sausage...oh, dear (!)
Saturday, September 3, 2011
market news, etc..
today's exciting news regards the arrival of some delicious items to the seafood case... namely oysters! (love them) we have a delicious collection including the Canadian Beau Soleil, Massachusetts' Wellfleets, Flying Points from Freeport's own Horn family farms, and another hard to get variety, the Winter Point oyster from the New Meadows River. They're all brisk and briny and vary quite a bit in sizes, but in terrific condition for shucking and shooting :) Also be sure to check out the great looking red snapper fillets..
Thursday, September 1, 2011
pickling experiments tonight
This was not my first time pickling but it was definitely a more targeted attempt than those of the past. Tonight I utilized fresh cucumbers from my own garden with the mother-in-law's brine recipe to start some dill pickles. There were also one-off's of ginger-red pepper pickles, a dill-bomb jar, one with jalapenos, and several with extra black pepper. Will keep you posted as I learn more of their progress.
other activities of note... collected hops on monday from the vineyard in Falmouth along with those grown here at the house and brewed, on the same day, a wet hop red ale with american yeast, ample amounts of crystal malt and a touch of toasted malt. Fresh hops weighed in around a total of six pounds in the whole batch!! (yes, that is a lot). wish us luck here :)
other activities of note... collected hops on monday from the vineyard in Falmouth along with those grown here at the house and brewed, on the same day, a wet hop red ale with american yeast, ample amounts of crystal malt and a touch of toasted malt. Fresh hops weighed in around a total of six pounds in the whole batch!! (yes, that is a lot). wish us luck here :)
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