Friday, September 24, 2010

Serendipitous Fall


My larders had been largely cleared out midsummer for tastings, talks and parties. So I started a lot of projects, all of which appear to have come to fruition at exactly the same moment, on a single plate for breakfast, on an ordinary weekday.
Clockwise from 6, there's my first bread made from hand milled flour. Dense, a little gritty, and lightly sour, it is actually phenomenally tasty. Then there's the last batch of pickles, which did indeed make it through the summer heat on the counter. Still crunchy. Then the coppa, actually not sure what it should be called. Cured pig parts, stuffed into casings. Chewy but sweet and a little smokey from something else in the wine fridge. And taste a little like the GoG's fingers. Then my last cheese, rather hard, a little like kashkaval I think. Piquant and crumbly too. Incidentally oiling the rind (after Vincenzo Tanaza's 17th c. directions) does work. And lastly an experiment. Kimmy and Brett's mission figs, a whole shopping bag, boiled down with a little sugar, spread on parchment paper and left outside to dry to a solid paste. Rolled up and sliced. Serious fig mojo.
Is it serendipity or planning? A little of both. Be sure to stop by for a nibble before it's all gone, that's all I can say.

10 comments:

Deana Sidney said...

I really should be mad at you... the whole grind your own thing of yours has got me on a quest for old-style wheat. I really want to see if it tastes differently!!! What wheat did you use???

kryssie's daily photo said...

Oh come on now!! Do you get pleasure from tempting and teasing us?

Ken Albala said...

Hey Deana, I just bought it from Bob's Red Mill. That was the easiest, quickest and closest source I could find. They're in Oregon. And have a great selection. I bought winter white wheat. VERY tasty.

and Kryssie, no tease. I'm offering. Anything you like.

Judith Klinger said...

I've always been a fan of Serendipity. That looks very yummy and I wish I had thought to do that with our figs... bummer.

Unknown said...

Ooooooh, yummy...can I taste the figs? and the coppa? (I'm licking my fingers, but not the same methinks.)

Ken Albala said...

Sure is the same, they're your fingers! I've also got some scarier stuff going, a nice little eel in particular.

Anonymous said...

That's a plate of homemade food for sure. Nice work.

Fresh Local and Best said...

What a labor of love! This looks like a wonderful feast! I would have loved to try your homemade coppa, it looks delicious!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Oh, that's perfect! My kind of food and idea of seredipity.

Cheers,

Rosa

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...

You know I've never eaten this for breakfast, but for dinner plenty of times. My hubby is secretly excited when I run out of time to cook, so he can have what he calls "snack tray".