RMRF 25: READ FARM CITY

I am still failing on the granola bar front but I will not give up. I just think that the more fun-to-make-and-eat-but-made-with-real-ingredients things I can work into the rotation, the less I’ll be buying processed foods.

And although I have yet to acquire the finessing of bread from scratch and my two hands, I now have two excellent bread machine recipes to share. The first, aptly titled BASIC WHOLE WHEAT BREAD RECIPE #1, I have been making for years. My girls call it “Mommie’s Bread”. What I like about both of these recipes is that they have a high whole wheat to white wheat ratio, without the often-accompanying feel and heft of a doorstop. The original recipe also calls for corn meal; I’ve been able to successfully change it up a bit by subbing in other “meals”. You’ll see.

The second, you guessed it, BASIC BREAD RECIPE #2, comes from my friends Lauren and Chris. We made it this week and it was an excellent change of pace.

I visited Lauren and Chris this week at their farmhouse up the Hudson in New York and got to meet their little girl Daisy as well as their six chickens. They are doing an amazing job raising all of them as far as I can tell. My visit was blessed by absolutely gorgeous spring weather. Although inspired by their gardening, chicken raising and home building, I don’t know if am equipped to survive a New York winter any more. Still hoping for that NC farm experience someday…

Meanwhile, for vicarious farming stories, I am highly recommending a book coming out this month called FARM CITY: THE EDUCATION OF AN URBAN FARMER. Novella Carpenter has written a funny, provoking and informative book about her experience farming in the Oakland, CA ghetto. (full disclosure: I am narrating the unabridged audiobook so this is a plug for that, too!) See links on the left side of the page.

Finally, below find a recipe I got from the Foodie Farm Girl site (a whole different take on the farming experience) HEARTY LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE. I usually make the Barefoot Contessa Lentil Soup, and again this was a nice change of pace. Tomato-ey, with lots of cumin and paprika.