Too Much Milk

Milk and Bread: staple foods.

Good milk and good bread: these staples become artisanal treats.

Such is the reality we’ve created with our Multi-Farm Winter CSA. Of the six items included each week, milk and bread are some of the most talked about (other items include meat, cheese, eggs, and a rotation of potatoes/kale/sauerkraut). This is in part due to the superb quality of Bunten Farmhouse Kitchen’s Devon milk, and the remarkable baking ability of Scott Codey here at D Acres.

The verbosity dedicated to bread and milk is also due in part to the perpetual problems of having too much, or having too little. Different folks find their fortunes leaning in different directions.

We here at D Acres, however, are offering a dual solution.

The details: March 10th, 11am, D Acres Farm. The topic: Yogurt-Making & Bread-Baking Workshop. In answer to the dilemma of too much milk, Katie Cristiano will be offering hands-on yogurt-making instruction. All participants will leave with a small batch of yogurt, providing a sufficient culture to continue the process at your home. This simple procedure gives milk a second life. Milk-turned-yogurt has a longer shelf life, and expands your range of edible possibilities. Not to mention that it is an empowering and exciting – also, simple – skill that increases your food independence from grocery store aisles. Additional examples of easy & inexpensive alternatives include cottage cheese, yogurt cheese, cream cheese, and kefir.

The second half of this workshop will be focused on bread-baking with natural fermentation. Led by Scott Codey, he will explain the process of working with natural yeast. Participants will witness each stage of the process, and shape their own loaf to take home with them. Homemade bread is a healthy alternative to mass-produced commodities that are filled with chemical additives and extra sugars. With this workshop, you will learn how to create a delicious artisan loaf with the simple ingredients of flour, water, and salt.

Both yogurt-making and bread-baking are homestead skills that are easily learned. Once the basic concepts are understood, all manner of variations are possible. Call ahead to reserve a spot in this workshop! Saturday, March 10th, 11am-2pm. Free to members of our Multi-Farm Winter CSA; $8 charge for the public. Join us in keeping our food real, and real food good.

~Beth
as published in North Country News