End of 2012 Locavore Challenge Potluck Sunday 30th 6-8pm

The challenge ends with a state-wide potluck! You can join us Sunday, September 30th from 6 to 8pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo's Parish Hall. Please click on the link  on the right to RSVP to the potluck.

Last Friday of the Locavore Challenge

Today marks the final Friday of our month of adventures in locavorism. Not that I'm stopping once the challenge ends, but I will miss these bi-weekly updates. Over the course of the year I will continue to set up mini challenges for you and me to meet. Try new flavors, stores, restaurants and more. Come along with me as the year continues to unfold!

Here are some of the items I purchased locally, either at Wegmans, Spars European Sausage Shop, Five Points Bakery, and the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market.


Green Leaf Lettuce, Dill and Celery from Demarco Farms in Ripley, NY (77 miles from Buffalo)
Raw Honey from Fiegel Apiaries picked up at Five Points Bakery
Ribs, sausage, ground beef from Spars located in Black Rock on Amherst Street.
Beans from Cayuga Pure Organics

Pasta from the Pasta Peddler

Pickles from Susie Cuke's Pickles
Apples from Dan Towers

Here are some sites that I have been reading a lot of links and articles from. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I agree to disagree, but they each have a plethora of excellent sources to check out, ideas to consider, and ways to become more involved in the food conversation.

Maria's Farm Country Kitchen

Mother Nature Network

1% For the Planet

Rodale: Where Health Meets Life

Better Food Foundation: Jaime Oliver

Organic Gardening

Food Safety Modernization Act, What Can You Do About It?

Global food production has rapidly been consolidated in recent decades, with some troubling results. The takeover of the food industry by a few multinational corporations has radically shifted the focus of food production. 

Increased competition and profit over quality has led to cutting corners. It has become such a common practice across all aspects of food production; from waste management to the quality of animal feed to the technical training that farm and food workers receive. The consequences have largely come at the cost of consumers and the safety of their food.

Here are the 5 top consumer food safety concerns that came out of the analysis of the new FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

1. Foodborne Illness - A foodborne illness is still the most prevalent risk with food. It’s made even more so by high-density, low-sanitation livestock facilities, among other factory farm practices, which spread disease at a frightening pace.

76 million Americans suffer from food poisoning each year. More than 300,000 people are hospitalized every year for food related illnesses and more than 5,000 of those people die. Of course, this can be mitigated with better education about food safety and preparation, but it could also be mitigated by better practices on the production, processing, and distribution end.

2. Contamination - While bacterial and viral contamination that cause foodborne illness are most people’s primary food safety concern, there are also a wide variety of other substances that leech into food and can cause health issues. Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium are occasionally found in food; ingesting heavy metals can lead to serious cases of poisoning, as well as related diseases like Minamata disease from mercury and Itai-Itai disease from cadmium.

3. Pesticide Exposure – Pesticides are a food contaminant that warrant special mention. Pesticides are used in many agricultural operations, from fruit and vegetable production to animal feeding operations. Exposure to pesticides has been linked to infertility, birth defects, nervous system damage, poisoning, and even cancer. Washing produce is an important way of reducing pesticide exposure, but there are also organic farmers who do not use synthetic pesticides to begin with.

4. Antibiotic Resistance – One of the side affects of treating dairy cows with Monsanto’s recombinant bovine growth hormone (commonly known as rBGH) is also increased risk of udder infection. Rather than simply halting use of the hormone, many American companies began using antibiotics excessively as a preventative measure instead. Widespread overuse of antibiotics can cause the development of antibiotic resistant diseases and infections. Bacteria can rapidly evolve this trait with prolonged exposure to antibiotics and using antibiotics in a preventative manner rather than therapeutically can lead to diseases and infections that are untreatable.

5. Environmental Effects – Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. Soil degradation, water and air contamination, destruction of ecosystems, and climate change are some of the negative ecological consequences of agricultural operations. While there is increasing awareness of these issues and innovative attempts to address them, the de facto practices of the agriculture industry remain troubling.

You can combat these concerns in very simple ways.

1. Foodborne Illness - Purchase food stuffs produced locally to minimize exposure to multiple contaminants that come from people handling the product. Also produce picked and sold at market within a 100 mile radius has less chance of deteriorating and resulting in food poisoning. Wash and store food properly. If you're not certain how to handle  certain items go to this website.

2. Contamination - Read the label, ask the grocer questions about country of origin, name of farm, and contact the company to ask about production and processing. Do some research on items that you cannot get locally. The Fair Trade label usually implies it was harvested to the greatest benefit of the worker, but it also often means it was produced to be ethically and environmentally sound.

3. Pesticide Exposure – Organic labels let you know that the product was produced using no to very little natural/environmentally friendly pesticides.

4. Antibiotic Resistance – Look for labels that read organic, no rGHB, and look for local producers and farmers to get your eggs, dairy, meat, and poultry from.

5. Environmental Effects – Trying growing your own garden, sign up to a CSA, and participate in recycling programs in your community.

This website can connect you with some excellent information about all of these above issues and concerns.

Duff's

Duff's brought Buffalo one of the finest versions of wings back in 1969 and has continued to do so ever since. They are hot, there doesn't appear to be a mild, but even so, despite the heat, the flavor is full on from first taste to finish. To top it all off, they are undeniably addictive.

Their hot sauce is locally made and their house beer is brewed by Rochester's CB's Brewing Company. If you visit their home base in Amherst, NY, ask for Maggie as your waitress, she's a real sweetheart!








We ordered the 1/2 pitcher of house brew, fries, and 20 wing special and Blue and Bacon Burgers. What impressed me were the crisp shoestring fries, the equally crisp bacon, and the soft rolls from Costanzo's Bakery!

Nothing destroys a perfectly good blue cheese and bacon burger than stringy under-cooked bacon or a crappy cheap roll, and as you can see pictured below this was not the case. It was a stupendous burger! If only this post was scratch & sniff.

      

Creamy Vegetable Medley Au Gratin

Garden grown broccoli, celery root,
Wilson St. Sweet Pepper, garden grown swiss chard

My vegetable crisper is filled with oddball veggies. One or two, not enough of each to make a single side dish. So what to do?

I dug out my husband's over forty year old copy of Joy of Cooking and while flipping through the vegetable recipes, saw the au gratin page.

Since he seemed eager to help, I gave my step-son the recipe and ingredients to make the crumbly au gratin while I prepped the veggies.

I cut all of the vegetables into small bite sized pieces and layered them in a glass oven safe bowl.


In a medium saucepan, I made a brown butter roux, whipping in cream and water to create a thin sauce. Then I added grated Parmesan Reggiano, paprika, garlic powder. The cream sauce was then poured all over the vegetables.

Devin blended together 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup cooking sherry, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs. He fluffed the mix together and then sprinkled it on top of the vegetables. 

It went into, covered, a pre-heated oven, set at 400 degrees. It was done after about thirty-five minutes and was excellent with the balsamic roasted hen and rye bread I made to go along with this.

Jerk Ribs and Jamaican Coat of Arms

At the last IN event, Chef Krista won the evening's competition with her Jamaican Hot Sauce. She gave me a bottle of her new Jamaican Hot Sauce. She warned me that this was an error bottle, twice the chillies had been added when it was made. New bottles were being produced but she handed a few of these out. I love hot sauce and figured a batch of coat of arms would be perfect to try this "error" sauce on.

I totally underestimated how hot this hot sauce would get!

My eyes, nose, and upper lip were on fire. It so delicious!



I used some of her jerk sauce to marinate a rack of organic ribs and grilled them. They were served up with lightly steamed broccoli and a pile of coats of arms and a tall glass of Flying Bison's Buffalo Lager.

2 (16 ounce) cans coconut milk
2 cups white rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
32 ounces canned black-eyed peas
1/4 teaspoon allspice

In a medium saucepan, combine the black eyed peas with the allspice and simmer on low heat. In another medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, rice, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until all of the liquid has absorbed. When the rice is done, remove the black-eyed peas from the heat. Rinse and drain them very well and mix in with the rice. Serve hot.

Third Friday of September's Locavore Challenge

Here are some of the items I purchased locally, either at Wegmans, Spars European Sausage Shop, Five Points Bakery, and the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market.


Green Leaf Lettuce, Romaine Hearts, Dill and Cilantro from Demarco Farms in Ripley, NY (77 miles from Buffalo)
Bread Flour and Butter picked up from Five Points Bakery in the city's Westside
Ribs, sausage, ground beef from Spars located in Black Rock on Amherst Street.

Beans and Buckwheat from Cayuga Pure Organics

Apples from Dan Towers

Here are some sites that I have been reading a lot of links and articles from. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I agree to disagree, but they each have a plethora of excellent sources to check out, ideas to consider, and ways to become more involved in the food conversation.

SLOW USA

HAZON: Jewish Inspiration. Sustainable Communities.

WhyHunger

Food First: Institute for Food & Development Policy

US Food Sovereignty Alliance: Turn the Tables on the Food Crisis

Tomato Skin Powder or Flakes - Flavor Booster

Since the sauce class on Saturday 8th, I've had two sheets of tomato skins drying. These are tasty to add to your spice blends. The concentrated, almost roasted red pepper flavor is a great flavor booster. I was inspired by a post in You Grow Girl (a blog that has loads of great ideas) which was inspired by Liana Krissoff's 'Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry'.

Only use organic tomatoes, to ensure a wholesome product. Slide two tomatoes at a time for 30 seconds in boiling water and then dunk them in icy cold water. Slip the skins off and drain in a colander. The tomatoes can then be processed for sauce.

The skins can be laid out on waxed or parchment paper and dried in a sunny and dry location or on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet set at 200 degrees until crisp.

Break up several tbls of peels into small pieces and grind them in a spice grinder, though a very clean coffee grinder will work too.

Using a coffee grinder can be a challenge as the peels grind unevenly. Powder puffs up to make you sneeze and you end up with a mix of grinds and flakes.

To be honest, I didn't really mind this. Sprinkled on homemade Fettucini Alfredo, this would present a stunning dish.

Store the powder/flakes in a clean and dry glass apothecary jar or vacuum sealed jar. Keep it in a dark, cool, and dry cabinet.

Moldy Monday - Waste Not Want Not

I heard that! "Oh it's just a little bit of mold. I can just pick that right off. My kid won't notice the hole in the crust. They're not going to even eat the crust...are they?"

Fess up. How many have you done this?

That's what I thought. All of you. Seriously?! I hate to tell you this but once one spot appears, you can bet the whole loaf is covered with a fine network of hyphae which can be so fine that they are not visible to the naked eye.

Necklace from Artist Sarah Norton's
Etsy store Beat Black

My dear there is nothing worse than wasting food. You don't want to throw it out, you don't want to eat it. I get it. Blagh-urgh! But is there a way to avoid food poisoning and not toss the bread in the garbage? Absolutely.

First take the bread you do have and cut it up into smaller pieces and compost it, but be certain it's covered by a layer of compost to prevent animals or birds from eating it. If you don't or can't compost you are going to have to toss it. 

The best way to manage bread is to keep it at room temperature (Vintage bread boxes are kickass!) only as much as you can eat before mold appears.

What amount is that exactly? Jezzum, how should I know?! My family is all over the map with this. Sometimes it's four loaves of sliced bread in a weekend. Sometimes it's two slices.


My family is fickle too. None of that crappy Wonder/Bimbo bread. They want whole grain, honey oat, sweet sponge, fancy pants bread that mold LOVES!!!! So I blow $4 on a loaf and hope they eat it all. And get all cranky pants when they don't.

You can freeze loaves and thaw it in it's closed plastic bag. Bread products should not be refrigerated, because they will go stale, unless they're sweet breads like cinnamon swirl or breads with fruit and nuts in it.

If you have a funny bread or mold story, please share it below.

Second Friday of September's Locavore Challenge

Here are some of the items I purchased locally, either at Wegmans, Spars European Sausage Shop, Five Points Bakery, and the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market.

A variety of Hot Peppers and tomatoes from our garden and from Eden Valley Growers in Eden, NY (19 miles from Buffalo)
Green Leaf Lettuce, Romaine Hearts, Cilantro, Escarole, and Concord Grapes from Demarco Farms in Ripley, NY (77 miles from Buffalo)
Bread Flour and Regional Pantry Sunflower Seed Oil picked up from Five Points Bakery in the city's Westside
Gimmie Coffee (Not a locally sourced product but, it is roasted in Ithaca, NY. It is also Shade Grown, Organic, Fair Trade, and Bird Friendly.)

Ribs, sausage, ground pork and beef from Spars located in Black Rock on Amherst Street.

Here are some sites that I have been reading a lot of links and articles from. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I agree to disagree, but they each have a plethora of excellent sources to check out, ideas to consider, and ways to become more involved in the food conversation.


America's Test Kitchen


How to Grow Bread Yeast


Life Hacker - Kitchen Hacks


Wild Forager


Make Your Own Vinegar

IN - 4th Event INferno

Krista from Curly's won the evening's competition with her Jamaican Hot Sauce.


Christian from Buffalo Fire Sauce, Valerie from Headstone Heat and Chris from Lloyd's Taco Truck competed against her in a close fight last night in the INferno Hot Sauce Competition.


James Roberts' Suzumebachi was a big hit, with more than 20 folks signing their lives away on the mandatory waiver and tasted his hotter than hot sauce. I saw a whole lot of panting, sweating, and swearing! It must have been amazing to experience that much heat all at one time!

I could tell this was Christian's Buffalo Fire Sauce on the pork fried rice (pork courtesy of Schneider's via Rick Criden) that the SeaBar provided for the tastings. It was a close second for me. I liked how it maintained it's flavor from start to finish, despite it's intense heat.

Krista also provided her jerked wings to sample. They were fantastic with the hot sauce she had on hand. There will be more on that mysteriously hotter than hot hot sauce in a post coming soon!

Once again, thanks to Christa Glennie Seychew, the Feed Your Soul team, the staff at Seabar and for all who came for yet another excellent evening!

Blood Orange Marmalade

5 thin skinned oranges. Pictured to the right are organic blood oranges. Select only organic fruits, as the skins are added to the mix. If you would like, you can add one lemon to this recipe.

4 1/2 cups of raw and/or organic cane sugar. Cane sugar is best for jams, jellies, and marmalades. Anything else can lead to a bitter and runny spread.

2 1/2 cups of filtered water.

1 box of Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin

8 wide mouth half pint jars with new lids and bands. Bands can be reused, but you will need a new lid as the rubber seal is less reliable after the first use and could lead to spoiling.

Scrub the fruit very well! Quarter and cut away the white bitter pith down the center, removing 1/8 from the top and bottom of the peel, as well as the seeds.

Using a mandolin slicer over a large bowl, place the quartered fruit pulp side down and slice. Dispose of the excess peel. Be certain to get the juice into the bowl, wasting as little as possible. And watch your fingers! Slicers and knives can do a doozy on your fingertips.

If you do not have access to a slicer, using a well sharpened knife, cut the fruits into slivers. Remove excess center pith, seeds, and the cap ends of the peel.

Add the water and sugar to the fruit and mix well. Pour into a enamel lined pot, using a silicon scraper/spatula remove every last drop, and then set to boil for twenty minutes. Sprinkle in the pectin and stir well. Scrape down the sides frequently. Reduce to a simmer and cover for approximately thirty-five minutes, scraping the sides and bottom every five minutes.

Wash and sanitize the jars, lids, and bands. Start the canning pot to boil.

Evenly pour out the marmalade into the jars. Be certain the rim is clean and dry before placing the still warm and completely dry lid and band on it. Using a hand towel to hold the base while tightening with a rubber jar opener/ tightener provides traction, ensuring that the band is on really tight.




Place in the canning pot, cover and boil for fifteen minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, let sit for ten more minutes and then using the canning tongs, remove the jars and set on dish towels to dry. When the lids pop they are sealed. Allow to cool for at least one hour before storing in a cool dark pantry or cupboard.

There are all sorts of recipes that call for overnight soaks, excessive trimming, and more, but I'm telling you - you don't need any of those things. This recipe turns out just the right blend of sweet and bitter, it spreads beautifully, the color is like a sunset, and the peels are tender. As with all orange marmalade recipes, it will take about a week or two for the spread to thicken or gel. It is still perfectly fine and spreads nicely, it's like honey the way it pours and spreads.

I poured the excess into a little dish and placed it in the refrigerator to thicken over night and it was perfect on my toast in the morning.

Make an impact Monday

Very often we think about our impact on the world at large. Not recycling or composting. Not re-using bags or buying water in a plastic bottle. Today I want you to consider the impact you make in your own neighborhood.

Everyday you meet people just like yourself who are going about their day. Going to work, to school. But one thing separates you from them, food insecurity. One in five children in the whole of the United States is considered food insecure. That's approximately 17,000,000 children who have one meal or less per day. The World Health Organization defines food security as having four facets: food availability, food access, food use, and long term stability. Food availability is having available sufficient quantities of food on a consistent basis. Food access is having sufficient resources, both economic and physical, to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. Food use is the appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care, as well as adequate water and sanitation. The stability of the first three dimensions of food security over time is most critical of all.

Could you imagine going the whole day with nothing but what you might eat at school. That's if your school participates. Unfortunately, besides extracurricular activities, school food programs that include free or reduced meals are often the first cut when district budgets are short. Lunch programs during the summer months are scarce (more so for adults), run only during certain hours and/or on certain days, you can only eat the meal right where you receive it in front of the person handing it out, and you may not take it with you or share it. It is usually highly processed and high in sugar, filled with preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors. You are required to be grateful and you may never ask if there are other options. If you are a vegetarian or have an allergy, you eat considerably less of what is offered, if at all.

In Buffalo there are a number of programs run by groups who attempt to meet the daily needs of the hungry. From Loaves & Fishes' bagged lunches at their temporary St. John location, to Buffalo Food Not Bombs Monday and Saturday's Lunches, to Central City Cafe's wholesome hot meals; they and other outstanding food providers work hard for little or no pay.

They too have issues with budgets but even more than that, there is a need for donations beyond the major holidays, as well as providing services in a facility that has an up to code kitchen, a clean and safe dinning area, and having volunteers on staff that have the experience to work across the gamut of needs.

One small way that you could help is to donate goods to a pantry or soup kitchen. Consider locally sourced and/or organic foodstuffs such as rice, beans, whole wheat pastas, fresh fruits and vegetables. So often donations consist of foods you yourself wouldn't eat. How often have you cleared out your cupboard of items nearing expiration and donated them? You didn't eat that cranberry sauce, why would you donate it? Think instead, "I am so hungry! I wish I could have a hot meal with...." When you stop to consider what actually happens to those cans and boxes, you start to alter the types of foods you donate. Cans that have pull tabs are easier than hoping the client has a can opener or a stove to heat it on. Items that can be heated in a microwave or added to a stew pot are highly desired. I frequently hear how nice it is when a pantry adds a head of lettuce, a bag of potatoes, or a bar of butter. There is also something special about having a bar of soap, a roll of toilet paper, or a tube of toothpaste added to the bag.

This month consider, at least once a week donating two or three items that you would never have thought of donating before. If you are uncertain of where to donate, take a look at the 20 Soup Kitchens located here in Erie County. Also be aware that money donations are welcome at the smaller pantries where they are often used to purchase things like school supplies, or body care products like tooth brushes or feminine products, or food for pets.

I'll be featuring a different kitchen or pantry once a month, so check back in the middle of the month for  more information on ways you can help in your community.

Thank you and have a great week!

First Friday of September's Locavore Challenge

Here are some of the items I purchased locally, either at Wegmans, Geurcio, Five Points Bakery, and the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market.

• Acorn Squash from Fenton Produce near Batavia, NY (53 miles from Buffalo)
• Cucumbers and Zucchini from Hoeffner Farms in Hornell, NY (94 miles from Buffalo)
• A variety of Hot Peppers from our garden and from Eden Valley Growers in Eden, NY (19 miles from Buffalo)
• Butternut Squash, Sweet Peppers and Tomatoes from Reeves Farms in Baldwinsville, NY (146 miles from Buffalo)
• Green Leaf Lettuce, Romaine Hearts, Cilantro, Escarole, and Concord Grapes from Demarco Farms in Ripley, NY (77 miles from Buffalo)
• Bread Flour and Regional Pantry Sunflower Seed Oil picked up from Five Points Bakery in the city's Westside
• Gimmie Coffee (Not a locally sourced product but, it is roasted in Ithaca, NY. It is also Shade Grown, Organic, Fair Trade, and Bird Friendly.)

Here are three sites that I have been reading a lot of forwards, links, and articles. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I agree to disagree, but they each have a plethora of excellent sources to check out, ideas to consider, and ways to become more involved in the food conversation.

Handpicked Nation 

Civil Eats 

The Cornucopia Institute

Roast leg of lamb with honeyed figs - Crockpot

6 garlic cloves, halved
flake salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tsp paprika
2 tbls olive oil

9 fresh figs, stemmed and chopped 

1 cup red wine 

2 tbls balsamic vinegar 

2 tbls honey

1 boneless leg of lamb (3 1/2 pounds)

Last 1/4 cup of coffee from brew pot

With a small knife, cut 12 small slits in the lamb, pour in olive oil and place 1/2 clove garlic in each slit. Pour on the coffee.




Chop the figs and then drizzle with wine, vinegar and honey. Arrange  on top. Then sprinkle lamb with salt, pepper, and paprika. Set the crockpot on high allow to cook for 6 hours.

Layered over smashed potatoes,
carrots, and celery.

Served with buttered rye bread
from B.Ferrante's Bakery.

Susie Cuke's Pickles

Think of the dishes and sweets and specialties that are unique to your family. Have you ever created that dish using a recipe that's been passed down over the generations?  Have you ever considered recreating it every day to sell? That's just what Mike Gzyl and his father do. Every day, after work, they create Bread & Butter and Garlic Dill pickles and relishes.

They use old-world recipes from Poland that have been tweaked for the modern palate and canning techniques; recipes that have been passed down through their family for four generations.

Susie Cuke's Pickles makes both pickles and relish, and perhaps with the success of these two more pickled products will follow? I sure hope so!

The Bread & Butter were very sweet. Sweeter than store bought, but not excessively cloying or artificially sweet. 

The Garlic Dill are thick slabs of bitter saltiness. Both varieties have a nice bite that falls somewhere between crunchiness and softness.

Draudt's Farm Market & Greenhouse, another multi-generational business, currently supplies the cucumbers.

They are available for purchase from 8 am to 1pm at both the Elmwood-Bidwell and Hamburg Farmer's Markets every Saturday until the end of the season. There is a possibility for growth into a year round product, a secondary supplier for fall and winter is being looked into.

I sampled mine right out of the jar at first. The juice is so nice. I'm already coming up with some ideas of adding it to an ice-cold Japanese pickled fish dish when we work through all of the garlic and pickles. 

Then I created toast points slathered with fromage blanc, slow braised beef rib meat and finely chopped pickles. Made my eyes cross it was so good!

I encourage you to pick up a handful of jars while they are still available!

Sweet Sponge Bread

2 tsp yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and 1 tbls sugar
3 1/4 cups white flour, sifted very fine
1 tbls salt
1 tbls sugar
3 tbls sunflower seed oil

Proof the yeast with the sugar for 20 minutes until a thick foam forms. Add the all of the other ingredients in a large metal bowl. Form dough, mixing by hand.

Once a ball forms, roll it out onto the counter and then scrub the bowl very well until the bowl is clean and hot. Butter the bottom half of the bowl and roll the dough ball around inside until coated. Cover with a towel and set near the oven. Pre-heat to oven to 400 degrees. Let rise for one hour. Divide and roll each ball out to 1/4" and brush on a thin layer of melted butter and roll up very tight.



Set on a greased cookie sheet and cover for 30 more minutes and then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and it knocks hollow on the bottom of the loaf. Serve warm with whipped butter. The sponge from this recipe is amazing. Fluffy like an angel cake.

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup inspired by Olive Garden's “Zuppa Toscana”

1 fist full of kale, bite sized pieces
6 large red potatoes, sliced thin, plus 1 tbls flake salt
1 whole onion, chopped
1 pound minced pork loin or ground Italian sausage
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and celery salt
1 cup of broth
3 cup of milk plus a splash of heavy cream
1/4 cup salted butter
Fresh oregano, salt and cracked pepper



Prepare the kale and set it aside.

In a medium pot, boil the sliced potatoes until tender, drain and set aside.

In a large pot, brown the ground Italian sausage. Drain as much as the fat as you can (though I usually don't drain my meats unless they look swimming in fat). Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, broth. Simmer for 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes add the butter, stir and then drizzle in the milk.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer for another ten minutes, then serve.