Fruit "kvass," my newest love

There are very few things, in my opinion, as satisfying as making your own beverages. Having these drinks on hand adds an element of luxury to life, and makes the everyday just a little more special...and really, it's not the same when you're paying someone else to do this for you. I like knowing I made these things myself. In the past week I have made my first beet kvass (which Oliver sucks down like milk), vegetable medley kvass (still fermenting), and three fruit varieties (strawberry-pear-ginger, apple-raspberry (REALLY good!), and apple-mint-ginger).

As someone who grew up in a household with no beverages (aside from water and milk), I have always considered it a treat to have some glass bottles in the fridge, filled with delicious liquids just right for sipping with a meal, or on their own. Past favorites have included my homemade ginger ale, and now of course I brew my own kombucha, but since I am currently avoiding all sweeteners (aside from very small amounts of raw honey) I was thrilled to discover fermented fruit kvass. Technically, of course, the name kvass should not really be used to refer to this concoction (Russian kvass is traditionally made by fermenting a form of grain with something sweet), but it will do. The whey allows for fermentation of the fruit to begin, rendering the beverage nutritious, refreshing, and with a very pleasant little kick.

The best thing is that making fruit kvass is both easy and fun! Pick out a combination of fruit, berries, and fresh herbs or spices that you think would go well together, and get started. In a one-quart wide-mouth Mason jar combine the following (be sure to use organic ingredients for the best fermentation results):
-a big handful of berries
-one sliced "core" fruit (such as apple or pear)
-a tablespoon of grated ginger
-1/2 cup raw milk whey
-enough filtered water to fill the jar

Combine all ingredients, top off with water, place a weight of some sort on top of the fruit to keep it submerged, and close tightly. Keep on the counter in a warm-ish place for 3 days, before transferring to the fridge. You can top off the bottle with filtered water and a splash of whey when it gets low, until the fruit is all used up.

This recipe can be varied by using different fruits, citrus juices, fresh herbs, or even vegetables.

As I have been making many forays lately into the world of lactofermentation I was puzzling way too much over what to use as a suitable weight. Some of my fermented mackerel had gone putrid at the top of the jar because it didn't all stay underneath the weight (a Mason jar lid insert) that I had placed on the top. I really needed something that would keep the solids completely beneath the water or fermenting liquid.

Hugo is great at coming up with solutions, and he discovered the PERFECT thing at the Container Store: a stainless steel mesh herb ball (large-size, Progressive brand), which we took apart and made into two separate weights/strainers. They fit perfectly inside a wide-mouth Mason jar. I'm sure there are many lacto-fermentation websites with more technologically advanced solutions, but I think this one works great for now.




Oliver LOVES fruit kvass with his meals.

Signing up for WIND power - 1-2-3-done!

This is for all our fellow ConEd customers out there who are tired of using coal-derived electricity--

We were enrolled in the wind power program at our last apartment, but since the move in February I hadn't gotten it together to enroll again (they don't automatically switch you when you move). Last time I did it by text message (yes, the perfect way in my opinion!) but this time email was required - which is why it took me longer.

Still, though, it really couldn't be much easier than this. All you have to do is email Sam and write, "Please enroll account ######## in the WIND program." That's it! So all you need is your ConEdison bill with the account number, and you're good to go. Sam submits new enrollments early on Monday mornings, so you have time to get yours in for tomorrow if you're quick... :) Oh, and I should mention that the increase in your monthly bill shouldn't be more than $5 at the most. I think that's very little to pay for a much cleaner, better alternative to coal-burning.

You can also text message Sam and he will get back to you right away. He's a very nice guy -- I met him at his booth at the Union Square Greenmarket a while back.

Sam Carroll
NYC Outreach Coordinator
Community Energy, Inc.
646-457-9320 (direct)
www.communityenergyinc.com

Raindance Farm Newsletter

Siobhan's first newsletter is out! Just thought I would pass along an excerpt that is particularly relevant for our Brooklyn communities. Be sure to click the link below to read about Siobhan's new solar panel water-heating system, and irrigation for the many acres of pasture.

New Meating Place for Raindance Farm Deliveries

Now that the club has doubled its ordering power we are announcing our new and improved meeting location at a church on 66th Street. The address is 6501, 6th Ave, Bay Ridge. Thanks to the gracious church community there we can have use of the ample parking and even use indoor space in the community center during inclement weather. We are planning on meating on May first at 3 pm if that time works for the majority of members. Thanks to Hannah's hard work networking, the club generated enough orders to provide all club members with a 10% discount last Saturday. Thanks Hannah and everyone who ordered. (yay! go Bay Ridge!)

Local Buying Club
Are you interested in developing a grassroots local buying club in your area? Raindance Farm offers discounts of up to 20%. We serve the NY/ NJ metro area and Hudson Valley. If you love to organize and know like-minded families looking for healthy organic meat and cheese contact Siobhan Griffin by e-mail or phone.

For news and pictures of the farm, read the full newsletter here:

http://www.raindanceorganicfarm.com/newsletter1.html

How to make ghee

Place butter in an oven-proof dish and melt at 140-150 degrees. When the clear golden liquid has separated from the milk solids, carefully pour off the oil (ghee) and allow to solidify in the refrigerator. The milk solids (which will contain the salt if you used salted butter) are absolutely delicious, and redolent of SmartFood cheddar cheese popcorn...YUM. Ghee, otherwise known as clarified butter, is suitable for people on the GAPS diet because it does not contain milk solids, the part of dairy that can cause problems in individuals with gut dysbiosis. Ghee may be enjoyed just like butter, and will not burn (supposedly -- I haven't tested this completely) when over-heated (unlike butter).

Many people bring up traditional Indian people as representatives of healthy vegan populations, but in fact these people were not only consuming fair amounts of bug larvae due to their harvesting methods -- they also ate plenty of wonderfully nutritious, cultured ghee from grass-fed cows. Of course, I always recommend using raw milk butter from grass-fed cows for making ghee, or for topping your toast. :)

Winter squash "pancakes"

Tonight Ollie and I were starving after getting back from doing errands with our new friend Esther (a great neighbor, fellow Raindance devotee, and brilliant illustrator). I decided to try some GAPS diet pancakes: a few very large spoonfuls of cooked acorn squash, 2 eggs, a pinch of sea salt, and a few shakes of the bag of almond flour. Kept adding more almond flour to make a soft consistency that would hold its shape in the pan. Cook in LOTS of melted bacon fat, lard, ghee, or coconut oil (we did the bacon fat tonight as I am saving my dwindling supply of lard for pork rillettes -- can't wait to have a chance to make them!). I served the cakes with melted ghee (clarified butter) and a sprinkling of sea salt. Oliver was SO excited, poor little guy -- he's hardly seen a carb all week. Now he is sleeping like the proverbial baby...but I fear this was a bit of an overdose, and a little more fiber than he was ready for at this point. They WERE yummy, though!