We have a good-sized vegetable garden in our yard, and it seems like every year the kids grow both more able to help and more interested in having their own sections to tend. As you might imagine, this is met with varying degrees of aptitude and planning. It reminds me of the book “Strega Nona’s Harvest” by Tomie de Paola. Strega Nona plants her garden in tidy rows, and her comical assistant, big Anthony, scatters seeds as the spirit leads him, thumbing his nose at Strega Nona’s order. In the story, and in life, both gardens produce a bounty!
This week’s bread is a partnership with Rebel Farms in Osseo, and featuring our eldest daughter, Miranda. I have made many a sourdough focaccia, often with herbs or cheese, once even a sweet version with chocolate! But for this one I’m turning to the garden. Suzie at Rebel Farms is generously supplying all the produce for this bread, and her gardens are a work of art. You can see them for yourself and pick up produce from her farm stand next week from 9am-dusk at 11081 S Bird Lake Rd in Osseo. Miranda will take that produce (even edible flowers!) and turn it into her own work of art, one that will delight your eyes and your tastebuds! We did a practice run this week so she could test out some ideas, and we both had a lot of fun with it. It was hard to cut into it, but worth it for those flavors!
I’m thinking about changing up my house sourdough for the summer, and offering different flavors for July and August. Let me know if you’re interested in that, or if you would prefer the regular version, available this week. Either way, I’ll make these loaves with a mix of freshly milled whole grains and give it a long fermentation in the fridge overnight, giving you the best of flavor and nutrition!