Food 19 Aug 2006 06:44 pm
Because, really, nothing’s better than a fresh peach.
I meant to have cooked, but it’s hot and I’m tuckered out. And so, for my local food entry this week, my breakfast of the last few days: each morning a single, perfect organic Redhaven peach (reverently and gently placed in my hands by a sweet pigtailed girl at the farmers market) cut up and topped with a little Port Madison Farms yogurt.
In other food news, I’m getting pretty decent at making flour tortillas. After a few more batches, I think I’ll really have the knack; after that I’ll start experimenting with adding chile powders and whole-wheat flour. The secret, my friends, is lard. Lard is good. (And available locally from the Samish Bay cheese people.) The other secret is to roll those proto-tortillas thinner and wider than you’d think possible; they’ll contract as you pick them up, so stretch them slightly just before putting them on the griddle. I actually measured them out to the recommended 9 inches. That is about right, but it seemed ridiculously thin when I first started.
9 Responses to “Because, really, nothing’s better than a fresh peach.”
on 19 Aug 2006 at 9:54 pm 1.Liss said …
Yay! Lard!
Remember my diligent search for lard for flour tortillas a couple of years back?
I shall, obviously, have to talk to the people at Samish Bay!
on 19 Aug 2006 at 10:21 pm 2.Cam Sculpin said …
Hooray! Hooray for lard!
The Samish Bay stuff does take a little rendering before it’s just perfect. That “lard is good” link above has some instructions, if you’re new to rendering lard. I render it by delegating the task to Josh.
Cleanup from lard rendering is pretty annoying and greasy, and the lard keeps for months in the fridge, so I’d say, do a whole lot at once.
on 20 Aug 2006 at 12:03 am 3.Josh said …
I’m curious to find out whether it works with whole wheat flour. If so, then my failed attempt must have been because of the thickness.
on 20 Aug 2006 at 10:19 am 4.Cam Sculpin said …
I wouldn’t go so far as to call your attempt failed. But I do have a feeling that half white, half whole wheat flour is going to be the way to go. And maybe letting the dough rest a little more will help get the tortillas good and rolled out.
on 20 Aug 2006 at 9:29 pm 5.Liss said …
It’s rather like corn tortillas made starting with whole corn - I did it as a child and could have sworn that I’d never do it again.
Life changes you and all that.
on 20 Aug 2006 at 10:33 pm 6.Cam Sculpin said …
Wow! With the lime and everything?! Have I heard about this before?!
on 22 Aug 2006 at 12:51 pm 7.Liss said …
Nope, ’cause I haven’t talked about it. ^_^ I love making things the hard way occasionally.
I think that pig fat will be next on my list. I haven’t had real, good flour tortillas in far too long.
on 22 Aug 2006 at 12:57 pm 8.Liss said …
And with regards to the slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and such, I’ve also made hominy correctly with lye. It’s chemistry that actually produces something good to eat! ::grin::
Unfortunately, I just don’t have much time for this stuff right now. Boo!
on 22 Aug 2006 at 1:04 pm 9.Liss said …
That wasn’t very clear, was it? Both versions are hominy, but you can make it with either. The lye version is nastier and less healthy, though.
I need to wander off and shut now. More coffee!