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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2020)
B Tuesday, April 21, 2020 The Observer & Baker City Herald TRASH TALK Homemade Ice Pops ANN MEHAFFY Importance of locally grown food Years ago when our Baker City Main Street Program was launched, we fostered this slogan: “Put Your Money Where Your House Is.” That was of course to say — invest in your community by buying locally, where your dollars support your neighbors and get circulated many times within the community. Both our slogan and the original “put your money where your mouth is” are important when our thoughts turn to investing in local farmers, ranchers, growers, producers, food crafters, and seed producers/sav- ers. Perhaps now, more than ever, we can grasp the complexities of food secu- rity and the importance of supporting locally grown and produced food that is out of the reach of global markets and now broken supply chains. Taking a step back during our forced isolation these days gives us an oppor- tunity to refl ect and reconsider what’s important to us and what keeps us and our communities physically and eco- nomically healthy. For most of us, much of the food we put on our table comes from large-scale corporate agri-busi- nesses. The food is grown, harvested, processed, mixed, boxed, packaged, and shipped with one thing in mind: profi t. Additionally, corporate agriculture and food producers go to great lengths to preserve food with preservatives, coatings, and additives to accommodate far-reaching markets, warehouse stor- age, and a long shelf life. This factory farming and high-volume food process- ing usually means our local connection to food production is forfeited for the sake of year-round availability, cheap production, convenience, and quantity over quality. It also means automation, monoculture crops, heavy use of pes- ticides and herbicides, and little or no support for the local communities near large-scale farming sites. In short, the factory farm or processing plant does not support healthy soil, sustainable agriculture or local communities. See Local Food/Page 3B Amy Drew Thompson/Orlando Sentinel-TNS It’s a new version of that old orange juice-in-the-ice-tray recipe from Saturday morning television. C HILLING O UT Simply sweeten your blend-ups to where you like them. None of us is sure how long all these new Traditional ice pop molds are fun — mine rules are going to last, but in Florida, it’s have “sipper” straws built in so you can get pretty safe to say we’ll still be social distanc- every last drop — but I supplemented with ing when ice cream truck season rolls around a giant ice-cube tray. The boxy shape makes in earnest. them stocky and super-cute! Stretch plastic Solution? Make your own ice pops! wrap tightly over the top, cut little slits at the Perks include family togetherness and center of each section and slide in your sticks fun snacks on a stick that don’t involve a before freezing. deep fryer. Also, there’s room for creativity. Did you know that Michael’s sells stubby You’ll see that these “recipes” are barely even little sticks for just such a project? I didn’t, recipes. Just instructions to pulverize two or either! But I do now. three ingredients in a food processor, pour I’m learning so much during this whole said concoction into some sort of mold and lockdown thing. Blueberry mojito ice pops are shove ’em in the freezer. just the tip of the educational-opportunity Any fruit you use could be sweet enough iceberg. to avoid adding your own sweetener, so don’t And speaking of ice, here goes... feel compelled. But I used agave syrup in all Instructions of mine save the cucumber-melon (the hon- Simply blend each ingredient combo in eydew I bought was exceptional). You could also opt for something calorie-free, like Stevia. your food processor or blender. Leaving the By Amy Drew Thompson Orlando Sentinel A revolution: pan-roasted honey brioche between your fi ngers, then toss it into the mixer while the hook beats on medium-high speed. When it completely disappears into the dough, LOS ANGELES — Pastry chef Dyan Ng’s add another piece in the same way. Keep going pan-roasted honey brioche isn’t just new; it’s until all the butter is incorporated. This will take revolutionary. She created it for the brunch about 10 minutes. (The mixer may jump on your menu at Auburn “to give people something dif- counter, so hold the machine steady with one ferent that they’ve never tried before.” hand while adding the butter with the other.) “As a cook, I don’t want to be showy, but I al- The machine’s beating will heat up the dough, ways want to do something different,” Ng says. but the butter will help cool it down to prevent Ng fi rst developed a formula for a milk- it from breaking. The dough is done when it’s less brioche extra rich in butter and eggs so it smooth, shiny and stretchy. If you hook a fi nger wouldn’t taste like pain au lait. And though the into the dough and pull, it should hang like Silly BRIOCHE brioche was delicious, she said, “It was just a Putty. Don’t overbeat or the dough may break. delicious French bread.” She then caramelized 1 cup plus 1½ tablespoons salted butter 4. Remove the hook and use your hands to (250 grams), preferably cultured high-fat the top of the loaf with honey butter while it scoop the dough out of the bowl. Holding it over baked but wanted the bread to be more tender 2½ cups all-purpose fl our (333 grams) your work surface, pass it back and forth be- all the way through. So she decided to cook the ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams) tween your hands, gathering the sides under un- dough completely on the stove while basting it 1 envelope active dry yeast (7 grams) til the dough is very smooth on top. Lay it in the or 20 grams fresh cake yeast with honey butter. buttered container and gently press a piece of It’s all very confusing until you take a bite. It 5 large eggs (250 grams), room temperature plastic wrap directly on the dough so it doesn’t has the yeasty depth of sourdough without the form a skin, then cover the container with a lid self-righteous austerity, the buttery richness of HONEY BUTTER or another sheet of plastic wrap stretched taut. brioche with an almost custardy egginess, the 2¼ pounds unsalted butter (1,026 grams) Let proof at room temperature for one hour, 2 cups honey (680 grams), welcome bitter edge of dark caramel seeping then transfer to the refrigerator for 12 hours. preferably light amber into the bread and running all over the plate. 5. Cut 12 pieces of wax or parchment paper Ng’s years of mastering French pastry are into 5-inch squares. Generously butter one 1. Make the brioche: Take the butter out of the clear in this brilliant technique that’s actually easy to execute even if it takes days. The genius refrigerator and cut into tablespoons. Place on a side of each square. Remove the dough from is in its simplicity. Her technical skills translate plate in a single layer to soften. When you press the refrigerator, uncover and, pressing a bench into a piece, it should yield to pressure like Play- scraper or sharp knife straight down into the into just-right proportions of fi ve ingredients dough, cut into 12 even pieces (about 74 grams Doh. Use more butter to lightly butter a large that yield foolproof dough, and the two-night each if you’ve got a scale). proofi ng ensures the bread stays tender on the container or bowl. 6. Holding a piece of dough with both hands, 2. While the butter softens, combine the fl our stovetop while holding its shape and caramel- fl atten it slightly, then pull the edges under to and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted izing to a dark brown. form a tight ball. Put the ball in one palm, then with the dough hook. Sprinkle the dried yeast or Testing this recipe at home over the weeks cup your other hand around the ball and rotate crumble the fresh yeast on top, then add 2 eggs. that the coronavirus changed this city and that hand to tighten the ball further while giving Beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are country, I found that it not only worked per- it a perfectly round shape. The dough will be moistened, scraping the bowl if needed. Con- fectly every time in every variation but also sticky, but don’t fl our your hands or the dough. tinue mixing while adding the remaining 3 eggs provided a welcome peace. Transfer the ball to a buttered paper square, one at a time. Scrape the bowl and raise the top side up. Repeat with the remaining dough. speed to medium-high. Continue beating until Arrange the balls on a sheet pan, spacing an the wet dough fl aps against the side of the bowl, inch apart. about 5 minutes. The dough will still look broken and cling to the sides of the bowl at this point. 2 hours, plus 3 days proofi ng. Makes 1 dozen. 3. Pick up a piece of butter, smash it a little See Brioche/Page 2B By Genevieve Ko Los Angeles Times BETWEEN THE ROWS WENDY SCHMIDT Spring is finally here Spring is fi nally happening. The weather is capricious, wreaking havoc with people’s joints. Plants are bloom- ing everywhere, awakening dormant allergies. The joy of spring is in the air, for which we need a good rain and a few more bees. The dust and pollen can cause your eyes to sting. The fi rst bees to appear here were the mason bees. I have a mason bee block which a group of kids gave me at the farmers market. I really didn’t know where to place it permanently, so I sat it on the porch railing. The mason bees found it there, so now I don’t think I should move it. The block is a simple 4-by-4 or 6-by-6 with holes drilled in it, which become the nests for female mason bees to lay their eggs. Mason bees are more effective pollinators than honeybees. They are very gentle. They don’t make honey. They don’t sting. One time in my life I kept honey- bees. I loved it and I loved my bees. I didn’t mind being stung, and still enjoy watching honeybees pollinating fl ow- ers. Honeybees work in warm weather. Mason bees will work when it is cold. See Spring/Page 2B fruit a little chunky in pops like Coco-Mango or Strawberries & Cream makes for excep- tionally photogenic pops. It’s all up to you. • Strawberries & Cream: Blend fresh strawberries and standard whipping cream. • Cucumber Melon: Until we can get back to the spa, this one tastes like it. Blend up honeydew with peeled, seeded cukes. Save two slices for your eyes. Recline and enjoy. • Coco-Mango: Mix fresh mango, coconut milk (I used the thick, full-fat canned variety) and coconut water with fl akes. • Watermelon Kiwi: Blend up watermelon, slice kiwi. Insert kiwi slices into molds, stick- ing them to the sides. Pour in watermelon. Makes for a pretty presentation. • Blueberry Mojito: Add fresh blueber- ries, mint leaves, white rum, agave and club soda. Blend the fi rst four to taste — don’t use too much rum or it won’t freeze well — add club soda at the end, stir before pouring into molds. Rum optional, of course. PAN-ROASTED HONEY BUTTER BRIOCHE This technique, which is revolutionary and satisfying to execute, requires serving the brioche right away and works best if you’re making just one to four at a time. I found the ideal balance to be doing a few on the stovetop to eat right away, then baking the remaining dough balls for the most delicious rolls to enjoy anytime with or without the honey butter. Or you can skip the honey butter and simply tuck all the dough into a pan for a brioche-meets- sourdough loaf.
