Your articles have been rekindled my heart toward the art of making food. Life has been a wildfire for a long time now, with breaks from time to time, but my relationship with providing meals for 7 hungry people (all with different tastes and sensory needs) has fallen by the wayside in the midst of putting out all the fire. I stumbled across your page recently and have been sucked into the life breathed and nuanced writing. Also, thank you for making your posts available to everyone, paid and unpaid. I would really love to afford to be able to financially support writers but I truly cannot as we live paycheck to paycheck right now. Having access to your words has been truly life giving and I am deeply grateful. I think fondly of my visit to Vermont, years ago, when a friend worked at KAF and I got to go inside and buy bulk bags of flour.
Abigail, your kindness and engagement is worth more than any dollars. You’re a gem. Hang in there with the challenges and know that you’re doing your best, as we all are. I appreciate you.
And I thought I’d responded to the sourdough question, you can make these with what bakers call a poolish. Mix one scant half cup flour with ¼ cup tepid water and a big pinch of dry yeast. Set to rise in a warm spot overnight. Day two, proceed with the recipe, using this mixture in place of the sourdough. And let me know how they go!
I did precisely as instructed, biscuits are 7 mins from done and my tummy's telling them to step on it. The meat conundrum is one I've been trying to work through my entire adulthood. I'm back to virtually vegetarian and it's very hard in the fall when I crave Irish stew and scallion soda bread. This is an intense and intimate experience you've made us privy to. We need more stories helping people comprehend the catastrophic impacts of industrial food production. (Have you seen Julius Roberts's beautiful cookbook and chronicle of relationships with land and animals?)
Biscuits done. Gorgeous of course. Thanks Martin 🙏🏻
Thanks for this note. The conundrum is definitely something to work at. Even the extractive methods involved with much of our produce and farming systems is something that doesn't go without impacts. And clothes, and commuting, and using AI, it ain't easy to navigate. I'll have a look at that book and I'm so glad you made the biscuits. Hope all is well out there, keep in touch.
Thank you for this, much needed at the moment. I’ve been a vegetarian nearly my whole life, but have a lot of appreciation for hunters who have such deep respect and gratitude. I will make the biscuits and the butter beans minus the venison!
One more note, I baked a new sourdough bread recipe as my therapy.
I appreciate your note! The beans are great with/without venison. I was raised vegetarian and have eaten more beans without meat than with meat, that's for sure. One trick that I like is to add quite a bit of smoked paprika, it brings this smoky quality and fools me into thinking there's bacon involved. Hope you enjoy everything and that this recipe is a salve for a tough time. Be well, and happy baking!
Sorry for yet another post, just wondering if it's possible to do this without sourdough? or if I should (probably) just use a different recipe entirely.
Mix 57g of AP and 57g of warm water with 1/8th t of instant or active dry yeast and ferment for 12 hours. Should work. Someone needs to gift you some sourdough!
Surrounded by all the crazies here, it's good to know that folks like you are still out there. I no longer hunt as it's just become far too dangerous out there. Instead, for the first time this year, I am going to butcher a couple of my own goats. This will be the brother experience to taking that first animal in the wild. I'm scared I'll completely lose it.
You might completely lose it, Kathleen, and I think that's ok. I feel like experiencing these things is what guides us. Without that, the whole difficult process happens without awareness, or care. By digging into it, maybe we bring our humanity closer. That has to have an impact. I have so much respect for you and the heart I'm sure is involved with what you're doing. Hope that you enjoy the biscuits.
We’re harvesters as well. If needed, I tell people my meat is organic, free-range, no antibiotics or growth hormones, no pastures or feed lots. I could say more but that would be bragging. Tonight will be venison stew and your biscuits. Or smoked salmon chowder and your biscuits. Thanks so much.
Your articles have been rekindled my heart toward the art of making food. Life has been a wildfire for a long time now, with breaks from time to time, but my relationship with providing meals for 7 hungry people (all with different tastes and sensory needs) has fallen by the wayside in the midst of putting out all the fire. I stumbled across your page recently and have been sucked into the life breathed and nuanced writing. Also, thank you for making your posts available to everyone, paid and unpaid. I would really love to afford to be able to financially support writers but I truly cannot as we live paycheck to paycheck right now. Having access to your words has been truly life giving and I am deeply grateful. I think fondly of my visit to Vermont, years ago, when a friend worked at KAF and I got to go inside and buy bulk bags of flour.
Abigail, your kindness and engagement is worth more than any dollars. You’re a gem. Hang in there with the challenges and know that you’re doing your best, as we all are. I appreciate you.
And I thought I’d responded to the sourdough question, you can make these with what bakers call a poolish. Mix one scant half cup flour with ¼ cup tepid water and a big pinch of dry yeast. Set to rise in a warm spot overnight. Day two, proceed with the recipe, using this mixture in place of the sourdough. And let me know how they go!
Be well,
Martin
Whoops. You totally did! Thank you. Forgive my early morning tired brain!
I did precisely as instructed, biscuits are 7 mins from done and my tummy's telling them to step on it. The meat conundrum is one I've been trying to work through my entire adulthood. I'm back to virtually vegetarian and it's very hard in the fall when I crave Irish stew and scallion soda bread. This is an intense and intimate experience you've made us privy to. We need more stories helping people comprehend the catastrophic impacts of industrial food production. (Have you seen Julius Roberts's beautiful cookbook and chronicle of relationships with land and animals?)
Biscuits done. Gorgeous of course. Thanks Martin 🙏🏻
Hey buddy,
Thanks for this note. The conundrum is definitely something to work at. Even the extractive methods involved with much of our produce and farming systems is something that doesn't go without impacts. And clothes, and commuting, and using AI, it ain't easy to navigate. I'll have a look at that book and I'm so glad you made the biscuits. Hope all is well out there, keep in touch.
M
Thank you for this, much needed at the moment. I’ve been a vegetarian nearly my whole life, but have a lot of appreciation for hunters who have such deep respect and gratitude. I will make the biscuits and the butter beans minus the venison!
One more note, I baked a new sourdough bread recipe as my therapy.
Hey Stephanie,
I appreciate your note! The beans are great with/without venison. I was raised vegetarian and have eaten more beans without meat than with meat, that's for sure. One trick that I like is to add quite a bit of smoked paprika, it brings this smoky quality and fools me into thinking there's bacon involved. Hope you enjoy everything and that this recipe is a salve for a tough time. Be well, and happy baking!
Martin
Yes to smoked paprika! (& salt) and not sure what's in it (yeesh) but liquid smoke for greens/beans was a mainstay in my hardcore vegetarian days.
This week I should say
Sorry for yet another post, just wondering if it's possible to do this without sourdough? or if I should (probably) just use a different recipe entirely.
Hey, Abigail.
Mix 57g of AP and 57g of warm water with 1/8th t of instant or active dry yeast and ferment for 12 hours. Should work. Someone needs to gift you some sourdough!
M
Also, we use food pantries and I am always grateful to hunters who donate their extra venison. Such a treat to get high quality meat lovingly given!
Surrounded by all the crazies here, it's good to know that folks like you are still out there. I no longer hunt as it's just become far too dangerous out there. Instead, for the first time this year, I am going to butcher a couple of my own goats. This will be the brother experience to taking that first animal in the wild. I'm scared I'll completely lose it.
You might completely lose it, Kathleen, and I think that's ok. I feel like experiencing these things is what guides us. Without that, the whole difficult process happens without awareness, or care. By digging into it, maybe we bring our humanity closer. That has to have an impact. I have so much respect for you and the heart I'm sure is involved with what you're doing. Hope that you enjoy the biscuits.
M
I never hunted, but do like Venison, rabbits and ducks....and I am a chef and baker and love to follow your adventures.
Merci
Thanks, buddy. I appreciate the note. Hope things are well out there!
M
We’re harvesters as well. If needed, I tell people my meat is organic, free-range, no antibiotics or growth hormones, no pastures or feed lots. I could say more but that would be bragging. Tonight will be venison stew and your biscuits. Or smoked salmon chowder and your biscuits. Thanks so much.