Mission Challenge: Recent Notes and Questions
DAY 77 - I was away for a week and now I have some email catching up to do. Here are some recent comments and questions. Check in on Tuesday for a corn chowder recipe, too.
Johanna asked:
Steve and Alex and I were talking today and wondering about corn for cornmeal. Do you know anything about good varieties and whether any of the varieties grown around here are appropriate?
I’ve been keeping an eye out for cornmeal for a while, with no luck. Alisa and I did grow cornmeal corn types (they tend to be drier-climate, less sweet varieties) in our garden last year, but produced only enough for this year’s seed–and this year’s crop isn’t doing too well. Does anyone out there know more about growing cornmeal corns in the West Coast climate? I don’t see anything from Salt Spring Seeds or West Coast Seeds (though the latter does have a popcorn).
Meanwhile, Angela weighed in on the lack of oats (a problem that might be remedied next year by co-operating with local farmers, who assure me they can grow them):
I saw that a few of you Scots are missing your oatmeal. I haven’t found any…yet…but I have found that if you coarsely grind your wheat and then sift it, the bran and the coarse wheat that is left tastes very similar to steel-cut oats. You make it the same as oatmeal (it’s particularly good with a drizzle of my caramel on top). I hope that helps your craving, I know it really satisfied mine. (I won’t ramble on about how this is yet another budget saving food by-product!)
By the way, I finally mixed up some of Angela’s honey caramel, and all I can say is if you haven’t made some–do it. I ate mine (it’s already gone) on slices of the year’s first apples from a tree in our co-op garden. That makes it sort-of good for you… Angela is also wondering if anyone has a sourdough muffin recipe. She thought Alisa and I would, but it’s high time that Alisa and I admit that we’re pretty unsuccessful sourdough bakers. You may have noticed that we haven’t posted any photos of our amazing artisan loaves? There’s a reason for that (Alisa does make a mean flatbread, though). As for muffins, we don’t even own a muffin tin. Does anyone else have any ideas?
Happy eating,
James
