Concrete, counters, and canines.

Perhaps you noticed my absence this week from the market, and the blog? I was away for good reason, I swear! Well, I spent the week over at Cruzan Gardens, helping people choose from a vast array of plant choices for their offices, interior decor, and outdoor landscaping projects. It was nice to get away from my own projects for a few extra days, so that I may now return, somewhat invigorated, to carving the Nid doors, plumbing the kitchen, and weeding the vast gardens…a seemingly endless task!

Meanwhile, the Ameraucana hens have started laying, and given a couple more weeks should be giving us a steady 10 eggs per day – lots of egg recipes coming up! I’ve been practicing my pasta technique, and my homemade fettuccine is coming out quite fabulous, with or without fresh garden herbs, paired with browned butter and garlic, or a zesty tomato sauce. I absolutely insist on hand rolling and cutting the pasta, cherishing the slight variations in width and length that give it such a rustic feel. The texture of fresh, hand made pasta is so exquisite, leaving me wondering why I have ever bothered to buy (let alone eat) the commercially produced, packaged, dried, and chemical-strewn stuff that has always been a mainstay of many kitchens, including my own. So, soon my freezer will be well stocked with a variety of pastas for quick-and-easy dinners, taking one more step away from packaged foods. You may note that in the following images of my freshly-poured concrete counter top there is an ample space on the left-hand side for rolling out such delightful comestibles!

Back I go to play with plunge routers for carving the Nid doors! Sounds fun, huh?

I will be back to regular baking this week, with a special batch of granola along with the sourdough bread in white, whole grain, and caraway rye. Be sure to get your orders in by Tuesday at 6pm!

Till next week, cheers!