lummi island wine tasting february 24 ’17
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Bread this week
Whole Wheat Levain – made with levain, also known as sourdough, which is built up over the course of a several days before being incorporated with bread flour as well as fresh milled whole wheat and a bit of fresh milled rye, then fermented overnight in the refrigerator. A long cold ferment gives this bread a less sour flavor for sourdough than does a warmer and shorter ferment. A great all around bread full of flavor that makes great toast -$5/loaf
Pear Buckwheat – Like one of the breads last week this is made with a poolish where a part of the water and flour are fermented overnight. In this case the buckwheat flour is used in the poolish. The poolish is mixed with more bread flour for the final dough. The addition of toasted walnuts and dried pears complements the flavor of the earthiness of the buckwheat flour. This bread has great flavor – $5/loaf
And for a bit of pastry…
Brioche au Chocolate – A rich brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar, rolled out and spread with pastry cream before sprinkling with dark chocolate. Folded over and cut into pieces these are really delicious! Be sure and get your orders in early as always with pastry I can only make a limited number and when they’re gone, they’re gone and you have to wait for the next appearance- 2/$5
Open Friday, closed Saturday
Last week, just home, we were introduced to the Janice & Sue Show at the wine shop, which we had, you know, heard about, but really we had never Actually Experienced what happens in the wine shop when we are Away.
So Here’s the Deal: people come in to pick up their bread. Someone (anyone) chooses a bottle of wine from the displays and buys it for the community tasting. That bottle is then opened and distributed, like, you know, Loaves and Fishes, until Empty.
Meanwhile, other people float in and pick additional wines, which are shared in similar manner. Bottom line: a Good Time is had by All!
All you need to know is that we are open Friday, 2/24 under this Club model, and closed Saturday.
We will reopen on our regular schedule next weekend, March 3-4. For now, please join us Friday night for the last of the Winter Improv Tastings!
Dreams of Sylvie
Sylvie was a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd that we brought home as a puppy in 1994. She was from herding lines, very focused. Always On Duty, she rarely closed her eyes except when sleeping in her crate. At precisely 8pm each night, she would stand up, jog to the laundry room door (where the dog crates were), and bark. That meant she was ready to go Off Duty and turn in for the night…and, oh yes, get her Bedtime Cookie…!
Sadly, in winter of ’06-’07 Sylvie developed lung cancer, and we lost her close to her thirteenth birthday in February, 2007. For some months, in Despair, I meditated on how we might bring her back to us. and at some point I had a strange and lucid image of two dogs. The foreground dog I have not yet seen in Real Life, a sort of Aussie/Corgie mix, no idea what to make of that. The background dog was clearly a red merle Australian Shepherd with unusual broad red and white stripes around its body. So imagine my surprise a few months later when a peculiar set of circumstances brought us Cooper…a red merle Aussie with unusual broad red and white stripes around his body. After taking him home we learned later that like his Aunt Sylvie he liked to go to bed at precisely 8 pm. Superstitious or not, it is all comforting fodder for metaphysical speculation.
Now that we have lost Coopie, we again lean toward the One Dog Theory of the Universe: there is only One Dog, in infinite Manifestations, whose Angelic Mission is to reflect our Basic Natures back to us in every moment. Therefore, we have Officially Posted our Ad in the Cosmic Yellow Pages for the next incarnation of Our One True Dog…
lummi island wine tasting feb 17 ’17
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Bread this week
Levain with Dried Cherries & Pecans – made with levain, also known as sourdough, which is built up over the course of a several days before being incorporated with bread flour as well as fresh milled whole wheat. Then loaded up with dried cherries and toasted pecans. The dried fruit and nuts in this bread go really well with meats and cheese -$5/loaf
Poolish Ale – Made with a preferment known as a poolish where a part of the water and flour are fermented overnight. In this case the water in the poolish is replaced with beer. Fermenting overnight gives a jump start on the natural enzymatic action and gluten development. The poolish is mixed with more bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat. This bread has great flavor and is a great all around bread – $5/loaf
And for a bit of pastry…(drum roll……..)
Bear Claws! Made with an enriched danish style dough that is full of milk sugar, eggs and butter, rolled out, spread with an almond paste filling that has more sugar and a bit of cinnamon to round out the flavor then rolled up and sliced into bear claw shaped pieces. After baking topped with a honey glaze, ’cause bears love honey! Yum! 2/$5
We’re back…
We got home tonight (Thursday) on the 7:20 ferry, after driving from Portland this morning in heavy rain. The weather got better as we moved north, only to find the Major Detour around Ferndale due to flooding on Slater Road and Marine Drive.
We are looking forward to seeing you all Friday evening. Our intention is to participate in whatever it is that happens in the wine shop when we are away, and we are very much looking forward to seeing you all!
…Sort of…
There is no easy way to say this; for the past two weeks it has been impossible to mention without crying, and it is still too tender to provide details.
The short version is that shortly after we left on January 23, Cooper’s cancer started overwhelming his defenses. In southern Oregon new x-rays revealed widespread intrusion of tumors into his lungs. His breathing became increasingly labored over the next several days. A last-ditch antibiotic against any complicating infections failed to provide him relief, and we were forced to let him go on February 1, two weeks ago.
Coopie was a beautiful, resourceful, playful, creative, and loving being who constantly manifested his Aliveness with Style and Grace. And maybe because we were uniquely blessed to have had him in our lives these last eight-plus years, his absence is a Tangible Void. All of us who lose beloved dogs know this particular Grief. As our friend Leigh put it, over time the pain of loss will get mellowed by the sweetness of warm memories. In the meantime there is a Big, Big Hole in our lives…
lummi island wine tasting february 10, ’17
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Bread this week
Pain Meunier – also known as miller’s bread as it was developed to honor the millers who mill the wheat. Always a popular selection. Made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat as well as cracked wheat and wheat germ. This bread pre-ferments a portion of the flour, water, yeast and salt overnight before mixing the final dough. A delicious bread that makes great toast -$5/loaf
Fig Anise – Ever since introducing this bread last summer it has become very popular. Also made with bread flour and freshly milled whole wheat it includes dried figs, honey and anise. Lovely mediterranean flavors that make this bread go well with meats and cheeses- $5/loaf
And for a bit of pastry –
Chocolate Babka Rolls – Made with an enriched dough that is full of sugar, eggs and butter, rolled out, spread with a dark chocolate filling made with more butter, sugar and a touch of cinnamon. These are delicious. Be sure and get your orders in early as always with pastry I can only make a limited number- 2/$5
February schedule update
We remind our Faithful that although the shop is officially “closed” through February, it will be open for a number of Bread Fridays over the next several weeks, with Sue A. pouring.
Those of you on the bread-order email list will hear from Janice the weekend before each such Friday, and we will update this blog each Friday AM to confirm schedules. Through most of February, tastings will be Impromptu and communal, and purchases are, of course, encouraged and welcome!
We will reopen on our regular schedule either Feb 24 or Mar 3.
Sonoma Rain
While it has been snowing all week on Lummi Island, it has been raining all week here in Sonoma. Today is promised an additional 1-2″ accumulation. The ground is totally saturated, so it sits in pools or runs to lower ground. Here is a pool on top of the lawn (yes, there is grass under there.) Supposed to get a few dry days starting tomorrow, when we will start our trek home.
lummi island wine tasting feb 3, ’17
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Bread this week
Whole Wheat Ciabatta – Made with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat, a bit of olive oil and two different pre-ferments, an italian biga and a poolish; each brings different flavor characteristics to the bread. The dough has a lot of water, making for a very slack dough that can’t be shaped, merely cut into pieces before baking. All of this adds up to very flavorful artisan bread -$5/piece
Prairie Bread – This bread reflects all the goodness of the prairie, made with a mix of bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat, oats, and cornmeal, and using a poolish preferment. Then loaded up with poppy, flax, sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds. A little brown sugar brings a nice touch of sweetness to the bread. A nice loaf all around loaf – $5/loaf
And for a bit of pastry –
Pain aux Raisin – Made with the same laminated dough used for croissants, but it is rolled out, spread with luscious pastry cream and sprinkled with golden raisins. Then rolled up, sliced and baked. These are my favorites! Be sure and get your orders in early as I can only make a limited number- 2/$5
Wine shop winter schedule
We remind our Faithful that although the shop is officially “closed” through February, it will be open for a number of Bread Fridays over the next several weeks, with Sue A. pouring.
Those of you on the bread-order email list will hear from Janice the weekend before each such Friday, and we will update this blog each Friday AM to confirm schedules. Through most of February, tastings will be Impromptu and communal, and purchases are, of course, encouraged and welcome!
We will reopen on our regular schedule either Feb 24 or Mar 3.
New Ikea prefab Börder Wåll draws White House interest
2072 Granger Way