An entry I wrote last week on my phone: "My hands are covered in blisters but I am finished digging up my waterline which for a variety of reasons had to be moved. Tonight I feel joy running in my veins. I will not think about the fact that I have yet to finish filling in the old trench, dig a new one and re-assemble the pipe. But the night is young so I switch activities and begin hauling firewood in my wheelbarrow and than stacking it in the woodshed. Time passes but how much of it is irrelevant. What is important is how much wood I get stacked. I stop when I am feeling dead tired and than I notice some ripe salal berries that my daughter and I neglected to pick earlier in the day so I head into the cabin to find something to pick them into. I pick bare armed and ignore the few mosquitoes buzzing around. Through the darkening forest I see the golden setting sun and I pop a few berries into my mouth. They are dry and earthy. I love them but it is an acquired taste. Late spring/ summer is the closest season to heaven on this side of paradise." I make this pancake recipe once a week: In bowl add: 1 cup white flour; 1/4 cup oatmeal; 1/4 cup flaxseed flour ( I make mine in my blender) 1 cup sourdough ( from a sourdough culture) and enough warm water to make a pancake consistency. Cover and allow to sit overnight. In the morning add: 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 2 tablespoons honey; 3 tablespoons flavourless oil; 3/4-1 cup salal or blue berries(optional); water as needed. Let stand 15-30 mins. before frying.
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I have never made sourdough anything. It sounds delicious though!
ReplyDeleteHi Kim The key to maintaining a live sourdough culture is to find something that you enjoy eating it in. Pancakes, biscuits, buns and bread are the most common but there are other's. I have found by keeping it in the fridge I only need to use/ feed it once a week. So we have these pancakes once a week. When I have time I leave the culture out on the counter and it grows much quicker enabling me to make other things with it. I love sourdough pancakes. I think taste wise they are so much better than the store bought premixed option or something made from scratch at home-minus the sourdough. Hope that helps! Ronda
DeleteI used to make sourdough pancakes a lot - but never with salal! You may be the only person doing this :-) and you set a good example for making the most of local foods, and learning to love what is at hand. I enjoy thinking about you and your daughter enjoying the fruits of the land and of your resourcefulness!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. Salal berries I think taste the best after getting baked or fried. It's a wonderful experience getting to know local wild plants, trees and berries. It is after all God's garden. Thank you for your visit. Ronda
DeleteIt all sounds so serene and heavenly, Ronda. xo Laura
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura. If you and I lived closer I would invite you over for breakfast. Ronda
DeleteOh Ronda, bless your heart! I feel your pain with digging the water trench!! I can't even imagine how tired you are! And while we don't have salal berries here (at least I haven't found any), we do have Oregon grapes, and they are terribly sour, lol! Your pancakes looked amazing :)
ReplyDeleteThe downside is the heavy physical work I have to do. It's just a part of my reality. I have been blessed with a strong constitution. There is a certain clarity that does come with physical work and I like that very much. I made some muffins with the salal berries and threw in a few Oregon grape berries. They are still quite tart even after baking but could be enjoyable to the right palette. Thanks for your visit. Ronda
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