I have been trying to include more fermented foods in our diet recently.  I have read about and personally experienced the benefits of consuming probiotics and so was motivated to learn how to include more fermented foods in our family’s diet.  However, I have felt a little lost in setting out to grow bacteria in my kitchen.  It goes against so much of my cooking experience and I certainly do not want to do anything in ignorance that could make my family sick.  With further learning, I felt more confident that I could make yogurt safely.  I read Tonya’s article about how to make yogurt and it sounded so simple.  How could I go wrong?

I learned that yogurt making is a very simple process, and yet I found many ways to ruin it.  I am hoping that you all can learn from my mistakes. 

My first mistake was using a starter straight from the refrigerator to the yogurt.  I learned the hard way–cold starter makes lumpy yogurt.  I would love to know the science behind why that is. But in the meantime, for smoother yogurt, don’t forget to place your starter on the counter before you start cooking.  I have been told that using a package of yogurt starter gives more consistent results than using plain yogurt.  I am far too new at yogurt making to speak to consistency myself.  In the hope of increasing my chances for success, I purchased a package of yogurt culture locally at the Breadroot Co-op.

I also learned that homemade yogurt is much thinner than store yogurt.  I have found two solutions for this.  You can either strain off some of the liquid with a fine mesh strainer once the yogurt is set.  Or you can add in a little powdered milk while you are heating the milk for the yogurt.  Both have worked well for me. 

The worst problem I encountered was a bad taste in my yogurt. Even though I watched the milk closely as I heated it, my yogurt tasted scalded.  I eventually created a homemade double boiler and finally made good tasting yogurt.  I found a dish that fit inside my pan with handles that set on the pan rim to hold it up.  It took longer to heat the milk, but I didn’t have to watch it as closely and it solved my final yogurt-making challenge. 

Give yogurt making a try.  It actually is easy—once you know how.

The US Department of Agriculture has announced new standards for school breakfast and lunch programs around the country: more fruits and vegetables, a greater variety of fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, less animal fat and sodium. Here’s an article that describes the changes in more detail.

The Rapid City Journal interviewed Janelle Peterson, food services director for the Rapid City Area Schools, about changes being made to the district programs. Chicken fajita salad for lunch. Oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast.

Peterson sees herself as an educator and the school food programs as opportunities for students to learn about nutrition and to try new foods. You can read the RCJ article here.

At the Western South Dakota Community Action Program the spirit of Christmas is alive and well.

As we celebrate the birth of one who was born into poverty and who blessed the poor, this group of dedicated souls embodies that spirit. They work long hours providing food, clothing, household items, garden tools, and home weatherization to the needy people of our area, not just at Christmas, but year round. Here’s how they describe themselves in their December newsletter:

“…the underlying meaning of Christmas is about the miraculous birth of love and generosity in an otherwise self-serving world…When Community Action was born in the mid 1960s, it was part of the Johnson Administration’s War on Poverty, the idea that Community Action was intended to be the instrument through which compassion was introduced into government assistance to the poor…’unromantic daily love’ is at least possible with Community Action because, in its very essence and structure, it includes the maximum and equal participation of the poor in all sectors of the community…ideally this requires that everyone surrender their defenses and inordinate self-regard and let generosity reign in a spirit of good will toward all…”

And so, in that spirit, we at Dakota Local Food Network and our partner Rapid City Food Share wish every one of you a Christmas of generosity and love.

Barb, Tonya, Jeanette, and Shirley

Brussels Sprouts

In early July, when both the farmers market and my garden began really producing, I decided to see how long our family could go eating only locally produced vegetables.  I was surprised at how easy it was this summer.  We were still harvesting kale and chard in the garden up until that snowstorm just before Thanksgiving.  We stocked up on sweet potatoes and other vegetables for Thanksgiving dinner before the farmers market closed for the season.  (Thanks to Muddy Pumpkin Farms for telling me to store my sweet potatoes on the counter.  Before, mine were always molding in the refrigerator.)  I don’t think we will last year round, but it is a fun experiment, and I’ll keep you posted on our progress.  We have made two exceptions so far: salsa (we eat far more than I could possibly can myself and stay cheerful) and brussels sprouts.  This is the story of the brussels sprouts. 

On the last day of the farmers market this fall, DC Gardens had a basket full of two foot tall sticks loaded with brussels sprouts.  None of us had ever eaten them before so we purchased one to try.  My children had no prior knowledge of brussels sprouts; no idea that they might be a yucky vegetable.  They thought this new staff full of food was fabulous.  It soon became a walking stick and later a light saber.  There were arguments over who got to carry it.  On the drive home, they asked if I would cook it as soon as we got home.  They couldn’t wait! 

Recently while grocery shopping, my children pointed out the brussels sprouts for sale in the produce aisle.  They were so excited after that first experience and asked if we could get a bunch.  Personal challenge aside, I had a hard time imagining a situation where “No” could possibly be the correct answer to small children asking for vegetables.  We bought the brussels sprouts. I am so thankful to the farmers market for all the help I get there with helping my children to eat and even enjoy vegetables. 

So we have eaten brussels sprouts twice now, and the kids were so excited for them both times.  I admit that they have not asked for seconds.  I think they aren’t actually very excited about the taste, though I wouldn’t dare ask them.  They are convinced that brussels sprouts are amazing and fun.  Who am I to question it?  You can be sure that brussels sprouts will be the newest, coolest plant in our garden next summer.

John Gomez, who lives in the Black Hills, sent us this article:

Here in the Hills, our deer season is basically the month of November. For me, I really don’t start thinking about hunting until Thanksgiving rolls around. The four day weekend is a perfect time to spend some real quality time in the woods. I went out once during the week and then again Thanksgiving morning. I had no success but I was okay with that, you really don’t want to take a deer without properly spending some good hours walking the woods and earning it. But now it was Friday, and I needed to fill my tag.  Besides, I wanted to make some deer jerky over the weekend. This time I brought along a friend and, midway through the morning, we were driving back with a nice three year old doe.

My friend helped me process the deer.  Right there in my garage, I pondered how this deer was probably born and lived within 50 miles of my house. It is a product of the Black Hills and it is a source of lean healthy food. Being aware of the importance of local foods, I’m glad that this deer was grown and would be consumed locally.

For the jerky,  I sliced the meat in three inch long strips about ¼” wide. I processed about ten pounds for jerky and another ten pounds I set aside for deer sausage. I also kept the tenderloins to use as steaks.

For thousands of years people have been drying meats. Now was my time to partake in this food tradition. Venison, being that it is a lean meat, is a good choice for jerky. I had dabbled with it in the past and everyone in my family seemed to enjoy it. This year I was going to home in on the best recipes and techniques for producing tasty jerky.

Jerky – Four Ways

I decided to try the jerky in two flavors, a salt-based dry cure (High Mountain Mesquite  Jerky Cure – Cabela’s $6.99)  and a Worcestershire and soy sauce-based wet marinade. I was curious to see how each would perform in taste and texture. Furthermore, I tried each of the two recipes on two drying methods – a dehydrator and a smoker. With that, my experiment was set. I spent Saturday and Sunday prepping and drying. The recipes are easy and even though it takes all weekend for a finished food, the process is surprisingly simple.

The results? I loved the taste of the Worcestershire marinade as cooked in the smoker. However, I decided to be a bit more scientific about it and proceeded to conduct a blind taste test with a few of my neighbors and family. The results were a little surprising. It seems that the dehydrated mesquite dry cure jerky was more liked than the Worcestershire flavor. However, the latter flavor was preferred when dried by the smoker. It seems that the wet marinade produced a very tasty glaze flavor on the smoker that could not be achieved in the dehydrator.

Next year I’ll try it again. For now, we’ll have a snack to carry us through the end of the year. I find that when it comes to jerky it is very much like potato chips, once you eat one you really can’t stop. As I write this, I’m chewing on a piece. How do you know when to stop eating? I guess your jaw will let you know!