Savor Culture

Having tried my hand at making ricotta from whey and from acidified whole milk, I couldn’t resist attempting the recipe offered by the September 2008 issue of Saveur magazine. Promising “the sweet, earthy flavor of old-world ricotta,” their version requires only whole milk, cream, and rennet.
Just looking at the ingredient list raises red flags: cream? [...]

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Front and back views of the violin made by Charles.
I feel compelled to brag.  My wonderful husband has an informal apprenticeship at his father’s violin shop in Brattleboro, VT.  Today, Charles applied the final coat of varnish to his first violin.  It must dry for several weeks before he completes the instrument by adding the [...]

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Last week, an article in The New York Times praised the simplicity and versatility of fresh ricotta.  Several chefs declare that fresh ricotta can be profoundly delicious when served with a few intensely-flavored ingredients.  I had never considered ricotta to be a destination cheese, rather a quick stop on the journey of making lasagna, but I’d [...]

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Our site for mining “black gold”
Let’s take a closer look at the features of the compost pen that Charles designed and built.  It’s a simple structure, but its features improve the flow of collecting, turning, and harvesting compost.  Charles also minimized the cost of building the pen by using salvaged and free materials.
1. Drain tile [...]

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It’s been several weeks (months?) since the last update on our summer garden.  I’m happy to report that we have sturdy seedlings in the rows marked zucchini, butterpea, radish, and every kind of lettuce.  They look so beautiful that we wanted to create a suitable environment for them.  Wonderful Husband Charles suggested a raised bed [...]

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