Jane you may remember I am a mutant offspring of Anson Mills Big Hominy Glenn Roberts, who insists all grains be stored in the freezer. I've been doing that so long that I forgot what pantry stored grains taste like, though my breads taste great and there are never any bugs in the pantry :)
Great reminder to support your local grain economy and, whenever possible, to explore the supply chain and meet the farmers, growers, and millers who produce our food. Thanks for the meaningful report.
Maine Grains has a wonderful product ...I love adding rye to baked goods- wonderful layers of flavor. I can see it with vanilla...the bomb with chocolate and seasonal fruit like peaches.
Despite spending my career in food and nutrition and being a questionably adequate but enthusiastic home baker, I confess that I really never gave much thought to flour. I'm now really keen to try some better flours. It also is, of course, a testament to how food ingredients in this country have shifted to quantity over quality. Part of the reason why kids don't eat whole-grain foods is because they have historically tasted bad. The idea of serving them a whole-grain pizza that isn't dense or cardboard-like but actually tastes even better than white flour is really exciting. Could schools ever get enough money to do it is a tougher question. Anyway, thank you for this thought-provoking piece!
Wonderful work Jane! There are so many communities that could benefit from this type of revitalization of the economy and food system. Thinking about my trip to Saskatchewan this summer and how different it was when there were more family farms sustaining rural towns. Inspiring!
I think very highly of King Arthur. They are pushing the boundary on fresh and regeneratively grown grains. It's probably (but not sure) as fresh as product from Maine Grains but it is my general go-to at the store.
Jane you may remember I am a mutant offspring of Anson Mills Big Hominy Glenn Roberts, who insists all grains be stored in the freezer. I've been doing that so long that I forgot what pantry stored grains taste like, though my breads taste great and there are never any bugs in the pantry :)
Ooh, I would love to learn more! Why do you put them in the freezer?
Great reminder to support your local grain economy and, whenever possible, to explore the supply chain and meet the farmers, growers, and millers who produce our food. Thanks for the meaningful report.
The bread basket of Maine!
Love this - so many parallels in Washington state too.
Maine Grains has a wonderful product ...I love adding rye to baked goods- wonderful layers of flavor. I can see it with vanilla...the bomb with chocolate and seasonal fruit like peaches.
Despite spending my career in food and nutrition and being a questionably adequate but enthusiastic home baker, I confess that I really never gave much thought to flour. I'm now really keen to try some better flours. It also is, of course, a testament to how food ingredients in this country have shifted to quantity over quality. Part of the reason why kids don't eat whole-grain foods is because they have historically tasted bad. The idea of serving them a whole-grain pizza that isn't dense or cardboard-like but actually tastes even better than white flour is really exciting. Could schools ever get enough money to do it is a tougher question. Anyway, thank you for this thought-provoking piece!
Wonderful work Jane! There are so many communities that could benefit from this type of revitalization of the economy and food system. Thinking about my trip to Saskatchewan this summer and how different it was when there were more family farms sustaining rural towns. Inspiring!
Fascinating! Thanks so much Liz. I’m wondering … where does King Arthur stack up in this world? Any better than dead?
I think very highly of King Arthur. They are pushing the boundary on fresh and regeneratively grown grains. It's probably (but not sure) as fresh as product from Maine Grains but it is my general go-to at the store.
There was at least one person representing King Arthur who led a pizza workshop at the conference (I was there, too. It's a really fun event).
Second that :) KA has a huge fan base.