Urban Farm Projects. Kelly Wood

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      Once you’ve tried the basic recipe, experiment with flavor by using different types of mustard seeds.

      Vanilla Extract

      We’ve made our own vanilla extract for so long that I’d forgotten how tiny and expensive the store-bought bottles are. Whole vanilla beans are pricey—individual beans can cost more than a dollar each, and you’ll use six to ten beans for a pint of liquor. Let’s figure on $1 per bean for ten beans and around $10 for the bourbon, so a pint of homemade vanilla extract is going to cost you about $20. Because most recipes that call for vanilla extract require only a small amount, a pint will last you for a long time, and it’s still much cheaper per ounce than store-bought vanilla. We just keep topping our jar off with bourbon.

      Ingredients/Additional Materials:

      •10 whole vanilla beans

      •1 pint bourbon (choose an inexpensive brand, but not rotgut)

      •Optional: Pint jar

      Step 1: Slice down the length of each bean, through just one side, leaving the ends intact and opening it up to expose the seeds.

      Step 2: Stand the beans up in a jar or bottle that will hold a pint of liquid. Cover the beans with the bourbon. You can simply put the beans into the bourbon bottle if you pour out a little bit to compensate for the beans’ volume.

      Step 3: Cap the bottle and shake it gently.

      Step 4: Store the bottle in a dark place for five to six months, shaking gently once a week or so to blend and infuse.

      Use the extract directly from the bottle; no filtering is necessary.

      It’s normal for your homemade vanilla to appear a bit cloudy.

      Spices

      Because so many spices are exotic, they can be expensive, especially if you buy them prepackaged in little bottles or jars. Even buying in bulk, by the ounce or pound, can add up if you use a lot of a particular spice or spices. If this is the case, consider buying the seeds or nuts of your favorite spices and grinding them yourself. You’ll get more ground spice for your money. Grind only a little at a time; the flavor starts to deteriorate once the whole spice is ground. Unless otherwise noted, use a coffee grinder:

      •Coriander (the very prolific seed of cilantro)

      •Cloves

      •Allspice

      •Nutmeg (special grinders store whole nutmegs inside)

      •Mace (the “web” of veining from the outside of a nutmeg)

      •Cayenne pepper

      •Ginger (peel, store in freezer, and grate frozen root as needed)

      •Cumin

      •Mustard

      Ground (left) and dried (right) cayenne pepper.

      Project 5 :Baking Bread

      Why would you want to do this? You want to eat better and exercise your creative side in the kitchen.

      Why wouldn’t you want to do this? You don’t eat bread, or you don’t enjoy baking.

      Is there an easier way? Bread machines have many benefits (they do all of the work for you, and you can wake up to freshly baked bread) but just as many drawbacks (they are expensive; they are big; in my family’s opinion, the crust isn’t great; you can waste ingredients on failed batches and not find out until it’s too late). The more you bake bread by hand, the more you’ll see how easy it can be and the more you’ll want to experiment.

      Cost comparison: As with many homemade food products, the materials cost less and yield more than the packaged versions.

      Skills needed: No special skills are needed. My mom taught me how to bake bread when I was still in grade school.

      Learn more about it: Knead It! ( i-5 Press, 2013) by Jane Barton Griffith is a comprehensive guide to baking artisan bread, enhanced by interviews with and tips from accomplished bakers. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice (Ten Speed Press, 2001) by Peter Reinhart is one of the better books to help you advance and perfect your bread-baking skills. Check local community colleges, other adult-education centers, or cooking schools for bread-baking classes.

      It makes so much sense to bake your own bread. Everything about homemade bread is better: it is much healthier, cheaper, and tastier than store-bought; it makes the house smell wonderful; and, believe it or not, once you get the hang of it, making bread can feel easier than going to the market.

      Materials for Each Project:

      • Mixing bowls

      • Measuring cups and spoons

      • Bowl scraper

      • Mixing spoon

      • Lightweight dishcloth

      • Baking sheets or loaf pans

      • Cooling racks

      Bettina’s Recipe for Super-Simple Rolls or Bread

      If you’re grinding your own flour (see Grinding Whole Grains into Flour sidebar on page 41) for baking bread, this is an easy recipe to start with. It uses half freshly ground whole-wheat flour and half unbleached all-purpose store-bought flour. As you get more comfortable with СКАЧАТЬ