One Local Summer: Week 1 round up

Was there an international section last year? This year, we've got one experienced locavore, and the rest of us are groping about making a start, with varying degrees of success.

Sally in Bristol UK made egg and chips with mayonnaise and peppery rocket ... it all came from the farm shop near Frome that's close to her work. Maybe she's been working too hard, because she fell asleep and the chips burnt in the oven. Find her posts at Diario

In France, Riana at Garlic Breath took it all in her stride, she's a long-standing locavore, one I've found inspiring over the months since she began her year of not shopping. Her meal this week was from weeds - yes, that's right, weeds - and flowers. Did you know you could eat hollyhocks? Me neither

Mariah at Rural Aspirations is nervous, she's only just started on this journey, but she's decided to go for it. Just not this week, there were problems, so she's made some cheese, and has great recommendations for local cheeses for locavores around Vancouver.

Amber says she was too scared to take part last summer, but now - with a newborn as well as a toddler - she's giving it a go.

One of the problems several of us have had is in deciding what local actually means. I've decided to start with a loose definition, trying each time to choose the most local. I amazed myself by finding local cold-pressed oil - something I never thought I'd find in the UK, and a great relief as my husband doesn't do saturated fats following a heart attack. Our meal was delicious but frugal - the result of lack of forward planning; find it at Joanna's Food

At Karen's Home on the Blog in Ayr, Canada they ate bacon and eggs ... she's going to post about her definition of local - but it already includes produce from her garden.


Because the international section is so small at the moment, I've invited bloggers to join us for one week, or whatever they can manage ...

Wendy at A Wee Bit of Cooking made gnocchi with nettles from her weed patch. All the other ingredients are from her native Scotland. I can't wait to try it on mine.


You can find the dozens of others taking part in the One Local Summer challenge at Farm to Philly

Machine bread, local flour

Until yesterday, I felt a little embarrassed to have bought a bread machine ... truth to tell, though, my handmade (artisan?!) bread has always been a little hit and miss: either delicious - or else so heavy as to be barely edible (even using the same recipe). I've inflicted this on my family for years, and they have put up with it with characteristic humour (also on occasion other characteristic reactions which I think I will not share).

The bread machine makes it all so simple. And edible. Every time. Every single time. And you don't have to bake your dough in the funny machine shape, you can whip out the dough and shape it however you'd like. Last week I made dough sticks, foccacia, fougasse, pizza, and rolls. All delicious, light, airy - also no trouble. (Hence, I suspect, my embarrassment.)

Yesterday, I bought flour from Wessex Mills, ground from wheat mostly grown around half an hour from here, at five named farms, one of which I can picture, and at least two more of which I have driven past. And the resulting bread, made in under two hours automatically on the rapid setting while I was at a meeting, was ... wonderful. The wheat was grown at Ash Farm, West Hagbourne; Manor Farm, Westcott Barton; Shalstone Manor, Shalstone; Woodway Farm, Aston Rowant; Church Farm, Lewknor. How's that for traceability?



Quick white bread in a machine

1 tsp quick yeast
400g strong white flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
280 ml water

I used demerara sugar because it was there. In future I plan to use honey or maple syrup (lovely lovely Christmas present) or molasses, all of which will add depth of flavour. I use Maldon salt for everything.

My machine is Panasonic, so I always start with yeast then flour, adding liquids last. I gather other machines require you to add ingredients in other ways.

Set the machine to basic/rapid/medium. That takes just under two hours in mine.













Related posts:

Antioxidant teabread
White pizzas with fennel seeds