Saturday, July 22, 2017

Mini Savory Sourdough Scones



Chanterele Mushroom


A few of you may recall when I began exploring sourdough a few years ago.   I continue to be slightly in thrall of my living yeast!   At this time, my sourdough starter is what I refer to as my pet.  The little beast is not very demanding, when everything is going smoothly, it is on a daily feed routine.  Sometimes things get off schedule and I am away a few days, and upon returning, have to decide if it will forgive me and come back to its bubbly self, or began anew because I did not have the foresight to put it in the refrigerator!  

My current starter, bought into life this spring with the help of red peach tree leaves from Owen County, a little Upland Dragonfly and a spoon of Barrel Chested beer feed with whole wheat, brown rice, buckwheat, a little barley, a bit of rye, kamut, spelt and millet flours.

As you with sourdough starters (PETS) know, every time you feed you have either the opportunity to bake or cast off.   And when you allow for time, can do many amazing things with your sourdough cast off.  The following recipe is something I have been doing again, and again, and planning on doing often!  This is a big batch for me, so I am very glad that they freeze beautifully!

Kale Mini Scones

I made these for first Friday in the Flowing Colors Studio and the recipe was requested! Let me know how the addition of chanterelles works for you or any other mushroom!  Friends from Owen County found gallons (yes!) of Chanterelles these past two to three weeks and she showed up at my home with a good mess for me!)  

This morning, I baked the Chanterelle scones and have a batch of mini-scones in the freezer for  First Friday in August.

I hope you make these tender scones and enjoy eating them as much as I do, and if you like them, post a comment, or give us a  tweet! 

Here is my recipe, the one used on First Friday in July that you asked for - only with the swithch from kale to Chanterelles! 

Chanterele Scones

 Savory Sourdough Scones


Ingredients

2 cups flour – I usually use a combination of certified organic grains
mostly, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, and a little brown rice
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp Quilter’s Comfort L.A.O. Seasoning
1/2 cup chopped kale or 1 cup sauteed or grilled Chlanterelle mushrooms (ideal if locally wildcrafted)*
½ cup yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup dehydrated beans (pinto or black)
3 fresh sage leaves, minced very well
½ tsp fresh thyme, minced very well
pinch of dried black pepper
½ cup oil
¼ cup yogurt whey
¼ cup yogurt
1 cup sourdough starter

  • In a large bowl combine flours, baking powder, sea salt, sugar, baking soda
Massage in the oil until the mixture resembles bread crumbs
  • Stir in sourdough, vegetables (use veggies you like) and other ingredients.
  • and add yogurt by the tablespoon until you can form a nice ball.
  • Gently knead, with very light touches until it comes together.
  • Roll out gently to about ½ inch (thicker if you like) then cut with a knife into triangles or use a shaped cutter.
  • Place scones on an oiled baking sheet
  • Let them rest 10 minutes under a towel
  • Bake 15 – 20 minutes at 425° (7-9 minutes for mini-scones) - Oven’s are do not have uniform temperatures.  Check your bake often after 10 minutes to prevent an over cooked scone.
 * Bloomington, Indiana area is just now past the harvesting of Chanterelles, it comes fast and some years are very lean and others, are full, very full with this orange fruity fungus.

If you want a crispy top, you might try putting a pan of water into the oven as is done with sourdough loaf baking.



Check out Flowing Colors Studio (http://flowingcolorstudio.com - We have an arts demonstration almost every first Friday.  I am working in the studio most Thursdays). 

Enjoy!
Patricia

Monday, May 15, 2017

Grandma's Traditions, Yuko's Strawberry Movie, Mustard and More



Once again, my attention is here.

I am cleaning up a portion of my herbal act as it is necessary to maintaining an ease and flow in integrating the past with the present.  

Grandma’s Traditions, a web café where Quilter's Comfort's Grandmother's products are offering mostly hand made, small batch or OOAK products through a safe, secure online store! this shop will also have art cards and prints from HART Rock.





This Pecan Encrusted Brie has gotten quite a few nods for Quilter's Comfort's Wheat Ale Jelly at the Upland!  You can buy beer jelly from me or at Butler's Winery, on College Avenue.




Grandma's Traditions is all about herbal products, arts, prints and cards! The focus is definitely on old time products that are small batch, artisan products and many OOAK.
Onto the scene is Grandma's whole grain mustard and certified organic herbal tonics, all produced with unfiltered vinegar. The tonic vinegar tasted out over a six month period and the tasters refuse to stop their “testing”! Grandma's Traditions connecting voice to a few grandmothers and a few almost forgotten folk skills.


Flowing Colors Studio has developed into a comfortable place to work and be inspired.  It has a gentle buz.  It is a place to visit often.  #600, 112 North Walnut Street.  Stop in and see what we have in our space, we have silk and cotton scarves; botanical dye, pleated forms and shrugs a small selection of teas and seasonings, but more available on line.   Flowing Colors hours are Thursday and Friday 2:00pm to 6:00 pm; open until 8:00pm on first Fridays and Saturdays open 1:00 to 5:00 pm. I am there on Thursdays and by appointment. 

 Finally 



Intro to Braid-in Rub Technique – Made with four strips of fabric.  This example is me repurposing a worn cotton blanket that had belonged to my Grandmother.  This project is also a great way to recycle t-shirts.  Take this class and learn a folk skill that requires very little sewing and get something comfortable to sit or stand upon!
Tools and Materials Fee - $6.00.  Thursday - June 15th and June 29th - 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Workshop Cost - $9 (register for both - $16.00 + $2  - Materials Fee=$18.00) - small groups welcome.  Pre-registration three days before class.




Part I Introduction to the Articulated Clay Doll TBA

   
      
                                                                                                                                                               Here is a Shout Out to my friend Yuko, some of you may remember her from the Café, Her  movie  StrawberriesWill Save the Worldis here!!!!!!!!


Thanks for reading and watching!

       Strawberry Doll


Blessings in herbal goodness!
Patricia

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Bluesy Green with Cranberry, Wheat Ale and Elderberry Rose Mint Jelly!

Hello Everyone!

I am very excited to now have a few select Quilter's Comfort Small batch jellies in Brown County, Indiana!   Now available in Nashville are:  Bluesy Green with Cranberry, Wheat Ale and Elderberry Rose Mint Jelly at the Brown County Potters shop, in Nashville Indiana!

Wondering what it taste like?  An appetizer on the Upland, 11th Street , Bloomington menu, list "Local jelly"  with carabatta cheese and local ham (this jelly is the Wheat Ale)!  So check it out!  Go sample and taste the flavor of delicious beer jelly; or wait for or it to be on local Bloomington shelves (Farmer House Museum), or get a taste when I am at a local market event and usually offering tastings at most event, or fly free and send me an email from Bloomington, we can do a web dance, and you can pick up your order at the Farmer House Museum. 

Haven't tasted these jellies?  Yes, There will be opportunities to sample the jellies and other unique seasoning flavors!

  1.                              

Next Saturday,  April 23 , 2016 is the Yelp event at Upland on 11th Street (this event full).  30 Yelpers will be there to tour the new brew facility and to meet and sample from a few of the Upland vendors.  
Quilter's Comfort will be there!  Planning to have mini eclairs with Upland beer jelly  and other jellies for tasting.  I will also have Everything Dip; and in an ideal world, my sourdough bread started from an Upland brew!  These offerings will be paired with Upland beer.   All this, and I hope to have a surprise or too.  All depends on how the experiments work out!
I will tell you that I am playing with some of my tesselations and will use a few in my table display!
Want to taste now!  reserve us for a tasting!

Question.  Someone recently, someone asked me if I was a Unicorn.  What does this mean?  Still mulling this one over. 


Next Saturday,  April 23 , 2016 is the Yelp event at Upland on 11th Street.  30 Yelpers will be there to tour the new brew facility and to meet and sample from a few of the Upland vendors.  

Quilter's Comfort will be there!  Planning to have mini eclairs with Upland beer jelly  and other jellies for tasting.  I will also have Everything Dip; and in an ideal world, my sourdough bread started from an Upland brew!  These offerings will be paired with Upland beer.   All this, and I hope to have a surprise or too.  All depends on how the experiments work out!

I will tell you that I am playing with some of my tesselations and will use a few in my table display!

Blessings in herbal goodness!

Patricia



Thursday, March 31, 2016

Springtime Excitement! Teas on the Road to Japan and YELP GREAT GET AWAY to BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

HAPPY SPRING UPDATE!

New life is everywhere.  Plants emerging from ground.  Some branches budding, others already leafing out.  A day ago, I saw the first flush of red bud blossom.  Soon the entire ridge will be popping with who knows how many shades of green and this contrasting pink.

A week ago I wondered when the fast paced leafing would begin.  The growth that eventually obscures my view of the road.  It is fast upon me.


Strawberry 15 herbal tea  (pictured above) along with Rose Mint and Elderberry Rose Mint Jellies traveled with my friend Yuko to Japan!  The Rose Mint jelly was a request from an admirer there.

On the way - Farmer House Museum will soon have:  Farmer House Garden Blend, Spearmint Lift and Lemonbalm(812) 336-5597, They are located at 529 N College Ave (10th and College), Bloomington, IN 4




Some Quilter's Comfort jellies will soon be available in a Brown County shop!  More about that later!



 
As a Vendor to Upland, Quilter's Comfort is participating in  YELP'S Great Getaway.



 I plan on baking baby eclairs and filling them with beer jelly crafted from Upland beers; sourdough biscuit or maybe a jelly scone and something with the Everything Plus Dip!

Enjoy!






Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Quilter's Comfort to Participate in Eiteljorg Women In Art



 Hello Tea Lover,

What a beautiful sunny day here in Bloomington!  




Time is moving quickly,  soon I will be participating in the Eiteljorg Women in Art Market on March 19th from 10am to 5pm.  The  Eiteljorg Museum is located at 500 W. Washington St. in Indianapolis, IN.  I will have teas, including Chocolate Raspberry, DOWNSTREAM and Rose Mint, a little beer jelly; some of my art work - hand bound books, art prints, rice paste cards.  You can see more at HART Rock

 A shout out of appreciation and thank you to all who support this small business and again to local people for your purchases through the Quilter’s Comfort website.  To those new to the mailing list, there are no shipping charges.

Food News has been updated.  You will find what is listed below and much more!




Please follow us on our Blog at http://www.quilterscomfort.blogspot  and on
                                           Twitter at https://twitter.com/QuiltersComfort

Herbal Blessings

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Hello,

Teas, Seasonings, Jellies, oh yes!  It has been a busy time, and I have been enjoying my work with Quilter's Comfort!  I am still breaking out in a very big smile each time I think of my jelly being consumed by Upland diners!  Wheat Ale Jelly, yes!  And what turned out to be the season favorite, Chocolate Raspberry Stout, especially Bear Kisses. Which most will have to wait for next year for more, as it turned out to be a seasonal brew.  Or maybe I will find myself experimenting with another dark beer.  Something really wonderful happens when you introduce fruit and chocolate into beer!  Wine too!


Roses for You



So much going on!  Last weekend I had Quilter's Comfort products with me at the BLOOM Mag Artist Showcase in the Bloomington, IN Convention Center.  I appreciate having a few teas and seasonings there with my visual arts. 

Yesterday, I dropped off a few small quilts to the Farmer House Museum for their annual quilt show opening first Friday in March!

Our new tea DOWNSTREAM is luscious, fragrant and a smooth herbal joy! 



On March 19th, Quilter's Comfort products will be with me at Women's Market in the Eiteljorg Museum!   I am excited to introduce my series of Seasoned Greetings from Indiana!  I am still deciding if it is okay to use this greeting for teas and spices, or whether it would be best to also make Herbal Greetings from Indiana!  

Abstracted Summer V


Roses for You is and Abstracted Summer V are two of the images that will grace the cover of  Quilter's Comfort's Herbal Art Seasoned Greeting cards!  Nice to look at, frame-able and delicious!


Herbal blessings!



Saturday, December 12, 2015

Holiday Events, Jellies, Jellies and Chef Collaboration



 

May this note find all well and your hearts full of joy, and that Quilter’s Comfort will be some part of your celebrations and your day to day life.

For many of us, this may be a very hectic time.  If you are on the mailing list, you know that Quilter’s Comfort participated in Holiday House and thank all who came out to support the event and my herbal business in particular.

The Quilter’s Comfort website has been updated, well mostly.  There is still work to be done and pages to link, so please bare with me as I juggle the work.  Bloomington folks please note purchase arrangements available to avoid shipping cost!

Now, I am preparing for this year’s Krista Detour Holiday Show, Market and CD Release.  Each year Krista hosts a benefit for a local non-profit.  This year it is for VIPS, Visually Impaired Preschoolers and takes place Friday, December 18, 7:00 pm in the Unitarian Universalist Church.  Visit her website at http://www.kristadetour.com for details.

I plan to offer herbal teas, seasonings and this year have some new packaging options and gift sets. 


I also have an assortment of jellies- local beer, local coffee, herbal and some fruit jellies - Cranberry Orange and Apple Jam.  I also have some very decadently delicious Chocolate Raspberry Stout (certified organic) jam and Rose Delight (made from certified organic coconut sugar and local honey!  As you know, all are made in small batches, so are available while supplies last, or by special order.



Over the last month, just from a chance meeting, I have been exploring UPLAND Brewery’s Wheat Ale to be used by Executive Chef Padraig Cullen.  I am very excited about this collaboration and getting the details worked out to both our liking.  I love having the staff referring to me as their beer jelly lady!  So much fun and appreciation all around!  There are a few other collaborations brewing and depending on the details will unfold in 2016.

Speaking of 2016, we have the name for our new tea!  Visit our website tea page to see the name! Click Here



Saturday, September 12, 2015

MAKEVENTION SURPRISE FOR QUILTER'S COMFORT

Hello,

It is now weeks since MAKEVENTION, a convention of makers sponsored by Bloominglabs here in Bloomington, IN.  I recall the evening before the event, leaving the tea cave, Ursula, and wondering why I was still in town.  Finally as I was about to turn onto the road out of town, there before me in the right lane was a maker rig just pulling into town.  I knew where they were headed and found them the next day to offer a welcome and hello.


Here Yuko and BJ at my booth.  She is demonstrating her Otedama made of repurposed kimono silk from Japan.  See the plate with crumbs above the sign?  That is what remains of my delicious bread offered as a base for those sampling my jelly.




The jellies went over beautifully and to my surprise and delight, so did my first ever bake from my sour dough culture!

My daughters and I are taking a Sourdough Bread Baking class online through a platform called Craftsy.  It is my first such experience taking a class via the web.This is something I am able to share with my daughters, though we explore on different schedules from different locations.    I am having such a great time learning a lot and finding so many people passionate about sourdough.

This thing  with the living yeast goes deep.  There is someone with a starter that has a 100 year lineage!   Since beginning this class, I have made a few quick breads, crackers with the Chocolate Seasoning that are a huge hit, baguettes, boules and now ready to begin incorporating my jelly and other herbal blends! 

 Boules!  Yum Yum.

 At this time, I am considering having some of my sourdough creations at Winter Fair in November in the Bloomington Convention Center.  That will depend on my energy levels and planning.

I always enjoy hearing the different descriptions people offer for my jellies, books, and other artistic maker works.  I am still amazed with the flexagon book structures and do delight in sharing them.  Most of the folks here are techie, sharing collections, such as the IU Puzzle Collection guy or the Creative Anachronistic.

If I had given it thought, I might have imagined there to be a puzzle collection, and now I have had a glimpse into the holdings at IU.  Maybe a perfect adventure  on  a cold winters day.  When I go, perhaps, I will take with me an example of the puzzles I make special from time to time.

In the booth beside me was an amazing group of women with fiber, one with a drop spindle, others waving knitting needles and crochet hooks and all surrounded with wonderful soft woven shawls and other objects!

Since then, I continue my updating journey through the website and other abandoned web resources.  Why do I do this?  Because,  I choose to earn my living with something that I enjoy and want to put energy into creating the opportunity for you to purchase, enjoy and appreciate as well.

And this is how I joyfully create resources to craft a sustainable lively hood that allows me to honor my financial commitments as I share some of what I love.



Quilter’s Comfort is about piecing together natures herbal goodness one amazing plant at a time.

Blessings and thank you for this opportunity to enjoy and share this amazing journey with you!

PC