Summer Lunch

Summer Squash Salad, Caprese Salad, and Homemade Bread

We had the first fresh zucchini and yellow crookneck yesterday and we had just gotten some beautiful basil from a local farmer. The squash salad was a first time experiment, as was the mozzarella. For the mozzarella, I used this easy to follow tutorial. The texture turned out a little grainy but it was still really good. I'm anxious to try again. I think I may have let the milk get a couple of degrees too hot before adding the rennet.

Summer Squash Salad (adapted from free magazine from health food store)

2 T soy sauce + 2 T almond butter + 2 t curry powder

Whisk together until well mixed - it will be thick, just short of pasty

yellow crookneck squash + zucchini (about 8 oz. each)

Use a vegetable peeler to create squash "noodles". Use the skin. I found that I couldn't make strips from the core of the squash so that went to the chickens.

Stir the veggie strips into the soy sauce mixture. Add...

1/4 c shredded coconut + 1/3 c golden raisins

Serve or refrigerate. (The original recipe also called for cilantro, which I didn't have, but we didn't really miss it. I also think adding cashews would be delicious.)

Latest Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

(aka "The search for a whole wheat sandwich loaf")

1 1/2 c water

1/2 c milk powder

6 T melted butter

2 eggs (Lacey's, so probably 1 1/2 "normal eggs")

2 T sugar

3/4 t salt

4 1/2 c home-milled whole wheat flour

1 T yeast

I did get a good rise, always an exciting sign using entirely whole wheat flour and perhaps a result of adding in the extra sugar for the yeast to get excited about. As it cooled it got a little crumbly, although that was better than it usually is as well. Maybe 2 regular sized eggs would help with binding? Either way, it's still delicious with butter and jam. This is one of those experiments that is not painful to repeat until I finally manage to get it just right.