WILDfest.
We had so much fun this past weekend at WILDfest at the beautiful Cedar Creek Vineyards. Jesse taught a class on homemade wine, and the day was filled with many other foraging and fermenting workshops, including the amazing Doug Elliot and Sandor Katz. We met lots of wonderful folks, exchanged seeds, and basically felt guilty for spending a gorgeous, sunny day off the farm. 
WILD FEST.
Next month, on April 19th at the beautiful Cedar Creek Vineyards, I will have the privilege of presenting at the same event as one of my greatest influences, Mr. Sandor Katz. The event is called WILDfest, a celebration of foraging and fermentation, and if you are anywhere within driving distance of Somerset, KY (and perhaps even if you're nowhere near), you should absolutely consider coming!Sandor––whose latest book "The Art of Fermentation" has acquired numerous accolades included a James Beard Award and reaching the coveted New York Times Bestseller List, and whose presence could be seen all over Michael Pollan's latest work "Cooked"––is a talented and dynamic presenter. For those interested in fermentation, this is a great opportunity to better understand the necessity of fermentation and perhaps some of the basic guidelines for making consistent and healthful ferments.As if you needed any more incentive, use the code Roughdraft15 when you buy your tickets and receive ten percent off the ticket price between now and April 1st! Hannah and I will have a booth there, and I will be presenting on natural homemade wine. The Kentucky Forager, Reclaiming Your Roots, Kentucky Heartwood, as well as famed naturalist and storyteller Doug Elliot will all also be presenting. It's destined to be good times and we'd love to see you there!-Jesse.
PUTTING KALE BY.
Although we've been neglecting our fermentation posts, we've decidedly not been neglecting our fermentations. As of late, my focus has been on preserving kale, or "putting kale by" as they say locally. Hannah and I both are big fans of kale, and come summer, when our greens will be severely limited under the heat, its nice to have a little extra greenery around.We have loads of volunteer kale in our high tunnel right now, getting ready to bolt (flower) and I've approached preserving it in a few different ways. First, I have sun-dried the leaves partially then packed them into a jar to lacto-ferment for ten days. Second, I have sun-dried the kale blossoms and lacto-fermented them with hot peppers and garlic. Lastly, I have just plain dried them in the sun to put into soups or sauces.The drying before fermenting was something I decided to experiment with after reading a recipe for gundruk in The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz, where you dry the leaves of radishes or other brassicas (broccoli family), stuff them into a jar, ferment them for several days and then dry them again. Gundruk is an unsalted ferment and results are often used in different Himalayan soups. I don't do much that doesn't involve salt, so I modified the idea a bit by adding a couple tablespoons. Plus, I liked the chewy kale so I just decided to not dry it again and use the ferment like an after (or before) dinner chaw, or appetizer. I've always had a fondness for sun-dried fruits and vegetables, which was what attracted me to this ferment in the first place. It's also led me to lots of new ideas which will no doubt be hitting the blog this summer as the bounty arrives and we scramble to preserve it all.- Jesse.
THE BUBBLING FARMSTEAD.
Fermentation has truly taken over our lives - and our kitchen - lately. Jesse has three different wine/beers going….the mulberry, a wild berry, and an oat and honey brew he is experimenting with. I have been trying to spend a full day baking bread each week. We have crocks and mason jars all over the counters, sourdough starters and pickled radishes on top of the fridge, all constantly being stirred and fed and monitored. They become pets of sorts, all needing constant care and nourishment until they are ready to nourish us. We are fueled partly by an attempt to sustain ourselves, partly because of THIS new book, but also out of a curiousity and reverence for this amazing, magical, and ancient practice.
