As I mentioned, Lisa gave me some heirloom Connecticut Red Fife wheat for trials (from Curtis Eck near Kent, CT).I am hardly a baker and Lisa might have gotten more professional results asking Kaela.
Still, I am an eater and a darn good one at that. So far, I’ve tried a pie crust and made little tarts and a quiche and was really happy with how those came out.
While researching Red Fife, I came upon these biscuits. They look delicious and even better, the recipe is incredibly simple.So, I made them:
They were really good! Next time, I’ll use a little more salt, a little more butter and less milk. I used half Red Fife and half Soft White Winter Wheat from Wild Hive.
Okay, so all of that’s fine and well, but the real test for wheat is macaroni (or if you prefer, pasta). So, I made some of that too. This time, I used 100% Red Fife. The dough handled well (for not being durum semolina).
I tossed the fettuccine noodles with broccoli sautéed in olive oil with garlic scapes. The taste and texture were spot on—hearty but without that cardboard whole wheat taste. It tasted like macaroni!
Sources
- Red Fife wheat from Curtis Eck near Kent, CT
- eggs, broccoli, and garlic scapes from Sport Hill Farm
- olive oil from Italy (from my grove—I know, I still owe you that post)
Definitely something to do again.
Okay Lisa, the local Red Fife wheat passed all of my tests. Where can I get more?
I think I’m a slacker when to comes to getting local grains… I need to do that. I’d love to try that connecticut wheat.
By the way those biscuits look great!
Alicia, I got the Red Fife from Lisa of Goatboy for “trials.” I tried it, I liked it, and I asked her where I can buy it for real. I’ll let you know when I find out.
In the meanwhile, Wild Hive has a nice assortment and they’re wildly supportive of local foods and farmers. They’re about an hour from me, but it’s a beautiful drive and a fabulous cafe/bakery. And flour stores well in the freezer.
Hello My name is Janet and I am a small baker in Orange County NY you can also get some great local grains (order on line) from Farmers Ground Flour! You can visit the site also Contact Shamus Clancey at 229-6429, or contact him by email at: shamus@cporganics.com
Thank you
Janet
Janet’s Q Baked Goods
Florida, NY
Happy 4th of July
Hi Janet. Thanks for stopping by and a Happy 4th to you too! I’m familiar with Shamus and Cayuga Pure Organics–I think they’re fabulous and they’re listed on My Foodshed page under Grains and Beans. Cayuga is about 170 miles from me. While my guideline is 100 miles, I gladly make an exception for them! Their beans are outstanding. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to try their grains but am looking forward to it.