brunosdream

The weekend before Thanksgiving I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in Anguilla while our plane had some fixes done. We stayed at the Cuisinart Resort – yes the same Cuisinart that makes the kitchen products. This property is very unique in that it has a huge hydroponic farm (18,000 square feet) on site to supply most of the vegetables and herbs for the resort’s restaurants. This place was a food lover’s dream! We sampled some of the good eats at the restaurants and I got to take a peek at the hydroponic farm courtesy of the farm’s creator and manager, Howard Resh, Ph. D. . For more information on hydroponic farming click the following link to visit Dr. Resh’s website: http://www.howardresh.com/

Here are a few photos of this beautiful and food-centric resort and the hydroponic farm: (click images to enlarge)

 Tuna four ways: sashimi, grilled, tempura and tartare

 Steak tartare

 Chocolate souffle

 From my room

 Beach

 The farm

 Lettuce pond

 Under the lettuce

 Herbs

 Dr. Resh

 Cherry tomatoes

 Red bell pepper

 Yellow bell pepper

Orange bell pepper

 English cucumbers

 Seedlings

 Microgreens

 Under the microgreens

 Baby lettuce

 Planting a crop

 More herbs

 Bok choy

 Eggplant

 Basil

 Cherry tomatoes

 Lettuces

 Beefsteak tomatoes

I wish I had a garden like this in my backyard… maybe next year!

Bruno

If you’re not sure what to bring to your friend’s house for Thanksgiving, here’s an idea. Not as time consuming as some baguette recipes and the results are delicious. If you’re not careful you may eat them all up before you head out to your Thanksgiving feast!!

Sourdough Wheat Baguettes  (recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:

5/8 cup lukewarm water

1 cup sourdough starter

1 cup wheat flour

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon dry active yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Procedure:

1) In a large mixing bowl, stir everything together to make a rough dough. Then start to knead (using a stand mixer, or your hands), adding only enough additional flour as necessary; a slack (sticky) dough makes a light loaf.

The dough will probably stick to the sides of the bowl (or your work surface) at first; scrape it off the sides, and continue kneading for about 7 minutes in a stand mixer; or 8 to 10 minutes by hand.

2) Turn the dough into an oiled bowl, cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 90 minutes.

3) Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into three equal pieces, then shape each piece into a 14 inch long loaf.  Here’s how:

Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a rough log. Fold it lengthwise, and use the heel of your hand to press the edges together. Fold it lengthwise again, and again press the edges together; you’ll notice that during this folding process, the dough has naturally lengthened.

Turn the log over so the seam side is down, and gently roll it into a 14 inch long loaf.

4) Place the loaves onto the back of a baking pan lined w/ parchment paper dusted w/ corn meal and dust loaves w/ flour before covering. Cover them gently w/ plastic wrap, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until they’re nice and puffy. (I used a couche under the parchment paper to give my baguettes support during the second rise)

5) Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven and pizza stone to 450°F.

6) When the loaves are ready for baking remove the plastic wrap and make three diagonal slashes in each loaf, cutting about 1/4 inch deep w/ a serrated knife.  Carefully slide the loaves w/ the parchment paper onto the pizza stone. Bake the baguettes for about 25 minutes, or until they’re a rich golden brown.

7) Remove the loaves from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing. (To get the exterior crunchy again at your friend’s house, place in a 325 degree F oven for 4 or 5 minutes)

Eat well, drink well and be thankful for all the goodness in your life!

Bruno