Sharry Miller

Sourdough Musings

Since yesterday's Scottish Buttermilk Bread didn't meet our bread needs for the week, and since I haven't used my sourdough sponge (starter) in a month, I decided to make some sourdough bread today. Actually, I made that decision late last night and added two cups of white flour and two cups of water to the cup of sponge I had in the refrigerator. It needed to sit on the counter overnight to get well activated... Read more →

Scottish Buttermilk Bread

My adventures with Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads continued yesterday with the making of Scottish Buttermilk Bread. With this loaf I was forced to acknowledge that if I'm going to work my way through all of the recipes in the book, I'm going to make loaves that don't suit my needs, that is, aren't standard loaves of bread appropriate for toast, sandwiches, etc. Clayton describes Scottish Buttermilk Bread as being "closely akin to... Read more →

Bread of Five Risings

I checked the clock and added time carefully before I tackled the next recipe in Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads. It was nearly 4:30 when I started, and since the recipe said the dough required five risings, I wasn't sure it would be done in time for dinner. It took my fingers and toes to calculate, but I decided all would be well if we didn't eat early. I was wrong. We finished... Read more →

Lamb's Quarters Pesto

It was such a delightful surprise. Ever since I took Janice Schofield's wild plants workshop, I've been searching Valdez for lamb's quarters. This unassuming little "weed" is vitamin-packed and delicious, and during the workshop we used it as a primary ingredient in several recipes. So, I searched as I pedaled out Dayville Road and along the Richardson Highway, and hiked up Solomon Gulch and behind my house. I couldn't find any lamb's quarters anywhere. Last... Read more →

Loving Wild Plants

View of the Copper River from the road to Chitina. As I pedaled, I peered at the brush along the bike path, hoping to spot some lamb’s quarters. Unfortunately, 14-mph botany isn’t much easier than 55-mph botany. All I could see was alders, fireweed, alders, yarrow, alders, and, oh, did I mention alders? Alder saplings are quite prolific along Dayville Road. What, you may ask, is lamb’s quarters, and why was I looking for it?... Read more →

Amazing Pumpkin Soup

Rowan and I bought a pumpkin in Fairbanks the weekend before Halloween with the intention of carving it, but we never seemed to get around to it (those "round to its" are really hard to come by). Last Friday, I finally cut it up and roasted it. I love cooking with fresh pumpkin, so I knew I'd use it. After a conversation with friends about pumpkin and squash soups, I decided to make one Saturday.... Read more →

Rhubarb Friendship Sauce

It was a sauce that couldn't have been made without friendship. The first friendship piece was obvious: Wendy and I decided a couple of weeks ago we'd get together to make rhubarb sauce. To ease the process, she brought a delicious bottle of Three Blind Moose chardonnay. It's a true friend indeed who provides the wine. The primary ingredient in rhubarb sauce is, of course, rhubarb. It is here that friends played the most important... Read more →

Apricots, Cherries, Peaches

"It won't be as good as your grandmother's," I warned my husband as he asked me, again, to make apricot-pineapple jam. He has very fond memories of being a 10-year-old eating his Grandmother (never Grandma) Miller's jam. How could anything I make ever compete with that? I'd purchased a 20 lb box each of peaches, apricots, and cherries from Tree Things, and picked them up at Pippin Lake on Thursday. This family-owned company brings up... Read more →

Best Quiche Ever Recipe

I promised the women on my Bhutan trip that I'd share my salmon (or anything else you want it to be) quiche recipe. It's the best ever! I think it originally came from the Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (in Chugiak, Alaska) cookbook many, many years ago. I've made a few changes to suit my tastes and available ingredients. Salmon Quiche 3 eggs, beaten 2/3 c milk 1/3 c mayonnaise 1/2 c plain yogurt or sour... Read more →

Pumpkin Soup

I found a recipe for pumpkin soup in Joy of Cooking (page 129), but modified it heavily for my experimental dinner this evening. Saute 1 cup minced onion and 3 cloves garlic in 2 T butter (the real stuff) until onions are clear. Dice 1 large potato and add to onions, saute a couple of minutes. Add 3 cups chicken bullion or stock, a generous shaking of pepper, 1/2 cup or so diced ham, and... Read more →