classic northwest.

4oz of greeny goodness.  dry hopping the imperial black ipa today with cascade and amarillo. i'm particularly excited about this guy.

ginger beer

here are a few shots of what goes into the ginger brew we have been making a whole lot of lately. 

 it's actually really simple.  it starts out with a "ginger bug" or start which we feed a bit of sugar and ginger each day until it's bubbly and alive with wild yeast.

after the bug is ready all you have to do is boil a whole bunch of grated ginger (i like mine super gingery), water, sugar and lemon juice, cool it, and add the ginger bug, strain. then bottle and wait at least a week for it to get fizzy and tasty.

this is about our fifth batch and we're keeping our ginger bug alive so we can keep a steady supply!

pot pie brew night

today was a memorable day.  it was our second celebrated event of pot pie brew night, a brilliant tradition we recently invented that will clearly continue, because it is wonderful. beer + brewing + eating delicious variations on the pot pie... how could that go wrong?

tonight the pot pie was a creamy cauliflower pot pie with a black olive studded biscuit crust.  the beer a lovely smelling nut brown, bubbling happily in the fermentor beside me, right this second.

 here's the tasty recipe. for the pie. not the beer. that's top secret...

i believe the inspiration for this pot pie was originally pulled from veganomigon but has been made and altered numerous times over the past few years.  i once made this for my hamburger helper and cold hot dogs on crackers eating grandpa and he loved it. that's a winner for sure. he didn't even tell me it tasted "healthy"!

sauce:
3 tablespoons butter - i use earth balance
4 tablespoons all purpose flour

make a roux! brown that flour in the melted butter, until it smells nutty and delicious, stirring constantly.

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (or other unsweetened milk)

slowly stream in milk while stirring

1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons good grainy mustard
salt and pepper to taste

add herbs, mustard and salt and pepper.  simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened into a sauce.

now, sauté your veggies!

1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced

sauté leek and carrot for about 10 minutes until soft

2 cups quartered crimini mushrooms
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

add mushrooms until softened and beginning to brown, deglaze with white wine vinegar.

1 head cauliflower, in florets

add cauliflower, cook for a few minutes until just tender. don't over cook.

add the sauce to the veggie mixture and pour into a casserole dish.

roll out crust to fit the top and gently place over veggie mixture sealing at the edges.

bake at 375 until top in golden and interior is bubbly.  let rest a few minutes and devour.

bottle day, stage three

today we bottled our first batch of winter warmer! only 2 more weeks and we will happily drinking our first homebrew! made by us!

so many bottles, so much patience required.