Breaking Bad

Yes. Hank's name was inspired by the Breaking Bad character.

Yes. Hank’s name was inspired by the Breaking Bad character.

Hank is 18 weeks old and weighs 48 lbs. He posed for this picture.

Notes from the Garden
Learn from this year’s mistakes and do this:
Plant less corn (60 seeds plenty)
Plant more potatoes
No more eggplant
Use black plastic along sides of garden and plant the squash (terrible crop this year)
Forget the three sister’s idea.
Plant the beans in the traditional manner, in rows, in the middle of the garden
Plant more onion (25 plants would be great)
Plant flowers in one bed only
Tomatoes were abundant and gorgeous
Plant more carrots, beets and radishes

I read this book on the airplane to Boston The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. Tried the no knead Artisan Bread and Potato Leek Soup. Delicious and easy. Learned more from that book than any other cookbook in my vast collection.

Artisan Bread (four one pound loaves)
3 cups lukewarm water
1.5 tablespoon yeast (one package)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
6.5 cups unsifted unbleached all purpose white flour
Cornmeal

Combine water, yeast and salt in 5 quart bowl. Stir to mix. Add all flour at once with wooden spoon until dough is wet and sticky and no dry patches left. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours at room temperature. If you are not using immediately, you can put in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To make a loaf, lightly sprinkle flour onto dough’s surface. Scoop a handful about size of grapefruit and tear away from the rest. Gently form the dough into a round blob. Dust the whole thing with flour or cornmeal. Let it rise for half an hour or 90 minutes.

About 20 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a broiler tray on the bottom rack of oven. Put a cookie sheet, pizza pan or baking stone on middle rack.

Slash top of bread with cross or lines. I used cookie cutter for nice design. Slide bread onto pre-heated cookie sheet. Carefully pour one cup of water into broiler pan. Close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is brown and the loaf feels light and hollow. Cool to room temperature.

I have made two loaves so far. Keep the remaining dough in the fridge. Use as desired. So good.