My first sourdough starter

I've decided that now is the time to start my very own sour dough starter.  Hopefully this will be a start of a very long relationship!

I've started it with 100g of flour (mixture of spelt and mixed grain flour) and roughly the same amount of luke warm water.

I whisked the mixture until it looked the same consistency as pancake batter and put cling film over the top of the bowl. 

Already I can see three bubbles forming...

I have left it in a warm place for the fermentation to begin.

Tomorrow I will check it again.  At that stage if it's looking lively with bubbles and the cling film is a little risen then it will be time to feed it again with 30g flour and 30ml water.

The instructions on Real Bread say to continue this process for 5 more days (about 7 days in total).  After about 7 days it should start smelling yeasty, sweet, fruity and it is at this point that it will be ready to use to bake with.

Since starting to write this blog my starter has one more bubble...

Asparagus - How do you eat yours?

I love this season.  You know the one... when asparagus starts gracing local farmers markets with its lovely presence.  Our very own delicacy which grows so easily over here.  A real treat in the eating seasonal food calendar.

These were the first sprigs I bought so I really wanted to do them justice. 

I smeared home made spring garlic pesto all over them and roasted them with some slow roasted tomatoes that I harvested from my garden last autumn.

The garlic pesto was made with garlic I started growing last autumn but in the spring, before we were about to move to Birmingham, I noticed what looked like white rot on one bulb.  Not wanting to risk transporting infected garlic to my new garden in Birmingham, I made a very powerful pesto with all the parts of the garlic that had grown so far.  The result is probably the most potent garlic pesto I have ever tasted and it really complements roasting vegetables - and it tastes devine with asparagus!