Healthy Vegan - Golden October In My Kitchen

Well its Orange October, but its looking more gold, bronze and wood colours in my kitchen.  

Before I share some things in my kitchen, I want to say that October perhaps is my favourite month, as its my husbands birthday in a couple of weeks time and our wedding Anniversary.  I found this birthday card that I gave him last year and couldn't resist sharing it with you all, especially as he loves growing his tomatoes. Every year I grow to love him more. I am going to find it hard to find a card to top this one. 

Last month in IMK, I send out my Thanks to Kath who blogs over at The Ordinary Cook. who sent me some sourdough starter through the post including a recipe booklet that I was able to start learning to make sourdough bread at home.  Kath also runs cookery and bakery classes under Veg Patch Kitchen  in Ironbridge, rural Shropshire.  Although I have not had the opportunity to attend one of her classes yet, it is still thanks to her that I was able to experiment and bake!

I was off last week from work, we didn't go anywhere, so I decided to practice every other day making  sourdough - you know what they say - practice, practice, practice. The crust was light and could have been baked a little longer

And even though there were air pockets inside, it was still a little dense, so it needed proving a bit more. Every time, I learned a bit more on how to improve.  I think I made five sourdough loaves last week.  I think I have this very weekend (see below) made the first sourdough loaf that I am pleased with in golden bake, air bubbles, lightness and taste.

I am thanking both Kath for the sourdough starter and Johanna who blogs over at Green Gourmet Giraffe whose overnight sourdough recipe I have been making. I also feel a lot more confident in maintaining my sourdough starter and feeding it. 

I should mention the edged grooved markings on the sourdough loaf come from my new banneton, which I picked up two weeks ago when we went to Hay on Wye.  

We are enjoying some slices of sourdough bread with mushroom pate, olive pate and a spicy Mexican pate, but also as Pan Con Tomate - Catalan Tomato Bread  or is it  Catalan Pa Amb Tomaquet - bread with tomatoes, whilst we still have some homegrown tomatoes. 

Also on our continued path to reduce plastic in our lives and leading a sustainable life, we picked up this pot brush to replace plastic scrubbies.  

Non-vegans and non-vegetarians please look away, unless your curious.  I made some mock meat with vital wheat gluten to go into home-made sandwiches. 

I harvested some pears from the garden, the first year we have actually had any.  I have run out of glass jars, so was not sure what to do with them.  After looking through some recipe books, I decided on preserving them in some syrup.  

Finally, on my way to the dentist I spotted a Eastern European supermarket.  As I was a bit early for my dental appointment, I went in and picked up a few interesting bits: at the back white wine vinegar which was reasonable priced, some large rice cakes labelled at Wafelki.   Ajvar which I do like and a jar of pickled patty pans.  I was tempted by a few other things, but thought I'd get them on my next visit to the dentist which is next month.

I am sharing this blog post with Sherry Pickings for In My Kitchen series, where you get an opportunity to take a peek into fellow bloggers kitchen world wide.