Originally posted on 5/2/2013
This is Prince Edward County, Ontario, rye. It's the first lot of a test crop.
The folks at Stonemill Bakehouse are very Zen; they are at once forward- and backward-thinking. Looking to a future of locally-grown and sourced ingredients is a new old idea.
You see, we all got dazzled by shiny things from far, far, away and became fossil fuel junkies. And for the blip in human history when fossil fuels have been relatively cheap - if, of course, you don't factor in the cost of all the oil wars and environmental damage - we've enjoyed foods from around the globe...all coming to our shores on waves of fossil fuels. Not a good thing.
So now, as we nudge ever closer to the end of cheap oil, it makes sense for us all to look closer to home for our daily bread...and just about everything else we need - from foods to clothing to furniture. OK, full disclosure; I am a Canadian Sovereigntist, but that's a story for another day.
Bottom line; I go a little gaga for locally-grown, locally-made, locally-whatever. And I'm thrilled to see Ontario planting staple crops like wheat and rye and then, instead of merely loading it all onto a boat and shipping it off to the highest bidder - usually China or India - we're taking the next logical step by milling and creating with it. Right. Here.
OK, I'm climbing down from my soap box now.
Just look at this delicious loaf!
It was baked with the grain harvested from the first, small, test crop of PEC rye. Everyone is very pleased with the results of this non-GM rye and a second crop - bigger this time - has been planted. It'll be ready for harvesting in the fall.
As a people, we tend to want everything now, but isn't it kind of cool to watch something incubate, take shape and finally, bear fruit? Keep watching Ontario farmers and food manufacturers; they're on to something with this everything-old-is-new-again way of thinking.
...and here's what it looks like all toasted to golden, crunchiness, slathered in Canadian honey.
It's nutty and earthy and develops an incredible crunch in the toaster.On the properly chewy outside, I tasted a hint of molasses.
Now, can you rush out and buy this? I don't know. Let's all tell Stonemill how excited we are at the prospect of PEC rye bread and then soon...soon...
UPDATE: Stonemill Bakehouse is going gangbusters! This blog was originally posted back in 2013, when it was was Beta bread! Now, it's full steam ahead bread!
