Sidonie Maroon, The Food Co-op’s Culinary Educator
Join the group “Cooking with the Coop” on Face Book!

Since we can’t get together to cook, I’ve come up with a way to share our passion for food and healthy eating. Yes, everyone is doing Zoom, and that’s wonderful, but I want to create a rich atmosphere where we can explore different culinary topics together as a community of learners.  I’m an experiential teacher; not a fill up the empty vessel with information one. I’m passionate about sharing what I know, but more passionate about inspiring you to follow your curiosity, delve in and explore.

I never just teach people how to cook. I teach people how to access their inner chef — how to delight in the smells, colors, tastes, flavors and yummy immersion in the life of cooking. To do this I connect with my students, support them, encourage them…. I’m hoping we can get some of this going through our new Face Book group “Cooking with the Coop”. In this group I’ll introduce weekly themes along a topic for us to cook-along or bake-along together. I’ll offer audio and image tutorials, answer questions and introduce concepts and techniques. Best of all, I’ll be around often to answer questions. 

The Great Port Townsend Bake-a-Long

 “Cooking with the Coop”, is the Coop’s new Facebook group, where Sidonie Maroon, our culinary educator, is hosting educational cooking and baking events. We kick off with “The Great Port Townsend Bake-a-Long” at May 18 at 10 am. The week’s theme, May 18-24 is “Sourdough Starters”.

To take part, join the group “Cooking with the Coop” on Face Book.

The Great Port Townsend Bake-a-long’s  

Sourdough Starter Events   

Two Mini Classes during the week 

●     May 18th at 10 am:  Mini Class with Sidonie #glutenfreestarterclass  

Learn to make a gluten-free and grain free starter using an Instant Pot. I’ll share my technique via an audio slide show. I’ll also be available throughout the week to answer questions and support your sourdough journey. 

●     May 22 at 10 am: Another Mini Class with Sidonie —  How to keep and feed a firm gluten-free starter #firmstarterclass.  Audio and slideshow demo.

The Great Sourdough Race — start a sourdough starter at noon on the 18th and keep track of its progress. Post pics and write us about how it’s going? The good, bad and the ugly. I’ll provide starter resources and recipes.

●     “Start your Starter” Race  #startyourstarter —

Race begins at 12 noon on May 18 and ends May 24 at 12 noon. Winners will receive Emojis and a thumbs up.

Join the “Start your Starter” race, using  gluten-free or wheat flours. Use traditional techniques or create your own. Keep track and show and tell — How long did your starter take to be active? What was your method?

Sourdough Starter Gallery and Storytelling #sourdoughstartergallery 

Post to the group: your sourdough saga. The trials and tribulations, 4 am feedings... you never ceasing endurance in the quest to keep it ALIVE!

 Post your Problems #postyourproblems

Having trouble with your sourdough starter? Describe your problem in a post #postyourproblems and get sage advice.

Upcoming Bake-a-Long Theme — Sourdough Pizza!

Begins May 25 at 10 am

Remember to join “Cooking with the Coop” Facebook group to take part.

An interesting idea for using up leftover sourdough starter. You can make a wheat version of this recipe using the same amount of flour.

Sourdough Lemon Shortbread

Gluten-free

There is magic when shortbread gets an overnight fermentation. Shortbread should be a clean and straight to the heart cookie. The sourdough fermentation opens up the subtle flavors of the grain, bringing out a depth of flavor—buttery, and just sweet enough with a touch of lemon.  

Makes: two (7 inch rounds) 

Days To Make: 2

Overnight Fermentation Ingredients:

2 cups (267 grams)  gluten-free flour mix (I use sorghum and potato starch. My recipe is below, but any gluten-free baking mix will work)

2 tablespoons flaxmeal

¼  cup (56 grams)  active sourdough starter

½ cup (100 grams) coconut sugar

¾ cup cold unsalted butter (1 and ½ sticks) (169 grams) chopped into small chunks

Baking Ingredients:

fine zest of one lemon (2 tablespoons)

3 drops lemon oil or 1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon sea salt

Overnight Fermentation Instructions:

In the work bowl of a food processor, add flour and sourdough starter, pulse 6-8 times until combined. Add sugar and pulse, add butter chunks and pulse several times.

Empty contents of work bowl into a large mixing bowl. It should be buttery and hold together easily. Gather dough into a ball.

Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it ferment overnight or (12 to 24 hours) at room temperature. We turn our oven to warm,  then turn it off, and ferment the dough in the warmed oven.

Baking Instructions:

1. Open the fermented dough up with your hands. It should look puffy with some bubbles and taste slightly sour—but not too much. If none of this has happened, then it needs more time to ferment — put it into a warm, but turned-off oven for another 1-2 hours. If fermented, then proceed.

2. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle portion and preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C. Ready a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Mix salt, lemon zest, lemon, and lemon extract together in a small dish.  Break the dough up and work in the salt and other ingredients in with your hands so they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.

4. Split the dough in half and press each ball into a 7 inch round disk on the baking sheet.   Chill for 15 minutes. When chilled, prick a design with fork tines, or a cookie stamp. It’s lots of fun to experiment.  Crimp the edges as for a pie. Cut the rounds into 12 even pieces.

5. Bake until they are golden, 15 minutes, don’t  over bake. 

                 Remove and let rounds cool for 10 minutes before eating.

My gluten-free flour ratio is 2 cups sorghum flour to 1 cup potato starch to 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.

For a big batch

Mix

2 packages Bob’s Red Mill Sorghum flour

1 package Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch

3 tablespoons xanthan gum.  Store in the refrigerator.