A week of fermenting

December 7, 2025

Salt early, taste frequently, and do not rush the onions. Use what is in season and the recipe mostly writes itself.

Odds and ends

The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not sticky. Below are a few jottings, roughly in the order I learned them. I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer.

What did not work

Here is what shifted, and what stayed exactly the same. None of this is new, and that is partly why it works. Every winter I revisit the same questions about braised beans.

If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about pastry. The best advice I got was just to slow down. Most problems with stews turn out to be problems with time.

Getting started

There is no single right way to approach preserving, but some ways are kinder than others. I make a double batch and freeze half for busy weeks. I keep a short list of things to try next; shopping at the market is near the top.

Good seasonal greens is mostly a series of modest, unglamorous decisions. I tried the rustic version first. It did not last. This is less a manual and more a record of what worked for me.

What I kept

Serve it with good bread and whatever greens look best. Good roasted vegetables is mostly a series of modest, unglamorous decisions. Most of the flavour comes from a steady hand rather than ingredients. In October the light changes, and so does the work.

Modest, repeatable steps beat big plans nearly every time. Looking back, the rustic approach was the right call. Between preserving and meal planning, the second one taught me more. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about braised beans.

braised beans