My creative space: bubbles

Yes, bubbles of the edible kind. Not champagne, no, although I do have some stored away (given by our wine maker friends Wright Wines). I have been fermenting foods of all kinds, although not as much I would like to but it'll come.
It started with sourdough, and yoghurt. Then a friend gave me kefir grains (mmm, I'm addicted to kefir), and I also tried making saurkraut (I didn't leave that one long enough to reach full flavour I think, I was too impatient!).

water kefir, great for making ginger beer!

Milk kefir, yoghurt with the fizzzz!

A friend also gave us some fermented tomatoes, we tried fermented gherkins at their house and she also gave me a recipe for making apple cider vinegar (dead easy). And now we soak our oats for porridge... Fermented foods are more easily digested by your system and make nutrients more available. Which is why you're supposed to soak grains, seeds and pulses before you cook and use them.

saurkraut

So our bench top often has two or more jars and bowls of food soaking in water, it looks a bit like a science lab and it requires a lot of planning ahead for meals, but since having kids I've found that planning meals makes my life much easier and less stressful (try cooking while your child is screaming of hunger, it never happens fast enough and once it's there they're not hungry anymore).

Apple cider vinegar, with the recipe written on it...

It's been really interesting and eye opening to read about cooking the "traditional" way. A friend lent me her recipe book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. Another good book on the subject is "Change of Heart" by Kay Baxter.

More creative bubbles here!