Liquidity

Watermelon agua fresca and kefir

Here are two of today's kitchen denizens. On the left is a batch of watermelon agua fresca, made with Florida watermelon, sugar, and Key lime.

The origin of the substance on the right originally had nothing to do with the Eat Local challenge. A woman on the Athens Freecycle list had offered some kefir grains last week, and I took her up on it. The yogurty, beery milk stuff in the pitcher is the result so far. But I did use Tennessee-sourced milk when I made it.*

I don't foresee actually drinking much kefir. I will probably make a smoothie (peach, no doubt) with some of it. But mostly I'm interested in its cooking properties. Apparently it makes a spectacular sourdough starter. It's also going to stand in--successfully, I hope!--for buttermilk in tonight's blueberry pancakes.** Eventually I may even try some of the kefir cheese recipes I've seen online.

-----
* I'm looking for local organic milk, but I haven't had time to put much effort into it yet. The farmer's market tomorrow may shed some light. I would go all-out and try for raw milk, but I don't think it's really in the spirit of Eat Local to waste a bunch of gas driving to South Carolina, the closest place where raw milk is legal.

** Breakfast-as-dinner. It's really enjoyable to do that every once in a while, don't you think?