Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Honey Wheat Sourdough with Nectarine and Plum Jam

by Francine Black

This weekend’s baking: honey wheat sourdough studded with rum soaked dried fruit and macadamia nuts.

How did starters start? There’s really no way of knowing exactly, but it surely must have been thousands of years ago. One starter known as Blackly’s sourdough starter was created from 4,500 year-old yeast and is considered the oldest, although there is clear evidence that starter was in use 6,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent.

A bakery by the name of Christi’s Farmhouse Bakery uses a starter named St. Honoratus Wheat, a noble starter that dates back 900 years. There is a thing as a starter library that keeps jar after jar of starters, each with its own origin and particular aroma. There also are mail=order starters available, claiming to date back to colonial days, which I find very fascinating!

My starter might only be five years old, but it certainly does the job. Our fruit and nut loaves pair really well with salty ham or cheese and of course a nicely toasted and buttered slab of the stuff makes a great breakfast… and did I mention the nice aroma in the kitchen? I hope all my baker friends give this a try!

Nectarines and plums in the pot ready to simmer into a tasty jam compliment a nice slice of bread.

For me, both the simplicity of this humble yet delicious fare and the memories it evokes are intrinsically bound to my childhood. Yes, this wonderful food memory is linked to a vision of my grandmere’s beautifully gnarled and veined hands pulling a hot crusty loaf from her wood fired oven, setting her worn wooden table with a snowy tablecloth she lovingly embroidered, some plates and cups, cutlery and a glistening pot of her homemade jam.

The remembered aromas, the love and warmth palpable in that little kitchen so long ago nearly overwhelm me with incredible power. I’ve strived to recreate those blessed memories over and over because I can’t resist their pull.

Scientists and historians have discovered that the hippocampus part of the brain, which stores memories for us, has a very strong connection to the areas of the brain that process smells and deal with emotions. It is this connection that they believe is responsible for the phenomenon that happens when a taste or aroma subconsciously triggers strong feelings.

It’s pretty complicated stuff, but I can thoroughly see why enjoying food is more than a fuel supply. Cuisine is an intersection of emotional impact, vibrant memories, meaningful tradition and our history as a human race.

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.

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