Kefir

I gotta hand this one to my husband, who has maintained making kefir around three times a week since it was featured in Sample 81. We use it as a base in smoothies around here, in place of bio yogurt. Kefir is made by fermenting milk in a glass jar overnight using kefir grains. Kefir consumers report amazing health benefits, including improved digestion, high amounts of probiotics (higher than and different from yogurt), and even better mental acumen.

To make kefir, you’re going to have to find kosher kefir grains first. Whoever makes kefir on a regular basis probably has grains for you; they slowly grow in size as they ferment, providing more grains for sharing.

Simply place the grains and milk in a jar and cover with a breathable cloth. The ideal ratio of grains to milk is roughly 1 teaspoon of grains for every 2 cups of milk, but I’ve seen many variations of this number, so don’t worry if you don’t follow it precisely. Fasten the cloth to the neck of the jar with a rubber band. Leave the jar in a cabinet at room temperature for 15–24 hours, and even longer in cold weather. If the kefir separates, that’s your sign that it has fermented for too long (although you can totally eat it that way).

Once it’s been fermented, refrigerate the kefir. To start again, remove the grains from the kefir and add fresh milk to the jar. You can constantly reuse the same grains. The kefir can be enjoyed on its own if you like its sour taste, as a smoothie base, or with fruit for breakfast.

For more detailed instructions and for multiple uses for kefir, see Sample 81.

Note: Recently, there has been a shortage of kosher kefir grains in the Tristate area. Therefore, if you have kefir grains to share in the New York/New Jersey area, please contact me so we can help other readers get started. (If you’re located in Eretz Yisrael, feel free to reach out to me for grains.)

Cultivate your own herb garden in your kitchen

From tasty basil to fragrant lavender, growing your own herbs is incredibly rewarding. Think you haven’t got green thumbs? Herb growing is perfect for beginners, especially if you’re buying ready plants. Veteran herb gardeners report that cultivating herbs is extremely soothing and satisfying. Many herbs have pleasant aromas (think lavender), plus, you can use the herbs to season your food.

For this challenge, you need to purchase any three mini herb plants and care for them as instructed by your local nursery. For the most part, they are very easy to care for, mainly requiring sunshine and regular watering (but not saturating). The real challenge for this contest (and fun part!) is actually using the herbs in your cooking. Many fish and meat recipes call for fresh herbs, and salads are totally amped up with fresh and interesting herbs.

Hollie Newton, author of How to Grow, advises harvesting herbs in the morning hours, when the plant’s essential oils are most abundant. Also, Hollie cautions, try not to pick all the plant’s large leaves right away because they serve as the herb’s “power station.” Take a mixture of small, new leaves and big, older ones when you pick your herbs to extend the life of your plant.

In the past, I’ve enjoyed basil, sage, coriander, mint, and rosemary plants, and had great fun in the kitchen experimenting and adding them to various dishes. Someday, I may just share the long version of my herb garden experience with you in this space.

Note: Extra points if you start your plant from scratch! Beware that this will take longer than the time frame of this contest.