When in doubt, eat some kraut!

A Fermentation Festival?

Really!?!

Okay so forgive me, but when I first heard about the Freestone Fermentation Festival, my initial reaction was olfactory ... it smelled like farts. (Yeh. I went there...) When friends told us about it and asked if we'd like to go, I had to contain my immature, second-grade scatalogical sense of humor, and secretly giggled inside with SAB* glee. (Okay, I'm only minorly embarrassed to admit that I AM that ridiculous, but I think you already know that.)

(*SAB ... Self Amusing Buffoon)

Fermentation here is serious business. The health claims for fermented foods are staggering and I'm convinced that we need to pay more attention to them. The festival was a great opportunity to do just that. Honestly we've never sampled so much Kim Chee, or consumed so many sparkling elixirs in our lives!

Back in the early '80s, our first experience with Kim Chee (a traditional Korean dish of fermented veggies, often with cabbage) was when a specialty produce client brought in a jar to our studio so we could design a label for it. She told us to keep the jar refrigerated or else it might explode, and I was stunned to think of anyone putting something so explosive in their bodies. Out of curiosity of course we had to taste it, and really that was some baaaad Kim Chee. For years after I just thought I hated Kim Chee. Since then, we've actually had some truly delicious Kim Chee, so we were happy to try the array of it at the fair.

After sampling concoction after concoction, our hands down fizzy favorite was ... Water Kefir. Water? Kefir? Two words you don't normally see together, but it's refreshing, slightly effervescent lemon-ginger flavor cut through "anything that ails ya" and just felt good in the ol' bod.

And excuse me ... that exhibit hall did have a (albeit slightly more pleasant) gaseous fragrance that was reminiscent of ... well ... you know ...

Stomping grapes? Nope ... cabbage!

Kombucha Tea anyone? They had it on tap and hooo weeee babyyyyy! Sparkling fermented mushroom juice never tasted so gooooood!

I want to learn how to grow my own Maitake Mushrooms and the Mushroom Man was telling me about his classes. Will I do it? I dunno, but it was fun listening to someone so passionate about what they do.

The result of too much fermentation?

One of the joys of this festival was being with so many people who were waaaaay into fermentation. There was a congenial, sensual, life sustaining "vibe" that had us all feeling bubbly inside and out. Lots of young people, children, young adults and some "Q-Tips" (older folks with white or grey hair) enjoying themselves, just makes us happy.

Above are Dodi and Frank (who got us into this pretty pickle of a Festival) and me sitting on a recycled dirt bag structure used for raised garden beds. (I know there's a "dirt bag" joke here somewhere, but I think I'll pass ...)

Anyway, thanks guys!

It was FUN!