Hi! I'm Paige Icardi and I love to make two very unrelated snacks that I hold near and dear to my heart: Pickles and shortbread-hence the name Ferments + Flour. Mine aren't too ordinary, however.
I'm inspired by nature, the seasons, as well as unique and bizarre flavors. I like to incorporate unusual ingredient combinations in my shortbreads that reflect the season and aren't something I'd stumble upon somewhere else. Herbs play a big part in what I do; and I always like to find them in my backyard. I'm a forager so every second of my day--whether I'm on a run or taking my dog for a walk--is spent scanning the earth for usable product. It's important for me to use what's already around me. And it's true that everything that you pick yourself tastes better!
On the other end of the spectrum, I'm a fermenting fanatic. From Kombucha to pickled veggies, I'm tending to each step with love, patience, and excitement for the effervescence that forms! Preserving food is essential to preserving life--especially when you do it yourself. (There's nothing I can think of that I wouldn't want to handmake, thus Kombucha.) When food is fermented, you're pausing a season's offerings so you can enjoy them whenever you want! Sustainable, organic, and local aren't just trendy buzzwords to me. I believe in having a low-impact on my surroundings and I do this by making no waste and using what other don't want. I'm constantly scavenging my favorite organic markets for the unusual or unwanted produce. I sorta feel like I'm saving those rejected veggies and giving them a change to become delicious pickles. Radishes, oddly shaped carrots, cauliflower--just a few of my favorite things. For me, its all about doing everything by hand, myself--freshly squeezing the juice flavorings for the Kombucha, or cleaning each and every individual veggie for the pickles.
I love what I do almost as much as I love the look on peoples' faces when they try these bites!
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