French Fries and Firewood

Our french fries are starting to catch on, which like everything in life, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you’re happy when people like your stuff, but on the other hand, it means you have to work harder to meet that need. Life is easier, albeit less satisfying, when nobody eats your stuff because then you don’t have to cook it. Last market we ran into increased demand, and at times had trouble meeting that demand because fries really cool down the oil. It’s just one more thing we have to work out, but it wouldn’t be a farmer’s market without the challenge, right?

Anyway, we employ the Belgian method, which involves cooking them twice. It’s the same process that McDonald’s uses, not to mention any gourmet chef who wants to make killer fries. You slow cook it the first time to cook the inside, then flash cook it right before serving to get it crispy on the outside. They come out really tasty, when properly done. The big issue is doing the first cook, which takes awhile. I found myself sitting around twiddling my thumbs, feeling bored and sorry for myself, when it dawned on me that I could get other things done in the meantime. Nothing like being productive.

What I did was put the fries in the oil, set a timer, then go and split wood, which is about 50 feet away. I have about 15 minutes, so it’s plenty of time to split 5-6 blocks, then I go back and take the fries out of the oil. It’s beautiful. Not only am I not bored sitting there twiddling my thumbs, but I can take care of something that needs to be dealt with. Man, I love when that happens.

It makes me actually want to cook french fries more often. Then again, maybe not.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Daniel Go for the pic.