Here’s something that’s a little bit more on the “normal” spectrum in terms of food since I know some of my creations might be difficult for the average homesteader to find use for. I dehydrate hot peppers and powder them to save space, and this cheesy jalapeño biscuit is the perfect place to use them. I’m not much of a canner since I’m pretty lazy, so most of the bumper crop of veggies get dehydrated or frozen. It’s amazing how a pound of peppers can turn into no more than a few spoonfuls of powder, but it makes using them for seasoning things great. Always store them in glass, as plastic can cause it to lose flavor.

I also have a jar of dehydrated black trumpets that I foraged which are a great versatile mushroom to use for applications like this. White gravy with a little bit of black trumpet gives it an earthy and umami flavor.

Finished with a sunnyside duck egg, and we had a comfort brunch of “biscuits and gravy” ready. I used a muffin tin just to keep everything tidy.

Ingredients for Biscuit

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño powder, or 3 tablespoons fresh minced jalapeños

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the cold butter and flour, salt, sugar, garlic powder, baking powder, oregano, and jalapeño powder in a food processor until the butter is pea sized. If using fresh peppers, do not add to food processor.
3. Combine with milk, fresh peppers if using, shredded cheddar cheese and mix until dough forms into a ball. Roll out and punch biscuits or just cut and place into muffin tin.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Serve with a sunnyside or poached duck egg and sausage gravy (recipe below.)

Ingredients for Black Trumpet Mushroom and Sausage White Gravy

• 2 cups milk
• 2 heaping tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup breakfast sausage crumbles
• 2 tablespoons dried black trumpet mushrooms, crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown sausage on the stove over medium high heat. Remove and add butter to pan.
2. Stir flour into the oil and cook until starting to golden. Add milk and dried trumpet mushrooms and bring to a simmer until thickened. Stir in sausage, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add in more flour and water slurry if you like it thicker. Otherwise serve with biscuits and eggs.