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    The Farmer Diaries

    Texas farmer experiments with indoor-friendly bokashi composting

    Marshall Hinsley
    Mar 2, 2014 | 4:00 am

    I compost because I must. Like a shrewd, miserly old banker who spots a penny on the bank lobby floor, I look into the kitchen sink after a night's dinner and feel compelled to recover my treasure. The carrot tops, kale stems, potato peels and any other scrap are rich in nutrients and minerals, waiting to be unlocked for a new generation of crops after they break down for a few months in a compost bin.

    But I am lazy and not fond of the 50-yard-long trek from my back door to the compost bin, especially if it's cold or raining. Vowing to take them out the next morning, I'll set the scraps outside my back door. But often, they're found by a possum who spreads them out to take his pickings, leaving me with a scattered mess to clean up.

    Bokashi composting can be done indoors — even in the kitchen. Aside from its convenience, it retains more minerals and other elements.

    I can't simply toss the scraps in the trash to be hauled off to the landfill. But the process feels less like a chore since I discovered bokashi composting.

    In Japanese, bokashi describes something that's hidden and aptly applies to the method of compost it names. The opposite of a traditional backyard compost pile that relies on exposure to oxygen, bokashi composting is an oxygen-starved form of composting. As such, it must take place in an airtight container, or deep underground, hence in a hidden place.

    Usually, organic material left to decompose in an airtight container becomes putrid, emitting an unbearable stench. In bokashi composting, the addition of microorganisms ferments the material and produces only a mild odor of vinegar.

    The microorganisms overcome putrefying bacteria while breaking down the food scraps. The process takes only a few weeks, not the three months to a year needed in a backyard compost pile.

    Bokashi composting can be done indoors — even in the kitchen. Scraps are added to a composting bucket with a sprinkling of commercially available rice bran that's been inoculated with the microorganisms. They begin their job immediately, keeping potential odor in check, even with the addition of meat, eggs and kitty litter (three things that should never be tossed into a traditional compost pile).

    Bokashi in steps
    To make a simple bokashi compost system, I used two 5-gallon buckets and one lid. Following a design from the book Bokashi Composting by Adam Footer, I drilled a dozen holes in the bottom of one of the 5-gallon buckets and stacked that inside the other bucket. Food waste goes into the drilled bucket, which allows liquids to drain off.

    Each time I add food scraps, I sprinkle on some bokashi bran, then seal the lid on the top bucket to create the anaerobic conditions the microbes need.

    I check the lower bucket every few days to see if there's any bokashi tea, a waste liquid I can pour directly into my garden beds where it infuses the soil with healthy bacteria and fungi. You can also pour the tea down the drain; doing so is purported to keep pipes clean and clog-free.

    Eventually, the bucket with the waste gets full of scraps. At that point, I place the lid onto the top bucket and let the waste ferment for two weeks, draining off the liquid as needed. After two weeks, the food scraps are partially broken down but need to be finished off in either a compost bin or in a hole in the ground.

    In the compost bin, the scraps act as a compost accelerant. In the garden beds, buried six inches deep, the scraps turn into a material almost indistinguishable from the native soil. In either case, the scraps complete their breakdown in two weeks, or four weeks from when the bucket lid is sealed one last time until when the scraps are broken down completely in the soil or compost pile. As composting goes, that's fast.

    Aside from its convenience, bokashi composting retains more minerals and other elements, and produces almost no gas, unlike backyard compost bins that emit carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.

    Because the method can be practiced anywhere a 5-gallon bucket can be stored, bokashi composting requires no backyard and no heap of organic matter. An apartment dweller can do it too, then bury the scraps in potted plants or hand them over to a gardening friend.

    Bokashi composting is a way for anyone who's eco-conscious to divert organic waste from the landfill and turn it into a resource. For me, bokashi composting is a new, simple way to save every last scrap from the kitchen cutting board and make it work for my crops.

    Kitchen scraps can be turned into compost in a matter of weeks through bokashi composting.

      
    Photo by Marshall Hinsley
    Kitchen scraps can be turned into compost in a matter of weeks through bokashi composting.
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    Roundup Time

    Dallas restaurants heat up new summer menus in this roundup of news

    Raven Jordan
    Jun 17, 2025 | 6:39 pm
    Mirador whipped fet
    Mirador
    Whipped feta at Mirador

    Mid-June means it's time for a roundup of restaurant news around Dallas, and this one is perfect for people craving something new. Everyone's doing new menus and dishes, from a fancy lobster roll and wine pairing to a new ranch dip at one of America's most popular chains.

    Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news right now:

    Al Biernat's has a new special 3-course dinner at its Al Biernat’s North location, available on weekend nights only from Friday-Sunday, featuring dishes like grilled pear soup, snapper, short rib, steak frites, and Al’s Famous coconut cream pie, for the bargain price of $55.

    Mirador in downtown Dallas has a new summer menu for brunch and lunch featuring $18 seasonal crudo, $14 heirloom tomato salad, $11 chocolate donut, and a $18 Foie-ffle with buttermilk waffle, duck confit, cultured butter.

    The Porch has a new summer menu with $30 wood-fired salmon, $16 pork belly burnt ends, and $38 shrimp & grits. Plus, there are $10 "inflation-free" cocktails featuring a margarita and hibiscus hybrid.

    Te Deseo in the Harwood District has a new menu at their La Terraza rooftop with corn soup, salsas flight with three salsas, cheese and chicken stuffed arepas, tacos, ceviche, and churros. Dishes range from $9 for an appetizer to $29 for fajitas.

    Elm Street Cask & Kitchen in downtown Dallas has a new summer menu with $34 blackened redfish, $14 Gulf shrimp ceviche, $34 chargrilled pork chops, and lighter bites like $14 watermelon & feta skewers.

    Winsome Prime the steakhouse at Trinity Groves has a new weekend brunch with $17 spinach-artichoke dip, $25 six-ounce Kobe burger, $46 oxtail hash, and $47 lobster Benedict. Hours are Saturday-Sunday from 11 am-4 pm.

    Culpepper Cattle Co. has a new Sunday brunch buffet for $28 with omelets, chicken fried steak, cheddar grits, monkey bread, biscuits & gravy, chicken tenders, pancakes, waffles, French toast sticks, migas, tacos, plus $5 mimosas and $8 build-your-own bloody Mary bar.

    Eddie V's has a new special pairing a lobster roll and wine for $38, with choice from Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay, Whispering Angel Rosé, or Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir. Available at both Plano and Fort Worth locations until July 25.

    Jinya Ramen Bar has new summer chef specials: tan tan men noodles in a chilled chicken broth, topped with pork and bok choy for $17; and buffalo cauliflower with ranch for $8. Available through August 31.

    Tacodeli is bringing back the salmon pistachio taco, with includes salmon wrapped in a pistachio crust, pistachio salsa + spicy habanero escabeche, and a sprinkle of pistachios for $6.50.

    Fish City Grill has a new "handhelds" menu of tacos and sandwiches, starting at $14, including fishwich with beer-battered cod, honey chipotle shrimp tacos, lobster & shrimp grilled cheese, shrimp po’boy, and bacon cheeseburger.

    Dog Haus, the hot dog restaurant and biergarten, has teamed with chef Josh Elkin for an Aloha Soopah Slider featuring fried Spam, tater tots, chili crunch, furikake, eggs, and maple sriracha on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls. Available for $8 through July 21.

    Culinary Dropout is celebrating its one-year anniversary in the Design District with new summer dishes, zero-proof sips, and frozen cocktails. There are two-for-one sushi rolls, whipped feta and tahini dip, strawberry spinach salad, short rib, and cocktails like Pancho's Paloma and the Irish Goodbye with whiskey, Borghetti Italian liqueur, cold brew, and cinnamon cold foam.

    Barcelona, the Knox-Henderson wine bar, has a menu designed for patio dining that includes asparagus a la plancha with charred lemon; corn zucchini buñuelos with dill and citrus; burrata topped with onion pesto and blistered tomatoes; or a whole roasted branzino served with salsa verde, potatoes, and lemon.

    Corner Bakery is offering low priced sandwiches such as ham and Swiss, bacon & egg, and chicken salad sandwich for $4 and $5. The sandwiches are typically $8-$10.

    Bellagreen has six new limited-time dishes including cucumber & avocado gazpacho, watermelon salad, falafel burger, and lemon crumble bar. Priced at $5-$20. Available through the end of August.

    First Watch has a new summer brunch with blueberry lemon cornbread, elote breakfast burrito, shrimp & grits, and strawberry tres leches French toast with spiced gingerbread cookie crumbles. A new summer drink is the Watermelon Wake-Up with watermelon, pineapple, lime, and mint. Available through August 11.

    MilkShake Factory, the Grapevine dessert shop, has added the buzzy Dubai-style chocolate bar with pistachio crème and toasted kataifi wrapped in milk chocolate for $6. They have also added a limited-time strawberry pretzel pie shake withstrawberries, salty pretzels, and frosting, topped with whipped cream and a strawberry for $10, available through July 27.

    Menchie's frozen dessert chain has partnered with Hi-Chew candy for a limited-edition flavor: Hi-Chew Blue Hawaii Tropical Candy. The flavor combines citrus and pineapple in a creamy frozen dessert, available through June 31.

    Bahama Buck's has a limited-edition lineup of Bomb Pop shaved ice and sodas. Flavors include Watermelon Bomb Pop Sno topped with sprinkles and a Watermelon Bomb Jr., Bomb Pop Cherry Bahama Soda, Bomb Pop Lime Bahama Soda, and Bomb Pop Blue Raspberry Bahama Soda. Available at Dallas locations from June 26-July 6.

    Einstein Bros. Bagels, the fast-casual bagel chain, has morning mocktails in fruity flavors like Bros. Bay Breeze with cranberry, lemonade & passion fruit; Passion Fruit Sunrise with OJ, lemonade, & passion fruit; and an Energy Spritz made with Monster Energy. Starting June 18.

    Duro Hospitality and Socorro Tequila have launched Socorro Tequila Joven Duro Edition, a collaboration that brings an exclusive tequila experience to all Duro Hospitality concepts. Cocktails include “El Martini” at Mister Charles with Makrut Lime and Cointreau; the “Sandro Pertini” at The Charles with mezcal, Campari, and lime; and the “Tio Rosso” at El Carlos Elegante with grapefruit soda and rosemary.

    Taco Bell has new chicken strips for a limited time. They come solo, in tacos, or in a burrito. The chain keeps dabbling in chicken: They launched chicken nuggets with a tortilla chip breading in 2024, then brought them back again in 2025. The chicken strips are marinated in jalapeño buttermilk and coated with tortilla chip breadcrumbs and can be ordered with choice of spicy ranchero or avocado ranch. The taco features one chicken strip, purple cabbage, lettuce, pico de gallo, and cheddar on a tortilla. The burrito has all the same ingredients, but two chicken strips instead of one. Items are $3-$6.

    Chipotle is launching adobo ranch, the chain's first new dip in five years since queso blanco. the sauce features adobo pepper, sour cream and a blend of herbs and spices. Available starting June 17.

    7-Eleven, Inc. has a new Spicy Hot Link Sausage featuring a slow-smoked, paprika-packed sausage. They've also launched a summer Craveables Value Menu with 5 bone-in wings for $5 and a glazed doughnut for $1.

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