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Category: Condiments & Extras

Spicy Asian Plum Dipping Sauce

Spicy Asian Plum Dipping Sauce

10 Ripe Red Plums (pits and stems removed and cut in quarters)
1/2 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 C. Tamari Soy Sauce
1 inch of fresh Ginger, chopped
2 whole cloves of Garlic, no need to dice
1 sliced Jalapeno Pepper seeds included
1/2 tsp. Stevia
2 Star Anise (optional)

If you are not canning this sauce, just put all of the ingredients listed above in a medium size pot and boil, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes on medium to reduce down the plums and meld the flavors. Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few to cool down some. Using an immersion blender, work through the plums to create a thick sauce much like a Salsa texture. And that’s it. Store it, freeze it, use it up within a month if it’s not frozen.

If you “can” the sauce. You’ll need a little more prep. Makes 4 -1/2 pints You’ll need to prepare at least 4 1/2 Pint size canning jars. Sterilize and have them ready to go when your Plum sauce is ready. Prepare the sauce just the same as outlined above and then set your pot near your canning jars. Ladle the sauce into each jar leaving 1/4 inch head space in each one. Wipe down the outside and top rims carefully to remove any sauce that may have dripped and place a lid and ring on each jar, tightening just until a resistance is felt, they shouldn’t be screwed on overly tight for the boiling water process. Place the jars down into your water bath canning pot so the each jar has water covering the top by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil and time the canning process 10 minutes at a full boil. Remove them from the heat carefully sliding the pot off of the burner and let them sit there untouched for about 15 minutes. Using a canning jar clamp, carefully remove each jar from the pot and sit them on top of a dish towel in an undrafty area. Don’t move them for at least 8 hours so that they can set up and cool. After this, check to make sure each jar sealed correctly, remove the outer ring before storing. Label, enjoy within the next 2 years.

Sweet Cherry Preserves

Sweet Cherry Preserves

This recipe doesn’t have any extra added pectin – it only uses natural pectin from the fruits. If you want your jam to be thicker, think about adding some extra pectin to the recipe, but it wasn’t necessary for my tastes. Also, in one of the batches of preserves I made, I added a bit of amaretto and I loved the way it heightened the cherry flavor.

4 C. washed, pitted cherries
Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small lemons
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1-2 tsp. amaretto (optional)

Prepare cherries, then chop about 1/2 or 1/3 of them into rough pieces, and leave the others whole. Add all the cherries to a medium pot along with the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, until they start bubbling, then continue to cook while stirring occasionally for about 20-25 minutes. Make sure you stir especially towards the end of that time so the juice on the bottom does not burn. As they are cooking, use a spoon to smash the whole cherries to release the juice and flatten them. (If you don’t flatten them, they will stay really round and the preserves will not be very ‘spreadable.’)

After the cherries are fully cooked, add the sugar, stir to mix it in and dissolve it, then continue to cook over medium-high heat for another 5-7 minutes. (Again, be sure to stir, so the sugar and cherries don’t burn.) After cooking, the juice should have started to ‘gel’ a bit and thicken so that it starts to coat the back of your spoon or ladle. Remove the preserves from heat, and test if they are done. If the preserves are not done, return them to the heat and cook them for a few more minutes, then test them again. When done, let the preserves cool slightly*, then transfer it to jars. Once they are cooled, they will keep refrigerated for several months.

Honeysuckle Cordial

Honeysuckle Cordial

Use this lovely cordial to make a refreshing drink topped with soda or tonic, use it to sweeten ice tea, or drizzle it over fresh summer fruit.

4 C. honeysuckle buds, lightly packed
1 lemon
2 C. sugar
2 C. boiling water
1 tsp. citric acid*

Gather the honeysuckle blossoms, and shake them in a colander or lay them out on a tea towel. Pick through the blossoms removing any green leaves, stems, brown, wilted buds or bugs. Place the sorted blossoms in a large bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off strips of the yellow (no white pith) lemon peel in strips and place on top of the blossoms. Cut the lemon into slices, discard the stem ends, and drop the slices in the bowl. Toss around to combine. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar is dissolved, pour the boiling syrup over the blossoms and lemons in the bowl. Stir in the citric acid, cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave for 24 hours undisturbed. The next day, strain the cordial through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl or measuring jug with a pouring spout. Pour the strained cordial into bottles or jars. Makes about 16 oz. cordial *Citric acid is a natural preservative. It is also called sour salt and can be found in the kosher section at the grocery

Pickled Sweet Cherries

Pickled Sweet Cherries

Version 1 – Spiced Brine:
1 3/4 C. white vinegar
1 3/4 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. water
2 cinnamon sticks (about 4-inches long)
2 tsp. whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 pounds dark sweet cherries with stems

Version 2 – Savory Brine:
1 3/4 C. white vinegar
1 3/4 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. water
black peppercorns (4 to 5 per half-pint jar)
bay leaves (one per jar)
2 pounds Rainier sweet cherries with stems

Prepare canner and wash/sterilize 4 to 5 half-pint mason (or equivalent) jars. Keep jars in hot (not boiling) water until ready to use. Warm lids in hot (not boiling) water to sterilize and soften seal. Combine vinegar, sugar, water, and spices in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove hot jars from canner and pack cherries into jars. Pour hot brine over cherries to within 1/2-inch of rim. Wipe jar rims and threads. Screw on lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (for half-pint jars, process 15 minutes for larger pint jars). Remove from water and let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. Check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.

Blueberry and Apple Jam

Blueberry and Apple Jam

1 pound Granny Smith apples (about 3 small)
2 pounds blueberries, rinsed
1 1/2 C. sugar
3 T. fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Prepare for water-bath canning: Sterilize the jars and keep them hot in the canning pot, put a small plate in the freezer, and put the flat lids in a heatproof bowl. (See this page for details.) Peel, core, and dice the apples, reserving the peels, cores, and seeds. Put as many of the apple trimmings in a jelly bag or 4 layers of cheesecloth as will fit, and tie the bag closed. Put the blueberries and sugar in a wide, 6- to 8-quart preserving pan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, then continue to cook until the juices are just deep enough to cover the blueberries, about 5 minutes. Pour into a colander set over a large bowl and stir the berries gently to drain off the juice. Return the juice to the pan, along with the apples and the bag with the trimmings, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is reduced and thick and registers about 220°F on a candy thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. Return the blueberries and any accumulated juice, along with the lemon juice and zest, to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently, until a small dab of the jam spooned onto the chilled plate and returned to the freezer for a minute wrinkles when you nudge it, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir gently for a few seconds to distribute the fruit in the liquid. Ladle boiling water from the canning pot into the bowl with the lids. Using a jar lifter, remove the sterilized jars from the canning pot, carefully pouring the water from each one back into the pot, and place them upright on a folded towel. Drain the water off the jar lids. Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it’s just finger-tight. Return the jars to the water in the canning pot, making sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes to process. Remove the jars to a folded towel and do not disturb for 12 hours. After 1 hour, check that the lids have sealed by pressing down on the center of each; if it can be pushed down, it hasn’t sealed, and the jar should be refrigerated immediately. Label the sealed jars and store.

Bourbon Sour Cherries

Bourbon Sour Cherries

4 C. sour cherries, stemmed and pitted
1 1/2 C. sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, split and scrapped
3/4 C. water
1 / 4 C. bourbon

Mix cherries, 1/2 C. sugar and vanilla bean with seeds in a medium bowl. Let macerate 4 hours to really extract all the juices. Discard vanilla bean. In a medium saucepan stir together cherries with juice, remaining sugar, water and bourbon. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a slow boil and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until cherries are heated through. Ladle cherries into half-pint jars. Cherries should be packed tightly but not crammed. Cover cherries with syrup leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes.

one-hour ricotta cheese

one-hour ricotta cheese

I love having a simple, versatile homemade cheese on hand for adding to sandwiches or pasta, or to dollop on fruit. This farmer cheese fits the bill and can be made without any special cheesemaking equipment. Officially, ricotta is made from “reboiling” the whey left over from other kinds of cheesemaking, but, unofficially, it’s a super simple fresh cheese requiring nothing more than milk, heat, and acid. If you’ve ever added both lemon and milk to your tea (I have—oops) then you know that acidic ingredients will curdle milk. In this ricotta recipe we take advantage of this, and use common acidic ingredients to make cheese.

The three biggest determinants to the final flavor of your ricotta are the quality of the milk you start with, the acid you choose, and the amount of time you allow your cheese to drain. Start with very fresh daily. Pasteurized milk and cream are fine, but skip ultra-high-temperature pasteurized options; these often fail to form a nice curd. After thirty to sixty’ minutes of draining, this ricotta is thick enough to spread on toast or serve with fruit.

If you drain it long enough, or press it under weight to get even more liquid out, it will become firm and crumbly, much like Mexican queso fresco or Indian paneer. Save the whey that drains off your cheese—you can use it to replace some or all of the water used in bread making and other baking. It adds a nice tang and extra protein.

BASIC RICOTTA

1 quart whole milk
1 C. heavy cream
3 T. white distilled vinegar
l tsp. kosher salt

In a heavyweight, nonreactive saucepot, combine all the ingredients. Stirring occasionally, gently bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and watch for the mixture to begin to curdle. You may see some curds very early in the cooking process, but between 185 and 200 degrees F, the curds will become quite distinct from the whey and will float to the surface. Watch for the whey to change from white and milky to yellowish-clear with only a bit of milky haze. When you note district curds and mostly clear whey, remove the pot from the heat and let sit, undisturbed, for 30 minutes. Line a mesh strainer with a damp paper towel, several layers of cheesecloth, or a clean, damp lint-free towel. Set the strainer over the bowl and pour the curds and whey through the strainer. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to drain. Check the texture. The longer you strain the cheese, the firmer it will get. If you plan to strain longer than 1 hour, transfer the cheese to the refrigerator and strain chilled. For an even firmer texture, drain the mixture until the curd holds its shape, then form it into a disk shape and lightly salt the outside of the cheese. Wrap the cheese in a clean towel or several layers of cheesecloth and set the cheese on a plate. Place another plate on top of the cheese, and then set something heavy—like a big can of pumpkin or a jar of tomatoes—on top of the plate to weight the cheese. Transfer the whole contraption to the refrigerator. Periodically check for whey that has pooled on the bottom plate and discard it. Drain the cheese until it has reached the desired firmness, up to 12 hours. Wien the ricotta is ready, transfer it to a clean container with a tight-fitting lid and keep it chilled. It’s best eaten fresh but will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.
Try these ricotta variations. Simply follow the instructions above, but substitute these ingredients.

LEMON RICOTTA

1 quart whole milk
1 C. heavy cream
3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
l tsp. kosher salt
Zest of l lemon

LIME RICOTTA

l quart whole milk
l C. heavy cream
3 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
l tsp. kosher salt
Zest of l lime

Lois Cooley’s Smoked Fish

Lois Cooley’s Smoked Fish

3 C. Dark Brown Sugar
¾ C. Coarse Salt
2 T. each: Celery Salt, Onion Salt, Garlic Salt, Powdered Mustard, Coarse Black Pepper

Mix ingredients well. Cover fish meat side in layers with smoking rub. Let stand 12-24 hours. Smoke to your liking. Pack in jars. Pressure cook 45 minutes at 15 pounds. Use Ball Seals as kerr will melt with fish oil and not seal.

Alternatively, you can freeze instead of canning.

 

Mixed Pepper-Pear Chutney

Mixed Pepper-Pear Chutney

2 pears, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb. mixed chili peppers, chopped – I used a number of sweets and some spicy ajis from our garden
1 C. apple cider vinegar
1 C. brown sugar
3 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. ground mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. olive oil

Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the olive oil with all of the fruit and vegetables. Cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring often, to cook them down. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a bowl. Reduce heat to low and cook about an hour to thicken the chutney. At this point you can process the chutney to smooth it out or keep it as-is – nice and chunky. Alternatively, instead of keeping everything in the pot, you can transfer your mixture to a slow cooker after cooking it all down a bit in the pot and let it cook low and slow, on the low setting, about 3 hours. It will turn into an excellent chutney!

Rhubarb Orange Vanilla Jam

Rhubarb Orange Vanilla Jam

6 C. granulated sugar
2 large navel oranges
5 C. finely chopped rhubarb
1 vanilla bean
One (1.75-oz.) package regular powdered pectin
1/2 tsp. unsalted butter

If you are going to preserve the jam, prepare the jars and lids: place 6 half-pint jars on a rack in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the jars, and bring to boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the hot water. Meanwhile, put the bands and lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat over medium heat until the water is simmering, then remove pan from the heat and allow the bands and lids to rest in the hot water until ready to use.

Measure the sugar into a large bowl and set aside. Wash one of the oranges and remove the rind in quarters. Thinly slice the rinds lengthwise, cutting away any excess pith. Chop the strips of rind crosswise into small pieces. Squeeze juice from both oranges. You should have about 1 C.. If you don’t, make up the difference with water.

Combine the orange rinds, orange juice, and rhubarb in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pot. Add the vanilla bean to the pot. Sprinkle the pectin evenly over the fruit and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Add the sugar to the pot all at once, stirring until dissolved. Add the butter and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute. Remove the pot from the stove and skim any foam from the surface of the jam.

Ladle the hot jam into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars, cover with the lids, and screw the bands on until just barely tight. Place the jars on a rack in pot and cover completely with water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, uncover the pot, and allow the jars to rest for five minutes. Remove the jars and allow them to rest undisturbed on the countertop for six hours or overnight.

Shallot Marmalade

Shallot Marmalade

This condiment goes great with pate or as a sweet counterpoint to anything rich and meaty. In Paris, there’s normally a gathering before dinner for drinks, such as a kir or a glass of Champagne. I’ve served this with slices of foie gras on toasted brioche, a perfect partnership. You can use large or small shallots. Feel free to another dried fruit (diced, if necessary), such as apricots, figs, dried cranberries, or cherries, in place of the raisons or prunes.

In place of the beer, you can use half white wine, half water, or water with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice in it.

1 pound (450g) shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp. unflavored vegetable oil
big pinch of coarse salt
a few turns of freshly-cracked black pepper
1/2 C. (125ml) beer
1/4 C. (50g) sugar
2 tsp. honey
3 tsp. apple cider or balsamic vinegar
1/2 C. (80g) raisins or dried currants

In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the oil and sauté the shallots over moderate heat with a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring frequently, until the shallots are soft and wilted, which should take about 10 minutes. Add the beer, sugar, honey, vinegar, and raisins or currants, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the shallots begin to caramelize. While cooking, continue stirring them just enough to keep them from burning. If the mixture seems to be very dry, add a small splash of water toward the end of cooking, to encourage a little juiciness. The jam is done when the shallots are nicely-caramelized, as shown in the picture in the post. Do not overcook; there should still be a bit of juices in the pot when it’s ready. Transfer to a jar. Storage: Store the jam in the refrigerator, where it will keep for at least 2 months.

Tarragon-Garlic Scape Aioli

Tarragon-Garlic Scape Aioli

Garlic scapes are the stem and flower bud of the garlic plant. Farmers remove the scape in the spring to prevent flowering, because the plant will then produce bigger cloves of garlic. Scapes can be eaten raw or cooked, and they have a lovely mild, fresh green flavor. Making the aioli by hand with a mortar and pestle takes only about five minutes and is immensely satisfying. If you’d like to use a food processor or immersion blender instead, then double the recipe in order to create enough volume for the machine.

2 tsp. finely chopped garlic scapes
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. tarragon, chopped

In a mortar and pestle, pulverize the garlic scapes, lemon zest, salt and mustard until it begins to turn a pale green color and there are no longer large pieces of garlic scape. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice and pepper, and mash until uniform. Drip in the olive oil while mixing. Begin slowly and work your way to a steady drizzle. If the oil begins to separate, stop pouring midway, increase your stirring for a second, and then continue. It should be pretty thick and a much paler green than what you started with. Adjust the flavoring as necessary, adding salt, lemon juice or pepper to your taste. Fold in the tarragon and serve. The aioli will keep in the refrigerator for approximately one week.

Sweet Pickles

Sweet Pickles

Use small cucumbers. Wash, dry and place in crock. Cover with brine – 1 1/2 C. salt in 4 quarts cool water. Lay a cloth over the cukes, then place a plate over the top to weight them down so that all of them are covered by brine. Let stand 2 weeks, rinsing the cloth each day to remove the scum that gathers. After two weeks, remove cucumbers from brine, wash well, and cut into 1″ pieces. Place in crock and cover with alum mixture — 1 T. powdered alum in 2 quarts cool water — and leave for 18 hours. Drain well and cover with hot syrup — 2 quarts sugar, 1 quart vinegar, with 1 T. whole cloves and 2 sticks cinnamon per quart of liquid used tied in cheesecloth, brought to a boil. Each day for three days, drain off the syrup and bring to a boil and re-pour over the cucumbers. On the fourth day, drain, boil, add 2 C. sugar. Meanwhile transfer pickles to jars. Pour syrup over pickles in jars. Cover. No need to seal.

Green Tomato Pickles

Green Tomato Pickles

Gram’s Note: Good for the toms that don’t ripen in the fall

4 qt. sliced Green Tomatoes
6 medium Onions, sliced
1/2 C. Salt
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 T. ground Mustard
1 T. Mustard Seed
1 T. Celery Seed
1 T. Allspice
1 T. Whole Black Peppercorns
4 C. Vinegar

Use fairly small green tomatoes. Cut out the stem end and slice into 1/2” thick slices. Slice onion. Place in large bowl and sprinkle with salt; let stand overnight. Drain well. Place spices in small bag made of layered cheesecloth. Combine remaining ingredients in a large kettle, add the spice bag, and simmer about 5 minutes. Add onions and tomatoes, remove spice bag, return to a simmer and cook one minute. Seal in hot sterilized jars. Yields about six pints. If softer pickles are preferred, simmer for up to 30 minutes before jarring.

Rich Turkey Gravy

Rich Turkey Gravy

1/4 – 1/3 C. sifted Flour
1/4 C. Turkey Pan Drippings
2 C. Water
2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon

Add drippings to pan and heat over medium heat. Add flour; cook and stir until dark brown. Stir in water and bouillon; cook and stir until thickened and bouillon is dissolved. If desired, stir in parsley.

Velma’s Chili Pepper Sauce

Velma’s Chili Pepper Sauce

Gram: “dandy tasty with omelet & stuff”

20 Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
6 Green Peppers, chopped
4 White Onions, chopped
1 C. Sugar
2 C. Vinegar
2 T. Salt
2 tsp. Mace
2 tsp. Cloves
1 tsp. Celery Salt
2 tsp. Nutmeg
Red Pepper to taste

Cook everything to desired thickness. Pour into jars and seal.

Uses for Hummus

Uses for Hummus

To thicken and flavor soups, mix in some plain or flavored store-bought hummus. This technique works especially well with vegetable soups.

To bind fish or crab cakes, use plain hummus instead of eggs or bread crumbs. Just a bit of hummus binds the ingredients together and adds an unexpectedly pleasant flavor.

For an outstanding hot dip that will keep guests noshing, combine hummus and cream cheese or another flavorful semisoft cheese (such as Brie or Camembert) and microwave just until the cheese melts. Serve with crackers, bread, or cut-up vegetables.

To stir up a quick sauce for poultry, thin out plain or flavored hummus with chicken broth.

When you’re out of mayonnaise and need a tasty sandwich spread, use hummus. It works especially well with wrap sandwiches that include vegetables and chicken or turkey.

English Pea Pesto with Lemon

English Pea Pesto with Lemon

1/2 C. pine nuts, toasted
2 C. English peas, blanched
2 Meyer lemons, zested on a micro plane
3/4 C. olive oil
8 mint leaves, chiffonade
black pepper and salt to taste

In a food processor, pulse the pine nuts until roughly chopped. Add the peas and drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running. Pour the pea mixture into a bowl and fold in the mint, lemon zest, salt and black pepper. Try spread on toasted bread with arugula and red pepper flakes.

Dilled Green Tomatoes

Dilled Green Tomatoes

Small Green Tomatoes
Celery Stalks
Green Bell Peppers
Garlic
Fresh Dill
2 qt. Water
1 qt. Vinegar
1/2 – 1 C. Salt (to taste preference)

Prick well washed tomatoes several times with fork and pack into sterilized jars with 1 stalk celery and 3-4 strips of bell pepper per jar. Add 1-2 cloves garlic and 3-6 heads dill. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, stir to dissolve salt and pour boiling over vegetables. Seal jars. Let stand 4-6 weeks before using.

Sorrel Salsa Verde

Sorrel Salsa Verde

tomatillos
garlic
jalapeno
sorrel
cilantro
mizuna
Homemade green onion infused olive oil

Husk, rinse and chop twelve tomatillos and place in the glass base of a food processor. Peel two garlic cloves, chop and place in the processor base. Seed and chop two small jalapeno peppers and place in the processor base. Remove the stems from one C. sorrel, one C. cilantro, one C. mizuna and place in the processor base. Process sorrel verde sauce for thirty seconds. Add two T. green onion infused olive oil and one quarter tsp. salt to sorrel verde sauce and process for thirty seconds again.

Mango Lime Basil Jam

Mango Lime Basil Jam

8 pounds mangoes, very ripe -peeled, cored and mashed
4 C. sugar
10-12 basil leaves, whole
1 package Sure-Jell
1/4 C. lime concentrate or fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger, optional

Peel and core mangoes. The mangoes I used were very very ripe so I just squeezed them from the pit/core making sure they were mashed well. In a heavy sauce pan, boil mango puree with remaining ingredients for about 25-30 minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Adjust lime and sugar content as needed for your own taste. *I love mine full of lime, so I tend to lime it up! Pour into nine prepared half-pint jars and seal. *This jam comes out as a softer spread, but is yummy just the same! Has the sweetness of ripe mango but the lime and basil gives it the savory that balances the sweetness!

Oregon Cottage’s Tomato Chutney

Oregon Cottage’s Tomato Chutney

4 lb. tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 C. minced garlic (about a medium sized head)
1 C. chopped onions
3/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. white sugar
1-1/2 C. cider vinegar
1 T. pickling salt
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 T. dry, ground ginger
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 C. raisins, chopped

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy nonreactive 4-6 quart pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and cook at a low simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until thickened. Stir often as it thickens to prevent scorching. Ladle the chutney into 1/2 pint canning jars leaving 1/4″ headspace and attach the two-piece canning lids. Boil in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes. Remove and cool before storing in a dark, cool place. Makes five 1/2 pint jars

Refrigerator Pickled Vegetables

Refrigerator Pickled Vegetables

1 qt. White Vinegar
1 3/4 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Salt
2 tsp. Mustard Seed
1/2 tsp. Fennel Seed
1/2 tsp. minced Garlic
1 bay Leaf
5 C. Cauliflower Florets
3 lg. Zucchini, cut into 1/4″ slices
3 large Carrots, pared and cut into 1/4″ wide diagonal slices

Add all ingredients except vegetables to a large saucepan and bring quickly to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook 5 minutes. Remove cauliflower with slotted spoon. Add zucchini and cook covered until crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, add to large container with cauliflower. Repeat process with carrots, cooking about 5 minutes. Pour carrots, liquid and all over the other vegetables. Cover and refrigerate.

Rhubarb Simple Syrup & Enticing Spring Cocktails

Rhubarb Simple Syrup & Enticing Spring Cocktails

Rhubarb syrup is vividly pink and brightly flavored. Try using the colorful syrup over ice cream or pound cake, in all sorts of mixed drinks, and to make your own strawberry rhubarb sorbet.

Rhubarb Simple Syrup
1 C. rhubarb, cut into half inch chunks
1 C. granulated sugar
1 1/4 C. water

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rhubarb is falling apart, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a fine mesh strainer, strain syrup from rhubarb solids. Reserve solids for another use. (For example, mix solids with lemon juice for luscious rhubarb jam.) Return strained syrup to stove top and simmer for an additional 25 minutes or until the syrup coats a spoon and has become brightly pink. Cool syrup, transfer to a sealed container, and keep refrigerated.
Makes 1 C.
Rhubarb Bloom

1 1/2 oz. No. 209 gin
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. rhubarb simple syrup
8 mint leaves
1 sprig mint

Combine gin, lime juice, syrup and mint leaves in a pint glass, add ice and shake very hard. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.
Flamingo Soda

2/3 C. freshly squeezed orange and/or lemon juice
1/3 C. rhubarb simple syrup
Soda water to your liking.
Pour the juices and rhubarb syrup in a large glass over ice. Pour soda water until it reaches the top. Taste and add more syrup if it needs sweetening.
Sunrise Cocktail

1 dash of angostura bitters
1 sugar cube
1 tsp. rhubarb simple syrup
Cold, dry champagne
Twist of orange peel

Add a dash of bitters to sugar cube in the bottom of a chilled champagne glass. Add rhubarb syrup and slowly pour in the champagne. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Dill-Hazelnut Pesto

Dill-Hazelnut Pesto

1 1/3 C. fennel fronds
1 C. fresh dill fronds
1/4 C. roasted hazelnuts, skinned
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 C. hazelnut oil
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blend the fennel, dill, hazelnuts, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment until well combined. Add the hazelnut oil, then the olive oil in a slow, steady stream with the motor running. Salt and pepper to taste. Use the pesto immediately or
transfer to an airtight container, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, and refrigerate until ready to use. Stored in the refrigerator, the pesto will keep for about l week.

English Pea Pesto

English Pea Pesto

1 lb. English peas, shelled (about 1 C. after shelling)
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C. grated pecorino Romano cheese
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon
Sea salt

Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook the peas for 1 minute. Drain the peas and immediately transfer them to the ice water bath to cool. When cool, drain again. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend the peas and olive oil until well combined but still slightly coarse. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl. Mix in the cheese and tarragon. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper Jam

Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper Jam

3 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 9 C.)
1 1/2 C. white granulated sugar
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. finely ground black pepper (or to taste)

Start by getting a very large pot of water on the stove for processing the jars. It needs to be large enough so that there will be at least 1-inch of water above your jars – I use a very large soup pot. That much water takes a long time to boil, so put it on first. At the same time, place a small clean saucer in the freezer. If you time this whole process well, the jars should be done just a few minutes before your jam.

When the water starts boiling, add your empty jars to the water to sterilize. If you don’t have a canning rack, place a cotton tea towel in the bottom of the pot. Make sure your jars don’t touch the bottom or sides of the pot. Place the lids and rings in a heat proof bowl, ladle in some of the boiling water to cover, and leave to sit. Boil the jars for at least 10 minutes, and then carefully remove, dumping out the water from each one before placing on a dish towel. Keep the water boiling in the pot for processing.

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, stir the sugar in with the strawberries and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then strain the fruit through a fine colander, stirring the fruit a bit to loosen the juices. Return the juice to the pot and reserve the fruit.

Simmer the juice uncovered for 20 minutes, or until you have about 1 1/2 C. remaining. Return the strawberries to the the pot with the juices, and add the balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes. To check if the jam is done, remove the saucer from the freezer, place a dab of the liquid jam on the plate, and return the plate to the freezer for 1 minute. The jam will be stiff, but won’t quite gel.

Remove from the heat, and skim off as much of the foam as you can. Stir in the black pepper to your taste. It’s difficult to get a sense of the amount of pepper when the jam is hot, so if you want to check the flavor put a big glob of jam on the plate in the freezer for a minute. When it’s cool give it a taste, and add more pepper until you’re happy with the result.

At this point your jars should be ready to go. Fill each jar to within a 1/4 inch of the top (I know, that’s really full!). Put on the lids and tighten the rings to just finger tight – you want the air to be able to escape during processing. If you don’t have quite enough jam left to completely fill the last jar, place it in the fridge and eat within a few weeks.

Carefully lower your jars into the boiling water, again using a rack or a towel, and keeping the jars from touching the bottom or sides of the pot, or from touching each other. That last thing you want after all this work is for a jar to crack or explode! Process for 5 minutes – if you live above 1000 ft, add 1 extra minute for each additional 1000 ft above sea level.

Remove the jars from the water and place on a towel in a corner of the kitchen where they can be left undisturbed for 12 hours. After about an hour, check that the tops of the lids are fully sealed by pressing down on the middle of the lid – if you find one that pops up and down, place that jar in the fridge immediately and eat within a few weeks.

Minty Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa

Minty Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa

2 C. diced fresh pineapple (1/4-inch dice)
¼ C. diced yellow bell pepper (1/4-inch dice)
¼ C. diced green bell pepper (1/4-inch dice)
1 to 2 T. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. minced fresh jalapeno pepper, or to taste
1 T. fresh lime juice
Kosher or coarse salt, to taste

Place the pineapple, yellow and green bell peppers, mint, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt in a medium-size bowl and toss gently until well combined.

Creole Spice Paste

Creole Spice Paste

Use spice paste for your shrimp po boys, to spice up a mayo in a chicken or tuna salad, on grilled butterflied jumbo shrimp, add to chilis or soups, or to rub on chicken breasts, chops or steaks before broiling or grilling them.

1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the onion, garlic, parsley, jalapeño, cayenne, thyme, paprika, and salt and pepper in a food processor and process until the spice paste is well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once. Transfer the paste to a small plastic container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. You can add a little vegetable oil to the paste if you need it a little thinner.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

6 bags (12oz) cranberries
6 C. water
6 C. sugar

Cooking – In a stockpot, bring water and sugar to a boil, add cranberries, boil for 10 mins. After cranberries are soft use hand blender (immersion blender) to mix. Using a fine mesh strainer push through the liquid and pulp, then use cheesecloth to strain rest of seeds.

Filling jars – Using your funnel fill the jars with the cranberry mixture in half pints or pint size canning jars. Continue filling till the jars are filled to 1/2″ headspace. Remove the air bubbles with the rubber or plastic spatula and refill to the proper headspace if necessary.

Processing: Wipe the rims and place the hot lid/rings on the jars. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes at a full rolling boil. Wait 5 minutes, remove and place on dishtowel overnight undisturbed. The next day remove rings and clean jars and label with recipe name and date. Store in a cool, dry, and dark place.

Hot & Sour Cherry Preserves

Hot & Sour Cherry Preserves

1 1/2 lb. (4 C.) Sour Cherries, pitted
1 1/3 C. Sugar
2 T. Lemon Juice
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Gently stir together the pitted cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large nonreactive bowl. Cover and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer the macerated fruit mixture to your preserving pot using a spatula to scrape any sugar that has settled to the bottom of the bowl. Add the ground cayenne and, over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Continue to boil, stirring frequently until the mixture passes the plate test, about 12 minutes. You can reduce the heat near the end of the cooking time if the mixture begins to scorch. Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip tight. Process in a water-bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. After 24 hours, check the seals. Label, date, and store out of direct sunlight without the bands for up to a year.

LunaCafe Chinese Five-Spice

LunaCafe Chinese Five-Spice

The aroma of these spices when they are toasting is remarkable. For most evocative aroma and flavor, always use fresh spices.

3 whole star anise pieces, broken
20 whole cloves
3-inch Mexican cinnamon stick (canella), broken
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. whole Sichuan pepper or black peppercorns

In nonstick skillet set over medium heat, toast the spices just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Immediately remove from the heat and grind to a powder in a spice grinder. When cool, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry location.

Sorrel Pesto

Sorrel Pesto

3 C. of packed sorrel leaves, thoroughly washed and dried
4 – 5 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 C. Greek extra virgin olive oil (I like Athena brand)
¼ C. of pine nuts
1/2 C. walnuts
3/4 C. grated Parmesan (Reggiano) cheese
1/3 C. grated Pecorino Romano (Locatelli) cheese
salt
pepper

In a large food processor, combine sorrel leaves, garlic, pine nuts and walnuts. Process to make a near paste. Scrape bowl. With machine on, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Scrape bowl again. Add the cheeses, a big pinch of salt and 12 grinds of fresh pepper. Process again, taste and add more salt, if necessary, to your liking. A one C. portion is enough to coat 1 lb. of dried pasta, cooked. I like it on fusilli or gemelli best as it can get in all the little groves for maximum coverage and flavor. Excellent to put a dab on grilled chicken breasts, squash, potatoes or green beans. Adds a lovely cheesy, lemony flavor.

Marinated Peppers

Marinated Peppers

1 ½ lb. Peppers
¼ C. Bottled Lemon Juice
¾ C. White Wine Vinegar
¼ C. Olive Oil
1 ½ tsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Aleppo Pepper
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper

Prepare a boiling water bath and 2 half-pint/250 ml jars. Place 2 lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Heat your oven’s broiler to high. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, place the peppers on the pan, and slide the pan under the broiler. Cook the peppers for 1 to 2 minutes per side under the broiler, until they are uniformly charred and they have collapsed inside their skins. Remove the pan from the broiler and cover the peppers with another length of aluminum foil. Let the peppers rest until cool enough to handle. While the peppers cool, make the pickling liquid. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low to keep the brine warm until the peppers are prepped. Once the peppers are cool, peel away the skin and remove the seeds and cores. Tightly pack the peeled peppers into the prepared jars and cover with the pickling liquid, leaving a generous 1/2 inch/12 mm of headspace. Using a wooden chopstick, gently prod the peppers to dislodge any trapped air bubbles. Add more liquid to return the headspace to 1/2 inch/12 mm, if necessary. When the jars are nicely packed, wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes

Zucchini Spread

Zucchini Spread

3 1/2 C. zucchini, unpeeled, shredded (equiv. to 1 pound)
1/4 C. fresh parsley, finely snipped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans, dry roasted

Squeeze the zucchini to remove excess water. In a food processor or blender, process the zucchini and all other ingredients except the nuts until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl. Fold in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate before serving.

LTS Blender Salsa

LTS Blender Salsa

1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1- 10 oz can orginal Rotel
3 T. Dehydrated Onion
1 T. Lime Juice
1 T. dried Cilantro
1 tsp. honey
½ tsp. Granulated Garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
pinch chili flakes

If you have fresh cilantro from your garden, this salsa really benefits from it instead of the dried. Use a small to medium sized handful, depending on your preference.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit until the onion is mostly soft. Dump into in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. Do not omit the honey if you have it. It’s the secret ingredient that really makes it taste “right”.

Charred Lemon-Mint Chimichurri

Charred Lemon-Mint Chimichurri

This sauce works well with grilled meats (especially lamb chops and steak) and fish (try fresh sardines or halibut), but it’s a good accompaniment to vegetables too. Drizzle it on thick slices of tomato, grilled zucchini, or to dress a grainy salad or cucumbers.

1 small lemon
1 small jalapeño
1 C. flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 C. fresh spearmint leaves
3 tsp. fresh oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. coarsely chopped shallot
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil

Cut off the blossom and stem ends of the lemon, removing enough so that you can see the pulp on both ends. Cut the lemon into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place in a small bowl with the whole jalapeño. Toss with a little bit of olive oil and salt, and grill or broil until slightly charred. Return them to the bowl, and cover with a plate. The steam will cause them to soften and collapse slightly, and make the skin of the jalapeño easy to remove. Peel and seed the jalapeño (leave all or some of the seeds and membrane if you prefer some spice). Remove any seeds from the lemon slices. Put about 4 slices of lemon and the jalapeño in the bowl of a food processor with the parsley, mint, oregano, garlic, shallot, and vinegar. Pulse the ingredients in short bursts to chop and combine without creating too fine a purée. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining olive oil. Remove the sauce and let sit at least 2 hours or up to overnight, during which time the flavors will develop.

Spiced Vinegar

Spiced Vinegar

1 pt. vinegar
1 tsp. molasses
1 tsp. golden syrup
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 onion, grated for juice
1 clove garlic, crushed for juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
½ C water
¼ tsp. ground ginger

Blend all ingredients together, and store in a cool place.

Onion Relish

Onion Relish

3 T. vegetable oil
12 C. white onions, chopped
1 C. celery, chopped
1 C. sugar
1 C. cider vinegar
1/2 C. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. celery seed

Sauté onions and celery in oil until they are soft. Stir in sugar, vinegar, water, and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool and refrigerate.

Savory Mint Sauce

Savory Mint Sauce

This is one of the simplest sauces to make, and one of the most versatile. In Sicily it is known as zogghiu and is believed to be Maltese in origin. It is used to dress grilled fish, meat, and vegetables. It is also delicious spooned onto grilled bread and topped with fresh summer tomatoes. In this version, I’ve added some chopped walnuts to the basic sauce for a little extra body. See the variations that follow for more ways to switch up this spunky, garlicky sauce.

2 lightly packed C. (28 g) fresh mint leaves
2 lightly packed C. (28 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 C. (28 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
3 T. white wine vinegar
3/4 C. (165 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to cover

Place the mint and parsley leaves, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse briefly to chop the leaves. Add the nuts and pulse again until everything is coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the vinegar, 1 T. at a time. Turn off the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Then, with the motor running, drizzle in the oil. You should end up with a sauce that is somewhat thinner than classic basil pesto, but thick and spoonable nonetheless. Scrape the sauce into a jar or container and top off with a thin layer of olive oil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you like, divide the sauce between two or three containers before storing.

Variations
Add 3 or 4 anchovy fillets and 1 T. capers.
Substitute almonds for the walnuts.
Add a handful of finely chopped olives and a generous pinch of dried peperoncini flakes or minced fresh peperoncini.