1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. Padron peppers
Coarse sea salt
Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold all of the peppers in a single layer. Add the peppers. Fry over medium heat, turning often, until they are soft and blistered slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl. Discard the olive oil. Toss the peppers with salt and serve immediately.
1 C. instant nonfat dry milk powder
1â„4 C. cornstarch
1â„8 C. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1â„2 tsp. salt
1â„2 tsp. white pepper
2 C. parmesan cheese
2 T. dried Italian Herbs, optional
Combine all ingredients well and store in lidded container. To make sauce, per serving, combine ¼ C. mix with 2 tsp. butter or 2 tsp. sour cream and 1â„4 C. milk. (I want to test this mix with butter powder, sour cream powder and reconstituted milk to see if I can make this LTS).
Peel the cloves from 2 heads (or more) of garlic. Place the cloves in a small saucepan and pour in enough olive oil to cover them, 1/2 to 3/4 C. for 2 heads. Over medium heat bring the oil to just a hint of a simmer, then reduce the heat to as low as it can go. You want to poach the garlic, not simmer it. Cook for about 45 minutes, until the garlic is soft and tender, but not falling apart. Transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to a clean jar and pour the oil in to cover the cloves.
Cool the mixture to room temperature. Cover the jar tightly and keep refrigerated for several weeks, or freeze for several months. (Keep the cloves covered in oil and be careful about using a clean spoon to dip into the jar). As a variation, add rosemary and/or thyme to the saucepan along with the garlic to cook.
10 Ways To Use Garlic Confit
1.Whip a few cloves and some of the infused oil with vinegar to make a vinaigrette. Toss it with delicate greens.
2.Smash some of the cloves and whisk them with some of the infused oil. Toss the thick garlicky oil with steamed vegetables. (Excellent with asparagus, green beans, snow and snap peas, broccoli, and cauliflower.)
3.Toss roasted or grilled vegetables with a spoonful of the tender garlic.
4.Spread the tender cloves over toasted bread or cheese-smeared crostini. (Goat cheese is a great option.) For a composed hors d’oeuvre, garnish the garlic toasts with chives or any fresh herbs.
5.Layer garlic confit into a sandwich or pizza.
6.Toss garlic confit into a vegetable pasta. (Just pick a vegetable and pair it with garlic confit and pasta. For an easy option, try fresh tomatoes and basil.)
7.Whip the tender cloves into any vegetable puree for sweet garlic flavor. (Try garlic confit with a potato, celery root, cauliflower, winter squash, or sunchoke puree.) A whipped chickpea or cannellini bean puree will also benefit from a spoonful of garlic confit.
8.Make a vegetable and garlic confit salad. Slice the cloves in half and toss them into a tomato, basil, and toasted bread salad. Use some of the oil to sauté corn-off-the-cob just briefly. Toss the corn with sliced or smashed cloves, fresh basil, and feta. (Add zucchini and/or tomatoes to the corn salad if you wish.)
9.Add garlic confit to sauces and soups.
10.Use the back of a fork to break down cloves into a paste. Stir the garlic paste into plain Greek yogurt or ricotta to make a creamy garlic dip or condiment. If you wish, add summer herbs to the mixture or drizzle the top with a good olive oil or chili oil.
A Warning About Botulism: Garlic is an extremely low-acid vegetable. When it is stored improperly in oil (without oxygen) and in warm temperatures (at room temperature), it can produce a very serious toxin that causes the illness botulism. Botulism can be fatal if not treated immediately. It is very important to refrigerate garlic confit, as per the Center for Disease Control. Use a clean jar with a tight seal to store garlic confit; cool the garlic and oil as quickly as possible, and refrigerate it immediately. If you store the preserved garlic properly, it should keep for several months, however, to be completely safe, I recommend only storing it for up to three weeks. If you’re worried, you can also safely freeze garlic confit for several months.
6 heads of garlic, cloves peeled (2 cups)
6 thyme sprigs
3 small bay leaves
3 dried red chiles, such as chiles de arbol
2 cups pure olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer over low heat until the garlic is tender but not browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic, herbs and chiles to three 1/2-pint canning jars. Pour the cooking oil on top, seal and refrigerate for up to 4 months.
Ginger dipping sauce: In a blender or food processor, whirl 1/4 C. coarsely chopped white onion, 1/2 C. peeled, coarsely chopped ginger, and 1/3 C. peeled, coarsely chopped sweet apple (such as Red Delicious), scraping sides of bowl as necessary, until smooth. Add 3/4 C. soy sauce, 6 T. rice vinegar, 1 1/2 T. Asian sesame oil, and 1/4 C. sugar. Whirl until smooth. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Whisk before serving. Makes about 2 cups.
Mustard dipping sauce: In a blender, whirl 3/4 C. soy sauce, 2 T. water, 1/4 C. dry mustard, 1/4 C. toasted sesame seeds, and 1/4 C. sugar until smooth. Stir in an additional 1/4 C. toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Whisk before serving. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
Ponzu dipping sauce: In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring to a boil 1/2 C. sake or dry white wine, 1/2 C. mirin (sweet rice wine; available in supermarkets), 1/2 C. soy sauce, 1/2 C. rice vinegar, and 1/4 C. dried bonito flakes (optional; available in Asian markets); if omitting bonito flakes, combine all other ingredients in a bowl and chill. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Strain and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in 3 T. lemon juice. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.
Handmade gifts are better, but handmade food gifts are the best. Inspired by carrot jam from Afghanistan, this marmalade puts carrots and cardamom to good use and easy enough to make in an afternoon. Because candied grated carrots play the role of citrus peel in this naturally neon orange marmalade, the result is sweet rather than bitter.
2 C. water
1 tsp. green cardamom pods
1 Meyer lemon, zest and juice
1 orange, zest and juice
2 C. grated carrots (about 6 medium or 3 large carrots)
2 C. organic cane sugar
1 tsp. cardamom seeds, ground
In a saucepan, combine the water, cardamom pods, and lemon and orange juices and zests. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Take out and discard cardamom pods. Add carrots, sugar and ground cardamom, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until the carrots absorb most of the liquid and only a small amount of sugar syrup pools when you pull your spoon across the bottom. Remove from heat. Spoon into sterile glass jars with airtight lids and cover. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes (will keep unopened for up to one year), or cool completely and store in the refrigerator (will keep for several weeks). Makes 2 C. (or 2 half-pint jars)
Nasturtiums form their seedpods around the end of summer or early fall. Get on your hands and knees and look for them in the soil directly underneath the plants’ leaves. Only pick the young green pods, not the older ones that are hard and yellowish.
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 C. water
1 C. fresh, green nasturtium seedpods
1 1/2 C. champagne vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
2 sprigs fresh summer savory
Bring the salt and water to a boil in a saucepan. Place the nasturtium seedpods in a small jar and pour the boiling brine over them. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Drain the seedpods and place them back in the jar. Boil the vinegar and sugar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the seedpods, add savory sprigs, and let cool. Cover the jar and refrigerate for 3 days before using. They will keep for about 6 months refrigerated and are delicious in salads, fried or chopped over things, and wherever else a caper might appear!
2 T. seasoning salt
2 T. sea salt
1/2 C. brown sugar
2 T. cumin
2 T. chili powder
2 T. black pepper
1 T. cayenne
1/3 C. paprika
3 T. lemon pepper
3 T. onion salt or powder
3 T. garlic powder
2 T. dry mustard
1 T. dried basil (optional)
1 T. dried oregano (optional)
1 T. dried parsley (optional)
If you like it Cajun or hot add a few pinches of dry hot pepper flakes. Mix all together and use on chicken and pork.
For a quick version:
Combine
2 tsp. ground cardamom
5 tsp. ground coriander
4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Store in air tight container.
For a more authentic version, use whole spices, and toast them in a dry pan, then crush in spice grinder.
In a small dry skillet, add the whole coriander, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom pod (if using) and cinnamon stick. Dry roast these for three minutes over medium heat then add the cumin seeds. Continue roasting for several more minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the seeds from burning. Once these begin to smell fragrant and have darkened slightly, pour the spices into a bowl to cool. Put the roasted spices as well as the dry ginger, ground cardamom (if not using pod) and saffron threads into a high-powered blender, coffee or spice grinder. Grind these to a fine powder. Store this in an air-tight container for up to 6 months.
Anchovy Butter
1 1.75-oz (50-g) tin anchovy fillets
1 lb (500 g) butter, softened
2 shallots, finely chopped
½ cup (125 mL) chopped flat leaf parsley
½ cup (125 mL) pimento, diced
In the bowl of a food processor with a steel blade, place all ingredients. Pulse until ingredients are uniformly distributed throughout the butter. Lay a 16-in (40-cm) length of waxed paper on a clean work surface. Place all the anchovy butter ¹⁄³ of the way up the paper. Fold the end nearest you up over the butter and roll to form a uniform 2-in (5-cm) cylinder. Tightly wrap ends. Wrap again with plastic wrap and place in freezer.
Citrus Mint Salsa
1 each orange, sectioned
1 each pink grapefruit sectioned
½ cup orange marmalade
¼ cup mint, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
1 T. ground seived coriander
Combine ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using. Will keep up to 2 weeks refrigerated.
Mini Monster Fridge Cakes
¾ stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 cup plus 1 T. bittersweet chocolate chips
3 T. superfine sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup plus 1 T. milk chocolate chips
Decorations: M&Ms, Edible Eyes, Writing Icing Pens
Line a 9 in square baking pan with parchment paper. Put the butter, corn syrup, bittersweet chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted, then add the apricots, crushed graham crackers and crispy rice cereal. Stir to coat the biscuits and crispy rice in the sticky mixture, then spoon into the baking pan and level the top. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until firm. Once firm, melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water). Spread the milk chocolate over the chilled cake mixture and smooth the top. Put back into the refrigerator for 30 minutes until set firm, then remove from the baking pan and slice into 12 small rectangular pieces. Stick edible eyes on each rectangle with icing pens, decorate the body with M&M’s and draw on an icing mouth.
Grapefruit Cardamom Syrup
Peeled zest of 2 pink grapefruits (be sure the peel has no white pith)
Juice of 2 pink grapefruits
½ C. water
2 C. granulated sugar
Pinch sea salt
Combine zest, juice, water, sugar, salt and lemon juice in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cardamom, remove from heat and let rest 1 hour. Fine strain, discard solids and funnel into a clean bottle or Mason jar. Label, date and refrigerate up to 2 weeks
Cardamom Paloma
1½ ounces silver tequila
2 ounces Grapefruit Cardamom Syrup
Soda water
Fresh grapefruit wedge or peel for garnish
Pour tequila and syrup over ice in an Old-Fashioned or highball glass, top with soda water and garnish with citrus. Makes 1 cocktail.
Blackberry, Blueberry and Salal Berry Ketchup
Serve this with hot smoked salmon! Pulled basque pork! Hazelnut halibut! On french toast, pancakes and waffles! and practically EVERYTHING!
This is made with a pound of fruit. Mix and match the fruit, because all our suggestions are in the same local season. We suggest blackberries, blueberries, salal berries, huckleberries and/or even Italian plums. It freezes like alcohol, meaning it doesn’t freeze solid. for that reason, plan to use it in 6 months or less. Freeze in reusable container with a tight-fitting lid. Always cover the top of the sauce with waxed paper or parchment before covering with tight lid.
1 pound berries, one or two varieties (Blackberry, Blueberry and Salal Berry) or all blackberries
1-2 T. water
1 1/3 cups pure maple syrup, blue agave syrup, or brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
Place fruit(s) and water in a large sauce pan and simmer over medium or medium low heat until it breaks up, approximately 10-15 minutes; puree through food mill or using a stick blender. To remove small seeds, strain through a sieve. Return strained fruit to stove on medium; reduce some to slightly thickened. Add maple syrup, vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until ingredients have “bloomed” into a “berry” good reduction. Chill to serve.
Chive Oil & Chive Blossom Vinegar
Clip blossoming chives near the base of the stem, trimming off brown or dried parts. Pick off blossoms. Chop stems into 1/2″ lengths.
For vinegar, pack blossoms into pint jar (or jars, depending on how many blossoms you have and how much vinegar you’ll use). Fill jar with vinegar to within 1/2″ of top. I used white wine vinegar, but some recipes call for white vinegar, which to my taste would be too strong; others call for white balsamic vinegar. Seal with lid, but not too tightly, to allow vinegar to breathe. Store in cool, dark place for two weeks. Strain into clean jar(s) and seal with lid(s). Keep up to six months in a cupboard away from heat or light.
For oil, place chopped chives, a few blossoms and enough oil to cover in a blender. Blend on high until completely pulverized then add more oil to thin it. Pour into lidded container and place in refrigerator for four days. Bring to room temperature, strain through fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into medium bowl or pint measuring C., then pour strained oil into ice cube tray and freeze. Pop frozen cubes out of trays and place in zip-lock bag. Store in freezer and thaw as needed.
RB&O Sauce
2– 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup sliced rhubarb (about 2– 3 medium-size stalks, cut into ¼-inch slices)
3 T. maple syrup
1½ T. red or white wine vinegar
Pinch allspice
Pinch dried thyme (or ¼ tsp. fresh)
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel, reserving drippings in skillet. Cook onion in drippings until lightly golden. Stir in rhubarb, maple syrup, vinegar, allspice, and thyme; cook over low heat, 5-7 minutes, until rhubarb is soft. Crumble in cooked bacon. Serve warm.
Rhubarb Hot Pepper Jelly
2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 3– 5 medium-size stalks, cut into ½-inch pieces)
6 cups plus 2 T. sugar, divided
1 cup seeded and chopped red bell pepper or banana pepper
½ cup seeded and chopped jalapeño, serrano, or Thai pepper
½ cup chopped red onion
1½ cups white vinegar
2 (3-ounce) pouches liquid pectin
Bring rhubarb, 2 T. sugar, and water to cover to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain over a large bowl, reserving 1 cup rhubarb juice and discarding pulp. Return rhubarb juice to pot. Place peppers and onion in the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade; pulse until pepper mixture is finely chopped. Add pepper mixture, vinegar, and remaining 6 cups sugar to rhubarb juice in pot. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in pectin, mixing well. Using basic canning procedures, pour jelly mixture into hot jars, adjust lids, and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool 30 minutes; invert and twist jars to distribute solids.
Pickled Fiddlehead Ferns
½ cup sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1 T. salt
1 tsp. red pepper flake
Rind of 1 orange peel
6 each black peppercorns
½ pound fiddlehead ferns, cleaned, trimmed and blanched for 1 minute
Two days before making dish, boil first six ingredients for pickle liquid. Cool. Pour over blanched fiddleheads. Chill.
Roasted Mushroom Cream Pizza Sauce
2 (8-ounce / 225-g) containers button mushrooms (make sure they’re clean, dudes— dust any dirt off with a paper towel)
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil, a couple of fat pinches of salt, and five turns on your pepper grinder. Spread them out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until they lose their water and wrinkle a bit. Place the mushrooms with their juices, rosemary, onion, and cream in a food processor or blender. Purée until there are no big chunks or pieces, but don’t go too far or you’ll have butter. It should be smooth and spreadable. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. This will keep in fridge about 5 days
Garlic Confit in Olive Oil
1 C. garlic cloves, peeled
1 dried bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh mint
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
3 peppercorns
1 C. extra virgin olive oil
Place a small saucepan on low heat and add peeled garlic, bay leaf, mint, salt, and peppercorns. Cover garlic with olive oil and simmer. Cook on low until garlic is soft and golden, but not browned, approximately 30 to 45 minutes. If garlic burns, you must discard entire batch of garlic and oil and start again. Once golden, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer garlic and olive oil into a sterilized jar, and seal tightly with the lid. Refrigerate up to one week.
Browned Butter
To make brown butter (also called beurre noisette), simply start by melting unsalted butter over medium heat. Use a pan with a light-colored bottom so you can keep track of the color as the butter begins to brown. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is cooking evenly. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. The color will progress from yellow to tan to a toasty-brown. Once you smell a nutty aroma, take the pan off the heat and transfer the browned butter to a heat-proof bowl to cool. The milk solids cook fast and you’ll see them settle on the bottom of the pan like the dregs in a bottle of wine. When you transfer the brown butter to a new container, you can leave as much of this sediment in the pan as possible. You can also strain the butter through a fine meshed strainer or cheese cloth to remove all the particles. Now, I like the slightly burnt taste that these solids give to the butter…so try it both ways to see what you like. It’s easy enough to brown just what you need for your recipe, but you can also brown large batches of butter at a single time. It keeps for quite a while in the fridge, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays. You can use brown butter in just about any recipe that calls for butter, including cookies, cakes, or sauces. I love spooning a little bit over pasta, fish dishes, or even steamed vegetables. It also makes an excellent spread for dinner rolls when whipped together with regular butter.
Fig Chutney
Yields approximately 3 C.
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced small
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 C. fresh figs, roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked off stems
Water to cover
Salt
Pepper
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add the sliced onion, sweating them until softened. Deglaze with red wine, then add balsamic vinegar, sugar, and figs. Simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Fold in thyme leaves about 2 minutes before finished cooking. Cool. Process in food processor until smooth. Adjust with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and water if needed. Store in refrigerator, but let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Will keep for 2 weeks.
Guacamole with Preserved Lemon
2 avocados
1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
1 T. brine from preserved lemons
1 T. diced onion (if desired)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1 pinch smoked paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper (if desired)
Blend all ingredients by hand or in a food processor until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or with toasted pita wedges
Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter
2 cups / 225 g raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup / 60 ml sunflower oil, divided
1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt, plus more as needed
2 T. vanilla bean paste (or seeds scraped from 2 plump vanilla beans)
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
zest of 1/2 a lemon, or to taste
Toast the sunflower seeds in a 325F / 165C oven, on a rimmed baking sheet, until fragrant and golden. You’ll want to stir them once or twice along the way to ensure even roasting. Let cool for ten minutes. Puree the seeds in a food processor along with 1 T. sunflower oil, and the sea salt (if using). As the motor runs drizzle in another 2 T. of sunflower oil. Scrape down the sides once or twice along the way, you’re aiming for an even, creamy consistency, and it may take some time. Once the mixture starts to look smooth, add the vanilla paste and cinnamon, and pulse to incorporate. At this point, evaluate the consistency, if your sunflower seed butter is on the thick side, drizzle in the remaining T. of oil while the processor is running. Taste, and add more salt if needed (and the lemon zest. if using), as well. Makes about 1 1/2 cup
Grandma’s Long-Cooked Tomato Gravy
1/2 cup olive oil
12 cup finely minced garlic
3 pounds onions, peeled and finely minced
3 medium-large carrots, peeled and finely minced
3 large stalks celery, finely minced
5 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
4 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
2 T. dried oregano
Sugar
12 cups water
5 pounds beef bones (I like to use some marrow bones)
5 pounds meaty pork bones (I like to use about a pound of pig’s feet as part of the mix)
1/2 pound piece of rind from pecorino Romano cheese
Place the olive oil in a very large stockpot over high heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the stockpot. Add the tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Taste for sweetness; if the sauce seems a little tart, adjust with sugar (I usually add about 1 T.). Add water. Bring sauce to a simmer. Add the beef bones, pork bones, and pecorino Romano rind. Stir well. Keep sauce at an active simmer for 3¥2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce is done when it’s medium-thick but runny, and when you like the balance of tomato and meat flavors. If it’s too thin at 4 hours, raise the heat and reduce the sauce a bit. When the sauce is done, let it rest in the pot until it cools off slightly. Then remove most of the dark red oil swimming on top. Discard. Place the sauce in a large roasting pan. You may need several roasting pans, or you may need to do this in a few batches. When the sauce is cool enough, run your hands through the sauce, picking out and discarding any bones that you find. Use the sauce immediately, or freeze for future use.