late season canning

I spent an afternoon last weekend canning some tomatoes and peaches after finding some recipes that I just had to try. First up, earl grey peach preserves. Sounds delicious and I was right in time, as I nabbed the very last peaches at my CSA farm, supplementing with ripe nectarines. This recipe makes a small batch, yielding about 1 quart, which I love. Small batch canning always feels special to me. Perhaps having a small quantity of something makes it feel extra special, to be savored, versus having a half dozen little jars that seem impossible to get through. I really love the addition of tea to what would be plain peach preserves. Definitely deserving of the "whoa!!!" upon the first taste it. And honestly, I'd take this again over the plain stuff any day.

Next in line, tomato marmalade. Wait, tomatoes plus sugar??? I've never been baffled by a recipe like this one I pulled from an old cookbook (picked up at random at an antique store, of all places). I apprehensively went to my CSA farm and filled up a huge bag with tomatoes in the name of experimentation. The sweet smells wafting from this stuff on the stove sealed the deal and trust me, it's hard to keep from eating this stuff by the spoonful.

Note: if you've never done any canning, you should do some research ahead of time to learn the proper techniques for preservation. Otherwise, these recipes could be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks, or frozen. Check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation as a starting point.

Ripe Tomato Marmalade

9 lbs tomatoes

6 C sugar

1 tsp salt

2 oranges

2 lemons

4 sticks cinnamon

2 tsp whole cloves

1. To peel tomatoes, bring a pot of water to a boil. Have a separate bowl of ice water at the ready. Submerge the tomatoes, a few at a time, in the boiling water for about 30 seconds, until the skin loosens slightly and begins to crack. Remove tomatoes to the ice water to stop the cooking process, then remove to a towel. Using your hands or a small paring knife, gently remove the skins, then core and slice.
2. In a large pan, combine tomatoes, sugar, and salt.
3. Use a peeler to remove the peel from the oranges and lemons. Thinly slice the peels and boil in water for 5 minutes; remove and add to the tomato mixture. Peel the remaining white pith from oranges and lemon, then slice fruit, removing any seeds as you go. Add the citrus to the tomatoes.
4. Tie the cinnamon and cloves into a cheesecloth spice bag; add to the tomatoes.
5. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil. Cook rapidly, stirring to prevent burning, until thickened, at least 45 minutes.
6. Remove the spice bag. If canning, pour the marmalade into hot sterile jars and seal for 15 minutes. Otherwise, pour into a container and let cool before storing in refrigerator or freezer.

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Pantry Storage Recycling

I love buying stuff in bulk bins at the grocery store. I can buy small quantities of recipe specific ingredients and replenish my stock of staple ingredients without spending a fortune. Only problem is my pantry quickly fills up with plastic bags full of ingredients, sometimes unidentifiable if I forgot to write the item name along with the bulk code. My solution? Instead of buying those (expensive) plastic storage containers, I reuse glass jars. Even canning jars work great for this.

Rinse the jar clean and peel as much of the label off as possible. If there's any remaining paper or adhesive left, soak the jar in water and vinegar overnight, then scrub again. If the jar and/or lid have any lingering odors, soak in vinegar (otherwise your food will absorb these flavors). Wash and dry the jar and lid thoroughly, then label and fill with dry goods.

I also save large drink bottles (bottled juices often come in these) to store cold drinks, like homemade iced tea, nutmilk, or smoothies. Small spice jars store seasonings, simple syrup, or salad dressings, all of which are handy to take and use at work.

Above is one shelf of my pantry. I love this method because I can easily see the items that I have and what needs replenishing.

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green protein smoothie

So...green smoothies. Is it just me, or does it seem a bit strange to drink a mysterious green liquid that looks like it would be quite at home in a swamp? The secret is to balance the green with fruit, banana really helps out here, plus it's a great thickener.

I'm a little bit crazy about this green smoothie specifically because it just tastes so good! Plus it's easy to mix up with different frozen fruit on hand. This blend in particular masks the slight grittiness to the hemp protein powder (any unflavored variety of protein powder would work great, too).

Green Protein Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp hemp protein powder
• 4 cups spinach
• 1 banana
• 1 C frozen blueberries or strawberries
• 1 C water or milk (So Delicious coconut adds a subtle richness), or more for a looser consistency

Method

1. Add ingredients to blender in the order listed.
2. Blend until smooth.

Yields about 20 ounces, enough for one large or two small servings.

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monster cookies!

Monster cookies are perhaps my favorite type of cookie. Where else can you get delicious peanut butter, chocolate, and oatmeal bound together by sugar and fat? These things have been on my cooking bucket list for quite some time now; last year I had dreams of turning the momofuku compost cookies into monster cookies, but I never got around to it. Maybe my next batch? Anyway, thekitchn posted this brilliant flourless monster cookie recipe that I finally whipped up with some slight tweaks:

Peanut butter: Maranatha No-Stir Crunchy PB

Mix-ins: 1C M&Ms + 1/2C white chocolate chunks + 1/2C dark chocolate chips

I use a medium sized cookie scoop to form my cookies, then press them down slightly on the pan into fat disks. This method yielded me about 2.5 dozen cookies, plus several big gobs of cookie dough ;)

My other trick with all cookie dough is to freeze the dough into premade disks flat on a cookie sheet, then store them in a big ziploc bag in the freezer. This way I don't bake more cookies than I can eat at a time, plus I have easy access to fresh baked cookies anytime! Throw em on a cookie sheet when ready (still frozen) and cook for a few minutes longer than the original recipe.

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Roasted Beets + Greens

Yep, I went there. Beets have always been a mystery vegetable to me and even though I had previously never encountered one, I was always semi afraid of them. Unfortunately for me, my CSA box this week had a bunch tucked inside. So I did my research and found a couple beet and beet green recipes. One of the first recipe hits had nearly 300 reviews and 4.5 stars, how could I go wrong?

The beet greens have a surprisingly neutral taste, milder than kale even. As such, I think they would make a great accompaniment to other sauteed vegetables and no one would be the wiser. The beets themselves are nice and tender, slightly sweet. I have a feeling I'll be buying beets at least once this fall.

Roasted Beets + Greens

Ingredients

• One bunch beets (about 6), washed and separated
• Olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 C onion, finely chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in a glass baking dish, adding enough olive oil to toss and coat. Cover pan with foil and bake for about 60 minutes, or until beets tender.
2. Tear beet green leaves from the hard red stems, roughly chopping the leaves.
3. After beets are done cooking, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until slightly golden. Add beet greens and cook until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Slice beets. To serve, place beet greens over sliced beets and add sherry vinegar over the top. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

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last taste of summer

It's been really hot around here for over a week, then suddenly, cool temperatures are back! Kinda makes it feel like the real end to summer and while I'm not quite yet ready to let it go, I will carry this drink with me into the fall: shaken iced tea.

I discovered this drink on the menu at Starbucks and couldn't get enough of it. Perfectly brewed black tea, served over ice, and just slightly sweetened? Yes, please. Also doesn't hurt that it's the cheapest drink on the menu ;) Then I realized I could make the same drink and have it on hand all the time at home. All I'd need was some tea, some sweetener, ice, and a cocktail shaker for good measure.

Tea: experiment, play around, find what you like! I tend to use black tea (PG Tips tea bags or loose-leaf), but I've also had success with Yerba Mate. I make a batch of 1.5 liters at a time, traditional hot brew method, then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Sweetener: simple syrup is quick and easy to make--boil equal parts water and sugar, then lower heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Otherwise, I think agave could be quite nice. It needs to dissolve completely in cold water.

Using a cocktail shaker, for added flair, add several ice cubes, followed by tea, and a splash of sweetener. Shake vigorously and pour into a glass. Without cocktail shaker, put ingredients in a glass and stir to combine.

I love this too because it can be custom tailored to your taste. Like extra strong tea? Brew it up! Extra sweet? Bring on the simple syrup.

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Carrot Salsa Slaw Tacos

I used most of my carrot salsa slaw in making some vegetarian tacos. Tacos are one of those things that everyone does a little bit differently and I doubt I am anywhere near traditional, given that I have no idea what "traditional" means here. I'd recommend subbing out any salsas or hot sauces you might like for the carrot slaw, adjusting the heat in that recipe.

I prep all ingredients ahead of time then assemble as the tortillas are ready.

Corn tortillas

Cheddar cheese

Black beans (for a meatless alternative)

Carrot Salsa Slaw

Corn, raw, cut fresh from the cob

Cherry tomatoes, halved

Heating my tortillas over medium low to medium heat until pliable, then put on a little cheese and allow to melt slightly. Remove tortilla to plate and add ingredients as desired.

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Carrot Salsa Slaw

For at least the past month, my CSA box has been overrun by carrots. A little bunch of 10+ carrots of which I've been stumped with how to use them. Don't get me wrong, farm fresh carrots are amazingly sweet compared to your average supermarket ones. But really, how many recipes use a lot of carrots, carrot cake aside?

I've been searching the internet for recipes to make, daring to only try a smoothie recipe as of late. Then I found this recipe for carrot salsa. I tweaked the recipe to my own taste, but more importantly, to incorporate more ingredients from my CSA box. I've also decided to call mine a "carrot salsa slaw" because some of the ingredients (lime juice, garlic, cilantro) reminded me of Asian food, slaws specifically. I made a batch of this around noon and have used it all up in tacos and a salad. I think I'm gonna be making a lot of this stuff in the coming week.

Carrot Salsa Slaw

Ingredients

• 2 C grated carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 small sweet pepper, diced
• 1/2 hot red pepper, minced (or to taste)
• 1 green onion, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Method

1. Combine carrots, garlic, peppers, onion, and cilantro in a bowl and mix until well combined. Stir in lime juice and salt, then carefully fold in cherry tomatoes.

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zucchini brownies

It's zucchini time again. This year I've been over run with them from my CSA, definitely something I wasn't expecting. I was out-zucchini'd week one when I tried them lightly marinated in a vinaigrette which was too reminiscent of recipes I've had for several years. And then I saw a link to a recipe for zucchini brownies! Being a chocoholic, I couldn't resist.

I took my favorite parts from two recipes and made a couple of my own additions and they turned out great! Moist and a tad bit chewy, just how I like them :) These things are highly addicting, I basically ate a third of a pan in the span of an afternoon. Beware!

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 C sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 C cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground cardamom

2 C grated zucchini

1 C almond flour

1 C AP flour

1 1/2 C chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large glass baking dish with oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the flours and chocolate chips until well blended.
3. Fold in flours, then chocolate chips.
4. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Next time I make these, I will try using all almond flour, as this gave it a nice density and texture. This would make it egg and gluten free, and just a couple tweaks away from being vegan!

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CSA Season: collard greens

I signed up for a CSA basket for the season and with it come some vegetables I would not normally try. First up: collard greens.

I've never had collard greens, but I imagine they are in the same category as kale and swiss chard, two greens I have purchased and enjoy cooked up with eggs.

I decided to cook my collard greens in a grill pan with bacon fat, which then turned into a sort of salad. I ate mine plain, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, then added a couple strips of bacon, torn into pieces.

Next time I think I'll make my standard dijon-balsamic vinaigrette and toss with the greens and bacon. I like using an old spice jar to shake up my vinaigrette ingredients, plus it makes a great little storage container and is a convenient way to take a couple day's worth of salad dressing to work for lunch!

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Avocado Chocolate Pudding

You know those recipes that you aren't entirely sure of, but you go against your gut instinct and make it anyway, hoping you'll be proven wrong? Well, as a general rule, I used to think avocado should never go near anything sweet or dessert like until this raspberry ganache fudge cake came into my life. So I gave a vanilla pudding recipe, made from avocado, a shot and that was a big mistake. But I turned it into a pretty yummy chocolate pudding recipe.


Avocado Chocolate Pudding

1 medium avocado
3+ tbsp carob or cacao powder, to taste
1 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C cold water

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.


The avocado makes this pudding rich and decadent and the blending makes it nice and light!

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