Putting up Peaches

We are just getting the very last of the peaches here in Southwestern PA,

and I have to say, they've been really good this year.

Mind you, not as good as the peaches of my native Georgia...

but what are you gonna do.

 





 



Can you tell what's different about this second picture? :)

 

 

 

  

I struck up a bargain with one of my farmer friends at the market and ordered a HUGE box of them to can and make cobblers and such.

I would take the ones with minor bump, bruises, and blemishes off of his hands,

and in return he would give me a CRAZY deal.

So I got mine on the cheap. Huzzah!

A little spot here and a small bruise there was really not a big problem,

I was going to be cutting them up anyway.

 

For the cobbler, I use this recipe from Southern Living.

It. Is. Delicious.

It's also really simple.

 

I should mention, too, that this recipe states that the nutmeg is "optional."

It actually isn't. Not for me anyway.

 

 

I canned everything that was left over which mostly we'll just eat plain.

I might make a cobbler or two with them.

I also throw them into smoothies for the little guy.



I use a really light syrup because I hate when fruit tastes like white sugar and not... you know... fruit.



Anyone out there have a favorite peach recipe you want to share?

Peter Piper Had a Peck of...

pickled peppers.

duh.

Pickled peppers are one of my husband's favorite things.

He eats them on sandwiches, salads,

and more often than not, straight out of the jar.

I started making them last year,

starting with about 4 jars and thinking that would last awhile.

They lasted not even 2 weeks.

So I kept making more

and more

and more.

And still don't know if I could ever make enough.

As with most of our veg,

we don't have enough space in our garden to grow everthing that we like to put up for the off seasons.
But I think we've figured out a good system where we grow our own hot peppers,

and just buy the bells in bulk from our regular guy at the farmers market.


And this time, I was lucky enough to get a whole trash bag full of bells from a family friend! Score!

 

 

 

I use a variety of sweet and hot peppers, but you can use this recipe with all bells or all hots.

I think it would be good to use with just jalepenos if you're a fan of spicy.

They have the heat, but not so much that they're inedible if you eat them straight.

You can also easily control the heat level by keeping or leaving the seeds and ribs

(see my note at the very bottom for tips when working with hot peppers).

So without further ado, here's my recipe:

My varieties:

Bells (red, orange, yellow, green)

Jalapenos

Sweet Banana

Hot Banana

Anaheim

Cayenne

Step One: Roasting

Wash your peppers and cut them in pieces.

I roast my bells and the larger banana peppers to take some of the skins off and to give them better flavor.

For the little ones, I just split down the middle and remove some of the ribs and seeds to control the heat. Set them aside in a large bowl.
Now back to the roasting, I cut mine into pieces and take out the ribs and seeds, trying to cut them about to "snacking size" (or the size I would want them to fit on a sandwich).

Place them skin side up on a baking sheet.

Put the baking sheet under the broiler until they begin to char.

This usually takes me many batched and turns of the pepper pieces for as even a char as I can get.

Once they're charred, place them in a large bowl and cover with a lid.

This will let them steam while they cool down and help the skins to come off later.

After all of your peppers are done and cooled enough to handle, start taking the skins off (it should just slide right off).

Then place them with the small peppers and mix together.

Then, place them in your sterilized mason jars.

I use wide-mouthed quart jars.








See all that juice left at the bottom? Don't pitch it!
I just add all of that to my brine (keep reading for more on my brine)

Step Two: Brine

To make your brine, place the following ingredients in a nonreactive pan and bring to a boil.

5 Cups Water

5 Cups White Vinegar

4 bay leaves

3 Tbsp Ground Coriander

4 Tbsp whole peppercorns

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Coarse Salt

5-7 Whole Garlic Cloves, peeled

Allow to boil for a bit, until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Step Three: Canning

Using a funnel, pour brine over peppers into mason jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Meanwhile, place your mason jar lids in boiling water for about 10 minutes.

Using a sterilized knife, run the knife along the outside of the mason jars, allowing some of the air bubbles to work themselves out.

Wipe off the rims of the jars with a clean cloth and place the lids on top, not touching the inner side.

Loosely screw on the rings.

Process in a waterbath for about 20 minutes (for quart containers).

Tighten rings and allow to cool.

You should hear the lids pop if they're airtight.

If they don't pop, or if they come unpopped after time, throw them out.

The longer these sit, the better,

but I recommend letting them marinate for at least a few weeks for the best flavor.

Tips for Working with Hot Peppers:

• Know your peppers. The better you know the variety you're using, the more prepared you'll be for their heat.
• Wear gloves. This seemed a little extreme to me at first... until I went a week afterward feeling like my hands were ON. FIRE.
• Take out the ribs and seeds to control the heat. The more you leave, the hotter they'll be.
• Use a separate cutting board and tools, and try to use a nonporous cutting surface. Nothing worse than making baby food or cookies and tasting the remnants of hot peppers! (I've done it. And it was bad.)
• Clean up afterwards really well. The oils from the peppers can linger, so wash up thoroughly!
• DO NOT touch your face (or anything really) until you've done the above.

Greek Meatballs

or "keftedes".

*Disclaimer: I am not Greek. Generally speaking, I don't cook Greek food. If you are Greek, please feel free to hate this recipe, say "these are not keftedes", or just ignore entirely. I will not be offended. :)  I've taken some liberties in changing this recipe from traditional keftedes.

I will say though, that they are pretty darn tasty, simple, fast, and use ingredients that I almost always have in my kitchen/garden :)

So without further ado,

Keftedes

(Chris' Diet Version)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, add the following ingredients

1.5 lbs. lean ground beef

zest of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 large onion, grated

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

about 2 sprigs of fresh mint, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix until just incorporated (I use my hands). Don't overwork.

Shape into balls (I make mine about the size of a golf ball),

and place on a baking sheet, not touching.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Serve with some slices of lemon.

Makes about 24 meatballs.

 I served mine with cucumber salad and chickpeas.
Enjoy!

Homemade Yogurt- It's Easier Than You Think

My son loves yogurt,

and we've been going through it like crazy over here.

I have no major issues with store bought yogurt;
there are some really great options out there.

However, for my one year old,
who doesn't need "low fat"
and who doesn't need all that sugar, fake or otherwise,
the options are few.

So I've been pulling out the yogurt maker and making it myself.

If you've made yogurt before, you know how easy it is.

There are a lot of pros to making your own yogurt:

• it's considerably less expensive (you're only ingredients are milk, culture, and optional flavorings)
• you can control what you put in and what you leave out.
• it's better for you (see previous point)
• it takes minimal effort, but you'll feel really accomplished when you're finished. :)

A word on yogurt makers:

I have one, and I love it. The main perk of having one is that it sets your milk and culture at a very consistent temperature, and most of them set to a certain time (the difference in times differs a little depending on the kind of milk you use and how thick you want it to be).

Some of them make one batch. Mine, however, makes seven little jars which I both love and hate.

Love: I can take one serving really easily out of the house,

the jars have these numbers on the top so you can set it to the date that it was made, helping you keep track of how long it should be consumed

Hate: it's an extra (however small) step to pour the cultured milk into seven different vessels,

if I want to flavor with fruit or whathaveyou after the yogurt is made, I have to do it seven times.

All things considered, though, I'm happy with it.

Note: if you don't have a yogurt maker, looky here!

Alton Brown always comes up with creative ways to avoid buying extra appliances.

If you're thinking of making yogurt consistently, though, I highly recommend your own machine.

Here's my recipe (if it even qualifies as a recipe):

Pour 6 cups of whole milk into a high-sided saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer (bubbles just coming up the side of the pan) for about 2 minutes.

*Keep your eye on it! You don't want this to boil over, and it can do that really quickly.

Take the milk off of the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Whisk in 10 Tablespoons of powdered milk (this will thicken the yogurt).

Pour 1 cup of milk into your culture (about 3/4 C)

*For your culture, you can use some yogurt that you've already made, or you buy yogurt from the store, just make sure it's plain and when you look at the ingredients it should list "live cultures" somewhere.

Whisk together.

Then pour culture back into milk and mix well.

Pour mixture into your yogurt maker and set timer to 10 hrs.

I let mine go overnight.

Then refrigerate,

And done!

For flavorings, you can add any number of things:

fresh fruit,

preserves,

vanilla,

honey,

the list goes on and on.

See? So easy.

I hope you give it a try!

Peas on Earth

My first peas have been picked and shelled!

And my goodness are they delicious!

I love peas. LOVE PEAS.

I'm keeping my shells for a chilled pea pod soup recipe that I found.
I'll share, but I have to try it out first.
For now, I just put my shells in a freezer safe container since they'll go south pretty quickly.

Aren't these cute, though?

I believe it to be a true crime that most people these days have not tried fresh peas.

They are so sweet and have the best texture, not mushy at all.

Give peas a chance!

Okay, enough with the puns. For now.

I thought I would share with you all one of my favorite go to recipes for peas.

I was able to use not only my own homegrown peas for this but also a lot of my basil which is growing with a vengeance!





Homemade Pesto with Fresh Peas and Orrechiette



In a food processor or mortar and pestle, mix about 1 C lightly packed basil leaves (a good handful) with 1 clove of garlic roughly chopped and 2 tablespoons of lightly toasted pine nuts and a healthy pinch of salt.

Pulse until mixture makes a thick paste.
Gradually drizzle in olive oil until the paste loosens (about 1/4 C olive oil). Set aside.

In a pot of boiling water, cook pasta of your choice until just before al dente. I like orrechiette with peas because they get caught in the pocket of the pasta. Put in a cup or so of shelled peas. Cook for a few minutes more until pasta is al dente and peas are just lightly cooked so they maintain a firm texture.
Place in a bowl and mix with your pesto mixture and about 1/2 C of Pecorino Romano cheese. Add another drizzle of olive oil if your pasta needs to loosen up.

Top with some chopped tomato and some more cheese if you like, and serve with crusty bread.
This is the BEST easy early summertime dish!
Enjoy!

No Need to Thank Me

We celebrated my husband's 30th birthday over the weekend

by throwing a joint birthday party with his best friend.

Don't hold your breath,

nothing really blog-worthy about it.

It was a great party,

involving many people, food, drinks, and a bar.

No cute decorations, games, or any such thing.

I did, however make a bunch of desserts,

and two were somewhat noteworthy.

The first was not even my own recipe.

Rather, this one that I found on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago.

At first take, it looks like a plain ole chocolate chip cookie recipe,

but I got so many compliments on them, I thought I should share.

I think the secret is in using coarse sea salt instead of regular salt.

The recipe also calls for cake flour, but I just used straight up all purpose.

So good.

The second dessert was my

Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake

I'm not sure where exactly it came from,

but somehow ended up in my arsenal,

and it is always a hit.

Chocolate Crumb Crust:

1 1/3 C. Chocolate wafer crumbs (I just found out you can actually buy these now. just the crumbs! crazy.)

1/4 C. softened butter

1Tbsp. sugar

Combine ingredients. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan. Wrap bottom of spring form pan in foil to prevent leaking, and to prevent water from water bath from coming into the pan.

Filling:

1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/4 C. Kahlua (let's be honest, I use more)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 large eggs, beaten

1/3 C. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. sour cream

2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened

In a bowl over a pan of simmering water (or a fancy double boiler), melt chocolate with Kahlua and butter. Stir until smooth. Set aside.

In a bowl combine eggs, sugar, and salt. Add sour cream and blend well with a mixer or a lot of elbow grease. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Gradually beat in chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into your prepared crust.

Place in a water bath (I fill a large roasting pan with about 3/4" water). This will allow the cheesecake to bake slowly and not to crack when it cools. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until center is just set. Let come to room temperature, then cool in the refrigerator for several hours (if you can wait that long).



Pardon My Progress

Soooo... I haven't posted anything in awhile,

And I would like to give excuse by sharing a quote from the wise, Jodi, at Sew Fearless,

"Christmas: when crafts blogs go silent."

I have been ITCHING to share some photos of the crafts that have been keeping me so busy...

but it will have to wait until after Christmas...
I'm buried under fabric in my studio right now. January will definitely be the month of cleaning and organizing that space, as well as replenishing my stash for my Etsy shop.

But for now: CHRISTMAS, and I am having SO MUCH FUN making gifts for everyone.

I can't give anything away to the recipients just yet, though, so you're left with vague close ups of crafting supplies.



Not to worry (I know you were). All will be revealed in due time, and I promise to get some cool tutorials up.



Some of the gifts turned out great, and I am PSYCHED about it.
Others, I guess I'll have to secretly post to Craft Fail. :)

In the meantime, here's something that will change your life for the better:

My mom's (grandmothers?) pecan tart recipe, a bite sized taste of my sweet home, Georgia,

which, by the way, is the leading domestic source of pecans. Eat that, Texas.

but I digress...

Here's the recipe. It's simple. It's awesome. Enjoy.

Cream 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter and 1 package (3 oz.) of cream cheese, softened. Add 2 cups of sifted flour. Using mini muffin pans, shape 1 tsp. of dough into each cup and press into the sides, making a little cup shape. Flute the edges with a fork if you're feeling ambitious... I was not.

In a bowl mix together 3/4 C. brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 2/3 C. pecans.
Put a tiny bit of filling in each dough cup (it will rise a little).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250 degrees and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove to a rack to cool.

Putting up Pumpkins

No joke, the farmers market has about 20 million different kinds of pumpkins right now...

 

okay. maybe that's a teeny bit of an exaggeration,

but there's a lot.

My husband will eat ANYTHING pumpkin,

so I've been roasting them and using the puree in just about everything.

Pumpkin granola with pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin risotto (one of my personal favorites).

Pumpkin curry (one of my husbands favorites).

and in honor of my brother's birthday...

pumpkin pie.

Specifically, my mom's recipe which was, most likely, my grandmother's recipe before that.

*Recipe below*

Most people will tell you that canned pumpkin puree tastes the same as cooking and pureeing it yourself, so it's not worth the time and effort.

This is probably true.

but it's easy,

it's DEFINITELY cheaper,

and even if it's just in my head, I prefer it.

Not to mention my lesser but more honorable intentions of supporting local farmers.

I just roasted the cleaned pumpkins at 375 degrees and then pureed. Simple.

Note: if you place them upside down on a cookie sheet, they don't get that crusty, less than desireable skin on the top.

I use the same process for butternut squash

(and pretty much all squash for that matter).

After that, you can freeze the puree in freezer-safe bags or containers.

To be honest, we've been going through it so quickly, I've not freezed any yet this year.

This past Saturday, I asked the professionals at the market which pumpkins they suggested for cooking... and ended up bringing this thing home...

It's called a peanut pumpkin

(or "punkin" as my farmer friend pronounced it)

named for its peanut shell-like exterior...

So we're going to give it a shot.

Worse case scenario: it doesn't taste as great, but looks really cool.

And I'm alright with that.

And without further ado...

Pumpkin Pie

1 3/4 C pumpkin puree (if you cook it down a bit to reduce the liquid, the pie sets up a little bit better)

1/2 C brown sugar

1 cup sugar

pinch salt

vanilla (I'm always pretty liberal with the vanilla :)

3 eggs beaten

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 C milk (warm, but not scalded)
a shot of bourbon if you wish

Mix ingredients and fill your choice of crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 300 degrees for 45 minutes, or until middle of pie is "just a tiny bit wobbly"

This is for a 9" pie plate.

Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken- Mexican Remix

Roasted chicken is one of my favorites, especially when the weather is cold and rainy.

So when roasting chickens go on sale, I get a few.

The other night, though, I was in the mood for some Mexican flare, so my regular roasted chicken got a little remix (cue club music).

Now, I should preface this post by saying that this is NOT a 30 minute meal. It's NOT convenient. It's NOT for the faint of heart. It IS, however, tasty and simple, so cowboy up and just try it.

In a bowl, mix together your marinade:

1/2 cup apple juice

the juice of 2 lemons (reserve rinds)

the juice of 2 limes (reserve rinds)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped

1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can (the more sauce, the spicer it will be)

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Clean 1 roasting chicken, removing all it's "inside parts." Put your reserved lemon and lime rinds into the chicken carcass. Place chicken in a large bowl or sealable bag, and pour over your marinade. Cover in plastic wrap and refridgerate overnight (if you don't have the time, you can just cut straight to cooking, but I highly recommend treating her like a lady and giving this bird the time she needs).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place bird on roasting rack in a large roasting pan or dutch oven. Pour marinade over the top and place her in the oven. Roast for about an hour and a half or until the internal temperature measures 180 degrees. Time will depend on the size of your bird. Bast or brush the chicken with the marinade every 20-30 minutes. Take chicken out of the oven and tent pan with aluminum foil for at least 15 minutes to let the meat rest.

Now, you could stop there. It's done. It's tasty... but...

If you want to get really crazy (I sure did), do this:

Once chicken has cooled a bit, take the meat off the bone and tear pieces to desired size. Take your rack out of the pan and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Once the drippings are hot, toss chicken in sauce and give it a quick saute until you get some nice crispy bits.... mmmm.... yes.

I used this meat to make chilaquiles, one of my FAVORITE mexican dishes, but honestly, it would be great with anything... tacos, enchiladas, nacho meat, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!