Saturday, August 18, 2012

Jalapeno's sweet with some heat....


This time of the year I am swamp with trying to keep up with My Gardner Guy...tomorrow I am heading south so today I needed to get some canning done. Jalapeno's for My Gardner Guy were on the list.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of jalapenos
1 cup of  cider vinegar
3 cups of sugar
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp celery seed
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Slice Jalapenos. Mix cider vinegar, sugar, tumeric, celery seed, garlic, and cayenne. Bring this to a boil reduce and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add sliced jalapeno's and allow to simmer another 5 minutes. Load sterilized jars with jalapenos first and then add liquid filling the jars leaving 1/4 headspace. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Peaches.....


 Canning Peach Pieces

   
As much as I love canning, I get a little  bored with doing the same old things. Faced with quite a few peaches, pears and grapes I sometimes have to make the most of my time. So I bottle a few sliced up, but then I turn the rest into pear sauce, just like doing apple sauce. I make pear sauce, apricot sauce, peach sauce and apple sauce. All the flavors work for mixing in my yogarts or for making sorbet...For now I will share my method of the sliced peaches but watch for more infomation on fruit sauces!!!


There are many methods to can peach pieces, including cold and hot pack, with syrup, juice, or water. Below is a metod I like doing....

1) Blanche peaches in boiling water and shock in ice water to loosen skins.
2) Remove skins.
3) Slice peach in half, remove pit ( a freestone variety is easier to pit ), and slice each half into six slices.
4) Place the slices in a large pot. Any pieces that do not hold together for nicely formed slices go in a smaller pot for making into peach jam.
5) Make a very light syrup of 1 cup sugar to 8 cups water by gently heating to dissolve the sugar into the water.
6) Pour syrup over peaches and heat to a gentle boil. Hold at boiling for 5 minutes.
7) Ladle peach pieces into sterilized pint jars. Use a knife to gently stir and release air bubbles. Pour syrup over top, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
8 ) Secure sterilized two piece lids on jars and place in a boiling water bath. Process for 20 minutes.
9) Admire the jars.
10) The following day, remove the rings. Wipe the residual sticky-ness from the jars with a warm wet cloth and label each lid with the product and date. Store in a cool, dark place until use.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

You know how my Gardner Guy loves Hamburgers, he loves good Hot Dogs also....when we got married I made him some relish, we had taken a day trip to Brigham City to eat at Maddox's steakhouse and to visit their produce stands. This is where I loaded up on the ingredients to make a batch of relish I knew he would love. Since then he took to the garden and continues to bring me more things to cook!!!

Zucchini Relish
12 cups grated zucchini (sometimes  I have added yellow crook neck squash)
4 cups grated or chopped onion
3 red peppers finely diced/chopped
3 green pepper diced/chopped (can use a mixture of colored peppers)
1 bag of Soybeans or Lima beans (frozen kind)
5 Tablespoons of kloser salt/pickling salt
Mix and add enough water to cover all ingredients & let sit in fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight
Rinse and drain well

Make the Syrup
2 1/4 cups vinegar
1 tsp. dried mustard
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. turmeric
2 TBS cornstarch (mix in blender with vinegar)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 TBS celery seed
6 cups sugar
Combine syrup mixture with your zucchini mixture and cook for 30 minutes on a medium high heat...fill sterilized jars and seal. I like to then place them in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.
For my family and friends I made 60 1/2 pints for Christmas 2011 gifts...
It is that good and worth sharing!!!

I like to add color

A lima bean or soybean looks pretty in this relish

This is a huge recipe so use a very large pot

Almost done...

My oh my how pretty!!!

Friday, August 10, 2012

I love Garlic, and My Gardner Guy grows a lot of it. I have dried it, minced it and packed it in oil for quick use, made my own garlic power for baking, pickled it for delicious snacking, and I cook with it almost daily....Did I say I Love My Garlic!!!! See notes below for storing garlic, drying and making your own garlic powder.

My many ways of using the garlic My Gardner Guy grows!!!
I needed another picture as I forgot the pickled garlic....it's my favorite!!!
Lots of the garlic Rose!!!


Pickled Garlic is one of my favorites!!!


For a great pickling recipe see the following link...I promise when you taste these you'll soon be adding more garlic to your Kitchen!!!

My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: Garlic...Garlic...and more Garlic and one more day until kitchen demolition!!!

Growing garlic in your garden? Drying it for long-term storage is a snap.

  1. Place the entire garlic plant (bulb, roots and stalk) in a cool, dry place. You can tie the garlic in bunches and hang it, or spread your harvest out on a rack. Either way, good ventilation is a must.
  2. Allow the garlic to dry for a few weeks (elephant garlic needs at least four weeks to cure). The outer wrapper will papery and shrunken when the garlic is dry.
  3. Once dry, trim the roots close to the bulb (leave about a half-inch remaining).
  4. Use a soft brush to remove any dirt from the bulb. The outer layer of the wrapper can be removed, if further cleaning is desired – but try not to remove much more than that.
  5. Leave the stalks intact, if you plan to braid your garlic. Trim them to within an inch or two of the bulb if you plan to store your garlic loose.
  6. Your garlic is now ready for storage! Keep it in a cool, dry place and it should stay fresh for months.

Tips:

  1. Save some of your biggest bulbs for planting next year
  2. Only undamaged bulbs should be dried for storage. If you nick a bulb while digging it up, you'll need to use it right away
  3. Use some of your garlic to make your own garlic powder (See below)

What You Need

  • Freshly dug garlic
  • A soft brush for scrubbing
  • Scissors

 

Homemade garlic powder is fresh, flavorful and surprisingly easy to make. Here's how to do it:

Ingredients:

  • Garlic Cloves

Preparation:

1. Peel your garlic cloves, and slice them thin.
2. Then, place the garlic slices in a 150 degree oven or in a dehydrator, and heat until dry.
Tip: The garlic is dry when you can crush it in your hand and it crumbles easily.
3. Allow the garlic to cool. Then, grind with a coffee grinder, spice mill, food processor or mortar and pestle until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Store your finished garlic powder in an air-tight container in a cool, dry spot or freeze.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Oh my Fried Green Beans!!!

What to do with those fresh green beans....



Ingredients
  • oil for frying
  • 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or electric skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. Combine the green beans and water in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside.
  3. In one bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. In a separate bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Drain the green beans and toss with flour to coat, shaking off the excess. Dip the beans into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, coating thoroughly.
  4. Fry beans in batches so they are not touching. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.


Sriracha Dipping Sauce:

1 TSP of ranch powered dip mix
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk Or milk
2 tablespoons sriracha

Broccoli in the garden calls for Beef Broccoli for Dinner!!!

Broccoli Beef Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
  • 3/4 pound broccoli florets
  • 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
For the beef marinade
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)(seasoned rice vinegar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (If you do not like or have oyster sauce use this recipe below for a subsitude)
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)(seasoned rice vinegar)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth

Method

1 Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes
2 Prepare the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
3 Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
4 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.

Oyster Sauce or Hoisin Sauce subsitude......
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Soy sauce - dark/light/usual
2 tablespoons Peanut butter - or black bean paste
1 tablespoon Honey - or molasses
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce , I like Sriracha sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Simply mix all ingredients by hand.
At first it does not appear like it will mix, but keep at it just a bit longer and you have Hoisin Sauce. Letting it rest does not appear to improve the flavour any.

Notes for this recipe:

Broccoli Beef was one of my first recipes I tried when I was newely married many many years ago. Because  broccoli was cheap and beef could be sliced thinly to stretch and feed unexpected guests or go along ways for a family dinner I cooked it often. I have learned some tricks along the way in preparing this yummy dish.

How do you get the broccoli crisp-tender and the beef juicy, succulent? Well, the secret is to blanch the broccoli first, before stir frying the beef. This helps you control the cooking times for the broccoli, instead of praying that the broccoli and beef finish cooking at the same time. You’ll add the broccoli back into the pan as the beef finishes cooking.

And how do you prevent the garlic from burning? Most recipes will have you add the garlic in the pan or wok before you add the beef. If you do this, you’ll surely burn your garlic, as the beef takes about 1 minute to 1 ½ minutes to cook through on high heat. In this recipe, you’ll add the garlic after you add the beef. There should be plenty of oil in the wok to fry the garlic (if you use a large frying pan or wok) and the timing will be perfect.

Loving mashed potatoes the Irish Way!!!

You can use kale instead of cabbage, but I personally prefer the softer and sweeter taste of cabbage. Colcannon is traditionally topped with...