Home-free!

After a crazy whirlwind of a baking day at work yesterday I am home free to step away for a few days vacation.  Will give you the details when we return.  Sadly, I'll be missing the broadcasted events of National Can-It-Forward Day, though I promise I'm participating in spirit.  I hope to extend the celebration to Milwaukee next year.

Turnip Chips

My preservation projects continued this past week as I prepared nasturtium butter with the bounty of beautiful edible flowers in our garden.  I've been taking clamshell containers of them into work each week to garnish our homemade desserts, but as soon as I pick them, that many more show up the very next day.  I also made turnip chips in the dehydrator, a recipe I adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson.  I admit that her version for baking them in the oven is likely to turn out a more crisp product, whereas the dehydrator version chewy--not the texture I want in my chips of any kind.  Though the flavor was excellent with olive oil, salt, ground chipotle, and lime juice.  Even Vera went after them with fervor.  Have I actually found a way for my child to embrace this strong-flavored root?  Hopefully, because there are a lot more where those came from in our garden.

Nasturtiums

Chopped

Whipped with Butter

Shaped

Ready to Freeze

Key Lim Syrup

I also came up with a huge batch of key lime syrup last night.  Limes are far from local, but let me explain my theory for purchasing them.  The grocery where I shop once a month often has discount/reduced price vegetables in the front of the store and I'm such a sucker for taking home these discarded veggies.  In a way I feel bad for them because they will otherwise end up in the garbage.  I wouldn't buy some of these things period, or at least not out-of-season otherwise because that sends the message--as I vote with my food dollar--that I like this, I want more of this, keep it coming the 1500+ miles from its source.  But it shows up on my receipt as "reduced grocery" so I know it's not scanning the original PLU to tell them I've consciously chosen it. If it's there anyway and would otherwise go to waste, I feel compelled to act.  Hence the two bags of key limes that entered my house last week.  At first I was juicing them with cucumber and lettuce to make a refreshing green drink, but as our getaway approached I realized I still had a ton in the fridge.  I sliced and seeded them all and cooked them down (with an obscene amount of sweetener!) and bottled them up as lime syrup.  I can use this for mixed drinks, marinades, soaking quick breads or coffee cake, or whatever else I think of between now and the next three years, which is at least as long as the batch of 20+ jelly jars will last.  I plan to find a great recipe or two to attach to the rim and give some of these as gifts for the holiday season.

This week I also tried a gluten-free baking recipe I'd been excited about.  Anytime I can find a recipe that uses some of the nutrition-geek ingredients in my fridge/pantry: hemp seed, nutritional yeast, bee pollen, chia seeds, etc. I am super excited.

Chia and Poppy Seed Shortbread and Pomegranate Molasses Glaze
Makes about 12 squares

Adapted from Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free by Karen Morgan.  It's slightly crumblier than a bar using wheat flour, but the glaze helps bind it a bit more.  I didn't think it was very much like "shortbread" though.


1 c. millet flour
1/2 c. sorghum flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 c. tapioca flour
1/4 c. honey
3/4 c. sucanat
2 1/2 t. guar gum
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 t. almond extract
1 1/2 T. chia seeds
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
Pomegranate Molasses
Organic Powdered Sugar, sifted
Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a small jellyroll pan with parchment and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.  In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine all dry ingredients plus honey on low speed to blend.  Add butter and mix on low speed until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Add eggs and both extracts and mix on medium-high speed until dough begins to pull from sides of bowl.  Mix on high for 10 seconds.  Using rubber spatula, fold in chia and poppy seeds.  Transfer dough to prepared pan and spread evenly w/ offset spatula.  Bake for 25-30 min., or until just beginning to color.  Remove from oven, transfer pan to wire rack, cool completely.  Lift shortbread from pan by holding onto sides of parchment.  Cut into 3-inch squares and drizzle with glaze (see recipe below).  Allow glaze to set about 10 min. before eating.  Store in airtight container for 3-4 days.

Pomegranate Molasses Glaze:  Whisk together enough pomegranate molasses and sifted powdered sugar to make a paste.  Thin with water to get consistency for drizzling.  Decorate bars.

Hiding in her new sleeping bag

I've had a few good cheap finds lately at the thrift store and the curb.  On Sunday Vera and I got out of the house so Ben could do some work and our errands lead us to the thrift store where I was actually looking for a couple of things, but found a few items not on the list as well.  One was a gorgeous vintage sleeping bag with a zipper in great condition.  A slight tear didn't deter me and I purchased it to be V's sleeping bag on our next camping trip.  This morning I found a great wooden bookshelf in our alley--someone also had a beautiful shaker chair by the garbage cans with the seat busted out.  Both were definitely fit for refurbing so I walked the small bookshelf back to my garage.  I can't wait to paint it, apply a tiny bit of wood glue, et voila.  It's the perfect little bookshelf I've been looking for.

Chilling Out While Cooking up a Storm

Pickled Beets with Cumin and Cloves--the reds are homegrown

The kitchen has been such a busy place lately that I hardly know where to begin.  Besides canning like crazy, the dehydrator and food processor have been working overtime as I preserve as much as possible in the height of the season--drying sage, drying chopped beet greens (a la the dried spinach I made previously), and turnip chips (more on those later.)  It feels like we're finally getting a break from the super hot weather.  But Saturday was still very humid and after running around and working our rummage sale, the last thing we wanted to do was heat up the house cooking inside.  Enter chilled soup.  I bought a dozen ears of corn at the farmers' market on Thursday and cut off all the kernels for freezing.  As we baked our pizza at a high temperature on Friday, I roasted the remaining cobs then put them into a stockpot with my ongoing bowl of vegetable trimmings from the fridge.  Ben bought a half dozen more ears of corn at the farmers' market on Saturday, grilled them and collectively we made a chilled blender soup that evening.

Chilled Grilled Corn Soup with Chiles, Lime, and Cilantro Cream
Serves 4

Adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider.


6 ears fresh corn, shucked, oiled, and grilled
2 t. olive oil
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 small serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
3/4 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. sugar/honey/xylitol
2 c. corn stock or vegetable stock
2 c. almond or coconut milk
2 T. lime juice
Ground black pepper

Cilantro Cream:
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 t. minced fresh chives or scallions
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. sugar/honey/xylitol
1 T. lime juice

Garnish:
1/4 c. lean smoked ham, diced small
Reserved corn kernels
Thinly sliced zucchini or summer squash

Slice the kernels off the grilled corn--you should have 4-5 c. of corn kernels.  (Set aside about 1/4 c. kernels for garnish.)  Combine all of the soup ingredients in a large bowl then blender in batches until smooth.  Season to taste.  Mix all ingredients for cilantro cream and set aside.  Combine ham and reserved corn kernels.  Serve soup in bowls drizzled with cilantro cream.  Place sliced squash in center of bowl and top with ham/corn.  (Leftovers can be heated later if desired.)

Last night I prepared another cold soup--I was still feeling the heat of the day, I needed something ultra-quick but healthy to serve for dinner since I would be running out to teach another class, and I was trying to work through the load of veggies currently in the crisper drawer as another family vacation draws near   (hence the seemingly random addition of lettuce in this soup).

Chilled Green Curry Cucumber Soup
Serves 4

Adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles.

Cool and Refreshing

2 medium (8-inch long) peeled, cucumbers
3 medium scallions (white and green parts)
1 head romaine lettuce
1 c. vegetable stock
6 sprigs fresh dill, or 1/2 t. dried dill weed
1 c. almond milk
1 T. white distilled vinegar
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. salt, or to taste
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
1-2 t. green curry paste, diluted with 1-2 T. stock or almond milk
Plain whole milk yogurt
Fresh dill sprigs

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Serve chilled, garnished with yogurt and dill.

Ater a preservation presentation last week I was talking to a student about how to use all the zucchini and summer squash that's busting out of the garden and at the farmers' markets these days.  I think I should post a Top Ten list of ideas.  One that I tried on Friday night Pizza Night was to use zucchini or squash as a "crust" for my gluten-free pizza.  I ran out of time to replenish the supply of homemade gluten-free crust I usually keep frozen so this idea was born.  I thinly sliced our homegrown pattypan squash using my Japanese slicer then layered it on the bottom of the stoneware baking pan that was dusted with cornmeal.  Seasoned the squash lightly with salt and pepper then proceeded to add the night's toppings--sauteed mushrooms, black olives, sauteed swiss chard, broccoli, a smattering of tomato sauce (so the pizza didn't get overly wet), and shredded mozzarella.  Of course it wasn't a pizza you could pick up and eat by the slice, but a fork worked just as well and it was all the yummy, gooey, cheesiness of pizza, but low-carb and high-veggie.

Italian Pickled Zucchini

Since the weekend I've been running a pickle marathon.  On Sunday I canned another batch of dilly beans--this time for the farmers' at Pinehold Gardens for whom I do a worker share, soaked and canned a batch of Italian Pickled Zucchini using some gorgeous orange zucchini and Benning's green pattypan squash I found at the South Milwaukee Farmers' Market last Thursday, and roasted both red and golden beets to make Pickled Beets with Cumin and Cloves yesterday.  I love how these beets turned out, especially the golden ones.  At least half of the batch already has someone else's name on it--the generous woman who donated a ton of quart canning jars to the Urban Ecology Center and boxes of other canning jars to me over the winter said that she'd barter for pickled beets.  I am more than happy to oblige and will hand-deliver them to her in just a couple of weeks.  The last pickling project on my list this week is Dill Carrots.  The carrots from our garden are looking excellent and I believe there are still some smaller ones that I can preserve whole in pint jars.  Then on the seventh day I will rest and take a vacation.

Sliced Very Thinly

Reason to Celebrate

Dave, Ozzie the cat, Marilen, and Stefanie (my sister), Christmas 1976

Today is my parents' 40th wedding anniversary.  They were high school sweethearts so they've been together almost 50 years, but tied the knot on a, no doubt, sticky hot August day back in 1971.  "Where has the time gone?" is how my dad put it this morning when I talked to him on the phone.  But as they say "time flies when you're having fun" and since these two have always made fun--and family & friends, of course--the center of their relationship, the years have just flown off the calendar.  I have learned so much from these two--not just as parents and partners--but as reasonable human beings.  My two siblings and I grew up learning about frugality (shopping at rummages, making what they could, and otherwise saving like crazy), work ethic (with a definite "work hard, play hard" attitude), beauty (filling our home with simple, beautiful things inside and out), love (though VERY tough at times), and celebration (there's always time for family, friends, and a party in their books.)  They've stay together through thick and thin; many ups and downs with their kids; the passing of parents, friends, and relatives and have remained quite happy through it all.  Here's to you, Dad and Mom, and many more years together.

Bay View High School Prom, Milwaukee, 1966

Murder Mystery Dinner Party, circa early 1990s

Happy Holidays, circa 2007

Dressing up for Dominoes Night ( Jagermeister?)

Family Vacation 2010, family talent show--
Elton John and Kiki Dee (my dad really wore this suit in the 70s/80s)

Enjoying the Process

Drying Chamomile for Tea

In the height of preserving season it's challenging for me to stay in the moment and enjoy each session of canning, freezing, or drying.  My mind is often bouncing ahead to the next item in my garden or fridge that requires attention.  This week has been especially crazy with preserving and I'm striving to focus on one project at a time.  Once again, the kitchen has been used and abused.  Ben's comment tonight was "it's pretty intense in here," which was met with the the stink eye from me as I wanted him to just be patient with my temporary mess.  Between yesterday and today my freezer, pantry, and fridge are really filling up. Tuesday was one of those days that I just kept moving from one project to the next and kept my food processor particularly busy.  Not all of these were preservation projects, but just attempts to get bump up my par stock: carrot and onion purees to portion and freeze (with chopped veggies left over from my knife skills class last week), fava bean hummus (for a quick fruit/veggie dip for me and Vera to nibble on this week), summer squash and zucchini to shred and freeze (from our garden...it's already backing up in my fridge!), homemade mayonnaise (to use the bulk of local eggs currently on hand).  Today I canned black currant juice to add to the pints of blueberry juice I processed over the weekend.  I love making juices because they are fairly simple to cook and there's no waste because I freeze the "mush" that's left after straining the juice and can use it for baking (think cobblers and crisps) in the winter.  Next on my list this week/weekend is dill carrots and pickled beets all from our garden.  I can't even begin to think about tomatoes yet, but I know they will be rolling in very soon, especially as this intense heat carries on.

This past week I've also been drying lavender and chamomile on the countertop to stock my tea supply.

Drying Lavender from our garden

Drying German Chamomile

And the ice cream maker's been churning as I prepared for my Herbal Ice Cream/Baking with Herbs class earlier this week.  Included in the recipes were Lavender Ice Cream and Lemon Balm-Mint Sorbet.

Steeping Lavender in Half and Half for Ice Cream

Mmm, Rich and Creamy!

Though most of my fruits have been stolen by the critters thus far, I'm confident that I will get a great blackberry harvest this year.  These berries are quickly ripening and Vera and I shared the first couple of berries yesterday.  I also found one lone apple on the Duchess of Oldenburg heirloom tree over the weekend.  I greedily plucked it off, though I don't think it was quite ripe.  I suppose it was an attempt to say "MINE!" to the squirrels and chipmunks.

First Blackberries--almost ripe

Heirloom Apple

Stay tuned for more recipes this week/weekend.