In the Kitchen: Preserving Summer

Although we are quite busy with blacksmithing events and the like during the summer (not to mention the kids' activities and our other jobs!), we spend a lot of time preserving the summer's bounty.  Maybe it's because I grew up in the Midwest where everyone had chest freezers and pressure cookers, but I tend to consider putting up food just a normal part of the summer routine.  

My garden is too small to produce everything we need so we often supplement from other sources, but we have a great time doing it.  Just this morning, I froze peaches for pies in the middle of winter and yesterday, I canned whole tomatoes for future soups.   Earlier this summer, we picked blueberries, which we froze.  We also picked cherries, which we froze, turned into preserves with some raspberries, and tried to make fruit leather (which I accidentally burnt -- oops!)
 

Tomatoes from our garden went into "bruschetta in a jar" and pizza sauce.  Our garden tomatoes will also be regularly roasted and turned into sauce that I'll freeze.  

And, as the jars are finished, a supper of squash starts to saute on the stove:

Our garden's cucumbers turned into a small batch of bread and butter pickles: 

 
And, of course, I make pesto out of our basil as it ripens, and every year, I realize that I didn't plant enough basil for a year's worth of pesto!  

Picking Cherries

Last week, the boys and I picked cherries.  We have frozen most of them, so we can make preserves and fruit leather, and pie., etc... as time permits.  We often try to put up our fruit in the summer for the entire year...now, it's blueberry season!

Bountiful -- My Cookbook is Finished!

About a year ago, I suggested to my friends and family that we compile a cookbook.  I'd realized that some recipes were in danger of disappearing from our family traditions, and I didn't want that to happen.  Frankly, I had no idea of what I was really suggesting, as the time required to put together the book that I envisioned quickly became more than I initially realized.

For the entire year, I did not take my usual photography classes, design my usual photography books, or do any of my standard creative pursuits.   Instead, I threw myself into the book that became a labor of love.  And, to be honest, I had definite ideas of what I wanted to see in the book -- lots of photographs, a focus on cooking with the seasons (and the gardening that goes along with that concept), and recipes that made people smile and remember.  All those things, plus the fact that I had to self-publish the book, pretty much made the cookbook a "collector's item" before it was published! But, after a year's work, the book is done.  I hope it brings joy wherever it goes...

If you'd like to take a look at it, here's the web address:  http://www.blurb.com/b/3998871-bountiful

Scape Season!

It's the season for garlic scapes, a delicacy we'd never heard of until we started growing our own garlic.  Now, we eagerly await their arrival because it means some lovely meals!

This year, we've had a wonderful garlic scape soup as well as some great pastas.  Our favorite recipe for scapes during this busy time of year, though, is an easy dip based on a New York Times recipe. 

Here's our basic recipe:

1/3 cup or more sliced garlic scapes (3 to 5) (we use more because we love garlic)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon or more of ground cumin (we like a LOT of cumin!)

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 (or a bit more) good olive oil

Salt & Pepper

In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add  beans and process to a rough purée.  With motor running, slowly add olive oil and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more oil, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper, cumin, and/or lemon juice, as desired.

Strawberry Jam Workshop

The other day, I helped 40 children ages 9-12 make their own strawberry jam.  They had grown the berries all year, tending a small plot at their school.  After carefully freezing the berries as they ripened, they had enough to make jam for each student. 

Most of the children had never made jam before and it was really fun to guide them through the process.   To keep it simple, or as simple as it can be with 40 kids and only 2 hours, we worked with a freezer jam recipe rather than the usual cooked jam recipe I make at home.  We probably made about 8 batches of jam, in all.  The children made their own labels and used ribbon to decorate their jars. 

Many of the kids were amazed at how simple the process was -- one boy joked, "Smuckers, watch out!"