Preserve your Spring Garden Harvest June 8, 2011

Everyone I talk to seems to have a very productive Spring garden this year.  Mine is still rocking along and I’m doing my best to keep up with all of the veggies I’ve grown.  I’ve got more than I can eat, and I’ve been supplying friends with veggies, as well.  Since I don’t shop at the grocery store (525 days now!), I want to preserve my garden bounty for when these fruits and vegetables are not in season. 

There are many ways to preserve foods, and you can make jams and conserves from just about anything.  But, I’m a savory kind of gal and don’t eat sugar or sweet things very often, not out of principal, I just don’t like sweets.

I still have tomato sauce in my freezer from Fall, so I don’t need any more pre-made sauce.  I use it during the winter for chili and stews.  So, I simply froze a large bag of tomatoes, whole, and another large bag of diced tomatoes.  The frozen tomatoes won’t ever be slicing tomatoes again, but I’ll be able to use them a number of ways.

Trying to mix it up, I also oven dried some tomatoes, with sea salt, garlic and oregano.  I sprinkled the dish with fleur de sel, grated garlic, and garden oregano, and laid the de-seeded tomatoes on top.

After 3 hours in a 200 degree oven, they were mostly dried.  They could have used another hour, but time constraints dictated I take them out.  I’ve got lots more tomatoes coming, so I’ll be drying more.  The concentrated flavor is heavenly.

 

 

Oven Dried

 

I want to eat peppers year round as well.  I’ve got loads of jalapenos and serranos to pickle soon, but the ancho and poblano peppers needed a different treatment.  I simply roasted them over the flame on my stove, then peeled, deseeded and sliced them.  They will keep in the freezer until I’m ready to use them.

 

Roasting Peppers

 

One of the highlights of the Spring garden is the fabulous and aromatic basil.  I grow lots and lots because I love it, and I love the pesto I make from it.   While you can make pesto from any of the garden herbs, my favorite is basil.  Cleaning the basil takes a while, but after that, you just pop it into a food processer with garlic, parmesan, pecans (pine nuts are more classic, but pecans are local) olive oil and sea salt.  Blend it up, and its ready to go.  I will make pesto several times during the season to ensure I have enough for myself and friends all year long.  If you are going to freeze it, add some extra olive oil on top and it won’t dry out.

 

Basil Pesto

 

 My cucumbers get the classic dill pickle treatment.  I make a brine from vinegar, pickling salt, pickling spice and bring to a boil; then simply ladle it into the jars containing cucumbers, dill, garlic and a serrano pepper.  Finish theh process in a 10 minute water bath to seal the jars.

Pickles

 

How are you preserving your garden harvest?  I’d love to hear your favorite techniques!

Caprese, Pesto, Chicken, Pappardelle Dinner May 11, 2011

I generally try to keep my starchy carb intake to a minimum.  I am insulin resistant and diabetes runs in my family.  Plus, I just feel so much better when I do.  However, some days I just fail  completely.  I had planned to make caprese salad for dinner with my garden tomatoes and basil.  But, I was hungrier than that, so I started pawing my way through the fridge and freezer.

In the freezer, I found the Basil, Macadamia Nut Pappardelle I had recently purchased from Pasta & Co. at the SFC  farmer’s market downtown.

Pasta

So, I thought I would turn my Caprese salad into hot  Caprese Pasta.  I cubed some Mozzarella, and chiffonaded some garden basil.  (I always try to have pasta on hand, for quick impromptu dinners.  Its fast and easy if you have guests for dinner and no plan.)

Chiffonade of Basil

I popped my ripe but smallish tomatoes into the hot oven with a little olive oil and fleur de sel, to burst them.

Burst Tomatoes

Then I thought some parmesan might be a nice addition to the pasta, so I dug around in the fridge for parm.  While digging, I came across the pesto I had just purchased from Kala’s at the farmer’s market.  It was basil, pine nut pesto.  That sounds good!   Then I remembered that I had leftover roasted chicken from the night before.  Don’t want to waste that!  I cubed up a little chicken, too and gave it a little zap in the microwave to heat it up.   Once the pasta was ready, I threw in the tomatoes, mozz, parm, basil, pesto and chicken, and tossed it all together.

So the end result for my carbtastic dinner, was Basil, Macadamia Nut, Caprese, Pesto, Chicken Pappardelle.  It was worth the carb splurge.

Dinner

Basil Pesto Project May 24, 2010

This year, I planted basil as early as possible, and also planted more than ever before, with hopes of having enough to make pesto for me and some friends as well.  Making pesto to store in the freezer for winter, is an annual event for me, but this year, I’m using local parmesan from Brazos Valley Cheese, local garlic,  and a different local olive oil than I’ve used.

First, I harvested several kinds of basil:

Harvested basil

Then I took the leaves off the stems, washed it and let it dry:

Cleaned basil leaves drying

4 cloves of garlic

I used four cloves of garlic for a food processor full of basil.

Then I grated quite of bit of Brazos Valley parmesan, from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop.

local cheese

Next I put it all in the food processor with a couple handfuls of pecans from my tree, (which I’m running out of, so keeping fingers crossed for a new crop this fall.)

Almost pesto

Next I added my new favorite olive oil, Terra Verde from Texas Hill Country Olive Company, and gave it whirl, until everything was chopped, but not pureed.  This amount yielded 2 large portions.

All local pesto

I shared one container with friends, and we proceeded to eat it all weekend with our home made mozzarella, garden tomatoes, salt, pepper and olive oil.   There may be no more perfect bite of food, in my opinion.

I’ve know for a long time that I enjoy making food for other people.  But I’m finding more and more that food brings people together, and I get great joy in sharing it with others who enjoy it, and being shared with as well.  Last night I was the  very happy recipient of homemade yogurt, made with the same local milk we used to make cheese, from Jamie, jewelry maker extraordinaire (Viola and Jean) as well as a ball of the famous and highly coveted pizza dough, from Christian of Austin Food Journal acclaim.  And if that isn’t enough food joy for one day, I was also gifted ears of popping corn from Kristi of Austin Farm to Table, from her visit to a farmer’s market in Chicago.  I am a very lucky girl to have such amazing foodie friends.