Posts tagged preserved foods

Refrigerator Garlic Dills

September 13, 2009 · Filed under Side/Salad, Summer · Tagged , ,

Posted by Lisa
Refrigerator Garlic Dills

Refrigerator Garlic Dills

These are not only my family’s favorite pickles, but they are fondly remembered by friends, even years after I have given them out! I tried a different pickling recipe last year, which were liked well enough, but these are still the favorites around here. These pickles stay crunchier because they aren’t canned in a hot water canner and they must be refrigerated. They are very garlicky and have a spicy kick. During the years when we didn’t have a second refrigerator, I stopped making them. Now that we have one again, I’m making them, much to the delight of my family. I got this recipe from The Oregonian many years ago. I am making these from pickling cucumbers I grew myself, because that’s one thing I did manage to get planted this year.

Jan’s Refrigerator Garlic Dills

printable recipe

  • 4 quarts pickling cucumbers, rinsed well
  • 16 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 4 heads fresh dill heads, halved

Brine:

  • 1 quart cider vinegar (4 cups)
  • 1 quart water (4 cups)
  • 1/4 pickling spices
  • 1/3 cup pickling salt
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 cup chopped fresh dill heads
  • 16 whole peeled cloves garlic, sliced

Wash 4 quarts or 8 pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Pack the cucumbers into the jars, leaving 1/2″ head space. Divide the sliced pieces of garlic and halved heads of fresh dill among the jars.

To make the brine: Combine vinegar, water, pickling spices, salt, sugar, turmeric and 1 cup chopped fresh dill in a non-aluminum pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Put 4 cloves of garlic into each jar. Strain off the seasonings from the brine then ladle the hot brine into one jar at a time, leaving 1/4″ head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Let cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator.

The pickles are ready to use after 3 to 4 days of aging, but they will continue to improve for several weeks. They keep, refrigerated, for about one year.

For storage at room temperature: Process filled jars in a boiling water canner 10 minutes for pints, 15 minutes for quarts.

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Indian Lentils with Cabbage

April 27, 2009 · Filed under Autumn, Main Dish, Spring, Winter · Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by Lisa
Indian Lentils with Cabbage

Indian Lentils with Cabbage

This isn’t the snazziest dish; it’s pretty homely looking.  Don’t let that fool you.  This is a hearty and comforting bowl of lentil stew.  The tomatoes and cabbage lend it a slight sweetness that took me by surprise.  It isn’t very spicy, but the flavors aren’t boring either.  It also reheats very well.  My oldest daughter thought it was better the next day.

Indian Lentils with Cabbage

  • 1 3/4 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 7 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 5 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • 3/4 pound cabbage, finely sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen or canned mild green chiles
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes (home canned are best)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped

Put lentils and water in pot and bring to a boil.  Skim any foam that forms on the surface.  Add turmeric and 1 teaspoon sea salt and stir well.  Simmer until lentils are cooked, about 40 minutes.

While lentils cook, heat coconut oil in a dutch oven or large pot.  When hot, add cumin seeds.  Let them sizzle for a few seconds and then add garlic.  Cook garlic for about 30 seconds and then add onion, cabbage and green chiles.  Cook for about 10 minutes and cabbage is wilted and beginning to turn golden.  Stir in one teaspoon of salt and turn heat off and cover until lentil are cooked.

When lentils are cooked, add tomatoes and ginger and stir well, then cook another five minutes.  Then add lentil mixture to cabbage mixture and turn heat back on and bring to a simmer.  Check and adjust seasonings as necessary and then serve.

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Local Breakfast: Blueberry Filled Crêpes

March 27, 2009 · Filed under This and That · Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Lisa
Crepes

Crepes

What did a local breakfast look like today?  Crêpes filled with a blueberry honey sauce and drizzled with yogurt mixed with honey.

Crêpes are made with eggs, flour and milk.  Our eggs come from a friend who pastures her chickens on her vineyard.  Our milk comes from friends who primarily raise chickens for meat and eggs and are adding a small CSA to their offerings this year.  Only the flour came from a non-local source.  The blueberry filling was made with blueberries that my girls and I picked ourselves last summer.  We still have a good sized stash in the freezer, so a blueberry breakfast was in order.  Into the small saucepan with the blueberries went a few tablespoons of water and a couple tablespoons of local kiwi honey, which was a Christmas present from another friend (we’ve been stretching it for special dishes!).  These were simmered together until the blueberries started to soften.  The crêpes were finished off with a drizzle of homemade yogurt (which I make from the local milk) mixed with a bit of kiwi honey and a splash of pure vanilla extract.

A truly local breakfast full of the surprisingly strong fragrant taste of blueberries mixed with the creamy, cool yogurt and the rich egginess of the crêpes.   (Notice how golden they are.  You can only get that kind of color from eggs which have been pastured.  The yolks from pastured eggs are so orange!)

Crêpes filled with blueberries and topped with honeyed yogurt

Crêpes filled with blueberries and topped with honeyed yogurt

Brittany Crêpes

from Sunset’s Country French Cooking

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • butter or coconut oil to grease pan

In a blender blend eggs and flour.   Add milk and blend until smooth.  (I tried to do this with a whisk and just couldn’t get it smooth, so I had to resort to a blender.)

Place a crêpe pan, non-stick skillet or cast iron griddle over medium high heat.  (I used cast iron.)

Rub surface of pan with butter or oil.  When pan is very hot, pour batter onto pan and tilt to cover the entire surface.  Use 1/4 cup of batter for an 8″ pan, 1/3 cup for a 10 to 12″ pan and 1/2 cup for a 14″ pan.  Cook crêpe until it is golden brown on the bottom and the top feels dry.  Run a wide spatula around the edge to loosen and then flip crepe over and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Turn out onto pan.  Repeat until you have used all your batter.   Serve warm and with your desired fillings and toppings.

*I used two cast iron griddles and that worked wonderfully to get all the crêpes done quickly.

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Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

March 21, 2009 · Filed under Main Dish, Spring, Winter · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Lisa
Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

Our family doesn’t eat as much pasta as we used to, but pasta is a quick go-to dish that is the perfect vehicle for  odds and ends from the refrigerator.  My daughters kept asking me the name of this dish, so pressed to name it I came up with Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables, which they declared too long of a name.  I couldn’t come up with anything else.  It is Mediterranean in flavor with feta, balsamic vinegar, copious amounts of garlic and herbed tomatoes that I dried last fall, but it also had green onions and rapini which are green and spring-y.  The dish was fairly quick and complimented by all (except my youngest who is developing an aversion to many green vegetables).  The richness of the pasta was offset by a turnip salad.

Beautiful Fresh Vegetables and Home Dried Tomatoes

Beautiful Fresh Vegetables and Home Dried Tomatoes

Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

  • 1/2 lb bacon, chopped
  • 8 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup dried tomatoes, sliced or chopped into smaller pieces
  • 3/4 lb sliced mushrooms
  • 1 bunch of rapini (or other greens) chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (so easy to grow yourself)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook your spaghetti.

You will want to have all your ingredients ready at this point, because the pasta comes together fairly quickly.  As your water heats, start cooking the bacon in a large pan.  After several minutes, add the garlic and dried tomatoes to the bacon.  When the bacon is nearly brown, add the mushrooms to the pan.

This part takes a little coordination.  You will want to add your rapini or other greens, green onions and thyme to the bacon and mushroom mixture when your pasta is about halfway cooked, because the greens require very little cooking and you don’t want them over done.  When pasta is al dente, drain in a colander and add the pasta to the bacon and mushroom mixture in the large pan.  Also add all of the remaining ingredients to the pan.  Mix well with tongs to even distribute everything.  If the pasta seems a little dry, add a drizzle of olive oil and/or a small amount of chicken or vegetable stock.  Serve immediately.

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Pantry Pasta Bake

February 3, 2009 · Filed under Autumn, Main Dish, Winter · Tagged , , ,

Posted by Lisa
Pantry Pasta Bake

Pantry Pasta Bake

When you are eating locally, preserving food can be a great way to have out-of-season items in your meals and to help bridge the gap between bountiful harvest seasons.

Having a pantry of preserved food can also present the challenge of actually using the preserved food.  Maybe you never use the dried zucchini because you’re not quite sure how or you just forget it’s there.

I threw together this pasta bake using items that were in my pantry:  dried zucchini, dried tomatoes and tomato sauce and also fresh produce that I had on hand:  garlic, onions, mushrooms and carrots.

It’s pretty easy really. Sauté sausage (hopefully procured from a local, humane meat farmer or you can leave it out if you are vegetarian or don’t have any handy), onions and garlic, add mushrooms after a few minutes, and then about 3/4 cup of red wine several minutes after that.  Toss in a grated carrot, chopped dried zucchinis and dried tomatoes, and a pint of tomato sauce.  Then simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Mix with a pound of cooked pasta.  Pour half of the pasta mixture into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and then sprinkle some cheese (I used mozzarella), top with remaining pasta mixture and more cheese and finish up with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.  Bake until bubbly at 375 to 425.

This is so easily adaptable to what you have on hand.  It would be great with some dried bell pepper, too!

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