My mom gave me this herb keeper for Christmas this year and really looking forward using it a lot, especially with cilantro. I love using fresh herbs as much as possible, but they always end up going bad before I get a chance to use them completely. We have a lot rosemary in the yard even during winter, but the basil, oregano and cilantro always shrivels up before I get to it. I'm hoping having this pretty container in the fridge will really work and keep my herbs fresh longer. I'm so excited!
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Beef, rice, bean and cheese burritos. The cheese sauce will be made while the burritos are in the oven.
Crock pot beef stew with tomatoes, onions, fresh green beans, celery and carrots.
Crock pot white bean, beef and sausage chili with fresh canned tomatoes.
Crock pot Greek boneless chicken breast with carrots, tomatoes and green beans.
Mini meat loaves to be served with mashed potatoes.
Crock pot roasted red pepper bonesless pork chops.
Beef and sausage spaghetti sauce with homemade sauce.
This past Saturday I went grocery shopping after spending some time planning a menu for make ahead frozen meals for the next two weeks. I bought 10 pounds of ground beef, 2 pounds of ground sausage, 6 pounds of boneless chicken breasts, 6 pounds of boneless pork chops, 2 rotiserie chickens (I'll be shredding it and making chicken enchiladas) and a ton of fresh vegetables. I was able to make 2 of each meal, although I ran out of time and didn't get a chance to make the chicken enchiladas. I didn't want to spend too much time cooking, so I chose meals that could be frozen raw, except the ground beef ones, of course. Let's hope they taste as good as they look. :)
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Core the tomatoes and cut an x on the bottom of the tomato to make peeling easier. Boil for about 2 minutes or until the skin splits.
Drain the tomatoes and place them in a bowl of cold water. The tomatoes will slip right out of the skin.
Put the tomatoes into the pint sized jars. (That's my 4 year old little helper) You can easily fit 8 Roma tomatoes in the jars as long as you give them a little push.
Here are the tomatoes in their own juices. Don't they look gorgeous? Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each jar to acidify.
Place in a water bath canner and process for 45 minutes. When the time is up, remove the jars from the pot. Place them on a towel-lined countertop and allow them to cool. The lids should pop as they seal. It's a beautiful sound! :)
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Ingredients:
1 large head of organic cauliflower cut up into pieces
1 bunch of organic celery, juliened
3 lb. bag of organic carrots, peeled and juliened
3 organic garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup whey
enough filtered water to fill the 1/2 gallon mason jar
Directions:
Toss the cauliflower, carrots, celery and garlic together in a large bowl. Fill a half gallon mason jar with the veggies, leaving an inch or so of room from top of the jar. Add the whey to the jar. In another half gallon jar filled with filtered water, dissolve the 2 teaspoons of sea salt to make a brine. When the salt has dissolved, add enough water to the veggie mixture, leaving an inch of head space in your jar as the brine and vegetables expand slightly during fermentation. Seal the jar with a lid, shake it to distribute the salt and set on your counter for at least 3 days and up to one week before transferring to cold storage.
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This morning after Mass I went to our local Farmer's Market and bought a bushel of tomatoes for canning and ingredients to make salsa. I also bought some melons, a dozen corn on the cob, onions, 5 different varieties of peppers, basil, cilantro and potatoes. I was expecting to pay at least $40.00 for all this beautiful, organic produce, but in the end the final cost was only $25.00. I'm looking forward to stocking our pantry with jars and jars of spaghetti sauce and salsa. Please upport your local Farmer's market. They work very hard to harvest these fruits and vegetables in the hot sun to make sure we have the freshest food possible.
Here is a list of produce in season. You can shop at your Farmer's Market from Late Spring to late Fall.
January
apples, pears, grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, cabbage, carrot, kale, leeks, spinach, turnips, celery, cauliflower
February
rhubarb, grapefruit, Bramley apples, butternut squash, and many of the other winter foods
March
avocados, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, limes, pears, pineapple, tangerines, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, celery, chicory, endive, escarole, green beans, mushrooms, new potatoes, onions, parsnips, rhubarb, spinach, winter squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, yams
April
apricots, arugula, asparagus, basil, beets, carrots, fava beans, garlic, green onions, greens (collards, dandelion, escarole, mustard, rapini, Swiss chard), leeks, lettuce (baby mix and other varieties), nectarines, onions, peaches, peas (sugar snap, pod), potatoes, radishes, spinach, summer squash, tomatoes, thyme, zucchini
May
apricots, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocados, basil, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, cherries, endive, fava beans, fennel, garlic, green onion, horseradish, kale, leeks, lettuce, lime, mushrooms, okra, parsnips, pineapple, radicchio radish, rapini, rhubarb, scallions, shallots, spinach, spring onion, spring peas, summer squash, sweet onion, zucchini
June
artichokes, asparagus, blackberries, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cherries, chives elderflowers, figs, gooseberries, green cabbage, horseradish, leeks, lettuce, mint, parsley, parsnips, peas, radishes, raspberries, red cabbage, rosemary, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, tomatoes, watercress, wild garlic, zucchini
July
globe artichokes, broad beans, cucumber, French beans, runner beans, fennel, kohlrabi, shallots, black currants, red currants, blue berries, cherries, strawberries, tomatoes, watercress, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, broccoli
August
peaches, plums, raspberries, Valencia oranges, cantaloupes, honeydews, watermelons, figs, green beans, tomatillos, artichokes, garlic, green onions, okra, summer and zucchini squash, corn, cucumbers, asparagus, cranberries, Haas avocados, radishes
September
apples, Valencia oranges, cucumbers, eggplants, black eyed peas, grapes, Asian pears, artichokes, winter squash, pumpkin, boysenberry, strawberries, corn, zucchini, Bartlett pears, plums, figs, okra, Haas avocados
October
apples, artichoke, avocado, cucumbers, dill, mustard greens, kale, leeks, persimmons, pomegranates, pumpkin, radishes, shallots, summer squash
November
spinach, pears, persimmons, rutabaga, salad greens, winter squash, eggplant, brussels sprouts, cranberries, fuerte avocados, apples
December
apples, brussel sprouts, cranberries, dates, chicory, grapefruit, greens, sweet potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, tangelos, pears, oranges, parsnips, star fruit, tangerines
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Chop cabbage, carrots, ginger, peppers and garlic by hand. Combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour while the salt helps pull the juices out of the veggies. Pound a few times with a potato masher to make sure it is getting juicy. Leave for another 1/2 hour if desired, or proceed.
Transfer ingredients to a clean quart-size, wide mouth jar. Press down firmly as you continue to fill the jas so that liquid comes to the top of the mixture.
Leave 1” space at the top of the jar. Put on lid and band and screw tightly.
Allow to ferment at room temperature for three to seven days. In the first 24 hours, open the jar and press down firmly on the ingredients a few times to make sure the brine is fully covering the mixture. It will continue to be released over time.
*This recipe was adapted from many different sources.
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Simmer organic chicken carcass with a splash of cider vinegar for 48 hours, cool and pour into mason jars. Store in refrigerator for 2 weeks or freezer for 6 months. Simple and so delicious!
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Begin with a jar of milk kefir.
Set a stainless steel mesh strainer in a large glass bowl and line it with some cheesecloth and pour your kefir into the strainer.
Let it drip for a few hours.
When it is has completely stopped dripping, pour the the liquid whey into a clean glass mason jar and store in the fridge. You can now use the whey to ferment salsa, salad dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, etc. You can also add it to bean dips, vegetable dip and even potato salad or pasta salad. Kefir whey is a wonderful way to add vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics to your diet. It will keep for about 6 months.
The white creamy stuff in the cheese cloth is kefir cheese. Add any herbs, spices or other ingredients or use it just as it is. It can be used in recipes as a substitute for sour cream, cottage cheese or cream cheese. It should keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
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7 quarts of spaghetti sauce
8 pints of spaghetti sauce
9 pints of salsa
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Harvest the herbs before they begin to flower. Cut in mid-morning before the plants begin to wilt in the afternoon sun. The lavender flowers on the Thai basil look so pretty, so I left them on there.
Remove any dry or diseased leaves.
Shake gently to remove any insects and loose dirt.
Bundle 4 – 6 branches together and tie in a bunch.
Hang the herbs upside down in a warm, airy room. I hung our up on our chandleir in the sunroom.
Right now I'm drying Genovese basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, thyme and Thai basil. The house smells so good right now!
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Ingredients:
10 lbs. organic Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano., chopped
2 large sweet onions, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice in each jar
Directions:
In a large stockpot, combine the tomatoes, onions, sugar, salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in each hot jar. Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 40 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: 7 quarts.
This is my own homemade recipe. Enjoy!
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Grape Tomatoes (these grape tomatoes are from our garden)
Small onions (baby or maybe pearl) or shallots
Cider vinegar or lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons per 16 oz jar)
Fresh basil, oregano etc to taste (the basil and oregano is from our garden)
Coarse salt
Olive oil
Canning jars and lids
Tomatoes must be firm and ripe. If you're using another type, select the smallest ones (no bigger than tangerine).
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Peel several of the onions or shallots.
Prepare scalded or sterilized 16 ounce jars. Fill them with tomatoes, alternating with a few onions and herbs. When the jars are filled to about one and a half inches from the rim, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt. Add one or two tablespoons or cider vinegar or lemon juice, and cover with olive oil.
Close the jars with a very clean lid, and store them in a rather cool place (50 to 59 degrees F) (think fridge). The tomatoes will be ready to eat in two to three months and will keep for up to a year. They go well served with grains or with meat.
From Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning
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Transfer mixture into two 1 pint wide mouth jars. (I used 4 half pint jars) Place plastic lid on the jar tightly. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 3 days and then transfer to cold storage.
Serve at room temperature with crusty bread or pita chips.
You can read about the benefits of lacto-fermentation here.
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1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black olives, sliced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
4 teaspoons whey
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer mixture into two 1 pint wide mouth jars. (I used 4 half pint jars) Place plastic lid on the jar tightly. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 3 days and then transfer to cold storage.
Serve at room temperature with fritos or tostito scoops.
You can read about the benefits of lacto-fermentation here.
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From left to right:
roasted red peppers, or jalapeno peppers
You can read all about the benefits of lacto-fermented foods here.
You can also get lots of lacto-fermented recipes from this great book:
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Ingredients:
Directions:
Chop all ingredients and combine in a bowl. Add whey, olive oil and salt. Stir well. Put in jars leaving an inch of space at the top. Make sure juices cover top of salsa, adding a bit of water if necessary.
Let set at room temperature for 2 days before placing in cool storage.
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