I have always loved gardening. Even when I was forced labor for my mother in my school years, I loved pulling weeds and harvesting. Of course, I made a big deal of it, just because I was a teenager. I could not wait until I was married, and could have my own garden.
I learned to can at a young age. I was put to work peeling scalded fruit and beets, as soon as I could stand on a chair up to the sink, and do so We put up box after box of home canned peaches, pears, plums, apricots, tomatoes, and pickled beets. I snapped beans and filled jars. I was in charge of keeping the inventory list, a way for my mother to get me to practice writing, I think. When she sent me to the cubbyhole under the stairs to get a jar of something, I would cross it off the list, so we knew exactly how much we had at any time.
One of the first things I bought with our wedding money was a water bath canner. I actually wore out the jar holder part, and the enamel on the inside, and have had to buy another one since then. It saw almost continual use during the summers. I used to can all our vegetables, and any fruits I could get a hold of. I bought the biggest pressure canner I could find, and put up lots of green beans and soups and other low acid foods.
I had no garden last year, and only a small raised bed this year, so the harvest won't be big enough to need canning. It feels wrong not to be out there every morning bent over weeding.
It is a strange thing, not having produce to pick and take care of. It is such a part of my everyday life in the summer, to be sterilizing jars, and putting food by. I am like a prince without a country. I am lost without my canning fix. When the day's canning was done, I sat and looked through recipes to plan my next canning project.
We are planning out more raised beds, and will be putting in a new fence to keep out the destructive ghetto deer that plagued me in the last few years. I want our produce to be for us, not the local deer buffet line!
I was able to get some rhubarb from my Mom, or pie plant as we call it, and the store had a special on strawberries buy one and get one free. I made twelve half pint jars of strawberry rhubarb jam. The easiest of the jams. I won't be enjoying it, as it is a sugar and fruit recipe, but my boys like it, and I can give it as gifts. Not only is it awesome on hot rolls or biscuits, but it is a wonderful ice cream topper. Remember, rhubarb leaves are toxic, so cut the leaf completely before bringing it in the house, and don't put leaves in your compost pile.
I use my grandmother's old farm scale to measure the weights for canning, and to weigh out dried beans, ect...when I am cooking. I like to can by weighing, rather than fussy measuring, so I often convert the recipes from cups to pounds.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
2 lb strawberries (about two clamshells, or 4 cups whole berries)
2 lbs diced rhubarb (about 8 cups diced fruit)
6 cups sugar divided
In a large stainless steel stock pot, place rhubarb and 3 cups of sugar. Stir together well, and let sit to macerate for two hours. The sugar will bring out the liquid in the pie plant. Then add remaining 3 cups of sugar, and the stemmed and diced strawberries. Bring slowly to temperature until all the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, raise the heat to high, and boil until the gel point, when a spoonful of jam starts to sheet off the spoon. I always think it looks kind of like a turkey wattle. Skim off the foam, and pour into hot sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids and rings and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
Bean Pickles
We love bean pickles. We always put them out for picnics and family dinners. In my estimation, it's not a proper Bloody Mary without a couple bean pickles for garnish! I happened on a sale of organic beans, cleaned and with the stems and strings off, on a BOGO buy one get one free sale. The pickling liquid is an easy mixture of water, vinegar, salt and pickling spices. I prefer to use Mrs. Wages dill pickle packets for bean pickles. It is a good quick pickling formula, and I add fresh dill, mustard seeds, chile de arbol pods, and a big spoon of garlic to each jar. I also add Pickle Crisp which is calcium carbonate, I think, to make the pickles retain their snap after processing. I was off on my estimation of how many beans I'd need, It was almost enough for a canner load (7 quarts) of pickled beans. So, I scrounged around my fresh food bins, and found enough big jalapenos for a quart of them sliced in half. The dill jalapenos are really good with cream cheese piped into the cavity, and topped with chives for an appetizer. I also found I had two big containers of radishes. I kept thinking I needed them and bought them twice! There was enough for a quart of them also. They are great as a garnish in a drink like a martini, or sliced as part of an antipasto tray. I like them with a slice of cucumber on a whole wheat cracker for a snack.
I still had pickling liquid left over, as I packed the jars as tightly as I could with beans, jalapenos and radishes. I had some regular cucumbers, the ones with the waxy skin, so I peeled and diced them along with a couple each of red and orange peppers, and two big onions. I added a whole big bunch of diced fresh dill, probably a cup, and made seven more pint jars of dill pickle relish. I still had enough left of the relish to put one more pint in the fridge.
We made a trip to Riverton the other evening, and I got four big bunches of asparagus. That is my project for today, to make some asparagus pickles, and if there's time some home canned tomato soup to have on hand for the winter. It is a mixture of tomatoes with celery carrot and onion, and has basil and cloves. It is a pressure canned recipe, so I'll wait until my babies go home to do that. It requires constant attention, and can be a dangerous thing if not properly attended to.
I have had people tell me they think it's weird I like to can. I grew up in a household with a mom who survived the great depression as a child. Canning, and keeping a pantry stocked full with a whole year's worth of food was how we lived. If we didn't can it, we bought it in case lots. That and a freezer full of wild game were our hedge against starving out, if something should happen. When you grow up in a large family, you learn ways to get by on less money, but don't do without. It's just a matter of "ass ends and elbows", or hard work!
Besides it being the way I was raised, we have had some lean times in our married life. As newly weds, we ate a lot of beans, and macaroni to get by. It became a challenge for me to grow and can our own food, to provide the best of what we could have for the lowest cost. There is a great sense of satisfaction in standing back to view the rows and rows of filled jars, and know that your family gets to eat a product that was picked when it was ripe, and canned with no preservatives, or additives. I can everything low salt, and in light syrup because that's the way my mother did it. Now that I am diabetic, I am learning to can without sugar, too.
It is definitely a challenge to still can without the benefit of the mounds of garden produce, but I am finding ways to do small projects when things are on sale . I can't wait for cabbage to hit the "cheap" category, so I can make sauerkraut! My crock is ready and waiting!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Corn Beef Hash and Creamed Corn with Poached Eggs
Help! Comfort food is needed! We had quite a day here. One of those where you keep working, and can't seem to make any headway. I just got a call from my husband, and he's having a similar day. He won't be home for another three hours.
That kind of ruined the plans I had to eat at our favorite steakhouse! I cleaned out the fridge today, in preparation of my biweekly shopping day tomorrow, so I hadn't thawed anything out. I just don't want pizza, we splurged on that last week.
I was watching Rachel Rae while waiting for my kids to go home, and she was making a Ratatouille with poached eggs on top, and it reminded me of this dish we used to eat often when we were first married, and had chickens and lots of eggs to use up. It is so easy, and is a wonderful comfort food. Just what we need! It will heat up nicely when my husband finally gets here, too!
Corn Beef Hash and Creamed Corn Casserole with Poached Eggs
In a square baking dish that has been buttered, mix a can of corn beef hash with a can of creamed corn. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven until it gets bubbly, about fifteen minutes. Top with raw eggs, and return to the oven just until eggs are set. Serve with boiled cabbage, or buttered dark rye toast.
Easily doubled, and makes a great brunch for guys who are coming in from the cold. It really warms up the tummy!
That kind of ruined the plans I had to eat at our favorite steakhouse! I cleaned out the fridge today, in preparation of my biweekly shopping day tomorrow, so I hadn't thawed anything out. I just don't want pizza, we splurged on that last week.
I was watching Rachel Rae while waiting for my kids to go home, and she was making a Ratatouille with poached eggs on top, and it reminded me of this dish we used to eat often when we were first married, and had chickens and lots of eggs to use up. It is so easy, and is a wonderful comfort food. Just what we need! It will heat up nicely when my husband finally gets here, too!
Corn Beef Hash and Creamed Corn Casserole with Poached Eggs
In a square baking dish that has been buttered, mix a can of corn beef hash with a can of creamed corn. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven until it gets bubbly, about fifteen minutes. Top with raw eggs, and return to the oven just until eggs are set. Serve with boiled cabbage, or buttered dark rye toast.
Easily doubled, and makes a great brunch for guys who are coming in from the cold. It really warms up the tummy!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Pulled Pork and Black Bean and Tomato Salad, Homemade BBQ Sauce and Caprese Pasta Salad
I love Independence Day. We always have family here from out of town, and Lander is quite possibly the best place in America to celebrate. We have a parade, a buffalo barbecue, the oldest paid rodeo in the world, and a local dentist puts on a patriotic fireworks display that is amazing.
They broadcast the fireworks program over the radio, and the fireworks are choreographed to the music and the story. We always drive up on the hill by the rodeo grounds, and sit in lawn chairs with the radio cranked and enjoy the show. Dr. Bills pasture where he shoots off the display is directly across the valley from it..
The computer equipment that he uses for the show is so complex only Disney and another company in Japan have it. It is a world class fireworks display. I always get so choked up over the story that goes with it. It definitely makes you think how lucky we are that people sacrificed and stuck to their ideals to create our nation.
My son Ryan was born on the second of July, so I am planning a family party. I have been busy the last couple days making Cowboy Beans to serve at the party. It is a recipe that uses dried pinto beans, so it takes two days to make: one to soak the beans, and one whole day to cook it in the crockpot.
Today, I am making pickled vegetables, and some jelly to go along with the meal. I had some plums that got a little soft, so I cooked them down and strained the juice through a cheesecloth. This beautiful pink juice will get enough apple cider added to it to make 5 cups of juice necessary for the recipe for jelly. I'll be making some giardinera, or pickled mixed vegetables, and some pickled beans for the party. They only need twenty four hours to be ready.
I'll be partially putting together my Crunchy Asian Coleslaw today, too. I'll not put in the ramen noodles until right before the party so they will still have a little crunch to them.
On Saturday, I'll be roasting a whole pork loin to serve along with the beans, and we'll have some southwest corn bread to round out the meal. It will be delicious with butter and a little of the plum jelly I'm making today.
Ryan is partial to German chocolate cake, so I'll be baking that as well. If I can find my recipe for Aunt Grace's chocolate cake, I'll use that. Otherwise, it will be a box mix. I use applesauce in the box mix to replace the oil, and make homemade frosting.
I always make up big batches of deli style salads to have during the holiday weekend, and that will happen tomorrow. I have a spare fridge in our garage we use for soda and overflow, so I can pack it full, and then when family is here, I can actually enjoy the company instead of living in the kitchen the whole time.
I have a meat slicer, and I'll cook some beef and slice it thin, along with some cheese to have for sandwiches. I can thinly slice tomato and onion to keep in a tupperware for salads, too. I love my meat slicer!
Yesterday, while the beans were cooking, I put a whole pork shoulder roast in my second crockpot. I don't season my pulled pork until I add the barbecue sauce, as I think the salt draws out too much moisture from the meat, and is a much moister meat if it slow cooks without any seasoning. Once it gets to the stage where it will fall apart, I pull it out onto a baking sheet and with two forks, I shred the meat. I then add the hot homemade barbecue sauce. We will be able to heat this up for sandwiches, or will serve it over hot rice.
Even though I don't add liquid to the roast as it slow cooks, there is always almost a quart of pork juice left after cooking. I don't throw this away, but keep it and freeze it if neccesary to add to beans or collard greens, or to use to make pork gravy. After it cools, I'll skim all the congealed pork fat off and throw it away.
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
1/3 C tomato sauce, or ketchup
2 T yellow mustard
1 T minced garlic
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/3 C cider vinegar
1 T splenda brown sugar
1 T dark agave nectar
1/2 tsp tajin seasoning
In a small saucepan, heat the above ingredients until they are bubbly hot. Combine with pulled pork, and serve on a bun or over rice. Extra sauce keeps well in the refrigerator.
Cowboy Beans
2 lbs dry pinto beans
enough water to cover
In a large bowl, soak the beans in cold water the day before cooking them. I like to change the water once, usually at bed time. The next morning, I rinse the beans again until the water runs clear, and they go into the crockpot with enough water to just cover them again. To that I add:
1 quart/box chicken stock
1 cup tomato based salsa, or tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 T minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 heaping T ham soup base
2 chipotle peppers ( I put them in whole and then remove them before serving)
2 C chopped celery
4 large carrots peeled and sliced
2 onions chopped
Because of the salty ham soup base, I don't add extra salt
Pepper to taste
Cook on high for twelve to fourteen hours. You want the beans to be tender but not mushy. Once it was cooled, I put it in the fridge for the party. On Saturday, I'll pull it out an hour before the party, and put it back in the crockpot on high.
I had a big bowl of tomatoes, and a large cucumber that needed used up, so I made a big batch of this black bean salad. We will enjoy it with burgers and sandwiches over the holiday weekend.
Southwest Black Bean Salad
5 vine ripe tomatoes chopped
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped fine
1/2 red onion chopped
1 can black beans that have been drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
1 cucumber peeled and sliced in half moons
Combine all ingredients and dress with Lime Cumin Dressing. Refrigerate overnight in a covered container. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Lime Cumin Dressing
juice and zest from one lime
1/3 C red wine vinegar
2 heaping T cilantro (either fresh, or from a tube)
1 C salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 T olive oil
2 T splenda
1 t minced garlic
Another of my favorite salads is a cold pasta salad with tomatoes, fresh basil and boccaccini (small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. I love Caprese Salad, which is an arranged salad of alternating slices of ripe tomato with rounds of fresh mozzarella. It is served with fresh torn basil, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's not complete without a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I have adapted it to add whole wheat pasta.
Caprese Pasta Salad
3 ripe tomatoes diced
1 C fresh basil torn into little pieces
1 pkg short cut whole grain pasta cooked and drained
1 shallot diced
1 carton fresh boccaccini balls drained and cut into halves
drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Better after it sits covered in the fridge for a while.
It is great served with grilled chickena or fish, or as a lunch on it's own, with a crusty piece of bread.
They broadcast the fireworks program over the radio, and the fireworks are choreographed to the music and the story. We always drive up on the hill by the rodeo grounds, and sit in lawn chairs with the radio cranked and enjoy the show. Dr. Bills pasture where he shoots off the display is directly across the valley from it..
The computer equipment that he uses for the show is so complex only Disney and another company in Japan have it. It is a world class fireworks display. I always get so choked up over the story that goes with it. It definitely makes you think how lucky we are that people sacrificed and stuck to their ideals to create our nation.
My son Ryan was born on the second of July, so I am planning a family party. I have been busy the last couple days making Cowboy Beans to serve at the party. It is a recipe that uses dried pinto beans, so it takes two days to make: one to soak the beans, and one whole day to cook it in the crockpot.
Today, I am making pickled vegetables, and some jelly to go along with the meal. I had some plums that got a little soft, so I cooked them down and strained the juice through a cheesecloth. This beautiful pink juice will get enough apple cider added to it to make 5 cups of juice necessary for the recipe for jelly. I'll be making some giardinera, or pickled mixed vegetables, and some pickled beans for the party. They only need twenty four hours to be ready.
I'll be partially putting together my Crunchy Asian Coleslaw today, too. I'll not put in the ramen noodles until right before the party so they will still have a little crunch to them.
On Saturday, I'll be roasting a whole pork loin to serve along with the beans, and we'll have some southwest corn bread to round out the meal. It will be delicious with butter and a little of the plum jelly I'm making today.
Ryan is partial to German chocolate cake, so I'll be baking that as well. If I can find my recipe for Aunt Grace's chocolate cake, I'll use that. Otherwise, it will be a box mix. I use applesauce in the box mix to replace the oil, and make homemade frosting.
I always make up big batches of deli style salads to have during the holiday weekend, and that will happen tomorrow. I have a spare fridge in our garage we use for soda and overflow, so I can pack it full, and then when family is here, I can actually enjoy the company instead of living in the kitchen the whole time.
I have a meat slicer, and I'll cook some beef and slice it thin, along with some cheese to have for sandwiches. I can thinly slice tomato and onion to keep in a tupperware for salads, too. I love my meat slicer!
Yesterday, while the beans were cooking, I put a whole pork shoulder roast in my second crockpot. I don't season my pulled pork until I add the barbecue sauce, as I think the salt draws out too much moisture from the meat, and is a much moister meat if it slow cooks without any seasoning. Once it gets to the stage where it will fall apart, I pull it out onto a baking sheet and with two forks, I shred the meat. I then add the hot homemade barbecue sauce. We will be able to heat this up for sandwiches, or will serve it over hot rice.
Even though I don't add liquid to the roast as it slow cooks, there is always almost a quart of pork juice left after cooking. I don't throw this away, but keep it and freeze it if neccesary to add to beans or collard greens, or to use to make pork gravy. After it cools, I'll skim all the congealed pork fat off and throw it away.
Homemade Barbecue Sauce
1/3 C tomato sauce, or ketchup
2 T yellow mustard
1 T minced garlic
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/3 C cider vinegar
1 T splenda brown sugar
1 T dark agave nectar
1/2 tsp tajin seasoning
In a small saucepan, heat the above ingredients until they are bubbly hot. Combine with pulled pork, and serve on a bun or over rice. Extra sauce keeps well in the refrigerator.
Cowboy Beans
2 lbs dry pinto beans
enough water to cover
In a large bowl, soak the beans in cold water the day before cooking them. I like to change the water once, usually at bed time. The next morning, I rinse the beans again until the water runs clear, and they go into the crockpot with enough water to just cover them again. To that I add:
1 quart/box chicken stock
1 cup tomato based salsa, or tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 T minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 heaping T ham soup base
2 chipotle peppers ( I put them in whole and then remove them before serving)
2 C chopped celery
4 large carrots peeled and sliced
2 onions chopped
Because of the salty ham soup base, I don't add extra salt
Pepper to taste
Cook on high for twelve to fourteen hours. You want the beans to be tender but not mushy. Once it was cooled, I put it in the fridge for the party. On Saturday, I'll pull it out an hour before the party, and put it back in the crockpot on high.
I had a big bowl of tomatoes, and a large cucumber that needed used up, so I made a big batch of this black bean salad. We will enjoy it with burgers and sandwiches over the holiday weekend.
Southwest Black Bean Salad
5 vine ripe tomatoes chopped
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped fine
1/2 red onion chopped
1 can black beans that have been drained and rinsed
1 can corn drained
1 cucumber peeled and sliced in half moons
Combine all ingredients and dress with Lime Cumin Dressing. Refrigerate overnight in a covered container. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Lime Cumin Dressing
juice and zest from one lime
1/3 C red wine vinegar
2 heaping T cilantro (either fresh, or from a tube)
1 C salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 T olive oil
2 T splenda
1 t minced garlic
Another of my favorite salads is a cold pasta salad with tomatoes, fresh basil and boccaccini (small balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. I love Caprese Salad, which is an arranged salad of alternating slices of ripe tomato with rounds of fresh mozzarella. It is served with fresh torn basil, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's not complete without a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I have adapted it to add whole wheat pasta.
Caprese Pasta Salad
3 ripe tomatoes diced
1 C fresh basil torn into little pieces
1 pkg short cut whole grain pasta cooked and drained
1 shallot diced
1 carton fresh boccaccini balls drained and cut into halves
drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar and coarse salt and pepper to taste. Better after it sits covered in the fridge for a while.
It is great served with grilled chickena or fish, or as a lunch on it's own, with a crusty piece of bread.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Bandito Pie, Roasted Jalapeno Peppers Stuffed with Feta
This is a quick recipe that made an awesome lunch today! Taco like filling with smoky chipotle pepper, and topped with a cornbread crust made from a mix. I keep Jiffy cornbread mixes on hand to use for muffins along with soup, or as a topper for this pie.
I always have chipotle in adobo in my fridge. I keep it in an old glass refrigerator container with a glass lid. It only takes one or maybe two chipotles for a recipe, so it takes a long time for us to use up one little can. When I open the chipotle in adobo, I always add enough cider vinegar to the container to keep the chipotles covered in liquid. If they start to get dried out, I'll add more vinegar. They stay usable for a very long time this way. As an added bonus, I get more of the tasty adobo liquid to use in cooking that way!
Bandito Pie
1 lb ground meat (I used lamb, because it was thawed out, but equally good with beef or even turkey)
1 large onion diced
2 minced cloves of garlic
2/3 quart/large can of diced tomatoes
1 chopped chipotle in adobo
1 tsp adobo liquid
2 T Mexican chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
*Preheat oven to 350*F.
In a large cast iron skillet, brown ground meat with onions on the stovetop. Add garlic, tomatoes, chipotle and spices. Adjust seasoning to taste.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix cornmeal muffin/cornbread mix according to directions. Mine called for milk, but I prefer buttermilk for baking. It might require a little more liquid than the directions to make a medium soft dough spreadable enough to top the taco filling above. Spread over the skillet full of taco filling, and place in preheated oven. Bake for twenty five minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown.
Roasted Jalapenos Stuffed with Feta Cheese
We had some leftover fresh jalapenos that needed used up, so I split them down the middle, cut out the seeds and ribs, and filled them with feta cheese. These went on a baking sheet and roasted while the pie baked. Mild jalapenos pair well with the salty feta, and they were a great accompaniment to the Bandito pie.
I always have chipotle in adobo in my fridge. I keep it in an old glass refrigerator container with a glass lid. It only takes one or maybe two chipotles for a recipe, so it takes a long time for us to use up one little can. When I open the chipotle in adobo, I always add enough cider vinegar to the container to keep the chipotles covered in liquid. If they start to get dried out, I'll add more vinegar. They stay usable for a very long time this way. As an added bonus, I get more of the tasty adobo liquid to use in cooking that way!
Bandito Pie
1 lb ground meat (I used lamb, because it was thawed out, but equally good with beef or even turkey)
1 large onion diced
2 minced cloves of garlic
2/3 quart/large can of diced tomatoes
1 chopped chipotle in adobo
1 tsp adobo liquid
2 T Mexican chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
*Preheat oven to 350*F.
In a large cast iron skillet, brown ground meat with onions on the stovetop. Add garlic, tomatoes, chipotle and spices. Adjust seasoning to taste.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix cornmeal muffin/cornbread mix according to directions. Mine called for milk, but I prefer buttermilk for baking. It might require a little more liquid than the directions to make a medium soft dough spreadable enough to top the taco filling above. Spread over the skillet full of taco filling, and place in preheated oven. Bake for twenty five minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown.
Roasted Jalapenos Stuffed with Feta Cheese
We had some leftover fresh jalapenos that needed used up, so I split them down the middle, cut out the seeds and ribs, and filled them with feta cheese. These went on a baking sheet and roasted while the pie baked. Mild jalapenos pair well with the salty feta, and they were a great accompaniment to the Bandito pie.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Cheddar Bratwurst, Kraut and Potatoes
I love anything cabbage. Especially sauerkraut. I love to make a big old crock of it and put it up in jars. When cabbage is cheapest I'll be buying it up to can. I've given up trying to raise it because of the ghetto deer that reek destruction on my garden. Right now, I am out, so I have to buy it in the store. Still, it is a family favorite.
Nothing goes better with kraut than pork; either a pork roast, some boneless ribs, or fresh sausage. Today we are having cheddarwurst cooked slow with kraut and vegetables. The long cooking of the kraut with the pork and vegetables really mellows the flavor. It is not at all the same as it tastes right out of the jar. Mustard seed needs to be paired with an acid to bring out the flavor, so it is really good in this dish. Caraway and celery seed just take it to the next level of flavor. I like the flavor of apple with pork, so I always add some cider. We drink a lot of it, so I always have it on hand. If I had some good tart apples, I'd peel them and cut them in wedges to top the brats. Baked apples taste great with pork sausage.
You can substitute beer for the cider.
I don't use salt at all, and only add pepper when I plate it, as the long cooking can really make it spicy if you add in the pepper before cooking.
Bratwurst Hot Dish
2 pkg fresh bratwurst
1 whole onion cut in wedges
3 peeled carrots cut in 1 1/2 inch chunks
8 red skin potatoes scrubbed and quartered
2 quarts/jars of sauerkraut
1 tsp whole mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp caraway seed
pinch celery seed
2 fresh bay leaves
1 C apple cider
In a large crock pot, layer potatoes, carrots, onion wedges, and both jars of kraut. Top with browned bratwurst, the spices and pour the apple cider over all of it. Cook on low temperature for at least 6 hours.
Nothing goes better with kraut than pork; either a pork roast, some boneless ribs, or fresh sausage. Today we are having cheddarwurst cooked slow with kraut and vegetables. The long cooking of the kraut with the pork and vegetables really mellows the flavor. It is not at all the same as it tastes right out of the jar. Mustard seed needs to be paired with an acid to bring out the flavor, so it is really good in this dish. Caraway and celery seed just take it to the next level of flavor. I like the flavor of apple with pork, so I always add some cider. We drink a lot of it, so I always have it on hand. If I had some good tart apples, I'd peel them and cut them in wedges to top the brats. Baked apples taste great with pork sausage.
You can substitute beer for the cider.
I don't use salt at all, and only add pepper when I plate it, as the long cooking can really make it spicy if you add in the pepper before cooking.
Bratwurst Hot Dish
2 pkg fresh bratwurst
1 whole onion cut in wedges
3 peeled carrots cut in 1 1/2 inch chunks
8 red skin potatoes scrubbed and quartered
2 quarts/jars of sauerkraut
1 tsp whole mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp caraway seed
pinch celery seed
2 fresh bay leaves
1 C apple cider
In a large crock pot, layer potatoes, carrots, onion wedges, and both jars of kraut. Top with browned bratwurst, the spices and pour the apple cider over all of it. Cook on low temperature for at least 6 hours.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Marinated Polish Sausage, Fridge Pickles
My husband's Dad and Uncle have played in a band for the past fifty years. Don used to play with them, and when we first met, I used to go to Sheridan often for the dances. They played at little community dance halls around Sheridan and Buffalo, plus the Eagles, and Elks, etc...We always had a blast.
Several years ago, they started having an annual party, inviting their friends and family. Everybody brings a covered dish, and donates for the meat and the renting of the hall. There are five or six long tables groaning with food. Every homemade wonder you could think of! It was at the first party that I tasted the marinated Polish Sausage for the first time. Being pregnant at the time, I was crazy for anything pickled anyway, but when I tasted this, I thought I'd died and went to heaven! I'm sure that the quality of the sausage has something to do with it, but it is just a great flavor combination.
The polish sausage you can buy in Sheridan is the best ever. We stock up whenever we are there. The man who makes it butchers the animals, blends the sausage and smokes it himself, so it is a premium product. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people open the sack, and drive off from the parking lot with a polish in their mouth! It's so good, you can't wait to have one.
Marinated Polish Sausage
1 pound of polish sausage cut into diagonal slices
1 large white onion cut in thin slices
1 T garlic
1/3 C chopped fresh parsley
1/3 C red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
2 fresh *bay leaves
1/2 tsp whole mustard seed
Place all ingredients in an airtight container, and keep for at least twenty four hours before serving. This is a great appetizer for summer, or makes a wonderful light supper with some crusty bread and a salad.
It smells amazing when you open the container!
I remember being at one annual party when it was a good cucumber year. There were fifteen bowls of fridge pickles! It is a favorite of mine, and I learned to make it when I was a kid because my Dad loved them, too. I just put a big tupperware full of them in the fridge tonight, so we will be enjoying them in a couple days.
Fridge Pickles
3 large peeled slicing cucumbers or European cucumbers (unpeeled)
1 large white onion sliced thinly
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 C white vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
1 tsp dried dill weed
2 fresh *bay leaves
a handful of whole peppercorns
1 tsp whole mustard seed
a pinch of celery seed
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container, or canning jar with a lid. Let sit in the fridge for twenty four hours before serving. Really good on a bagel with some smoked salmon and cream cheese!
*Today's pantry star is fresh bay. I buy them in the produce section this time of year to use in pickling, but because of their long shelf life, I can keep them for months in a baggie in my meat drawer. They will dry out, but will still be more flavorful than the dried ones in the jar. Besides pickles, I use them in roasts and stews and homemade soups. I've even put them in jelly with rosemary.
Several years ago, they started having an annual party, inviting their friends and family. Everybody brings a covered dish, and donates for the meat and the renting of the hall. There are five or six long tables groaning with food. Every homemade wonder you could think of! It was at the first party that I tasted the marinated Polish Sausage for the first time. Being pregnant at the time, I was crazy for anything pickled anyway, but when I tasted this, I thought I'd died and went to heaven! I'm sure that the quality of the sausage has something to do with it, but it is just a great flavor combination.
The polish sausage you can buy in Sheridan is the best ever. We stock up whenever we are there. The man who makes it butchers the animals, blends the sausage and smokes it himself, so it is a premium product. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people open the sack, and drive off from the parking lot with a polish in their mouth! It's so good, you can't wait to have one.
Marinated Polish Sausage
1 pound of polish sausage cut into diagonal slices
1 large white onion cut in thin slices
1 T garlic
1/3 C chopped fresh parsley
1/3 C red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
2 fresh *bay leaves
1/2 tsp whole mustard seed
Place all ingredients in an airtight container, and keep for at least twenty four hours before serving. This is a great appetizer for summer, or makes a wonderful light supper with some crusty bread and a salad.
It smells amazing when you open the container!
I remember being at one annual party when it was a good cucumber year. There were fifteen bowls of fridge pickles! It is a favorite of mine, and I learned to make it when I was a kid because my Dad loved them, too. I just put a big tupperware full of them in the fridge tonight, so we will be enjoying them in a couple days.
Fridge Pickles
3 large peeled slicing cucumbers or European cucumbers (unpeeled)
1 large white onion sliced thinly
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 C white vinegar
1/3 C olive oil
1 tsp dried dill weed
2 fresh *bay leaves
a handful of whole peppercorns
1 tsp whole mustard seed
a pinch of celery seed
Combine all ingredients in an airtight container, or canning jar with a lid. Let sit in the fridge for twenty four hours before serving. Really good on a bagel with some smoked salmon and cream cheese!
*Today's pantry star is fresh bay. I buy them in the produce section this time of year to use in pickling, but because of their long shelf life, I can keep them for months in a baggie in my meat drawer. They will dry out, but will still be more flavorful than the dried ones in the jar. Besides pickles, I use them in roasts and stews and homemade soups. I've even put them in jelly with rosemary.
Monday, June 20, 2011
German Style Buttermilk Potato Salad
I use buttermilk often in my cooking. It is very low in fat, so I use it to make salad dressings, for baking, in cream soups, and to make the creamiest mashed potatoes without using lots of butter.
My husband is a big meat and tater kind of guy.
Since it was Father's Day yesterday, we had a cookout: burgers, a pasta salad with lots of vegetables, and this German style potato salad. Although we love the mustard kind of potato salad, this is a new family favorite. It's made with new red potatoes with the skins still on, and the dressing is loaded with chives and dill. Very fresh, and different from the same old.
Of course, when I went to the store, I forgot the fresh buttermilk. I keep buttermilk powder on hand, so I substituted regular milk and added 2 tsp of buttermilk powder to the dressing. It doesn't mix in easily, so I blended it with the milk before adding it to the dressing.
German Style Buttermilk Potato Salad
2 lb baby red potatoes
1/3 C low fat Miracle Whip
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 tsp lemon juice
3 heaping T chopped chives
1/4 C finely chopped dill
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, cover the washed potatoes with cold water and put them on to boil. In a quart jar with a lid, add the dressing ingredients, and shake until well combined. When the potatoes test done by slipping easily from a knife, drain and slightly mash with a potato masher to break the baby potatoes up in smaller pieces. Dress with the whole jar of dressing and cover the bowl with foil, or a dinner plate to keep the salad warm until serving time. It was even better for lunch today!
My husband is a big meat and tater kind of guy.
Since it was Father's Day yesterday, we had a cookout: burgers, a pasta salad with lots of vegetables, and this German style potato salad. Although we love the mustard kind of potato salad, this is a new family favorite. It's made with new red potatoes with the skins still on, and the dressing is loaded with chives and dill. Very fresh, and different from the same old.
Of course, when I went to the store, I forgot the fresh buttermilk. I keep buttermilk powder on hand, so I substituted regular milk and added 2 tsp of buttermilk powder to the dressing. It doesn't mix in easily, so I blended it with the milk before adding it to the dressing.
German Style Buttermilk Potato Salad
2 lb baby red potatoes
1/3 C low fat Miracle Whip
1/3 C red wine vinegar
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 tsp lemon juice
3 heaping T chopped chives
1/4 C finely chopped dill
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, cover the washed potatoes with cold water and put them on to boil. In a quart jar with a lid, add the dressing ingredients, and shake until well combined. When the potatoes test done by slipping easily from a knife, drain and slightly mash with a potato masher to break the baby potatoes up in smaller pieces. Dress with the whole jar of dressing and cover the bowl with foil, or a dinner plate to keep the salad warm until serving time. It was even better for lunch today!
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