Home-canned Grape Juice

Photo Credit:  Melissa Binder

This has been my specialty for years, and yet is one of the easiest things there is to can!  My mother always made it with  our own grapes on the farm, and I have fond memories of the smell of concord grapes in the fall, as well as drinking grape juice on special occasions; I feel connected to that era every time I can a batch.  I used to can 50-70 quarts every other year so that I would have plenty to give as hostess gifts, etc. but in recent years I've scaled down to more reasonable amounts so that I have just enough on hand for my own use and for company (and so I don't OD on canning!).  I wanted to use local grapes to stick with my local produce goals, but the PA grapes were in and over before I realized it.  These grapes came from New York and were sweet as well as beautiful.  I used 10 pounds of grapes which yielded 21 quarts of juice (three canner loads).

Source:  Adapted from Mennonite Country-Style Recipes Cookbook

Remove grapes from stems and wash thoroughly; drain.  Place 1 c. grapes and 1/2 c. sugar in each quart jar.  Fill with boiling water, leaving 1/2" headspace.  Stir to dissolve sugar.  Add lids, tighten and process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. 

When ready to serve, strain into pitcher, discarding grapes.

Note:  Depending on how sweet the grapes are and your preferences, you can use less sugar.  This year I used a heaping 1/4 c. sugar per quart.

Rustic Swiss Chard and Mozzarella Tart

Source:  Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

Pastry:

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour*

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. cold butter

1/4  c. cold ice water

1/4 c. sour cream*

2 t. fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Cut up butter; cut into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Combine water, sour cream and lemon juice.  Add half the sour cream mixture to flour mixture; toss with a fork.  Add remaining sour cream mixture; toss with a fork until mixture is moistened.  Form into a ball.  Wrap and refrigerate (up to an hour) while preparing filling.

Filling:

1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and chopped (about 5 c.)

1 c. chopped leeks*

4 gloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. dried thyme, crushed

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 T. olive oil

3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Preheat oven to 400 deg.

In a large skillet, cook chard, leeks, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in hot oil over medium heat for 4 minutes or until chard wilts and leeks are tender.  Cool slightly.  Stir in cheese, set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to a 12" circle.  Transfer to a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet.  Spoon filling into center of pastry circle, leaving a 2" border.  Fold dough over filling, leaver center open and pleating edges of dough.  Bake for 30-40 min., or until golden.  Sprinkle with parsley. 

Serve hot.

Makes 4 main-dish or 8 appetizer servings.

*My substitutions:
whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour,
 my homemade yogurt for the sour cream,
 and onions plus 2 extra cloves of garlic for the leeks.

Panzanella Salad (Italian Bread Salad)

I discovered "Chef Tim's Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette" earlier this year at Root's - Chef Tim has a stand there, and he always has samples of this yummy salad.  Tonight was the first I actually tried his recipe, which is listed on the bottle.  The Country Store also carries this dressing.  Instead of croutons, I used cubes of leftover homemade Italian bread I had in the freezer.

6 cubed roma tomatoes
1 peeled, deseeded cucumber
1 T. minced red onion
16 medium fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
3 c. cooked, cubed seasoned chicken breast
3 c. croutons
8 oz. Chef Tim's Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Toss all ingredients with dressing and place on a bed of 8 c. lettuce greens.  Drizzle greens with additional dressing.

Serves 4
Note:  This is a perfect use for the roasted chicken breasts that I keep in the freezer.

Hitting the Wall

I don't know what happened, but I hit a wall on the cooking thing!  I think it was a combination of the garden fizzling a bit with the lack of rain, me getting side tracked with some other fun endeavors (see my All Things Andrea blog!), trying to sort out the implications of my numerous food allergies, and just plain laziness on my part when it comes to food prep.  Meanwhile, my garden produce was rotting away in my refrigerator....  I should be back around shortly, though.  I have a few recipes I still need to post, then plan to post the rest of the recipes from my collection, even if I didn't actually get them prepared this summer.  All in all, it's been a great venture - I've been stretched in lots of meaningful ways.  But, best of all, the season isn't over!  There's all kinds of wonderful produce coming in season (even if it's not happening in my garden!), and I still have a stash of recipes I want to try.  So, check back shortly!

Sauteed Green Beans and Red Onion

Source:  adapted from Everyday Food

This is one of my favorite ways to use up an abundance of green beans, as well as red onions, which don't store over the winter as nicely as yellow onions.

2 T. olive oil
1 t. sea salt
1/8 t. ground pepper
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 3" lengths
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2" wedges
2 t. balsamic vinegar

In a large nonstick skillet, bring 1 c. water, olive oil, salt and pepper to a simmer over medium heat. 
Add green beans and red onion.  Cover; cook until beans are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. 
Uncover; continue cooking, stirring often, until water has evaporated, beans are tender, and onions are beginning to brown, about 5-8 minutes more.  Stir in balsamic vinegar and serve.

Rustic Plum Tart

Photo Credit:  R. Charles

Oh my, I don't know why my several attempts looked nothing like the pictures in the magazine.  I guess I used the wrong varieties of plums, even though I used firm, slightly ripe plums on my 2nd try.  The plums were just too juicy, and the juice leaked all over the place - not the cute little bubbly leaks of juice to give it a rustic feel like in the picture!!  But, it was a breeze to make, and the flavor was delicious - everyone enjoyed it.  I didn't attempt making my pie crust from scratch - had too much other cooking to do that day!

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine, July/August 2006

1/2 (15-oz.) package refrigerated pie crust

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs. red plums, quartered, pitted, and sliced 1/4" thick

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. all-purpose flour*

1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 T. water (egg wash)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss together plums, sugar, and flour.  Mound plum mixture in center of prepared crust, leaving a 2" border all around.  Fold border over fruit in a pleated pattern.  Brush dough with egg wash.

Bake tart until crust in brown and filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes.  Transfer baking sheet to a rack; let cool 20 minutes.  Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

* I don't know what to suggest on the flour amount!!  I used 1/4 c. flour, but it was still too juicy!

Tomato-Mozzarella-Basil Rounds




Photo Credit - Melissa Binder

These are so simple that you won't need the recipe, but the flavor is out of this world!

Simply layer slices of mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Or, if you have access to Chef Tim's Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette, that's all you need.  I could live on these!

Photo Credit:  Melissa Binder




Parsley Pesto

Photo Credit:  Melissa Binder

I discovered this recipe last fall; I had tons of Italian parsley left in my garden and hated to see it go to waste. So, I looked up parsley recipes on line and found one for parsley pesto. I made a bunch of different variations, before I came up with the perfect recipe. Yum, YUM, YUM! It’s fabulous and freezes well.

(Adapted from the following link: http://www.ilunchbox.com/recipes/recipes-categories/dressings-and-dips/parsley-pesto.php?searchresult=1&sstring=parsley+pesto)

4 cups flat Italian parsley leaves, washed and drained *

½ cup pine nuts **

½ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/2 - 1 t. sea salt

pepper to taste

Process above ingredients in food processor until the pesto is smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Add more oil as needed to get a smooth consistency.

Freezes well.

MY NOTES:

* Be sure to use Italian parsley – the flavor is much better.

**Walnuts are just as good – pine nuts aren’t worth the expense!

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This is surprisingly delicious!  It's always a hit, and catches people off guard.  Often, when I serve it for company, I don't reveal what it is until after they taste it.  I served it a few years ago for Christmas dinner when my nephew was just a little guy, and he asked for seconds.  :)  What I really like about this recipe is that it makes use of the summer's abundance of zucchini in a way that is truly helpful for winter dining.  You simply puree the sauted zucchini mixture and stick it in the freezer.  Then, when ready to serve, thaw and add the cream base.  Yellow squash is just as tasty; my zucchini plants kicked the bucket, so I used yellow squash this evening to make a batch.  Yum!!  (Healthier verison is noted in green.)

Source:  Melanie D.

3 c. peeled, diced zucchini (no need to peel)*

3 chicken bouillon cubes (omit)

1/2 c. water (chicken stock)

1 t. minced onion (1 tiny minced onion)

1 t. seasoned salt (1-1/2 t. sea salt)

Boil above ingredients until zucchini is soft.  Puree in blender; freeze if desired.

When ready to serve, remove zucchini puree from freezer and thaw (if frozen).

2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 t. celery seed
2 c. milk, half & half or cream (raw milk cream)

In saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour and seasonings; cook until bubbly.  Slowly add milk or cream; stir until thickened.  Add zucchini mixture.  Heat thoroughly.


Update, 11/3/2011

I've been wanting to tweak this recipe to make it a bit healthier, and think I've succeeded.  The healthier version is noted in green font.

* Note: not peeling the zucchini gives it a stronger zucchini flavor and changes the color from a creamy shade with a tint of green to a much more dominant green shade, but I'm happy to endure that for the sake of the nutrients!

Zucchini Tomato Toss

This is so good (and colorful!) - I wouldn't eat raw zucchini any other way!

Source:  Adapted from Kristy Y.

4 c. thinly sliced zucchini

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/4 c. sliced red onion

3/4 c. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2/3 c. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

2 T. (or more to taste) fresh basil, chopped or 1 t. dried basil
1/8 t. pepper

In a serving bowl, combine zucchini, tomatoes and onions.  Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over zucchini mixture; toss gently to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

Yield:  8 servings

Tomato Bread Salad

One of my favorite ways to use up grape tomatoes!

Source:  Adapted from Kelley H.

1 loaf Italian bread, halved and toasted

1 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 c. grape tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped

1/2 c. fresh basil, torn

2 T. red wine vinegar

Tear bread into bite-sized pieced; place in a large serving bowl.  Drizzle 1/2 c. olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Add tomatoes and cucumber to bread, tossing to combine.  Add basil, vinegar, and remaining 1/2 c. olive oil.  Toss and season with salt and pepper. 

Firecracker Ice Pops

This is a fun recipe to do with kids, and is healthy too!  I used raw milk yogurt that I had strained overnight in the refrigerator so that it would be similar to the texture of commercial yogurt.

Source: Everyday Foods

1/2 lb. strawberries, hulled and quartered (1 1/2 c.)

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 lb. blueberries (1 1/2 c.)

1 1/4 c. plain yogurt

In a food processor, puree strawberries with 1 T. sugar. Transfer to a small bowl. In processor, puree blueberries with 1 T. sugar. In another small bowl, whisk together yogurt and 2 T. sugar. Pour the 3 mixtures, alternating, into ten 3-oz. ice-pop molds, making 3 to 5 layers each. With a skewer or think-bladed knife, swirl mixtures together in an up-and-down motion. Insert ice-pop sticks and freeze until solid, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (or up to 1 week).

White Bean and Tuna Salad

Mmm...

I had just enough fresh spinach left in the fridge from my spring harvest for this recipe - otherwise, I would have had to wait until fall or next spring to try it out.  I didn't have any tuna or green olives on hand (and was determined not to run to the grocery store!), so I substituted some left over roasted fresh chicken breast (yum!) for the tuna and sun-dried tomatoes for the olives.  Delish!

Source:  Everyday Food, May 2010

2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

sea salt

ground pepper

5 oz. fresh baby spinach

1 T. plus 1 t. red-wine vinegar

2 cans (5 oz. each) solid white tuna, drained and broken into chunks

1/4 c. green olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

crusty bread, for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine beans, 2 T. oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until beans are warm, about 4 min.; remove pan from heat.  In a large bowl, combine spinach, 1 T. oil and 1 t. vinegar; season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Divide spinach among four plates.  Transfer beans to bowl and stir in 1 T. vinegar, tuna, olives, onion and parsley.  Season with salt & pepper.  Top spinach with bean and tuna mixture and serve with bread.

Serves 4.

Roasted Zucchini

I made Roasted Zucchini for supper this evening; even my 7-year old nephew liked it! 

Simply slice zucchini lengthwise into strips, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper, and roast in at 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  Easy!

Salmon Nicoise Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

(FYI, Nicoise is pronounced "nee-swahs".)

This is a perfect salad for hot summer days and makes wonderful use of new potatoes and fresh green beans.  It's even better when tomatoes are in season.  My dad was kind enough to share some new potatoes from his garden with me; I happily accepted.

Source:  Adapted from Everyday Food magazine

Ingredients:

12 oz. red new potatoes

8 oz. green beans, trimmed

2 (8-oz.) skinless salmon fillets

3 hard-cooked eggs

lettuce

4 plum tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c. black olives

Directions:

In medium pot, bring 1/2" water to a boil; potatoes and a pinch of sea salt.  Cover and cook until tender.

Transfer potatoes to a bowl; set aside to cool.  Add green beans to pot of boiling water.  Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.  Drain in colander and rinse under cool water; set aside.

Bake salmon in 425 deg. oven until flaky, 12-15 min.  Transfer to a plate; flake with fork and let cool.

While salmon is cooking, peel and quarter eggs.  Quarter potatoes.

Arrange salmon, green beans, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, and onion on individual beds of lettuce or Swiss chard.  Serve with vinaigrette (recipe below).

Dijon Vinaigrette:

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 t. sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 c. olive oil

In medium bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, salt and a pinch of pepper until combined.

Whisking constantly, add the olive oil in a steady stream; whisk until thickened and creamy.  Or, shake all ingredients in a small jar.

Serves 4