kmr's Profile
12 Pounds of Green Tomatoes: and we don't like Relish. Ideas?
We just finished eating a big batch of green tomatos sauteed with garlic and thyme, really good! Mince a clove of garlic and saute with some torn up italian bread and olive oil to make croutons. Remove croutons from the pan, add a bit more oil, and saute chunked up green tomatoes for about 4 -6 minutes, until they get nice and browned on the edges. Add back the croutons, and some fresh thyme. I've made the scalloped green tomatoes from "Gift of Southern Cooking" and it was wonderful, don't have the book handy, tho..... we usually store several lug boxes of green tomatoes to ripen over the winter, and they are ok, about the same as store bought....just make sure to pick out any that start to spoil. Good air circulation seems to help prevent spoilage. My husband has made green tomato pies (like a mock apple) and he really liked it....
You know you are a tad too obsessed when...
Hello. My name is Karen, I'm food obsessed....(you all say "Hi Karen!")
For me, it was when I realized that our travel plans ALWAYS revolve entirely around where we can eat, interesting markets, funky saloons, etc. I suspected I was obessed when I started talking my sweet hubby and some friends into driving almost 500 miles (one way) for my birthday dinner.
Whole Preserved Figs
Not sure on the variety, book just says that the black mission variety can get tough and leathery when processed in this manner. I'll have to do some studying.....
The recipe calls for 2 lbs figs and 2 cups sugar, so your proportions sound a bit off. I think you've got too much sugar, which wouldn't have enough juice from the figs to form a syrup on its own. Are your figs nice and ripe?
When I've made these, the ripe figs and sugar made a syrup in the pan overnight (but figs weren't covered in sugar), and then I gently heated them and they became more syrupy as they were cooked over gentle heat from 10 minutes. Then cool and reheat the next morning, and the next for three cycles. By this time, there is a fair amount of thick syrup in the pan. You then pack the hot figs in sterile jars, and boil the syrup until it reaches 220 degrees. Pour the hot syrup over the figs, leaving 1/4" headspace, clean and put rings/lids on jars, and process in water bath canner for 15 minutes for 1/2 pint jars. Or you can just pour syup over figs, and store in the frig for several months.
If you are gonna buy just one more cookbook, I'd but this one, I just love it!
Whole Preserved Figs
Haha! I HATE needing glasses in the kitchen these days.... are you using the green figs or mission (black/purple) figs? The directions suggest not using mission, as they get tough, so I've only made these when I've gotten green figs from friends, not from all the mission figs in my yard!
Whole Preserved Figs
Hey Shrinkrap - the Gift of Southern Cooking recipe for preserved figs is my favorite, and as I recall, the cycle refers to the heating and cooling of the figs in the sugar syrup over several days. I've loaned the book out, so I can't check exact details, but I know it gets heated and cooled several times.
They are absolutely lovely when done, not super-firm like some glaceed fruit, but they have that pretty clear appearance and wonderful figgy flavor. I use them for desserts with cheeses. They process nicely in water-bath canner for long term storage, too.
Canning Roasted Roma Tomatoes
Just to clarify, tomatoes (home grown or commercial) can be safely canned in water bath with the addition of a small amount bottled lemon juice. Any good canning reference (Ball, county extension office, etc) has the particulars. The bottled lemon juice is more uniformly acid than fresh-squeezed juice, so don't substitute. Freezing is certainly easier, but if you are short on space (we raise beef and lambs, so freezer space get tight), water bath canning is a safe and tasty alternative.
Seeking Great Southern Cookbook
Along the lines of the great Jr League books mentioned is "Louisiana Entertains: Official Cookbook 1984 Louisiana World Exposition". I found it at a thrift store, and just love it. It has menus for breakfast, dinner and supper, for 2 to 100, lots of fun. I think you can get it on Amazon.
I highly recommend the Edna Lewis books, and especially the Gift of Southern Cooking... I've made most of the recipes in it, and all have been wonderful. Especially Grandma Peacock's chicken & rice mentioned above....
Canning Roasted Roma Tomatoes
All my canning resources say do not use oil in canned products, so I won't try it Freezing roasted toms with olive oil and salt works great, as does packing them in jars, sealing over with more oil and storing in the refrigerator.
Canning time!
I've been canning roasted tomatillo salsa, preserved figs, and new this year, pickled figs. We had a bumper crop of haricot vert green beans, so I put up a dozen jars of them, too. The peaches and rum sound wonderful!
Soon, I'll be doing a batch of sweet pickles, my granny's recipe...takes about 14 days, but they are so incredibly good and crisp. I haven't made them before, my mom always made enough for all of us, but she's decided it's my turn to take over ;-). Once our tomatoes are in full production, we'll put up 50-75 qts of tomatoes and about 20 quarts of tomato juice, plus a few jars of basil-tomato jam. If I'm not sick of tomatoes by fall, I also put up stewed toms, with squash, onion, okra, peppers added.
I'm still searching for the perfect green tomato pickle recipe - like the ones you get in catfish retaurants in the south....anyone make these?
Idiotic things you do in the kitchen
Am I the only one who uses the blender to spray the kitchen ceiling with scalding hot liquids? Along with every other surface in a six foot range? And myself? Will I ever learn?
I also confess to diggin around in the chest freezer, setting a package or two off to the side, and neglecting to replace them for several days. Ugh.
canning jar lids, question
Imgould - to be careful with your investment of food & time, canning lids are not re-used. If you look at the ring, you'll probably see that the rubber coating is indented where it sealed onto the jar. You risk the jar not sealing if you reuse.....me, I would use fresh unsealed lids.
Bringing Home Our New Baby: Make Ahead Meals
Agrabish's ideas are great....Stock your pantry and freezer now with non-persishables like pasta, canned items like beans, tuna, tomatos, pasta, quinoa, and flexible, fast frozen items like shrimp, chicken breasts, beef or lambs steaks to grill, etc.
Frittatas, omelettes, salads or pasta with proteins, sandwiches, yogurt smoothies all would be good. Healthy snacks will be important, especially if you are nursing. Planning a week or two of menus, with sides, and the fresh items needed to finish them off, would be handy.
Quite a while back, there was list of really fast dinner ideas, for when it's too hot to cook. Unfortunately, it's too hot now, and I can't remember who wrote it....think it was in the NY Times. It had great ideas. Maybe someone with better computer and/or memory skills can find the link to it - it was linked on this board.
Best wishes!
quick pie crust question
Yup, that will do it! That sounds like 2 crusts to me....if you only need one, remember that pie dough freezers well!
Canning Tips
Oh, do try it! Canning is not nearly as complicated as it sounds. Just get some good reference materials, like Ball Blue Book, County Extension office publications, etc. Some county extension offices offer canning workshops. There are several other good canning books mentioned on this board. Preserving Summer's Bounty might be the title of another one I like (but the Blue Book gives most detailed basic info, with lots of pix).
Pickles are processed using a water-bath canner, very simple and virtually foolproof if you follow directions and practice good sanitation. Water bath canners are available at hardware stores, places like walmart, and sometimes you'll see them at thrift stores.
I learned how to can as a little girl, and have been doing it ever since...usually put up more than a hundred jars of assorted goods each summer, and while I've had some recipes I didn't like as well as others, I don't think I've ever had any spoilage or disasters.
Pressure canning is a little more difficult, but still very easy....I use this method for low acid foods like green beans, beef stock after we butcher, other low acid veggies, etc.
Good luck!
Are we really related?!
That's funny...my brother thinks sushi is what rich folks use for chum.
Pickling Okra
My pleasure....this makes 4 pints; more detailed information on water-bath canning methods can be found online. Please take a look at more detailed directions if you haven't canned before - it's safe and easy when good sanitation procedures are followed.
Fill water bath canner with water, and bring to boil. Place canning rings and lids in a small saucepan and keep hot water over them.
Combine 3 cups white vinegar, 3 cups water, 1/3 cup canning salt and two teaspoons dill seed in a large pan and bring to a boil.
Pack clean, hot pint jars with small okra pods (about 3.5 pounds for 4 pints), leaving 1/4" headspace. Add a couple cloves of garlic, and as many dried red peppers as you like (I usually do 4 of the arbol, but you can use most anything).
Ladle hot vinegar solution over okra; use a chopstick or something similar to poke around gently and get the air bubbles out. Fill jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe the jar rim clean, and place lid and ring; tighten.
Put jars in water bath canner, cover with lid and allow water to return to rolling boil. Jars should have 1-2" of water over them. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes. Remove jars and allow to cool with rings on. Don't re-tighten lids, you can break the seal.
As the jars cool, you will hear that happy "ping" as the lids seal. Properly sealed lids will not flex up and down when pressed. Once jars are completely cool, remove ring, wipe jars clean, and put on the pantry shelf for all to admire. Best not to sample for a couple of weeks so flavors can develop.
As the liquid goes into the okra over time, you may notice a drop in the level of liquid in the jar - this is normal. I use this same process/receipt to make dilly beans...you can make the best bloody mary in the universe with home-canned tomato juice and these dilly beans!
I don't have a recipe for the raw pack. By time I'm canning in the summer, I've already eaten so much okra that I really am just canning in self-defense.
Pickling Okra
Are you looking at canning recipes, or refrigerator pickles? I make quite a bit of pickled okra every year, using the recipe in the "Ball Blue Book" - pack raw okra in sterile jars, add garlic and red peppers, cover with water/vinegar/salt solution, remove air bubbles gently, and process for 15 minutes (pint jars) in boiling-water bath canner. These will keep very well without refrigeration and make great gifts for your okra-loving friends. I use the same recipe for dilly green beans.....
Are we really related?!
Oh goodness, I can't possibly be related to my brother. At a lovely seafood restaurant, he actually ordered the lobster, and then asked for ketchup. The waitress was appalled, I'm sure, but she did bring it to table for him. Anything spicy, unusual, unpronouncable is definitely out for him. Given the choice between a taco wagon and a gas station with a microwave, my brother will pick the gas station burrito everytime.
But I adore him anyway.
Jar for pickling
Or new heavvy plastic buckets? We have a bunch of them that we use for olives, my hubby drilled a lot of holes in one extra lid so I can use it like a strainer to drain and rinse them. He got a few of them from a bakery (he does commercial refrigeration, got the ones the pie fillings came in from his bakery ladies)
So good that you make it over and over again (or at least 3 times!)
mshenna - could you post the catfish recipe? Sounds wonderful!
Lemon Basil - What to do with it?
I had a huge crop of lemon basil last summer, and made an infused olive oil with it - wonderful on salads, vegetables, whatever. As I recall, I took about 4 cups of leaves, two cups of good olive oil, and very gently heated it for about 10 minutes, then let it sit in a cool dark place for a day or two. Strain, and store in the frig.
I planted a bunch more this year - I'm going to try the lemon basil chicken this year....Kchurchill, would you mind posting the full ingredients? Thanks!
mucho nacho jalapenos
I grew them last year, and just loved them. They were very large and prolific, I didn't think that they were very hot at all, just right for cooking, and were perfect for making that culinary delight - Atomic Buffalo Turds. I've certainly had other varieties of jalepenos that were much hotter - probably more to do with watering schedule, though. I planted a mucho nacho again this year....
herbs/spices guide?
Often, old cookbooks have a chart showing herbs and spices, and common pairings...
Here's just a few ideas to get you started for other herbs, but please don't limit yourself to these uses!
Basil - use with tomato based sauces, fresh tomatos, veggies
Bay leaf - use whole leaf to flavor soups, stews, stock
Cilantro - use fresh in Mexican or Asian dishes
Cumin - Mexican dishes, beans
Marjoram - fish, poultry, omlettes, tomato dishes
Mint - fresh fruit, peas, carrots, lamb
Paprika - meat or vegetable dishes; as a garnish; try smoked paprika for a hint of smoky flavor in soups, veggies, lamb steaks
Rosemary - lamb, poultry, dressing, potatoes
Sage - winter squash, pasta, poultry, dressing
Tarragon - sauces and salads, fish, poultry, tomato dishes, eggs, veggies (great in chicken salad for sandwiches)
Thyme - poultry, veggies, fish, great with anything lemony
Nutmeg - cream sauces, desserts, fruit
Cinnamon - desserts, fruit dishes, Morrocan lamb or chicken
Oregano - Mexican, Italian dishes,
My favorite combos:
cumin + oregano for Mexi dishes
Smoked paprika + lemon for poultry and lamb
Ginger + garlic for stir fry
Basil + garlic for pasta, pizza, and fresh tomatoes
Rosemary + Thyme + smoked paprika for roasted potatoes and veggies
Bay leaf + Summer Savory + Thyme for bouquet garni (season soups and stews)
Enjoy!
Ideas for longer camping trip
The trick is to place more coals or briquets on top of the lid, and fewer underneath, maybe 2:1 or 3:1 ratio or so. I also highly recommend lining the oven with foil before cooking anything sweet or sugary. If you are a long ways from water, line it for everything! Baking times vary greatly depending on the type of fuel and elevation. A good lid-lifter is really handy for checking your goods without dumping ashes in.
We just use the same recipes, such as they are, at home as in camp. A really easy cobbler is to use canned fruit with the juices (peaches are really good), dump 'em in the oven, pour a dry box (or partial) of vanilla cake mix over it, pour on some sprite or seven-up, add a few pats of butter, and cinnamon. Bake for about 20-30 minutes. Kinda white-trashy, but good, especially served warm.
Fruit with a crumbly sweet topping is good, too (like butter, oatmeal, spices and brown sugar, nuts).
The sourdough stuff is real basic, tons of information on the web to get your starter made and recipes. We feed the starter the night before with flour and water, then take out what we need for the next morning....cinnamon rolls are spectacular, especially if you remember to pack a tub of cream cheese frosting ;-). For these, we make up a basic bread dough with added yeast, don't have proportions, just kinda eyeball it.
Even stuff like canned cinnamon rolls, canned biscuits and such are fun at camp. If we don't have sourdough, I'll make quick drop biscuts for gravy in the mornings. I premix dry ingredients at home, and then note the wet and greasy stuff needed to complete on the ziplock. My mom has been known to bring pie filling and crusts, and bake them up in camp....just keep the pie tin off the bottom with some nickles, washers, 4 maching small rocks, whatever.
There's lots dutch oven cookbooks, "Camp Cooking:100 years" by the Forest Service museum is fun and has some good info, "Cee Dub's Dutch Oven Cooking" looks great - got it for my mom, but she hasn't let me borrow it yet.
Completely off topic: one fall we made a final trip over the sierras, got home just before the pass closed for the season. I always clean my dutchy and camp gear at camp, so when we get home, it's easy to unpack. Except this trip, for some reason. Probably something to do with moonlight and Blue Moon. The following spring, the lid wouldn't come off the oven when I was packing for our first trip over the pass....forgot to clean out the basque style cornish game hens. We we finally got it open, it looked like a possum had crawled in and died. Ugh.
So, how about this no knead bread? Is it the one I've seen on this board but haven't tried? Please tell!
Ideas for longer camping trip
For dessert . . . how about taking along a dutch oven? We always have one in the camp box and it's really fun to play with......we take along sourdough starter, and bake cinnamon rolls, biscuts, pancakes, plus use the dutchy for baking brownies (from a mix), pies, cakes, bread, fruit cobblers, etc. I'm not familar with back country oven, but I imagine you could bake any of this stuff in one. Grilled fruit, like peaches, pears, is good with a splash of balsamic vinegar, too. Choco quesadillas are fun, too.
For dinners I always make Paul Prudomme's BBQ shrimp (which is cooked in a skillet, not grilled) and rice first night out, then stuff like cornish game hens (packed frozen, and wrapped in foil and baked in coals or grilled), ribs, and lamb steaks. Longer trips, I'll pack stuff like frozen chile verde or stew, that is good for 4-5 days under ice. If we are going to be a long, long ways from ice and town, I'll pack some canned salmon for salmon cakes, canned tuna for pasta, and sausages for some sort of jambalaya or grilled with the oddball veggies in the ice box.
Summer crock pot recipes
How about bbq pulled pork for sandwiches, or something like chile verde or chile colorado for taco fillings?
Sweetbreads recipe needed
Hi Diane - I just started cooking sweetbreads at home, often order them in restuarants. I love the recipe in "The Basque Table" by Teresa Barrenechea...once the sweetbreads are blanched and cleaned, they are dredged in a mix of bread crumbs, minced garlic and parsley, salt and pan-fried in olive oil until they are browned and crispy. She doesn't call for anything to coat them first, but sometimes I dip them in a little milk to make the crumbs stick better. I've never had leftovers...maybe something similar to a shrimp po'boy sandwich with a remoulade?
Lots of Basque cookbooks have good-sounding recipes that I want to try out...
We're going to have some lambs processed later this spring, and I'm going to have our butcher save me the sweetbreads - heard they are even better than young beef sweetbreads.
