Perfect Salted Caramels

I met Lauren from Craft My Life Away at the From Scratch Club food swaps. As a first-time swapper, I was eager to get to know Lauren... especially since she brought these insane salted caramel bars that were a hot-ticket item at the swap. Seriously, they were soooo good.

Anyway.

Lauren is a pretty nifty lady, as she is a excellent baker/confection maker and crafter. Since each year I try to send my friends and loved ones a little treat for the holidays, I thought I'd ask Lauren to share her Salted Caramel recipe with me (us) - they'd be perfect to send in the post! So, Lauren, have at it. School us in all things caramel!

Corn Cob Jelly

Please excuse the wild children and Cozy Coupe in the background.

File this under "Weird Things To Can" (perhaps along with Tomato Jam). Corn cob jelly sounds so, well, weird, right? How could that possibly taste good?

It does, I promise. In fact, it tastes remarkably like wildflower honey. I've heard others make that claim, but I didn't believe it until I tried it for myself. But kind of like Queen Anne's Lace Jelly, this isn't something I would necessarily want to add to my PB&J's. So after I made it I had to figure out how to use it. Turns out it tastes great on a cheese board, on fried green tomatoes, on hush puppies, and even on top of more corn (in the form of fritters). I'm sure it would be delicious on any other kind of pan-fried offering. I might even get brave and try it in place of honey in different sauce and dressing recipes. If you try to make it, let me know and tell me how you used it!

Oh, and my pal Jillian has a great how-to for freezing corn, in case you were interested (save those cobs, Jillian!).

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Corn Cob Jelly
Makes 3 1/2 cups, or 3 1/2 half-pints

12 sweet corn cobs
4 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 packet liquid pectin

1. In a large pot, combine water and corn cobs. Cut the corn cobs in half (carefully!) if necessary. Cover and boil for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Using cheesecloth and/or a fine mesh strainer, pour out the liquid and reserve it. Discard corn cobs (carve yourself a pipe, leave for squirrels and other critters, or simply compost). Rinse out the pot and add the "corn stock" back to it.

3. Place the pot over medium-high heat and add sugar. Bring to a boil and add pectin. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the jelly is at preferred "set" stage (when it sheets off your wooden stirring spoon or congeals as soon as it hits a plate pulled from the freezer).

4. Carefully pour the hot jelly into desired vessel(s) (freezer jars, canning jars, or a dish for the refrigerator). Wipe rim(s) and cover. If you want shelf-stable jelly, process in a hot water-bath canner for time appropriate to your jars (5 minutes for quarter-pints, 7-10 minutes for half-pints, 15-20 minutes for pints). Jelly will last for 3-6 months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer or pantry (if processed properly). Enjoy!

*Optional step: If you want your jelly to be more yellow, add a few drops of yellow food color to the corn stock before adding sugar and pectin.

Elderberry Cordial

I'm over at From Scratch Club today talking about finding elderberry trees on my property (awesome surprise!) and how to forage for your own elderberries. I also offered up two recipes: One for making an elderberry cordial, and another on an awesome champagne cocktail using your homemade cordial (picture above). Definitely check out the post, if you can!

Tomato Jam

When I mention to people that I'm making tomato jam, the reply is often "Huh?" Or, "Wha.." Or, "Tomato jam? You can't make jam out of tomatoes!" Someone once said that I've probably done enough canning for the year if I have to resort to jamming-up tomatoes. Listen, I get it. It sounds a little weird. But then once I explain the taste (kind of like ketchup) and how I use it (on soft cheeses, to top burgers, mixed with mayonnaise for sandwiches, combined with oil and other ingredients for salad dressing, or as a starting point to BBQ sauce), people are generally more open-minded to the recipe.

This tomato jam recipe is a great way to use up tomatoes, especially those times when you don't quiet have enough to make a batch of sauce, but eating them fresh just doesn't sound that interesting. Do not remove the skins and seeds from your tomatoes - you'll need them to create a nice, thick, jammy-texture.

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Tomato Jam
Makes about 4 1/2 cups (4 1/2 half-pint jars)

4 pounds tomatoes (I used a mix of heirloom slicing tomatoes and plum varieties)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 red onion, peeled and diced finely
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice*
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (more, if you like spicy!)

1. Wash and weigh your tomatoes (remove any stems). Cut them into a large dice (remove hard hulls), set aside.

2. In your jam pot, heat oil over medium-low heat and add garlic, onion, and salt. Saute for a few minutes until the garlic is golden and onions begin to soften and look glassy (be careful not to burn your garlic! The taste will be too bitter to correct later in the recipe. If you blacken the garlic, rinse out your pot and start over).

3. Add to the pot the tomatoes, ginger, vinegar, lemon juice, sugars, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and red pepper flakes. Stir together and bring to a boil (over high heat). Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, scraping the bottom of the pot to avoid burning.

4. After 30 minutes, the tomatoes should be soft and easily squished with the back of a wooden spoon. The jam should also be thick, around the consistency of a chunky tomato sauce. Turn off the heat and allow jam to cool slightly. If you are freezing or storing your jam in the refrigerator, ladle the jam into desired containers.

5. To can this jam, ladle it into sterilized half-pint (or smaller) jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, use a chopstick or butter knife to remove air bubbles, and seal with lids and bands. Process in a pressure canner or hot water-bath canner (half-pint jars will need about seven minutes to be properly preserved). Canned tomato jam will last in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months. Frozen jam will last for about eight months, while jam in the fridge will stay tasty for three-to-four months.

*Lemon juice boosts the acidity of tomatoes to make them acceptable for canning. So, add the bottled lemon juice or... face uncertain death through botulism. Your choice.

Banh Mi-Style Pickles

A few years ago, I don't think anyone that I was familiar with knew what a Banh Mi was. Now all my friends rave about it, and rightly so.

For those of you unfamiliar, Banh Mi is a French-inspired Vietnamese sandwich comprised of a rice flour baguette, a hollandaise-style spread, various forms of pork, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, cucumbers, and a carrot-and-radish pickle mix. Call it Colonialism at its best: The essential French elements of crusty-yet-fluffy baguette and hollandaise mingle with the Asian flavors of Daikon radish and rice vinegar to create a sandwich many consider a new favorite.

Pickles seem to play a key role in many famous sandwiches - you can't really have a Cuban sandwich without them, and pulled pork just isn't the same if it doesn't have tangy slaw or vinegary pickled onions to top it. Banh Mi-style pickles are easy to make and incredibly versatile. Don't limit their use to just sandwiches. Get creative and try them over grilled meats or in salads for a bright, sweetly-acidic bite.

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Bahn Mi-Style Pickles
Makes about 2 pints

2 cups carrots, peeled and julienned*
2 cups radish (Daikon is best, but any radish will do in a pinch), washed and julienned
1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons, sugar
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 1/2 cups rice vinegar
1 1/2 cups warm water

1. Combine the carrot and radish in a bowl and toss to combine. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and salt to the bowl, then "massage" the carrot and radish to release water and soften. When a piece of radish can be bent in half without snapping, the massage is done (about three minutes -- do not skip this step! Releasing moisture like this will help keep the veggies crunchy after pickling).

2. Place veggie mix in a colander and run under cold water for a few minutes to rinse away the sugar and salt. Drain thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup of sugar, vinegar, and warm water. Mix until the sugar has completely dissolved (this is the "brine").

4. Divide the veggie mix evenly into two pint-size jars (or in one larger jar, if preferred). Pour the brine over the veggies, being sure to completely submerge the carrot and radish. Cover and allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator for best flavor. Banh Mi-style pickles will last up to six weeks in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

* To julienne is to cut into long, thin strips, like matchsticks or "shoe strings." For more information, watch this video.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Bread and butter pickles are kind of like sunshine in a jar. So sweet and so tangy at the same time. If you've never made them before, be warned: It takes a while. But it's mostly hands-off time. Unlike basic dill pickles, bread and butter pickles require several steps but are still pretty easy to make.

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Bread and Butter Pickles
Makes about 4 pints

2 1/2 pounds pickling cucumbers
1 pound white onions, thinly sliced (about one large onion)
1/4 cup pickling salt
1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
6 allspice berries (plus a pinch of ground allspice)
6 whole cloves (plus a pinch of ground cloves)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Ice
Grape leaves (optional)

1. Clean the cucumbers thoroughly and remove all dirt, debris and leaves. Remove the ends (cut off a 1/8-inch slice from each end), then slice the cucumbers into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place in a large bowl along with onions and salt. Mix together, then cover with ice and allow to sit at room temperature for two hours (don't skip this step! It keeps the cukes crunchy after pickling).

2. Rinse cucumbers and onions in a colander thoroughly to remove salt. Drain.

3. In a large pot, combine the white and apple cider vinegar, sugar, and spices. Whisk to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. Add cucumbers and onions and stir to cover with vinegar mixture (brine). Bring back to a boil.

4. Using a slotted spoon, place the cucumbers and onions in sterilized pint-size canning jars (if using the grape leaves, which are a natural source of alum and help keep pickles crunchy, add one leaf-per-pint to the bottom of jars before adding cukes). Fill to 1/2-inch from the top of the jar. Pour brine over the top of cukes and onions, leaving the same 1/2-inch headspace.

5. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and add sterilized lids/bands. Process in a hot water-bath canner for 15 minutes (20 minutes for elevations above 6,000 feet). Or, store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Enjoy!

How To Sterilize Jars

An essential part of home preservation and canning is being sure to sterilize canning jars. You never know what kind of germies might be in there that could make your carefully-crafted pickles, jams, or preserves turn  into mold-ridden stomachaches (or worse!) waiting to happen. Sterilizing is the process of killing harmful bacteria that can accumulate in jars and on lids. This happens by heating jars/lids to a minimum of 175 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 minutes. Sterilizing gives you a "blank slate" for your canning creations and eliminates most bacterial risks for contamination.

Some sources say that if you are pressure-canning an item or processing in a hot water-bath canner for more than 15 minutes, there is no need to sterilize jars; however, I feel very strongly that you should sterilize anyway. It only takes a few minutes and gives you hot jars needed for many hot-packed canning recipes (ie - recipes that require hot liquid/preserves be poured into hot jars to prevent jar breakage).

There are a couple methods to sterilizing your jars. My preferred method is in the oven, just because I feel it's less messy (and safer/less likely to burn my arms and hands) than other methods.

How to Sterilize Jars in the Oven
Place clean jars and lids in a baking dish or carefully on a baking tray (I use an old enamelwear roasting pan because I can slide it in and out of the oven easily without worrying about the jars falling out. I place the lids in the upside-down lid of the roaster). Put them in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes. If you aren't quite ready to fill your jars, turn the oven down to "warm" or to it's lowest setting and let jars/lids sit until you are ready. Not only does this sterilize your jars, but it softens the rubber on canning lids to create a better seal when processing jars. The oven method eliminates having to pull jars full of boiling water out of the hot water-bath canner and allows for many jars to be sterilized at once.

How to Sterilize Jars in Hot Water
Place clean jars in a canning rack, then add about 1-inch to 2-inches of hot water to each jar (this keeps jars from floating once they hit the water). Carefully lower canning rack into the canner filled with enough boiling water to cover jars by at least one inch. Boil jars for 15 minutes. Remove jars/rack from canner and dump hot water back into canner from jars. Place jars upside-down on a fresh towel to drain out remaining water.

In the meantime, put lids in a small pot and cover with water (overlapping is fine, but don't stack them right on top of each other). Boil for 5 minutes. Remove lids with a lid lifter.

How to Sterilize Jars in the Dishwasher
If your jars haven't been recently washed, place jars and lids in the dishwasher and clean according to your dishwasher's instructions. Remove hot jars/lids from dishwasher and use immediately.

If your jars and lids are clean, sterilize them using an Express Glass or Sanitize setting on your dishwasher (no soap necessary). Remove hot jars/lids from dishwasher and use immediately.

Helpful Tip: Storing Peanut Butter

If you buy natural peanut butter, you probably suffer from the affliction of "oh-dang-my-pb-is-all-dried-out." It's very scientific and leads to increased cortisol levels and hunger pangs. Stirring your peanut butter regularly avoids this predicament, but somehow the little bit in the bottom grooves of the container always get missed.

Today's helpful tip comes from my friend and fellow blogger, Daniel B. over on FUSSYlittleBLOG. In his house, they store all-natural peanut butter upside-down, so that the peanut oil gathers on the bottom of the container. Pulling the oil back up is much easier that forcing it down. This works for any nut butter. Just stir away!

Image via Wikipedia

Where I Get My Groceries

Today, I’m doing a multi-post series chronicling how I actually eat (everything from what I typical feed my family during the day to how I maintain a garden). You can read more on From Scratch Club and Eat Local.

I thought I would talk about the places that I shop and source from. Even though I live in a small town (population: 377), I have a bevy of options when it comes to groceries.

In the warmer months (and with stuff that can be over-wintered), I love “shopping” in my backyard. Having sustenance from one’s own efforts is a luxury I wish more people had. I’m talking about my garden over on the Eat Local blog.

Mildred’s Meadows

I get a lot of produce and cheeses from Mildred’s, which is run by Jessica. It’s right in town and I try to go over once a week. Some of the items I buy at Mildred’s include cheese, berries, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, seeds and plants. I even get my Christmas tree, topsoil, and mulch here. Jessica is great and I know I can shoot her a message on Facebook anytime and she’ll do her best to accommodate my requests.

Echo Pond Farm

My neighbors own Echo Pond Farm and run a small farm stand at the end of their driveway. I get delicious sweet corn, peppers, squash, grapes, and pumpkins. I have great neighbors who are always happy to help me with gardening advice, and even gave the kids a giant pumpkin last year for Halloween (same neighbor with the great homebrewing advice!). It’s great to see much of what I eat grown just up the road, too.

Western Turnpike Spices and Bulk Food

I get my spices and many baking supplies here (and sometimes junky stuff like candy and chips and such). Rice, pasta, local honey are also available. They now offer freshly milled local flour – score!

 

Stewarts

I run here to get milk and ice cream as needed, and that’s about it (and my favorite flavor of ice cream, Dark Chocolate, just won the top prize at the 2012 World Dairy Expo!)

Syron’s Meat Market

I get deli items and meats here, especially sustainably-raised beef from just up the road. Local sausages are available, as is the most delicious hamburger, named after our town.

Hannaford

I don’t buy much pre-packaged food, but I do still buy “essentials” (vinegars, oil, salt, baking products, hummus, milk, any prescriptions (when needed)) from my local grocery store (Hannaford). They also have racecar shopping carts, which make the kids super-happy.

Other Items

Since I also do a lot of home preservation (aka: Canning and “putting up”), I can typically turn to my pantry to find lots of jams, jellies, sauces, relishes, and other items to build meals from.

If I’m in that neck of the woods, I’ll stop into the Fresh Market or Honest Weight Food Co-Op for gourmet or specialty items. I try to hit up the farmers market when I can, but because I can get most of what I need locally or from my own backyard, I don’t need to visit as often as others might. Sometimes I'll hit-up the little liquor store in town or grab take-out from the small restaurants in town.

Where do you grocery shop? Are you a “one-stop-shopper” or do you go to several smaller markets? Share your “shopping strategy” in the comments, if you’d like!

Classic Brownies

You know why brownies are the perfect dessert? Because you can eat them with anything, at any time. Cabernet Sauvignon and brownies (as a night cap)? Check! Brownies and icy cold milk (for breakfast)? Check! A brownie as the base for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of hot fudge, and a dollop of whipped cream (for dinner - duh)? Done, done and done (as my pal Melissa would say).

For a long time (and I hate to admit this) I thought no brownies could ever taste better than those that come from a boxed mix. At least, none that I made tasted that good. But then I found the below recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home cookbook, and my mind was changed. These are, hands down, the absolute best classic brownie I have ever tasted -- from a box or from scratch or otherwise. The top is perfectly crunchy, while the center is ever-so-slightly gooey and moist. The key, I think, lies in melting the chocolate first and the quantity of eggs (whereas other recipes I've tried call for fewer eggs and cocoa powder). Whip up your own batch pronto!

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Classic Brownies

Makes 16 Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. Line a 8-inch square pan with foil, allowing the foil to overhand the sides slightly.

2. In a double-boiler, combine the chocolate and butter and allow to melt completely over medium-high heat.  Allow to cool slightly.

3. Whisk the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Slowly add in eggs, mixing well after each addition. Continue to whisk until the mixture is very smooth (about two minutes). Add the flour and whisk until just incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan (scrape the bowl down!) and smooth the top of the brownie mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top it set and a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out slightly moist and crumby. Let cool in the pan on a rack.

5. Pull the brownies out of the pan using the foil overhang. Cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days (or freeze for up to three months). Enjoy!

Host Your Own Cheese Night

The Night of Cheese wrap-up is complete! In case you missed a course, here is the rundown:

Decor and Overview

First Course

Second Course

Third Course

Fourth Course

Fifth Course

Sixth Course

Maybe you are completely tired of cheese at this point (shame on you!), or maybe this series has inspired you to throw your own cheese tasting. If you are looking for any easy place to start, you can refer to the ideas and tips in the posts above, or you can check out this post I wrote for From Scratch Club about De-Mystifying the Cheese Plate. Learn about how many cheeses you should put on a cheese plate (three or five), what type of milk to choose, mixing textures, appropriate serving sizes, how to arrange the plate, adding accouterments, and much more! If you have any more questions about cheese (how to use it, how to buy it, what to do with it), email me or leave me a comment!

Biscotti

Sometimes I swear I should be Italian. I love the language, the culture, and especially the food. But alas, not a drop of Italian blood in this lady. I am rather homogeneous (Scots-Irish, English, Welsh, with one descendant down the line being of Apache heritage). Besides having a high tolerance for alcohol, this lineage has also led my family to be a sole supporter of Coppertone.

One Italian tradition I learned to love while visiting the country with my mother was biscotti (dipped in either espresso or wine). A few years later, while I was slinging pancakes in a local cafe, I was re-introduced to biscotti. After my waitressing shift was up I would take an espresso and piece of chocolate biscotti (technically, biscotto) to accompany me on the ride back to my apartment.

Biscotti is incredibly simple (remember: I don't make anything that's "hard") and like biscuits, if you have a good base to work from, you can expand the flavors immensely. I recently made a large batch of gingerbread biscotti and espresso chocolate-chip biscotti to send to three lovely ladies as part of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It was so fun to send out my cookies in their little tins, only to receive three batches of scrumptious goodies in return. If you missed out, don't worry, I heard the organizers will do it again next year!

Special Shout-Out: I sent my cookies to Annalise at Completely Delicious, Jewel at Eat Drink Shop Love,  and Tanvi at The Hathi Cooks. In return, I received Double Chocolate Crackles from Amber at Amber's Confections, Molasses Cookies with Orange Sugar from Emily at Back to the Cutting Board, and Dark Chocolate Cafenela Cookies from Leslie at My Kitchen is Open. Now, on to the recipe.


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Biscotti
Makes 20 pieces


Base Recipe
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together. Set aside

2. Beat together the eggs and sugar until combined and pale (that's how you know the sugar has dissolved). Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

3. On a greased cookie sheet (this is one of the few times I actually dig out my Sil-Pat), form dough into log about three inches wide and 12-15 inches long. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.

4. Remove biscotti from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. With a serrated bread knife, cut the biscotti into about 20 pieces (more or less, depending on how thick you like you biscotti). Be sure to cut straight down into the biscotti to get clean cuts that doesn't cause the cookies to crumble. Arrange back on the cookie sheet and back for another 12-15 minutes until the biscotti is dry and crisp. Allow to cool on a baking sheet. Enjoy by dunking into your favorite Italian beverage.

Espresso Chocolate-Chip Biscotti
Start with base recipe, but add to egg/sugar mixture...
2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(or 3 teaspoons very strong espresso and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

After incorporating dry ingredients, add six ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate or mini chocolate chips. Bake as above.

Gingerbread Biscotti
Start with base recipe, but add to dry ingredients...
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest

Bake as above.

Tomato-Braised Short Ribs and Creamy Parmesan Polenta... And A Giveaway!

Here in Upstate New York, fall has certainly arrived. The leaves are stunning this year (some of the most vibrant reds and oranges I have seen in years) and when the sun goes down, the house begs for the warmth of a wood stove. Autumn is also the time when slow cookers come out of the cupboard and the smells of stews and braised meat waft through the house (I'm getting hungry just thinking about it). How about some delicious braised short ribs? I posted my Tomato-Braised Short Ribs and Creamy Parmesan Polenta recipe over on the Eat Local blog... I hope you'll check it out. While the meat cooks away in the oven for a few hours, this dish really only takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, perfect for a lazy Sunday or casual dinner with friends (you can watch a movie or take the dog for a walk while it hangs out in the oven). 

But wait! There's more!

I've entered this recipe in the Calling All Cooks recipe contest, and I've been selected as a semi-finalist! But I need your help to make it to the finals. If you could, please head over to Facebook and vote for my recipe by "liking" it. The top five make it to the finals. Voting ends Wednesday, October 19th at 1pm, so you don't have long! I'd really appreciate your help.

As a thank you for your vote, please let me know in this post's comments that you voted for me, and you will be entered to win a gift basket full of tasty treats from Silly Goose Farm! Just leave a way to contact you, as well (like your email address). Already voted? That's okay. Get your friends to vote and leave me a note in the comments telling me you voted. A winner will be announced on Friday!

Thanks again for your help! PS - While you are on Facebook, stop over and "like" Silly Goose Farm, too!

Thanks everyone for your support. I was the runner-up in the competition (but I still netted some great prizes and amazing exposure). As a thank you, all three commenters (Tara, Christine, and Becky) will be receiving a special gift from Silly Goose Farm -- thanks for your sweet notes, ladies!

Food Swap Recap - August

This past Sunday marked the latest From Scratch Club food swap. Held at All Good Bakers, I was impressed with the diverse crowd! Lots of new faces ready to roll up their sleeves and get swappin'. I brought some herbed salt in cute wire-latch jars, some carrots from my garden picked just an hour earlier, and some flowers from around the farm.

I spy Becky of The Mixing Bowl Diary, Sarah from Farmie Market, and Chris with From Scratch Club in this picture.

Turns out nobody wanted my carrots (suckers! I ate them myself and they were dee-licious). In exchange for my four pots of herbed salt, I received a batch of rosemary flatbread (which I'm eating right now with some tasty hummus), a jar of local honey from Wind Women Farm, some amazing, perfectly seasoned salsa, and a jar of chile, cayenne, and brown sugar mustard (from Ms. Chris herself). I also won a brick of cultured thyme butter handmade by Nick and Britin of All Good Bakers. I've yet to really enjoy it, considering how much I lurve butter. My flowers were given to Chris and Christine as a thanks for organizing the event. I picked two bouquets: The "pink" bouquet had zinnias, cosmos, and holly hock; the "orange" bouquet had marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, and chinese lanterns. Chris generously gave me a half-pint of onions pickled with apple cider vinegar, thyme, and brown sugar in return. I made out like a bandit!

We will be holding another swap in September (as well as some fun special events with author Kate Payne!), so check out the From Scratch Club blog or Facebook page for more information. I hope to see you there!

Herbed Salt

Get ready for one of the easiest, most useful recipes ev-ah. Herbed salt takes less than 5 minutes to make, but has myriad applications. Try a little on homemade french fries or potato chips. Or try a lot, a la salt-crusted fish. It's a simple touch that makes the dish just a smidge more special. It's also a great way to use up an overflow of garden herbs. I recently brought this to a From Scratch Club food swap and people clamoured for it!

Have any other suggestions for herbed salt use? I'd love to hear!

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Herbed Salt
Makes Approximately 2 Cups

2 cups Kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped herbs

1. Wash and thoroughly dry your herbs (you can use any herbs you like - I went Provençal and used thyme, rosemary, tarragon and sage). Finely chop herbs.

2. Combine herbs and salt together. Store in an airtight container (you can use immediately, but I like to let it sit for a day or two to let the flavors marry). Keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Peach Pie

My dad's birthday was last week, and given the choice between peach pie and his favorite cake (a chocolate mayonnaise cake - don't knock it until you try it), he'll usually choose peach pie. How appropriate, then, that peaches in the Northeast hit their peak right around his birthday! While I'm still dabbling in perfecting my peach pie recipe, here's the recipe I'm currently using (if you have a great recipe or some tips, please share them in the comments! I'd love to hear). It's a great way to wrap up this week's Peach-Palooza.

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Peach Pie
Makes one 9" pie

Crust:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
8-10 tablespoons ice water

1. Combine flour and salt. Add shortening and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal or small peas.

2. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is able to form and hold a ball.

3. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll onto a well-floured surface. Makes enough for a double-crust pie.

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 cups thinly-sliced, peeled peaches (fresh or frozen - do not thaw frozen peaches)
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon milk or cream

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add peaches and stir to cover the peaches with the sugar mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. On a well-floured surface, roll out one-half of the pie crust dough to form an 11" circle. Transfer the dough to a 9" pie plate (either by gently rolling it back on to a rolling pin or by folding into quarters). Mold the dough to fit the pie plate and leave an overhang of dough. Prick a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Brush the bottom of the crust with the egg white. Roll out the second half of the dough (in the same manner as the first) and have it ready to cover the filling.

3. Once the filling is ready, add it all at once to the prepared pie plate. Cover the filling with the second half of the pie dough. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Cut three or four small slits in the  top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. Mix together the egg yolk and milk. Brush over the top of the pie, and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil. Place pie on a baking sheet.

5. Place pie in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil from pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until pie filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (an essential for every kitchen).

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PS- I'm thinking of doing a entire series of pie tutorials. Is that something you would be interested in reading? Let me know in the comments, and in the meantime, here are a few pictures of my Dad :-)

Camping this year at Belvedere Lake

Last fall

My favorite picture of my dad and I

Blowing out his birthday pie candle with help from Edie

SWILLED: Peach Cocktails

Today's peach-fix comes in the form of a summery libation (or two). Peaches are surprisingly versatile when it comes to cocktails and work well with several types of alcohol and mixers. I'm over at From Scratch Club today talking about two peach cocktails (and a mocktail substitute), the Positano Peach and the Sweet Savannah Sipper. Make them tonight to help kick-off your Thirsty Thursday and prepare for the weekend!

PS - Eric really liked the non-alcoholic version of the Sweet Savannah Sipper, and here's proof (he just learned "Cheers!" too, so he likes to clink glasses with Dave :-)

Peach Fruit Leather

Peach Week goes nostalgic today, with a take on old-school Fruit Roll-Ups. In efforts to "adultify" this a bit, let's call it Fruit Leather, instead. Most recipes you find will tell you that fruit leather requires a dehydrator, but I'm going to debunk that myth. You can most definitely make fruit leather in your standard old oven. Any fruit can be used to make fruit leather, but "firmer" fruits (like apples and pears) might require a bit of water to "loosen" the puree up.

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Peach Fruit Leather
Makes Eight Large Strips

4 cups peaches (skinned, pitted and diced)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients together until smooth (if the puree is a bit thick, add some water to thin it out).

2. Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper or a Silpat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 175 degree Fahernheit (if it doesn't go that low, heat to the lowest setting).

3. Spread the puree onto the prepared pan and spread out into a thin layer. Bake in the oven for 6-8 hours (or longer if necessary - a humid day might cause this to take longer). The fruit leather is "done" when it easily pulls off of the waxed paper or Silpat and stays together (with the pliability of actual leather).

4. Fruit leather can be wrapped in waxed paper and stored in the refrigerator for up to two months. This makes a great treat for lunches (especially with Back-to-School coming up!) and doesn't have any of the nasty chemicals or preservatives of conventional Fruit Roll-Ups. Enjoy!

How to Remove Peach Skins

Peaches are fuzzy little buggers. Unlike their cousin, the nectarine, peach skins are not universally accepted in all recipes. For pies, crumbles, and other dessert-y applications, you will want to remove the skin. The best (most sane) method for doing this is blanching.

So, the first step is to select your peach. If you are picking peaches yourself, choose peaches that have a nice golden color with a "blush" on them (the blush is the pinky part). Peaches will ripen off the tree, so don't hesitate to pick "hard" fruit as long as it isn't green. If purchasing peaches that have already been picked, choose a peach that gives slightly to gentle pressure.

To begin blanching, bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the boil, make an ice bath (cold water and ice) in a large bowl. If your peaches are ripe to slightly over-ripe, go ahead and dunk them into the boiling water for about a minute or so (don't overcrowd them). Remove the peaches from the water and dunk them in the ice bath. Let them chill for about 30 seconds. If your peaches are still a little firm, make a small X-shaped slit in the bottom of each peach before you blanch them. This will help to loosen the skin.

Remove your peaches from the ice bath and rub them between your hands. This loosens the skin, and you should be able to slip the skins right off. If the skin is still stubborn, it's okay to re-blanch them. Discard of skins.

Pitting the peaches is the next step. Peaches that are ripe have a natural groove that runs vertically around the peach starting at the stem end. If you can find this, simply slip your thumb into that groove and run it along the pit. The first half of the peach should slide right off. Wedge the pit out of the second half and discard the pit (or try growing a tree!). If you can't find this, run a paring knife along the pit vertically around the whole peach (that is, starting and ending at the stem). Most of the time, you'll end up with two perfect peach halves. The rest of the time, you'll end up with mutilated parts of a peach. In this instance, puree up the pulverized peaches and make a lovely Bellini, some fruit leather, or cook up some jam. Because of this, I recommend buying slightly more peaches than you think you'll need :-)