Kitchen Gadget Girl Cooks

For some reason, the pickling bug hit me hard this summer! Every fruit and vegetable that came through my kitchen was eligible for pickling, and most of that is because of my new pickling book, Joy of Pickling, by Linda Ziedrich.

The book starts out with a Pickle Primer, going over many of the basics that the home cook needs to know before embarking on pickle making, including information about salts, vinegars, herbs and spices, necessary tools (a canner, a jar lifter, kitchen tongs, a large mouth canning funnel, jars with two piece lids, and a long chopstick or rubber spatula to remove bubbles), and storage recommendations. Armed with this information, you read through the rest of the book and find the recipes that strike your fancy.

I embarked on an exploration of the variations of watermelon pickle, making both the Minty Watermelon Pickles and Dark Watermelon Pickles. Thinking ahead to Thanksgiving, I also made a batch of Cherry Relish, and when I am inundated with Zucchini, I plan to make Zucchini Bread & Butter Pickles and Zucchini Relish.

Ziedrich also taught me some tricks for pureeing tomatoes (use a stainless steel food mill with slightly cooked tomatoes) and suggested purchasing all-plastic mason jar caps to replace the metal rings once the jars are open.

The recipes are easy to follow, and in the case of Cherry Relish, because of how onerous pitting cherries is, Ziedrich made the recipe a manageable size. Some of the recipes are quite detailed (Watermelon Pickles and Sauerkraut with Juniper Berries both come to mind) but Ziedrich goes through the instructions carefully and clearly, which yields a good finished product. She also includes recipes from many cultures, and it is fascinating to compare pickles from Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.

If you are interested in learning more about pickling at home, I recommend this book easily. And then you can be like me, with a garage full of pickles jars in every shape and size!

A few weeks ago, we received the tastiest green beans ever from our Two Small Farms veggie box, but somehow I ended up with a double portion of the beans, and we were going to be gone, so I decided to preserve them for future use.

And as I cruised through my garden, I discovered that I had a little dill plant hidden under a tomato, so Dilly Beans were born. I am pleased to have this as my entry for Grow Your Own, hosted this time by Amy of Playing House.

I followed a recipe from my favorite preserving book, Freezing & Canning Cookbook, by the Food Editors of Farm Journal (published 1963). The biggest tip I have to share is to measure one bean to the right size for your pint jar, then use that as the ruler to cut the rest of the beans. I was not that precise with my measurements, but I think attention to this detail leads to a better final dilly bean.

Dilly Beans

• 2 pounds small tender green beans
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 large heads dill
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup pickling salt (very fine salt, without iodine)
• 1 pint vinegar (5% acidity)

Stem green beans and pack uniformly into hot, sterilized jars.

To each pint, ad 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, one clove garlic, and one head dill.

Heat together water, salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil, pour over beans. Seal at once with two piece lid. Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Makes 4 pints.

While away this weekend in Chicago for BlogHer (a conference for women who blog), my husband kindly brought in our veggie box from our Two Small Farms CSA* and stowed it away in the fridge. This morning, I checked out the loot and found all sorts of treats, including the first Tomatoes of the season, as well as Baby Spinach, Red Leaf Lettuce, Summer Squash (I think this is a generic term for patty pan, crook neck and zucchini), Scallions, Red Beets, Strawberries (no actual evidence of these, the kids must have eaten them already), Basil, and Torpedo Onions.

And, one of my favorites: Purple Cauliflower!

Here is my menu plan for the week of July 27th:

Monday: Summer Squash Sloppy Joes, sliced Tomatoes, salad

Tuesday: Korean Kalbi Ribs, Grilled Torpedo Onions, Korean Scallion Salad, salad, rice (maybe this watermelon soju cocktail if I have time)

Wednesday: Orzo with Grilled Shrimp, Summer Vegetables and Pesto (I am going to sneak the Cauliflower in for a bright spot of color), bread

Thursday: Leftovers plus Roasted Beets with goat cheese, Spinach salad,

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party

What’s cookin’ in your house this week? Check out Org Junkie for more ideas, or just leave your plan in the comments. I am curious to hear what others are feeding their families this summer.

* CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. We are subscribers in the partnership between two farms, High Ground Organics and Maraquita Farms. Each week, they bring a box of local, organic vegetables to our house (we are a host house, so actually, they bring 20 boxes and neighbors and friends pick up here). We have been doing this veggie box for 3 seasons now and it has stretched my abilities in the kitchen much more than all the cookbooks I ever bought. I urge you to try a CSA – Two Small Farms even offers an introductory month! Subscribing to a CSA is part of my passion to eat locally, in season, and organic.

Friday night, I was invited to join a group of food bloggers for dinner at the Greek Islands. Remember last week when I wrote about Inger’s Dinner Club and how it was just like being called up to the big league? Well, eating with this esteemed group of food bloggers was like being chosen to participate on Top Chef and being in front of the judges. Super powerful group of food bloggers, it was amazing I could actually eat anything! (I managed, don’t worry)

And as you know, when I go to a blogger meetup, food or otherwise, I like to ask my fellow bloggers their favorite kitchen gadget. Sometimes I ask them to imagine which kitchen tool they could not live without, or which one they need on a daily basis. The idea is to say the first thing that comes to mind. For me, it is a great way to hear what others cook with, as well as making sure I capture the event. Without further ado, here are the favorite kitchen gadget and tools from the food blogger meetup in Chicago:

Lydia, from Perfect Pantry and Kalyn, from Kalyn’s Kitchen, our hostesses for the evening, love their Immersion Blenders. Lydia also loves her Mexican Molcajete, which her husband hauled home from one trip to Mexico. Lydia claims it makes the best guacamole.

At my table, I had a great discussion with Hetal and Anuja (both of Show Me the Curry) about the pressure cooker. But their favorites are a Pampered Chef Strawberry Huller and a Hamilton Beach Coffee Grinder, with a removal, dishwasher safe basket that cleans up nicely in the dishwasher. Kristen, from Dine and Dish, along with her adorable sweet pea, loves her Bread Machine, and Kim of the Building Blocks Show likes her Kitchen Aid Mixer (cobalt blue). Krista of Londonelicious told me about her Pineapple Corer, but then corrected herself and told me she really likes her Tupperware Veggie Peeler. Stephanie, from a Year of Slow Cooking, loves her Crock Pot (natch, guess I should have figured that out myself!)

After I chatted up my table, I headed out to talk to the two other tables of bloggers. Elise from Simply Recipes loves her Ceramic Knife, Stephanie from Iron Stef her Microplane grater, Kelly from Barbaric Gulp her Fish Spatula, Sandie from Inn Cuisine her Food Processor and Toaster Oven (I let her give two answers), Jane from This Week for Dinner her Kitchen Scissors, and Kathy from Panini Happy her Toaster Oven (shouldn’t it be a panini maker? Just kidding!)

Maris (who I bailed on this weekend too many times to count) from In Good Taste loves her Kitchen Aid Mixer, Biggie from Lunch in a Box her Burr Coffee Grinder, Alanna from Kitchen Parade her Cast Iron Skillets (3 sizes), Anne-Marie from This Mama Cooks her Frigidaire Range, Jaden from Steamy Kitchen her knives (Global and Shun), Sara from Miss Adventures in Italy her Santoku 7″ knife (or was it her Pasta Machine, my notes are fuzzy), Jennifer from Savor the Thyme her Tongs, Cora from Cora Cooks her Avocado Slicer, and Roni from Green Lite Bites her Digital Food Scale.

The only person I did not get a chance to meet was Ree from The Pioneer Woman so I have no idea her favorite kitchen tool. Oh wait, here it is on her site, Pioneer Woman Answers Back.

My suggestion, add these folks to your RSS Reader? Don’t know what an RSS Reader is? Check out my post on Uptake where I explain RSS and how to use a feed reader.

My favorite basil pesto recipe is from Marcella Hazan’s The Classic Italian Cookbook (which looks as though it is being re-released this year!). I have been making her pesto for years – my favorite is to store it in ice cube trays or little containers in the freezer and bring it out when I need it.

Basil Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (I used Trader Joes toasted pine nuts)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Romano pecorino cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter

Blend the first 5 ingredients together (I use my food processor), scraping the bowl from time to time. Pour into a bowl and blend the cheeses and butter in by hand. Since I freeze my pesto for later use, I don’t add the cheeses and butter until right before I am ready to use (if at all).

And if you make your own or buy your favorite store brand, here are 5 easy ways to use Basil Pesto:

1. Spread a tablespoon over a piece of salmon or a chicken breast and roast in the oven, 400F, for 15-20 minutes
2. Toss with cubed or new potatoes, either steamed or roasted, and serve
3. Make Susan Hattie Steinsapir’s Goat Cheese Torta with Pesto (one of the first recipes I pulled off the internet, back in 1994-95 when rec.food.cooking was really lively)
4. Toss with whole wheat pasta, halved cherry tomatoes and little mozarella balls. Serve cold.
5. Swirl a spoonful of pasta into a minestrone or pasta e fagioli soup, right before serving

What is your favorite way to use pesto?

Its cherry time!

And, I needed a pitter. I borrowed one from Anne a few weeks ago to make a cherry pie for July 4th, and the little pitter part kept coming loose, so I ended up with very purple fingers. She mentioned to me that folks rarely make a cherry pie from fresh cherries more than once, because pitting them is so onerous.

I was determined to see if I could find a solution.

A brief visit to Sur La Table took care of my problem – I picked up the Oxo Cherry Pitter and the minute I held it in my hands, I was amazed. The weight is just right, the handle is comfortable and the the pitter part stayed put. What a great kitchen tool!

Good thing too, as cherries were on sale last week. This weekend, my daughter and I pitted about 6 pounds. I am saving aside about 9 cups for 3 cherry pies later in the season. And with the rest, I will make a cherry relish for Thanksgiving.

If you are looking to take advantage of the beautiful cherries from the Pacific Northwest, pick up an Oxo Cherry Pitter to make the cleanup task that much easier!

Cherry Pitter

Sunday I hosted my first-ever jam making workshop for three friends who were interested in learning how to make jam at home, and who were willing to put up with me for 3 hours on a hot afternoon in July! Thank you to Cameron, Shannon and Kelly for being my test subjects, I think we all survived relatively unscathed.

Before they arrived, I started a batch of Peach-Plum Jam, from my Farm Journal Freezing & Canning Cookbook (see recipe below). I wanted to demonstrate a no-pectin, or long-cook jam. I also asked the three of them to bring 1 pound of stone fruit with them, and I demonstrated how to make jam with pectin. From that fruit, we made a peach-nectarine jam and two batches of apricot jam, using both liquid and dry pectin.

My preference is not to use pectin in jam making, because I enjoy the final product more. The fruit and the sugar cook together longer (about 45 minutes to an hour and half) and the texture and taste is much richer, in my opinion. Using pectin is much quicker, however, and with some of our jams, we were able to taste a crunch of the fruit and the color stayed much brighter.

I answered heaps of questions about canning including “what equipment do you need?” (answer: a canner, a jar lifter, kitchen tongs, a large mouth canning funnel, jars with two piece lids, fruit and patience), “why don’t you use pectin?” (answer: because I don’t have too), “why do you can?” (answer: because I like to have more control over my food and where it comes from) and “can I just sit here and eat warm jam on bread all afternoon” (answer: yes, you can Kelly).

Sharing one of my hobbies this way was such a joy, I now see why others do workshops and classes. Talking about a passion with interested friends inspired me and reignited my interest in preserving foods. Perhaps I will now be like Sean and can anything that doesn’t move (and some that do, I guess!).

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For those of you interested in embarking on the canning and preserving path, here are some recommended resources:

National Center for Food Preservation

This is the site that originally helped me get started. Yes, my grandmother and mother both canned, but somehow I missed out on the knowledge transfer, so about 10 years ago I decided to teach myself. This site is full of outstanding information on canning, and includes information for the beginner and expert alike. The NCFP has many resources for making jam without pectin, and I use their canned tomato recipe each year.

The Farm Journal Freezing & Canning Cookbook

My version was published in 1963, and many of the recipes stand true today. I held onto this cookbook after my Mom died, but it was not until after I started canning that I pulled it out again and realized what a great resource it is. The tone is conversational, but confident, and the recipes are good, easy and don’t require loads of complex ingredients. If you can find this book, or a newer version, I would recommend snapping it up.

Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving

This USDA book was recommended to me by the aforementioned Sean of Hedonia. It is very basic, but the information is easy to read and understand. The book covers many of the basics of canning, and includes all the USDA recommended guidelines. It is a little light on actual recipes, but if you are looking for a general guide to preserving foods, this would be a good addition to your library.

Fancy Pantry

Recommended to me by my college friend Devora, this book has loads of fun, creative recipes for preserving foods. Once you have mastered the basics, you will turn to this book for additional inspiration and ideas, including Fresh Herb Jellies, Tomato Jam with Ginger & Coriander, and Four Fruit Vinegar.

Online, I recommend Food In Jars, The Slow Cook, Bumblebee Blog, and Lelo in Nopo.

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Peach-Plum Jam

• 4 cups peaches (about 3 pounds)
• 5 cups red plums
• 8 cups sugar
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Peel and pit peaches. Pit plums. Cut fruits into small pieces of chip. Measure into large kettle.

Add sugar and lemon (very thinly sliced) and stir to mix well.

Boil rapidly, stirring constantly, until jellying point is reached, or until thick.

Remove from heat, skim and stir alternately for 5 minutes. Ladle into hot jars and seal with two piece lids. Makes 10-12 half pints.

Inger invited me to join her dinner club as a guest this weekend, filling in for an absent member. I had been waiting for this invitation forever, it is a bit like being called up to the majors. And the group did not disappoint!

This Dinner Club has been running continuously for about the last 15 years. Each month, a different member is the host and provides the main course. The other 5 members take on a different part of the meal (cocktail, starter, soup/salad, dessert and wine). The members challenge each other to move beyond their traditional cooking comfort zone, and tackle recipes that are difficult, complicated or unusual. And this is a member only dinner, no spouses allowed!

The menu was very seasonally oriented, as well as local – Inger used apricots from her backyard tree, Lisa’s ceviche included fish she caught herself in San Francisco, and Michelle’s dessert included locally grown, organic strawberries. Michelle and Marty brought a local wine for dinner. And, most of the ingredients for my soup came from my Two Small Farms veggie box (summer squash, potatoes, onions) along with mint from my backyard. Saturday’s dinner menu included:

Celebration Fizz – a lively cocktail with mandarin vodka, white grape juice and champagne

Mixed seafood Ceviche with avocado

Summer Squash Soup with Parsley-Mint Pistou

Lamb Burgers with Pistachio-Apricot Relish (although Inger doctored the burgers a little differently, adding cilantro, white onion, chopped mint, shallot, lemon juice, cumin, allspice, and cayenne, along with a little olive oil)

Pink Peppercorn Pavlova with Strawberries, Vanilla Cream and Basil Syrup

It was a complete fluke that 4 out of the 5 recipes came from Epicurious!

We had three lovely bottles of wine, including a delightful Rioja and a Foxglove Zin. Coffee was served with dessert, and the whole party was over by 10:30 p.m. And the best part of the evening? Getting to sit with 5 other women who are as interested in cooking and talking about food as I am!

Are you in a dinner club? If so, how is yours organized? How did you get started and what are your “rules”?

Don’t forget to comment on my daughter’s first recipe and win a set of Spifes!

This week’s Two Small Farms box contained a lovely surprise – Pimiento de Padrón, a sometimes fiery little pepper originally from Spain. Fortunately for us, Andy at Mariquita Farms decided to grow them again this year.

My favorite way to prepare these beauties is to saute quickly in a hot pan with olive oil, until little blisters appear. Then I remove from heat, sprinkle with the best salt I have, and serve. They are crunchy, and salty, and a great accompaniment to a nice Rioja or Rosé.

We also received Summer Squash, Cilantro, Strawberries, Romaine Lettuce, Red Gold Potatoes, Walla Walla Onions, Cabbage, and Bok Choy. I made the Summer Squash into a soup, following a recipe from Epicurious (see below). The Strawberries disappeared rather quickly, the Onions in a batch of Bread & Butter Pickles, and I started a recipe of sauerkraut with my Cabbage. Here is my menu plan for the rest of the items for the week of Monday, July 20:

Monday: Salmon with cilantro pesto, steamed Bok Choy, quinoa

Tuesday: Taco salad – includes lettuce, ground turkey, cheese, tomatoes, black beans, and salsa

Wednesday: Potato salad (mayo or vinegar base, I am not sure yet), grilled sausages, watermelon

Thursday: I will be at BlogHer and my DH is in charge

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party

What is on your menu this week? Check out Org Junkie for more great ideas!

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Summer-Squash Soup with Parsley Mint Pistou
from Gourmet Magazine, September 2006

Soup

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced (peel if not super fresh)
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 thin-skinned potato (1/2 lb), peeled, halved,
• 4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth

Pistou

• 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 1 large scallion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the soup: melt butter in large pot, add onions, sprinkle with salt and cook until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add in squash, carrots, potatoes and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and cook 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the pistou. In a food processor, pulse mint, parsley and scallion until finely chopped. With machine still running, add the olive oil in a stream, then the water. Season with salt. Pour pistou into a squeeze bottle for easy application, if desired.

Using your immersion blender (or food processor or blender), puree the soup until smooth and thick. Add a little water to thin, if desired, and simmer 3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve with a swirl of Pistou.

Last month, while galavanting in the islands on vacation, I received email from Cynthia inviting me to participate in a blogger meet-up, sponsored by Zespri Kiwifruit. Since I was out of town, I had to miss the festive event (bummer, since Biggie from Lunch in A Box was there, and Charlie Ayers of Calafia Cafe in Palo Alto was cooking), but Cynthia did send me a packet of Spifes for me to test.

What is a Spife you ask? Well, it is kinda a cross between a plastic knife and a little spoon perfectly designed to eat a kiwi, especially if you are a kid or you want to enjoy a kiwi on a picnic. And you could win some of your own!

Cynthia sent the Spifes to promote the Zespri Kiwifruit Lunch 2.0 Bloggers’ Recipe Contest. This contest seeks to encourage the use of Zespri Kiwifruits (which I find at my local Trader Joe’s) and create a kid-friendly lunch item. For the occasion, my daughter whipped up her very own entry and first recipe ever. Not bad for a 7 year old!

Kiwi, Strawberry and Honey Salad

• 2 Kiwifruits, chopped
• 10 strawberries, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons honey (from our bee hives in the garden)

Gently mix all together and serve with a sprig of mint.

To win your own Spife, leave a comment on this post with your favorite Kiwi Recipe from the Zespri Kiwifruit Site. I will choose 5 random winners and Cynthia will send you your own handful of Spifes!

And, if you have a great, original recipe in mind for the Kiwi for Lunch program, be sure to enter. Six semi-finalists will receive a copy of Food 2.0 and be advanced to the finals for a chance to win the $2,500 Grand Prize!