...so it's been a busy week for me and i haven't had time to put much of anything up for later.
but, i have something i think you're gonna like just the same: two copies - straight from the publisher - of put 'em up! a comprehensive home preserving guide for the creative cook by sherri brooks vinton
it's quite possibly my favorite preserving book to come out this season! great recipes and clear instructions on everything from canning, freezing, drying, fermenting and more.since sherri offers quite a few ways to preserve herbs, beans & greens, including two i can't wait to try: savory blueberry & basil jam, and herbed grape jam, i can't think of a better way to celebrate this week's summer fest 2010 than winning a copy.
can you?
roar about your favorite way to celebrate herbs, beans & greens below, especially how you put 'em up for later, for a chance to win! please comment by midnight on friday august 20th. winners will be chosen by that trusty random number generator directly thereafter.
happy summer fest 2010!
click on the links below to see what my friends are doing with herbs, beans & greens this week.
a way to garden
devour the blog
eating from the ground up
food 2
food philosophy
fn dish
gilded fork
gluten-free girl & the chef
healthy eats
just a taste
pinch my salt
san diego foodstuff
sweetnicks
tea and cookies
the sister project
the wright recipes
tuscan diva
white on rice couple
just two more weeks to go for summer fest 2010 - don't miss them!
8/18 stone fruit
8/25 tomatoes
Herbs- I like to use chives in my mashed potatoes, thyme in roast chicken, and cilantro in pico de gallo on top of carne asada tacos!
ReplyDeleteBeans- Black beans are present at all of our Mexican meals and in both chicken and beef chili. Fresh haricots verts are steamed with quartered baby red potatoes. Awesome.
Greens- I like to put some chopped spinach in with lentils that have been cooked with bacon, onions, and garlic. We also eat the hell out of romaine lettuce all summer.
As far as putting these things up, this is my first summer canning and I haven't done any of them yet. However...it's only just begun! I've got the bug for sure.
Well, I just made a peach and pineapple sage preserve that I'm loving a lot. But I want to put my hands on this book so I can make her recipe for roasted red pepper ketchup. I heart ketchup.
ReplyDeleteI can simply say that I am overwhelmed by my addiction! CAN ON!
ReplyDeleteI got a huge amount of basil last week and cleaned it and froze it to make pesto with this winter. I have never made pesto but I am giving it a try soon. I steam spinach with onions, garlic and put it with an omlet and cheese. yummy!!!
ReplyDeleteI dry nettles to use in winter soups. Well you know my story. I preserve or grow seasonally all our food! I'd love to win.
ReplyDeleteI love making dilly beans with my aunt Cindy's recipe. My family uses them for bloody mary's but since I don't like tomato juice, I just eat them straight from the jar. If I open the jar, they are gone before I can put them in the fridge. I planted 15 bean plants just to be able to make enough to last me through the winter this year. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI mash herbs into little icecube trays so I can easily pop out a cube for cooking in the winter. I'm going to try to do the same with Spinach this year. I've seen some commercial providers use this method for frozen spinach. It takes up so little space and then I'd have access to greens all year round. Just pop out a disc, add it to whatever you're cooking, and voila! Greenness!
ReplyDeleteThis year, I am planning on canning some infused vinegars to make into marinades come winter. If you can judge a book by it's cover, I adore this one's retro feel and I hope I win!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first year to can and I have made peach salsa and tomato sauce. The tomato sauce turned out more like juice, but it still tastes good. I bet the flavor and maybe consistency will change and it sits waiting to be used. We eat a lot of tomatoes at my house and so that has been my main task this year. I have frozen 30 pounds of roma tomatoes by blanching, peeling, seeding and quartering some, and leaving others whole. Thank you for your giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI just decanted my first batch of herb vinegar for the season, dill with lemon basil, which is beautiful and delicious. I started tarragon, which I decant only partially for vinegar. I keep the vinegar-soaked leaves to use as herbs. Here's the post:
ReplyDeletehttp://200birdies.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/preserving-herbs-part-1-vinegar/
In the second part of an herb preserving series, I put up sage in salt. http://200birdies.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/preserving-herbs-part-2-salt/
Still waiting for the tomatoes to ripen for the August Can Jam! Have a great week.
I like herbs in herb jelly like I made for the can jam. I also like adding them to other recipes for a twist. Beans I freeze and have pickled in the past and greens I usually freeze so I can hide them in other dishes come winter.
ReplyDeleteI like to roast my sage with plums... :)
ReplyDeleteMostly, since herbs are so easy to dry, I dry a lot of them at the height of summer, when fruits & veg are requiring more effort. Sage, dill, savory and thyme will dry nicely (even in our humid NE weather), hung upside down in a bundle from the hooks on my hallway mirror. Basil I dry in the dehydrator, or make pesto and freeze in ice cube trays. I also made a blueberry-basil vinegar which is still infusing in the garage. If only peaches were this easy!
I love to use cilantro to make salsa and guacamole! I also do what kaela does (above) and make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays - perfect serving size. I don't know if this counts as preserving, but I make the zucchini bread from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce - it has mint and basil in it - and freeze mini loaves of that. it is delicious! I am also trying to preserve more in the freezer since I haven't made the jump to canning yet - I really want to start but I am hesitant because I am scared to mess it up. but your blog and food in jars are very inspiring and i hope to take the plunge soon!
ReplyDeleteFor the first time ever, I have dried a ton of our herbs instead of letting them go to waste. Great way to savor the abundance for later in the year.
ReplyDeletelately I have had a mild obsession with herb butter. I am trying to move away from non local food so we've been using butters in place of oil in a lot of stuff. I dried drying my herbs but i've found our house is too spidery/dusty to make me feel ok about hanging them to dry and our dehydrator shorts out our fuses....
ReplyDeletegreens i love eat straight up in a bowl- oh my word i could eat cilantro by the bushel load- my husband and one of the kids is one of those people it tastes like soap to though :(
Pestos - basil, cilantro, arugula!
ReplyDeleteBasil & Parsley (parsley for more vibrant green) pesto, kale kimchi, and fermented dill green beens!
ReplyDeleteI love that preserving food is becoming popular again. (Popular is not quite the right word, but you know what I mean.) It's a good sign when the basics are reinterpreted for a new audience.
ReplyDeleteMost herbs at our house are dried, the basil is made into pesto and frozen in cubes.
ReplyDeleteGreen beans are generally frozen, although last year I made dilly beans which were an epic fail.
Greens don't get preserved much around here. I'm trying to grow them year round so that we can eat them fresh.
Love dilly beans. I make pesto but I always end up forgetting about the little single serving packets in the back of the freezer. Gotta get better about that, especially since I made radish top pesto last year for the first time and it was delish. Make it with hazelnuts instead of pine nuts.
ReplyDeleteMy garden is abundant with beans and herbs this time of year! I've realized already that I need to plant more beans next year, if we're going to fulfill my plan of eating them fresh, freezing and canning for winter AND drying for soup beans. This year? Ours have mostly been eaten green. . . . Here's my favorite ways to eat the veggies from this week's theme . . .
ReplyDeleteGreen Beans with Balsamic Tomatoes, Bacon & Basil
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2009/08/green-beans-with-balsamic-tomatoes-bacon-and-basil/
Mojito Melon Salad featuring fresh mint, lime and honey
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/08/mojito-melon-salad/
Dilly Beans, perfect for stirring Bloody Mary's!
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/08/lacto-fermented-dilly-beans/
And, of course Pesto, which we eat on everything!
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2009/07/pesto/
and one of my family's favorite use for pesto is as the base for a quick ranch dressing (I do have two little ones after all!)
http://heartlandrenaissance.com/2010/02/the-well-dressed-salad/
Thank you for hosting Summer Food Fest! I can't wait to see the other contributions!
Best,
Sarah
http://heartlandrenaissance.com
I haven't yet gotten a chance to do anything but jam yet, unfortunately. I hope to make pesto next summer for sure, though! I love basil.
ReplyDeleteI used tarragon for the first time in a canning project with a rhubarb fennel chutney!
ReplyDeletejust made my FIRST ever batch of dilly beans!
ReplyDeleteOk, so I've gotten pretty good freezing my beans, greens (favorite: swiss chard), and herbs. However, I'm really trying to reduce my carbon footprint and am really interested in canning. I haven't started it yet because I'm scared to death of a disaster. Maybe this book would help me get over my fear of canning....
ReplyDeleteIf I have excess herbs, I like to make pesto and freeze it in ice cubs trays. That way I can grab just the right amount every time I want to use it.
ReplyDeleteThis week for Summer Fest, I made pasta with greens, beans, and garlic bread crumbs:
http://4seasonsoffood.blogspot.com/2010/08/pasta-with-greens-beans-and-garlic.html
when we grow green beans my kids eat them straight from the garden.... delicious!
ReplyDeleteI'm in!
ReplyDeleteSummer Fresh Garden Herbs and Compound Butter - http://mysocalledknife.com/2010/08/summer-fresh-garden-herbs-and-compound-butter/
Compound butters can be frozen for months at a time - so you can keep them on hand all through the year.
I love pesto. I make many batches of it in the summer with my garden herbs. I put it into pyrex pans, freeze, and then cube it and store it freezer bags. I many too much for the ice cube trays.
ReplyDeleteI can salsa, jam, dry fruit, and blanch and freeze my garden for later use.
I'd love this book. Thanks for the opportunity.
May Canadians enter?
ReplyDeleteI dry most of our herbs and shelled beans, although I do love to make pesto to freeze.
Greens we freeze. I like using frozen spinach when I make pizza.
I admit that drying herbs is my fave...althoguth I cant' resist freezing a selection of pestos. I just got a pressure canner so I'm excited to try some dried bean/herb blends..... :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this book because I need some help and inspiration. I'm trying to be more frugal -- gardening, making gifts, etc. -- and this sounds as though it would help greatly. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis year I've been making lots of herbed butters and freezing them in handy sizes. Sage, rosemary, thyme...my favorite for corn is a lime chive butter.
ReplyDeletepesto and hand made pasta, a big pot of mustard greens with bacon and vinegar, and i love beans best straight out of the garden!
ReplyDeleteDilly beans have got to be a favorite around here. They were one of the first things I canned, and I've been making them ever since. My boyfriend just LOVES them. And later this afternoon, I'll be picking some herbs to freeze and dry for winter use!
ReplyDeleteI love having a stash of pesto in the freezer for pizzas and pastas from my basil plants. This year I have been making the basil-ice-cube-thingies so that I can have fresh basil in the winter for sauces. Can't wait to try them!
ReplyDeleteI'd say pesto, but I don't know if it qualifies as "putting up" since it gets devoured within a week or two :D
ReplyDeleteI almost never get to preserve what I grow in the garden because my kids eat it all, except for the basil. I freeze the basil to have it fresh in the winter, but I think just about everyone does that.
ReplyDeleteI'm turning my bumper crop of basil into pesto and freezing it for the winter!
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to make freezer jam, I'm thinking of trying it myself!
ReplyDeleteBeans - I like them in Tex-Mex style recipes.
And greens - sauteed with garlic, mmmmmm.
I make pesto -- with basil and other herbs. Cilantro pesto is delicious. As for putting up beans, I've never tried, but I bet this awesome book would tell me how!
ReplyDeleteAs far as recipes for putting stuff up, these are two of my favorite tomato recipes:
ReplyDeletehttp://tnlocavore.typepad.com/tennessee_locavore/2007/08/sundried-tomato.html
http://tnlocavore.typepad.com/tennessee_locavore/2009/09/its-fall-isnt-it.html
Here's my summerfest entry for this week:
http://tnlocavore.typepad.com/tennessee_locavore/2010/08/szechuan-green-beans-with-ground-pork.html
-pesto, frozen in small yogurt containers
ReplyDelete-tomato basil preserves, fabulous on grilled cheese.
-I use my dehydrator for fruit all summer long so need to try it with herbs, though our basil was a failure this summer.
- our first ever crop of garlic is hanging in the garage.
Just started canning so not much in that respect. But I take basil from the yard and make big batches of pesto to freeze. Also I just started a garden and hope for my beans to be plentiful in order to eat some, freeze some and dry some! Cynthia (cynthiavanessa@hotmail.com)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just got a food processor and have big plans to freeze pesto!
ReplyDeleteAlso let's not forget about lovely lady cilantro in delicious salsa.
I pickled about 40 jars of green beans last summer and it wasn't enough! Big plans for September :)
Eliz (elizroser@gmail.com)
I've been on a peach kick with all the herbs from my garden: lemon thyme, anise hyssop, pineapple sage. It makes a peach jam a little more special. As if it's not special enough!
ReplyDeleteAhhh herbs...how I love thee. In filled pasta, pickles, and as that je ne sais quoi in my jams and jellies.
ReplyDeleteI love my garlic-dill-green bean pickles!
ReplyDeleteAt Flexitarian Foodie, we’re into beans and greens—together, or separately! Here are a few of our favorite related posts:
ReplyDeleteBeans & Greens: The Soup
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/04/beans-n-greens-worlds-most-easy-going.html
Creamy Vegetable Lasagna
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/04/transitioning-to-spring-with-veggie.html
Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas (my favorite!!!)
http://www.flexitarianfoodie.com/2010/05/happy-cinco-de-mayo.html
Spicy beans! I've been playing with smoked paprika in my pickled green beans. I can't wait to try them.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite way to put up beans are spicy pickled green beans so that we have bloody marry fixin's all year! I haven't really canned any greens previously, but definitely include herbs in my jarred tomato sauce (bay leaves, basil, thyme and oregano) and in salsa (cilantro). I saw a preview of this book - looks amazing and that blueberry basil jam sounds all kind of yum!
ReplyDeleteAfter giving away lots of Dilly Beans, I still have one jar left from last year. I will be making fewer jars this year.
ReplyDeleteI checked this book out from the library and really liked it. Best Salsa Verde recipe ever. I hope I win a copy to keep.
I dehydrate and freeze herbs, dry beans, and dill pickle green beans.
ReplyDeleteThis year we had an abundance of onions and made rosemary marsala onion jam: http://www.englishfamilyfarm.info/2010/07/rosemary-marsala-onion-jam/ We've really enjoyed it on crackers, etc.
I just canned a giant batch of every-herb-available pasta sauce. It was a great way to use up some herbs, tomatoes, and greens (I included kale and some spinach). We'll use it this winter for pasta and as a base for minestrone. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks great. We're always looking for more inspiration for preserving food around here!
I freeze herbs with water in ice cube trays. And dilly beans are awesome as well!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great book giveaway! Please sign me up as I know nothing about canning :)
ReplyDeleteHere is my recipe for this weeks Summer Fest, I highlighted Basil:
Grilled Cheese Bruschetta
http://www.familyfreshcooking.com/2010/08/10/mozzarella-basil-tomato-grilled-cheese-bruschetta/
Oh, I would love a chance to win this book, I haven't viewed a new canning book in some years now.
ReplyDeleteI love to pick my herbs fresh early in the morning, and they freeze them-taste like fresh to me that way when I use them.
I have also explored making a few herb jellys sugar free this year-mostly to use as glazes on meats.
I love all fresh beans, and those I love to freeze as well for freshness-I do love to can a good dilly bean though
I love preserving herbs in sugar, salt and oil! I wrote about one of my favorite herbs in honor of this week's summer fest. It's anise hyssop, and the post is found here:
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/anise-hyssop.html
Thanks!
I love to freeze herbs for use in winter soups. It makes the dark night less lonely and cold.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are new to canning and have struggled with the herbs. Pesto is always wonderful - but we are ready to move on! This book sounds great. What a great opportunity to expand our preserving knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI just started canning jam last year and love it. Would love some new methods and recipes.
ReplyDeleteMmmm...still using the tomato sauce I put up last summer. Have never frozen basil so may give that a try. Also just made fresh dill pickles, not canned. Yum! Would love some new ideas.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win a copy of this book. I can't stop canning jam. I must have more recipes and knowledge!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been making big batches of mixed-herb pesto too (well, properly, it's pistou, since I leave out the cheese, which gets a little gummy), and freezing it in 4 oz jars. I've given some away as gifts, and the rest I plan to eat all winter long.
ReplyDeleteI have been canning for 40 years and never used herbs for jams, jellies or fruit...not until this year when I started reading great blogs from such talented and inventive young cooks. I not only want this book I need it...you CAN teach an old dogs new tricks!
ReplyDeleteMy next adventure using herbs will be Lavender Infused Peach Jam.
ReplyDeleteFreestones in 2 weeks - can't wait.
-the redhead-
Herbs: I like to dry them to use in cooking for later
ReplyDeleteBeans: I love green beans, I put up a ton every year
Greens: I grow a lot of lettuce to eat during the summer. I haven't canned any greens since I almost blew up my pressure canner doing spinach 2 years ago :)
Would love to learn more about preserving, canning, etc. I have vowed not to buy any plants that I cannot eat since last year and so far doing very well and love just walking outside in the yard to get some things I need to cook that day. My contribution for Summer Fest is Green Beans with Garlic and Shallots http://dejavucook.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/green-beanswith-garlic-and-shallots/
ReplyDeleteFresh herbs chopped into fresh salad is the best, especially mint. I live in SoCal so my herbs are available year round, but I do love compound butters and herbs mixed into goats cheese
ReplyDeleterosemary peach jam! and homemade rosemary hummus!! I also use dried lavender to cook/decorate with, lavender soda is the best!
ReplyDeleteI'm a pickling fool. Fell asleep last night with Ziedrich's book in hand trying to assess the fate of my CSA green beans.
ReplyDeleteThis book looks fun, thanks for the giveaway Miss!
Basil Blueberry??? Yum! I hope I win!
ReplyDeletewhere is the chest freezer when i need it? frozen basil and arugula pesto in ice cube trays, bags of blanched greens, wild blueberries for smoothies.
ReplyDeletei also heart pickled garlic scapes. yum.
We love making pickled onions from the ad hoc cookbook.
ReplyDeleteSo many ways... greens- made spinach pesto, chard pasta, arugula lasagna pasta, kale chips. Beans- freeze them, dilly pickle them, shepherd's pie, stir fry, green beans in black bean sauce, fermented black bean paste :). Herbs- basil pesto, salsa, rosemary garlic sweet potatoes, and oh so many more... Love this blog... I no longer feel alone in my "obsession".
ReplyDeleteRosemary, even the name of the herb sings. I have 2 plants and I use it for almost everything. Potates, some jams, sauces and what ever else sounds good. I don't have to dry as I bring in the plants in the winter. YUM.
ReplyDeleteMade strawberry basil jam last week and today made rosemary lemon/lime 'tea'.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is Basil pesto but feel free to substitute sorrell or cilantro then freeze. Hang mints from the rafters of the basement enjoy year round as tea. Make jelly out of all herbs. Vinegar and oils. Oh the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteKristina
I'm learning to love cilantro (can't get over that soapy taste!) so I've been making lots of salsa, hoping that I can keep myself to love it over the winter - when I'm desperate for some greenery!
ReplyDeleteI just got this book from the library and I'm loving it so far.
Hi. I was directed to this site through Over a Tuscan Stove. What fun it's been to explore it! I know almost nothing about preserving and would love to learn. Please include me in your contest. Thank you for the opportunity!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the Anonymous post. I had problems with posting through Google. Hope this won't cause a problem for my contest entry.
SusanA
Woo-hoo, count me in!
ReplyDeletehaven't tried anything with herbs, beans and greens! would love to though! have been having fun with nectarine chutney and applesauce. thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just made pesto for the first and second time in my life this year. The first time was with my very special friend (who is like a daughter to me). I was visiting her in Austin for my birthday weekend. We had *so much* fun!!! The second time, I made it on my own, ended up with just a half-pint due to my basil not doing so well with the high temps here in Texas at the moment. BUT, I will plant more and keep making it. I use so much pesto because due to dietary restrictions, I can't eat tomatoes. The pesto is *wonderful* on pizza in place of tomato sauce.
ReplyDeleteBeans, especially black-eyed peas, are a fav of mine. Made with smoked turkey legs and a big 'ole pan of cornbread. Yum!!!
Greens--I found a recipe in Southern Living Magazine months ago using greens to make pesto. I can't wait to try it!!!
Pesto, sauces, blanching, so much to do, so little time!
ReplyDeleteHerbs, beans and greens... yum :) I've been growing my own on a little patch of land here in Chicago and have mostly been freezing my extra beans and greens this summer, so I'd love a few canning recipes to help make some space in my poor freezer!
ReplyDeleteI pickle a ton of beans every year. Some hot, some mild, some garlic-heavy, some sweet. I freeze basil with olive oil in little ice cubes and then vacuum pack for long-term freezing. Even a year later it's green, fresh and tasty in cooking. And I can and/or pickle everything else I can get my hands on. I'd love this book.
ReplyDeleteJust started preserving this year. Have beans chilling in the fridge that will hopefully become spicy dilly beans this weekend. Would love the book to keep me learning and inspired.
ReplyDeleteKelly
I got started late on the can jam but have enjoyed following along silently. I started helping my mom can about 50 years ago. I took a hiatus from canning for about 10 years after I graduated from college and started my career. Then started canning again when my children were young. Hope to start introducing my granddaughters to canning soon. I'm trying ketchup for the first time today but would always like more recipes.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite way to preserve my herbs besides the obvious basil/pesto, is with infused oils and vinegars. I store them in my fridge and they provide a lovely glimpse of summer for months to come!
ReplyDeleteA simple roast chicken with herbed mashed potatoes is my favorite. Roast some green beans, and pour a glass of wine and I am all set.
ReplyDeleteI love herbs in savory dishes. Haven't really used too many in sweet recipes. I have a wonderful enchilada with tomatillo sauce recipe that calls for fresh cilantro.
ReplyDeleteI've recently started canning and have been trying to add a new recipe or two to my repertoire. I've been limited by using water bath canners only. A pressure canner is on my wish list so I can learn to can low-acid foods.
I love herbs in jams and jellies!
ReplyDeleteI only make things that I can freeze, like freezer jelly, but would love to learn to can. Should have been more interested when my grandma was canning....but it's not too late to try!
ReplyDeleteI love to make pesto with fresh basil from my garden, and garlic from my CSA box. I make a bunch and freeze it! It's delicious on so many different things!
ReplyDeleteI love my herbs - garden tomatoes with fresh mozz cheese and ribbons of basil - tossed with just a touch of balsamic vinegar or is it simply the kick cilantro gives salsa, no wait, I think my favorite is a killer apple thyme chicken woodman grills.
ReplyDeleteI love pesto! My kids and I are playing with adding different herbs in it to make the perfect sqishy add in for spaghetti sauce :)
ReplyDeleteStrawberry lavender jam!! yum!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the give away. I love these ingredients! I can most things, but I think herbs, greens and beans seem to do better frozen. I would love to find more canning recipes for these ingredients.
ReplyDeleteHerbs - In the past I've successfully dried my herbs; this year I'm going to try freezing them.
Greens - I had one bad experience freezing chard and haven't done it again.
Beans - I love having frozen green beans on hand. Two years ago I froze so many that I thought I didn't need to last year. Mistake!
I made mint peach salsa and dilly beans this year.
ReplyDeleteI pack the beans in salt, and mix my herbs with chopped vegetables and salt to add flavor to soups.
ReplyDeleteGreens I blanche and freeze because I've yet to find something I can do otherwise that doesn't require fortitude to eat later. Herbs, oh herbs...dried and given away (I've converted many friends off store bought old crap), pesto this pesto that, jam, jam and more jam. Beans I've yet to try to put up, but I'm thinking this might be the year I try to do some baked beans.
ReplyDeleteI grow several heirloom beans, i mix them all together, and I freeze them. They are also great steamed, drained, and chilled, to make a salad, throw in a chopped garden tomato, and tossed with a vinaigrette made with your favorite herb. Tarragon is fabulous with beans. and of course a clove of my garlic, minced, which has just about finished curing. or add some chilled cooked new potatoes.
ReplyDeleteI am actually trying to preserve an abundance of sage in salt this year, also freezing it in whole leaves. My other herbs - basil and cilantro as frozen cubes, pestos from both, garlic scape pestos. others, dried. usually hung in paper sacks. this year i am trying a dehydrator for the first time.
I make salads from everything. whatever is ready to be picked. and i love having several types of vinegars in the pantry and herbs and mixing and matching like having a palette of flavors to combine.
I've frozen lots of kale, swiss chard, etc. for the long northwoods winter. also fire roasted tomatoes.
getting ready to can some salsa soon . . .
Well, I don't know a whole lot about "putting up" food yet. Winning this book would go a long way towards that goal. ;)
ReplyDeleteOur favorite use for herbs is fresh basil pesto, and fresh homemade pico with lots and lots of cilantro.
Greens? The perfect summer salad of spinach leaves, sliced strawberries, red onions, and cucumbers with a lemon poppyseed vinaigrette and topped with candied sliced almonds.
Beans? Black beans and rice, baby. A simple from-scratch standby that I can have on the table in less than 30 minutes, which is a MUST with 3 littles and a hubby who works 100 hrs/week. :)
Ooh, this book looks great! I love making spicy pickled green beans. They're delicious on their own and in bloody marys. Yum! I also make and freeze lots and lots of pesto in the summer.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I would love to win that book.
ReplyDeleteWe love making pesto from our fresh basil! Two things about freezing pesto:
ReplyDelete1) It's better not to add the parmesan cheese before freezing as it doesn't preserve as well as everything else in the recipe. Instead, add right after defrosting.
2) If you are just 1 or 2 people, no reason to save big batches of pesto. Get GladWare half-cup mini round containers, which store the perfect amount of pesto for 1 meal for 2 people. We do this, and we end up having enough pesto to last us all winter and spring until the new crop starts!
Our contribution to Summer Fest is here, at Green Thumb Geeks:
Tomato and Mozzarella Paninis w/ Basil Pesto
http://www.greenthumbgeeks.com/2010/08/recipe-tomato-and-mozzarella-paninis-with-basil-pesto/
For Summer Fest: The peaches from our CSA just seem to get eaten – they are so good. No opportunities to cook with them.
ReplyDeleteSince blackberries and stone fruits are both members of the rose family, I thought I would share my blackberry recipes.
I have two pies made by different methods.
No. 1 is good for making and eating right away.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry-pie-no-1.html
No. 2 is good for freezing.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry-pie-no-2.html
I also made blackberry ice cream.
http://purplecook.blogspot.com/2010/08/blackberry-ice-cream.html
I like using my herbs to can salsas. But I like to freeze my herbs in ice cube trays with just a bit of olive oil so that I have them to use throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, I'd love to win Put 'Em Up! I've been eyeballing this book for a while now. If I had the funds available, I would have bought it already! :)
ReplyDeleteTrying to cope with cancer is hard on the pocketbook as well as the mind and soul. Gardening give me an outlet and helps in both ways. We save lots of money from me growing a lot of the food we eat. I believe the real benefit is the peace and tranquility I feel when I'm playing in the dirt as the miracle of the seed takes place in front of my eyes.
While I currently have no beans or greens ready to pick. I love canning an assortment of wilted greens with loads of fresh garlic, a bit of onion and bacon, with a touch of basil mixed in.
My latest fun in the kitchen with herbs is very a very simple Chocolate Mint Strawberry jam. Wow! Talk about a taste delight! And after having an overabundance of basil, making plenty of pesto for us and to share with friends, I made Lemon Basil Jelly! YUMMY! I've put it on crackers with cream cheese and topped with a tiny basil leave for garnish and it is also really delish on pork before cooking.
Enjoy your day and remember to smile! :)
I've been using 5-spice in my jam for as long as I've been making jam (almost two years, now!). I love the depth it gives to the flavor. I mostly make rasp/blue/black-berry jam, and this year I started making blueberry on its own. At Thanksgiving, I make an orange/cranberry/raspberry relish sort of thing that also get a hit of 5-spice. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI just made Spicy Dilly Beans this morning (I just started canning in the last 2 weeks) and they look great. I followed your recipe~ mixed a bit with one from Food in Jars. I hope they are spicy enough!
ReplyDeleteI just canned some fire roasted salsa. It has been a busy canning year. I have to take advantage of the great year for tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteI JUST took a canning class this weekend and I am so excited to get my hands on some great recipes before the summer season is totally over. This book looks like just the thing I need to get started...I have my jars all ready to go!!
ReplyDelete