More Goodies From My Kitchen

Yes, I've been at it again this week.  I can't help it.  Although I've only been canning and preserving for three seasons, it is in my blood to stay.  And I love it.  I'm always pouring over my canning/preserving/jam making books looking for something new, different and exciting to do with the bounty of produce Michigan produces every summer.  Here's a peak at what I did this week:

I made some pretty interesting preserves/jams this week, such as Tomato and Caramelized Onion Conserve; Blueberry Mojito Jam, Roasted Pepper Relish; Zucchini and Pepper Jam with Spices; Blueberry Conserve with Pecans; Mexican Pickled Pintos, Corn and Peppers; and 13 additional pints of various types of tomato sauce.  I counted 44 jars of goodies to add to my pantry. 

I also spent a wonderful afternoon with these lovely ladies (my husband's great nieces) making homemade ricotta ravioli.

As you can see, it was another productive and very fun week in my Michigan kitchen.

Next week... it's Peaches!

The Start of Canning Season

I love this time of year; not only because of the fun we have spending time with family and on the lake, but also because it's high season for summer produce.  The canning season, at least for me, has begun :)

My kitchen was buzzing with activity this past week.  Always a happy time for me.  This past week I made six different types of jams/preserves and my first batch of tomato sauce.  That's about 30+jars of jams and seven pints of tomato sauce to stash in my pantry.  Not bad for an early start to the season.

So,  let's see...(from right to left) I made Plum/Orange/Cardamom Preserves, Onion Jam with Thyme and Maple Syrup, Cherry/Port Preserves, Brandied Apricot Preserves with Lemon, Honeyed Apricot Jam with Jalapeños, Spicy Dill Relish and Farm Stand Tomato Sauce.  Not bad for a week's work, eh? :) 

It's always amazing to me how you start with six pounds of candy sweet onions (which looks like an enormous amount!) and with a little butter, extra virgin olive oil and a little time (about an hour)...

...you end up with a gorgeous pile of caramelized goodness.  And to this I added about 1/2 cup maple syrup, a couple of tablespoons of fresh thyme, a tablespoon of excellent balsamic vinegar, put in 1/2 pint jars, and processed in a water bath for 10 minutes and voila, you have onion jam with thyme and maple syrup.  So easy and SO yummy!  It's a great base for so many dishes throughout the year.

Last week at the Farmer's Market, the plums were just beginning to make an appearance so I bought four pounds of these beautiful little jewels.  I found a great recipe in one of my favorite jamming books, Les Confitures by Christine Farber, and made the Plum with Oranges and Cardamom Preserves.  So delicious!

And next came the tomatoes (and they are just beginning to come in).  I made this Farm Stand Tomato Sauce (in my crockpot no less!) with onions, tomato paste, bay leaves, red wine, tapioca as a thickener and cooked it for 8-9 hours.  It turned out SO good and it made seven pints...way more than I expected the recipe to yield.  And it is delicious!  I think I've found my go-to tomato sauce recipe for this season.  

And the last thing I made this week was Spicy Dill Relish.  This is my 3rd year of making this relish and it is one of my absolute all time favorites.  I use it all year long to make a dressing for egg salad or chicken salad; I use it to make a killer homemade tartar sauce and it spices up just about any dressing/sauce that needs a little umph or crunch.

So as you can see, I had a very productive week in my Michigan kitchen.  And I look forward to many more weeks like this as the season marches on.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I love Michigan and I am so very  happy when I am here.

Seasons' Bounty

Think I'm ready for winter? :)

As you can see, I was pretty busy this season, trying to preserve the best of the summer produce.  And I think I was quite successful.  All the fruit and vegetables for these little jewels of yumminess came from Wiley Farms--a small family farm about three miles from my house.

Seeing that this is only the second year I've done any canning in my life, I think my pantry looks pretty good for the winter ahead.  And I had so much fun doing this.  I canned 30 quarts of fresh tomatoes, 22 quarts of several different types of tomato sauces, and over 50 jars of assorted jams, preserves and conserves.  Some of them are pretty unique such as basil/peach jam; nectarine/saffron jam; tomato and caramelized onion conserve; blueberry mojito jam; savory peach chutney; spicy dill relish and the list goes on.  I have given away many jars already and will gift more for Christmas presents.  My family and friends seem to appreciate getting them and I love making them and giving them away.  And of course my husband loves sampling each new jar that I open.  I've had a few people suggest that I make this a small business and sell them.  But that would make it too much like work and take all the fun out of it.  I think I'll just keep making them and giving them away.  Any takers? :)

Roasted Tomato Sauce

You can't beat a fresh summer tomato.  To me, it is one of life's most perfect foods.  I was spoiled rotten this past summer by Michigan tomatoes.  I ate them every chance I got and they were delicious!  Wiley's Farm had the best tomatoes and they came in in bushels.  So I did something I've never done before:  I canned tomatoes.  Most of the tomatoes I canned, were plain and simple . . . just tomatoes.  (Sorry, no photos of that process, but wait til next year :)  

But I also decided to try my hand at canning a Roasted Tomato Sauce using Roma tomatoes.  Romas are meatier than slicing tomatoes and as such, they make a terrific sauce.  Here is my version of Roasted Tomato Sauce.  I made this sauce using 1/2 bushel of Roma tomatoes.  

- Slice off the tops of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise;

- Lay tomatoes on foil lined cookie sheets, cut side up and sprinkle each with a little dried thyme, thinly sliced garlic, balsamic vinegar and a little sugar.  Drizzle about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes on each tray.  Turn tomatoes around to coat all sides.  

Add caption

- Roast in a 350 oven for about 2-2 1/2 hours until deeply caramelized.  Remove the skins from each tomato half.  The skins will easily peel off.  

- Place peeled tomatoes in a large bowl.  Then transfer roasted tomatoes to a large Dutch oven.  Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are reduced to a nice thick sauce.  

- Ladle sauce into prepared, sterilized jars and seal.  I used pint jars here because the sauce is thick and concentrated.  Not like canned tomato paste, but thick just the same.  

Ok, now here is a new twist on canning for you.  I learned this method from Caroline Wiley and have used it to can 24 quarts of tomatoes, 13 quarts of tomato sauce  and 10 pints of roasted tomato sauce and it has worked every single time.  Try it.  You will never go back to the water bath method of canning tomatoes.   

Method:

Place filled, hot jars into a cold oven.  As many as will fit.  I get 13 quarts in my oven.  Close the door.  Turn oven temperature to 250.  When oven temperature reaches 250, time it for one hour.  After one hour, turn oven off and leave jars in the oven at least 8 hours or overnight.  Do not open oven!  In the morning, every jar will have sealed.  Remove from oven carefully as the jars will still be hot.  Place on counter top to cool completely and store as usual.  This method sounds unusual but it works like a charm!

And here is the bounty of canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and roasted tomato sauce I made this past summer.  Think it will get me through the winter?  ;-) 

Zucchini- Pistachio Quick Bread

This bread is so good and yes, so quick.  It starts with one basic batter:  flour, sugar, baking power and salt...

...and milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter

...and it works with any and all flavorings. 

I'll be working my way through a number of variations, but today I made the Zucchini-Pistachio with the last of my zucchini from Wiley's Farm.   

Zucchini-Pistachio Quick Bread

Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour.  Melt 4 ounces unsalted butter and set aside to cool.  

9 oz (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup chopped pistachios

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Whisk until well blended.  Stir in pistachio nuts.

In medium bowl, combine
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-Whisk until blended.  
Add
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed very dry
Stir until blended.  

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry.  Add the melted, cooled butter

Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the wet ingredients until blended.  Don't beat the batter up.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  

Bake, rotating halfway through, until the top is golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes.  Invert the bread onto a rack, remove the pan, turn bread right side up and let cool completely.  Yummy!!  Store tightly wrapped on the counter for up to two days and in the refrigerator for up to a week...if it lasts that long ;)

The next one I'm going to try is Blueberry-Ginger, made with Pure Michigan blueberries of course :)  Stay tuned...

Saving the Season

The bounty of produce in rural Southwest Michigan is amazing!  I had never seen anything like it, so last summer I wasn't prepared to preserve it and "save the season."  But this year I was armed and ready.

The two books that were (are) my guides for preserving the season's bounty are:  Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber, a gift from my dear friend Linda; and Saving the Season by Kevin West.  Both books are solid in their approach to canning and preserving.  And Kevin West's book is a great read as well.  

Here is a small sampling of what I was able to preserve this season, and this picture does not include the dozen or so jars of jams that I gave away to my family and friends and the 10+ jars that are still in my refrigerator:  

I preserved:  24 quarts of tomatoes, 13 quarts of tomato sauce, 10 pints of tomato paste, and an array of artisans jams and jellies such as Zucchini with Peppers, Pine Nuts and Spices; Savory Peach Chutney; Spicy Dill Relish; Apple with Lemon and Cinnamon; Pumpkin with Vanilla; Pear Jam with Vanilla Bean and Honey; Apple with the Flavors of Alsace; Dill Zucchini Spears; Confetti Relish; Wild Blueberry Jam; Strawberry Preserves; Vineyard Peach and Pear with Grand Marnier; Strawberries with Pinot Noir and Spices; Spiced Brandied Cherries; Cherry Preserves; Cantalope with Citrus and  Candied Ginger; and a huge batch of pesto.

You get the picture :)  

Also in my freezer are 10 pounds of blueberries, the blanched kernels off two dozen ears of corn, raspberries and strawberries. 

I had so much fun this summer learning how to can and preserve this amazing produce at the peak of its freshness and flavor.  And I'm not done yet :)  I brought back to Texas with me a couple of pie pumpkins, a peck of Ida Red Apples and a peck of Honey Crisp Apples.  No...I am definitely not done ;)

Michigan tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste

Wiley's Farm

The only way to begin my Pure Michigan blog is to tell you about Wiley's Farm.  Wiley's is a real family farm.  Caroline and Matt Wiley bought the farm in 1954; she was 19, he was 21; and they have been farming it ever since.  Matt died unexpectedly in November 2011 and Caroline and her son Kurt now run the farm.  

I love this place.  It's only three miles from my house and I was there every couple of days this past summer and the summer before as well, buying whatever seasonal crop they had in the shed.  I made some delicious meals with Wiley's produce this summer.  Unfortunately, I didn't document much of that.  But you can be certain, next summer I will!  

And the produce is amazing!  Their fresh asparagus is probably the best vegetable I've ever eaten in my life.  Since I don't have a garden anymore, this is where I shop for (and pick) my vegetables.  They grow asparagus, blueberries, peaches, pears, zucchini, spinach, kale, cucumbers, broccoli, many different varieties of peppers, tomatoes, corn, tomatillos, eggplant, new potatoes, green and yellow beans, cauliflower, apples, pumpkins, melons, many varieties of squash, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, lettuces, cabbage, beets and gorgeous zinnias, And they have laying hens which produce the best eggs.  Caroline was kind enough to let me work in the shed and the gardens, helping out.  That was so much fun for me.  I got my gardening fix while being outside in the gorgeous Michigan summer.  

In addition to being a trusted, local source for food, Caroline has become a friend.  She is the first friend I've made in Michigan. She is a wonderful, kind woman and I will miss her when we leave.  

Here are a few photos of Wiley's Farm.  With this wonderful place nearly in my back yard, why would I want to have a garden? :)

Ginger - the Great Pyrenees 

See what I mean? :)