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Posts from the ‘Sauces’ Category

Feb 21

Pears window 10.12RKW_4068
2 Comments

Just right Pear Butter

A large ripe box of fruit, especially pears sitting on the counter is like a heavy dollar in a kids pocket at the candy store.

Fruit is my candy, I love it most when it’s enveloped in a warm layer of sugar and spices fresh from the oven or dried and chewy with its sweet autumn flavors concentrated in each bite.

This year I decided to expand my appreciation and try pear butter. With cold snap of winter ebbing and flowing this November I look to comforts and the smells of mulled cider and chi permeating the kitchen. I like to remember that cozy feeling when I was a kid, coming in from play outside in the cold and smelling the nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves filling the air during the holiday times. So naturally, I put on a pot of hot apple cider with mulling spices warming my memories and continuing the tradition for my family.

I do enjoy apple butter and mostly I’ve purchased it with the only ingredients being apples and apple juice. But for the pear butter I thought it would be nice to add those comforting spices so we can enjoy them even after the cold has gone.

RKW_4282 more pears

Pear Butter with Autumn Spices

yield: 5 half pints

6 lbs of ripe organic pears, peeled, cored and sliced into small pieces
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

RKW_4375

Combine pears, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and spices (ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg) in a heavy pot and bring to a simmer over medium/high heat stirring often. Once at a simmer reduce heat and continue to stir.


Put a spoon in the refrigerator to chill, for use later.

After an hour or so remove the pot from the heat and blend pear mixture with an immersion blender, in the pot. Or use a potato ricer, or if cooled regular blender. Blending until desired consistency.

Once blended, bring pear mixture back to a simmer over medium/high heat for 20 minutes more or until the butter will mound on the back of the chilled spoon.

Prepare your canning bath and supplies…

Ladle pear butter into sterilized jars, remembering to leave 1/4 head space, check for air bubbles with a wooden chopsitck, wipe rims with a sterilized cloth and place lids on top.

Process jars in boiling hot water for 10 minutes, remove and let rest for 24 hours.

Extras:

Great on toasted bread, atop oatmeal, ice cream. A great addition to quick breads, muffins and cakes for added moisture.
A wonderful hostess or holiday gift to give, add a tea towel and your favorite recipe, for a gift from the heart.

Enjoy!

Head Shot RachelleRachelle@ Caramelize Life

Feb 1

L to R: Jalapeño-Tomato, Salsa Verde & Red Cayenne Salsa
8 Comments

Salsa Mia ~ Beat the Chill with Garden Spice

This weekend we will enjoy a community salsa and chili contest: “Beat the Chill Chili & Salsa Cook-Off.”

And the chill must be beat.  Until this week, the temperature has not crested zero in about three months.  I begin to wonder if the garden was all just a dream…

The pantry proves that the sweet dream was in fact real.  Seven varieties of tomato and tomatillo salsas still stock the canning shelves, some made with orange and yellow heirlooms, others packed with fresh cilantro and lime, still others combining smoked peppers with dark brandy wines.  One of these lucky salsas just may enter our community cook off.  (For our readers local to the Methow Valley, enter the contest to benefit our Methow Valley Community Center, February 2.)

Of all the salsa recipes created and tested through the years, above all I’d like to share the tried and true tomato salsa.  I’ve landed on this one as solid and adaptable ~ the ratios are reliable for water bath canning and depth of flavor is guaranteed.

Heirlooms of Autumn

Heirlooms of Autumn

2012 garden

2012 garden tomatoes & tomatillos

L to R: Jalapeño-Tomato, Salsa Verde & Red Cayenne Salsa

Left to right: Jalapeño-Tomato, Salsa Verde & Red Cayenne Salsa

~ Tried & True Tomato Salsa ~

Some prefer a thick and chunky salsa, in which case, seed the tomatoes.  Others prefer a thinner salsa for which you can leave the seeds.  This recipe works for either.

The instructions are for a “max batch,” designed to fill the water canner with 7 full quarts or multiple batches of pints.  Cut the recipe in half for smaller amounts of vegetables.

Hopefully your garlic is plentiful and punchy for this recipe.  I find the spicyness of garlic to be one of the most important flavors in good salsa.  Our garlic was happily bedded down in the fall, and last summer’s crop is still in use, but I’ve found that the garden garlic we dried is also workable and very punchy.

Cilantro is easy to grow on a constant basis.  It grows very quickly, and can be reseeded throughout the year indoors.  Cilantro is entirely useful, roots, stems, seeds, leaves and all!

When in comes to cumin, purchasing fresh seed is necessary.  Pre-ground cumin is always disappointing and a recipe like this takes the full-on flavor of the spice to stand up to competitors like onion and vinegar.

The same is true of sea salt ~ an area where the cook should not skimp.  Especially in canning recipes, the stronger sea salt is vastly different from standard table salt.

A final note about jalapeño peppers: gauge their spice level partially on their maturity.  A pepper of full maturity will have “veins” of white stretching vertically from base to stem.  Without these, you may still have a spicy pepper, but a taste test is advised.

Tomato Salsa, Max Batch

24 large tomatoes

6 cups onions

30 cloves garlic

12 + jalapeño peppers

1 ½ cups red wine or cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh ground cumin seed

1 teaspoon dried red pepper to taste (optional)

2 teaspoons ground sea salt (more or less to taste)

Bunches of fresh cilantro, at least 1 1/2 cups, preferably 3 cups

~Dice all vegetables in batches in a food processor; use gloves when handling peppers if you find it necessary, and be careful not to touch face or eyes.

~Combine all ingredients besides cilantro in a large sauce pot; bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes; then add chopped cilantro (its delicate construction loses flavor if boiled much, but more benefits flavor).

~Taste for spice and salt content; adjust with dried red pepper.

~Process in a boiling water canner 25 minutes for quarts, 15 minutes for pints.

Note: the ratios in this recipe are specific to preserving.  If you wish to eat your salsa fresh, use less vinegar, some to taste or none at all.  

Yield: 7 quarts or 14 pints

Stay warm and enjoy!

Love from our table to yours, Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Salsa Trio

Salsa Trio

Dec 19

DSCF4359
2 Comments

Cookie Classics

Long ago I swore off cookie and candy baking because of one unescapable reality: I could happily live on these foods alone.

There are only two qualifiers that call for such activities; one, if it’s the Christmas season and two, if I am pregnant.  Currently both qualifications are met so treats abound!

After producing these batches, some improvisations and others classic recipes from the Swedish lineage, it was gratifying to see so many ingredients in use from preserves of the summer.  Among these are dried apricots, apple-maple jam and rhubarb sauce.  In the fruit bar recipe here, the flavors of these preserves prove magnificent.

Expecting, for me, means sickness, and often eating doesn’t happen until post lunch time.  The tea and cookie brunch is one solution, and the cookie cocktail makes for a sort of insta-party.  Morning sickness doesn’t stand a chance against butterballs and fruit bars.  I am thus determined.

front to back: apricot, rhubarb, apple-maple bars

front to back: apricot, rhubarb and apple-maple bars

Breakfast with cocktail ~

Breakfast with cocktail ~

These three recipes comprise three Swedish generations of holiday treat baking, one from myself, one from my mama and one from her mother.  Grandma Rene’s is authentically Swedish whereas the other two are simply yummy creations made by we with Swedish heritage.

~ Butterballs (Swedish Grandma’s Recipe) ~

With her grand dinner parties, gracious hostessing and Swedish cooking ~ any recipe from Rene is a sure winner.  So it is with these ever so tasty butterballs.  My mother emailed the recipe, along with the potato starch cookie classic which I’ll have to share, and we had excellent results.  These cookies qualify for the ‘anytime, anywhere’ list.

The cookie produced will be subtle yet rich in flavor.  It is a basic cookie at face value, but that would be underestimating the delectable treat.  At first I was worried about the small measure of sugar that it requires, but I would not change the recipe a bit.  For this one, I encourage no modifications for perfectly balanced, nutty, buttery consistency.

1 cup butter

4 Tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifter flour

1 cup chopped nuts

1-2 cups powdered sugar

~Cream butter; add sugar and beat until light; add vanilla and beat again

~Add flour and mix well; fold in chopped nuts.

~Shape into small balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 15-18 minutes on 350º F or until just firm and beginning to golden.

~Roll in powdered sugar while still warm; allow to cool before serving.

DSCF4361

~ Fruit Bar Cookies with Preserves ~

I toke a classic, simple bar cookie recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook and created three different new fruit combinations.  Each of these (apricot-date, apple-maple and rhubarb) came from the pantry, produced from garden and gathering in the sweet summer months.  And each can be reproduced or replaced if desired.

1 cup flour (I use Bluebird Grain Farms flour here)

1 cup oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1 recipe fruit filling

~Combine first four ingredients in a bowl and mix well; chunk cold butter into flour mixture and blend with a pastry blender or food processor until resembling course sand.

~Reserve 1/2 cup pastry mixture and set aside; with remaining pastry mixture, spread on bottom of an ungreased 9 x 9 ” baking dish or pan; mash down to one even layer.

~Top first cookie layer evenly with fruit filling of choice; sprinkle remaining pastry mixture on top of fruit.

~Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until top crust begins to brown.

Apple-Maple Fruit Filling

I used my recipe for apple-maple jam, found on the preserves page (Canned & Preserved 2012), but here is a simple sauce  that approximates the jam recipe.

1 1/2 cup apples (preferable a tart variety) peeled and cored

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup maple syrup

pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

~Bring apples and water to a boil and reduce to simmer for 3 minutes; add maple and spices and simmer for a couple minutes more; thicken with flour if desired; cool slightly and spread evenly on first cooking layer.

Apricot-Date Fruit Filling

1 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped dates

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

~Chop apricots; bring apricots to a boil in water and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until soft; add sugar and flour and simmer for a couple minutes more; remove from heat and add dates; spread on top of first cookie layer.

Rhubarb Fruit Filling

Using rhubarb sauce is just fine for this version; see the recipe at article The Barb is On.  I used rhubarb from the freezer that I had washed and chopped this summer.  Here’s the quick cook down sauce that maintains some of the chunky freshness of the barb.

1 1/2 cups rhubarb

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons flour

~Using a small sauce pot, boil water and rhubarb and reduce to a simmer; add sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes; add flour as needed to thicken and simmer a minute more; cool slightly and spread evenly on first cookie layer.

DSCF4353

~ Peanut Butter Tiger Fudge ~

Super quick, fun to make with children and universally popular, this family recipe is one we make every year.  It is easy to modify to your liking, i.e. remove or switch out nuts, coat with dark chocolate, light, or none at all.  It seems to get eaten faster than any other holiday treat, regardless of the latest version.  And if you are in a rush to produce some fast candy, this recipe is a sinch with no baking involved.

1 lb. candy coating (almond bark)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup walnuts or other nuts

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

~Melt coating in a saucepan over medium neat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and nuts.

~Fit tin foil to a shallow baking pan or two such as cake pans; spread candy mixture evenly to coat, about 1/4 inch.

~With spoonfuls of warm chocolate, spread in zig-zag patterns over top of candy mixture.

~Chill for 1 hour +; remove from refrigeration and cut or break into two inch pieces; store refrigerated or at room temperature.

Love from our kitchen to yours!  ~Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Oct 10

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5 Comments

Saucing the Whole Tomato

The tomato is truly one of the finest edible creations.  And the succulence of the garden ripe heirlooms we’ve been picking urges me to use every little bit of the fruit.

Finding a way to use seeds, skins and all is also my preference in terms of nutrition content.  Peel a tomato, and the best nutrients are thrown away.

When faced with an enormous quantity of tomatoes, it takes some good recipes to accomplish the goal of wasting naught.  From this year’s garden harvest I’ve done everything from sun dried, to salsas, bruscetta toppings to gespatio.

But the vast majority of the tomatoes are getting roasted in the oven for plentiful sauce through winter.

Heirlooms

In previous years, there were many hours spent peeling, seeding and cooking that marinara base down until it reduces by half, watching, monitoring, stirring and waiting.  But, no more.

This year I have cut my marinara production time by about 1/4 with this easy, slow roast oven method that turns out a delicious sauce every time.

It seems that the reasons for this sauce’s success lie in 1) the use of the entire fruit and 2) a slight caramelizing of the tomatoes on low temperature that lends the roasty flavor and yet preserves the fresh tomato taste.

~ Oven Roasted Tomatoes ~

5-7 lb.s tomatoes

8-10 cloves garlic

small bunch of fresh basil

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Tomato roast complete and ready to blend

Crush garlic easily by using the palm against the flat side of a chef’s knife, pressing to release the oils.

Note: The ratios of this recipe are designed for two standard sized baking sheets.

1~ Preheat oven for 225F.  Wash and drain tomatoes; remove stems and any large imperfections.

2~ Cut tomatoes in 1/2 inch slices and lay flat, packing tightly on parchment lined baking trays.

2~ Crush garlic slightly and place atop tomatoes.

4~ Drizzle olive oil over all and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

5~ Bake for 2 1/2 hours and remove from heat.

6~ You may 1) add the roasted tomatoes with fresh basil as is to your favorite pasta or 2) do the additional step of blending for a marinara.  If 2, then wait for tomatoes to cool enough to handle and blend with fresh basil until smooth in a blender or food processor.

7~ Serve and enjoy fresh, or store by freezing or boiling water canner for 25 minutes at full boil.

Yield: about 4 quarts 

Love from our garden kitchen to yours! Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Sauce with a serious thickness

 

Oct 2

Smoked Kind Salmon, Chèvre and Apricot Date Chutney Crostini
2 Comments

Caramelize Life Cooking Class @ Sun Mountain Lodge

It was quite a joy teaching garden to table, Methow based cooking to visitors from around the country this month.

We were invited by Methow Arts Alliance to beautiful Sun Mountain Lodge where I taught original recipes and methods while Rachelle took fabulous photos and video while we prepped.  Our attendants asked for full recipes and photos published on our site, so this article includes methods for all that we made in class.

Luckily for us at the time, the garden was at it’s height, so most all of the ingredients we used were pulled straight from the backyard.  Heirloom tomatoes, hericot vert, fresh herbs, a chèvre selection from Sunny Pine Farm and my husband’s Columbia River King Smoked Salmon received praise all around for a delightful light-fare meal we all enjoyed.

About Sun Mountain Lodge

Honored for many years with it’s five star, four diamond status, Sun Mountain draws visitors to the Methow from around the globe.  Exquisite natural beauty as well as world class skiing and trail sports make the mountain a prime destination.  The best in fine dining is guaranteed at Sun Mountain, but what we particularly appreciate is the chef’s use of local, organic ingredients in their culinary creations.  Check out their menu for great inspiration.

~ Introduction to Gourmet, Garden to Table Methow Cooking ~

A Collaboration of Caramelize Life, Methow Arts and Sun Mountain Lodge

We are Caramelize Life: Making Life Sweeter through Cooking, Travel and Community

We are Methow Valley mothers, cooks, gardeners, photographers and writers publishing original recipes and bringing the magic of Methow foods to readers and students around the world.

We write realtime narratives, methodologies and recipes weekly in articles showcasing locally grown foods, heritage and community ~ each of them organic and self-sustaining in philosophy and heart.  In everything we write, photograph, teach and create, we’re seeking to make life a little sweeter.

MENU

~Methow Harvest Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto Dressing and Handcrafted Twisp River Feta

~Crostini with Columbia River King Smoked Salmon, Local Goat Cheese & Apricot-Date Chutney

RECIPES

~ Tomato & Baby Green Bean Salad with Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto & Feta Cheese ~

3 lb.s Tomatoes, seeded and diced

2-3 lb.s Hericot-Vert, flash boiled and diced

1 head Romaine or other hearty green

1 cup Crumbed Feta Cheese

Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto Dressing (see below)

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Heirlooms, basil and beans for the salad

~ Lemon-Pepper-Almond Pesto Dressing ~

1 Recipe Pesto Sauce

Juice of 1 Lemon

2 Tablespoons E.V. Olive Oil

Fresh Basil Leaves

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

~Chiffonade basil (stack 7-8 leaves, roll them in a tube and fine slice, 1/4- inch, at a diagonal) and set aside.

~Juice lemon into a jar or small bowl and add olive oil, pesto, salt and pepper.

~ Combine with basil and serve.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Pesto Sauce

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves & Flowers

3+ Cloves Garlic

1/3 cup Roasted Nuts (we recommend almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds)

1/2 cup Parmasean Cheese, grated

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

~Blend nuts and garlic in a food processor until finely ground, but not sticking.

~Add cheese, salt, pepper and basil and blend until smooth.

~With machine running, slowly pour olive oil through feed tube to emulsify.

~Serve on salads and pastas, in marinaras, soups, dressings or  sandwich spreads.

Yield: about 6 servings

~ Smoked Salmon Crostini with Goat Cheese & Apricot-Date Chutney ~

1 Baguette (we used the Mazama Store‘s superb french style)

2 Tablespoons each, melted Butter & Extra Virgin Olive Oil, combined

Soft Goat Cheese, about 8 oz.

6-8 oz. Smoked Salmon

1/2 pint Apricot Date Chutney

Fresh Italian Parsley

~Slice baguette on the diagonal into 1/2 inch pieces and place on a sheet pan; drizzle olive oil and butter mixture over bread and toast in the oven at 350 F for about 7 minutes; remove from heat and set aside to cool.

~Spoon about 1 teaspoon spreadable goat cheese on each piece of bread.

~Top each crostini with 1/2 teaspoon smoked salmon.

~Garnish with a 1/4 teaspoon chutney and a sprig of parsley or serve with chutney on side.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Georgina’s preserves, and the nectar rules. See our index of recipes on our page, Canned and Preserved 2012

~ Apricot-Date Chutney ~

6 1/2 cups Fresh, Ripe Apricots

2 1/2 cups pitted Dates

2 1/2 cups Golden Raisins

1 Tablespoon Salt

2 teaspoons ground Ginger

1 teaspoon ground Coriander

2 cups White Wine Vinegar

2 cups Water

Pint or Half-Pint Canning Jars

New Lids, Bands

~Wash, pit and chop apricots in 1/2 inch pieces.

~Combine apricots and remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer and allow mixture to thicken, stirring frequently.

~Ladle hot chutney into hot jars, leaving 1/4-1/2 inch headspace; clean rims, adjust hot lids and bands.

~Process for 10 minutes at a rolling boil in a boiling-water canner.

~Remove from canner and tighten bands; let sit for 12+ hours to seal.

~Shelve your chutney for three weeks at a minimum, 6 ideally.

Yield: 12 half-pints or six pints

~ Columbia River King Salmon ~ Smoked & Preserved ~ 

Recipe coming soon on caramelizelife.com

Love from our kitchen to yours, Georgina @ Caramelize Life

 

Sep 6

Nectar complete: not to be opened until the snow falls.
19 Comments

Sweet Ambrosia: Canning Apricot Nectar

One of the simplest and most rewarding canning recipes, apricot nectar is true ambrosia.  Ambrosia refers to the mythical “food of the gods,” a heavenly honey-sweet nectar akin to “mana.”  Apricot nectar fits the bill with it’s nearly divine status in the pantry and it’s massive nutrient content for the body.

To our family’s great satisfaction, the garden is lush at summer’s end and brimful of harvestable fruits and vegetables.  At this time in the season, writing goes by the wayside while I preserve our bounty for winter.  Many of us reflect at this time that if production recipes aren’t happening every day, we’re getting behind.  So, beginning with this canning recipe, I will share as much as possible the delectable preserve recipes that are going up now from garden to pantry.

I learned to make this recipe growing up (and steal it from the cellar) from my dear friend’s mother, Beautiful-Betts.  It never fails to please and includes the wonderful necessity of a hand crank food mill.

Betsy was one of those rare super-moms of the ’70s.  Raising four children miles from any town in the north woods of Okanogan County, she prided herself on completely home-grown, self sufficient living ~ from dispensing with running water and electricity to canning meats raised on their farm.  Meals at Betsy’s house might consist of giant buckwheat pancakes with straight molasses for breakfast or a gooseberry pie for a treat.  Everything eaten was grown in the yard or gathered from a friend.

I asked her once why she did it.  Her response: “to prove to myself that I could.”   She’s the mountain mama I look up to as I preserve apricots each year.

Fresh picked apricots

Now a professional chef and baking professor at Edmonds College, Betsy Buford has been a pastry chef at fine Seattle restaurants including Falling Waters, Ray’s Boathouse, and Campagne as well as at Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop.  Betsy taught me about the spirituality of food as a kid.  Grow it, harvest it, can it or cook it, and feed it to your family without apologies but with loving appreciation ~ that’s the joy of cooking.  And, cooking without devices to cook for you is not only an accomplishment in self-sufficiency, it is immensely satisfying for the soul.  This recipe captures all of those spiritual aspects of cooking.

Apricots are bountiful mid- to end of summer.  Many trees in the Methow Valley’s semi-arid, high mountain climate are ancient and laden with fruit.  Huge, knarly branches bend under the weight of apricots, dripping golden, pink and crimson orange hues in a variety of flavors.  Some cots can be subtle in taste yet substantial in size, while others are tiny (1 ½ in. diameter) but pack so much flavor that they are more than worth the effort of picking and processing.  I have two such trees in our yard, but I’ve found that any cots will work well for nectar.  If you do not have a tree immediately near, try your farmer’s market for fresh organic cots.  One or our favorite local growers for purchase is Smallwood Farms.

Nectar complete: not to be opened until the snow falls.

One beauty of this recipe is that it is entirely malleable to your taste; no sugar or sweetener is needed, but the recipe is very responsive to added acidity or sugar depending on your cot.  I choose to cook the fruit down, but Betsy also made a raw pack version of the nectar that is excellent.  The water bath boil time of 25 minutes makes either a hot or raw pack possible.

But the most satisfying part of this recipe?  Taking a swig in winter is like a mouthful of fresh picked apricots in the heat of summer.  Enjoy!

NOTE:  A word or two about hand-crank food mills.  There are a couple varieties on the market and many work well, however, my favorite for efficiency is the old fashioned cone shaped food mill.

~ Apricot Nectar ~

Fresh apricots​​​

​​​Hand-crank food mill

Water​​​​​​​​

6-7 quart size mason jars

New sealing lids, bands

Sugar or honey, to taste

Fresh lemon juice, to taste

~ Your apricots need not be perfect.  After rinsing them, pit and cut any brown bits or buggy parts inside the cot.  Don’t worry about marks on the skin as they will be pressed and discarded.  In this way, the recipe maximizes as much of the fruit as possible, capturing all pulp and flavor for maximum nutrition.

~ Fill your largest sauce pot to the brim with apricots and add enough water (at least 1/3 of the pot) to account for moisture loss and to prevent sticking; Cook on medium heat until all fruit is softened.

~ Place your food mill over a large bowl and have a couple other bowls on hand.  Fill the mill with cooked apricots, cranking both clockwise and counter clockwise and repeat until all juice is extracted and you’ve pressed down the pulp as much as possible.  Return all to the sauce pot.

~ Add honey or sugar and lemon juice to taste.  Traditionally I have not added water, but prefer the pure thick nectar, however most people do prefer it watered down somewhat.  Experiment to your liking, then bring the nectar to a simmer and can your nectar.  (The less the fruit is cooked, the more nutrients are retained.)

~ Preserving Nectar ~

~ While you are processing the apricots, start your boiling water canner on high and boil quart jars to sanitize for 10 minutes.

~ Pour boiling water over new lids and bands and let sit.

~ Remove jars from hot water bath.  Fill each jar with nectar to within ½ in head space.  In case of splatter, wipe jar rims clean with a wet, hot towel and lid them, screwing bands to finger tip tightness.

~ Process in hot water bath at a full boil for 25 minutes.  Remove from water and tighten bands.  Let stand untouched for 12+ hours to set.

~ Put up in the pantry for yumminess all year long.

Love from our pantry to yours!  Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Pantry goodness: (top left to bottom right) Tomatillo-Jalepeno Salsa, Honey, Plum Jam, Apricot Nectar, Apricot-Date Chutney, Apple Butter.

Jul 30

Mint Julep with mint cocktail ice cubes
4 Comments

Mint Julep ~ Swedish Grandma’s Best & the Derby Drink

A fresh and cool summer cocktail delight, the Mint Julep has a lovely history.

It’s also the official beverage of the Kentucky Derby!  In graduate school, I was bored with the beverage flavors common to East Coast soirees (i.e. the standard gin martini or local brew), so I started researching cocktail recipes.  Specifically, I was interested in liqueres and more esoteric drinks with a history.

Alcohol based beverages have been an art-form at various times in culinary history, often being prized for their flavors in small samples.

The Mint Julep was a curious one I heard of from a friend.  Calling on the best gourmet chef I knew, my Swedish Grandmother Irene Nelson, I was given her old-school, delicious recipe.

Garden pickings for cocktail ice cubes ~ mint, columbine, strawberries and camomile

Grandma Rene was famous for throwing fantastic dinner parties, quietly, gracefully presenting only the best.  She was meticulous in the art of homemaking ~ sewed her own cloths and her children’s, grew her vegetables and cooked everything from scratch.  By age 40, Rene was also reaping the benefits of her husband’s financial success, and was fortunate to spend the money and time to make each meal an exquisite, artistic creation.  Her artistic palate and sensitivity to beauty made each beverage and meal something her guests would look forward to.

Like our grandmothers, at Caramelize Life we like to cook seasonally.  When the mint is green and prolific in the herb garden as it is now, one should make mint juleps!

I embellished the recipe a bit by picking some edible flowers, herbs and fruit from the garden and freezing them for this and other cocktails.

Mint leaves work great frozen in ice cube trays or small tupperware.  Mint cubes can be used in summer iced tea, juleps, fruit beverages, as can fresh camomile and bitty strawberries.   If mint and strawberries aren’t growing in your garden, locally in the Methow, they are available fresh at Glover Street Market or growing live at Local 98856.  I froze the columbine as a large ornamental ice cube to go in big bowls of summer fruit punch.

Dandelion, strawberry and mint cocktail cubes

Mint Julep with Swedish Vodka, dandelion and mint cocktail cubes

~ Mint Julep ~

from Grandma Irene Nelson

8-10 fresh mint leaves

1 Tablespoon sugar

Ice, crushed or cocktail cubes

2 1/2 ounces bourbon

Splash Simple Syrup, recipe follows

Sprig of mint or two, for garnish

~Place mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of a tall cocktail or beer glass; with the handle of a wooden spoon, mash the leaves to extract the flavor.

~Fill the glass with crushed or cubed ice; pour in the bourbon and top with a splash of simple syrup.

~With your same wooden spoon handle, shake (do not stir ~ just like 007) to chill and mix.

~Garnish with a sprig of mint, and enjoy.

Yield: 1 cocktail

Mint Julep with mint cocktail ice cubes

~ Simple Syrup ~

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

~ Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cooking until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and cool completely.

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups simple syrup

Love from our kitchen to yours, Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Jul 26

DSCF3918
9 Comments

Columbia River Sockeye Off the Hook

The Sockeye Salmon numbers in the Methow Valley region are off the hook!  Or, to be exact, they’re on our hooks.

Currently, there are over 20,000 Sockeye being observed and recorded over the Columbias Well’s Damm ~ per day.  Wells is a check-point for salmon between headwaters and the ocean.  These fish are counted by live people ~  24 hours a day.

Largely a wild run fishery,  the vast number of salmon are making national news and statistical records.  This high mountain river run is one of the last of it’s kind in the entire country for wild river fish.

That’s according to our resident expert, my husband Wes, who is a Fisheries Biologist here in the Methow Valley for the Department of the Interior (U.S. Geological Survey).  The sockeye percentage alone has increased in number to over 350% over the last ten years.  That is fantastic news in terms of river health, and reflects positively on Dam management of fish populations.

Fresh garden herbs and butter for salmon garnish

Sockeye salmon and other wild fish run up the Columbia River to the the Okanogan River, then travel up to Lake Osoyus, B.C., to the Columbia’s origination.  Wes mentioned after a successful day of fishing this week that the Okanogan River is truly impressive, even on an international level.  It provides a major salmon resource for recreational anglers and Tribal sources.

Sockeye, Summer Chinook, and Stealhead are among the finest fish we gather locally for creating fresh, gourmet cuisine.  But among those, fresh Sockeye are really the cream of the crop ~ in our humble opinion.

Herb~butter, sockeye and ground Brittany Grey salt

The Columbia River real time data access gives up to date statistics on fish to catch: http://www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/

After a good catch the last few days, we have 8 large Sockeye fillets in the freezer and tasted one off the grill last night.  We grilled Sockeye fillets and tossed fresh baby green beans with cherry tomatoes from the garden.

~ Grilled Sockeye with Herb Butter ~

1 large sockeye salmon fillet

bunches of fresh herbs ~ Dill, oregano, chives, basil, terragon (you may also substitute your preferred combo of fresh herbs ~ rosemary, mint, sage, cilantro are good options).

3 Tablespoons butter

~Coat the fillet in extra virgin olive oil, top and bottom; sprinkle with fresh ground sea salt and pepper.

~Place fish on preheated grill, skin up, and seer for about 2 minutes; turn the fish skin down and seer for 5-7 minutes more.

~Remove from grill and top with herb-butter.

~ Green Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad with Feta & Herb~Lemon Vinaigrette ~

1 lb. fresh green beans

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup crumbled feta

~Boil 1 pound of green beans for 5 mintues then rinse in cool water; cut into 1 inch lengths.

~Toss with 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes and the lemon dressing and top with feta.

Herb~Lemon Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cloves minced garlic

chopped fresh basil, about 1/2 cup

salt & pepper to taste

Jun 11

DSCF3402
8 Comments

Bar-B-Q Star ~ Meat & Greens as Main Course

When your salad side dish recipes are exhausted, make that plethora of greens the main course.

Spring brings with it a renewed palate, ready for pure, light fare from the garden and farm.  This entree salad recipe hits the mark.

After heavier foods in the colder months, I enjoy the simplicity of a non-carb meal.  My body thanks me too.

Spinach “stars,” Crown S Ranch beef and delicious lime-cilantro dressing

I could name this recipe “wedding salad,” since it was one I had designed for our celebration.  It obviously went over well with guests at Spring Creek Ranch, since not a speck remained after our party.

Ah, the many joys of this salad.  I’ll begin with the beef: locally grown, organic grass-fed top sirloin or tenderloin from our friends at  Crown S Ranch.

Crown S Ranch beef, grilled medium~rare

The greens: picked fresh from the garden, spinach, lettuce, kale, chard or a combination all work well as the salad bed.

The dressing: the spike of citrus, garden flesh cilantro, black beans, corn and sweet peppers top the meat and greens perfectly.

An additional perk: this meal only takes about 1/2 hour to prepare.

Perk number two: the color and presentation are beautiful.

The Dressing: sweet peppers, lime, cilantro, olive oil, black beans and corn

~Meat and Greens Recipe~

1 lb. + Tenderloin or Top Sirloin

Big bunch of greens: lettuce, spinach and kale are my preferences for this salad

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup coursely chopped cilantro

2 Tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

1/4 cup black beans

1/4 cup corn

1/4 cup sweet bell pepper, chopped in 1/4 inch pieces

1~ Trim meat and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Grill meat on high heat, turning once.  Be careful not to let it get over done ~ the beef will keep cooking for a few minutes after it’s removed from the grill.  Set aside to cool.

2~ Combine all ingredients for dressing.  Add beans, corn and peppers to dressing to soak up flavors.

3~ Make a bed of greens for each plate.  Creating a pattern with your greens enhances presentation.

4~ Cut the meat just as thinly as possible and place over greens.

5~ Pour an ample portion of dressing-bean combo over each serving.  Finish with fresh cilantro if desired and serve.

Yeild: about 4 entree sized servings

Love from our kitchen to yours!  Georgina @ Caramelize Life

Stars of the Bar-B-Q

Jun 5

Plum jam of perfect consistency.
9 Comments

Canning Planning

As the heat comes on, canning planning kick~starts the garden inspiration.

Getting organized before the bounty begins is a great way of utilizing all the produce you can and taking pleasure in each step along the way.  Done lovingly and diligently, preserving foods can be one of the greatest joys in the kitchen.

Considerations: 1) your planned garden harvest,  2) a local grandmother or Master Gardener who can give you the best advice when you need it for preserving foods, 3) all your locations for gathering wild fruits and 4) what you’d like to search for by barter or perusing your Farmer’s Market for prime purchases.

Our local source for expert advice in the garden, conveniently called Local 98856, has posted an article this week on their top picks of plants to put in the garden right now, suitable for preserving fruits and veggies:  Our Favorites for Preserving.  The Local’s website shares highly useful and timely garden information on a weekly basis ~ it’s our expert source, aside from mothers and neighbors.

Beautiful Beats ~ ready for pickling early in the season

I make a goal each year of either growing, gathering or bartering all necessary ingredients for my canned food (aside from a few exotic spices).  Barter takes a little networking, a lot of talking about gardens and fruit, and perhaps an offering of your goods, but it is rewarding and sustainable for the community.  For all else, I hit the local farmer’s markets for organic goods.

Folks can be very grateful for a picker to maintain the health of their tree.  Some people aren’t in physical shape to pick the fruit anymore or just may not have the time.  If you put the word out, you might be amazed at the number of untended fruit trees out there just dripping with goodness.  Bringing children along to pick is an added bonus for the whole family.

Rhubarb is an early harvest for jams, chutneys and sauces.

On the Canning Planning Menu ~ my list usually begins with strawberries, asparagus, beans, beats, herbs and rhubarb.

With the strawberries ripe in the garden and the rhubarb taking off before most anything, strawberry-rhubarb jam, pie filling and chutney are prime choices at the top of the list.  Early spring also brings asparagus, so delicious pickled and preserved.

Beans ~ an early pickler for canning

Planting Possibilities Now for Early Canning:

~Fruit Chutneys such as rhubarb

~Herbs (basil for pesto, and for freezing or drying, basil, oregano, mint, rosemary….etc.)

~Peaches

~Pickled Asparagus (bountiful right now, see previous post: What’s For Dinner)

~Pickled Beans

~Pickled Beats

~Pie fillings (Strawberry or Rhubarb)

~Strawberry Jams, Jellies and Compotes

(When harvest is timely, we have recipes ready to post for all referenced here.)

Often by early to mid-summer, fresh herbs are ample.  I begin making pesto as bunches of basil are ready to snip.  If you’ve planted garlic the previous fall, the timing should be just right for also using your own fresh garlic in the pesto.  Pesto is preserved very well in small freezer batches.  (When it comes to harvest time, we’ll post some full proof pesto recipes:)

In warmer climates, processing your tomatoes can start as early as summer, but in our Methow Valley of the  North Cascades, it is a long wait for ripe ones.  Gauge when your harvest will be based on your climate and plan from there (see previous post, Spring Seedlings: Coast to Coast).

Tomatoes and tomatillos are key to canning in our family.  To satisfy our lust for spice, I make about four-five dozen quarts of salsa varieties each Fall.  The salsas are eaten fresh with morning burritos and casadillas, they go into baked mexican dinners and grace omelets, egg scrambles and sandwich spreads.  Despite planning for this amount of salsa and canning those many dozens, we still run out.  Thus, the canning planning begins now!

For a tried and true  Salsa Verde recipe to put up your tomatillos and jalapeños, read the previous article, Fresh Fish and Zesty Salsa Warm Up Winter Nights.

Tomatillo and Jalapeño Salsa Verde, Tomato-Cilantro Salsa and dried Cayenne Peppers.

Finally, a word about plums.  They often ripen early, and their versatility tends to be underestimated.  Plum jam is a must-have for my children and goes a long way for sandwiches, crepe fillings and bases for meat glazes.

Plum syrup is another winner: pureed, sweetened, cooked and canned, it is a simple and affordable alternative to other syrups for breakfasts and deserts.  I similarly can apricot syrup and rhubarb sauce, adding minimal sugar and simmering low to thicken (will provided recipes for these as well).

Plum Syrup, Apricot Nectar, Apple Sauce, Salsas, Chutneys & Jams

Last year a little neighbor child came knocking on the door as I had just finished canning the plum syrup.  I offered a little sample jar for his family.  Soon, a stream of neighbor children were knocking on the door, referencing the first child’s gift.  I believe our plum syrup made it to every household in the neighborhood that day.  What a joy!

It is also sweetly inspiring to make the list ~ and check it off as your garden grows.

Love from our kitchen garden to yours ~ Georgina @ Caramelize Life

NOTE:  See the Ball Blue Book of Canning for guaranteed base recipes ~ it’s all you’ll need.

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