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Saturday, October 30, 2010

WHAT'S GREEN AND WEIGHS 30 POUNDS?

234 KIWI FRUIT!!

I picked the ones I could reach and there are probably hundreds more up there in the neighbor's vines that are choking out the trees that hang over my yard and fence.

These are hard and will take weeks to ripen, in the crisper drawer and / or stored in egg cartons in my unheated pantry. I have to pick them now before the frosts, rains, squirrels, and birds get to them. They usually ripen on the vines by December.

I still have kiwi-ginger marmalade from last season (or was it 2008?!) in my pantry. I'm thinking I will probably just eat these fresh, freeze some, and give away some. I have a little grand-nephew who is ga-ga over kiwi!




Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Walnuts!
When I lived in Eugene in the 1970s we were delighted to find English walnut trees growing everywhere. On every block you could find a tree with lots of walnuts under it for the taking. I visited Eugene last week and gathered some walnuts under a tree. These are for Theresie!


Lemon Marmalade


LEMON MARMALADE
· Use organic lemons, if you will.
· Cut the peel off of the lemon (s) in strips.  Try to get just the yellow part.
· Julienne the peel strips into thin pieces.
· Remove as much of the white pith as you can from the rest of the lemon (s).
· Slice the lemon bodies into thin slices (1/8").
· Put the lemon bits in a saucepan; for every 1 cup of lemon peel and slices, add 1 cup of water.
· Leave the lemon and water mixture to stand for 4 hours or overnight.
· Bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
· Add 1 cup of sugar per 1 cup of lemon / water mixture.
· Bring back to a boil. Be careful & keep heat low, since it will probably try to bubble up furiously.
· Simmer, stirring, another 30 minutes, with the lid off. I used a silicone spatula to stir down the sides.
· Test the marmalade: Put a little of the mixture into a cup and chill the cup in the freeze or in a cool water bath. If it is still real runny, cook it a little longer. Be careful not to scorch the marmalade.
· (If you want a very firm marmalade, you might want to add a little bit of liquid pectin - follow instructions on the package)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Torsk

No Photo! ( we ate it before I could take a picture)
In the 70s I found a recipe that Liv Ullman posted in a magazine, for what she called "Torsk, Noregian codfish casserole". It is just whitefish filets laid in a baking pan with tomatoes and green onions on top. I used frozen sole from TJs, with garden tomatoes and garden herbs strewn on top: garden celery, green onions, marjoram, parsley. Baked at 400° for about 15 minutes (until flakey.) Served with hot pearl rice.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Green Tomato Time!!

GREEN TOMATO RATATOUILLE:

This is how I made it:
I used 3 onions, peeled and chopped, about 3 pounds of green tomatoes chopped, and 1 whole head of garlic, peeled and sliced. I also added some red tomatoes. Roast in large roasting pan with oil until caramelized and soft. Add chopped fresh herbs: marjoram, garden celery, parsley, mint, thyme return to oven and roast 5 - 10 minutes more.

Orange Ginger Honey Marmalade

what to do with a big fat home grown orange from Steve & Carlos's tree in Rockridge:

This is from one orange!
For 1 orange, I used 1/4 cup honey, 1 T minced candied ginger, 2 T lemon juice, 1/4 cup water.
Remove & julienne peel. Remove & discard white pith. Slice orange flesh. Cook until clear and thick (low heat, about 30 minutes).

Baby Squash, Spinach Soup, Soft Boilt Egg


I pulled up all the remaining squash vines from the garden, and took off all the baby squashes and blossoms, including teeny tiny little fetal ones! Sautted them in a little olive oil and garlic, and set them on some spinach soup from the freezer that I had made a while ago. Topped with a soft boilt egg, cut lengthwise and spooned from the shell. A nice lunch on a sunny October afternoon!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Quince Paste & Hazelnut Crackers

Quince paste, hazelnut crackers, Spanish cheese


HAZELNUT CRACKERS

1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warmish water
1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup wholewheat pastry flour
1/4 cup gluten flour
1/2 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp. salt
6 T unsalted butter

· Slice the hazelnuts with a sharp knife.
· Toast the hazelnuts on a sheet in a 350° oven until slightly browned and fragrant.
· "Start" the yeast and the water in a cup.
· Whisk together the flours and the salt.
· Cut the butter into the flour, making a crumbly mixture, using a fork or fingers.
· Stir in the hazelnuts.
· Add the yeast/water a little at a time, until the dough just forms a ball.
· You may not need all the water, or you might need to add a little more.
· Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces.
· Roll the dough out as thinly as possible on a floured surface. (I used wax paper)
· Sprinkle sea salt on top. You could use water or egg wash to make it stick.
· Cut into cracker shapes. I used a ravioli wheel that has a curly edge.
· Prick the crackers all over with a fork.
· Place the crackers on a baking sheet and bake at 375° for about 10 minutes.
· Baking time might vary, based on the thickness of the crackers, etc.

QUINCE PASTE
Ripe quinces
Sugar
Water
·For every pound of quince, you will need approximately 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water.
·Make sure the quinces are ripe - let them stand on the counter until they are yellow and smell heavenly.
·Put the quinces in a sinkful of cool water and gently rub off the fuzz with a cloth or a soft brush.
·Cut up, peel, and core the quince, placing the pieces in a saucepan with the water and sugar.
·Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the quince is soft.
Run the cooked quince through a food mill or puree in a food processor.
Return to the saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat, until it is deep red and thick.
·Spread the paste in a prepared pan, with parchment on the bottom (you could use oil).
·Allow the quince paste to cool.
·Serve in thin slices on crackers with with Manchego cheese.