This week I started a new series of monthly cooking classes as The Boulevard Market called "PRESERVE IT!". It's a concept I've been thinking about for a long time and now with the Creamery kitchen enlarged, it's a reality!
I think preserving food is an interesting lesson of life. To capture peak produce and other foods at the height of their growing season and keeping them that way for a length of time, requires forethought, time/space planning as well as creativity and a bit of science! Like many people these days, I am feeling the need to purchase foods locally produced, however Michigan has a LONG winter and I don't have a problem supporting other USA grown produce/products! I am enjoying beautiful, sweet Florida strawberries as we speak!
I've plotted and planned our vegetable garden for this year, so I will have plenty of homegrown vegetables to eat fresh and preserve. Now if it would just STOP raining and warm up!
I am not up for canning 100's of quarts of traditional tomatoes when it's 90 degrees outside. I am up for canning 20 pints of heirloom tomatoes from my garden to use as soup or sauce all next winter! I also like to make liquers and sauces from whatever fruit is in season, bruschettas, marmalades, herb rubs, candied citrus peels and more!
This year's newest challenges for me will be wine vinegar from a "mother", my own pie fillings and bamboo skewers stacked with onions, cornichons and olives for martinis! Fun stuff, stuff I like to have on hand, (that's the beauty of doing your own preserving) goodies I like to eat and give as gifts!
Join us at The Market if you are in the area, or watch for recipes and postings here! Our first class is Wednesday and we are preserving citrus fruits in all sorts of fabulous ways! Feel free to comment or email for details.
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