Pumpkin Soup Concentrate for freezing

It's fall y'all!
Every year about this time, our rural roads are full of pumpkins sitting on wagons and in wooden crates for mere pennies. I coerce John into pulling over and picking up at least 15 pie pumpkins that leave our hands dirty and filled with those weird little slivers that pumpkin stems give you. Maybe a little sticky thrown in.
But they're homegrown and only $5. I proceed to put them in the garage and slowly use them until it freezes here permanently and they are ruined....until a couple years ago. I now process the buggers right away. Procrastination is never my friend.
I thought you might like an easy freezer recipe to deal with pumpkins and winter squash in a creative and useable way!
I begin by cutting my PIE pumpkins (or any winter squash) in half and roasting them until tender. I then scoop flesh into a suspended jelly bag or cheesecloth and allow to drain at least 6 hours. This keeps the puree drier and less likely to hold water during freezing. Once drained I mash and make this recipe:

Pumpkin Soup Concentrate

2 cups pumpkin or squash puree
4 ounces blue cheese (I used Maytag)
4 ounces Mascarpone cheese
1 cup chopped onions
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
Salt & Pepper

Saute onions in olive oil until softened but not browned. Stir in remaining ingredients and pack into freezer containers.

For soup add: 2 cups heavy cream, coconut milk (unsweetened) + 1 cup stock of choice or 3 cups stock

For flatbreads: Using already baked flatbreads: top with pumpkin and bake 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Top with prosciutto crumbles and greens that have been lightly dressed with balsamic vinegar

I have been working on a souffle recipe as well and will update when the exact proportions are complete!

posted from Bloggeroid

Apple Cranberry Conserve

My absolute favorite preserving recipes are small batch, quick prep, simple ingredients, great flavor and versatile. Am I asking too much?
Last month at my Preserving Class we hit all the above listed points with the Apple Cranberry Conserve! I served the conserve with a double creme cheese, but since have loved it with grilled chicken, added it as a layer to a pumpkin quick bread and served it as an ice cream topper....

Something to keep in mind; because of the short cooking and processing times, I thought the flavor was better after sitting for a week or so. I just did a rough chop so the cranberries were not chopped and the apples were chopped the same size as cranberries. You could chop a bit smaller for a softer texture in a shorter amount of time.

APPLE CRANBERRY CONSERVE

2 ¼ cups diced apples (I used a combination of Ginger Gold and Paula Red)
¼ cup water
½ cup dried cranberries
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 package pectin (Powdered for a firmer texture, liquid pectin for a softer set)
2 ¾ cups sugar
¼ cup chopped walnuts

Combine apples, water and dried cranberries in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and add sugar. Return to a full boil and add liquid pectin and boil 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Fill jars, wipe rims, attach lids and rings and process in hot water bath for 5 minutes. Allow to sit at room temp for 24 hours undisturbed.

Vin d'Orange

I have forever loved the European custom of an aperitif. If you're not familiar with it, you can read about it on my previous post. Most recently, I tried my hand at making Vin d'Orange. I researched a gazillion recipes and tried the one I thought seemed the most authentic. I waited the requisite month of aging and .....yuck. It was weirdly slimy and pulpy and murky, not what I had in mind for a tiny afternoon tipple or a lovely spring brunch I was planning. Generally, the recipes consisted of allowing whole oranges to soak in wine and sugar about a month, then boiling the mixture, straining and adding the brandy.

So, I put on my creative hat and began again. This recipe is not as traditional, but there are a few points I think you'll like better.

1.I didn't boil the entire bottle of wine, so I am assuming you keep the majority of the alcohol intact.
2.Much fresher flavor overall, less of a "baked" taste. I also think you could add some club soda to make it sparkle.
3.The long strand of orange zest looked really fabulous suspended in the wine.
4.We drank on days 4 and finished the bottle on day 10.....I hate waiting.

So very sorry, apparently I did not photograph.....please use imagination to visualize.


VIN D’ORANGE

1 bottle (750ml) dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
Zest from 3 Oranges
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Brandy or other spirits

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of wine, sugar and orange zest over medium heat. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine remaining wine and Brandy in a decorative pitcher or bottle.

Using a fine sieve or coffee filter, strain zest/sugar mixture and add to wine/brandy combination. Add a piece of zest if desired. Refrigerate. This will last up to 1 year in a cool place. Serve cold as an aperitif.

I packaged mine in a great, clear, flip top bottle for a bit of vintage flair, but you could also pour right back into the pinot grigio bottle and re-label!

Smoked & Pickled Green Onions

At our store, The Boulevard Market, I have hosted a seasonal series of Preserving Classes for the last few years. We create wonderful preserved foods using canning, freezing, smoking, pickling, fermenting, drying and occasionally "air exclusion" as a way to preserve the bounty of Michigan spring, summer and fall harvests. On my part, it's been fantastic to try lots of new preserving techniques and recipes, in small batches, that I might not otherwise have made. On the part of the attendees, you get to sample the finished recipes (so you know if it's to your liking) and we pair it up with other foods so you've got some serving ideas, we also keep the batches small.

Whew...all that being said, I'm forever purchasing new cookbooks/magazines/publications for inspiration and new techniques. I recently scooped up "The Preservation Kitchen" by Paul Virant with Katie Leahy as he included some really interesting recipes and is located in the midwest. I also love that fact he included many recipes to go with his preserves and that is a treasure, as creativity can often be missing with hunger.

The Smoked and Pickled Green Onion recipe was one I featured at last month's class and I have blown through the jar I made in less than 2 weeks! Here's the recipe, my way (sorry for the liberties Mr Virant):

PICKLED SMOKED ONIONS

30 green onions, cleaned and tossed with a teaspoon of vegetable oil
1 ¼ cup Champagne Vinegar
1 ¼ cup water
3 Tablespoons Honey
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
6 Sprigs thyme

Bring vinegar, water, honey and salt to a boil, turn to low to keep hot.

You can use a traditional smoker to smoke onions, or the cheaters way, which I did. I filled the bottom of an old 9X13 pan with applewood chips to just cover bottom of pan. I put the pan on the grill racks of my gas grill and heated to very hot. As soon as the wood in the pan started to smoke, I place the green onions on the rack above the pan and cooked them about 12 minutes until a bit softened and slightly yellowed.

Sterilize a quart jar or 2 pint jars, warm lids. Pack hot onions into jars, add a few sprigs of washed thyme and fill with vinegar combination, leaving a ½ inch headspace.

Finger tighten rings and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes, or allow to cool to room temperature and refrigerate up to 2 months.

Here are some photos of my cheater smoker. There is no need to purchase any fancy smoker box. I routinely use an old 9X13 pan for light smoking grilled food. (Remember this is not the same technique for preserving food by smoking) Since I have plenty of fruit trees that I grow without pesticides, I save my apple, pear, plum trimmings and allow to dry in the shed or garage for use in the traditional smoker or on the grill.



I fell in love with Mr Virant's Salsa Verde for using these onions;

1 cup S&P Onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh italian parsley
1/2 cup fresh tarragon, chervil or chives (or a combo)
2 Tablespoons capers, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

At the class I made a fresh chevre (goat cheese) quiche to pair with...delicious!!

I hope you take a bit of time to preserve your own harvest this year! There is nothing in the world like opening a jar of summer during the nastiest of January days!

Pear Conserve

Photo Credits to Debra Pietrangelo-Thank you for sharing, you're so gifted!

 Downtown Tecumseh hosted my very favorite event last night; Holiday Open House.  Our downtown was decked out in white fairy lights, horse drawn carriages, burning barrels, carolers and more.  It's an extremely charming evening.

I apologize to my visitors for running out of recipe cards, so here you go!!  Pear Conserve; lovely on cheese, scones, ice cream or the Effie's Nutcakes we served it on.  It's a taste of Autumn and a great taste to kickoff your holiday season!

PEAR CONSERVE

2 ½ cups fresh pears, peeled, cored and chopped

½ cup water

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (bottled if canning)

1.75 ounce package of pectin

1 ¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup raisins

1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine water, pears and lemon juice to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in pectin, increase heat and bring back to a full boil, stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar and raisins.  Return to a boil and allow to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat and stir in pecans and cinnamon.  Ladle into a sterilized jar, wipe rim and attach lid.  Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Yields 2 2/3 cups- approximately 2 half pints plus a little leftover to eat right away!

 

Pickled Parsnips, Carrots & Onions

Parsnip season is over, but the carrots and onions are perfect and I knew you NEEDED the ultimate refrigerator carrot pickle recipe! 

I've talked about my love of fermented foods, but pickles are kinda "meh" in my book.  At some point, how many can a person eat?  Pickled carrots are a bit different though.  You get a really lovely sweetness to counteract the small amount of vinegar and with only a bit of cooking time, they are crunchy and fresh tasting. 

I originally made this in early April, so I used some parsnips that had been lurking in the fridge and a sweet onion, but as I refilled the brine this week, I used whole small carrots and green onions that I left some of the greens still attached.  I'm going to try some small beets as soon as they are in season!

PICKLED PARSNIPS & CARROTS

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 teaspoons pickling spice

1 teaspoon mustard seed (yellow or black, I used 1/2 and 1/2)

1 tsp. ground ginger(you could also use a slice of fresh ginger)

Kosher salt

2 medium parsnips, peeled, cored, and cut into sticks 3 inches long and 1/4 inch thick

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks 3 inches long and 1/4 inch thick

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 cups water

In a saucepan, combine 3 cups water with the sugar, vinegar, pickling spice, mustard seed, ginger, and 4 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the parsnips, carrots, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes—the vegetables will still be quite firm. Remove the vegetables from the hot brine and cool. When the brine and vegetables are cool, fill a clean 1-quart glass jar with the vegetables and pour the brine over to cover.  Refrigerate up to 6 weeks, refilling with vegetables of choice, both fresh (cucumbers) and blanched.  I think zucchini might be nice in this too!  (ways to use that dang zucchini is always happy)

 

Asparagus & Truffle Oil Spread

Last year, from April through November, I hosted a series of home preserving classes at our shop, The Boulevard Market.  Freezing, canning, drying, pickling, lacto-fermenting and even liqueurs and candied peel!  The classes were based on in season produce.

It's been a great way to share knowledge, experience and recipes for the entire group!!  I thought I'd share the favorite from last year (I shared with this year's group too :)) as we are nearly at the end of asparagus season.

I created the Asparagus Spread to be stored in the freezer and have a versatility to it in everyday cooking.  This recipe makes a great appetizer with slices of baguette, a base for asparagus soup (add 3 cups chicken/vegetable stock) an easy savory tart on it's own, or spread onto a pastry crust and top with eggs for a quick and delicious quiche.  It's also fantastic stirred into freshly prepared linguine pasta!

The ingredients are a tad more expensive, but it's truly worth the effort and expense for such an elegant, easy, tasty variety of dishes.

Asparagus Spread with Truffle Oil

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 stick butter

1 8 ounce carton mascarpone

Salt & pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons Truffle Oil

Saute asparagus in large sauté pan over medium heat about 6 minutes with butter until barely soft, and bright green.

Remove from heat and add mascarpone cheese, salt, pepper and truffle oil.  Stir until combined and place in freezer containers.  Let cool to room temperature then place in freezer up to one year.

The Boulevard Market sells this for $12.98/ bottle.  Not cheap, but worth it!

 

Preserved Wine Poached Pears

Just the title gets me excited!  And make no mistake, this is an exciting recipe!  I have a few preserving cookbooks published in England that intrigue and confuse me on many levels.  I love their use of sweet/savory ingredients, yet warming sugar in the oven before adding to the pan...huh?  Why?  There is no scientific answer, so it must be a "that's the way we do it" answer.  I have some of those deals too...except my preserving class has kept me on my toes in questions!

This recipe is one of those things too.  I know it worked, yet, I still need to wait 6 months to find out if it was a success and the pears are still sealed without any scary bacterias.  I'm sure this is not approved by the USDA (but really, please read my "food pyramid" post to see how much I trust their opinion on food these days :))  but with all the wine and sugar, I'm sure nothing scary will survive and they are SO good!

My honest concern is that I used pears I grew organically....just remember, wine kills EVERYTHING! 

So, I peeled about 6 small pears, whole, leaving the stem attached for a rustic look.  I stuffed about 3 pears per pint jar and added a cinnamon stick broken into 3 pieces (3 inches), about 6 whole cloves and  3inch long pieces of lemon and orange zests to each jar.  I wanted them to be quite spiced!

In a large pot, I combined a bottle of delicious Pinot Noir wine (taste to make sure you like first!) and 1 1/2 cups sugar, brought it to a boil and boiled for 5 minutes.  I preheated the oven to 250 degrees.  I then poured the wine over the pears until about a 1/2 inch clearance was reached, checked for air bubbles and put the seals and lids on.  I popped the whole filled jars into the oven and cooked them for about 2 1/2 hours.  I removed them from the oven and checked the seals after 24 hours.

It worked!  Weird and fabulous!  Beautiful and so amazingly delicious!  Warm it was even better...and then I drank the juice!  In case you missed that...drink the wine too!  If you're not into preserving foods, find a friend and talk them into making these, you won't be sorry!

 

Dilly Green Beans with Wasabi

Green beans are a favorite vegetable of mine.  I love them prepared any which way, except in cream of mushroom soup. Not my thing. 

My Haricot Verts, planted back in May are still producing their little hearts out!  I picked a fairly great harvest this week and decided to can up some Dilly Beans, but with the twist of adding Wasabi powder to my brine.  This recipe goes together rather quickly and I love the fact it only makes 4 pints...I did 2 batches! 

I used crushed garlic versus minced or sliced and wasn't as happy with the cloudiness of the brine, but since I'm not gifting any of these babies, it doesn't matter to me!
I'm hoping for a great kick from the Wasabi Powder!  I did 2 batches, 4 jars with dill and left the dill out on the other 4 jars and did wasabi powder, about a teaspoon per jar.

It was a great week to set up the hot water bath canner on my outdoor grill burner.  I love not making a mess in my kitchen!  In fact, I made these after work, so you know how quickly they are to construct!

DILLY GREEN BEANS
2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
4 cloves garlic, peeled
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
 
Cut green beans to fit inside pint canning jars. 

Place green beans in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, for 3 minutes. Plunge beans into ice water. Drain well.
Pack the beans into four hot, sterilized pint jars. Place 1 clove garlic and 2 sprigs dill weed in each jar, against the glass. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar.
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring vinegar and water to a boil. Pour over beans.
Fit the jars with lids and rings and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.




I like to let mine rest about 2 weeks before opening!  I love them in Bloody Marys, or chopped into potato salad.

We are savoring the remains of the summer.... 

Les Fruits du Vieux Garcon-Old Bachelors Macerated Fruits

I have been hosting a preserving class once a month since April and WOW, has it ever been fun!  Women (and men) from all walks of life, interested in preserving the best fruit and produce Michigan has to offer, by freezing, canning and preserving in BOOZE! 

One of our favorite projects is the fresh fruit macerated in vodka!  Since this recipe takes some time, the anticipation is building and we may need some designated drivers by November's class!

I originally noted these recipes in many French country cookbooks and recipes, as well as seeing them jarred and sold to me at The Boulevard Market.  My thought was: Oh yes.....I need a big jar of that.

There is no recipe per se, it's all about what is in season, fruit wise, a large jar and plenty of booze.
 Here is what you need:

1 Gallon Jar with lid
6 different fruits about 8 ounces each, washed, stems discarded, halve the larger fruits (peaches) and discard pits from stone fruits
Large bottle of Vodka or Cognac
3+ cups of sugar

Sterilize jar and layer in your first fruit, I used cherries.  Cover with about 1/2 cup of sugar and pour in enough vodka to completely cover the fruit.  Cover with top loosely and store in a cool dark place.  Continue adding fruits as they come into season, covering each addition with sugar then vodka.  Let rest for at least 3 months in a cool dark place.

These fruits are incredible mixed into cakes and baked goods, served with ice cream or custard.  The actual vodka is lovely as a dessert cordial, reduced to syrup for pancakes or made into a spritzer with club soda.  The options are endless and delicious!

   

Blueberries brought me out of the funk...

I can't say why exactly I've been in a funk.  Life is good, all is well.  Yet I kept letting the small things get to me.  Well, other small things got to me as well, namely 4 quarts of exceptional Michigan blueberries! 
This year's berries are quite large and sweet, firm and plump!  John purchased them from a local fruit farmer at the Farmers Market in Saline Michigan and I began the hunt for a little something different to create.

I am the savory type, versus the sweet tooth.  I cannot make another batch of jam, we just won't eat it all!  So I was perusing a magazine and much to my delight came across a recipe for Honey-Bourbon Pickled Blueberries.  (Better Homes and Gardens "Canning" magazine)  What is not to like in THAT combination?!  I whipped up a batch at home and then presented it to my PRESERVE IT! class last night.  WINNER!  I adjusted the recipe slightly on my second and third batches...I added some white balsamic vinegar and peppercorns for a hint of spice.  I also added a bit of kosher salt which really balanced the sweetness!  The recipe that follows is my adjusted recipe!

When looking at the name and listing of ingredients, you would imagine this being too savory for sweet applications, yet not really.  I can see this layered in a sour cream coffee cake or served with a whole wheat dessert waffle just as well as drizzled over a grilled pork tenderloin or served with a lovely sharp cheddar cheese.  Another reason to make this is the yield factor...6 half pints.  Small, doable in the morning before heading to work in my case! 

HONEY-BOURBON PICKLED BLUEBERRIES

3 inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole allspice
6 or 7 whole peppercorns
1 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
8 cups blueberries
1/4 cup bourbon
1 3/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Put spices in cheesecloth or spice bag.  
In preserving pot combine vinegars and spices and set over high heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered 5 minutes.  Add blueberries and bourbon and bring to medium heat and cook about 8 minutes until berries are heated through.  Do not stir as you want the berries to remain as whole as possible.  Remove from heat, cover and let rest 8-12 hours.  (I did these steps in the evening and let the mixture set overnight.  It was then ready to be processed in the morning!)

Remove spice bag and place mixture in a colander placed over another large pot.  Ladle blueberries evenly amongst sterilized half pint jars.

Heat juice and add honey over high heat, boiling until mixture turns syrupy, about 5 minutes.  Pour over blueberries leaving 1/2 inch headspace, wipe rims of jars and place lids and tighten bands or clips.
Process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes.  Remember to start timing once water is boiling! 

Winey-Briny Pickles

I am having so much fun preserving each seasons harvests both at home and with The Boulevard Market's monthly class!  In May we focused on Michigan seasonal produce of radishes, rhubarb, asparagus and mushrooms.   Out of several recipes, the Winey Briny Pickles, courtesy of Food & Wine magazine, had to be one of my favorites! 

Our family adores crunchy pickled vegetables, especially with cheese and bread as a snack.  We are not fans of most prepared refrigerator pickle mixes and I don't like to add turmeric, because then all of my vegetables are this weird, outer-space yellow color. 

A beautiful view of the vineyards of Sancerre

We usually have a bit of white wine hanging around for cooking and sipping, so in this recipe, I used some Sancerre.  Sancerre (white) is from the Loire Valley of France and is always Sauvignon Blanc.  Crispy and bright with great acidity and a wonderful undertone of mineral-ity, it's refreshing to drink and not quite as in-your-face grapefruit flavors as New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

LOVING Weck jars from Germany!

Because radishes are in season I threw a few into my jars.  Do keep in mind that they will turn your brine PINK, so I plan to eat my pickles this week and pitch the pink brine after radish season!  Use any vegetables available, carrots, parsnips, onions, cucumbers, cauliflower etc.  They all turn out fantastic and your brine will last about 6 weeks in the fridge...so just keep refilling the jar!

Winey Briny Quick Pickles (Food and Wine magazine)

3 Tablespoons kosher salt or sea salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons whole mustard seeds
3 cups chopped vegetables (radishes, onions, cucumbers)
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 ¼ cups white wine vinegar (I've successfully used rice vinegar too!)
Tarragon sprigs

In a bowl combine all ingredients but vegetables and tarragon sprigs.  Stir until dissolved.
Pack vegetables into clean jars and top off with liquid.  Cover and store in fridge up to one month.  You can add more clean vegetables to brine as they are eaten.

I love using a combination of both yellow and black mustard seeds and when the tarragon looks funky, I replace it with Chervil or thyme or chive blossoms!