Making Peach Jam by Patrice Hall

 Making Peach Jam

By Patrice Hall 

This is a recipe for canning Peach Jam, and I am referencing my Ball Book of Canning and Preserving book and the National Center for Home Food Preservation site https://nchfp.uga.edu/. 

Peaches in a blue bowl in a steel sink. Photo by author.

Ingredients needed:

4 each ½ pint Ball jars with the lids and bands (I prefer the wide mouth jars)

*Prepared Peaches 2 2/3 cups

Fruit Pectin (3 tablespoons)

Sugar 3 1/3 cups

 

Instructions:

Clean the jars with soap and water then boil them in a large canning pot to make them hot.  While this is happening, you prepare the peaches by peeling, pitting them, then finely chop them, then sprinkle them with the lemon juice.  When the canning pot with the jars is boiling well you can remove the jars then set aside with the lids and bands.  Keep the canning pot boiling so you can use it right away after you fill the jars.

Mason jars and lids in a pot of water on a stove.  Photo by author.

 

Combine the prepared peaches and fruit pectin in a large saucepan.  Bring this to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.  Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Return to a full rolling boil, boil hard for 1 minute while stirring constantly.  Remove from heat then skim the foam.  Then ladle the hot jam into the hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.  Place the lid on the jar with the band and close to fingertip tight.  Place the jar in the canning pot, repeat until all jars are filled.  Place top on canner and boil jars for 10 minutes (consult the National Center for Home Food Preservation site for altitude adjustments).

Packet of pectin, glass measuring cup, canning tongs, funnel, and other canning tools.  Photo by author.

 

After the Processing time is finished let the pot cool a bit by taking the lid off before taking jars out to cool on a counter covered with a towel (this is so the glass jars won’t break with the sudden change in temperature).  You may hear a popping sound, that means that the lids are sealed on the jars which is a good thing   I left my jars to cool overnight, my son wanted to eat some right away(!), so I let him.  In this case, once opened the jar must stay in the fridge.  The rest of the unopened jars can go in the cabinet if sealed properly, if not then it must go in the fridge.  The way you can tell is by pressing on the button on the lid, if it is still raised after 24 hours then it is not sealed.  This is very important because you can avoid getting sick by keeping the unsealed jars in the fridge. 

This is a fun and easy way to preserve some extra fruit, and you can make your own jam without all of the preservatives.  

 

 

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

Beets Beets Everywhere! by Wendy Myers-Jennings

 Beets, Beets Everywhere!

by Wendy Myers-Jennings

One vegetable we received in our CSA box this year was beets. We were looking for some creative ways to use them so below are a few!

Beet Hummus

The creaminess of hummus with an extra sweet tang of beet! Just roast one beet until tender, peel and then add it to a food processor or blender along with chickpeas, tahini, water or olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and cumin. Enjoy the bright pop of color!

Bright pink beet hummus in an open food processor.  Photo by author.

 

Pickled Beets

These are refrigerator pickled beets so very easy. Roast the beets and peel them, slicing into manageable sizes and put them into jars. Make the quick brine on the stove and once cooled a bit, pour over your beet slices. Put in the fridge and enjoy!

 

Mason jars of pickled beets on a white kitchen counter.  Photo by author.

 

Find the recipe here: 

https://bellyfull.net/refrigerator-pickled-beets/

Final tip: if you have an instant pot/pressure cooker, it’s an easy way to cook beets without heating up your kitchen this summer

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

Ratatouille 2: Electric Boogaloo by Nadeen M. Thomas

 Ratatouille 2: Electric Boogaloo

By Nadeen M. Thomas

A few times a season, the stars align, and the CSA provides all the ingredients to make ratatouille.  This summer we've been lucky for two weeks in a row.

Bowl containing white onions, yellow bell pepper, purple eggplant, yellow summer squash, and a plastic container of cherry tomatoes.  Photo by author.

 

 

 

If you've never made ratatouille before, my tutorial from last year might help you.

If you're like me, and you're on your second batch of ratatouille for the summer, you might be wondering about different ways to eat this dish, especially if you are just one person faced with a giant Dutch oven of vegetable stew. 

So, here are some tips for using up your ratatouille:

1) Freeze some.  It freezes pretty well since mushy vegetables are part of the French tradition.  Plus, you can get a taste of summer in the middle of winter when a hearty stew really hits the spot.

2) Serve it on polenta.  I usually eat some of the first batch on polenta that I have cooked in chicken or vegetable broth and finished with a generous dollop of butter and grated cheese.

3) Add sardines.  Want to feel extra Mediterranean?  Add canned fish.  I'm partial to sardines in olive oil (drained), but any canned fish will work.

4) Serve it on couscous. Tired of cooking (ratatouille is labor-intensive after all)? Those boxes of 5-minute instant couscous are your friend here.

5) Eggs is eggs.  Ratatouille and eggs are really good friends.  Last night I topped toad-in-the-holes (eggs-in-a-baskets) with grated cheese and leftover ratatouille for dinner.  Very simple, but it feels very fancy.

Two slices of wheat bread and two circles of bread topped with ratatouille on a plate with a knife and fork.  Photo by author.

 

6) Make a tartine.  Omit the egg and just serve it on toasted, buttered bread for an open-faced sandwich fit for a queen.

However you serve it, I do hope you try your hand at ratatouille this summer!

Bon appetit! 

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

 

 

 

Braised Romano Beans by Jonathan Lessuck

Braised Romano Beans

by Jonathan Lessuck 

When I saw that we were getting Romano beans, I searched for a recipe. This one caught my eye because it brought together the beans with grape tomatos. It is a spicy sauce, so adjust it to your families tolerance for heat.

Braised Romano beans, photo by author.

Braised Romano Beans with Spicy Cherry Tomato Sauce & Lemony Ground Walnuts

(Original recipe from The First Mess).

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, small dice
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
½ - 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes or ground chillies (I used Diaspora Co.'s ground Guntur Sannam Chillies)
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon capers, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup water
¾ lb green Romano beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ cup walnut halves
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon tamari soy sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
chilli oil for garnish (optional)

Instructions
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallot and thyme to the pan and stir. Cook until the shallots are translucent and soft, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes. If the shallots are browning on the edges, lower the heat.
Add the chili and smoked paprika to the pan and stir for about 30 seconds. Then, add the capers and minced garlic. Keep stirring until the garlic is very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste to the pan and break it up with the back of your spoon. Keep stirring and mashing the bits of tomato paste until it has darkened a shade or two. Again, if you’re experiencing rapid browning/drying of the pan here, just lower the heat.
Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Once the cherry tomatoes let off some juices and start bubbling, keep the heat at this level. Simmer the cherry tomato sauce base for 5 minutes. Then, add the water to the pan and stir. Let the sauce simmer another 5 minutes. The sauce should be slightly thick but still fluid enough to move around the pan easily.
Add the cut green Romano beans to the pan along with some extra salt and pepper. Stir to coat the beans in the sauce. Bring the sauce and beans to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the beans and continue to simmer until they are tender and the sauce has thickened around the beans, about 15-18 minutes. I like to lift the lid and check in on the beans here and there, giving it a stir each time.
While the beans are simmering, finely chop the walnuts and mix them together in a small bowl with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. You could also grind this mixture up in a mini food processor if you like.
Once the Romano beans are done simmering, stir in the ½ teaspoon of tamari soy sauce. Check the dish for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve the braised Romano beans warm with the lemony walnut mixture and parsley sprinkled on top. Garnish with chili oil if you like.

Recipe Notes
You could definitely make this with regular green beans, but the experience will be a bit different. The Romano beans have a meaty quality that works so nicely here. That said, regular green beans would still be tasty! I’d simply leave them whole rather than cutting them. They will likely need less simmering time--I’d start checking at the 8 minute mark.
This cherry tomato sauce is seriously incredible with pasta. Use a bit of the starchy pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce rather than the plain water that I call for here.
If you would like to make this nut-free, you can substitute toasted sunflower seeds for the walnuts.
To make this soy-free, use 1 teaspoon coconut aminos in place of the tamari.
These braised Romano beans with spicy cherry tomato sauce are a simple and incredibly flavorful side dish.

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

Swiss Chard & Potatoes - a Delicious Italian Side Dish by Wendy Myers-Jennings

Swiss Chard & Potatoes - a Delicious Italian Side Dish

by Wendy Myers-Jennings

We are so excited to be back in CSA season! Swiss chard is a frequent component of our box early on, and this year was no exception. A few years ago I found a simple side dish recipe that incorporates swiss chard and have stuck with it ever since! Simply peel, chop and boil some potatoes, blanch the chard at the end, and then drain the potatoes and chard. Saute the vegetables with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and top it off with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from: https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/swiss-chard-recipe/

Enjoy!

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html

My Take on Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic by Jordan Moss

My Take on Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

By Jordan Moss 

 

We often make Brussels sprouts for the holidays. But this, what I tried out the other night, is the first time I've found it both delicious and incredibly simple. 

Roasted Brussels sprouts on a baking pan. Photo by author.

Here's the recipe by Mark Bittman from New York Times:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

• 1pint brussels sprouts (about a pound)
• 4 to 6tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to coat bottom of pan
• 5cloves garlic, peeled
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 
  
• Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim bottom of brussels sprouts, and slice each in half top to bottom. Heat oil in cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers; put sprouts cut side down in one layer in pan. Put in garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.  Step 2

   Cook, undisturbed, until sprouts begin to brown on bottom, and transfer to oven. Roast, shaking pan every 5 minutes, until sprouts are quite brown and tender, about 10 to 20 minutes.

3. Step 3

   Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in balsamic vinegar, and serve hot or warm.

 

I'm an artist and I can't help putting colorful fruit and vegetables in various order and shapes, before I cook them,  to see what the colors and shapes can create. It's rather endless. Here are a couple of photos of carrots from recent CSA carrots. 

 

Three purple carrots on a bed of yellow carrot slices.  Photo by author.

Orange, purple, and yellow carrot slices. Photo by author.

Enjoy Thanksgiving everyone!

Peace, 

Jordan

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA? Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html