A hill of beans gone dilly! This is one of my favorite summer picnic dishes. Top and tail the beans and cook them in salted boiling water until crisp tender. Super chill them quickly in ice water and set them aside to drain. Take care not to over saturate the beans. Cut them into similar [...]
Archive for August, 2010
Green Beans with Dill Pesto
Posted in Beans and legumes, Herbs, tagged Dill pesto, Dilly beans, Pesto with walnuts on August 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Orange Fig Jam
Posted in Citrus fruit, Preserving, tagged Microwave jam, Orange fig jam on August 29, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Last summer I found local figs at our farmers market and got very excited about including them in my cooking repertoire. Around the same time, I discovered a method of cooking jam in the microwave, thanks to a post by Elise of the Simply Recipes blog who claims that an article in Sunset Magazine changed [...]
Spicy Carrot Soup with Cilantro Cream
Posted in Carrots, Herbs, Soup, tagged cilantro cream, Spicy carrot soup on August 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
We’re starting to see young carrots come into the markets, so I was determined to use up the big old carrots in the fridge, which are of high quality, organic even, but nothing like the sweet young things coming up. I made a delicious carrot soup that was very earthy, reflecting the age and size [...]
Ancho Chili Tomato Salsa
Posted in Chili, Pantry, Peppers, Preserving, Salsa, Tigress Can Jam, Tomato, tagged Ancho chili salsa, Canning tomato salsa on August 19, 2010 | 5 Comments »
This salsa is smokin’ good! With a deep, rich color and an immediate flavor that’s hot but not too hot, it has a kick and a smoky aftertaste from the ancho chilis. Ancho chilis are dried poblanos and are generally pretty mild. I get mine from our local health food store where they’re stored in [...]
Apricot Lavender Jam
Posted in Preserving, Stone fruits, Tigress Can Jam, tagged Apricot lavender jam, Stone fruit jam, Summer Fest 2010 on August 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
The most beautiful rosy apricots show up in our local farmers’ markets from time to time and put the mealy yellow-orange ones to shame. In addition to their rosy hue, these small fruits are juicy, have a smooth texture and an aroma that would make you swoon. With lavender blooming, preserving this moment of summer [...]
Fresh Corn Salad with Pepper Salsa
Posted in Corn, Peppers, Salad, tagged Corn salad, pepper salsa on August 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
When I cook for a large annual picnic in August, I always want to serve local corn but it’s a pain to grill or boil it on the cob. And yet I want it to be as fresh and sweet as possible, so I devised a salad of barely cooked corn cooked at the last [...]
Watermelon Slush
Posted in Drinks, Melon, tagged Watermelon slush on August 16, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Dog days. Hot and sultry weather. Comes from the Roman idea that the Dog Star Sirius was too close to the sun and caused this despicable swelter. No matter. ASPCA will get on my case if I repeat the whole story. After working on the garden, it was time for something refreshing. How about this? [...]
Custard-topped Eggplant
Posted in Eggplant, Vegetable gratin, tagged Eggplant custard on August 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
With a beautiful giant eggplant on hand, I was thinking about how the large slabs could become eggplant lasagna without the noodles, moussaka without the meat, and landed on a custard-topped eggplant that I have made before in a couple of ways. I am not one who’s afraid of the cholesterol in eggs but do [...]
Preserving Herbs Part 2: Salt
Posted in Herbs, Preserving, tagged Preserving herbs in salt, Preserving sage on August 11, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Preserving herbs in salt is really only a method of dehydration as the salt slowly sucks the moisture from the leaves. Layering herbs in salt is a technique that I have long used for sage. While the individual leaves do dry out over time, for at least a year, they retain their pliable, leathery texture [...]
Preserving Herbs Part 1: Vinegar
Posted in Herbs, Preserving, tagged Dill basil vinegar, Homemade herb vinegar, Preserving herbs, Summerfest 2010, Tarragon vinegar DIY on August 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Subtly scented or fully flavored, herb-infused vinegar splashes summer on fresh food all year long. Before the herbs that I grow in my courtyard garden wilt or bolt (meaning when they’re still in fine form), I harvest their lovely leaves and preserve them. This time, I’ll talk about preserving in vinegar. As I move through [...]
