Applesauce

I am already finished with applesaucing for the year. I usually spread it out over a few weeks but this year I had a deadline to make. In less than a week my kitchen is going to be ripped out and over the course of a month, put back together. It is exciting for sure but I have no idea how we are going to eat!

Back to applesauce. Making applesauce is a very vivid memory of mine from childhood. I remember the smell and the taste of the sauce as it squished out of my mom's Squeezo Strainer. . It is the same strainer that I have used for the past 4 years to make my own applesauce and create the same memories for my children.

I process 1/2 a bushel of apples at a time that I get as seconds from Lohrs Orchard for $10. The smaller amount makes it manageable for me because I don't have half a day to spend on this project at any given time. I can wash and cut the apples and get them cooking (it takes about 30 minutes to do this step) and then later when they are cooked I can process and can them.

This year I put up 1.5 bushels, 33 qts canned. I hope I do not run out quite so soon as last year but the children LOVE applesauce and I love to bake with it so I don't have high hopes. The first two batches were unmixed one of Gala and one of Golden Delicious. The last was a mix of Golden & Red delicious. Most folks recommend a variety of apples for the best flavor.

If you are looking for step by step in canning your own applesauce the ultimate guide is right here. I'd love to hear about how it goes for you!

In a Pickle

I haven't yet delved into canning pickles. However I did find two great, easy pickle recipes on McCormick's website that are worth sharing. They make small batches of pickles that will last up to 3 months in the refrigerator (if you can resist them that long!)

Asian Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles

If you were to catch my husband, he would tell you I am not a huge fan of pickles. But I could pull up a bowl of these pickles and just dig in!

Grass Fed vs. Grocery Store

Here is the comparison: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2009/11/battle_of_the_d_18.php

Luckily there are plenty of choices if you live here in Harford (or Cecil) County for great grass fed beef. Check out my favorite farms in the side bar. If you are looking for grass fed beef in your neck of the woods try EatWild.com.

Don't be put off by the price either. For the past five years we have been purchasing meat locally in bulk. We buy a quarter of a cow and a half of a pig. The price is much less than buying cuts individually as needed and we make it last for a year eating each meat type only once a week.

Drying Out

I think it is appropriate that amidst all this rain I would test drive the Nesco Professional Food Dehydrator. It is my little 'rage against the moisture' :-) The dehydrator was a birthday gift from my sister in law and although I had been itching for one for a long time, the 'busy'ness of every day just kept me from opening the box.

This morning was definitely one of those, 'Why didn't I do this sooner!?' moments. There was nothing to put together, I simply had to wash the trays in warm soapy water and then the machine was ready to go. Loading it up was equally simple. I decided to try apples for this first go round. I simply cut them into a bowl of orange juice, let them soak for 5 minutes and then lined them up on the trays. The whole process took about 10 minutes. I did it all before walking my son down to the bus stop. Drying took the whole day. Most of the apples were finished after 10 hours with a couple pieces taking twelve.

When I do this again, I am going to use a corer to make the job even simpler and then slice the apples in rings.

I am looking forward to trying watermelon, tomatoes, sage and cranberries next. Oh the possibilities are endless!

Blueberries

It was a perfect day to venture out blueberry picking and the blueberry bushes were heavy with berries at Spring Valley Farm in Cecil County. The berries are $2.65 a pound. We managed to pick 11 lbs in no time with the three little ones 'helping.' Little J was an expert picker whereas we had to guard our bowls from little E's sticky fingers.

The farm also has ripe yellow and white peaches. After picking I made healthy blueberry muffins for snacks later this week and a fresh open face blueberry pie. My favorite!

I will likely freeze the remaining berries and make some jam. I'll probably need to pick one more time to have enough to last us through the winter.

CSA Season in Full Swing: Radishes and Kale

I guess because of the heat, this growing season seems to have started off with a bang. Already our CSA basket from Sunny Hill Farm is chock full of great veggies. Two that I am not as used to preparing are Kale and radishes.

For the kale, I tend to saute it in olive oil with a bit of red pepper flakes. I add dry white wine after a few minutes of cooking and put a lid on it to steam the kale a bit. There is a great green bean and kale recipe on Giada's Food Network website. You'll even get non-kale fans eating the stuff with that recipe.

As for the radishes they seem to be the 'it' food this season. We received them every week in our early spring share from Brad's Produce. And now that our summer share has started we have received them every week as well. Let's just say I was needing another way to eat them other than with dip and in our salads. They just haven't been disappearing fast enough! So I food this steak recipe from EatingWell.com Which pairs a rare beef with a light radish and carrot salad, yummy! When the radishes came in again this week I sought recipes to use them up even faster and found this one for radish dip. Let's just say the bowl is almost empty and I won't be kissing anyone anytime soon! Jean at Sunny Hill suggested that the radish dip be paired with Kale chips. Sounds good to me! Here is her recipe:

Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bunches kale, rinsed with stems removed

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

1 Cut kale into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
2 Mix vinegar, oil, and salt in a large bowl then add kale and mix by hand.
3 Try to get all the leaves covered.
4 Place on baking sheets (I like to use parchment paper for easy clean up) and bake at 350 F until they are crispy.
5 After about 20 minutes, if it looks like they are not sizzling a bit or getting a little crispy, turn up the heat

You can also experiment with adding other spices or flavorings of your choice like garlic powder, old bay, poppy or sesame seeds. Pair with your favorite dip or salsa for a great guilt free snack.

Just a note: We just picked Sour Cherries yesterday but they are coming to an end. I hear that blueberries are ripe now. I have picked every year at Spring Valley Farm. Sweet Cherries are coming in, too. I haven't been to this farm yet, but it looks like a lot of fun!

Strawberry Season Flying By

There are seasons I can recall in recent history where I was still picking strawberries at the end of June. This apparently is not going to be one of them. Harmans still has some pre-picked strawberries but their picking season is coming to an end. If you are planning to pick strawberries to make jam or to freeze, make pies and strawberry ice cream, you better head out this week to do so.

Locally, I know that these farms have strawberries:
Brad's Produce (410) 734-GROW
Harman's Farm Market (410) 734-7400
Wilson's Farm Market 410-836-8980
Lohrs Orchard 410-836-2783
Sunny Hill 410-382-0856