Pepper & Sausage Saute

Here's an old family favorite. Mom used to make this for breakfast or dinner. Goes very well with cornbread on the side.

1 lb smoked sausage
1 large green pepper cut into strips
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T soy sauce

Cut sausages into chunks and brown in skillet. Pour off fat. Remove sausage. Put remaining ingredients in pan and cook until peppers begin to wilt. Add sausages and cook at low temp until syrup thickens, stirring often.

*I like this with way more peppers.

Kale Crisps

Tear kale into pieces. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Crispy, salty and satisfying.

Hearty Veggie Chili

Okay, sorry folks, I can't get my picture to load decently for this one....so you get text alone.

This is a recipe for the Hearty Veggie Chili my darling husband whipped up yesterday. He cooked sans directions (cause he can fly blind like that), so this recipe is his best approximation, after the fact.

2 cloves garlic
1/2 Vidalia onion
1/4- 1/2 red pepper
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz red kidney beans (drained)
2-3 T ground cumin
2-3 T chili powder
1 tsp corriander
2-3 T grapeseed oil (substitute your preferred oil)

Prep: chop garlin, onion, red pepper

Using a 3qt saucepan over medium heat, add grapeseed oil, onion, garlic, and red peper. Sautee 3-5 minutes. Add kidney beans, stire and continue to heat 2-3 minutes.

Add cumin, chili powder and corriander. Stir and heat 2-3 minutes.

Finish by adding diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir and allow to simmer about 15 minutes. Add more or less spices to taste.

It was fabulous! Nice and chucky, so you didn't even miss the meat!


Thanks hon!

Arugula Pesto

We have a houseguest right now. She's a grad student from Iowa State here to study the Oneida sustainabile farming methods at Tsyunhehkwa. It's been great fun not only having a student in the house, but having another veggie lover around.

Here is the argula pesto she made a few night back, and her recipe:

Arugula Pesto!
4 c packed arugula leaves (approximately 6 oz)
¼ c pine nuts or sunflower seeds, toasted*
¼ c packed freshly grated Parmesan
1-2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
¼ c olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or blender, blend the arugula, nuts or seeds, parmesan and garlic until smooth. Scrape down the sides. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well blended. Scoop it all out into a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Its best if chilled for a few hours, but serve it at room temperature.

This recipe is great for arugula that’s “on the edge” of being too bitter—just blanch the leaves first. Add the leaves to boiling water for about 15 seconds, stirring the whole time. Remove and place in a bowl with ice water and you should be good to go. For more detailed instructions, this website is useful: Food Network arugula pesto

*These can be raw as well, whatever you prefer. Walnuts are also a good substitute.

Thanks Jenny!

Roasted Radishes

So I was complaining to a friend about how I didn't really even like radishes. I only grow them because it's kind of expected. It's something you can get in the ground right away in the spring when you're all anxious and energetic to get things going...even things with a strong, nasty bite like radishes.

Well, my friend started waxing poetic over how wonderful radishes are when they're roasted--warm and a wee bit carmalized.

I found this roasted radish recipe on a food blog and gave it a shot. And oh yeah. Warm and mellow. That's the way to eat radishes.

Beet Sprouts

So I finally did that thinning at the garden. Came home with this big plate of beet greens. (Yes, really, my seeding technique is THAT bad.)

I had some pancetta, so I sauted that with some onions and then I threw the greens in. I did trim off most of the heavier stems and roots before I threw them in the pan. Shortly after adding the greens, I poured in a mixture of sugar and cider apple vinegar--less than a 1/4 cup.

All in all, I'd say...eh. It's definitely an earthy flavor. Maybe I would have liked it more with bacon and less vinegar.

SAFE Salsa Recipe

Okay folks. I led you astray with my salsa recipe. Apparently, there is not enough acid in my recipe to prevent botulism. Thanks to reader joe-il for alerting me to my mistake. Read his comment under my original post.

Note: The original post has already been modified somewhat, altering readers to its unsuitability for canning.

I checked with the Extension folks, and they sent over a new recipe (below). Also, I've been informed that salsa should only be canned in pint jars.

Tomato/Tomato Paste Salsa l

3 quarts sliced tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups onions, chopped (3 medium whole)
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
4 long green chilies, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 12-ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups bottled lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional)
2 tablespoons oregano leaves (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Yield: 7 to 9 pints

Jalapeno peppers do not need to be peeled. Peel and prepare chili peppers.* To peel tomatoes, dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split, then dip in cold water to remove skins. Core and chop tomatoes. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe jar rims and cap with properly pre-treated lids. Process in a boiling water bath canner. Process time in a boiling water bath canner for hot pack pint jars at the following elevations:

0-1,000 feet 15 minutes

1,001 – 6,000 feet 20 minutes

My sincere apologies. (Sigh.) Not a fun post to write.

On a lighter note, the red pepper above weighs a whopping 14oz.

Simple Salad III

Really more of a mid summer salad than late, as I imagine most people's cucumbers are done for the year. This one came delivered from a very kind neighbor.

Not my personal favorite, but it is another fresh, simple dish. The recipe comes from my husband's family and, inexplicably, the recipe card says 'NOT' to change ingredients. Huh. Well you can guess how I feel about that. The original only called for cucumbers, but it works just fine with tomatoes too.

1 cup mayo (or a lot less!)
1 tbl. vinegar
2 tbl. milk
1 tsp. sugar
salt & pepper

I'm thinking a nice dose of dill would be good in here too. What else?

Simple Salad II

Another simple, late summer salad. Tomatoes, a little basil chiffonade, and fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with a coarse salt and balsamic vinegar.

And do splurge on the good mozzarella--the kind that comes in the round balls.

(That's another thing I need to learn to make: fresh cheese!)

Simple Salad

Meet one of my all time favorite veggie concoctions: avocado, red pepper and tomato.

Chop it all up, sprinkle with coarse salt, and splash on some lime juice. Key lime, if you're feeling foxy.

(Also good with chopped cucumbers.)

Absolutely BEST Way to Eat Green Beans

It's green bean time in the Extension gardens. And they just keep coming and coming.

As far as I'm concerned there is ONE, unequivocal best way to eat green beans -- lightly steamed and tossed with a dijon dressing with feta and tomatoes. Ummmmm.....I can't help but gorging every time I make it.

I use an old Martha Stewart Food recipe with slight variation. The original called for scallions (which I skip) and halved cherry tomatoes (which I generally replace with chunked romas.)

For the dressing - 1/3 cup white wine vinegar with 1 teaspoon (or more) dijon mustard. I like the fancy Grey Poupon stuff.

As for the beans, tomatoes and feta, I dunno. Eyeball that. I think this was about 3 oz feta in last night's dish, maybe four tomatoes, and my steamer kettle full to the brim with beans.

Best warm, but plenty fine served cold too. Love it!!!

We Be Jammin'

Well Preserved by Joan Hassol
175 Best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades & Other Soft Spreads by Linda J. Amendt

These are my two favorite jamming books. Both available from the Brown County Library. (In fact, if you look closely you can see the one of the left IS a library book.) I own two others, but these are the best.

Why do I like them? Well, they both rely on commercial pectin and I appreciate the low-work, no-fail results you get with products like Certo and Sure-Jell.

Second, both books push the 'Strawberry-Rhubarb' envelope with fun new combinations that incorporate ingredients like preserved ginger, citrus, vanilla bean, spices and liqueurs.

Using these books last year, I made pear & Frangelico, cranberry jalepeno, peach brandy, raspberry rum, and blueberry lemon in addition to more traditional flavors, currant and elderberry. (Wow, that was kind of a lot!)

Would love to learn to make more artisan-style jams without commercial pectin, but I want a personal teacher for that. Every time I try, it's a failure and I hate to waste all that fruit. Sure, it makes good pancake topping, but there's something about failed jam that just doesn't say 'Merry Christmas' to me. (You didn't think I was eating all that jam by myself, did you?)

I've also done some experimenting with Pomona's Pectin, 'cause you can cut the sugar way way down, but that too can lead to failure if you don't have the right recipe. I started keeping a jam log last year so I can start to learn and experiment rather than just following a recipe all the time.

Anyone know of an artisan jam class in Wisconsin?

All Hail Kale

We still have kale coming out of our ears here at the high tunnel. But that's cool, 'cause it's soo yummy and good for you.

A month ago I used it in a potato soup. After that, I sauteed it down with some garlic and chicken stock a la Emeril. (Thanks to 13-year-old nephew Alek for cluing me in to the recipe.) And this past weekend, I wilted it with some chorizo and eggs for a family breakfast with my folks and sibs.

So here's what ya do: Saute chorizo in pan, then toss in kale, torn into medium size pieces. Let that cook down for a few minutes then season with some salt and a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. The push kale and chorizo to the side of the pan and crack 4 to 6 eggs (one at a time) in the center of the pan.

It was perfect. I was able to cut this in wedges and serve each person an egg with kale and chorizo on the side. Got rave reviews.

For more kale recipes (and other good veggies) visit I Heart Kale.

Beetiful!

Check these beauties out! I mean seriously, are these not gorgeous or what?? Literally popping out of the ground in the high tunnel today.

These gals are getting roasted in the oven and then turned into some Harvard Beets. Combine 1/3 cooking liquid, 2T sugar, 1 T cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 T butter. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add beets and bliss out.

Kale Me for Dinner

A bunch of this lovely kale is going in a sausage potato soup tonight. Here's the recipe I got at a soup class I took through NWTC years ago:

Portuguese Potato Soup

6 oz. turkey keilbasa, sliced
2 T. olive oil
1.5 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves crushed
8 cups milk
2 lbs cubed potatoes
salt & pepper
3/4 lb kale, sliced

Saute kielbasa. Remove from pan. Heat oil and saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Next add milk, potatoes, salt and pepper and simmer for 30. Remove some of the mixture and blend in blender until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in kielbasa and kale and cook for another 10.

Spinach Saute

We're harvesting spinach out of the high tunnel now. Filled a bread bag with about 3/4 # of leaves last time I picked.

This is one of my favorite ways to each spinach--sauteed with corn and tomatoes. You can use canned tomatoes and corn, before the fresh stuff is ready. But of course fresh is better!

Just heat the corn and tomatoes in some olive oil first and then throw in a ton of spinach (sliced in a chiffonade works best) until it wilts. Season with coarse salt. Yum!