Uncategorized

Allium Blossom Vinegar

Allium Blossom Vinegar JULY 6, 2012 ~ CAROLINE Over the last couple weeks, we’ve been harvesting all of our alliums from the garden. One of my beds of red onions had started shooting up flower stalks before I got to it, and after seeing the Twitter

Sunshine and Citrus

The sun is finally out! The daffodils are blooming…. And right when I should be out in the garden, pulling up bolting winter greens and replanting with spring crops, a friend with a backyard full of citrus trees dropped off these lovely presents…. So, sometimes I have issues with how much sugar is in jam,…

Valencia Orange Marmalade with Apples and Cranberries

After the saga of the ruptured ligament in my ankle a few weeks ago, things are starting to get a little bit more back to normal. I’ve been hobbling around, planting some kale, picking some flowers, and starting to clear some beds to make room for winter vegetables. It’s been equal amounts of elation to…

Gratitude & Improved Chocolate Plum Jam

This is my favorite way to use up jam right now. chocolate-plum jam with cowgirl creamery mt. tam cheese = i’m eating it for breakfast, whether that’s an appropriate breakfast or not. eggs be damned. Cowgirl Creamery cheese is insanely expensive but 100% worth every penny and totally delicious.* Chocolate plum jam, on the other hand,…

Fermented Kohlrahbi Chips

Recently, I’ve been trying to incorporate more fermented foods into my preserving routine. I like that I don’t have to bother with the canner, the food maintains it’s nutritional value, the batch size is very flexible, and that it requires so little time and so few ingredients. Along the way, I discovered these fermented kohlrahbi…

Pickled Pearl Onions For Some Serious Bloody Marys

It’s really hot outside and I sprained my ankle. That’s the summary of life right now. Or maybe I have tendonitis or something. Either way, I can’t do anything except hobble around like an old lady. I’m going to make cocktails tonight since not being able to work makes me angry. Here’s the more exciting…

Small Batch Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I usually make monster batches of preserves. I like preserving by the bushel when fruits are in peak season. During the winter, I usually end up going down to San Francisco once or twice and getting some citrus fruit from the farmers down there who are coming over from the central valley. I…

Seckel Pears Canned In Red Wine Syrup

I can’t even deal with how much I love pears. Peaches are wonderful, yes, but biting into a juicy, ripe pear is something else altogether, such an unexpectedly complex sweetness. I love how earthy and rustic they are, and I always want to put them with things like cardamom, goat cheese and red wine. This recipe calls for…

Tangerine Jam with Vanilla Bean

It’s a strange time of year. In November and December, I was so tired from the summer that I was happy to sleep in and do not a whole lot for a while. Many hours were spent soaking in the bathtub and reading through seed catalogs. By now, though, garden plans have been…

How to Make Wild Grape Jelly: Your Guide to a Delicious Homemade Spread

This month was really stressful. We had a bunch of stuff going on that’s not really worth going into. The only reason I bring it up is to say how it really is so nice when life is overly complicated and then you find an absolutely gigantic patch of wild grapes that have set the most beautiful, luscious,…