Oh my goodness, is it the summer solstice already??? That means my sour cherry tree is just about ready. I picked 3 quarts today and more are on the way. It’s a race between me and the birds so I have to be on my guard. Read more ›
És la temporada de taronja! It’s orange season! I just returned from a visit to Barcelona, that spectacular city on the Catalan coast. While technically in Spain, the Catalan people beg to differ. Read more ›
Why marmalade? Marmalade captures the bittersweet tangy brilliance that is citrus and preserve it for later in the year – like summer. I think that one of the only redeeming parts of winter is citrus fruit. I hate the cold and I live in Minnesota, so this is for reals. Read more ›
The dead of winter is where we’re at. Heading for -25 windchill tomorrow and I, for one, need as much sparkle in my life as I can muster. The irony is that citrus, the sunniest of fruits, is in season in the middle of winter. Read more ›
I developed this Turkish-style pickled beet with my friend Megan during an afternoon of canning. I love the rich flavors of turmeric, cinnamon, bay leaf and cumin together in this sweet yet savory preparation. What could be better during a cold winter’s Read more ›
Fall has arrived and so have the apples. My daughter’s 3rd grade class visited a biodynamic organic apple farm last week and brought back 20 pounds of gorgeous sweet sour cooking apples. I helped a class of 24 nine-year-olds chop, cook, food mill and can 35 half pints Read more ›
We are deep in indian summer here in Minnesota. A couple light frosts have hit the gardens, but produce still continues to ripen, unaware that it’s almost October. Peppers seem to be the last thing to arrive in the garden, and with 80 degree days, they just keep coming. To preserve the late bounty of my garden, I made Italian-style giardiniera. Read more ›
I can a lot of heirloom tomatoes. Heirlooms are know for being a bit watery, so after canning the tomato flesh, I am left with loads of juice. What’s a girl to do? Make Bloody Mary Mix, of course. The mix is super easy. Just combine juice with seasonings Read more ›
Summer holds such promise – big, bountiful gardens, lots of fruits and vegetables, excellent foraging and amazing farmer’s markets. In deep winter I plan all the amazing things I will do with summer produce, along with the great blog posts I will make to accompany them. Then summer hits me like a full bucket of water, and I am deluged with the harvest. Read more ›
Sour cherries are my most favorite fruit and sour cherry jam is the one jam that I am truly addicted to. I fondly remember picking cherries as a kid, which my mother packed into jars and preserved for pies in the winter. Cherry pie is also my favorite pie, in case anyone wants to make me one. Read more ›
I know, I know. It’s a little late to be making hot pepper jelly, right? It’s almost Thanksgiving. We got a little busy, what with a vacation to New Orleans, winterizing our gardens and chicken coop, and a way-to-early snow fall and hard freeze. Read more ›