The Very Definition of Ethereal

     So, my go-to recipe for pancakes is a Martha Stewart one, amended for the sake of virtue by substituting whole wheat flour for white.  It is quite good, and I am not talking about that here.  Except to say that pancakes, in general, are an excellent place to use whole wheat flour, without any loss, and considerable gain.  Enough said.
     As we are in the midst of winter break around here, I am concocting a few more homemade breakfasts lately.  In general, Bryce has protein smoothies before school, a happy compromise that achieves nutrition from my end, more or less, and ease of consumption on her end.  On the days that she is not required to rise from her nest for school, and I am not working, a homemade breakfast is then requested.  We don't go out for this meal, as, frankly, I am disinclined to buy something that I can easily and more cheaply make.
     The other day, as a departure from my usual repertoire, I opted for a new pancake recipe.  I had had time before madame rose and graced me with her presence, and was cruising my blog list.  Instead of starting at the top, I broke from tradition and found this at the bottom:  Ricotta pancakes, on the whiteonricecouple.com site.  These folks are new to me, and I have not been following them long.  But I have seen recipes for this in the past, and lo!  I had ricotta in the fridge, from the tabled idea of making lasagne.  Ricotta that now needed to be used, a great excuse.
     These come together quickly, and have a minimal extra step from my usual (lightly beating the egg whites).  I am guessing this, plus all the dairy and extra fat is what makes them so amazing.  For this is what I found:  while I like pancakes well enough, they are somewhat, ahem, sturdy.  This is likely due to the whole wheat flour aspect, although just as likely due to the fact that I don't imbue them with a ton of fat.
     In contrast, the ricotta pancakes were light as air, and truly ethereal.  They puffed up while cooking and were an amazing departure from the typical maple syrup option.  In fact, said syrup would seem a crime here.   There is lemon zest in the batter.  I shook some powdered sugar on top, and would also envision some lemon juice sprinkled on top as a great option.  Jam, especially if it is fairly loose, would delicious, or fresh berries.  These pancakes are worth a try, and if you hear angels singing, you know you have arrived at food nirvana.

Ricotta Pancakes

adapted from the recipe found on whiteonricecouple.com

who, incidentally, adapted theirs from Nigella Lawson

makes enough for 3-4 servings

2/3 c flour

2 T sugar

1 t baking powder

pinch of kosher salt

1 c whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 c milk

1/2 t vanilla extract

2 eggs, separated

zest of 1 lemon

Butter for the pan

Toppings:  powdered sugar, lemon juice, jam and or berries

1.  Stir dry ingredients together. 

2.  Stir ricotta, milk, vanilla and egg yolks and lemon zest together.  Add the flour mixture.  In a clean, separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are a fine foam (I did it with a fork), then fold into the egg and flour mixture.  

3.  Cook in a large skillet:  melt butter and drop large spoonfuls of batter, cooking each side 1-2 minutes, or until golden.    Transfer to a plate, then sift powdered sugar over the pancakes.

A Trifling Matter

     It's been a busy month or so, and there have been enough distractions, events, obligations that, while of course we are EATING, we aren't eating anything that is worthy of a post.  And while we are busy doing whatever we are doing, it fails to merit any blogging comment.
      I did finish the turning of the parking strip and cover it with the newspaper/cardboard and wood chip combo that will hopefully result in luscious composed soil by spring.  I got a large dumping of free chips from the city's proxy tree service, which is now nearly occluding the fire hydrant.  Lucky we live in the middle of the block, I am hoping to avoid any citations (ahem).
     But things are looking up folks!  The next beef has arrived, and the freezer is bulging.  This beef tastes, if this is possible, beefier than the last one, and I rather like that.  The winter and holiday season is upon us, and for anyone who knows me, that would mean that the pinnacle of the social season:  the Davis/Utterback Night of Beef!  We were over there last night.  Once again, everyone outdid themselves.  I seriously think that we should be sharing our recipes this year:  the savory bread pudding that the Matthews brought, the Brussels sprouts that Kit brought!  Amazing!  I loved Laura's  salad, and the stuffed mushrooms that came from Elyce yum!  We haven't even gotten to the piece de la resistance:  the grilled/smoked prime rib of Darren's.  Truly, all of the food was delicious.
     I was put on dessert.  In truth, there were several, and a variety, but all were appreciated, if the empty plates were any indication.  When bringing a dessert that is to be served in a buffet style for a large group of kids and adults, one has to consider multiple factors.  For instance, what pleases kids does not necessarily appeal to the adults, and vice versa.  There is the portability factor, the logistics of what can be served easily and what can hold well when sitting for a few hours.
     To that end, I made trifle.  Best as I can tell, it's an old fashioned British dessert of cake, whipped cream or creamy filling, fruit, all layered and allowed to sit for the flavors to meld.  Alcohol is usually included, liberally at times.  But here is the catch:  there are now quite a few riffs on this idea, with differing cakes, fillings, fruits, alcohols.  I never do well in this situation:  I can rarely narrow it down to just one.  No problem!  I made a non-alcoholic version of one, and a boozy, more adult version of another.  And being the kind of person who can't just leave well enough alone, I also morphed two recipes together for the adult version.
     The kid version is largely unadulterated, and comes from Fine Cooking:  A Black Forest Trifle, I monkeyed only with the recipe by eliminating the kirsch and adding more cherries.  Must say, the kirsch would have made a good addition, as the sweetness would have been tempered somewhat.  But the recipe is largely intact.

      The other trifle was more involved in number of steps to assemble, but also more complex in it's flavors.  The cake is a ginger bread, which I adjusted as I often find the molasses in these cakes to be overwhelming.  So I cut it with honey.

     The filling is a mix of egg yolks, mascarpone and whipped cream.  The fruit.  Well, that's where I deviated from the plan:  the original recipe was lacking in fruit.  But I found another recipe that uses these lovely poached pears.  Aha!  

     So the basic recipe is from Fine Cooking, with the poached fruit from a Bon Appetit recipe, and it all has been adulterated across the board for my purposes.

  

Gingerbread Pear Trifle

I made this trifle 4 hours ahead of time, and it wasn't enough!  I'm eating leftovers now, and find them much improved.  This can be made 12-24 hours in advance, with great benefit.

Also there are several steps here, but most can be made in advance to break them up.

Make the cake:

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 t ground ginger

1 t baking powder

1/2 t kosher salt

2 pinches cloves

1/4 t cinnamon

3 oz (6 T) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

3/4 c sugar

1 t grated lemon zest

2 eggs

1/4 c molasses

1/4 c honey

1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a 9 x 13 pan, line the bottom with parchment.  

Whisk the dry ingredients, set aside.

Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 min.  Add the eggs one at a time, add the honey and molasses.  Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk.  

Scrape into the pan, smooth the top and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 25 min.  Cool x 20 minutes, and then invert, remove the parchment and cool completely.  If making ahead, wrap in plastic.  It can be frozen if need more than 1 day in advance.  

Make the pears:  

1 bottle dry white wine

2 c water

1 1/4 c sugar

12-18 cardamom seeds (the inner black seeds from the pods)

4 x 1" diameter rounds fresh ginger

2 cinnamon sticks

6 firm but ripe pears (I used Bosc), peeled

Heat the wine, water, sugar and spices.  When the sugar is melted, add the pears, and bring to a simmer, cook until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife.  Remove from heat, allow to cool. If making ahead, chill in the syrup.  

Make the syrup:

Remove the pears from the syrup, strain the syrup.  You will only require about 1/2 of what remains, add 2 T brandy and set aside.  This also can be chilled until ready to use.  

Make the filling:

2/3 c sparkling wine

6 egg yolks

6T sugar

1 1/2 c cream

1 t vanilla extract

8 oz mascarpone, at room temperature

6 T coarsely chopped candied ginger

Whisk the wine, yolks and sugar in a metal bowl that will fit into a pot, place into said pot in which there are 2-3" simmering water.  Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.  Whisk constantly until the mixture is thick, lemon colored and pudding like.  Your whisk should leave a trail when scraping the bottom of the bowl, this takes about 8 minutes. Set aside and whisk occasionally to cool.  

Beat the cream, when thickened, add the vanilla and 1 T of the ginger syrup.  Continue until medium peaks form. 

Whisk the mascarpone into the cooled egg mixture, and then fold in the whipped cream.  

Assemble the trifle:

Cut the cake into 1/2 " slices.  Using 1/3 of the slices, place a layer into the bottom of a 14 cup trifle dish or clear large glass bowl.  Brush with the ginger syrup.  Sprinkle with 1 T candied ginger.

Reserve a nicer looking pear for the top.

Cut the pears in half, core and slice into horizontal slices and layer in bowl.  Add 1/4 of the filling.  

Repeat this step x 3.  Finish with filling, and decorate the top with remaining pear and candied ginger.  

The photo above had more whipped cream on top, as I failed to plan well for the filling, and ran short.  This worked fine.  

Make ahead x 12-24 hours.  

Guest Post by Proxy, or Roast Beast

     Well, I have said it before, and I will say it again:  I am interested and happy to have my friends contribute to this blog.  I would love to see it morph into more of a community project, so that I can see what others are eating/doing/growing.   So far, however, I have had few takers.  There are the logistical issues:  how to gain access to the writing side of things, for instance.  Also, I must admit that this is my project, my agenda, so just because I am interested in what others might have to add, that doesn't mean others are interested in generating content for the purposes of this blog.
     So there you go.  But there is more than one way to work this angle.   In taking a look into my freezer this weekend, I saw one of the objects that has been intellectually taunting me this summer.  I actually put it off under the rationalization that it was more of a fall or winter item, rather than a summer one.  But now that we are officially in fall, I have no other excuses.  The roast must be confronted, head on.
     That is a problem you see, because, while I consider myself to be intrepid and capable in the kitchen, I have never really cooked a roast before.  So, while I may have used the season as the excuse, the real reason that roast languished there in the back of the freezer was because I was afraid of it.
     This is where my sister, Karen, comes to the rescue!  You see, she is an accomplished cook as well.  And, having a spouse who shoots things for a hobby, and then brings these things home, she has a freezer FULL of roast type objects.  Thus, she is quite experienced in this matter.  Dear Karen talked me through the whole process, sent me the recipe she devised (after years of trial and error), and was on call for trouble shooting on the day of the actual roasting of the beast.
     The only difference is that Karen never roasts beef, as she has no need to have this item in her freezer, it being full of venison, elk, moose, and so on.  But we both figured that rump roast, as a leaner cut, would respond nicely to the same treatment.
     I had my neighbors, Brandis and Robb over to help consume said beast.  We also had a salad of greens, dates and feta, with an amazing vinaigrette including cardamom and dijon (I am waiting for Brandis to give me her recipe for this, stay tuned).  The meal included roast potatoes and a puree of carrots and parsnips, also delicious.
     And for dessert?  Poached pears from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem, about which I have waxed poetic before.  The pears, poached in a solution with cardamom and saffron, turned the pears the most beautiful yellow tint, and the syrup that resulted was a gorgeous sunshine color.   Amazing.  (I snuck in a photo below).
     But the beef is the focus today, with photos and recipe to follow:

Prep phase, meat with the dry rub/paste applied

Despite my fears that I had over cooked the roast, it was perfect!

Roast Beast, Karen's Way

makes quantities dependent on the size of the roast

mine was 3 1/2 lbs, and served 4 with leftovers

below is the recipe she sent me

1 roast

Cut slits into roast

Slather the exterior with a blend of the following:

-Minced garlic – there is no such thing as too much

-kosher salt – 2-4 TBS

-olive oil – enough to make a slurry

-rosemary – FRESH of course!

-fresh ground black pepper

Then I add either oregano, savory, sage or whatever spice I have handy

Let sit for some time – minimum of 1 hour – I try for about 4 hours

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bake at 450 for 20 minutes

Lower temp to 350 and bake until internal temp reaches about 125 – 130

When the internal temp is about 100 I spread a tart jam or sauce on the top (trying not to displace the crusty salt/herb mixture)

When internal temp is reached

                REMOVE FROM OVEN- COVER WITH FOIL – LET REST FOR 20 TO 30 MINUTES

(That is the most important step in making roast)

This gives you time to finish the rest of the meal or socialize with guests!  Or drink a kir!

These pears are so beautiful, I had to include a photo!

     So, while I may continue to encounter resistance from the masses, capable but unwilling to scribe a quick missive to accompany the recipe, there is more than ONE way to make it onto this blog!  While the beef was my cooking effort, the recipe, testing, encouragement and inspiration are all Karen, so she gets the credit.  

Baking for Brandis

     So I have a series of baking items here.  I have been intrigued, nay, inspired by some unusual forces lately.  In large part, the inspiration has been my neighbor, Brandis, who has developed an allergy to wheat.  In her case, this is not celiac the way I usually understand it, but suffice it to say, she has essentially eliminated wheat from her diet.
      In addition, my own health issues has spurred some interest into what we in health care term 'modifiable lifestyle' factors.  I can't exactly change the reality of the nasty medications I am forced to ingest, neither the doctor's visits and scans.  However, as I frequently inform my patients, I can change what passes my lips.  So, this funny fibrosis is supposedly tied to inflammation, and inflammation is tied to things like glycemic indices and diet.  Okay.  I am not so committed to the concept that I am prepared to forsake baked items and the like.  But I AM willing to pursue alternatives if they taste good.
     Don't get me wrong.  I am still going out to the occasional bakery.  And I am not going to turn down pie or cookies.  I will even continue to do the bulk of my baking with wheat flour, as it is logistically simpler.  But I do avoid bread more than I ever have, and other grains as well.
     Also, I disapprove of substitute food.  By that I mean things like tofu made into chicken substitute.   Or Splenda.  Even Stevia seems suspect.  I would rather go without.  Neither am I willing to eat a food item with odd off flavors in an effort to avoid something.
     Therefore, my foray into gluten free baking came with, shall we say, preconceived notions and prejudices.   But the challenge of baking for Brandis (it sounds like a children's book!) spurred me onward, and I have found some happy results.
      My first effort was a recipe that I found on another blog, La Pomme de Portland, for cookies.  These are essentially a shortbread cookie with chocolate drizzle.   The main alternative flour is rice flour, and these were fine.  There was a bit of an 'off' flavor, but not offensive to me.  I would recommend them, and you can take a look.  Bryce, however, rejected them.  Onward.
      I then put some thought into what gluten does and doesn't do.  No real scientific talk here, don't worry.  Gluten is the part of the wheat that creates binding.  So if you want to create that effect, like in bread, you want the gluten.  In some baking, this can be optional or unwanted entirely.
      Take for instance, my next effort.   This was an apple/pear crisp.  For a crisp, I look for caramel flavors and crumbly topping.  It's fine if it falls into pieces.  To this end, I took my friend Katie's crisp recipe, and just substituted almond flour for the wheat.  Voila!  The crisp was even better than the original (sorry Katie).  It was caramelly, crumbly and now had a nutty tone to it as well.  Perfect with fruit.  It passed the Bryce test.
      But now, the ante has been raised.   Thanksgiving is looming.   And that means pie.   Could I make a pie that would pass muster with all parties?   I turned to the local guru, who posts on Gluten Free Girl.  She is married to a chef, which, to my mind, means that all of the recipes she posts has to pass a very high bar indeed.  If you are looking for a gluten free resource, this is the one.  I used her flour mixture, and followed her advice for pie crust, making first an apple crumble pie (avoiding, therefore, the worry of a pie with a top).  Again, success!  Brandis, Robb and Bryce approved.  The next pie test was riffed off of a recipe in the most recent Saveur issue, for a pumpkin brûlée pie.  Again, success!  The crust makes up a little different (but not greatly) from one made from wheat flour.
     Ok,  but how about a cake option?  Once more, I turned to my list of blogs, this time The Year in Cooking.   There I found a recipe for polenta cakes with figs.  It's too late for figs, but the cakes baked up easily, and I hope to pair them with an apple compote.
      The encouragement I have gotten from these efforts makes gluten free baking much less mysterious for me.  It also reinforces that I should suspend my prejudices while simultaneously following the recipes of trusted cooks and bakers.  This doesn't feel like substitute food, in the same sense that there is brown rice and white rice.  Or wheat pasta and rice noodles.  It also makes me happy to give treats to those that have to do without, and know that the results do NOT feel like doing without.

Katie's Crisp Topping

makes enough for a 9x13 dish, or 2 8x8 dishes

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 c flour ( use whole wheat, or almond flour)

1 c brown sugar

1 c oats

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients, then blend in the butter, until well incorporated.  

Use to top your basic fruit crisp.  If you are desperate for guidance in this area, cut up apples and pears, toss with 1 T lemon juice, and sprinkle with a generous dose of cinnamon and sugar.  Or substitute the seasonal fruit of your choice.   Some may require a thickener, like cornstarch, which should be mixed with the cinnamon/sugar before blending with the fruit.  There is your recipe.  

     The apple pie recipe here is a basic one, and as for the topping, brace yourself:  when I make the above crisp topping, I always make a double recipe and freeze the unused portion.  Topping here?  The crisp topping, pressed into service!  

     As for the recipes for pie crust and polenta cakes, rove on over to those sites!  You will be inspired, and may become a blog fiend like me at the same time....

   

The Birds and The Bees

     Some news from over here at 6024 Chicken Lane:  As we head into fall, I am pleased to say that all the nurturing and care have finally paid off, and the girls have started to lay eggs!!!   The whole process has been a bit herky-jerky.
     To start, they sure took their sweet time.  Brandis and I have been searching high and low, wondering if they were accidentally laying out in the bamboo, or in some other spot.  To complicate matters, the Welsummers and the Easter Eggers (namely 4 out of the 5 new girls) are rather avid flyers, and fly up onto Brandis' roof almost daily, and go on walkabout daily as well.

From left to right:  Patty, Dottie, Peanut and Hazel

     So who knows?  Maybe they were doing their laying while on walkabout, being too dim to think of returning to the coop where a nice nesting box, nay 2 nesting boxes, lay waiting for their pleasure.  We started looking in the more expanded garden. 

     But it didn't make sense.  The rains had started, and the earth was pretty damp, not exactly good nesting areas to be found.  And then, voila!  A brown egg, in the coop, even if it wasn't in the box.  And then another, accidentally on the ground on the other side of the fence!  It has been a bit of a challenge to determine, but we are pretty sure that both Hazel and Dottie are laying, and at least Patty but probably also Peanut.  The goofy thing there is that the eggs of Patty and Peanut should be a bit different looking, and thus far the Easter Egger color seems identical.  And Calamity Jane, being 2 weeks younger, has not yet done the deed.  We have found them in both coops, in varying locales, so there is yet to be a steady habit.  But eggs we do have.  

     

   
     Not a moment too soon, as well.  I am ruined for life, and hope to never have to buy store bought eggs again, and just as these girls are starting in, the older ladies are all starting to molt.  This is a yearly event, and coincides with a complete hiatus from laying eggs.  So nothing happening there.  Indeed, only Juliet doesn't look silly in some way, and Emma is downright pathetic!

      On another front, I went to visit my friend Tim today, and see his bee hive.  This is another topic of urban homesteading that has interested me for a long time.  I haven't had the courage to dive in completely, but Tim has, and is in his 3rd year.  His bees produce quite the honey haul, and the whole process is fascinating.  I would need to educate myself quite a bit to undertake this project, and the logistics of building another item this winter is definitely out.  But then again, one never knows.....
I am sure there are more than a few of my friends who are wondering if I have gone off into a whole new realm of insanity here, but who cares?  It makes me happy.
     In the interim, the bigger question is whether to try harder to contain the flying chickens, who, while rather entertaining in their traveling habits, would be easier to track if they were not so adventurous.  For that matter, is it even possible?   We shall see.

 Something about mites, and hops

     Coming soon, I am working on multiple canning projects, and starting to bake:  pumpkin bread with chocolate chips today (needs tweaking), and a foray into gluten free items (a work in progress).

Quick Before I Forget

     I just whipped an amazing dinner tonight.  It was partially inspired by the season:  the chanterelles are in the store, and I adore chanterelles.  There is also the pressure from the refrigerator, namely in the form of a huge bag of spinach from the CSA.   Gotta move the veggies.
     It's been a bit of a cooking madhouse around here:  I harvested the rest of the tomatoes on the vine, and, as they are green, they were destined for the canning pot.  That is another story, but suffice it so say that I spent the last 2 evenings cranking out double recipes of green tomato chow chow.  I feel confident that I have gotten THAT out of my system now.  To the tune of 18 pints, I should hope so.  I will be using them to barter with my friend Bess for other canned items.  As she donated some of the tomatoes used in this extravaganza, that seems rational.
      But when the canning was done, I needed to eat!  This meal would be rejected by my veggie phobic daughter.  However, I believe my sister would find it ideal:  there are no onions, for one.  The ingredients are nearly all part of her Alaskan hunting/gathering accessible roster.  Karen tells me of her forays into the woods for chanterelles, which generates more than a fair amount of jealousy, I admit.  I found myself channelling her while I made this, thinking she would also enjoy this recipe.
     So quick!  Before I forget how I threw it together, here it is.  I started off with the memory of a recipe from Fine Cooking, where there is a mushroom sauce with white fish, but I switched things out a bit, and added some more.  Basically, this is a mushroom saute that doubles as the steaming base for halibut, and is served over a bed of spinach.  The sauce then also infuses the spinach, doing double duty for the fish and the spinach.  It's a fairly simple recipe, but the fish and mushrooms lend an air of elegance to it all.  This dish is fancy enough for company, or for one post-canning person.

Halibut and Chanterelles with Spinach

(I will gladly solicit bids for a better title)

Serves 2-3

1 1/4 lb halibut, cut into 2-3 pieces

Salt and pepper

3T butter

3 c chanterelles, wiped clean, trimmed and cut into large pieces

1 T minced garlic

1/2 c white wine or vermouth

3T heavy cream

1 lb spinach

3T minced parsley

Pat the halibut dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, set aside.  

Melt butter in a saute pan just large enough to accomodate the halibut.  Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt, and saute 5 min, until tender.  Add the garlic and wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 min.  Add the halibut, scoop the mushrooms and sauce over the fish, then cover the pan, bring to a simmer and reduce.  Watch carefully, so as not to overcook the fish.  It will take about 5 min.  

Meanwhile, rinse and coarsely chop the spinach, and then steam in a pot with 2-3T water until just wilted (about 3-5 min).  Drain any extra moisture (or remove with tongs). 

When the fish is done, pour the cream over the top, and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve the fish and mushrooms plus sauce over the spinach and enjoy!

Better the Second Time Around

     I had an odd but pleasant discovery today.  I was faced with leftovers from the other day, and the reincarnation of these leftovers actually ended up being better, to my taste anyway, than the original item!  A happy event, I would say.  Even Bryce ate it.  Gasp, choke!
     The original item, beef empanadas, were made for my friend Darren's birthday party.  There, I presented them, still warm from the oven, with a lovely Aji sauce on the side.  Make no mistake, all was eaten.  These were tasty and enjoyed by adults and youth alike.  Rich and savory, with a mild spicy kick, especially with the addition of the sauce, I would qualify them as a success.  My only complaint?  I found the process of making them to be a bit labor intensive.  The irony to this was that the recipe came from Cooks Illustrated, and was billed, in their intro, as something streamlined for weeknight cooking.  Ha!
     You make a dough, which then chills.  You make the meat filling, which includes chopping, sauteing, boiling eggs and chipping olives off of their pits.  You let it all cool off.  Then roll out, assemble and bake said empanadas.  Weeknight cooking indeed.  I would qualify these as an item to bring to a party, when you are not obligated for the remainder of the dishes, and can clean up later.  I would also mention the benefit to having more than one person available for the assembly sections, to speed things up.   Weeknight cooking indeed.
     It doesn't help that I actually made a double recipe, in anticipation of needing a fair number of the little pies.  And then, in the making of the double recipe, I found myself with almost all of the second recipe of the meat filling left over.  Ah well.  It all turned out fine in the end.
     Today, to use up said leftovers, I made a bastardized rendition of shepherd's pie.  Bastardized, as the meat filling was beef, not lamb, and essentially spiced in a Latin style.  I added veggies to the mix, because I can't not do that.
     And the result was better than the originals.  So.  I will give recipes for all items here, but suffice it to say, I was so focussed on getting the empanadas baked and out the door, I failed to photograph them, so you will have to use your imagination:  half moon pies is what you should conjure up here.

Beef Empanadas

adapted from Cooks Illustrated
makes 12

Dough: 

3 c flour

1 c masa harina

1T sugar

1 1/2 t salt

1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut in small pieces

1/2 c cold tequila or vodka

1/2 c cold water

Put the flour, masa, sugar and salt into a food processor, pulse to combine.  Add the butter, pulse several times to get a coarse flour texture.  Turn the mixture out into a bowl, add the tequila and water, mix with your hands to combine.   When you have a ball, cut it in half, and then each half into 6 pieces.  Roll lightly into balls, cover and chill 45 min.

Meat mixture:
1 slice white sandwich bread
2T + 1/2 chicken broth

1 lb ground beef

2 c finely chopped onions
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 t cumin
pinch cayenne
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
1/4 c green olives, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/3 c raisins, coarsely chopped
2 t cider vinegar

Pulse bread and 2 T broth in food processor until combined, add meat, pulse to combine.  Saute onions in oil in a large skillet, until translucent, add beef and brown.  Add garlic, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon, saute x 1 min, then add remainder of chicken broth, increase heat and simmer until meat is moist but not wet.  Put into another bowl to cool x 10 min, then add remaining ingredients.  Allow to cool completely.

Assemble:  Roll the dough balls out to approx 6" circles, set aside, but work quickly.  Otherwise cover with plastic wrap.  Place 1/4-1/3 c meat mixture in the center of each round, wet the edges of the rounds with water, then fold over.  Cut uneven portions of the dough (pizza cutter works great here), and press the dough with a fork to seal.  When all are assembled, brush lightly with olive oil.

While assembling:  Preheat the oven to 425F.  Have racks at high and low positions.  Put 2 baking sheets into the oven while heating.  When hot, drizzle 2 T olive oil into the pans and put back into the oven.  When the pastries are ready, quickly put 6 on each, and bake x 30 min.  Rotate top to bottom and front to back at the half way point.  Cool on a rack.

See what I mean?  Labor intensive.  But very good.  Now here is the Aji sauce.  I found a recipe for this on Epicurious, but have seriously monkeyed with it.  This would be good with steaks and other meats, as it is similar to a Chimicurri sauce.

Aji Sauce

heavily adapted from Epicurious

makes 1-1/2 c

4 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped

1/2 green pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1/4-1/2 c coarsely chopped green onion

1/3 c coarsely chopped sweet onion

1/2 c cilantro

2T champagne vinegar

1/2 t kosher salt

Puree everything in a food processor until smooth, taste and correct seasonings.  Should be bright and mildly spicy (say 1-2 stars). 

And now, the new and improved beef option.  You see, the beef, itself, was not too miserable, in the labor department.  It was the whole package.  But this is as much a factor of any item that gets wrapped in pastry, I suppose.  So quit harping already, right?

The beef I used had all the basic filling parts of the recipe, but I omitted the eggs and raisins.  I kept the olives.  If I were to make the shepherd's pie with this beef option, I would probably omit the whole bit with the bread as well.  Not necessary for this.  So that would leave the onions, beef and spices, finished with olives and some vinegar.

Shepherd's Pie, My Way

serves 4

Meat filling from Beef Empanadas, with adaptations as noted above

8 pearl onions, halved

1 carrot, chopped 1/2" pieces

1 celery stalk, chopped 1/2" pieces

1 c. butternut squash, chopped into 1/2" pieces

1 T olive oil

2-3 c potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1T butter

salt to taste

1/4+ milk

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, drain, add butter, milk and salt and mash until smooth.  Set aside. 

Saute veggies, add 2-3T water, cover and steam until tender.  

Assemble:  Place meat mixture in a casserole to fit, cover with veggies.  Cover with mashed potatoes and smooth. 

Broil until potatoes are lightly browned.   It occurs to me that the Aji sauce might go well with this....

Surreal Real Food, and the 2-for-1 special

     Interesting day today.  There is lots of weather, and a little empty nest syndrome, since school started yesterday.  Bryce is taking the bus across town for high school now, and I find myself excited for her.  Almost wish I were taking the bus too (but not quite).  The science teacher set off the fire alarm in class yesterday!
     Anyway, I have several mini-topics here, and they all fit together, sort of.  I made an excellent salad for lunch today, a bit of an impromptu event, but so beautiful, I wanted to include it and talk about tools.
     My mother was always a bit of a kitchen minimalist.  Why buy a new tool when you could make do with a more general item, like a knife, to a similar effect?  While I do agree, to a point, that an excess of gadgetry in the kitchen is silly, I do like a certain set of items that not only make life simpler and easier, but also more fun.
     A case in point is the mandoline.  I got my first from Katie's mother, who had this Japanese mandoline which, while semi-functional, also left me in fear for my digits.  Ah but the slices!   And then when I discovered the julienne function!  Oh, I had to acquire a better version.  Here comes the shameless promotion.  I now own an Oxo mandoline, and my kitchen world is one tiny bit more cluttered, but also more complete.  This item has rarely gotten to it's storage place this summer, it has been used so much.  Oxo has put in some excellent design features that reduce digit damage and enhance functionality.  All the attachments  (except one) are contained on the unit, so the storage is easy.  Love this gadget.
     And look what I have achieved!  This salad is surreal.  The carrot and beet are from the garden, and nearly electric in color.  That's a Chiogga beet, and julienned is a great way to display it's neon shades.  I have taken to eating beets raw this summer, and I highly recommend it.   I just peel and julienne, which saves all that time and cooking.   They are crunchy and sweet, and have a gentle earthy flavor.
This salad does not require a recipe, what you see is what you get:  lettuce, carrots and beets, toasted sunflower and pepitas, goat cheese and an orange vinaigrette (Thanks to Trader Joe's Orange Muscat vinegar, that, too, is easy).   Could I do this with a knife.  I guess.  But not as quickly, nor as beautifully, or uniformly.  I maintain that this is a case of better living through gadgetry.
     

     The other item IS a recipe, however.  I accompanied this electric salad with a leftover from the other night.  The inspiration comes from both the abundant zucchini supplies this time of year and a recipe that my friend Mark sent my way for a zucchini casserole.  

     I am not certain of the source of his recipe, but no matter, as I didn't use it.  That recipe called for bulgur, tomato paste and just didn't sound like what I wanted.  I was envisioning more of a riff on a corn pudding:  vegetal, but also cheesy and eggy, a little puffed.  (I confess, I was partly looking for a way to conceal a pile of zucchini in a 'don't-ask-what's-in-it' dish for dinner.)  I couldn't really find what I wanted, but managed to cobble together a pretty good version, amenable to all sorts of variations.  

     At it's base is a sauté of onion and shredded zucchini, which is then mixed with eggs, milk and cheese, and baked until golden and lovely.  I failed to photograph this, but it was an excellent side dish, with plenty of flavor.  I can envision adding corn, or herbs, or tomatoes, chili peppers, an so on.  

Zucchini Casserole

serves 4

1/2 c finely chopped onion

4 c shredded zucchini (or summer squash, or equivalent of other shredded or finely chopped veggies)

2 T butter

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

3T flour

1/2 c cottage cheese (I used low fat)  

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1/4 c crumbled Jalapeno queso fresco (optional, or use something similar)

1/2 c milk

1/4 tsp pepper

Saute onion and zucchini in butter until moisture is evaporated and zucchini is cooked down, about 10 min.  Season to taste with salt.  Allow to cool slightly.  

Meanwhile beat eggs in a bowl, sprinkle flour and whisk/beat until incorporated.  Add cheeses and milk, pepper.  

When veggies are cooled, dump into an lightly oiled casserole or gratin dish, and pour egg mixture on top.  Stir to mix, then bake 30 min at 350F, until puffed and golden.  

Vaca Frita Our Way

     So, we are under pressure now.  The beef supply from our lovely locavore source is dwindling down, and we do the only rational thing:  Order more!  Except now we have desire and understanding motivating us, and decide that we should do it the the 'American' way.  Why have some if you can have more?
     Actually, it was a very democratic process, involving consensus, multiple solicitations of opinions (some of which I waited for, some I merrily assumed the answer to, ahem), information gathering and enfolding of more folks into the flock.  Very Seattle Process and we almost sang kumbaya at the end.  There is a whole beef coming this time, in a couple months, and the clock has begun to tick.
     You see, I still do have some beef in my freezer.  So it is time for it to go.  That's where Cook's Illustrated came to the rescue, with their most recent issue, and a recipe for Cuban Shredded Beef.  Think pulled pork, but with beef.  The flavorings are more Cuban (duh) and less south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  But conceptually that is where we are going here.
     Not willing to make a mess of this for myself, I do the other only rational thing:  bamboozle others to join me on this quest.  To wit:  my friends Jo and Mark offered themselves up, and a meal was in the making.  They even graciously offered up their kitchen!  Or, at least they were too polite to object.
     We started with a chuck roast, and braised it nearly 2 hours, thereafter, it was pounded flat, sautéed with onions, garlic and other seasonings.  Then we did a bastardization of a taco bar goes to Cuba:  black beans, avocado, queso fresco from the farmer's market, lovely tomatoes, salsa, peppers and cilantro.  All of it was excellent.
     Our only complaint?  Even though I find CI to be exceptionally well tested and properly seasoned, the beef was too salty.  Oh, and not enough cumin for my taste.  It worked out well with the other ingredients, as they balanced things out well enough.  But I will provide our adapted version below, to avoid future complications.

 Plate of accoutrements

Pounded Beef

 Bear with me here folks, I know it doesn't look like much but it translates well with the other food

Vaca Frita, a la Mark and Birgit

adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cuban Shredded Beef

serves 4-6

2lbs beef chuck, fat trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" cubes

1/2 tsp salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2T orange juice (maybe more)

1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest, plust 1 T juice, plus lime wedges for serving

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

2T dry sherry

1.  Bring beef, 2c. water and salt to a boil in a dutch oven or other sturdy pot, reduce to low, cover and gently simmer 1hr 45min, checking occasionally to make sure the bottom third of the beef is submerged. 

2.  Combine garlic, oil and cumin a bowl, set aside.  Combine orange and lime zest and juice in another bowl, set aside.  

3.  When beef is tender, remove lid, increase heat and simmer until the water is evaporated, 3-8 min.  Remove beef to a rimmed baking sheet, (reserve fat from skillet) pound flat into 1/8" pieces, with skillet or meat pounder.  

4.  Heat oil in pan, add onion and sauté until golden, add sherry, 1/4c. water to deglaze and cook until it evaporates.  Transfer to a bowl, set aside.  Add reserved fat, beef and cook until golden brown and crusty (we had trouble with this, but it was still good).  Push beef to the sides, add garlic to the center and cook, then add juice mixture and onion and toss to combine.  

5.  Serve with a Cuban taco bar of black beans, tortillas, queso fresco, avocados, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro.  Enjoy!

First you take some courage....

     That's right, first you take some courage.  Well, a little anyway.  We all know what it's like.  If your mother cooked something, you kinda know what it should (or, in the case of Swiss Steak, bleah! shouldn't) taste like.  And you are often able to take up the item as an adult cook.  So the things you mother never cooked, a little like uncharted territories.
     This is a bit of an exaggeration, as my mother is not fond of Brussels sprouts, winter squash, artichokes, lamb, and likely a host of other things that I cannot bring to mind.  Which is not to say that she is not an accomplished and varied cook, because she is.  But I had to figure those items out on my own, and find them to be delicious.
     So, recall the beef.  There are quite a few cuts that have been a mild challenge:  the stew meat was the first, and I had an excellent run with that.  So the next hoop has been the ribs.  These are short ribs, I was told.  But I have never cooked ribs, pork, beef or otherwise.  Braised, baked, grilled, not on my repertoire.  I always got overwhelmed by the multi step process:  bake, then grill, or marinate then grill. I never had the planning for the long marinade, and just shied away from them.
     But there they sat in my freezer, and finally it was time.  I actually pulled them out 3 days ago, and had multiple excuses for why I didn't cook them up, but really, it was that I still wasn't quite sure how to make them.  And then my friend Mark came over, and he had just made his, too.  But he confessed that he grilled them too hot, and they were tough.  Okay, game on.
      Mark, this one is for you:  I found a recipe in Steven Raichlen's book, The Barbecue! Bible.  However, that recipe called for, yes more planning ahead, and a few ingredients I don't have.  So modifications abound, perhaps not even the same recipe in the end, but close enough.  I will print my amended version, which, while delicious (Bryce and I were fighting for the meat, and I did give some to Brandis and Robb as well), probably could have used another 1/2 hour on the grill to be even more tender.  Ah well.

Birgit's Take on Steven Raichlen's Dinosaur Ribs

2 lbs beef short ribs

Salt and pepper

Basting mixture/sauce:

2/3c hoisin sauce

1/4 c. sake (he says you can use rice wine or dry sherry)

2 T honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 t ginger (he called for fresh, but oh, well, not today)

Stir together the sauce, reserve some for serving.  

Salt and pepper the ribs, then go prep the grill:  I have a charcoal grill, so I used a whole chimney full of coals, and when there was white ash on most of them, I divided them into to piles on each edge, plunked a modified drip pan made of aluminum foil in the middle, added a couple extra coals to the pile and heated up my grill.  If you use a gas grill, there must be a way to set up an indirect heat with a drip pan in the middle, but I couldn't advise.  

After the grill is heated, you oil it, then place the ribs in the center over the drip pan and cover the grill.  Resist the urge to check on them for about 30 min, then turn them over.  Cover and resist resist resist.  After another 30 min, turn again.  If you are pressed for time, like me, start basting, otherwise, resist for up to another 30 min.  At the last 30 min, start basting with the sauce when you flip, and start flipping every 5-10 min.  

The ribs are done when the meat is very tender, and it has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. 

I used the heat of the coals to grill some zucchini, which had a little salt, oil and balsamic on them.  And served it all with sliced tomatoes.  Gotta say, even without pre-planning, all the ingredients, and much of a clue for what I was doing here, they turned out excellent.  Let's give the credit to Steven Raichlen, shall we?  And a little bit of courage.  

   

Not for the Faint at Heart

      Well, well, well.  Alot going on here at 6024 Chicken Lane, and this summer in general, I might add.    What with the kid being in Alaska and all, I had ample opportunity to embark on a few more coop projects, like building that base screening and door.  Brilliant, we thought.  The girls could get up and cluck about without requiring any interference from a human for an hour or so.  What could possibly go wrong?
       Quite a bit, as it turns out.  No predators to speak of, which is encouraging.  But those of you who are diligent readers might recall the possibility that we had, ahem, a few roosters in the hen house.  Let us say that they began to display more of their rooster tendencies around this time.  That would include crowing.  It started as some benign croaking from Yaki and Soba.  But their attention to practice and time itself turned a little croaking into bona fide crowing.  The day it started at 5:30 AM was when it became clear that action was necessary.
      It wasn't just audible to Brandis, Robb and me.  The neighbors all the way down the street could here these pipes a-piping.  I was afraid of getting hate mail after a while.  And I had to increase from 1 to 2 and finally 3 pillows to block out the racket.  You see, when one would crow, the other would feel compelled to chime in.  It was a veritable rooster chorus out there.  At 10AM it's one thing, at 5:30 it's another.  Oh, then Jean-Claude, the artist formerly known as Scarlet started in, too.
      Our thinking is that if we have ONE boy, it might work.  Besides, Jean-Claude is gorgeous.  A Black Copper Maran, he has almost gaudy feathers, in these luscious black, teal and amber shades.   So Yaki and Soba would go.
      We embarked on this for several reasons.  We both want to benefit from the food portion of the deal.  Or broth at least.  Also, we believe that we can't just find a 'good home' for the boys.  WE are a good home.  So we need to own the whole process of being a chicken owner.   That would mean raising, maintaining and also finding a final resting place for our birds.
      So I cleaned out my sink, and washed my counters.  Heated some water.  We took some final photos.   We consulted our chicken book.  Robb sharpened his knives.

 Yaki having his final good morning

     We wound string around his legs, grasped him firmly, tipped him upside down and Robb cut his throat.  That was the hardest part.  Then we had to bleed, dip in hot water and pluck pluck pluck.  Then I got to hone my evisceration skills, as well as off with the head and feet.  

 Yaki and Soba's last dance

 Last view before the big chill

      So what's the craziest part of all of this?  I swear I never noticed before, but Brandis said she was starting to wonder.  The next morning, there were 2 birds crowing again!!!!  Turns out Jean-Claude has ANOTHER brother.  Unbelievable as it might be, Robert is the artist formerly known as Ruby, soon to also experience the big chill.  There were 4 boys among our 7 chicks from Oregon.  We will be down to our 4 brown birds (Hazel, Dottie, Patty and Peanut), Calamity Jane and Jean-Claude. 

      Well, for now.  I am already planning for our babies for next year.  We will be experts by then.  And besides, we haven't gotten to the egg-laying phase yet.  What could possibly happen next?  

An Unexpected Bonus: my very first and very short post

Guest Written By Brandis Gray

When you have a Bird Dog to train, the first thing to do is NOT to come home with a basket of quail, but that's what I did because the opportunity presented itself; after all, why wouldn't a chicken yard easily double as an aviary?

The training is taking more than I'd expected so the birds are temporarily safe from the imminent trauma of Jack Puppy's education. For now, they seem very comfortable in their new home, evidenced by the recent daily appearance of eggs.

A dozen "one-bite" eggs!

Four hens with two roosters amounts to about 2-3 eggs a day, so it takes almost a week to collect a dozen, which is still a light breakfast for two!

Tiny, tasty... poached for just 30 seconds

Look Ma, no Help!

     Well, there is a variety of news and no news from the chicken front.  The girls continue to grow.  Actually, therein lies at least one dilemma.  The older girls are now just over 3 months old, the younger ones 2 1/2.  I have been checking the internet for information about this, and seem to find a variety of opinions, but the most concise explains how to tell if you have boys or girls.  That's right.  You see, we have a couple 'crowers' in our midst, that would be Yaki and Soba.  Each morning, they do dueling crowing/croaking.
     And then there is Scarlet.  Well, what appears to be the Artist Formerly Known as Scarlet.  I haven't noticed any croaking/crowing from this front, but she/he is one of our Copper Marans.  In comparison to her sisters, Scarlet is the rose to the daisy.  They are all developing amazing copper and teal feathers.  But she is particularly amazing, with even more developed tail feathers.  The real test, according to my internet search, is rounded vs pointed saddle feathers.  I actually had to look up chicken feather anatomy to figure this one out, but they are the feathers that cascade down over the thighs, at the lateral base of the tails.  Rounded means girls, pointed means, well, soup.

Can you see Scarlet/Henry?  Yaki and Soba are a little bleached out.

     We did a careful inspection.  Now mind you, it is still early.  Said internet post indicated that all potential signs (aggression, croaking, etc) could be a ruse, and you can't really know until between 3-4 months.  However, all accused birds have the requisite pointy feathers.....
     Unfortunately, this is bad news for Yaki and Soba.  Scarlet, or, Henry as we are now calling him/her (Bryce has vocally complained, she wants a different name but declines to come up with anything other than Hank the Cowdog...) is clearly the most glorious, and that will win the day.  What?  Did you hear talk of illegal activity here at 6024 Chicken Lane?  Welllll, we are officially not aware that we have any boys, remember?  And if one should avoid the chopping block due to unforeseen circumstance, we will have to address that when the time comes, right?
      As noted above, time does march on.  So does our summer.  It has been dry for almost a month, which is good, as the bedding in the coop got quite damp with the rain showers in June.  The coop, as mentioned in previous posts, is habitable, but not weather proof.  And then there is the topic of laying boxes.  We are about a month or so away from potential first eggs.  So back to work.
     Brandis and I took out the ladders and put in roosts.  It is frankly hilarious to see them all try to stuff themselves onto one, even though there is plenty of room on the second.  As one forces her way up, inevitably, another falls off.
     Then we got our 'windows.'  They will hopefully be installed soon.  They are made out of acrylic.  There are some logistical issues with the fit that have to be figured out.   We are still in discussions about the door with the attached nesting boxes.  I can't wait!  Our original idea was to install a drawer system with handles that you could pull out, and get drawers from an old dresser.  That has been tabled for now.  No drawers to be found as of yet.  So the door/box idea is the current working plan.
     But we have a brief period where we will both be out of town, and will need to rely on a third party for care in a week.  To that end, the most pressing issue is the encasement of the coop, so that the girls/boys can get out, get water/food whilst waiting to be released.  It would need to be raccoon/coyote/rat proof.  So, with a little startup help and advice from Brandis, I undertook this project in the 85 degree heat yesterday.  It involved digging trenches to bury the wire, screwing the whole mess to a frame, and building a door to access the whole affair.  For anybody who has building experience, not such a tricky job.  But for me, a novice, a FEAT!   Here are the photos.

Juliet, Kung Pao and Biscuit (the big fluffy one) inspect the trench

 Emma inspects the finished work

Finished product with doors closed, did it all by myself!

      No real cooking happening here lately, what with Bryce gone.  It's a lot of steamed veggies and salads.  Maybe soon.  And we can always hope Brandis will find time to post....

   

Sunshine in a Mason Jar

     One of the things about summer which we here in the northwest really treasure is sunshine.  It feels so elusive the rest of the year that I, for one, am incredibly enthusiastic about it during our warmer months.  It feels like a gift, not be be squandered or ignored.  I belong to the YMCA, but generally don't go there during the summer, as exercising inside seems rather a shame, like I am wasting precious hours of blue sky and warm weather.
     In truth, our summers are often glorious, with little rain and much sun (at least, after the morning clouds burn off), and we get a generous dose of the golden orb June through September.  Most years.  It doesn't stop me from feeling like it's a gift however.
     So I garden furiously, staying one or two steps ahead of the weeds....or not.  I harvest.  I start to preserve the fruits of my garden, as well as the gardens and farms of others.  In our case, it really is a bit of 'saving it for a rainy day.'  Each year, the tomatoes get canned, sauced, oven-dried.  I freeze the peas, I freeze the strawberries, the raspberries, the rhubarb.   All of it, intended to remind me of the warmer months, when the gray and drizzle seem never ending.
     Were I to philosophize, is a bit of preserving the sun, trying to save it's precious products for another day.  It is to that end, that I write today.
     This is because nothing, in my mind, nothing feels more like sunshine in a jar than apricot jam.  In it's finished state, it radiates this cheerful orange color, veritably shouting exuberance to all who cast their eyes on it.  It is glorious, vibrant and warms the soul.   This is tending towards hyperbole you say.
      Perhaps.  But every year, when I make up a batch of apricot jam, I am reminded of these thoughts, this exuberance, and it make me feel all happy inside.

 

     The recipe I use is from Edon Waycott's Preserving the Taste.  I have taken some shortcuts, in the interest of wanting to be out in sun myself, instead of leaning over a stove.  Also, I have different goals these days.  This is because, while I love jam, and the toast to which it deserves to be applied, I don't really eat that much jam and toast for breakfast lately.  No, when I am not having muesli and fruit, it's a bastardized smoothie of buttermilk (a whole OTHER blog post) and fruit puree.
     How to reconcile my desire for sunshine in a jar with failure to consume the product?  Why, change the product!  I took the recipe, and used less sugar, and cooked it to a looser consistency.  Voila!  Apricot fruit puree that still exudes the same cheer.
     One of the things that is nice about the recipes from this book is that Ms Waycott doesn't generally use commercial pectin.  She relies on naturally occuring pectin, and also tends to make a looser product in general, which I prefer.

Apricot and Honey Puree or Jam

(adapted from Preserving the Taste, by Edon Waycott)

6 lbs ripe but firm apricots

2 cups sugar (less if making puree)

1/2 cup mild honey

3 T lemon juice

Slice each apricot into eighths, making approx 4 quarts.  Combine all incredients in a large bowl, and allow to sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours, to dissolve the sugar (less if the sun is shining and you have things to do).

Pour contents of the bowl into a large shallow pan and bring to a boil.  Cook gently 10-30 minutes, depending on the consistency desired.  Skim off any foam that forms (this is not likely to happen if only cooking to puree texture).  

Ladle into hot sterilized jars, wipe rims clean, seal with lid/rings.  Process in a hot-water bath for 5 minutes.  Remove, check seals, store until the gray skies get you down, and you need some sunshine in a mason jar.