Preserving Summer's Best - Tomato Jam

Has the weather started to cool off where you are?  With temperatures that didn't make it above 50 today, we know winter is not far off.  There's many reason's I will miss summer .... long boat rides on the lake, outdoor concerts, beautiful flowers and most of all fresh vegetables.  I am envious of those of you who live somewhere and can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables year round. 

Our tomato crop was so plentiful this year.  I wanted to preserve as much as possible.  After roasting some and making two huge batches of sauce (to be shared later), what else could I make?  Tomato Jam?  Interesting!  I've read about it but never eaten or made it.  Why not give it a try.  For no other reason than the amazing smell this brings to your kitchen, give this recipe a try.  I couldn't get enough of the combination of cinnamon and tomatoes.  YUM!

I was curious, what can you do with tomato jam?  Glaze chicken, use it in place of ketchup, put a dollup on a savory scone?  What do you do with tomato jam?

Tomato Jam

Recipe Courtesy of Food in Jars

Yield: Varies depending on the kind of tomato used, pan width and the finished thickness*

Ingredients

• 5 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 8 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon red chili flakes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, simmer** the jam until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.
2. When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
3. When time is up, remove jars from water bath and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, test seals. Store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Notes

*The finished yield on this recipe varies depending on the kind of tomato you use, the width of your pan and the finished thickness to which you cook it.

Corn and Hatch Pepper Chowder

Despite a photo that doesn't make me want to try this recipe, this is a delicious soup.  August and September is  Hatch Chili Pepper time.  Our local Hy Vee store always has an ample supply.  Hatch peppers are meant to be roasted and used in soups, salsa's and other main dishes.

Having roasted a few extra ears of corn, I was interested in finding a recipe that used the corn and the chili peppers.  I like to roast the peppers on the gas grill but this time, I used the oven.  I set it for 400, on the convection roast setting,  roasting them until charred about 20 minutes.  After taking the peppers out of the oven, I put them in a paper bag for a few minutes and the skins pull off nicely.

Many cream soups and chowders use heavy cream.  I was searching for a lighter option for thickening.  I found several recipes using corn meal for thickening.  What a great idea!  Why didn't I think of that?  I used 3 tablespoons mixed with water and stirred into the soup after completing the cooking time. 

 Roasted Corn and Hatch Pepper Chowder

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, minced
3 cups fresh corn kernels, scraped from the cob, or frozen
 3 cups whole milk (I used skim)
 1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whipping cream (I omitted this and used cornmeal for thickening)
1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped mild green New Mexican, Anaheim, or Poblano chiles
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

 Directions Fry the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Stir the onion into the bacon drippings and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Puree 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of milk in a blender. Pour the mixture into the pan and add the remaining milk and corn along with the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the cream and the green chile. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls, garnish with chives and the reserved bacon, and serve.

Box Oven S'mores Brownies - Secret Recipe Club

My assigned blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club is Angela's Kitchen.  Angela cooks gluten and dairy free.  If you are looking for a gluten or dairy free recipe, check out Angela's blog.  You'll be able to enjoy many of the same recipes, while following a gluten or dairy free diet.

I spent quite a bit of time on Angela's blog trying to decide what to make.   I really wanted to bake one of her great recipes but was concerned about the substitution of non gluten free products in her recipes.  After much deliberation, I settled on her Box Oven S'more Brownies but chose to make them in a regular oven.  If you're a camper or have kids this would be such a fun recipe to try.

Box Oven S’more Brownie Bars

Author: Angela Litzinger at angelaskitchen.com

Serves: 16 to 20

Ingredients

• 1 gluten free box brownie mix (or homemade), batter made dairy free according to instructions
• 2 cups gluten free mini marshmallows
• 1 cup broken and crumbled gluten free graham crackers or gluten free sugar cones
• 12″x8″ foil pan
• oil for pan
• Box oven

Instructions

1. Set up box oven. See this post (http://angelaskitchen.com/2013/07/02/the-great-gluten-free-campout-box-oven-muffins-and-eggs/) for instructions. While charcoal is flaming and heating up, make gluten free brownie mix according to instructions on box.
2. Oil foil pan. Pour batter into pan, patting out batter to cover the entire pan. Sprinkle crushed gluten free graham crackers evenly over batter, then add mini-marshmallows.
3. When coals are ready, place brownies on cans in box oven. Set the box over brownies and allow to bake for 5 minutes longer than the longest bake time on the brownie batter box (in the case of Better Batter Brownie Mix, allow to bake for 30 minutes) before checking to see if brownie bars are done. Bars are done when bakes through in center and marshmallows have melted and browned slightly.
4. Remove brownies from box oven and allow to cool before slicing.
5. To bake these at home, bake in a 350 degree F oven for the shortest time on your baking mix box before checking for doneness.

Swiss Chard Pasta Bake

 Besides the fresh, locally grown farm veggies, my favorite thing about being in a CSA is the vegetables we haven't tried before.  This year we've been treated to kale and swiss chard.  Kale is my new favorite vegetables but chard not so much.  We've received it twice in our CSA.  The first time, I sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper.  It was way too much like cooked spinach for us.  When we received it a second time, I searched for a recipe to try and see if we like it any better in something.

I found this recipe for pasta with swiss chard. The verdict?  I liked it, Tim not so much.  He struggled through it, pushing the chard to the side wherever he could.  Do you like swiss chard?  How do you prepare it?

Swiss Chard Pasta Bake
Recipe courtesy of Love and Olive Oil

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. penne pasta
 2 cups tomato sauce, any kind you like or see recipe below
1 pound swiss chard (about 6 large leaves), stems removed
3/4 cup asiago cheese cut into small cubes (I used goat cheese)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
shredded parmesan to go on top (optional)

simple tomato sauce:
1 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce (plain)
1/4 cup white or red wine
2 teaspoons sugar
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Fill another bowl with ice and a bit of water. Drop chard leaves in boiling water for about 1 minute, remove and drop in ice water to stop the cooking process so your chard keeps its vibrant green color.
Re-using the same pot, cook pasta according to package directions, cutting the time a minute or two short since the pasta will continue cooking while it bakes.
Meanwhile make the tomato sauce (or use your own and skip this step). Over medium-high heat sauté onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add a few pinches of salt. Add garlic. When onions are translucent, add both cans of tomatoes, sugar and wine. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more salt & pepper to taste (only if needed). Add red pepper flake, if using.
Remove chard from ice water, squeeze out excess water, and chop.
In a large bowl mix pasta, chard, cheese cubes and tomato sauce.
Pour the mixture in a 9×13 pan. Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top (if you like), and/or a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Broil for the last 1-2 minutes if you would like the cheese topping more brown and bubbling. (note, if you’re not putting cheese on top, watch it more closely because it will dry out faster). Even without cheese on top, I prefer a bit of a crunchy crust. If you don’t cook it less.
Remove from oven, let cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.

Susie's Salsa (Revisited)

How are the plants in your garden doing this summer?  Ours are growing like mad, producing lots of tomatoes and tons of jalapenos!   What else to do with that combination but make salsa.  My favorite salsa is one shared by a friend of ours a few years ago.  It's become my go to salsa recipe.  If you like a super hot salsa, this probably isn't the one for you.  Susie's salsa is only mildly hot with a hint of sweetness.

I first shared Susie's Salsa on my blog in 2009.  Last week, I made a big batch but didn't have time to photograph, so I am revisiting my post from 2009.

Susie's Salsa

5 green tomatoes (I used 10 tomatillos), chopped
10 red tomatoes (I used romas), peeled and chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeds removed
2 cubes of beef boullion (I used 2 tablespoons of beef gravy mix)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 medium sweet onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
12 oz. tomato paste

Mix everything, except the tomato paste in a large saucepan. Cook 1/2 hour over medium heat. Remove from the stove and stir in the tomato paste.

Makes 5 - 6 pints.

I froze this in freezer containers so we can enjoy the fresh taste of salsa when it's snowy and cold outside.

Roasted Kale and Arugula Salad

One of my favorite things about our CSA is the veggies we get to try.  We've had kale twice this year.  I am slow getting on the kale bandwagon but it's my new favorite veggie.   I love that it's so good for you.  A couple of weeks ago, I had kale and arugula in the fridge.  Surely there's something I can make that uses them both?  A quick google search returned this salad.  I didn't have any parsnips but I did have a cucumber.  Not at all similar but a good crunchy addition.  (The cucumber is the white blob in the picture.)  I had a little leftover roasted kale for  lunch the next day.  Roasted, crispy kale is delicious.  A wonderful healthy substitution for chips.  Next spring, we'll be planting kale, so we can try more new recipes and have this delicious green more often.

ROASTED KALE & ARUGULA SALAD WITH TANGY ASIAN VINAIGRETTE

½ lb kale leaves (about 1lb if purchasing them on the full stem)

3 TBL extra-virgin olive oil

¼ TSP ground black pepper

¼ TSP kosher salt

half of a medium parsnip, cut into a small dice

half of a spicy red pepper (optional), seeded with membrane removed

small handful of baby arugula

Vinaigrette

6 TBL extra-virgin olive oil

3 TBL rice vinegar

2 TSP light soy sauce

3 TSP sugar

1 TSP toasted sesame oil

2 TSP honey

dash kosher salt

dash ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop kale leaves into 2-3 inch pieces. In a large bowl, evenly mix kale, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Spread the kale out in one layer in 2 large baking sheets/pan. Roast kale until its crispy and dark around the edges of the leaves, about 15 minutes. Set cook kale aside.

To make vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and honey in a bowl. Whisk until thick and emulsified. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add parsnip, red pepper and arugula in vinaigrette bowl. Toss until completely coated. Set aside.

As you are serving salad lightly toss the cooked kale with the vinaigrette mixture. NOTE: Do not do this step ahead. The vinaigrette will moisten the kale and you will lose the crispy texture. On that note, don’t over mix the kale and vinaigrette – as to not over saturate the crisp kale with liquid.

Serves 2.

Lemon Pie Bars - Secret Recipe Club

 Three weeks since my last post?  Seriously where have I been?  Week one, we were in Seattle visiting with my son and his girlfriend.  What an amazing city!  I will post a few pics, sooner or later.  The second week we were gearing up for Summer Fun Days in our neighborhood.  We live in the BEST neighborhood ever, great friends and truly wonderful neighbors.  Along with 20 or so couples, we hosted a party for 100+.  If I was a more organized blogger, like a lot of you, I'd have posted pictures!   Last week was Summer Fun Days week and we were helping with Kids Night, the Duck Race and last night's Dinner / Dance. 

I am thrilled to have my first post in three weeks be Secret Recipe Club, it's always my favorite week of the month in blog land.  Each month when I receive my recipe assignment for SRC, I can't wait to visit the blog!  I browse the recipes, read about the blogger and spend time deciding what recipe to choose.  Normally it's the recipe that draws me in.  Initially this month, it was the recipe for Lemon Pie Bars that I found interesting but it was the cookbook the recipe is from that sealed the deal.  The recipe comes from The Back in the Day Bakery cookbook.  Just recently, my best friends of 30 plus years and I were discussing when can we say "back in the day"?  Ever since then,  I find myself running across this phase being used in lots of different ways.  These Lemon Pie Bars come from a blogger I follow,  A Spoonful of Thyme.  She takes beautiful photographs and posts delicious recipes.

Looking for a quick and easy summer dessert, give this recipe a try.  The color is vibrant and the flavors tart and lemony!  

Lemon Pie Bars
Recipe Courtesy of A Spoonful of Thyme

For the crust
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar

For the filling
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Two 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
6 large egg yolks

Fresh whipped cream

Position a rack in the middle of  the oven and preheat the oven  to 350° F.  Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking dish and line with parchment, allowing the ends of the paper to hand over two opposite edges of the pan.  (I also greased the parchment paper when it was in the dish.)

To make the crust:  In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter,  and sugar and blend with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.  Press the graham cracker mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Use a piece of parchment to press on the crust with the palm  of your hands to make sure it is completely level.

Bake the crust for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden.  Let cool completely before adding the filling. Turn the oven temperature down to 325° F.

To make the filling:  In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk,  and egg yolks.  Pour the filling over the cooled crust.

Place the baking pan   inside a larger baking pan and pour enough hot water  into the larger  pan  to come halfway up the sides of the smaller pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is puffed at the edges and no longer jiggles in the center when the pan is tapped.  Remove the pan from the water  bath and set it on a rack to cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate until cold.

Cut the bars into squares and serve chilled, with the whipped cream.  The bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.