October 27, 2010
Make Your Own Ketchup
Sherri at the Adventures of Kitchen Girl was talking about making ketchup and this intrigued me. I have wanted to try to do this for several years, but just never got around to actually making some. She shared a link from The New York Times which she adapted and I decided to give it a try!
Yesterday Alexis and I ran some errands and stopped by the orchard. They had exactly one box of "second" tomatoes left and I snatched it up! I ended up adapting the recipe even further and actually doubling it for the most part and I really loved the result!
What's not to like about your own homemade condiments that you know exactly what goes in to them? I'll definitely be making this again. It's easy, just some chopping and stirring here and there, and you end up with a really fabulous end product. That is always a good thing.
What You'll Need:
3 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 apples peeled and chopped (Note: I used the Gala variety.)
2 cups of yellow onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups of organic cane sugar
1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons of sea salt
8-10 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of peppercorns (Note: Next time I think I'll just use ground pepper.)
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
First you want to peel and chop your tomatoes. The easiest way to peel a tomato is to drop it in to boiling water for about 30 seconds and then remove it to a cold water bath. Once it's been in the cool water for 30 seconds or so the skins will peel right off! Place chopped tomatoes in a large stock pot and set aside.
Next you want to peel and chop your apple as well as chop your onion and garlic and add it to the tomatoes. Add the remaining ingredients to your pot and you'll end up with something a little like this:
The great thing about recipes like this is that you have a little wiggle room in terms of ingredients. It doesn't have to be perfect!
Bring the mixture to a quick boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Process mixture until smooth in a blender or food processor and then return to your pot:
Cook for another 30 minutes or until the ketchup thickens. It will also thicken as it cools as well.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container (I like canning jars) for up to 3 months.
Notes: Next time I'm going to cook the ketchup just a bit longer so it will be a little thicker. It didn't thicken up as much as I would have liked when it cooled. I put two pint jars in the fridge, one for me and one for my sister and I froze the rest of the mixture.
Posted by Dianne at 10:04 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 22, 2010
Take A Look In My Fridge
I got an e-mail asking to see the contents of my fridge. Not sure why anyone would want to see that, but I aim to please!
Top Shelf: Heavy cream, half and half, milk, iced green tea, apple cider, Coronas, Parmesan cheese rinds, etc.
Next Shelf: Lex's apple juice, Jamison's orange juice, sea salt dill pickles, sangria for tonight, pomegranates, etc.
Next shelf: Brown eggs, sour cream, Jamison's left over gluten-free macaroni and cheese, spinach, etc.
Cheese Drawer: Cheddar, goat cheese, Fontina, Parmesan, Gruyere, buttermilk cheese, American, Swiss, Provolone, mozzarella, various blue cheeses, etc.
Veggie Drawer: More spinach, cucumbers, asparagus, kiwi berry poppers, bell peppers, celery, carrots, etc.
Meat Drawer: Bacon, pepperoni, turkey, corn tortillas, etc.
Butter "Drawer:" Irish butter, butter, cream cheese, etc.
Top Door Shelf: Wine, Limoncello, Seltzer water, etc.
Rest of the Door: Condiments, pickles, olives, jams/jellys, sauces, maple syrup, etc.
Most important thing in the fridge right now? Sangria!
So there it is...My boring little fridge! What's in your fridge?
TGIF! Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted by Dianne at 12:13 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
October 19, 2010
Try It You'll Like It: The Perfect Truffle in Frederick, Maryland
What does a girl like? This girl likes margaritas and chocolate! So I was very pleased when I stumbled upon The Perfect Truffle in downtown Frederick when we were out exploring a few weeks ago when Darlene was visiting from Tennessee. You might not know it, but chocolate truffles are one of my all time favorite things!
Darlene and I both got a box of truffles with flavors we picked out. Alexis even got a small box of her own. Darlene's favorites were the Guinness truffle and the Grand Marnier truffle. Alexis loved the Chocolate Mousse truffle. And me? Well I liked the Key Lime truffle, which is not surprising given my love of Key Lime anything! I would probably have added the Salted Caramel truffle to my like list too if Alexis hadn't eaten them before I got a taste!
If you like truffles be sure and check out The Perfect Truffle. They are even on FaceBook! They are located in the very quaint area of Shab Row and Everedy Square in downtown Frederick and not only can you get some fabulous truffles, you can find all sorts of other neat things to do in that area. What are you waiting for?
Posted by Dianne at 10:07 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
October 14, 2010
Creamy Noodle Salad
A while back my friend Jessica was talking about noodle salad on FaceBook. I asked her how she made it and she shared what she had put together. Her creativity sparked mine and this is what I ended up with! The picture is horrible, but trust me this is a delicious meal!
By pairing noodles with vegetables and some simple additions you end up with a really fabulous "salad" that is easy to make and is just perfect for a pot luck, picnic or even your standard weeknight dinner. Trust me, this "salad" will not disappoint! Thanks to Jessica for inspiring me!
What You'll Need:
1 - 12 ounce package of egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of sliced mushrooms, sauteed
1 cup of peas
2 large carrots, shredded
1 - 3.5 ounce package of sun dried tomatoes, chopped or julienned
1/3 cup of chives, chopped
1/3 cup of light mayonnaise
1/3 cup of light sour cream
1/3 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
Crispy Chow Mein Noodles for topping
Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in a large glass bowl. Set aside.
While noodle are cooking saute mushrooms in a little extra virgin olive oil until tender.
Add mushrooms to the noodles and toss to mix. Next add peas, carrots, sun dried tomatoes and chives toss again until incorporated. Set aside.
In a glass bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, sea salt and black pepper until completely mixed. Pour this mixture over the noodles and vegetables and toss to coat.
Serve immediately with some crispy Chow Mein noodles sprinkled on top. Or store "salad" in the fridge for up to 36 hours and top with Chow Mein Noodles when ready to serve.
Notes: You could add other vegetables in to the mix if you liked.
Posted by Dianne at 9:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 12, 2010
Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies
I love brownies. I love cheesecake. Why not combine the two and make a swirled brownie? And that's just what I did!
These are the perfect gooey brownie, with a hint of cheesecake. Couple it with a big glass of milk and you've got the perfect, decadent snack!
What You'll Need for the Chocolate Brownie:
2/3 cup of butter
1 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups of organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
What You'll Need for the Cream Cheese Swirl:
1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of organic cane sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
In a sauce pan melt butter and chocolate chips stirring often until completely smooth. Set aside and let cool completely.
Place oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F.
Mix together sugar, vanilla, eggs and sea salt in a mixer. Beat on high for 5 minutes until fluffy/creamy. Slowly add cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir until mixed. Add flour a little at a time and mix until just incorporated.
Pour batter into an 8 X 12 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In another bowl mix together creamed cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Drop dollops of this mixture on to the brownie batter and swirl around using a knife until mixed in, but not incorporated. You should be able to see the swirls.
Bake for 45 minutes until brownies are slightly crackly on top. Let cool and cut and serve.
Notes: No notes for this one. It speaks for itself! :o)
Posted by Dianne at 9:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 4, 2010
Trying Zhena's Gypsy Tea
I'm posting at The Greenists today about Zhena Gypsy Tea. Stop by and tell me how you take your tea!
Posted by Dianne at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
