Waste Not…

20 August 2010, by gj

Vegetable Juice is far away my favorite juice each morning, homemade especially! Although it takes a little extra work, there is a delightful byproduct. (Just wait-you’ll see)

This is not any official recipe, just what I made with what was in the garden:
Garden Blend Vegetable Juice
15 pounds tomatoes
1 colander-full swiss chard and spinach
15 med. ribs and leaves celery
2 handfuls dried parsley
1 pound carrots
1 cup onion
1/2 cup green pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 shot lemon juice per quart jar

Wash veggies, chop into chunks. Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a pot and simmer about 1/2 hour.
Remove from heat. Juice in a juicer or food processor. Heat back up.
Add 1 shot of lemon juice to each quart jar. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch head space.
Process in a water bath canner about 45 minutes.

Now here’s the good part. Take the stuff that is left in the juicer or strainer and put it into a sauce pot. Add water and simmer for a while.
Strain.
Now you have some wonderful vegetarian soup base!

Pack into freezer jars and freeze. Use as you would any soup base.

Now clean up your mess!

Categories: ok - so now what?, tomatoes, vegetarian

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Some Like it Hotter

14 August 2010, by gj

I’ve been asked for our Salsa recipe, which until today did not exist.
I did make a batch and jotted down what we used; but I must admit every batch is a little different.
Use this more as a guideline and adjust to fit your own tastes.

Mandolin and I think the best ‘hot’ foods have a combination of heat levels – from start, to that little slap in the back of the head; so we use a combination of peppers that include jalapeno, cayenne, cherry and more…even an occasional habanera.

MIXED PEPPER SALSA

4 cup tomatoes, cored and quartered
2 cup chopped green peppers
4 cup chopped mixed hot peppers
2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs. cilantro
1 tsp. black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Tomato paste (optional)

Combine all ingredients. Be careful chopping those hot peppers! Simmer until thick.
Because I like to keep my salsa somewhat crunchy, but mostly because I have little patience, I cheat and use some tomato paste to thicken. It saves hours and works wonderfully.
Fill hot canning jars to within ¼ inch from the jar top. Process in a water bath canner 15 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.

I have been seeing a lot of pictures online lately of home canned foods. I think its great that more people are preserving their homegrown vegs!
Just be careful to follow the headspace and processing times correctly. For safety’s sake, this is really important!
Enjoy!
(PS Its gets hotter the longer it sits….bring it!)
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Categories: hot peppers, ok - so now what?, tomatoes, you grew it - you eat it

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Garden Gazpacho

2 August 2010, by gj

As part of my birthday celebrating, Mandolin cooked a delicious dinner that featured ingredients from the garden: Stuffed Jalapenos, Grilled Summer Squash, Cole Slaw and Gazpacho Soup. Here’s the easy soup recipe:

2 pounds ripe red tomatoes
1 pound cucumbers
1/2 pound red onions
1/2 pound green peppers
3 hot peppers
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 cups tomato or vegetable blend juice
2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons cilantro
1 Tablespoon cumin
salt/pepper to taste

You can chop the ingredients by hand for a chunky soup, or process in the food processor, as we did, for a smoother texture. Add all the ingredients except the juice and spices.

Add the juice last. Enjoy!

PS this would freeze well too.
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Categories: cucumbers, tomatoes, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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Tomato Salad

15 July 2010, by gj

This is a recipe from our restaurant’s salad bar ~ from so long ago it was actually before ‘Salad Bar’ was a term most people had even heard of.
Simple ingredients make the best food I believe, and homegrown even better -don’t get me started, I have a draft of a post on the ‘lack of nutritional value in the food we buy’ almost ready to post!
For now, an easy and tasty way to use all those tomatoes coming into season:

2 cups Tomatoes, cut in large chunks
1 cup Green Pepper, cut in large chunks
1 cup Onion, cut in large chunks
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
¼ cup Olive Oil
½ cup Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Garlic powder (or 2 chopped cloves)

Mix sauce ingredients and pour over veggies. Let marinate overnight. Enjoy!

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Categories: tomatoes, vegetarian, you grew it - you eat it

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