Marc and I both grew up with moms that canned and preserved summers bounty to nourish their families over the cold winter months. Before the internet, we needed to learn from family, books and old stained recipe cards. Over the years we had many winners and some losers, however we love the satisfied feeling and pride from preserving fresh food for later. Our limited library of books included one of our most favourite called “Stocking Up How to preserve the Foods You Grow, Naturally”. Written in 1973, it was loaned to me by my sister which I never returned. It has 500 pages of how to can, freeze, dry, smoke and store almost anything. This year our daughter will be joining us in canning tomato and pizza sauce.
For those that are looking for a fall project, we have some great organic product you can use. Since sweet Bartlett pears in season you may want to try a spiced pear jam with cinnamon and cloves. Ladle into hot 1/2 pint jars and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. Makes a great gift, enjoy on toast with ham and eggs or on hot rolls. Check out our on-line store for Bartlett pears along with other produce suitable for baking, canning or freezing.
Here is what you can expect this week:
Hearty Mustard Mix Salad Base Blend of tender mustard greens. Makes a great fresh hearty salad, I use it as a base for my lunch power bowls. I dress a large helping of greens with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper then top it with healthy ingredients and left overs from the fridge. My last one used left over fried rice with roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. Sprinkle of salted pumpkin seeds. I can eat this every day!
Bartlett Pears Try out the jam recipe above or make a fall crisp. They are delicious in muffins or get fancy with Martha Stewart’s Caramelized Pear recipe. Pears can also be smoked or sliced to add sweetness to cocktails (pear martini:).
Sweet Pepper Mix A basket full of our three different sweet pepper varieties; Red Shepherds, Yellow Banana and Italian Frying Pepper.
Heirloom Tomatoes Mix of colours to create an amazing summer tomato salad platter. This is our stand by for family suppers, its quick and easy to prepare, looks fantastic. Just slice up all the tomatoes and arrange them in an overlapping single layer on an attractive platter. Drizzle evenly with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper add chopped up tarragon or parsley. Let stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Red Kuri Squash Similar to a Hubbard squash but much more manageable in size. The skin is hard but thin and is edible once cooked. Red Kuri has a creamy yellow flesh and smooth texture with a taste similar to cooked chestnuts (the name Kuri means chestnut in Japanese).
Blue Italian Plums This plum has a deep blue/purple skin, a firm amber flesh that is very sweet and flavourful. Great for back to school lunches.
Chive Blossom Bouquet A little something for your kitchen counter or table. You can also use the white star-shaped florets to make pretty and pungent garnishes in salads.
Enjoy
