SAVING A TASTE OF SUMMER
At summer’s end we always feel a bit sad as we lose the warm, seemingly endless days but we quickly get distracted by the bright colors and spicy aromas of fall. Soon we’re on the fast track to the holidays, caught up in the moment, without time to think back. Then the lights fade and we find ourselves in the depths of winter, suddenly nostalgic for summer.
That’s when it’s a real perk to have something to remind us of the tastes and smells of summer-to reassure us that another summer is coming in a few months, if we just hang in there. It doesn’t have to be much, a spoonful of chutney, a sip of brandy will do, which is a good thing because most of us don’t have the resources, time or space for extensive preserving.
This is true of my situation and so I’ve discovered a few recipes for foods which help me capture a taste of summer to cheer me up in winter. They store well and don’t require much time or space to prepare but are packed with nostalgic flavor. However, these recipes are simply mementoes of summer, not winter provisions. My posting for Sept. 22, 2016 deals with the general rules for freezing vegetables and fruits for that purpose using Corn, Green Beans and Peaches as illustrations, if you want to learn more about that. Meanwhile, try making one or two of these souvenirs. You’ll be happy you did next winter.
RECIPES
WATERMELON PICKLE: To see more watermelon recipes go to Aug.30, 2018
1 Watermelon- Green rind peeled and meat removed. White rind cut in 1 inch cubes.
1 cup cider vinegar per pound
1 cup water per pound
1 ½ cup sugar per pound
3 inches stick cinnamon per pound
4 cloves per pound
1 Tbs. sliced ginger root per pound
Cover melon cubes with salted water and soak for 2 hrs. Drain and rinse well. Boil in fresh water until half tender, about 10 min. Drain again and rinse in cool water. Weigh melon and measure the other ingredients into a pot accordingly and boil them for about ½ hr. until a syrup forms. Add drained melon rind and boil for another 10 min. or until rind is crisp-tender. Allow to cool and pack cubes with syrup, including spices, to cover, into glass jars with secure fitting lids. Store refrigerated. Keeps for a year easily.
Peach Brandy: For more peach recipes go to Aug. 16, 2018
Peaches –Alberta suggested
Sugar
Peel the peaches and place them in quart jars. Cover with sugar and allow to stand until sugar is dissolved and peaches render juice. Continue adding sugar and allowing it to dissolve until juice covers peaches. Seal jars with tight lids, wrap them in heavy paper to insulate them and keep out light. Store in a cool, dark place and after 3 months, strain off the juice to serve as a liqueur and slice the peaches as a topping or garnish. Store as any liqueur.
MINT SAUCE:
4 cups fresh mint –tough stems removed
Cider vinegar to cover
Sugar or substitute such as Splenda to taste
Simmer the mint and vinegar in a pot until the leaves are cooked, about 8 min. Add sweetener to taste as the mint cooks. Do not over do. This should be sweet-sour when finished. Remove from heat, cool and process or blend until the mint is finely ground. Correct seasoning and pour into clean bottles. Let stand, uncapped until completely cool, cap and store in a dark, dry, cool place. Keeps for two years or more.
Use in salads, on cooked vegetables and to marinate or baste meat.
NOTE: I use sterilized salad dressing bottles—but only glass ones.
Apricot Chutney: Yield 3cups- Adapted from Food.Com*
2 cups apricots-pitted and roughly chopped
1 large red onion-diced
1 cup raisins
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1>2 tsp. salt-to taste
½ tsp., curry powder
¼ tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. allspice or cinnamon
1 Tbs. minced Serrano chili-optional
Place all ingredients into a large, heavy bottomed, pot. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer. Let it simmer away for about an hour until it’s nice and thick. Keep an eye on the heat and stir often so it doesn’t burn. Fill sterilized canning jars to within 1/2 inch of the top. Screw on sterilized bands and lids securely. Store in a cool, dark place, refrigerate after opening.
*For more apricot recipes go to: Aug.9, 2018
ZUCCHINI: For more information and recipes go to: Sept.15, 2016
Due to high water content, zucchini doesn’t freeze well. Whole or in prepared dishes, it deflates when thawed. I’ve had success freezing ¼ inch thick slices by plunging them first into boiling water for 1 min. then into ICE water for 2 min. drying them on towels and freezing them on a cookie sheet before bagging. So how does one deal with an excess? One of the best ways is to accept the fact that it’s going to change texture, become limp and combine it, with other ingredients, into a ‘base’, which will keep for several months, for future dishes. Food Tips and Cooking Tricks by David Joachim has an excellent recipe for such a base and ideas on how to use it but, of course, once made, you can use it as you please.
Zucchini Base; Yield 8 cups
5 lbs. zucchini –shredded*
1 onion -finely chopped
1 garlic clove- minced
2 Tbs. oil
Sauté onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add zucchini and stir until soft. Cool drain most of the moisture by squeezing in a towel or pressing in a colander. Freeze in desired sized containers with firm lids.
- To shred, use a food processor or the large teeth of a hand grater, but avoid the seedy core.
USES: Add salt and pepper as desired to all the below
Chilled Zucchini Soup: 4
Hot Zucchini Soup
Primavera Sauce
Stuffed Eggplant
TOMATOES
I’ve tried preserving tomatoes by freezing them, what a watery mess, and, remembering my lessons from Italy, canning. I have to agree with Gordon Ramsey. The variety, quality and cost of canned tomatoes make home efforts pointless. The exception is dried tomatoes. They dehydrate well, are less expensive and of better quality than commercial.
Sun-dried are tomatoes that have generally lost 82-90+% of their original weight through the process of drying. They lose the water but retain the sugar, sweetness, and nutrients, leaving the deliciously dried tomato flesh with an intense, concentrated tomato flavor, perfect for dishes where that wonderful tomato taste should shine through.
There are 3 ways to dry tomatoes, in a dehydrator, naturally or in an oven. #1 requires a special machine, #2 requires weeks of consistently dry, hot, sunny weather covered by nets to deter pests. #3 is the practical method we’ll use. Cherry and grape tomatoes are meatiest and have the most concentrated sweet flavor. Roma (plum) tomatoes also work well if the pulp is hollowed out and discarded during prep.
To make sun-dried tomatoes in the oven
1)Prep-wash and slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, spread them out in an even layer cut-side-up on a parchment-covered baking sheet, then season sparingly with salt.
2)Slow roast- in the oven for about 2 ½ to 3 ½ hr. at 250 deg., or until desired level of dryness. Don’t flip or rotate the tomatoes during this time, but keep an eye on them near the end to ensure that they don’t burn.
3)Serve or store. The tomatoes are ready to serve or add to a recipe when cool. Place them in a small jar then drizzle with olive oil until the tomatoes are completely submerged. Place a lid on the jar to seal, then refrigerate for up to 1 week or use zip-lock freezer bags instead of containers. Force out all the excess air before sealing. Can be frozen without the oil.
Seasoning Options
1.Sea salt or kosher salt preferred
- Additional seasonings can include fresh or dried thyme, oregano, rosemary, or a little crushed garlic
- Season while roasting: During the last hour of roasting, feel free to sprinkle on some chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, etc). During the last half hour of roasting, sprinkle on some dried herbs and seasonings (such as Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red chili flakes, etc).
- Season after roasting: season in a jar with olive oil after roasting-bay leaf, a garlic clove or two or whatever fresh or dried herbs/seasonings appeal.
Cooking Option: - Cut the tomatoes in half. Place them side-by-side, cut-side-up in a ceramic or glass baking dish. They should fit together snugly but not overlap.
- Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt.
- Add olive oil. The oil should cover about 2/3 of the depth of the tomatoes.
- Place the dish in the oven and slow cook the tomatoes at 175 deg. for 3 to 5 hours. The exact time will depend on the size of the tomatoes you use.
- Cool completely, transfer to glass jars or other non-metal containers that are as airtight as possible when sealed.
Approximate Seasoning Guide
20 or more plum ripe tomatoes (Roma)
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
4-5 sprigs fresh Italian parsley-chopped
Pinch or two pepper flakes
HOW TO REHYDRATE SUN-DRIED TOMATOES: Sun-dried tomatoes stored in olive oil are perfectly edible (and delicious!) served right out of the jar. But if you would like to rehydrate and plump them up a bit, just soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain. Or better yet, soak them in tomato juice to amp up the tomato flavor.
