You really NEED Chili Crisp Oil Alright, I admit you can probably live quite a long time without Chili Crisp Oil. I did - for a whole lot of years. But once I had it for the first time earlier this year, I felt like my entire life had vastly improved. Scroll on to find out why, and how you can make Chili Crip Oil yourself. What is this stuff? The first chili crunch or chili crisp oil that I had was store-bought. It was on sale, and I was curious, so I bought a jar. It was really good - ... Read More about Chili Crisp Oil
Condiments
Seedless Blackberry Jam {no pectin recipe}
Seedless Blackberry Jam doesn't use pectin This lovely Seedless Blackberry Jam, just has three ingredients - blackberries, sugar and lemon juice. Why not use pectin? I don't use pectin in any of my jams or jellies. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, using pectin means using more sugar. Pectin requires a higher percentage of sugar to set, and I don't care for that sweeter taste. It mutes the fresh flavor of the fruit. Pectin can also be tricky to use. I belong to several ... Read More about Seedless Blackberry Jam {no pectin recipe}
Beet and Horseradish Relish
Beet and Horseradish Relish is a fall treat Whether you have a garden of your own or not, this is the time of year for beets. Most Farmer's Markets will have a lot of them right now, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy them. Beet and Horseradish Relish is a perfect example. This relish is spicy, a little sweet and it hangs on to some nice crunch, even if you can it. The inspiration isn't new Though I learned a lot of canning from my grandma and my mom, this idea did not come from ... Read More about Beet and Horseradish Relish
Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa doesn't waste a thing! It is getting to be the time of year when gardeners begin to wonder if all of the tomatoes will ever get ripe. They often sit out there in the garden, bright, round globes of greenness that seem to defy the laws of nature. Tomatoes should be turning red by now, right? But say they're not - I've got you! Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa is going to have you hoping for green tomatoes! Green Tomatoes make a perfect salsa Green tomatoes don't ... Read More about Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
Goat Cheese Spread with Tomatoes
Goat Cheese Spread with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic is great for parties! This recipe is a kind of a riff on a favorite recipe that my sister makes. Her very delicious version uses sun-dried tomatoes, but we have a ton of tomatoes this time of year and I mean to take full advantage of that bounty. Goat Cheese Spread with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic is the perfect way to do that. Why you will love this recipe This is the perfect way to bring a little more flavor to goat cheese. Goat ... Read More about Goat Cheese Spread with Tomatoes
Chive Bacon Ranch Dressing
Summer salads need Chive Bacon Ranch Dressing This is the season of abundance if you're a gardener. Vegetables of all kinds are ready to harvest. For us, that means a lot of preserving - canning, freezing, dehydrating. It also means mean eating of course. Some of our favorite things to grow are perfect for salads. Salads need dressing, like this Chive Bacon Ranch dressing. I'm all about whipping up a quick vinaigrette a few times a week. Summer or winter, you can't go wrong with that. ... Read More about Chive Bacon Ranch Dressing
Strawberry Preserves {No Pectin Recipe}
Strawberry Preserves do not need pectin to be thick You can have thick, sweet, and fruity Strawberry Preserves with just 3 ingredients: Fresh Strawberries, Sugar, and Lemon Juice. Why not use pectin? If you prefer to use pectin, then I'm not here to tell what to do. But - there are a few reasons to try this method. Making Strawberry Preserves with pectin requires more sugar. Using pectin to thicken jams and preserves involves a chemical process that needs a certain percentage of sugar to ... Read More about Strawberry Preserves {No Pectin Recipe}
Tuscan Herb Salt
Tuscan Herb Salt preserves the flavor of summer I utilize a lot of ways to save all that we grow through the summer. Canning, freezing, pickling, fermenting and dehydrating all serve to hold on to the flavor and nutrition of the things we grow. Tuscan Herb Salt is a way to preserve the bright freshness of summer herbs. Not to mention garlic! Growing herbs to preserve them is a great idea As I have mentioned lately here on the blog and on social media, I like to keep some pots of herbs ... Read More about Tuscan Herb Salt
Chive Lemon Vinaigrette
Chive Lemon Vinaigrette is the perfect seasonal bridge In May we begin to see our chive plants really come into their own. We can still get plenty of nice citrus. So the combo of flavors in Lemon Chive Vinaigrette makes a lot of sense. And nearly anyone has the space to grow some chives. Chives are easy to grow Chives aren't the easiest plant to get started though. The seeds are super tiny and they take a long time to time germinate. You might give up on them entirely before they even get ... Read More about Chive Lemon Vinaigrette
Creme Fraiche – Homemade
Creme Fraiche Made at Home and Why You Would Want to You definitely want to make some Creme Fraiche at home, and I'll tell you why. In fact, I have a list of great reasons. It's so rich. So tangy. So decadent. SO delicious! And so unbelievably freakin' expensive if you buy it in the store. How expensive is it? When I checked prices this week, it was nearly $7.00 for an 8 ounce tub. What the heck? Don't you find that there are just so many overpriced things in the store? I think it's ... Read More about Creme Fraiche – Homemade
Creamy Feta Cheese Salad Dressing
Creamy Feta Cheese Salad Dressing makes any salad special It's snowing right now, as I am writing this post - kind of a nasty surprise for more than halfway through March. But that's Upstate NY for you - spring is sneaky, and waiting in the wings sometimes. That's why a fresh, crisp salad is welcome. And why this Creamy Feta Cheese Salad dressing is especially welcome. We prefer to eat seasonally, but I'm not giving up salad, no matter what time of year it is. I love more seasonal salads ... Read More about Creamy Feta Cheese Salad Dressing
Roasted Garlic Hummus
Roasted Garlic Hummus is one of life's great pleasures Ok, so it's not up there with getting married or landing your dream job, but Roasted Garlic Hummus is pretty close. Garlic is a favorite One of my husband's favorite things to grow is garlic. Once you get the basics down, garlic is quite easy to grow. And you plant it in October for harvesting in July of the following year, so it's out of the way as a chore when there is so much else that needs doing in the springtime. We have a huge ... Read More about Roasted Garlic Hummus