Cooking a fresh pumpkin for baking - it's easy! We are getting into fall here in Upstate NY, and for many of us, that means pumpkins. No - not pumpkin lattes! Real pumpkins out in the garden. They'll keep for a while, but not forever. So, knowing how to cook a fresh pumpkin is a good skill to have in your repertoire! Better than canned from the store You can certainly use canned pumpkin from the store. But we like to be self-reliant. Often fresh pumpkins are on sale through September and ... Read More about How to Cook a Fresh Pumpkin
The Basics
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Homemade Corn Tortillas are simple and delicious I know that you can buy corn tortillas. You can always find those fried-into-a-U-shape ones with the Mexican food. The soft ones are often available in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. So, why would you make Homemade Corn Tortillas? Because you like yummy things. Because you like clean ingredients. But, mostly because they are so darned easy. The cost/benefit ratio weighs very heavily on the benefit side. Store bought corn ... Read More about Homemade Corn Tortillas
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
How to Freeze Rhubarb
Freezing is the best way to preserve fresh rhubarb for baking If you love rhubarb as much as I do, this is one post you will want to hang onto. How to freeze rhubarb is a handy thing to know, and so simple to do. Why I love rhubarb My favorite thing about rhubarb is how it leaps out of the ground in the spring and by the second week of May, you can begin your first harvest. It is a definite sign of a season we so look forward to, here in Upstate NY. It is low maintenance. Keep it ... Read More about How to Freeze Rhubarb
How to Make the Best Homemade Yogurt
Let me help you make the BEST Homemade Yogurt It sounds like a big promise, I know. I stand by it though, and once you try my method, I think that you will agree. I'm going to show you the easiest way to make Homemade Yogurt without any special gadgets or equipment. Just two ingredients - milk and a good live culture yogurt you can buy in just about any supermarket. You can use gadgets to culture the yogurt, once it's ready for that step, and I'll link some that I have used successfully ... Read More about How to Make the Best Homemade Yogurt
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
Easy Guacamole
Easy Guacamole is ready in no time at all Saying that this is an Easy Guacamole kind of implies that Guacamole is difficult to make. It's not, of course, but this method makes it even easier. It's nearly as good too. In the summertime, when we have lots of great veggies from the garden it's different. I use fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic. I basically make a pico de gallo and mix it with mashed avocado. But it's February, and I don't have anything fresh from the garden. I could ... Read More about Easy Guacamole
English Muffin Bread
English Muffin Bread is a no-fail recipe Yeast bread sometimes has a difficult reputation. The perception is that it's difficult and fussy and easy to mess up. And yes - some yeast breads can be a bit harder to master. But not English Muffin Bread. This bread is so easy that anyone can make it. I do make that statement lightly. Not everyone grew up cooking and baking and not everyone made their own bread for years. If that is you, please don't fear - you have met your perfect, easy ... Read More about English Muffin Bread
Homemade Apple Sauce
The Basics Series - Homemade Apple Sauce Homemade Apple Sauce is one of the first things I remember helping with when I was a kid. Both my Mom and grandmother made applesauce. Often they did it together, and, as the kids it was often our job to squish the apples through the old-fashioned Chinois with the wooden pestle. I don't know what has become of the chinois, but I still have Grandma's pestle. It's handy for all sorts of percussive tasks in the kitchen. Because of that, I admit it is a ... Read More about Homemade Apple Sauce
Basil Pesto
Classic Pesto or Basil Pesto? This could be called "Classic Pesto". I'm pretty sure Basil Pesto is the classic combination of ingredients to make this bright and delicious addition to your repertoire of sauces. If your garden is anything like mine, basil is abundant this time of year. I pinch off my basil plants throughout the summer, using the leaves in salads and veggies and pasta dishes. It's prime basil time right now So now, I have some beautiful, compact plants with lots of bright ... Read More about Basil Pesto
Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette
You will love the flavor in this Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette! As I've mentioned in a few recent posts, we've not had the best gardening summer. Regardless, we have plenty of veggies making their way into the house still. It makes for busy days, getting everything preserved for the winter, so that nothing goes to waste. This Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette is the result of a few extra tomatoes lying on the kitchen counter at dinner time. It just makes sense - a vinaigrette is mainly an ... Read More about Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette