April's Green Box

So apparently I don't post in the winter, or something. Not that I've ever made much of a promise about posting regularly.

Anyhow, in March I finally got my act together to do something I've wanted to do for ages. Get on board with Guelph's Green Box program. Basically it's a small fresh food co-op run by some municipal department, and for 20 dollars (for the large box), we get a grocery bin's worth of fresh local (and in the winter not so local) produce once a month.

For us, we eat produce. A lot actually, but we don't often buy new or interesting things, and honestly I wanted the challenge and interest of someone else handing me healthy food going 'try this!'

I neglected to take a picture of March's haul, but Aprils' looked like this:

Mmm. Produce.

And because you can't see it well in that first picture, get a load of the sweet potato! It's sitting next to a 3lb bag of carrots!

Sweet potato of DOOM!

It is the biggest damn sweet potato I have ever seen. Now I just need to learn how to not overcook asparagus, and what to do with fresh thyme when you dont much care for thyme.

Fruitcake

I know, I know, the world has a hate on for fruitcake. They call it hard and dry and building material and lives forever.

And I love it. Dark and rich and delicious, even a year later when it's a touch dry. (Yes, I'm nibbling the last of last year's, and it's gotten a touch dry. I need to work out a better storage.)

I make my own fruitcake, mostly because I'm allergic to dairy and most are made with butter. Although part of it also comes from the fact that I rather adore baking, so of course I make my own. My favourite recipe comes from a little booklet put out by the candied fruit company and I think the booklet is about a bazillion years old.

I have adjusted and adapted it and this is now my recipe, mostly here for posterity sake such that I remember how I changed it this year.

Dark Fruitcake 2012

125g chopped pecans
125g slivered almonds
450g Deluxe mixed glace
450g mixed candied cherries
225g candied pineapple chunks
300g mixed citrus peel
150g currants
80g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
225g golden raisins
225g dark raisins
225g chopped dates

Toss in a huge bowl, mixed well and soak with white rum for a while.

2c flour
1/3c cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
nutmeg, mace, cloves all to look right

Add to the fruit and mix until well coated.

In the mixer bowl, cream together:

1 cup shortening
1 1/3c dark brown sugar, firmly packed

Add:
6 eggs, one at a time
1/2 c molasses
2 tbsp oil
1/4 c booze (bourbon this year)



Blend well and then fold the liquid into the fruit mixture and mix well. Spoon into greased pans. Bake at 275F for about 2 hours. Makes 2 8"x8" pans and 3 small loaf pans.

Carrot Cake Jam

This is what got me started canning. About 14 years ago, a copy of this recipe ran in the local free newspaper, and I thought 'damn, I can do that'. It wasn't a complete recipe, it left off the details of how to process the jars, but I found that info somewhere else. It just sounded too good not to try.

Not quite like that, but it tastes quite like that. It looks more like this.

All photos were pilfered from flickr, under creative commons.

Carrot Cake Jam

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped cored pears
1 3/4 cups canned pineapple, including juice
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 package powdered pectin
6 1/2 cups sugar

In a large saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple and juices and spices. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring back up to the boil and then add the sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. (Or not, I dont mind the foam, some people are fussy about looks.)

Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Cap and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Makes approx 6 250 ml jars.

K-cup review: Harvest Blend

It's been a long time since I commented on new k-cup flavours that I've found or acquired, and then I keep forgetting which ones I've tried, so I really do need to get back to it.

This time is Van Houtte's Harvest Blend.

Brewing it up it smelled a bit on the strong side (yes, I'm a wimp, I admit it. That's why there are different coffees, because so many people have different tastes). It's not flavoured, it's just a blend of coffee, and with a touch of sugar and some almond milk, it's really very nice. I'm quite impressed.

Verdict: 4 mugs

A word to the wise...

When you are making very very hot pepper jelly, do not let it boil over. Do. Not. The smell of burning sugar and excessively hot peppers is just /evil/. Oh yes, and even if jalapenos dont phase your bare hands, the much hotter red peppers from a friend's garden will make you wish you'd worn gloves. Ow.

Evil.

Today's canning was a 'oh crap, I have to can these because they are getting sad' day.

Firey Pepper Jelly

As many sizzling red hot peppers as you happen to have. I had about 50g. By rights the recipe called for 175g of jalapeno peppers, but as these ones were hot enough to want to peel my skin off, I decided it was good enough. And 2 jalapenos came along for the ride.

Seeds in a spice bag.

1 c cider vinegar
3 c sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Take the vinegar and the peppers and blend/puree (blender or food processor) until liquid. Add sugar and seeds into pot and boil for about 10 mins. Add pectin, stir and boil hard for another minute. Jar up with 1/4" headspace and process for 10 mins. Wish you'd remembered gloves. Makes approx 7 125 ml jars.

Plum Chutney

8 c chopped blue plums
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c vinegar
1 c raisins
1/2 c chopped onion
1 T mustard seeds
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all together. Simmer until thick enough to mound on a spoon, about 30 - 45 mins. Jar up with 1/2" headspace and process for 15 mins. Lament that you think you put a bit too much vinegar in. (It did splash when I was measuring. Ah well) Makes approx 12 125 ml jars and 2 250 ml jars.