Red Pepper Flakes

Last summer I had an abundance of hot peppers! I love having an abundance of fresh things from the garden. Sometimes it can feel like we are not selling enough of something that we have lots of, but in the end it is usually nice to have the extra. I do not like to let anything go to waste and very little does. When we have extra produce I either use it or store it for ourselves, give it to friends, donate it to the food bank and sometimes compost it or feed it to our chickens.

In this case I ended up drying lots of hot peppers. All different types; Jalapeno, Serrano, Hungarian Wax, Fish, Habanero, Cayenne and probably a few I've forgotten. I used a couple different methods to dry them. One way that is fun and also makes a pretty decoration, is to take a needle and thread and string the peppers on that and hang them somewhere to dry. I also did quite a few of them in the food dehydrator. I just spread them out on the trays and turned it on. I think I may have poked holes through the skin with a knife, but can't remember for sure. They took a few days to get completely dry. Then I stored them in jars or paper bags. 

They are great for throwing into chili, soup, or stir-fry to add a little extra kick. But I had a lot of them and sure wasn't using them very fast. So I decided to turn some of them into red pepper flakes. The thinner skinned varieties like Cayenne or Hungarian Wax work the best for this but I used several of the others too. I did mine by hand in several batches with my mortar and pestle. It was fun, I have more time for projects like this in the winter. If I was more in a hurry I would have just used my food processor and I think that would have worked just fine, too. Now you know one idea for using up an excess of hot peppers. Another great way to use them is in a delicious roasted pepper hot sauce. I will be posting the recipe for that at some point, too.

Making red pepper flakes

Mortar and Pestle

A Lovely Jar of Red Pepper Flakes

Simple Safe Household Cleaner

Having children has made me reevaluate many of the things I do around the house. When it comes to cleaning my house I only want to use products that are safe and non-toxic. I don't want my kids or even myself around all the harsh and toxic chemicals that are in conventional cleaning products. I have been pleasantly surprised by how simple and easy it can be to make many cleansers myself. White vinegar is one of my favorite all purpose household products. Recently I discovered the idea of soaking leftover citrus peels in it and using that as an all purpose cleaner. It works great in the kitchen or the bathroom. It cleans up my greasy stove nicely and is great on my cabinets, mirrors, etc. I have made it with orange, lime or lemon peels, and they have all turned out great. They each add a pleasing scent to the vinegar plus they have great antibacterial properties and help cut grease. The last batch I made with lemon peels and added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. I think you could make several combinations of citrus and herbs depending on what you wanted. Many herbs have their own antibacterial properties and with a little research you could decide which ones you wanted to use. The process to create this cleaner is so simple!

What you will need: glass jar, any size you want distilled white vinegar citrus peels of your choice a few branches of fresh herbs if desired spray bottle strainer and funnel

Method: Simply place leftover citrus peels in the jar. Gently press down and cover with vinegar. Screw on a lid and let sit for about 3 weeks. Strain vinegar into an empty spray bottle. Use full strength on surfaces such as greasy stovetops or dilute with half water for cleaning mirrors.

Here are a few herbs you might like to add:
Thyme - has antibiotic and disinfectant properties
Sage - effective on germs and also has many anti-fungal properties
Rosemary - anti-microbial properties
Lavender – disinfectant, antiseptic, natural antibiotic properties
Peppermint - antibacterial properties
Cinnamon Sticks - anti-fungal and anti-microbial

Lemon peels and fresh rosemary in white vinegar

After sitting for 3 weeks simply strain into a spray bottle

The finished product!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This summer I had an abundant crop of colorful and delicious cherry tomatoes. I picked a whole bucketful the other day to save the last of them from freezing. I wasn't really sure what to do with them all. So after looking for some ideas online I decided to try roasting them. It was quite simple. I cut them in half then tossed them with olive oil, some fresh chopped basil and oregano, and a handful of whole peeled garlic cloves. I spread it all on cookie sheets and roasted them at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. After they came out of the oven and cooled a bit I put them in jars and covered them with more olive oil. I kept on jar in the fridge and the rest I put in the freezer for future use. They would make a great pasta or pizza topping or for just snacking on.

Colorful Fresh Salsa

I love summertime when all my colorful heirloom tomatoes come ripe. One of my favorite recipes to use them in is this zesty fresh salsa. It is bursting with color and flavor! It is also so easy to make.

Recipe for Fresh Colorful Salsa

About 2 lbs  of various colored heirloom tomatoes
1 small onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
3-4 hot peppers depending on how hot you like it
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

Chop up tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and onion. Add spices and lime juice. Mix all together refrigerate until ready to use.

Fruit

We have enjoyed the citrus and other fruit we brought home from California so much.

Recipes

Check out our updated recipe page. There are recipes for several types of fresh produce and more will continue to be added. My goal is to have a resource with delicious and creative ways to cook all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Sweet Melon

A melon from our garden. I can actually grow melons in our cool spot but they are late and might not ripen. So you won't be seeing any of these at the market, because I just grow a few for fun. This is a French Charentais melon and was very sweet and delicious.

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

Yum...

Dried Tomatoes

If I have extra tomatoes to use up I like to dry them. I just slice them up thick and lay them on the dehydrator trays and dry overnight or until they seem done. They are wonderful on pizza, or tossed with pasta, or blended into a creamy salad dressing.

Foccocia Bread

Raspberry Preserves

Dill Pickles

The smell of dill and vinegar fills the house. It is late summer and time to make pickles again. I am slicing cucumbers with the sun streaming in my kitchen window. There is something so pleasant and old fashioned about making and canning dill pickles. I love being in the kitchen turning garden produce into something delicious to store for the winter. I love the beautiful jars filled with pickles cooling on the counter when I am all finished.

Summer Squash Rolls

The fun bread I made this weak was summer squash rolls. It is a great way to use all the zucchini in the garden right now. My mom made these when I was young, it was one of the few ways I liked summer squash. Now I love squashe multiple ways but these are still one of my favorites. The original recipe came from the Whole Foods for the Whole Family cook book but I have changed it a little bit.

3 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dillweed
1/4 cup oil
1 cup grated zucchini or yellow squash
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 flour, yeast, sugar, salt, garlic, onion and dill. In a suacepan heat oil, squash, and milk to 120 degrees. Add to flour mixture. Add egg and stir. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead about five minutes. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down and divide into16 balls. Place in two greased round cake pans. Let rise until nearly double, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until golden

Homemade Bread

I have been making bread every Monday. I usually make some whole wheat sandwich bread and then I like to try to make something different. This week I made cinnamon bread. The recipe came from a little book called "In a Copper Kettle" That my Grandma gave me several years ago. It contains recipes from around the world. This bread recipe is from Portugal. It is a delicious bread. It goes fast around here.

Radish Pickles

We had lots of extra radishes a while back. So I tried a new recipe for refrigerator radish pickles. They were actually pretty good but quite different.

Spring Greens

We have been enjoying delicious and resh greens from the garden this past week. I have been enjoying using them is some different recipes. I thought I would share a few with you.




Pasta with Mustard Greens

1 lb small pasta
1 small steak thinly sliced
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch green garlic
1 small onion
1 lemon
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and toss with a little olive oil.
While pasta is cooking heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté steak until browned. Chop mustard greens, green garlic, and onion. Add onions and garlic to pan, sauté. Add mustard greens and continue sautéing until greens are just wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste and a dash of cayenne pepper. Grate the zest from the lemon then squeeze the juice. Combine with other ingredients and toss with pasta, adding more olive oil if needed. Serve and enjoy!

Mizuna and Mustard Green Quiche

1 unbaked pie crust (see recipe below)
Olive oil or butter
1 small onion
1 large handful fresh mizuna
1 large handful fresh mustard greens
1 large green garlic
5 farm fresh eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese
Salt
Pepper
Dash of nutmeg

Sauté onion and green garlic in oil or butter until tender. Add chopped mizuna and mustard greens. Sauté until wilted. Layer vegetables and cheese in pie shell. In a mixing bowl beat eggs and milk until well blended. Add salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

makes two 10 inch pie crusts

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ sticks butter, cut into small pieces

½ cup cold water

Cut butter into flour using a pastry blender or your fingers, leaving some of the butter in fairly large pieces. Pour in most of the water while stirring with a fork. Add the rest of the water until dough comes together in a clump. Divide dough in two. Roll out on a floured board until about ¼ inch thick. Fold into quarters and transfer to pie pan. Trim edges and pinch with thumb and forefinger to finish.

Spring Green Salad with Tomato Basil Dressing

1 bag salad mix with mustard greens

1 bunch radishes

1-2 small green garlic

1 handful dried tomatoes

1 cup olive oil

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ tsp. dried basil

Salt

Pepper

Place salad mix in bowl, tearing any large pieces. Chop radishes and garlic greens, sprinkle over the top. Combine all other ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth..Toss with salad or pour over individual servings.

Cabbage

We were able to get a whole bunch of cabbage so I had fun a few weeks ago making sauerkraut and spiced red cabbage. I also tried making some kim chi (sp?).

Spring Greens

Lemon Meringue Pie

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

I had four pumpkins that were starting to shrivel so I cooked them all, then had lots of pumpin puree to use up. So I made donuts, biscuits, soup. enchiladas, and ravioli. Here are pictures of my wheat free, pumpkin
ravioli with sage cream sauce.