Seared Blue Hake with Rhubarb Amaretto Chutney

Seared Blue Hake with Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney from Canning & Preserving with Ashley English, baked yams and salad; it was delicious.  I lightly floured the fish and seasoned with salt and pepper.  I chose not to use any other seasoning as I was going to serve it with a spicy chutney.  I also chose to sear the fish in olive oil which means I couldn't have the temperature quite as high and didn't get as good a crust.  For a good crust you need a high temperature, use peanut oil as it can take higher temperatures before it smokes. 

How to Sear Fish

1. heat your pan on high for 3 - 5 minutes
2. add oil or butter
3. when the oil or butter gets hot, add the fish fillets
4. if the fillet is thin leave the heat on high, if they are thick turn heat down to medium or medium-high
5. leave it alone, constant flipping will prevent a good crust from forming
6. let the fish cook, if you do a crust will form and the fillet will release easily when you flip it
7. let the first side cook two-thirds of the fish, then flip it 
8. flip it once
9. serve the better crust side up
10. if serving with a sauce, place the sauce on the plate and the fish on top to keep the crust crisp

Food Fraud

Here is a reason to eat local and homemade.

Canadian Geese

Sunday afternoon was beautiful; blue sky, no wind, nearly 60 degrees.  At one point in the afternoon the sky was white with geese and the air was filled with their loud calls.  I don't believe I have ever seen nor heard so many at one time.

Recipes of Yesteryear

Chiot's Run had a post about heirloom recipes that I thought was an excellent idea.  I visit my 95 year old grandmother every Sunday.  She still lives in her home, but doesn't do her own baking or cooking anymore.  Having read the post about preserving family recipes, I realized I wanted to have some of the recipes I remember my grandmother making.  She rarely used a recipe for making meals or baking bread, those were from memory.  She did however have recipes for some of the things she baked, she is German and her recipes reflect that heritage. 

As a child I loved to eat Pfeffernusse cookies when I went to Grandma's house.  That was the only place I had tasted those cookies and to this day they remind me of her, I am so happy to now have her recipe.  If you can see in the picture, the recipe card calls the cookies Peppernut, that is because pfeffernusse translates to pepper nuts in German.  This name well describes these cookies as they are spicy and many of the recipes call for nuts and a small amount of black pepper.

My grandmother said she made this recipe for sauerkraut every year for many years.  She said homemade sauerkraut tastes so much better than store-bought.  She also remembers her mother making sauerkraut, never canning it, just making it in a big crock and letting it naturally ferment.  Grandma said she always canned her sauerkraut.

I was also able to get her recipe for kuchen, we all love her kuchen.  I wasn't able to get a good picture of the recipe, but hope to make it soon and take plenty of pictures then.  What surprised me about the recipe is that she used sour cream rather than sweet cream, I would never have guessed. 

First Time This Year

 It was 27 degrees at 8am with frost on the lines, but the birds were singing, it was sunny and the forecast called for 56 degrees.  That was enough to hang clothes on the line, I love the fresh early morning time outside, plus I got to use my new clothespin bag.

Book Review: "Canning & Preserving with Ashly English

I received my copy of Canning & Preserving with Ashley English last week and immediately started looking through it.  What I noticed first is how beautiful it is, there are so many enticing pictures I wanted to start canning right away.

This week when I had time to read the book I was impressed with the information.  There is something in this book for seasoned canners as well as those just starting on their canning journey.  The canning details are thorough and simple to follow, giving all the necessary precautions without making the process sound difficult or risky.

I love the "Portrait of a Canner" feature, very inspiring and makes the book fun to read, not just a great resource. 

I appreciate the "Market Fresh" list at the back of the book.  We cannot always eat local, but at least we can buy what is fresh and at the peak of flavor and nutrition, preserving that food to eat later in the year.  The author, Ashley English, who has a degree in both holistic nutrition and sociology, writes, "as soon as any produce item is harvested, it begins to lose nutrients".  She goes on to write, "Eating in season offers unrivaled flavor in addition to complete nutrients.  Don't think of it as depriving yourself.  Instead, consider eating seasonally to be the most culinarily rewarding act possible.  When you eat seasonally, you eat the best available."  I like that way of thinking about eating seasonally.

Ashley English, explains why tomatoes are no longer considered a reliably high-acid food and how they need to be processed now.  She also writes, "The USDA notes that use of a pressure canner will result in higher quality and more nutritious canned tomato products."

The author explains the terms hot pack and raw pack and when to use which process.  There are several good tips in this book, such as while washing and soaking vegetables "any vegetables that float to the top (especially cucumbers) may be hollow and would be better used in recipes where they are chopped instead of being canned whole".  There are troubleshooting tips and a handy list of resources.

There are several recipes I am anxious to try myself.  Recipes like Fennel Relish, Herbed Pickled Asparagus, Peach and Lavender Butter, and Cranberry, Juniper, and Rosemary Sauce.

Of course I must try making the Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney since rhubarb produces abundantly around here.  I had an opportunity to try the Rhubarb and Amaretto Chutney as I won the Small-Measure "Can-Do Give Away" recently, and I must say it is delicious.  We tried it on ciabatta bread just to taste it, but we plan to eat it with fish this week as Ashley suggests in the book.

Not Yet...but Soon

Standing in my garden.

The garden path.

The strawberry patch.

White Chili

White Chili

1 1/2 cups dry great northern beans, soaked overnight, drained
1 jalepeno, sliced or 1 dried red chili pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Cook on low in crockpot for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips or corn bread
Serves 8-10

When to Buy Organic

Organic fruits and vegetables can be expensive and when trying to stick to a budget it makes me wonder, should I spend more on organic? I try to buy organic when it counts most. The Environmental Working Group has come up with their "Dirty Dozen" of produce and put the list in a handy form that I like to carry with me to the store. These are fruits and vegetables that may be best to buy organic since the skin is thin and often eaten. On the list are:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

Peaches top the list with the most pesticides received, the list follows in descending order from there. The pesticides penetrate the thin skin and are absorbed into the flesh of the produce.  In our area not all these fruits and vegetable are available organic. So we buy organic when we can, and make sure we give all our produce a good washing.

 Since we have a list of produce to buy organic, here is a list of the least pesticide-contaminated produce, according to EWG.

• Papaya
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Bananas
• Kiwi
• Sweet Peas (frozen)
• Asparagus
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Sweet Corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onions

We grow some of our fruits and vegetables and buy some at farmer's markets, but it will never cover all our needs. The list is handy to have when I need to purchase produce at the grocery store.

Coming Soon

We saw and heard thousands of geese flying over yesterday, soon I will be in my backyard urging the garden to grow and reading a book in the sun.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

I made this chicken on Sunday evening for the week ahead, it is full of flavor.  The recipe was in Bon Appetit several years ago.  I have adjusted it slightly and used an organic chicken and organic lemons, I used dried thyme since I didn't have any fresh at home, in the summer I would use fresh.  I was out of kitchen string so the chicken is not quite as pretty, but it tastes just as good.  The first meal the chicken will be served with potatoes and frozen green beans from last years garden.  Then I will pick the chicken apart and make white chili in the crockpot on Tuesday.  Any chicken left over will be used for sandwiches for lunches.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme

Serves 4

3 Tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 1 Tablespoon dried

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 4 or 5-pound roasting chicken

1 lemon, quartered

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.  Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.  Rinse chicken; pat dry.  Place chicken in roasting pan.  Rub all but 1 Tablespoon garlic-thyme oil over chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place lemon in cavity of chicken.  Tie legs with string.

Roast chicken 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees fahrenheit.  Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180 degrees fahrenheit, about 1 hour to one hour 15 minutes.  Lift chicken and tilt slightly, emptying juices from cavity into pan.  Transfer chicken to serving platter.  Tent chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup.  Spoon fat off top.  Add wine to pan; place over high heat.  Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Pour wine mixture into measuring cup with pan juices (do not clean roasting pan).  Add enough chicken stock to cup to measure 1 1/2 cup.  Return stock mixture to same roasting pan.  Mix flour into reserved 1 Tablespoon garlic-thyme oil.  Whisk into stock mixture.  Boil stock mixture in roasting pan until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.  Season pan-juice mixture to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour into sauceboat.  Serve chicken, passing pan-juice mixture separately.

Local Art

My daughter's paintings

A bowl made by a local artist, it holds my yarn.

The bowl my daughter made on the potter's wheel

The bird and pig are made by a local artist, they guard my books.

My Cookbooks

I love cookbooks.  I have collected them for years, some were purchased used, some hand-me-downs, some gifts, and some I purchased new. 

I don't always use them for the specific recipe, many times they are used for inspiration.  I like to read them and play with the recipes, changing them to our tastes, the ingredients we have on hand, or that are common to our area.

I have some notebooks I have written recipes in and I find I use them more than any other cookbook.

I purchased this slanting bookshelf a couple years ago and I love it.  It is made from repurposed wood, coming originally from a manufacturing warehouse built in the 1880's.

Real Food Challenge Update

I knew that this month would be super busy and we would be tempted to eat out a lot, perhaps even fast food, so I decided to take the Eat Real Food challenge to see if we could still eat homemade food in March.  I think we have done pretty well, so far.  We have been out to eat only once (chinese food), and we have not eaten any store bought prepared meals.

I made egg salad on Friday evening of last week in preparation for a busy weekend, we then had something to make sandwiches out of for our weekend lunches. 

I have made food on the weekends to carry us through the week.  The first weekend was wild rice and turkey casserole, this week it was salmon with agrodulce sauce and an egg bake.

On the night I had a board meeting my husband grilled sausage from a local butcher, and served it with sauerkraut and home canned beet relish a friend gave us (we shared our home canned apple juice in exchange).

This week I made spaghetti, with sauce made from homegrown tomatoes and locally grown beef and  yogurt to eat with my homemade granola for breakfast.

Last week we made use of leftovers we had stored in the freezer from last month.  We ate the leftover lasagna and leftover confetti bean soup.

All in all, I think I have proven to myself that it can be done.  It is much cheaper and tastesd better than eating out or buying frozen prepared foods.

Brunch Bake

My sister and I made this egg bake for a brunch and it is works very well.  It is quick to make and served with some fruit, muffins and a fruit smoothie you have a tasty brunch for 10 - 12 people.  This week I made the recipe for a dinner and leftovers for lunches.  I used the buttermilk biscuit recipe from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook", use whichever biscuit recipe you like best.  Bacon could be used instead of the ham.

Brunch Bake

10 biscuits, buttermilk

1 dozen eggs

1 1/2 cups ham, chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

Arrange biscuits in a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with nonstick spray.  In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over biscuits.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 - 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Serves 12

Save Money on Alterations

I recently altered the hem on a new pair of pants.  In the past I have taken dress pants to a tailor to be hemmed, but for the amount I paid to have three pairs altered I could have bought another pair of pants.  So, in an effort to be frugal I hemmed my own pants, and found that it is really rather simple.

Altering the length

1. Rip out the hem at the bottom of the legs.
2. Put the pants on and mark with a pin the length you want.
3. Iron.
4. Measure to pin mark then pin all around the bottom to desired length, keeping your measurement even.
5. Hand sew the hem loosely and try the pants on to make sure the length is correct.
6. Hand sew with a tighter stitch

Amazing

My great-grandmother crocheted this apron and these doilies.  They are just a sample, there are many more.  She never learned to read, so the work was all done from memory.  My grandmother told me that at that time the women would have knitting and crocheting socials.  They taught one another patterns.  The stiches are intricate, the patterns are unique.  Truly amazing work.

A Measure of Sanity

I had an insanely busy week and weekend.  I got home Sunday evening at 5pm and was exhausted.  I knew I needed to do some cooking for the week ahead, which will also be busy.  I really just didn't feel like doing the work and wondered why I thought all our meals needed to be homemade. 

But, I put on an apron, poured myself a glass of wine, lined up (thanks to my son, the tech guy) Taken By Trees and Bob Schneider's "Lovely Creatures" on my iPod to be played over my stereo, and gained a measure of sanity.  Cooking while listening to music energizes me. 

I made an egg bake (recipe later this week) to be reheated and eaten during the week and I made the following salmon recipe for our Sunday evening meal.  I served it with a romaine lettuce, dried cranberries and walnut salad with balsamic vinegar dressing.

Salmon with Agrodolce Sauce

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 (6oz.) salmon fillets (1" thick) with skin
2 medium red onions (about 1 lb. total)
each cut into 8 wedges
2/3 c. balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.  Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook, skin side up, until bottom side forms a golden crust, 12 - 15 minutes.  Turn fish over and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers, then saute' onions until golden brown and crisp-tender, 6 - 8 minutes.  Stir in vinegar, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until sauce is syrupy about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.

Spoon onions with sauce onto plates and top with salmon, skin side down.

Serves 4

Imaginative Play

At Storytime this week one of the books I read to the children was "Jungle Jamboree" by Kimberley Knutson.  In this story it is a rainy day and the kids make a fort out of couch cushions and an afghan.  I had 6 Storytimes this week with a total of 135 children, I asked these groups if they had ever built forts with couch cushions or chairs and blankets, fewer than 10 children raised their hands.  Now maybe there were a few that just didn't raise their hand, but most children genuinely looked like it was a new idea to them.  I was shocked.  I remember building forts in the living room as a child, using a flashlight and pretending it was a cave or playing house with what we built, we even got carried away and made huge forts with connecting "tunnels".  My kids did the same, so I was surprised to see so few raise their hands.

Then I started thinking about how much of children's time is structured.  Most of the children I was talking to were in preschool for part of their day.  Also, children spend more time in front of televisions and video games, or with toys designed for a specific purpose.

In an NPR article on creative play psychologist Leong, referring to children's days filled with leagues and lessons being regulated by adults, is quoted as saying "kids aren't developing the self-regulation skills that they used to".

Neuroscientist Adele Diamond and psychologist Deborah Leong say "the best kind of play costs nothing and really only has one main requirement - imagination".  They go on to say, "when children learn to rely on themselves for playtime -improvising props, making up games and stories-they're actually developing critical cognitive skills, including an important one called 'executive function'.  Essentially executive function is the ability to regulate one's own behavior-a key skill for controlling emotions, resisting impulses and exerting self control and discipline".

The article quotes Adele Diamond as saying, "the more children need to use their imagination and hold in mind what they selected a given object would stand for, or what role each person decided to play, the better.  Therefore, it's better not to use costumes or accessories that are targeted for specific scenarios, e.g. doctor or fireman, but rather for children to use available materials to come up with their own way to identify the fireman and what they want to stand for the water hose".

I have seen children's items for sale that replicate the "couch cushion fort", but according to this article it is better to let them use their imagination and make their own fort out of items designed for another purpose.  It seems that in an effort to give our children all the advantages we may not have had we are actually taking something away from them.  Unstructured, imaginative, play time can be more valuable than expensive toys or lessons.

The Button Box

Years ago everyone had a button box.  Buttons were saved for possible reuse, they were to good to throw away.  When a item of clothing was worn out the buttons were cut off and saved in a button box, the clothing then used as a cleaning rag. 

I have the button box that at one time belonged to my great uncle.  It came with an assortment of buttons, some metal, some cloth, some plastic, some leather.  We have added to it over the years, when the kids were young they loved to look through the "box".

Today people collect buttons, gathering them from antique shops, auctions, or garage sales.  Others use buttons to make button art.

We keep our buttons for reuse, or just because they are too good to throw away.