Link Love! Gifts In Jars

My 300-ish square foot apartment is currently overflowing with jars of things. Three types of jam, tomato sauce, two types of liqueur, pickles, pears, and on and on. My general motivation here is not only to have beautiful summer produce throughout the year, but also to have a perfect stash of last minute gifts and treats to share with friends and loved ones during the holiday season. It isn't too late for handmade gifts by any means- and the perks of gifting something that can be both stored, and later eaten once the house is cleared of other holiday sweet things is truly hard to argue. I've also tried to include primarily recipes that don't require any special canning equipment.

- Despite the fact that Washington doesn't actually have a citrus season- it still is citrus season. I'm enamored with the idea of this Chili Mandarin Marmalade with a Spritz of Ginger from Mandolin the Mirthful. She notes its intensity and that it would pair beautifully with crackers and chevre. My kind of lady.

- On that note- this idea of gifting Marinated Goat Cheese is unarguably simple, and absolutely gorgeous. This would make a phenomenal host/ess gift, even when rushed for time.

- Homemade Coffee Liqueur from Food In Jars makes for another well received gift that uses a few straight-forward ingredients. The original recipe notes that it's best when allowed to sit anywhere from three to six weeks- but I've given gifts like this in the past that included a note one when it's best to open. No one has complained.

- Okay, I'm totally cheating on this one. It doesn't come in a jar, it's merely just being served in one. But I cannot get over how obscenely delicious this sounds. I cannot. Jen Altman's Black Spiced Rum Eggnog will be my first attempt at eggnog ever. I will drink it out of a jar, and I will probably not share. You should go ahead and make your own.

-  Bacon Jam. I know. Bacon is played out, and this recipe takes hours to make, and if you want to store it out of the fridge you need a pressure cooker. But I don't care about any of those things. It's bacon, and onions, and maple syrup. And I just don't care.

- I accidentally made myself a big beautiful jar of ginger syrup last year- it was the byproduct of candied ginger, and it was probably one of the best accidents I've had in some time. It makes for some of the best ginger ale I've ever had, and has stored perfectly in my pantry without any issues. Joy the Baker shares her recipe for Homemade Ginger Syrup for Ginger Ale and includes a perfectly simple recipe for ginger ale to tack on as part of a gift.

Are you making any of your gifts this year? What are your favorite homemade treats to give and receive?

Link Love!

I'm almost certain that once upon a time I used to post links to things that weren't just related to food and eating. I'm glad that I've moved on from that place. My heart has only one real love. (That's a lie.)

-  I actually made an audible squealing noise when I came across this recipe. That's normal, yeah? Apple Fennel Sauerkraut with Caraway from The Bitten Word is just so... glorious. I still haven't experimented with sauerkraut or kimchee, and I'm finding myself a little antsy. My CSA this week came with a big beautiful head of fennel. It's a sign, clearly.

- My biggest struggle with cutting back on gluten hasn't had anything to do with pasta or toast. It's shortbread. Shortbread relies so much on the simplicity of its ingredients, that when one thing is slightly off they verge on inedible. I experimented with a GF shortbread recipe this past spring- and while my co-workers humored me and ate the tiny heart shaped gritty lumps, I haven't gone back to trying to recreate them. Serious Eats hosts Gluten Free Tuesday every week, and amongst their recipes they have a simple and beautiful recipe for Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies. They also have a recipe for Allergen Free Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake, which does admittedly sound a bit clinical, but looks (and reads) to be delicious. I can usually get pretty excited about anything combining chocolate and pumpkin.

- Absolutely not gluten free, but when Molly from Orangette refers to something as "some of the best cookies I will ever eat" - I'm probably going to pop some acidophilus and make a batch. Plus- these are actually Autumn Martin's infamous peanut butter cookies. Yes. These Salted Peanut Butter Cookies. Yes, again. Yes. There is Theo Chocolate in there.

- I've been eating so much winter squash lately. And while Zucchini Stuffed with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Sage from The Kitchn  uses a zucchini (obviously)- I'm likely going to re-utilize the stuffing recipe and cook it with a lovely little butternut or spaghetti squash. Forever.

- Maple Buttermilk Pie from 101 Cookbooks is so perfectly timed for fall. She uses rye flour in her crust, and nearly a cup of maple syrup in the filling. Perfection.

Link Love! Canning and Putting Things in Jars

Despite our slow turning Seattle spring- asparagus is in full force at the farmers markets, and thanks to my mama and Lizzie I have a giant bag of wild fiddleheads in my fridge, straight outta Southeast Alaska! Take that, TSA. I've been putting my own stash of fiddleheads into pasta, and pretty much anything that goes well with butter. I'm excited now to finally have enough to pickle and can.

And although we still have a little while to go before berries start showing up- it's really never too early to start planning for jam. Never ever. And even then? There are still a million other things that do so well in jars.

Canning Across America and Food in Jars are without a doubt my two favorite canning resources. I'm totally totally smitten with Baked Eggs in Half Pint Jars. I've been dreaming about them since Tuesday.

- Strawberry, Balsamic, and Black Pepper Jam from Melissa Made is really for real. I've never been a huge fan of strawberry jam (too many chunks!) but I'm all sorts of excited about this one.

- Sticking with the pepper theme- Salt and Pepper Cashew Butter from Edible Perspective sounds kind of perfect. I made my own almond butter a few months ago and really loved it. Cashews are kind of dreamy.

 

 - Langdon Cook blogs about Christina's recipe for Pickled Fiddleheads, which is likely the recipe that I'll use for my own. Christina has lots of dishes with fiddleheads happening at Nettletown right now, so if you're curious and in Seattle- get your butt in there!

- I've been wanting to experiment with preserving lemons for a while now. Food in Jars has a short and sweet write up. Lemons and salt, loves. That's all.

I've been meeting so many people lately who are getting into canning. It's so inspiring and I love hearing about it. What are you excited about canning this spring and summer?

Homemade Cereal: Popped Amaranth with Nuts & Dried Fruit

In an attempt to cut down even further on processed foods- I’ve been experimenting with making my own cereals. This recipe is hands-down my favorite, and while popping amaranth can be messy- it’s also freakishly fun. Amaranth is a grain similar to quinoa that is easiest to find in bulk bins at nicer grocery stores. I buy mine at the Town & Country Markets in Seattle.

Ingredients:
8 tbsp amaranth
1/2 cup raw walnuts (or nut of choice)
1/2 cup dried fruit (my favorites are cranberries and candied ginger)
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp sea salt

To pop the amaranth:
Heat a large pot (the higher the sides the better) over medium-high heat. Toss in two tablespoons of amaranth (any more at a time and you’ll burn most of it) and stir constantly until most of the grains are popped. It’s better to leave some grains un-popped rather than burning the rest. Dump popped amaranth into a medium sized bowl, and continue this process until all amaranth has been popped.

 Unpopped vs. popped

Once all amaranth is popped- add nuts, dried fruit, salt, and maple syrup to your bowl and mix until combined. If you find your amaranth clumping with the syrup- just get in there with your hands and break things up. Cooking should be messy!  Store in a glass jar or other sealed container, and serve just as you would with any other cereal. I’m happiest eating mine with milk.

Originally posted at Swallowing Seattle.

Nettle Foraging & My Favorite Green Smoothie

Prickles!

Last weekend I spent a few good hours tromping around Discovery Park with some folks from The Seattle Wild Foods Meetup Group and my bff Amy. The two of us eventually split off on our own and found a few really good spots for nettle picking. Honestly- this time of year it's nearly impossible not to find good spots all over the place. They're coming up like the wild little weeds that they are.

Blanched or dried- the vicious little things quickly turn into a culinary dream. Their flavor is earthy, fresh, and a little zippy. They make an easy replacement for cooked spinach in recipes, brew into an earthy tea, and blend into a gorgeous pesto or ravioli filling. I blanch mine for 2-3 minutes, run them through the food processor, and then freeze into ice cube tray portions. From there I can thaw and add them to just about anything. Most recently I've been adding them to my smoothies.

Cranberry & Nettle Smoothie

This has been my lifeblood lately. In an effort to cut down on gluten- I started making myself smoothies for breakfast most mornings. It took me a few tries to get a combination down that really did it for me- but I am over the moon about this one. The great part about smoothies is that everything is more or less interchangeable. If you don't have access to nettles- no problem. There are an infinite  number of things that you can use instead. I've included some good alternatives in notes marked with red astrix below.

This smoothie is pleasantly tart, and lends its creaminess to raw cashews soaked in water. Ideally it's best to soak cashews overnight- but an hour will suffice, and in a pinch I've just thrown the cashews and water in without soaking at all. Still great, just not as smooth. If you're freaked out by the idea of adding greens to a smoothie- try it first with a small amount of spinach. You'll be pleasantly surprised- you truly can't taste it at all. Feel free to adjust the amount of honey that you use based on your tolerance for tartness.

Cranberry & Nettle Smoothie:
- 1/3 cup raw cashews + 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 handful nettles*, blanched
- 3/4 cup frozen cranberries**
- 1/2 cup kefir***
- 1-3 tsp honey or agave nectar
- 1 tsp flax meal
- 2 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender (they layer best in the order listed), and blend using quick pulses until smooth. That's it! Seriously. Smoothies aren't hard.

* Spinach, kale, chard, arugula, etc. (no need to blanch these greens before using)
** Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc.
*** Yogurt, fruit juice, non-dairy milk, etc.


More great information about nettles can be found here.

Cinnamon Cocoa Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I don't think that I've ever posted two recipes in a row, but these cupcakes are just too wonderful not to share right now.  The frosting is very distinct and not overly sweet.  It makes a nice, thick, bakery quality buttercream that perfectly compliments the texture of the cake.  I did luck into a few specialty ingredients, but they aren't difficult to substitute for easier to find versions.  This recipe was originally vegan, and is incredibly easy to change back if you'd prefer it that way.

For the cupcakes you need:

1 cup milk (or soy/rice/almond milk)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter (or vegetable oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder- minus 1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350° F, and line muffin pan with 12 liners.  Whisk together the milk and vinegar, and let sit for a few minutes while you melt your butter.  Add melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to milk mixture, and beat until frothy.  In a separate bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly add to liquid mixture, beating until well incorporated, but with a few lumps remaining.

Fill liners 3/4 full, and bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.  Makes 12 cupcakes.

For the frosting you need:

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (Earth Balance or vegetable shortening for vegan version)
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp milk (soy/rice/almond)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp vanilla powder, or the scrapings from one whole vanilla bean

Using a stand mixer, electric beaters, or one hell of a strong arm- beat all ingredients until well incorporated and fluffy.  Double checking to make sure that cupcakes are fully cooled- frost liberally using a butter knife or pastry bag.

Keep away from chubby kitties.

Finnriver Cidery & Point No Point

Last weekend, as my final birthday request- I wrangled up two of my favorite people and we hopped the ferry to Kingston.  From there we had a bit of an eventful drive, full of sugary coffee drinks and bizarre fender benders (not us).  Our intended destination was Finnriver Cidery & Farm in Chimacum, on the Olympic Peninsula.  I sort of offhandedly decided that 2011 is going to be a year full of ciders.  So far- I've done pretty alright for myself.  There seems to be an uprising of local cideries in Washington, and I'm totally in love.

 

"Come quickly, I am tasting stars!" - Don Perignon

Crystie humored us for over an hour- letting us taste every cider that they had available, as well as a pear cider that they're still experimenting with.  We brought home a bottle of their Sprited Apple Wine- which is an apple wine that's been combined with apple brandy.  I'm drinking a glass right now.  We also brought home their Farmstead Cider, made with heirloom apples.  It's very dry and not very sweet- quite different than what I'm used to.  I love it.

We had a few hours to kill before we needed to catch the ferry back- and so we made a bit of a detour to check out Point No Point.

 

We also made a quick pitstop at CB's Nuts to pick up some of their Oregon pumpkin seeds, and peanuts.  It's a tiny little space, but worth checking out- mostly for the free samples.

If you're in the Seattle area, but aren't able to make it out to Chimacum just for cider- Bottleworks in Wallingford carries a few of their varieties, and from what it sounds like- Finnriver is working on getting some of their ciders into some local bars as well. 

All in all- a pretty fantastic day.