Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
With Summer slowly fading away our daily routine changes once again. The nights have been cold enough recently to require a little help from my electric blanket. I rolled over the other morning and found my cat snuggling up against me, something he almost never does unless his fur coat isn’t getting the job done. I touched his back and it was ice cold so I threw a blanket over the little dummy and went back to sleep. Another real indicator of Winter like caterpillars with extra thick fur.
I’m forever raving about how great I think Maine is but I’ve never shown any photographs of it’s main export. While I’m not a lobster lover my better-half is. We had a family cook-out yesterday with all the normal grilling food, burgers, dogs, sausages, and as extra added bonus . . . lobsters. As you can see these poor fellows look pretty contented in the first photo but not so much in the second. They are now just a memory but left my better-half, her daughter, and son-in-law with dribbles of melted butter on their chins and a smile on their faces.
‘Before’
‘After”
Our menial tasks continued this week with the canning of more pickles, the making of more zucchini bread, and the drying of more herbs. Over the next few days I’ll be harvesting and drying batches of tarragon, basil, parsley, and chives. I have so many damn chives growing everywhere it’s getting ridiculous. If I dry too many I’ll just have to package them up and give them to friends and family members.
I hope to begin removing plants from the garden next week. I have a lot of work ahead but would like to get it done as soon as possible. Once the plants are removed I can begin making a few changes to the garden. I’m expanding the rhubarb area because it’s growing so fast I can’t contain it. I’m also adding on two additional frames, one abutting each large frame, to help expand the sunflower areas. We both love having as many sunflowers as possible in the garden and the birds will be thrilled with all of the extra food. I thought it best to do this construction now rather than in the Spring.
Life in Maine continues.
I finally was able to motivate myself yesterday to begin the process of collecting and drying herbs from the garden. It’s one of the sadder things I have to do every year as Fall approaches. I’m forced to admit to that Winter is closing in on us and that my garden is beginning to fade away.
My better-half has been threatening to restart her daily regime of drinking healthy but unappetizing smoothies and wants some of the ingredients fresh from the garden. Today was kale day.
I started out with a trip to the garden and harvested two large baskets of freshly cut leaves. I then spent almost an hour cleaning and cutting the leaves and making sure no little critters were hanging around. We occasionally have slugs attacking some of the plants but I found only a few and they were disposed of (I hate slugs).
Then it was upstairs to wash the leaves, blanch them in boiling water, and then drop them into an ice bath. This kills any bacteria and gives the leaves a vibrant green color. Using a Salad Spinner I removed the excess water to prepare the leaves for dehydration.
I spread the leaves on a series of shelves and placed them into the dehydrator for four hours at 140 degrees.
‘In’
‘Out’
After the dehydration was complete I removed the leaves from the shelves and ground them into a fine powder with an herb grinder. Here’s the end result of all my efforts. Approximately 3/4 of a cup of clean and healthy smoothie ingredients. Drop a half teaspoon of the kale into any smoothie and you’re good to go.
‘Done’
I do have to admit I’m not a big fan of healthy smoothies. Give me a good old-fashioned, high calorie, sugar loaded, milkshake made with ice cream. You can bet I won’t be sprinkling kale on that.
‘Oh Yeah!’
Goodbye August! Now begins our downhill slide into Fall and the always unavoidable Winter. This Summer has sped by faster than any I can even remember.
The better-half and I spent a couple of hours yesterday canning the remaining cucumbers, jalapenos, and assorted hot peppers from the garden. With all of the canning competed I can now start dehydrating my collection of our main cooking herbs. It’s amazing to me just how many herbs we consume each winter. That’ll be my main job during the coming week because we have a large supply of oregano, tarragon, mints, parsley, and thyme to choose from.
We still have a few zucchini’s to be used along with a few kohlrabi’s and beans. The sunflowers are now in bloom and the birds are already circling. Those little beasts can strip a sunflower in a matter of hours once the seeds are ready to eat.
We didn’t feel much like cooking yesterday which means an afternoon visit to Applebee’s. For a lot of years we avoided the place because the food was mediocre and over priced. Going there now is like visiting a brand new restaurant. They’ve changed their menu to something on the order of a TGIF. The food selection is terrific, the preparation is excellent, and the prices won’t break the bank. It was Fish & Chips for me and Shrimp for the better-half. I also washed it all down with a couple of extra tall Gin & Tonics. Life is good.
It’s beginning to feel like Fall already and I’m certainly not happy about that. We’re just a couple of weeks from Labor Day and then it’s all downhill from there. Most of the smaller nurseries are already closing down except for veggies being shipped to the local grocery stores.
One telltale sound indicating Fall here in Maine is the sound of tractors pulling hay wagons down the road past our house. It’s a distinctive sound which has been steadily increasing in recent weeks. This is a common place scene in this area these days:
The large bales of hay covered in plastic will be appearing by the hundreds almost everywhere over the next month in preparation for Winter. It appears to have been a great summer for hay production which should keep the animals happy and healthy until Spring.
We’ve been tending our garden more often of late because the veggies are ripening rapidly. There are a few things every day that require picking as you can see:
These items went from that basket directly to our table for dinner. The three white turnip looking items are kohlrabi’s. As I’ve mentioned in the past these vegetables aren’t available in stores very often. Most people have never tasted them or even heard of them. These were picked while they were still young and tender. The larger they grow the harder they become to peel and eat. As you can see by the photo, they grow fairly large but this is the best size for harvesting:
This kohlrabi was immediately peeled, sliced, diced, and added to our salad for dinner. They have a wonderfully mild flavor reminiscent of white radishes and are absolutely delicious. I’ll be sure to return them to the list of plantings for the 2016 garden.
Yesterday was an odd day. After my forty-five minute workout I completed what few chores I had scheduled, changed clothes, and was off to do some shopping. At 11:30 I received a message from my better-half who’d just left work and was headed home. I no sooner stepped from my car than it was decided we’d be spending the next few hours exploring along the seacoast and looking for a restaurant. We were hoping for a place we’d never before visited. Our travels brought us to Cape Porpoise, Maine located in a small harbor near the Whale Island lighthouse. We’ve been in this area many times before but never had occasion to visit any of the three small restaurants located there.
I saw a sign, "The Ramp", with a walkway extending behind a larger restaurant down towards the water. It was a tiny Bar & Grill tucked behind and under the other restaurant.
It had a sports theme and the walls and ceilings were covered with memorabilia from just about everywhere. Football helmets, autographed pictures, political signs, basketball hoops, and a helleva lot more. It was one of the coolest bars I’ve ever visited and I’ve been in a few.
We had a couple of drinks while we waited for our food and the place was packed with people. Fortunately for us we’d been seated just before the big Friday afternoon crowd arrived. The wait for a seat was close to forty minutes but nobody seemed to mind. You could lounge with a drink along the water waiting for your table.
I ordered a plate of Portuguese mussels that were without a doubt the best I’ve ever had. They were swimming in a broth of red chili’s, hot sausage, and herbs. My better-half had the crab cakes which she raved about for the rest of the day.
The beer was cold, the food delicious, and the help was better than expected considering how busy it was. We found ourselves making plans to return to this little bistro before we’d finished our first beers.
‘The Whale Island lighthouse.’
This little place was one of the nicest surprises we’ve had in some time. We’ll be returning very soon to try a few more local brews and delicious food. The meal was beautifully presented, delicious, and nicely priced. Our check not including the tip was $62.00 and believe me when I say it was money well spent.
‘You can’t get seafood much fresher than this. Right off the boat.’
If you’re ever in the vicinity you should stop by for a nosh. This is one of those hidden little treasures that’s mainly frequented by the locals who know a good thing when they have it.
I’m asked one question more than any other, “Why do you work so hard to have a garden?”. It’s not a simple answer but I’ll try to explain as best I can. For me gardening gets me out of the house, allows me the freedom to work hard, sweat a little, get dirty, and remember my later father in his garden. Having a healthy and happy herb garden accomplishes the same things except it was my mother’s favorite thing to do. She taught me almost everything I know about herbs and growing them.
Gardening is hard work with preparing the soil, planting the plants, fighting off bugs, other critters, and dealing with good old Mother Nature. After all of the hard work she can easily ruin your garden with one severe storm. It helps me appreciate the good things the garden provides and this week it begins. The plants are producing and the harvesting can begin albeit in a limited amount.
The cherry tomatoes are beginning to ripen and we’ll be enjoying hundreds of them over the next couple of months.
Eating healthier has been our mantra for the last few years and the garden makes that so much easier to do. Tonight’s dinner will be supplied totally by the garden except for the chicken breasts. I just harvested this kohlrabi which is the size of a large softball. Many people aren’t familiar with them but they are similar in taste and texture to a radish.
This was was peeled and diced and set aside. It was firm and tender and I was forced to eat some immediately with a little salt. The following items along with the diced kohlrabi were used to prepare a delicious collection of flavors, wrapped in aluminum foil, and slowly warmed over the grill while the chicken breasts were cooking.
Fresh Chives & Parsley
Fresh Green & Purple Basil
Diced Kohlrabi
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Pea Pods
Radishes
The finished product was plated and served on the deck with a pretty decent Chardonnay. This is the type of meal we eat for most of the Summer and Fall. Our hard work gives us fresh food, delicious, organic, and priced just right.
As the production increases the meals will become even more interesting. We’ve started canning and freezing a number of items for use this Winter already, with more to come.
The saddest thing about having a garden is to see it end every Fall. You can be sure our freezers will be filled, our herbs dried, and our pantry shelves filled with new canned goods. We’ll be eating healthy all Winter.
Every summer about this time I donate one day of my time to the making of dill pickles. I’ve loved dill pickles for most of my life and if I do say so myself, I make one helluva pickle. Mine are a bit different from the store-bought variety since I pickle the cucumbers in a dill brine accompanied by a selection of sliced habanero’s and jalapeno’s. The results have the best dill flavor I can supply with enough heat to make your head sweat.
My better-half isn’t a big fan of the dill flavor so I’m relegated to making one small batch each summer that will usually last me most of the winter. I have a couple of other people in the area who are also big fans of dill and I make enough to keep them supplied as well.
The process begins with a 48 hour bath for the cucumbers in lime water. This will help keep the pickle slices crisp after the canning process has been completed. While the cukes are soaking I slice up a sufficient amount of habaneros and jalapenos to add to the mix. I was able to pick up a package of fresh dill yesterday and I’ll place a small sprig in the top of each jar. It’s mostly for decoration purposes but in addition to that I also add dried dill to the brine.
After the cucumber slicing, dicing, and jar packing, the final product is covered with dill brine and capped. Then into a boiling water bath to help seal the jars and to precook the pickles. Then it’s on to the cooling rack for a few hours and here’s the finished product.
Thirteen pints of some truly hot and tasty dill pickles. Good for any occasion or you can just sit and eat a jar while watching a movie. If possible and if we have a good supply of cucumbers I may make a second batch of Kosher Dill pickles later this fall. It’s a totally different flavor of dill and I love it as much as these.
* * * NEWS FLASH * * *
Today is a big day for us. Today is our Independence Day from cable TV. All of the companies equipment has been removed and will be shipped back in a few days. The account was closed after the typical games these companies insist on playing. They offered me a 50% reduction in my monthly rate if I would reconsider and stay with them. I asked only one question. If they could afford to do that so easily now it must mean they’ve been overcharging me for years. We agreed to disagree and that was that. Good-bye, Good Luck, and get the hell out Dish Network.
* * * HOORAY FOR US * * *
Every summer I set aside a few special days for restocking the shelves for winter. One of those days is spent making a large batch of salsa and the another is for for making of a huge batch of chili. The salsa is canned for storage while the chili is normally frozen. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing better than enjoying a steaming hot bowl of spicy chili with a bit of cheddar cheese melted on top while watching a Maine snowstorm through the kitchen window.
My salsa day was completed last week and the finished product is on the shelf. I decided this year to break with tradition and to make a different style of meatless chili, one that can be canned instead of frozen. I love experimenting and going-outside-the-box whenever possible and today’s the day.
This chili is made from a number of off-the-shelf ingredients as well as fresh peppers from the garden. For the first time in my life I’ll be making a non-meat chili using a Vegan approved meat substitute made from soy. I’ve always loved other soy products and I’m long overdue trying it in my chili. This ingredient comes freeze dried and requires rehydrating in a vegetable broth before use. All preparations from that point on are identical as when using ground beef. I was more than a bit surprised when the soy looked and felt exactly like regular browned ground beef.
I spent time yesterday cleaning and dicing jalapeño and Fresno peppers which will supply some of the heat needed for this chili. Then I diced a few large white and red onions for that special flavor they provide. Add to that a quantity of sweet bell peppers of assorted colors and you’re well on your way to a beautiful dish.
Canning the chili this time around is new. Normally to can chili containing meat you need a pressure canner. By removing the meat, replacing it with soy, and increasing the acid level, I can now can the chili instead of freezing it. I’ve always disliked freezing chili because it changes both the texture and taste. I’m hoping this experiment will keep the chili as close to the way it was originally prepared as possible.
I’m also trying something new for this batch. Normally you seal the jar with a metal lid which is then held in place by a metal band. Those bands are notorious for corroding and becoming difficult to remove. This year I’m sealing them exactly that way but just after the lids “click” to indicate a good seal, I’m removing the metal bands and covering the lid with a white plastic screw cap. This will keep the seal intact and keep the lid and top of the jar much cleaner during storage.
The final result is fifteen and half quarts of a flavorful, hot, and spicy Black Bean & Corn chili. My mouth is already watering.
With warm weather finally arriving the garden is almost out of control. Many of the plants that were previously damaged by my marauding skunk have recovered. Almost every pepper plant of which there are many are now blooming and others already have jalapeños that are ready to be harvested.
The newly installed fence has completely stopped all of our little woodland friends from nosing around at night but there are indications that one of them has been testing the fence, trying to find a way in. I could see tracks in the dew on the grass where the skunk has completely circled the garden checking every inch of the fence. If he keeps this nonsense up I may be forced to remove him permanently. I was hoping I could avoid bloodshed but maybe not.
The better-half’s flower gardens are in a constant state of color and are looking gorgeous. She has such a large variety of flowers that there always seems to be something blooming somewhere on the property.
After a two year wait I’ve begun to harvest my rhubarb. During the better-half’s jam making frenzy last week it was used for the first time to make strawberry/rhubarb jam. I had some of the finished product for breakfast yesterday and it was well worth waiting for. It’s amazing that such an ugly plant can taste so damn good.
Last evening we had guests for dinner which I prepared on the grill. The better-half’s dessert was a rhubarb/strawberry/blackberry/blueberry crisp. It was even more delicious than it sounds. A nice big piece of that crisp with a huge dollop of Kool-Whip. It just doesn’t get much better than that.
At the rate the garden is growing we’ll soon be very busy with pickle making and canning. Without a doubt this will be a year where everything exceeds all of our expectations.
‘Don’t look at this image, it might be against the law here in Maine.’
With the holiday weekend coming to an end summer has officially been declared here in Maine. Even with that being said we still sat on the deck over the weekend in hoodies and sweatpants because it was a wee bit nippy. So it’s onward and upward to the many summer activities soon to come.
‘Hot Bread & Butter Pickles’
We had a stay-at-home Fourth of July this year which we both found rather enjoyable. We relaxed on the deck until dark and then decided to be outlaws and lawbreakers. For decades it was against the law in Maine to own or use fireworks. Two years ago the ban was lifted and fireworks stores sprung up overnight and everyone happily thought their future holidays could be celebrated with a little noise. Oh how wrong we were.
‘Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Rhubarb, and Triple Berry Jams’
It’s impossible for politicians, local or otherwise, to keep their collective noses out of everyone’s business for more than a heartbeat. The town politicos then began to play their silly little games by passing local ordnance to ban the use of fireworks once again. It’s just like a bunch of political morons on a power trip to pass another law that can’t be enforced.
‘Smoking Hot Black Bean & Roasted Corn Salsa’
As dark ascended on the neighborhood the law breaking began in earnest. It sounded like the first night of D-Day at Omaha Beach in Normandy. Every neighbor was trying to out do the others and being the weak minded idiots that we are, we joined right in. Sparklers, Zippers, Rockets, Roman Candles . . . you name it and we had it. All of that noise and law breaking going on and not one police car was ever seen. They were probably sitting at home in their driveway while their kids set off their own fireworks. It was a lot of fun, no injuries or deaths reported, and the cleanup the next day was only about twenty minutes.
‘Honey & Maple Mead’
The remainder of the weekend we were kept very busy. B & B pickles were made and canned, an assortment of jams were made and canned, and I finished my first batch of salsa for 2015. It yielded thirteen and a half quarts of a salsa that’ll make your head sweat.
We are definitely on a roll for 2015.
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