I dream not in sugar plums but in Italian prune and this year my dreams are all coming true; the neighbor’s tree is bursting with succulent blue fruit. I harvest the plums in succession for each recipe tastes best with a different level of tartness. First up are the wonderful New York Times Plum Tortes. […]
Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
Plum Torte
Posted in Cooking, tagged plum, plum cake, plum dessert, plum torte, plums on August 15, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
Peach Jam with Pomona Pectin
Posted in Cooking, tagged peach jam, pomona pectin on August 3, 2018 | 3 Comments »
With the warm weather all the fruit is coming in strong! In fact there’s so much it’s time to start canning and jamming. Friends have been telling me about the virtues of Pomona Pectin for quite a while. I recently got some from PCC, and now I’m hooked. Because it doesn’t require sugar to jell, […]
Pickled Radishes
Posted in Cooking on July 23, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
My husband loves pickles. He loves half sour cucumbers, spicy kimchee; you name it – if it’s pickled he’ll eat it. These pickled radishes are some of his favorites and they are so easy! The fresher the radishes the better the pickle. Once you’ve washed and trimmed your radishes cut them into thin slices and pack […]
Kimchee
Posted in Cooking on July 20, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
What’s crunchy, spicy hot and really good for you? Kimchee! Here’s how to make your own. It’s much easier than you would think. The first step is to chop your veggies and spices: Next mix the spices together: Mix in the veggies: Once all is well mixed put in a jar and let sit until […]
Making Your Own Herb Blends
Posted in Cooking, tagged herb blends, herb de provence, herbs on July 10, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
Now that you have dried herbs making your own blends is easy! These make great gifts as well as stepping up the flavor of your own dishes. Here are some of my favorite blends: Herbes de Provence Herbes de Provence usually contains basil, bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, summer savory and lots of thyme. Lavender can be […]
Making Strawberry Jam
Posted in canning, Cooking, tagged how to, strawberry jam on July 9, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
This year the strawberry crop is huge, sweet and delectable. With all this bounty it’s time to make jam! Here’s how to put summer in a jar using a low sugar Pomona Pectin recipe.
Brining Grape Leaves
Posted in Cooking, tagged brined grape leaves, grape leaves on July 7, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
Brining grape leaves is best done in the spring or early summer when the leaves are more supple. These leaves are used to make a Greek dish called dolmades and can also be used as a decorative accent under cheeses. They have an earthy, salty taste that is complementary to savory foods. First pick your leaves, […]
Calendula Cream
Posted in Cooking, Crafts, tagged calendula cream, creams on July 6, 2018 | Leave a Comment »
Calendula’s blooming so it’s time to make soothing cream.
The herb fennel is so plentiful and grows so well in the Pacific Northwest that some people think of it as a weed and do their best to eradicate it. Horrors! This plant is useful from its seeds to its roots and should be cherished! According to Wikipedia this herb was well known to the […]
My family loves Italian style food so we go through a ton of the herb oregano each year. Luckily it’s very easy to grow; you can start it from seed or buy a plant at most local nurseries. It does best in full sun and doesn’t like to be water logged but do be aware […]
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