Tibbitts and Bibbitts and Solomon Sly

I figured if I kept a record here of the canning I did this year, next year I won't have to go rifling through my recipe cupboard looking for the old envelope with the recipe I want on it! This is the first time I've made Mom's relish, but here it is:

Mom's Cucumber Relish

(1) 8 large cucumbers (12 cups chopped??)
12 onions (mom uses less; I think I used 11 this time, 'cause that's what I had)
2 green peppers
2 red peppers (I used 2 yellow, an orange and a red pepper)

1/2 c. salt

(3) 5 c. vinegar
6 c. sugar (I scooped about 3/4 of a cup for ea. 'cup')
1 Tbsp mustard seed
1 Tbsp celery seed (didn't have!)


(2) 1 Tbsp turmeric
3 Tbsp dry mustard
3/4 c. flour

- Cut off ends of cucs.
- Put (1) through chopper (I used the chopper blade on my food processor. If I didn't overfill the bowl it worked best.)
- Sprinkle with salt. Add 5 cups of water.
Let stand 1 hour. Drain well.

Mix (2) with a little vinegar.
Heat (3). Add (2) and cook until smooth.
Add veggies and cook 20 min. Put in hot sterilized jars and process.

Makes about 10 pints.

Each Peach Pear Plum

OK, so I just made a batch of "Summer Salsa" from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. It said I'd get six 500mL jars (pints) but I ONLY GOT 4! I feel cheated, somehow, although it is very tasty. I even carefully followed quantities (much more carefully than usual, anyway). Instead of 3-4 jalapeno peppers I used one chinese five pepper (it was purple), and I don't think I used a full 1/2 cup of honey, but that's not 2 pints worth of salsa! Anyway, here's the recipe:

Summer Salsa

4 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (drained)
2 cups chopped pitted peeled peaches
2 cups chopped cored peeled pears
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I used 3 from our CSA b/c they were small)
1 cup chopped red onion (I used white)
3-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (as mentioned above, I used one pepper, but b/c it was rather small - approx 1/2 the size of a jalapeno - I used the whole thing, seeds and all.)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup liquid honey (I used 2 soup-spoonfuls)
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (didn't have - used zest from one orange and a squirt of lemon juice)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

1. Prep canner, jars and lids.
2. In lg pot, combine tomatoes, peaches, pears, red pepper, onion and hot peppers. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly (or frequently ;) Add cilantro, honey, lemon zest and juice, vinegar and mint. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1 cm (1/2 in) headspace. ...
Process for 20 min (pint size); 15 min for 250mL jars.

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake

So the peach galette was delicious! I wanted to take a picture, but dh had the camera on their canoe trip. I also made a batch of spiced peach preserves which are quite yummy. The kids like a tsp mixed into some plain yogurt. I think it will be good on waffles too (or toast!)

A Dainty Dish

To continue the food theme (since I've done nothing but eat ever since May ;)
this is what I've been up to in the kitchen lately:

First, or rather, most recently, is the "meal" that Ev & I just enjoyed together (Dh has the eldest 2 camping this weekend). It was a case of wanting something good to eat, but quickly and without much effort. (I realize that that could describe most nights, but somehow it's different when there are only 2 of you instead of 5-6). Looking for inspiration I ventured down to the basement to mine our deep freeze. Thus, our "dinner" consisted of: asian steam buns (left over from when the girls from Taiwan were staying with us earlier this summer), swiss chard from our CSA (frozen a couple of weeks ago), and (drum roll, please!) cheese-ball omelette, made with some left-over cheese ball sent home with us from my cousin's wedding. (I really wasn't sure what we were going to do with half a large cheese ball, but this was quite tasty.)

And, still to come, fresh peach galette. (OK, I realize that to some this might not qualify as "fast and easy", but you need to understand that I came home from the market today with 7 litres of seconds (peaches) today - because the 1/2 bushel that I received from a friend yesterday is obviously not enough - and there was a ball of leftover pastry sitting in the fridge from when dh baked me a pie. So, it was pretty quick and easy.)