Great Grandmas Borscht (beet soup)

Great Grandmas Borscht (beet and tomato soup)

When I bring up the topic of beets to most people I almost immediately see a weird unpleasant look on their faces, and they are reminded of the pickled beets sitting at the salad bar no one eats.

Beets, by there very nature, are sweet, creamy and rich, and I've never quite understood the pickled beet, I mean I get it from an evolutionary standpoint because of the health benefits of fermentation and picking, but a sweeter application of the beet will almost always yield more pleased eaters than not.

I was raised eating this creamy warm soup since infancy, it has always been a Christmas Eve tradition at my Polish/Russian great grandmothers house, along with scratch made bagels, periogi, a homemade liquor from clove and honey and lots of shrimp. We would pack 40 people into her small wash park home, with the table extending the length of her house, and sing Christmas carols before opening presents. Santa Claus was even known to make a special appearance from time to time. These memories are so special to me that I will cherish and try to hold onto to their detail for as long as possible.

Anyways, back to the soup, it is simple and perfect for fall and winter, especially if you've harvested your own beets, which I have done in previous years. 

The soup is usually served with a mushroom filled tortellini (there is an actual Russian pasta name for this little guy but I don't know it, we usually buy fresh mushroom tortellini or make our own from scratch) for some reason they were referred to as "pig ears" while growing up, probably some attempt to freak us children out, but nevertheless soups with stuffed pastas are always amazing, but not always necessary, so for the sake of health I usually only eat the pasta variety at Christmas Eve.

The soup freezes really well and can be enjoyed any time of the year, some people will eat beet soup cold and some people will top the soup with sour cream, whatever variation you prefer, do it! Beets are just too delicious and too healthy not to include in your menu!

Ingredients:

5 cans julienne beets

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (your favorite variety or homemade, I look for an organic gluten free variety)

2 cans tomato soup

2 can v8 juice

Pickle juice to taste (several tablespoons to add tang)

This is a one pot soup, bring all ingredients to a boil and when it is smooth, add in your pickle juice, to taste, it should have a slight tang, and then it is ready to enjoy.

If adding pasta add 15 minutes before serving so they stay whole.

I added 2 poached eggs into my soup for dinner and it was amazingly creamy and delish! 

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are pretty much the sole reason I buy and carve pumpkins each year, I have one of those tierd stepped porches so I load up on pumpkins for both sides of each step, resulting in lots of pumpkin seeds each year.

First, I place a large bowl of warm water with about a tablespoon of salt in it, next to my pumpkins. As I clean my pumpkins I place the seeds in that bowl. When finished I agitate the pumpkins seeds with my hands, cleaning any pulp odd of the seeds. I then dump my seeds into a colander, and rinse. 

I've also soaked my seeds overnight, my mother did it, so I do it, not exactly sure why, but I think soaking your seeds in salted water results in a crispier seed after baking, I've also never burned a seed, so that may also be an effect. 

I just fill my cleaned bowl up with warm water, another tablespoon or so of salt and let the seeds sit on the counter overnight. 

The next morning I drain the seeds and lay them out flat on cookie sheets to dry out.

Once they have air dried it is time to think about seasonings. I literally have about 6 cups of seeds each year, so I make a plain salted one and then I usually pick a flavor to try out with some of the seeds.

I've done garlic powder, chili powder, and chipotle powders in the past, but this year I'm going in a new direction. Pumpkin pie spice! 

First, regular salted seeds: 

Toss seeds in olive oil and sprinkle with a course sea salt. Place on baking sheets in even layers and bake at 250 degrees to 30-45 minutes until lightly browned. Stir at least once during cooking so both sides brown.

Pumpkin pie spiced seeds:

For a sweet application I used butter instead of olive oil. Toss seeds in melted butter, 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar) and 2 table spoons pumpkin pie spice. 

Again, bake at 250 for 30-40 minutes being careful not to develop too much color since this recipe has sweetners with it. 

Once they are finished I keep them in mason jars and let them cool completely. They are packed with  nutrients and they are a fantastic snack to enjoy!

Pickling Vegetables

Pickling Vegetables

Makes 2-3 pints

Pickled vegetables have always been a favorite of mine, I love those hot mixes you can buy at the grocery store that contain things like cauliflower, carrots, onion, and peppers. Having so many of these ingredients available to me through either my garden or my parents massive garden, I really enjoy pickling these veggies for delicious healthy snacks all winter long. On a side note, these mixes are nearly calorie free and with such little salt added to my pickling liquid they are much better for you and much cheaper than the mixes you buy at the grocery store. 

My pickling liquid is the same whether I am pickling peppers or veggies, so you can really make versatile mixes to suit your own tastes. You could also pickle beets, zucchini, green beans, anything you desire!

For this mix I am making cauliflower, carrot and jalapenos.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

2 carrots

2-3 Jalapenos, depending on size and desired heat levels

2 tablespoons pickling salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups of white distilled vinegar.

Chop and slice all of your vegetables, making sure they fit in the mouth of the jars you are using. I chose fairly small pieces, but was careful not to completely decimate my cauliflower so there are decent sized chunks. 

Place the vegetable mixes in the clear sterile jars and pack at tightly as possible.

Then bring your pickling liquid ingredients to a boil until all the salt and sugar has dissolved. Pour pickling liquid over the veggies, and remove any air bubbles.

Place in fridge for 2 weeks or process in water for 15 minutes for long term storage. Eat cold for ultimate crisp deliciousness. 

Garden Heirloom Tomato Jam

Tomato Jam

Makes 1 Cup

Looking for more things to do with the pounds of tomatoes my parents and I grew in our gardens this year, I wanted to experiment with more canning recipes. This recipe looked so delish on some canning websites I had looked at, but of course my tomatoes are yellow, so the color is definitely different, but it tastes amazing. It has a sweet, and acidic flavor, it is rich and light at the same time. I would smear this deliciousness on some bread and make a grilled cheese sandwich with it. You could also make bruschetta with this, or use it as an ingredient for a baked brie appetizer. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups or 1 pint of cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ t. ground cinnamon
1/8 t. Ground allspice 

1 garlic clove, minced

Over medium-high heat add oil and add the tomatoes and garlic cooking for 3-5 minutes. 

As the tomatoes start to break down, add brown sugar, honey, salt and red Chile flakes and spices. Cook for another 10 minutes pushing down the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to smash. 


The sauce will begin to thicken. Now add the balsamic vinegar and basil, stirring to incorporate. Continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes until the mixture is thick and sticky.

Transfer to sterilized glass jars and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks, or use a hot-water canning bath for 15 minutes for long-term storage.

Canning Garden Tomatoes

Canning Garden Tomatoes
Makes quarts or pints

Now is the time in the summer when you are overloaded with tomatoes from the garden, and it is also the best time to can your tomatoes so that you have fresh organic tomatoes all winter for soups, stews, marinaras, and salsas. I like to can as many tomatoes as possible so that I can limit the amount of canned tomatoes I have to purchase during the year. Canning your tomatoes in glass jars and using tomatoes at their peak ripeness will result in the best tasting tomato products you'll ever eat. You can use any variety of tomatoes, these are a "big boy" variety, but I can romas, heirlooms, grape or cherry tomatoes just as easily, you just need to remove the skins.

Packing tomatoes raw with no added liquid produces the most concentrated flavor. However, this method requires extended processing times to ensure the heat fully penetrates to the center of the jars.

Ingredients:

3 lb whole, halved or quartered tomatoes per quart jar
1 lemon's juice per quart jar, 1/2 a lemon per pint jar
Salt, optional
(32 oz) quart or (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside. 

Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds or until skins start to loosen and crack. Immediately dip in cold water. 

Peel off the skins. 

Remove cores and any bruised or discolored portions. Leave whole, halve or quarter. 

Add lemon juice to each hot quart jar. 

Pack raw tomatoes into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Press tomatoes into the jar until the spaces between them fill with juice leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, 1/2 teaspoon to each pint jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding tomatoes. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. 

Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 85 minutes for both pints and quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. If they do flex on the lid, place jars in fridge and use up within a month. 

Apple Butter

Apple Butter
Makes: 5 pint sized jars

A good friend of mine has two large apples trees in her backyard, and in an attempt to make use of these delicious sweet and crisp apples I decided to make an apple butter, which I've never made before. I have made apple sauce, but I'm never a fan of the consistency and mouth feel, so I figured a butter would solve that.

I find that the apple trees most people have in their yards often produce a starchy less sweet apple than you can buy, but these apples are great.

Ingredients:

1 grocery bag full of apples- peeled and diced fine- I would estimate I have about 30-40 apples completely filling my crock pot.

2 cups dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon plus cinnamon stick
1 star anise seed
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 large pinch of salt
1/4 cup water

Mix everything well in the crock pot. Place on high for 1 hour, then switch to low for another 8-10 hours until the mixture has completely caramelized and the pieces of apple are so soft they are mushing when stirred.

Then take your immersion blender (or pour mixture into regular blender) and blend to the consistency you like.

To can, place apple butter in sterilized mason jars with 1/2 inch of head space, and process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.

Pickled Garden Peppers

Pickled Garden Jalapeños

Makes: 2 pints

Ingredients:

1 lb. Jalapeños, cherry peppers, etc...

2 Garlic Cloves, smashed and peeled

2 cups Distilled White Vinegar

1 tablespoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Pickling Salt

Directions:

Take your washed peppers, trim the stems and slice them into rings. If pickling cherry peppers, wash and remove any stem.

Place rings into bowl and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan combine the garlic, water, vinegar, sugar and salt.

Pack jars with peppers at tightly as possible.

Remove the pot off of the heat and pour pickling liquid into jars, removing air bubbles, and filling to a1/2 inch head space.

Place on lids and rings and process in boiling water for 15 minutes. 

Baba Ganoush with Goat Cheese (Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush with goat cheese

Makes 2 cups

Well my eggplant is doing amazing in the garden, the best of all of my veggies this year, and I was looking for a new way to prepare it. We will usually just slice it and grill it with some lemon juice and olive oil, or occasionally I will fry it up and make an eggplant parmesan, but my eggplants are the thin and long variety so they are not great for slicing and frying.

Baba Ganoush is an eggplant dip - similar to hummus only minus the chickpeas. It is smoky and creamy and really delish! I decided not to use tahini, but just a little sesame oil because I didn't want it to taste like hummus, I wanted it to taste like eggplant. 

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants (or 4 small garden-sized eggplants)
4 cloves roasted garlic (Roasted Garlic) with oil.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cumin 

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon salt and black, to taste 

Pinch of fresh parsley

2 tablespoons soft goat cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Roast eggplant over an open flame until completely charred. If you don't have a gas burner than lightly oil the eggplant and place on cookie sheet under a broiler, turning until all sides are charred

It should be softened completely. Let cool in plastic bag or bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Remove all skin from eggplant and scoop out the meat. 

Salt lightly to draw out water and then place in a strainer to drain for 20-30 mins.

  

Place all the ingredients into the food processor except the goat cheese.

Blend until smooth, add more olive oil if not smooth enough. Then add in the goat cheese and pulse until combined.

Let sit for 2-3 hours to develop flavors. Can be eaten warm or cold with crackers, veggies or a spread for a sandwich.