Applesauce

We have tried a few different combinations of spices in our applesauce, so let yourself live a little! Many recipes call for sugar, but we find the apples offer enough sweetness!

Ingredients

1 peck (13 lbs.) apples, peeled, cored and quartered

3 c. water

4 tbsp. lemon juice

4 tsp. ground spices

Directions

Peel and core the apples. We recommend using one of those gadgets they sell that peels and cores at the same time -- it is a huge time saver. As you peel and core, drop the apples into a bowl of water and lemon juice to help prevent browning. Then quarter the apples and add to a large stainless steel pot, with 3 c. water.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, for five to 20 minutes, until apples are tender (the time will depend upon the variety of apple and their maturity). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

(If you want a smoother applesauce, puree at this point.) Add spices and lemon juice. Maintain a gentle boil over low heat as you ladle hot applesauce into jars. Remove any air bubbles with a small rubber spatula and adjust headspace to 1/2 inch. Wipe rim, center lid on jar, and screw band down until resistance is met. Increase resistance to fingertip-tight. Place jars in the canner and process at a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Remove canner lid, wait five minutes then remove jars, cool and store.

Makes about four quart jars.

Savory Peach Butter

You simply must wait until peaches are in season here. Serve with warmed brie and a baguette.

Ingredients

3-1/2 lbs. peaches, peeled and pureed

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. packed thyme

1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1 pkg. no sugar pectin

sugar to taste

Directions

Add thyme, black pepper, pureed peaches and lemon juice to a pot and bring to a full, rolling boil. Add the pectin, bring to a boil, and cook for one minute. Then add sugar to taste. The pectin does not require sugar to set, so you can add as much or as little as you want. At the wedding, we wanted the peach butter to be pretty savory, so we didn't add a whole lot of sugar. Boil for one more minute and add to clean, warm jars. Process for 10 minutes in a canner.

Makes a few pints.

Pickled Dilly Beans

You can essentially choose any fresh vegetable to pickle here. Try traditional cucumbers or asparagus or peppers!

Ingredients

Enough vegetables to pack six pint jars

1/3 c. pickling or canning salt

Ice water

1/2 c. sweet red or green bell pepper, finely diced

2 tbsp. garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (or 3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper)

2 tbsp. dill seeds, divided (or 4 to 5 fresh dill sprigs per jar)

2 tbsp. black peppercorns, divided

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. mustard seeds

4 c. white vinegar

1 c. water

Directions

Prepare canner, jars and lids as directed in a canning book. In a small bowl, combine red pepper, garlic, jalapeno and 1 tbsp. of dill seeds. (If using fresh dill sprigs, set aside for now.) Mix well and set aside. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar, mustard seeds, remaining dill seeds, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and boil gently for five minutes.

Pack jars snuggly with beans and dill sprigs (if using). Place 2 tbsp. of the red pepper mixture into each jar. Add hot pickling liquid to cover vegetables, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Slide a small rubber spatula into the jar to release air bubbles and settle the vegetables in the jar. Adjust headspace if necessary by adding more pickling liquid. Wipe rim, place lid and band on jar, and tighten until you feel resistance. Then adjust to fingertip tight.

Process jars in the canner (there should be at least 1 inch of water above the jars) for 10 minutes, at a full rolling boil. At the end of 10 minutes, remove canner lid and turn off heat. Let sit for five minutes. Then remove jars without tilting. Allow jars to rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check seal before storing.

Makes six pint jars.

Red Onion Marmalade

Serve with a special blue cheese and pumpernickel. Yum!

Ingredients

1-1/2 c. red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 c. dried cranberries, finely chopped

1/4 c. brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 c. cider vinegar

2 tsp. orange zest, grated

3 c. unsweetened apple juice

1 pkg. regular powdered fruit pectin

4 c. granulated sugar

Directions

Prepare canner, jars and lids. In a skillet, over medium heat, combine red onion, cranberries, brown sugar and vinegar. Cook, stirring, until onion is transparent, about 10 minutes.

In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine cooked onion mixture, orange zest, and apple juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with small rubber spatula and adjust headspace, as necessary. Wipe rim, center lid on jar, and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait five minutes, then remove jars, cool and store (without bands).

Makes about five 8-oz. jars.

Bruschetta

In order to have the time to prepare all the food for our wedding, we had to do some of the cooking in advance. So, having recently gotten into canning, we decided to pickle and preserve all of our appetizers. We then served each with complementary bread and cheese. If you haven't canned before, we recommend one of the many basic books that describes the process. Following specific canning instructions is very important if you want to avoid food-born illness. We like Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving, edited by Kingry and Devine.

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. dry white wine

1 c. white wine vinegar

1/2 c. water

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tbsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. dried basil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

9 c. plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

Directions

Prepare canner, jars and lids (this is where you need to reference a canning book). In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine garlic, wine, wine vinegar, water, sugar, basil, oregano an balsamic vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for five minutes, until garlic is heated through. Remove from heat.

Pack tomatoes into hot jars within a generous 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Ladle hot vinegar mixture into the jar to cover tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles with a small rubber spatula and adjust headspace. Add hot liquid as necessary to maintain 1/2 inch. Wipe rim, center lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in a canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait five minutes, then remove jars, cool and store (without band).

Makes about seven 8-oz. jars.

Baked Macaroni with a Hint of Black Truffle Oil

Sky and I cooked all of the food for our October 29th wedding, and we were so thrilled when folks approved of the menu! In fact, nearly everyone I spoke to that evening asked for one recipe or another. The carrots, barbecue sauce and squash soup recipes are already posted, but here's the favorite macaroni and cheese recipe, as promised. It's our take on a Tillamook County Creamery contest winner.

Ingredients

kosher salt

1-16 oz. box whole wheat rotini pasta

2 tbsp. black truffle oil

4 tbsp. shallots, minced

2 tbsp. garlic, minced

1/4 lb. pearl onions (frozen are okay)

4 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. flour

3 c. light cream

2 tbsp. fresh basil, minced

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 c. fontina cheese, shredded

3 c. sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 c. pecan quarters

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring 1 gallon of water to a rapid boil with the kosher salt in an 8-quart pot. Drop pasta into the water and stir. Boil for 6 t0 7 minutes total. Pasta should be slightly undercooked at this point. Drain off all water through a colander, sit one minute and toss in a bowl with the black truffle oil. Reserve.

Combine the shallots, garlic and olive oil in a 4-quart pot and cook slowly for 10 minutes using low heat. Add in the flour, raise heat to medium and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the onions, and temper in the light cream. Then, bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes on low.

Add in the herbs and seasonings. Stir in 5 cups of the cheese until smooth. Add in the truffle-scented pasta and stir until evenly combined. Pour into a 9x13 baking pan and top with the pecans and the reserved cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serves 6 to 8.

Curried Cauliflower Pickles

Ingredients
2 heads cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
1 qt. apple cider vinegar
1/2 qt. white wine vinegar
1 qt. water
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 lg. knob of ginger, peeled and cut into large pieces
6 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 bay leaves
small handful of thyme
2 tbsp. whole cardamom pods
large pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
2 tbsp. whole corriander seed
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. salt

Directions
Combine all ingredients, except for cauliflower, in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. When the liquid come to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Bring the liquid back up to a boil, add the cauliflower, let boil for one minute, and then remove from heat. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, place the cauliflower in jars and cover with the liquid (do not strain out the spices). Refrigerate. The pickles will be ready in one week and will only get better with age. Once opened, consume within four weeks(ish).

NOTE: If you want to seal the pickles for long-term storage, follow recommended pickling instructions for cauliflower.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
3 lbs. butternut squash, halved & seeded
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
100 liquid oz. chicken or vegetable broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled & quartered
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. ginger
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup sherry
1 cup half & half
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour a thin layer of water in a baking dish. Place squash flesh-down and bake for 40-50 minutes (or until a fork can pierce the flesh). Cool slightly and remove peel. Mash squash.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and garlic. Saute for a few minutes, until tender. Pour broth into the pot. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until soft. Add the mashed squash and mash with potatoes or until chunks are small. Puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth. Return to the pot.

Season the soup with cayenne pepper, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper. Then stir in sherry and half & half. Heat through, but do not boil. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Serves a gaggle of guests.

Uncle Tom's Carrots

My Uncle Tom (actually my mom's brother-in-law, not a racial slur) makes these carrots and they make for a lovely side dish. The best part is that you can make them the night before!

Ingredients
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. tarragon vinegar
1/4 tsp. mustard
2 tbsp. fresh chives
dash thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
the juice of one lemon
1 lb. carrots, peeled & julienned

Directions
Mix dressing and set aside. Boil carrots for five minutes. They should feel firm to the fork, but should pierce. Run under cold water immediately. Pour mixed dressing over carrots, tossing occasionally. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4.

Savory Chocolate Barbeque Sauce

Some of you may have heard the rumor that I participated in a chocolate cookoff with Sky's family... this dark, intensely flavorful sauce won 1st place in three categories! While I served it over pork tenderloin, I'm anxiously anticipating some very special chicken wings to follow!

Ingredients
1 tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ Spanish onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced small
1 ½ oz. dark brown sugar
3 tsp. chili powder
4 oz. apple cider vinegar
8 oz. of basic BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
14 oz. vegetable stock
¼ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 oz. very dark chocolate (I used 1/3 of a bar of Lindt’s 70% cocoa)
2 tbsp. fresh, chopped cilantro
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. fresh, ground pepper

Directions
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and sauté until golden brown (or if you get impatient, translucent and starting to brown). Add tomatoes, stir, and sauté an additional five minutes. Add sugar and chili powder, mix well, and cook for five minutes. Add vinegar and reduce (on medium-high) for five minutes. By this point, the mixture should have a thicker, pasty consistency. Add BBQ sauce, stock, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce to a slow simmer for 30 minutes. Add chocolate and cilantro and then allow to simmer for an additional five minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes to cool. At this point, you may choose to puree the sauce, but I like it better with the chunks of tomato and onion, etc.

Transfer to a clean container and cool. For best results, allow to refrigerate 12 hours before using.