It’s time to pull out the vegetable plants and prep the beds for next year,  but there are still some fruits on the plants. There was just a little bit of this, a little bit of that – I added it with some leftover bits of produce in the refrigerator and a perfect baked vegetable side dish comes together!

What kind of vegetables can be baked?

You can use any veggies in this dish. I used tomatoes ^[1] and squash with a few mushrooms and onions I had in the refrigerator. You could also use green beans or peas – peppers, greens (like chard, kale or spinach), and tomatillos would also be great choices.

It’s really up to you, what you have and what sounds tasty to you!

Making the dish – 

Cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces.

Lay them in single layer on a foil covered sheet pan. Sprinkle the olive oil evenly over the top of them all, add some salt and pepper.

Cover with the cheese –

then bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Garnish the baked veggies with some fresh, flat leafed parsley and serve hot!

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The harvest is winding down. I’ve been freezing the jalapeño chiles but they just keep coming! I picked a basket full and decided to thaw the ones in the freezer and pickle them with the ones I just picked. I love pickled jalapeños!

Pickling Chiles

Pickling anything will preserve it for up to a year if it’s processed in a pressure cooker or hot water bath. This recipe does not do either of those.

This is a small batch recipe and is intended to be stored in the refrigerator for about a month. After that the texture changes and the brine gets cloudy. They will still be edible, but just won’t taste as good.

But just in case you don’t eat them that fast, you can process them in a water bath for 10 minutes. They will keep for about a year, unopened, if stored in a cool dark place. The processing is the same as you would for jam – click here ^[7] for water bath instructions.

Making Pickled Jalapeños

Wash the jalapeños and set them aside. I added a few cherry bomb peppers – there weren’t enough for a whole jar.

Sterilize a quarter pint and a pint jar. Place the lids in a pan of hot water. This will help seal the jars a bit a keep them better in the refrigerator.

In a non-reactive pan, place all the ingredients for the brine and bring it to a boil.

Add the whole peppers and simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Using tongs, remove the peppers and pack them into the pint jar. Cover to 1/2 inch from the top of the jar with the brine.

Place the lid on and tightly screw on the ring. Allow them to cool completely, then store in the refrigerator.

For the sliced peppers, pack the raw slices of jalapeños and a few sliced carrots

into the quarter pint jar and cover to 1/2 inch with the remaining brine.

Put on the lid, screw the ring tight and allow to cool. Let them sit in the refrigerator for a week before using them.

And there you have it!

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I’ve never had a lot of luck with basil. The plants were always sparse and sad looking. So this year I planted three – and guess what? They did fabulously. I’ve been using basil in everything!!

I’ve preserved some by pureeing it with olive oil and freezing it. And another delicious way to save some basil is by making pesto!

What is pesto?

Not surprisingly, pesto originated in Italy. It is literally the word for “pound”. Traditionally made with a mortar and pestle and pounded and ground into a paste. So really, anything made in a mortar and pestle is a pesto. When we think of it though, we are thinking of pesto alla Genoese – pesto made from basil.

Is pesto always made with basil?

Traditional pesto is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt and fresh (not canned) parmesan cheese. But there are other “pestos” that are delicious, like spinach pesto ^[12]. Be creative – add some peppers (jalapeño and calabrian are great choices), wine, and anything that sounds good to you. Here are some combinations to try:

• Cilantro, garlic, pepitas, olive oil, lime juice, salt and manchego cheese
• Arugula, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, salt and feta cheese
• Carrot green tops (yes, you can eat them!), sunflower seeds, avocado oil, salt and parmesan cheese
• Sundried tomatoes, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, almonds and capers
• Any herb, any nut, any hard cheese, oil, garlic and salt

Toasting the nuts – 

Toasting the nuts brings out the flavors of the oils, but you have to be careful. If you over toast or burn them, they will taste bitter.

Start with a heavy, preferably cast iron, skillet. Heat it, dry, over high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop the nuts into the pan and shake it.

Lay it back on the burner for a second or two and shake again. Repeat until the nuts are golden. If you are using a gas range, you can simply shake over the flames without setting it back on the burner.

As soon as they are brown and fragrant, remove them to a bowl and set aside.

Making Pesto –

You can make this with a mortar and pestle, but I used my food processor – a lot less work! I like to have all my ingredients prepped and measured before I start.

Place the pine nuts and garlic in the food processor bowl fitted with a blade. Pulse one or twice to start breaking it up.

Next, put in the basil, lemon juice and parmesan and

process until its chopped up fine.

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and

process until its smooth.  Stir in the salt.

Storing –

You can use the pesto immediately on pasta, vegetables, chicken – whatever sounds good to you. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Or, you can freeze it.

I like to use ice cube trays to freeze any kind of sauce. Measure yours to be sure, but a cube in a standard tray is two tablespoons. Put the pesto into the tray and freeze for at least six hours. It won’t be hard frozen because oil does not freeze.

Once it’s frozen, take them out and

store them in a ziplock freezer bag that has been labeled with what’s in it and the date. Be sure it is for the freezer and not just storage. The cubes will keep in the freezer for about 5 or 6 months.

You can take out what you need when you need it. Just pull out a cube or two and thaw!

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  Peaches have been ripe for a few weeks now. We ate more than our share for sure – and then I bought three flats of #2 peaches – those are the ones that are starting to get a bit over-ripe, but are perfect for cooking with or making jams and preserves. That’s about 18 pounds of huge peaches! I got 10 cups of preserves and 3 quarts of frozen slices.

What’s the difference between jam, jelly and preserves?

Sometimes it can get confusing which is which. Jelly is pretty easy. It’s made from the strained juice of the fruit. Jam ^[18] is made from mashed fruit. There is still small pieces of fruit it in. And preserves are made with big chunks of the fruit still in it. Jam and preserves have the most fruity taste.

Peeling the peaches – 

Peach skin is tough and doesn’t do well in a jam or preserves. It’s important to remove the skins before you begin.

Start be bringing a large kettle of water to a boil.

Prepare a large bowl with ice and water in it. Make sure the ice bath is ready before you start.

Place three or four peaches into the hot water, making sure they are completely covered. If they aren’t, give them a gentle roll a few times.

After about one to two minutes, lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice bath. Let them sit in the ice for about five minutes.

Move them to a towel to dry and repeat the process until all the peaches have been blanched. You’ll notice the skin lifting slightly.

After they have cooled, use a paring knife to remove the skin. Most of it should just pull off, leaving the majority of the flesh intact. If you are using freestone peaches (the kind that lets the pit come off easily), cut them in half and remove the pit. If they are cling, let them sit until you are ready to cook them.

Making the Preserves – 

Cut the peaches into chunks. If you are using cling, cut carefully around the pit. Simple cut the freestone halves into slices, then cut those in half. Place all the peaches in a large bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Let is sit for at least 30 minutes, but up to a couple of hours. The juices will run out into the bowl.

Pour everything – juice, sugar, peaches – into a large, non-reactive kettle. Stir in the bourbon (this is optional) and lay the rosemary springs into the pan.

Bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on medium for about 30 to 40 minutes. It should be starting to thicken up. Do the plate test (see below). If it passes, remove from the heat and stir in the pouch of pectin. If it doesn’t pass, continue simmering until it does.

Preparing jars – 

Fill a canning kettle with water to just above the tops of the jars. Place the empty jars into a rack and place inside the kettle. Make sure the water goes inside the jars. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave until you are ready to fill the jars.

Place the lids in another pan of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to warm and leave until you are ready to use them. You can put them inside the rings to make them easier to take out of the pan.

Filling and processing the jars of preserves – 

Drain and remove the jars from the water.

Remove and discard the rosemary from the peaches.

Using a ladle or a cup with a spout, fill each one to about 1/2 inch from the top.

Wipe the edges clean. If there is any debris on the edge of the jar it will not create a seal. Place the lid on the top making sure it’s setting directly on the edge. Screw on the lid and tighten, but not too tight.

Using a jar lifter, place each jar back into the water. After all the jars are filled, cover the kettle and bring to a boil. Watch the water! You will start timing as soon as it starts to boil.

Process the jars for 15 minutes (after the boil begins).

                                                               

Lift them out of the water onto a clean towel and let them cool for at least an hour.

Once they are cool, remove the ring to store. They will keep on the shelf for about 6 months. Once they are opened, refrigerate. It will keep for a couple of weeks.

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Summer is the time to preserve the harvest! I love making jams ^[18] and pickles – and my kids loved these pickles! Every summer I made three dozen jars and the four of us ate them all – I even entered them in a small, county fair and got an honorable mention. I was happy! There are only four ingredients plus water – five if you want to add dill. And they taste wonderful!

Here’s what you need –

Gather together your ingredients – make sure the pickles have been washed well. You’ll also need –

• 4 clean, wide mouth quart jars – Use only jars made for canning. Do NOT reuse jars from items purchased at the grocery store.
• Wide mouth lids and rings
• A kettle with a lid deep enough to cover the jars by one inch or more
• Jar rack for inside the kettle
• Jar lifter
• Marker to label the lids

Making the Pickles – 

Fill the kettle with water and place the jars inside. Cover and bring to a boil. Allow it to boil for about five minutes to sterilize the jars. Reduce the heat to medium and let them set.

Mix the salt and water and bring it to a boil. Be sure to use either kosher or pickling salt. Table salt is processed differently and will not flavor the pickles correctly.

While the salt brine is boiling, place the jar lids in a small pan of boiling water and boil them for about five minutes. This will soften the seal inside the top and allow it to be tight around the jar.

Next, wash the cucumbers. I use a soft brush to make sure I get all the dirt and debris off. You can cut them or leave them whole.

Carefully remove the jars from the water and pour the water inside of them back onto the kettle. Set them on a board or dish towel and place one to two peeled cloves of garlic in the bottom of each jar. If you are using dill, place that in the jar now.

Pack each jar  as tight as possible with the cucumbers (I cut some so I can totally pack the jar), then pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into each jar.

Carefully pour the brine over the cucumber to about 1/2 inch from the top.

I put the brine in a large measuring cup with a spout to prevent it from spilling over the top of the jar.

Processing the Pickles in the Jars – 

After the pickles are packed in the jars, wipe the rim and around the rim to make sure there is no salt or any other debris that will interfere with the seal.

Now, take out one lid, place it securely on the top of a jar, then put the ring around it. You want it tight, but not too tight. It need to be able to push some air out to create a seal. Repeat for all the jars.

Place the jars onto the rack and carefully lower into the kettle.

Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cover the pot and start the timer. Do not start timing until the water is boiling.

Allow to process for 15 minutes.

After they have processed, turn the heat off. Gently lift the jars out with the jar lifter and set them on a dish towel to cool. As they cool, you may hear a pop of the lid pulling down. That’s just part of the seal.

If you can push the top and hear it move, the seal was not made. You can take the lid off and reprocess with a new one, or simply put it in the refrigerator and use it up within a couple of weeks. The jars can be stored on the shelf for a year if the seal is made properly. After the jar is opened, you can store the pickles in the refrigerator – just be sure to use them up in a couple of weeks.

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