Assorted Food Preservation Projects

During August, the Three Rivers Homestead channel on YouTube tries to do some preserving every day called the "Every Bit Counts Challenge".  She's a stay at home, homeschooling mom with a mini farm, so a lot of these projects count as education for the kids.  I don't have that kind of time or energy.

But I have gotten into the habit since early this year of doing at least one preservation project per week.  It could be hanging herbs to dry one week and putting them away two weeks later.  Maybe dehydrating celery leaves or kale.  I even consider baking for the freezer to be a form of preservation, since I'm making something for a later date.  Not all preservation involves hauling out the pressure canner.

The easiest one was trimming the basil to dry on a cabinet handle.  The plant needed pruning, so up it went.  Basil doesn't take well to forced-heat dehydrating, so I always hang it.  Two weeks later, it was dry enough to put in the jar with the rest of the leaves.  The bonus is creating a healthier basil plant for fresh use.

My 13 tomato plants picked up their production, faster than I could put the cherry tomatoes (6 of the plants) in omelettes.  Those were cooked into confit and stored in the freezer until there was a meal to use it.  One of the Monster tomatoes split on the vine before it had finished ripening.  I salvaged it by turning it into pickles.  I was not about to waste a half-pound tomato if I could help it.

All the tomato peels and guts from canning day went through the food processor until smooth and were scooped out into one ounce portions to use as tomato paste, then frozen.  The larger portions in the silicone muffin cups will probably turn into tomato soup.  All a soup would need is water, seasonings, and a quick run through a strainer.  That got me roughly $10 in tomato products out of the "waste".  Remember, the case cost $15.  Today, that same case at the same store is $21.  Calling that a win.

I picked up some ground turkey at 30% off.  That became sausage patties to have for breakfast.  Sort of a mix of meal prep and freezer banking future meals.  I was able to make this from-scratch item, meaning far healthier than convenience sausage, as a do-ahead and for slightly less than buying it.  That counts as preserving.

Until about a hundred years ago, preserving the harvest and preparing for the scarcity of winter was an annual event.  Even in cities, certain foods were only available in season, so you had to figure out how to preserve it if you wanted it at other times.  Today, we have the advantage of reliable freezers and imported food.  It can still save money to preserve in season.  Plus, you know what's in it and get bragging rights.

Summer Salad with Pineapple

I wanted something to have with the sliders that wasn't slaw.  There are a lot of "Hawaiian" salad recipes out there, but none were exactly what I wanted.  I cobbled a few together and used ingredients I already had.  I can't wait for lettuce season to start.  I can plant them in about a month.

This wasn't going to have tomatoes in it, but my 13 tomato plants had other ideas.  After all the tomatoes I have been buying almost weekly, now I'm at a loss how to use them.  There will probably be confit in the near future.

This was largely a harvested salad.  I bought the greens and pineapple, but pretty much everything else was from the garden.  I'm trying to use the bounty as it comes in.  Plus, then I don't have to figure out how to preserve it.

8 C mixed greens of choice
*2 green onions, chopped
*1 carrot, peeled and diced
*2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
*1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved if large
*1 can pineapple chunks, drained
*juice of 1 lemon
3 Tb olive oil
*1/2 tsp ground sumac
salt to taste

1.  Wash the greens, even if the package says "triple washed".  Check for any odd pieces of things you don't want to eat.  Either dry in a salad spinner or leave in a strainer to air dry.

2.  Prepare the green onions, carrot, celery, and tomatoes.  Toss in a large bowl with the greens and pineapple.

3.  Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, sumac, and salt.  I chose sumac for its floral notes, but you could use a mild chili powder if that isn't your thing.  Pour dressing over salad and toss until evenly coated.

4.  Chill before serving.  Toss again and plate.

Difficulty rating  π

Hawaiian Rolls

I wanted to make some pork sliders with Hawaiian rolls, which I haven't bought in forever.  $6 per dozen, um no.  So I found a copycat recipe.  For the price of the can of pineapple that I was buying anyway (for the 1/4 C of juice) I could make a half batch and not have leftovers.

One thing I got from the comments is how important it is to use canned (cooked) pineapple juice.  That same enzyme in raw pineapple that prevents gelatin from setting and irritates your hands will turn the milk into pineapple-flavored cottage cheese.  It probably also interferes with gluten development.  Instead of buying a lot of pineapple juice that I wouldn't drink, I got a can of chunks in juice, drained it, and put the chunks in a salad.  It was close to a cup of juice, so the rest is in the freezer until I need it for something.

Another important note on the recipe was to use as little flour as possible.  That's my mantra anyway, but you really don't want to make this dough heavy.  It should be silky, yet hold its shape when you make the balls.  That is the secret to tender, fluffy sweet dough.  When you work with dough that has an egg in it, it is very tempting to keep adding flour.  It's always going to be a little sticky.

1/4 C canned pineapple juice
1/4 C 100º milk
2 Tb softened unsalted butter, even slightly melted
3 Tb granulated sugar
1 Tb light brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature 
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp yeast
2 Tb All Purpose flour
2+ C bread flour
3/4 tsp salt
one egg beaten with 1 Tb water for egg wash
Melted butter and flaky salt to finish, optional

1.  Stir together pineapple juice, warm milk, both sugars, butter, vanilla, and yeast.  Allow to proof until slightly foamy, 5 minutes.

2.  In a stand mixer, combine the yeast mixture, all purpose flour, and one cup of the bread flour with the paddle.  Beat until smooth.  Add salt, egg, and half a cup of bread flour and beat again into a light dough.

3.  Generously flour a work surface and pour dough onto it.  Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding as little flour as possible.  The final dough ball should hold its shape, but just barely.  Turn over in an oiled bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until almost tripled, about 90 minutes.

4.  Punch down dough and allow to rest 10 minutes.  Grease an 8x8 pan with spray or butter.  Divide the dough into 8 rolls, by weight if possible.  Mine were slightly over two ounces each.  Roll each piece into a ball and tuck in any ends.  Arrange in prepared dish.  Allow to rise another 45 minutes.

5.  While the oven is preheating to 375º, brush risen rolls with egg wash.  Bake 20 minutes, until golden.  While still warm, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.  I found the salt to be a bit much.  Allow to cool at least halfway in the pan before moving to a cooling rack.  Store room temperature up to two days, or freeze for longer storage.

Makes 8 rolls

Difficulty rating  :)

Split-Pea Salad

It's hard to come up with a new recipe for an ingredient that is so firmly rooted in everyone's mind as having only one use.  Split peas are for soup.  Even curry is a kind of soup.  There's no way to make them that isn't complete mush, right?

I admit, this is largely a garden and crisper cleanout.  Rest of the cabbage and pearl onions, tomatoes and celery from the garden, the rest of that jar of olives, and a dressing made of garden herbs.  I was debating whether to go with a vinaigrette or creamy dressing.  Decided this was more like a slaw and did a variation of Green Goddess.

The important step for using the peas in a salad is to cook them just the right amount.  They should be soft enough to chew like fresh, raw peas, but not overcooked into mush.  20 minutes seems to be the right amount of time.

*1 C dry split peas (green or yellow ok)
*1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
*4 oz onion of choice (pearl, sweet, red, or green will work)
*1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes
*3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
*1 C mixed fresh herbs such as basil, mint, and parsley.  Dill would also work.
*1/4 C mayo or Greek yogurt
*1 Tb white wine vinegar
milk or buttermilk to thin
salt and white pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground mustard
*feta and olives to garnish, optional

1.  At least an hour before serving, cook the peas.  This can be done the day before and refrigerated.  Check the peas for stones or other grains, rinse, and place in a saucepan with about three cups of water.  Bring to a boil for one minute, then lower heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Taste one to make sure they're chewable.  Drain and rinse to stop the cooking.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

2.  For the dressing, very finely chop the herbs.  Combine with mayo, vinegar, and mustard.  Start with a little salt and pepper, taste, and adjust as necessary.  If too sour, add a bit of sugar or honey.  I used stevia as part of my herb mix.  Thin with a tablespoon or two of milk until it is about as thick as Ranch.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

3.  Thinly slice the cabbage and celery and place in a large bowl.  I crunched the cabbage up a bit with my hands to soften it.  Slice the onion thinly and add, along with the peas.  If the tomatoes are on the large side, cut in half.  Toss everything until evenly distributed.  Add dressing and toss again to coat.

4.  Allow salad to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.  Garnish with feta and olives if desired.

Difficulty rating  :)

Piña Colada Pancakes

I had an idea, googled it, and there was a recipe.  There were a lot of recipes, actually.  This offering from Hilah Cooking was closest to what I had in mind.  I just tweaked it to use an 8 oz can of crushed pineapple.

I'm trying to avoid ultra-processed foods now, but there are some in the house.  Done with bacon, and I rarely buy deli meat, but there were two packages of sausage links in the freezer.  As far as bread products, there's one pack of Chips Ahoy! and the last of a box of Wheat Thins.  I can't give up entirely on sauces or creamy salad dressings.  Either they're impractical to make myself (soy sauce), or the preservatives mean I can finish the batch at leisure.  Regular processed foods, like using flour in home-made goods, isn't something I'm ready to give up yet.  On the plus side, the doctor said I should work more salt into my diet, as long as it doesn't cause migraines.

I have a few weeks of frequent breakfasts at home before the schedule changes again.  A couple of days are early baking shifts, so those are at work.  The extra physical workout of baking means I can get away with pancakes the other days.  And I am definitely out of shape.  The first two baking days kicked my butt.

1 egg
*1 C coconut milk
1 Tb brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple with its juice
1-1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
*1/2 C unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted if desired
oil for the griddle
*1/2 C maple syrup
1/2 tsp rum extract or 2 Tb dark rum

1.  Empty out can of coconut milk, whisk to combine solids and liquids, and measure the one cup.  About 3/4 C will be left if you used a 15 oz can.  I made decaf, stevia-sweetened chai, then turned it into popsicles.  Next time I'll blog it, because they were yummy.

2.  Whisk together the coconut milk, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Separately, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and coconut flakes.

3.  Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Stir in the can of crushed pineapple.  Allow to sit about five minutes as you warm up a griddle over medium heat.  Lightly oil with just enough to cover the surface.

4.  Spoon out pancakes about 1/4 C, or 4".  I tend to make mine closer to 3 Tb.  This is a very thick batter.  It will spread slowly.  Allow to cook until bubbles stop breaking on top and the bottom is a medium brown, about 3 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side.  These are kind of fluffy.  If they're cooking too quickly, lower the heat so the middle cooks through.  Remove to a warm plate, re-oil the griddle and repeat as necessary.

5.  While the pancakes are cooking, make the syrup.  In a small pot, stir together maple syrup and rum extract.  Heat on low until it just starts to bubble.  If desired, bring to a full boil for one minute to boil off alcohol.  Serve syrup warm for better rum flavor.

6.  Serve up warm pancakes with rum syrup, and butter if you like it.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  :)

Baked Salmon Skewers

I was feeling guilty that I hadn't made fish in a while.  Pavilions had my discount salmon trimmings.  Done.

I considered doing these out on the grill.  I have no idea how to grill fish without it sticking, falling apart, and becoming a total fail.  Time to turn on the oven in the middle of a summer afternoon.

I'm including the sheet pan veggies because they really made the meal complete.  As long as I was using the oven anyway, it wasn't a big deal to throw in another tray while doing the actual skewering.  Since I ended up misjudging the pan size for the kebabs and ran two batches, the veggies were done when the second one came out.

8 bamboo skewers
1 lb salmon, cut in cubes
16 pearl onions, about 4 oz
8 oz white or baby bella mushrooms
1 eggplant
1/2 small cabbage
olive oil
salt and pepper
rice for serving
teriyaki or bbq sauce for serving

1.  While you're assembling ingredients, soak the skewers for at least 30 minutes.

2.  Preheat oven to 375º.  Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.  Top a second rimmed sheet with a rack.  Paper too, if you want an easy cleanup.

3.  Cut off the cap from the eggplant and cut in long strips.  Remove core from cabbage half and cut in wedges.  Arrange on paper-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle lightly with oil and rub to coat, especially the eggplant.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven on the lower rack.  Roast roughly 45 minutes, until the eggplant is done, turning pieces halfway through.

4.  While the veggies are roasting, build the skewers.  First, cut off the two ends and peel the onions.  That's going to take 10 minutes.  I finally got the last inner layer of peel off by simmering them for a minute.  It's about as hard as peeling garlic.  Wash the mushrooms and cut in half if large.  Skewer the salmon, onions, and mushrooms in any pattern you wish.  They don't all have to be the same.  Lay finished skewers on rack-topped baking sheet.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.

5.  Before putting the fish in the oven, start your rice.  Bake skewers on the top rack for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are as done as you would like.  They will take the longest to cook.

6.  Plate the veggies, rice and skewers.  Top with sauce as desired.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  :)

Millet and Sweet Potato Porridge (Congee)

I spent a couple of weeks mixing up my breakfast routine.  I did some overnight steel-cut oats in the Crockpot, then wondered if I could do something similar with millet.  Turns out it's an Asian recipe, though often made with rice.  Most recipes for it are Chinese, but even Google's AI didn't want to commit to that.

Looking at the recipes, I was skeptical about the amount of water to millet.  Then I checked on the pot in the middle of the night, and you really do need a minimum of four times the volume of water to grains.  If you want it more soupy, it's going to take at least three cups, plus the liquid from the can of sweet potatoes.

*1/2 C millet
*1 15 oz can sweet potatoes with their liquid
2 C water, or to desired consistency
1 Tb brown sugar, or to taste
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1.  Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Set to the lowest setting, which is "keep warm" on a Crockpot, for 8 hours as an overnight thing, or Low for 4 hours if you will be tending it.

2.  Stir, add more water or even milk as necessary, and turn up the heat to Low for an hour if you did the overnight version.  This will make sure the millet is fully cooked and break up any remaining chunks of sweet potato.  Serve hot.

Serves 3-4

Difficulty rating  π

Roasted Tomatoes with Mashed Lima Beans

The menu plan said "lima bean salad".  This sort of qualifies as a cooked salad.  When you look at the way I ended up plating it, this vegetarian main would be very expensive at a fancy restaurant.

I wasn't exactly sure what this was going to taste like, and kept throwing in ingredients that seemed appropriate.  Wow, it's good.  You sort of think you're having the creamiest mashed potatoes ever, but they don't taste like potatoes.  Then the roasted tomato and its herbs hit, making everything creamy and tangy at the same time.  The feta and olives can be considered optional garnishes, but they do enhance the flavors.

The L.A. Times put out a special booklet of famous chefs presenting recipes that a decent home cook could make.  Yes, they were not hard, but most of them used unusual ingredients.  If there was more than one specialty item that I don't normally buy, I didn't even read the recipe.  The only dish that fit my requirements was a deep fried cauliflower with tahini dressing.  Not a bad idea, but I'll probably roast it instead.  I was thinking of all that frou-frou food while inventing this dish.  Dried lima beans are the only thing here that the average person couldn't find an easy use for, and they're at Ralphs/Kroger in the generic dry bean section for around $3 a pound.

My tomatoes are starting to ripen, and I had two Romas left from the 25 lb case.  Having several kinds of tomatoes in the mix was an interesting change.  I threw in a couple of oven-dried as well, to add to the texture.

3/4 C dried lima beans
*1 lb tomatoes, mixed varieties to look interesting
olive oil as needed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp other dried herbs of choice (I used dried celery leaf)
*1/2 C diced onion
*1-2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 C kalamata olives, optional
Feta to garnish, optional

1.  8-12 hours before, rinse the beans and soak in water to cover by 2 inches.  They're going to get big.  Drain and remove any loose skins.  Add to a saucepan with water to cover by at least an inch and a light pinch of salt.  Bring to a low boil for 5 minutes.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until completely softened, about 90 minutes.  If you find more floating skins, skim them off.  They aren't evil, they just won't mash later.  Drain and set aside.

2.  An hour before serving, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an 8x8 roasting pan and preheat the oven to 375º.  Add the tomatoes, cutting anything larger than a cherry one into wedges or bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then with the parsley and other herbs.  Roast about 45 minutes to one hour, until softened and the oil is infused with the tomato juice.

3.  10 minutes before serving, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pot you cooked the beans in, to make it easy on yourself later.  Cook the onion and garlic on medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the drained limas back into the pot, stir to combine, and mash everything together with a potato masher.

4.  Spoon up the mashed limas on plates or in a serving bowl.  Top with the roasted tomatoes and their olive oil.  Garnish with olives, feta, and/or more oil as desired.

Difficulty rating  :)

Quiche with Chicken and Chard

Eggs are finally a "normal" price again.  Ok, it was an extreme coupon sale, but we're back to 25¢ apiece.  The quiche that I've been wanting for months was about to happen.

I don't know if I've ever had a chicken quiche.  Don't see why not, but I usually just put veggies in mine.  Sometimes there's fish or pork, but it's usually vegetarian.  I'm glad I remembered to buy milk.  I want to say I tried using the powdered milk I keep in the pantry once, and it separated.

I forgot how good the pâte brisée is.  That is definitely the crust you should use for any custardy pie.  It stayed crisp until the quiche was finished, while most pastry crusts get soggy or stale by the third day.

Since everything in a quiche is pre-cooked, that makes this a good way to use canned or leftover chicken.  I keep looking for ways to use the chicken I canned last year that isn't pot pie.  So, here is an actual pie.

1 batch pâte brisée
1 Tb olive oil
*1/4 C diced onion
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1 bunch red chard, leaves only, finely chopped
*1 12 oz can chicken, drained or 2 C shredded leftover chicken
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
3 eggs
1 C milk
4 oz Swiss or Havarti cheese, shredded

1.  Make the pastry, roll out, and shape in an 8" or 9" pie tin.  Full disclosure, I was using a 7" to make four servings (and one baby for a snack one day), and have adjusted the quantities here to a six-serving pie.  Place the pie tin in the freezer while you work on the filling, at least half an hour.

2.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and garlic.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the chard and chicken.  Cook until the chard is thoroughly wilted and the chicken is heated through.  Set aside.

4.  Preheat oven to 375º.  In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pepper, celery salt, and tarragon.

5.  Set the pie tin on a rimmed baking sheet, in case of overflow.  Add half of the filling.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese.  I bought slices, so they're just torn up and strategically distributed.  Add remaining filling and cheese.

6.  Slowly pour egg mixture over the filling, then let it sit up to five minutes.  It will gradually sink in.  Bake 30 minutes.  Rotate for even cooking and reduce the heat to 350º.  Bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test.  Allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  May be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.  I prefer warm.

Makes 1 8" or 9" quiche, about 6 servings

Difficulty rating  :)

Lentil Bolognese

I've heard of substituting lentils for ground beef as a money-saving trick.  Or, add some to half as much beef to stretch it.  I decided to try making "meat" spaghetti sauce (bolognese) using lentils.  I figured that was a safe way to start, since you don't really taste meat in a thick sauce.  It's the texture.

This turned out to be much easier than I expected.  I made the lentils in the morning, because they do take at least half an hour.  It only took ten minutes to assemble the sauce, and the lentils simmered in it while the pasta was cooking.  I loved the flavor, which was probably helped along by using some of the tomato sauce I had made a couple of days before.

The suggestion of adding chopped walnuts to the sauce was from Rainbow Plant Life, but I struck out on my own for the rest of this recipe.  It helps with the mouthfeel and adds extra protein.  I would definitely use that trick again in a vegan recipe.

1 C brown lentils
*1/2 red onion, diced
2 Tb olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
*1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 Tb Marsala, Port, or other sweet cooking wine, optional
*1/2 C chopped walnuts, optional
1 tsp dried basil, or 1 Tb fresh
1 tsp dried parsley, or 1 Tb fresh
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

1.  An hour before serving, or early in the day, cook the lentils.  Sort them to remove any stones, rinse, and place in a pot with 3 C water.  Bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until they barely start to split, about 30-40 minutes.  Don't let them cook to mush.  Drain and set aside.  Refrigerate if making ahead.

2.  While the water for the pasta is heating, make the sauce.  Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion and garlic.  Cook on medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add herbs and cook until fragrant, two minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes and their juice and the tomato sauce to the pot.  Stir in Marsala and walnuts, if using.  Bring to a low boil so the alcohol can start to cook off.  After five minutes, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Add lentils while the pasta is cooking and bring back up to a low boil.  Taste and adjust seasonings again.

4.  Once the pasta is cooked and drained, you can either mix it into the sauce pot or serve the sauce spooned over it.  Garnish with Parmesan and extra herbs if desired.

Difficulty rating  π