Snatch up that Celery!

If you see celery at farmer's market, grab some bunches.  Farmer's market celery is less watery, has a much deeper celery flavor and is more crunchy than store bought.  Not many farmers carry it though; and when they do, it goes fast!

I buy at least 3-4 bunches and freeze it for the winter.  It's simple to freeze--just wash, chop and package.

Many recipes call for chopped celery. 

Have yours ready to go all winter long!

To wash it, I cut it first; put it in the sink or a bowl of water and swish it around for a while.  Drain and rinse well.  Then pat out the excess moisture between towels or in a salad spinner.
To chop it, I first cut off the fat core end, then pull off the leaves with their skinny stems.  Set the leaves/stems aside.  Then chop as for a recipe.
I package it in 1/2 and 1-cup amounts in sandwich or snack bags; then put all the smaller bags in a gallon ziploc bag and label. 

For the stems, I first package a couple of good fistfuls of leaves in a freezer ziploc to be used for making chicken/beef/pork broth or soups.  4-5 leaves gives plenty of flavor to a large pot of soup or broth. 
The rest of the leaves, I make celery broth as follows:  Put leaves in a pot, cover with 4-6" of water and then slowly simmer until the water is about half as much.  Strain out the leaves, cool the broth completely, then package as above in 1-cup packages.  Celery broth is awesome for cooking rice, lentils or couscous; for adding to soups or stews; or as a substitute for water in any recipe.

Homemade Fresh Mozarella--It's easier than you think!

Made Mozarella cheese yesterday.  I made both curds and some 2" cheese balls and put them in the fridge for snacking and sides.  For the cheese balls, 30-60 seconds in the microwave and they turn into warm, gooey mozarella.  It tastes as mouthwatering as it sounds!  This morning we had warmed mozarella with toasted herb bread to scoop it up and berries on the side.  Breakfast was good! 

Fresh curds disappear fast at our house!

We must have mice ;-)

Here's the recipe.  This recipe makes approx. one pound of cheese.  It only takes about 30 min. and is surprisingly easy.

Check at your grocery store for ingredients.  I do know the Rochester Good Food Store carries the rennet and citric acid.  Otherwise, you can order online at www.cheesemaking.com.

Note:  For those of you without a microwave, read the variations at the very bottom of this post (after whey).  Otherwise follow the steps as posted.

Ingredients
1 gallon whole milk (do not use "ultra" homogenized, milk)
1/4 tsp. liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
 (use bottled or distilled water--or let a cup of tap water sit out 24 hours)
1/2 TBlsp. (1-1/2 tsp.) citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
  (or 6 Tablespoons lemon juice)
canning salt (or cheese salt if you can find it)
Method
1.  Add the citric acid/water solution to the milk while stirring
2.  Put milk in pot over med heat, warm milk to 90 degrees.  (A clip-on thermometer works best.  I use my candy thermometer with a few extra scratches made to go below the lowest marking of 100 degrees.  Check first to see that your thermometer goes low enough.)
3.  Remove from heat.  Slowly stir rennet into warm milk with up-and-down chopping motion.  Cover and let sit 5+ min.  Check to see if milk is separating into solid whitish curd and watery-like whey.  If not, let sit a few more minutes.
4.  With long, thin knife or metal spatula, cut the curd into 1" cubes.
5.  Put back on heat and warm to 105 degrees, stirring the curds gently.  Remove from heat and stir gently for a few more minutes.
6.  Use a slotted spoon to lift curds into 2 quart microwave-safe dish.  (Save the whey in the pot for other uses.  See 1/16/2012 post.) Gently press down the curds into the bottom of the dish and drain off any excess whey.  Do not cover the dish.
7.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Fold cheese over and over (like kneading bread) to distribute heat evenly.  Use either a spoon or wear heavy-duty rubber kitchen gloves to do this.  Drain off any excess whey.
8.  Microwave on high for 35 secs.  Repeat folding/draining process above.
9.  Microwave on high for 35 secs. and repeat folding/draining process.
10.  Add salt and knead as above to distribute.
11.  Knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic, like taffy.  If cheese breaks instead of stretching, it needs to be reheated (35 sec.)
12.  The cheese should look smooth and shiny.  Working quickly, do any of the following: roll into serving-size balls, cut into curds, roll in a log and cut into thin discs for crackers, flatten for pizza lids or quarter for cheese to grate later. 
13.  If you are not eating the cheese while it is warm, place the cut cheese in a bowl of ice water for 1/2 hr to bring down the inside temp rapidly.  This will produce a consistent, smooth texture throughout the cheese.
14.  May store, covered, in the fridge for up to one week, (but after tasting fresh Mozarella, it may not make it to the fridge at all!).

Herbs, pepper flakes or other can be added with the salt or added to individual servings when you are reheating them (30 sec - 1 min in micro)


Variations for making mozarella without a microwave:
Step 5.  Instead of heating the milk to 105 degrees, heat the milk to 110 degrees.
Steps 6-10.  Ignore these steps and do the following instead: (You'll need heavy rubber gloves.)
With a slotted spoon, remove the curds to a bowl and shape them into one or two balls. Heat the reserved whey to 175 degrees.  Add 1/4 cup canning salt to whey water.  Put the ball(s) into a ladle or strainer and dip into the hot whey for several seconds.  Take out and fold the cheese over and over (like kneading bread) to distribute heat evenly.  Do a couple of more times until the curd is smooth and pliable.
Continue on, starting with Step 11, as per post.

Class Announcement: Canning Tomatoes

For those of you interested in learning to can tomatoes, I will be teaching two classes at the Rochester Farmers Market this Sat, July 30; one at 9:00 AM and a repeat at 10:30.  They are each about an hour long and it is basically information and a walk-through of what's involved in canning tomatoes.  I won't actually be canning them--it's called a "mock thru"; but I have more detailed information in a handout.  Come on down!

Have your BLT and eat low-cal too!

Hubby and I love BLT's and anxiously await for sweet summer tomatoes so the feast can begin.  Admittedly, one double-decker BLT sandwich apiece for supper leaves us still wanting a bit more.  Our guilt over the calories and fat (in 4-6 slices of bacon, 3 pieces of toast and 3+ TB Mayo each) was killing us--in more ways than one!!  We finally found a solution to satisfy our BLT cravings while reducing the calories and fat:  Enter the BLT salad

(drum roll)

One-third the calories, yet we're stuffed after this salad!

The BLT Salad (one serving)

Start with a serving bowl half full of greens and layer in:

Lots of chopped tomatoes

2-3 strips of fried cut-up bacon (2 gives sufficient bacon flavor to the bowl)

A little of any other fresh veggies you enjoy in a salad.  (I like green pepper, hubby likes cucumber and we both like onion.)  Just be sure not to use too much of these other veggies or you will lose the BLT flavor.

1 bread-slice amount of croutons.  I toast bread 2 times on med. setting, then cube it up and let it sit to dry more.  No need for oil!  Also, I use my own Italian herb bread (recipe file) for added flavor.

Thinned-out Mayo-type dressing.  I take Miracle Whip (because it has more tang) and add some milk to thin it to salad dressing consistency; then splash a bit of balsamic vinegar to counter the milk.  You could use a creamy commercial salad dressing; i.e. Ranch, but the Mayo-type is more authentically BLT flavor. 

Bon appe'tit (with no guilt)

Roasted Summer Vegetables

A wonderful way to enjoy the many varieties of summer veggies and fresh herbs.  This can be served as a side dish, a main dish (over pasta, rice or couscous), or a salad (cooled and served on a bed of greens.  Leftovers can be put on pizza.

Here: summer squash, fennel, tomato, pepper, onion, oregano, thyme, dill

Roasted Summer Veggies
8-10 cups fresh vegetables cut into pieces for even cooking (i.e. thinly-slice potatoes, but cut summer squash in larger chunks)
These can include any or all of the following: summer squash, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, chili peppers (mild), carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, fennel
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, thyme... --omit sage)
1-4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste (generally 1/2 tsp each)
1-2 TB olive oil (enough to lightly coat veggies)
For Zing:  add 2 TB balsamic vinegar and 1 TB dijon mustard and increase olive oil to 1/4 cup
No fresh herbs?  Use 3/4 cup Italian Dressing or Vinaigarette and omit garlic and oil
--Toss all together and spread on baking sheet in a thin layer.  Bake in preheated oven at 425 for 20 min.  Stir occasionally

The Green Drink

I once saw this "Green Drink" prepared at a healthy foods seminar and was sold on it's health-promoting properties.  I was also struck by how much I enjoyed the taste, considering all that went into it (spinach??).  I finally visited the shop in Lake City, Hopes Harvest Natural Organic Food Store, which specializes in the ingredients for this drink and purchased what we needed to make this at home.  Now, Dave and I regularly enjoy this drink for breakfast.

Here is what's in it:  (Recipe for two full glasses)
2 cups keifer - a cultured and microbial-rich food, a natural antibiotic
1 handful spinach leaves - antioxidant, clears arteries, prevents cataracts
2 bananas - lowers blood pressure, keeps cholesterol from clogging arteries
  (I use my dried bananas and sometimes toss in some dried strawberries)
4 quick squirts flax seed oil - richest-known source of omega-3 fatty acids
1 TB hemp protein powder - plant-based, contains all essential amino acids 
1/4 tsp spirolina powder - an algae, high in protein, carotenoids & minerals
Handful of ice cubes - to thin and chill drink
--Put all in blender on liquify until thoroughly blended and ice crushed

All kinds of Beets!

If you haven't tried golden or white beets before, you're missing the best of the beet family.  I was never overly fond of beets until I tried the golden and white varieties.  The golden are sweeter than the reds and the white are sweeter than the golden variety.  The white's are like candy! 
For cooking: Cut the tops down to 2", boil or steam them until tender (easily pierced with a fork)--20-40 min.  Rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle.  Slip the skins off and slice.  Reheat again if necessary with a pat of butter, S&P to taste and whoo-boy.... 

This is one veggie I like to pressure can as they don't get too soft or mushy.

As for the red beets, I save those for pickling and making a family-favorite dish--pickled beet, pea and onion salad.  I use the following pickled beet recipe as the one in the canning books add in spices which doesn't work for this recipe.  This one has the right mix of vinegar/water/sugar too.

Pickled Beets

To prepare the beets:  Wash beets and cut the tops down to 2".  Put in pot of water to cover and boil until tender (easily pierced with a fork)--20-40 min. Rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle.  Slip skins off and dice into  1/4"-1/2" squares (in between is perfect) or 1/4"-1/2" square julienne strips.  I use the french-fry cutter on my mandolin (food slicer).  Makes quick work!
Prepare the pickling liquid: 
For 3 pounds of beets-
2 cups vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
--Boil vinegar, water and sugar over med-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Assembly:  Ladle beets into hot jars to within generous 1/2" of top.  Add pickling liquid to within 1/2".  Remove air bubbles by slipping table knife around inside edges of jar.  Add more liquid if necessary.  Place lids and screw bands on and place in canner of hot water with enough water to cover 2".  Bring to boil and boil 30 min.  Remove from canner, cool and store.  Store for at least one month to be sure beets are pickled.
Note to myself:  I used 18 med-size beets and needed 6 cups vinegar, 3 cups water, 3 cups sugar and got 7 pints of pickled beets--perfect!

Pickled Beet, Pea and Onion Salad

1 quart jar pickled beets
1 TB sugar (if using store-bought beets--other than as canned above)
1 cup frozen peas (do not thaw)
3-4 TB diced onion
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 cup prepared salad dressing (I like Miracle Whip)
Mix all together and chill until peas are thawed.  Chilling improves flavor.

Grandma's Beet Salad recipe was a must at all family get-togethers.

Many who claim they don't like beets have enjoyed this pretty salad.