chives, length of jar height or 1" lengths
1 lemon peel, 1" square
4 peppercorns
3 mustard seeds
white vinegar, to fill
Fill pint jar loosely with chives. Add lemon peel, peppercorns and mustard seeds.
Fill with vinegar. Cover.
Let stand in cool place for 4 weeks. Strain into pretty bottle. Two or three
lengths of chives can be left in botle for looks.
----------------------------------------
Herb Vinegar
2 cups white cider or wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, basil, rosemary or tarragon thyme or oregano
3 to 4 whole garlic cloves, optional
1 fresh herb sprig per bottle, optional
1 whole red or green chili per bottle, optional
Place the vinegar in a non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the
chopped herbs in a clean, hot glass jar. Add the garlic. Pour the hot vinegar
over, cover and place in a cool, dark place for 5 days, stirring once a day.
Strain. Add the sprigs of fresh herbs and chili for a zestier taste and garnish.
Store in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Makes: 2 cups
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Italian Vinegar
Yep... gardening time is here again, and here in the south things are coming up daisies er, I mean zucchini's! We all know how quickly these veggies can grow, we can pick our garden before we go to bed and then the next morning we can find a big ole zucchini that seems like it came out of nowhere!
So what do you do with your zuchs?
What I would like to do is to compile a list of everything each one of you adds to this entry and then I will make an entry with all the recipes or ideas submitted! Sound good???
Here is mine,
I make zucchini and squash stir fry. A little olive oil in my cast iron skillet. Sliced zuchs and squash go in next and then I add a bit of Bragg's Amino Acids and saute until tender. YUM!
Of course being from the south I make fried squash, but I also fry zucchini sometimes. Just as yummy!
I made zucchini bread. It is my husbands grandmother's recipe and it is FABULOUS! I will share it on our big tip post.
I have made zucchini chocolate chip cookies. Great way to get in a veggie and a yummy treat!
Casseroles! Grate the zucchini up and throw it in one of your favorite casserole recipes... another great way to get in some veggies.
Relish. I have a recipe for squash relish. I have not tried this one yet, but I am sure you can add some zuch's in there as part of the squash... and the relish is good!
Grill it! Put it on your grill with a little butter and garlic...mmmm!
Chop it up with some potatoes, squash, onions and whatever you like. Lay a sheet of tin foil out, place all your veggies in the center, add a few pats of butter and some seasonings of your choice. Fold up the edges of your tin foil and make a little pocket... make sure you fold it up well, the steam will cook it up and make everything nice and tender. Put it in the oven or on the grill alongside your main dish (or make this your main dish). Perfect for a hot summer supper!
I am going to leave the rest for you! Please leave me your favorite way of preparing this lovely veggie and if you have a great recipe, please share that as well!
Have a great day on your homesteads!!
From My Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger My Cup Runneth Over at Heritage Acres Farm
Hello my fellow Homesteaders, if you are like me you might have some lingering hamburger or hot dog buns from your cookouts last week. Well, before they get gross and moldy, make your own bread crumbs! You can do this with your stale bread, homemade bread, homemade rolls... we were given 3 bags of buns after a cookout so we had quite a few left over!
All you need is your buns
And now grab your food processor
Pulse till crumbs
Bag and date the bags and stick them in the freezer
Now you are ready to add them to your meatloaf, or casseroles or whatever you need.
**Also, add parmesan cheese and basil to make them Italian bread crumbs. Or use your imagination and come up with your own flavors!! The possibilities are endless!
Lemon Verbena has to be my #1 all time favorite. The smell drives me wild. it is so delicious. Here is a good way to use the herb in your kitchen.
Verbena Simple Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
Generous handful fresh lemon verbena leaves
Bring all ingredients to a boil, then let cool to room temperature. Remove lemon verbena leaves - the syrup should be a light yellow-green color and have the definite flavor and odor of lemon verbena. This syrup has an infinite number of uses; here are some of my favorites:
Use it to sweeten your favorite herbal, black or green tea.
Brush it over your favorite white or citrus cake or sweetbreads and muffins; this will add a delicate flavor and help keep your baked goods extra moist.
Gently drizzle over a bowl of freshly sliced strawberries, blueberries, or peaches.
Use as a sweetener on top of crepes, french toast, or pancakes.
I have both traditional cast iron cookware – a Dutch oven and skillets which were my grandmothers’ – and modern porcelain enamel over cast iron cookware made by Le Creuset.My 4 quart Le Creuset round oven is by far the piece of cookware I use the most.The large 10 quart round oven comes in handy for serving a crowd or boiling a whole chicken for broth.When I make pot roast, it is always in my grandmother’s perfectly seasoned 4 quart cast iron Dutch oven.
Lodge Manufacturing Company, the largest producers of cast iron cookware, distinguishes between the two most common types of cast iron ovens.According to Lodge, the “Dutch” oven is the one with the rounded top and flat bottom (no legs).The oven with the flat lid with the lip around it and the legs on the bottom is a “Camp” oven.Obviously, the camp oven is the one you would want to use in coals or over a fire in an outdoor setting.
I use my cast iron every day in my kitchen.The Le Creuset is expensive, yes, but I know I will be able to pass these pieces on to my daughters and their daughters after them.A wise investment.I have collected it piece by piece over the last 20 years and have often asked for a piece for my birthday or Christmas.Lodge also makes porcelain enameled cookware.
Porcelain enameled cast iron would not be appropriate for the outdoor-style cooking – that is what the traditional cast iron camp ovens are for.The ability to cook virtually anything for your family with only a good campfire or hot coals is a useful skill indeed and one I plan to work on this summer.During power outages, I have used my cast iron on top of our wood burning stove to make everything from pancakes to stew.Cast iron is an indispensable part of the homestead kitchen.Here are a few resources from the web to learn more:Lisa
Family owned and operated out of S. Pittsburg, TN they are the largest producer of cast iron cookware in the U.S. for over 100 years.Order their free catalogand get on their “What’s Cooking” email newsletter list for recipes and specials.
The premier organization for all Dutch oven enthusiasts.
Perfect Cornbread
Sift together 1 ½ cups cornmeal, 1 ½ cups flour, one tsp. salt, three tsp. baking powder and ¼ cup sugar.Add just enough milk to make a thick batter consistency.Add one egg, and two tsp. warm bacon fat and pour into hot lavishly bacon-greased pan and bake in hot oven until done, ½ to ¾ hour.
The above excerpt is taken from Woodstove Cookery, by Jane Cooper, Garden Way Publishing, 1977. This recipe was originally created for a wood cookstove, but can be made in a regular oven at 400 to 450 degrees.
Lately I have using my crockpot a lot and love it! I have had a great sense of freedom throughout my day knowing that my dinner was slowly simmering away in the kitchen. When meal time comes I add a salad, set the table and my family and I sit down to a delicious meal. I do all the prep work and clean up in the morning so after dinner the only mess to clean up is the dinner dishes.
Crockpot cooking does require a little preplanning. I need to know what I am cooking and what preps I need to take care of before morning time arrives. It may be pulling out meat to defrost, soaking some beans or rice, or pulling out other ingredients before going to bed so in the morning I have everything I need ready to go.
Here are some recipes that have been tried by family as of late. They were all given a hearty “thumbs up” from everyone!
Cheesy Chicken and Rice (for the crockpot) 1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
3T olive oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup (organic kind such as the brand Amy’s)
1 can evaporated milk
2 to 3 cups grated cheese
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 can green beans, drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a medium sized frying cook onions, mushrooms and chicken in the olive oil until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are soft. Put in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
Notes: I soak my brown rice before cooking, so with this recipe I soaked it the night before and cooked it in the morning. After the rice had cooked I assembled the rest of the recipe and let simmer all afternoon.
Crockpot Bean Dish 2 cups dry red beans
1 cup dry navy beans
1 T salt
1 onion, chopped
2t dry mustard
½ t smoke flavoring
½ cup Sucanat
½ cup honey
1 cup bbq sauce (homemade preferred)
The night before serving this meal cover beans with water and let soak. The next morning drain beans, cover with more water and salt and cook until beans are tender. When beans have finished cooking, drain, reserving some of the bean broth. Put beans in crockpot and add remaining ingredients. Add some of the reserved bean broth till it is your desired consistency. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Note: I have 2 crockpots and served these beans with the Cheesy Chicken and Rice dish above.
Crockpot Chili 1 lb hamburger
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped peppers (these can be green or red or yellow peppers or a combo of any of them)
1 cup chopped celery
2 14oz cans diced tomatoes
4 to 5 cups cooked red beans – Reserve a couple cups bean broth from cooking the beans
2T chili powder
1T hot pepper sauce (such as the brand Tabasco)
1T minced garlic
1t salt
In a medium sized frying pan cook the hamburger and veggies until the meat is completely cooked and the veggies are tender. Put in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients and enough reserved bean broth to give it your desired consistency. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips and salsa or cornbread and a green salad.
Corned Beef and Cabbage for the Crockpot
2 onions, sliced
2 t minced garlic
3 potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
1 corned beef, 3 to 4lbs
Small head of cabbage or half of a bigger one, cut into slices
1 cup water
In the bottom of a large size crockpot layer onions, garlic and potatoes. Set corned beef on top and lay cabbage slices on to of the meat. Pour in 1 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 11 hours.
Crystal and her husband Tobin, along with 6 of their 8 homeschooled children make their home on 18 acres in SW Washington State. Crystal enjoys caring for her home and family and her farm. You can visit Crystal’s website: The Family Homestead or Crystal’s Country Store where she sells her own goat milk soap, ebooks and more!
SHAKER APPLE CAKE.
******************
1 cup dried apples
1 cup molasses
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour, sifted
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
Soak dried apples overnight. In the morning cut them fine
and simmer in the molasses for 20 minutes. Cool. Combine
sour cream, sugar and egg. Beat until smooth. Combine dry
ingredients and sift 2 times. Blend both mixtures and beat
until smooth. Add fruit and molasses and turn into buttered
loaf pan bake at 350 for 1 hour.
DRIED APPLE STACK CAKE
*********************
1 c. butter
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 c. molasses
5 c. plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp. soda
1 c. buttermilk
DRIED APPLE FILLING:
3 c. dried apples
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cloves
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beating well. Sift dry
ingredients together. Add to creamed mixture alternating
with buttermilk. Mix well. Pour batter in round cake pans
that have been greased and floured well. After putting
batter in pan put enough flour or approximately 1 teaspoon
on top of batter. Pat down and spread out to cover pan.
Bake approximately 15-20 minutes in 375 degree oven. Cool cake
layers.
Mash dried apples, spread between layers.
Best to leave set 1-2 days before served.
Dried Apple Cake
****************
Ingredients:
3 cups dried apple
4 eggs beaten
1 cup sugar and 1 cup butter, cream well
1 cup sour milk
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
lemon extract or flavoring to taste
Directions:
Soak 3 cups dried apples in as little water as
possible overnight. Chop the apples fine and boil
30 minutes in 2 cups sugar. Cool.
Add rest of ingredients as for any cake mixture.
Oven 350 degrees F. Bake in buttered lightly floured
sheet pan or in 2 deep 9-in. layer tins 40 minutes.
Cover with thick boiled frosting. This cake will keep
moist and delicious.
Cranberries are a bargain right now. You can get the bags of fresh ones
pretty cheap. I love those tart little darlings. So full of flavor and very
good for you. Give these a try, you wil be pleased with the results!
Cranberry Sauce - Jellied
(from the Ball Blue Book)
4 ¼ Cups Cranberries
2 Cups Sugar
1 ¾ Cups Water
Wash cranberries; drain. Combine cranberries and water in a large
saucepot. Boil until skins burst. Press mixture through a sieve or food
mill. Add sugar to cranberry pulp and juice. Boil mixture almost to
gelling point. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving ¼- inch headspace.
Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minute in a boiling water canner.
Yield: about 2 pints
Recipe Variation: Stick cinnamon or whole cloves tied in a spice bag may
be cooked with the sauce to give a spicy flavor. Remove spice bag before
canning sauce.
Note: To serve jellied sauce as a mold, pack sauce in straight-sided
canning jars for easy removal.
If you do not have a sieve or food mill try this , place a small wire
strainer over a mixing bowl or 4 cup measure and working in small batches press pulp along strainer with a wooden spoon. This will release the juices
to the measure cup/bowl while leaving the pulp in the strainer.
Now for my favorite jam recipe. It is called Christmas Jam, but it is a
round the year treat at our house.
Christmas Jam
2 packages frozen whole strawberries - (20 oz ea)
(or 2 1/2 qts fresh strawberries)
1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
5 pounds sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin
Grind fruit in a food processor or a grinder and place in a large kettle.
Add sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute. Stir in
pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes (skim off foam).
Pour into hot jars leaving 1/4 in head space. Adjust caps. Process for 15
minutes in a boiling water bath.
This recipe yields 14 half-pints.
Canning is an all year project. There is always something to be added to the larder no matter what time of the year it is!
If you are like me you are short on time and long on plans! I have a few tools in the kitchen I really feel like I could not do without. Commen sense tells me I could, but my "Hurrier I Go Behinder I Get " fear says different.
Number one on my list is my crockpot. Put it and let it cook itself. Uses very little electricity so it is cost effective also.
Here are some of my favorites:
Chicken Stew
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 14 1/2 ounce can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
5 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 lg onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 4 oz cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained
2 low sodium chicken bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups cold water
In a 5 quart crockpot, combine the first 12 ingredients. In a small
bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into chicken
mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until vegetables
are tender.
Makes 6 servings.
Then there is my pressure cooker.
If I have unexpected company, I can pull a roast out of the freezer and pop into the cooker, still frozen and it will be done by the time the sides are cooked.
POT ROAST WITH GARLIC-SMASHED POTATOES
Recipe source:Cook's Essential 8qt programmable pc owner's manual
(80 minutes, high pressure)
Cook potatoes and whole garlic cloves along with your roast. Smash the
potatoes with the garlic and serve alongside the roast for a hearty one-pot
meal.
You'll need a few metal or bamboo skewers for threading the garlic
cloves--or you can wrap them loosely in a cheesecloth bundle.
5-pound boneless chuck beef chuck roast, tied with string
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
One 14.5-ounce can low-sodium beef broth
2 bay leaves
8 large potatoes, scrubbed (leave whole)
12 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons butter
Garnish: 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Season roast well with salt and pepper.
2. Press BROWN and START. Heat oil in cooker and brown roast well on all
sides. Remove and set aside.
3. Add onions, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until
onions begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and bay leaves. Return roast to cooker. Set potatoes on top and around roast. Thread garlic cloves on skewers and set skewers on top of potatoes or roast.
4. Pull lid handles apart and set lid on cooker. Slide safety lock to LOCK
position. Point pressure regulator knob to PRESSURE.
5. Set pressure mode for HIGH and cook time for 80 MINUTES
2 cups mini-marshmallows (or 16 large marshmallows)
¼ cup butter
¼ t. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 t vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
It helps to pre-measure and set out all ingredients for this recipe. Grease a 9x9 pan with butter. In a medium size saucepan combine sugar, goat milk, marshmallows, butter and salt. Cook over low heat until this mixture begins to bubble and make sure you stir constantly. Reduce your heat a little lower and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and as quick as possible stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla and nuts if using. Stir this very well until the chips are melted and the fudge is smooth. Don’t waste any time getting the well mixed fudge into the 9x9 pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until it is firm. Cut and enjoy! You can store it in containers too for gift giving. Put wax paper between the layers of candy.
Crystal and her husband Tobin, along with 6 of their 8 homeschooled children make their home on 18 acres in SW Washington State. Crystal enjoys caring for her home and family and her farm. You can visit Crystal’s website: The Family Homestead or Crystal’s Country Store where she sells her own goat milk soap, ebooks and more!
These are easy to make and go great with a cup of hot coffee or tea
1 cup cane juice crystals
1 cup powdered Sucanat (powdered sugar will work if you can’t find the powdered Sucanat)
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup olive oil
2 eggs
4 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 t salt
1 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
Combine very well with a mixer the cane juice crystals, powdered Sucanat, butter and olive oil. Add eggs and beat well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop dough by small spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little cane juice crystals if desired. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. This recipe will make approximately 5 dozen cookies.
Crystal and her husband Tobin, along with 6 of their 8 homeschooled children make their home on 18 acres in SW Washington State. Crystal enjoys caring for her home and family and her farm. You can visit Crystal’s website: The Family Homestead or Crystal’s Country Store where she sells her own goat milk soap, ebooks and more!
Since fresh cranberries abound right now, and the prices are very good as they are in season, I decided to experiment making my own honeyed cranberry jelly.And, I have to say I am absolutely delighted with the results!Here is my recipe:
Honeyed Cranberry Jelly
1 cup water
½ cup honey
10 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries (enough to fill a two cup measuring cup)
1 tsp. Pomona’s Universal Pectin in more honey
1.Bring water and honey to a boil in a heavy saucepan.
2.Add cranberries and bring back to a boil.Simmer for 10 minutes.(If you like whole cranberry jelly, go to step 5 now.)
3.Remove from heat and put cranberries through a sieve.Be sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve, as this sauce is very thick and some will cling to the bottom of the strainer.
4.Put the sauce back into the saucepan.Bring it back to a boil.
5.Stir pectin into another ¼ cup of honey and then stir into the boiling sauce.Boil for five minutes.
6.Pour sauce into a hot pint jar, seal and let cool, then store in the fridge. To can for the pantry, don't allow it to cool and process in a boiling water bath for five minutes. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.
Lisa Vitello
Lisa publishes the New Harvest Homestead newsletter for women who love the homestead life. Visit her website at www.newharvesthomestead.com.
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We all know how quickly these veggies can grow, we can pick our garden before we go to bed and then the next morning we can find a big ole zucchini that seems like it came out of nowhere! 
