Peach, Apricot, Mango, Vanilla Bean Preserve

So I have been in the bad habit of buying lovely stone fruit and allowing them to overripen before I have had a chance to enjoy them. I know when this has occured when I reach in the crisper and instead of a nice firm peach, I have a mushy mess to clean up. For this reason, I avoid buying too many of these great supple fruits when they are in season and then I miss out.

So, I found a great method to save the fruit and enjoy it for a much longer amount of time. I made up my first batch of stone fruit preserves using about 2lbs of peaches and 2lbs of apricots and I found I had about 1 cup of frozen mango that i had failed to use. I included one vanilla bean casing that I had already harvested the beans from. I also used the juice of one orange and a bit of lemon zest to keep the bright orange color and impart a bright flavor as well.

The fruits were blanched and the skins and pits removed. I cleaned some of the peaches of parts of the center that were extra tough. I cut the fruit into bite size pieces.

The fruits were added to my stainless steel pot. I added the juice of the lemon and 3 1/2 cups of sugar. I added the zest and the vanilla bean. the whole pot simmered for about 40 minutes. The sugar was dissolved and the fruit began to break down. I brought the mixture to roughly 220 degrees. I tasted the mixture and tested for the gel point.

The mixture was then jarred into about 3+ pints. I used the boiling method to seal the jars.

Grilled Chicken Lemon Basil Pasta

Complete food boredom drives me to my cookbooks, favorite blogs and websites to look for inspiration. Food boredom is described as a lack of ideas and creativity in the kitchen, often linked to an increased level of take out and fast food in my diet.

I went searching last weekend, in attempts to add some life to my dinner routine. I came across a simple recipe that was posted on the Pioneer Women's website. http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/

I made the recipe as follows, with my own twist. I added canned artichoke hearts that I grilled lightly. Yummy!

Grilled Chicken and Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Basil Cream Pasta

2 lbs chicken breast - marinated in balsamic vinager with extra garlic powder and Italian seasoning blend

10-15 Basil Leaves

1 cup half n half

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp Butter

1 cup shredded Parmesan

4 lemons juiced

1lb penne pasta

16 oz can artichoke hearts

extra basil to garnish, used the blossom tops.

1. Marinate chicken breast for at least 2 hour or overnight.


2. Grill chicken and wrap in foil to keep warm.

1. Oil artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Carefully grill and be aware they are slippery. Do not over cook as they will fall apart.







2. Boil pasta to al dente. Drain and reserve one cup of pasta water.


3. In same pot, melt butter. Add cream, half n half, and parmesan. Stir until melted and blended well.


4. Add lemon juice. Mix well.


5. Add pasta to sauce in pot. Loosen sauce with extra pasta water if needed.
6. Serve pasta with chicken sliced on top. Garnish with the basil.

Enjoy!

Dill Pickles

Living in a house with a man who truly hates pickles and most anything vinegary is difficult. especially when you, yourself, love pickles, mustard and things with a tang. I have slowly intensified the vinegar in hi life, usually hidden in a marinade or sauce.

So, in my quest of canning, I decided to make the basic Dill Pickle.

I bought about 4 pounds of fresh small cucumbers from Shepperd Farm in Carpinteria. Thanks Kjessie for the berries too. I "borrowed" a few fresh springs of dill from friends Leslie and her mom Karen's garden.

I then went on what was a search of a lifetime. Who knew that finding pickling spices would take me to four different big box stores...argh!!! I spent far too much on what will ensure that I continue to make pickles for a few seasons to come.

So, last night I started by washing the cucumbers and saoking them in cold water and a cup or so of salt. I awoke this morning and rinsed the cucs. I removed both the stem and flower end of each cucumber. I discarded the soft and funky looking cucumbers. I removed dicolored or damaged areas.

I stuffed my pint jars with my dill sprigs and added a clove of garlic and sprinkle of the pickling spices to each jar. I filled the jars with my sliced cucumber spears. I left a few smaller cucumbers whole.

I started a pot of 1 part white vineger and three parts water. I added one cup of salt for this ratio. I added a teaspoon of the pickling spice. The mixture was brought to a boil.

Once the mixture boiled, I filled each jar. I lidded and boiling water bath canned the jars. Once the boiling process was complete, I left the jars to cool.

Now to wait 3-6 weeks to sample the pickles. I hope I can wait!!!

Yogurt Blueberry Muffins

I bought a small blueberry bush last year. I added peat moss to the soil, to raise th acidity of the soil. The first year, nearly all of the leaves fell from the plant. i thought I had lost the plant. This year, the plant looked healthy and the plant even sprouted a few flowers. But, again no friut and the plant looks less than healthy. In anguish, and frustration, I went to the farmers market and purchased a few baskets of lovely blueberries.

What to make...

Blueberry Muffins.

I searhced the web and came across a simple blueberry muffin recipe. I adapted the recipe to my own pantry and came up with what I think is a very supple and delicate muffin. One of the changes I made was to add 1 egg white to lighten the batter. The recipe is light and fluffy and filled with berries.

Yogurt Blueberry Muffins

• 3 Cups flour



• 1Tbsp baking powder



• 1/2 tsp baking soda



• 1/2 tsp salt



• 1/4 cup unsalted sweet cream butter (1 stick)



• 1 cup sugar and 3 Tbs sugar to sprinkle



• 2 eggs
  


• 1 egg white


• 1 1/2 cup white sugar



• 1 tsp lemon juice and or lemon zest






• 2 cups blueberries (dust with flour - 1 Tbsp)
  

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.



2. Place oevn rack in middle of oven.



3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.



4. In a large bowl, cream the butter.



5. Add sugar to butter and cream until fluffy.




6. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until creamy.





7. Add lemon and or lemon zest and mix throughout.




8. Beat in half of the dry ingredients.




9. Mix yogurt in until smooth.



10. Mix in remaining dry ingredients. DO NOT OVER MIX!


11. Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.


12. Portion batter into 18-24 paper filled muffin tins.


13. Sprinkle each muffin with a small amount of sugar.


14. Alternatives: Brush muffin with olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar before baking. Be cauious as it can burn due to oil.


15. Bake muffins for 25-30 Minutes until light brown. test with a toothpick to ensure doneness. let rest for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy with butter or save till you need a yummy snack!