The Charmed Kitchen

  I love this recipe and try to make bunches of it when they are in season. You can use any sweet onion, but I prefer the Vidalia onions for it.  I started my day making blueberry jam and finished with the relish. House smelled sweet all day- now smells “oniony”. Worth it, though. 🙂

Vidalia Onion Relish

6 qts.  ground Vidalia sweet onions (14 to 16 med. onions)

1/2 c. canning salt

1 qt.  cider vinegar

2 t. turmeric

1T. pickling spice

2 T. minced sweet pepper, any color

4 1/2 c. sugar

Grind enough Vidalia onions to yield 6 quarts.  Add 1/2 c. salt and let stand thirty minutes.  Squeeze juice from onion‑salt mixture and discard juice.  Sterilize canning jars.  To onions, add vinegar, sugar, spices, and pepper.  Bring to boil and cook for thirty minutes, stirring often.  Pack both onions and cooking liquid to cover in hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  Remove air bubbles.  Wipe jar rims.  Adjust lids.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  Yield:  About 8 pints or 16 half-pints.

Source: So Easy To Preserve

Blueberry Jam

It’s that time of year again. Berries are starting to show up at local markets. I enjoy eating them fresh by the handful. I always put some fruit up to enjoy year round. I’ll dehydrate, freeze and bake with them. I also like to make jams, jellies and preserves. Today I made blueberry jam. Lots and lots of blueberry jam. It will make me think of summer some snowy days many months from now. It’s an easy recipe. Just 2 ingredients and some time. You can use other berries in this recipe- either alone or in combination with the blueberries. I also will be making blueberry scones for breakfast.

Blueberry Jam

9 c. crushed fruit

6 c. sugar

Pick over berries getting any stems. rinse , drain and crush. Place berries and sugar in a large saucepan and heat slowly until sugar had melted. Bring up heat and cook over high heat, stirring often. Stir more as mixture thickens. It will take 20-30 minutes to get to the gel stage. To check for gel stage dip a metal spoon in blueberry mixture and hold it up sideways. Allow mixture to drip off and when two drops come together to form one larger drop- you are at gel stage. Ladle hot jam into clean, hot jelly jars. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims and place on lids prepared according to directions on box. Screw lids comfortably tight. Place jars in boiling water bath with water at least 1-2 inches over the tops of the jars. Cover pot and start timing when water returns to the boil. Process 15 minutes. Remove jars to towel, cutting board or cooling rack in a draft-free location. Check seals once jars are cooled. Makes 8-10 jelly jars.

Blueberry Scones

 2 c. flour

3 T. sugar

1 T. baking powder

¾ salt

6 T. chilled butter

1 ½ c. blueberries

1 t. lemon zest

2 large eggs

1/3 c. heavy cream

Mix dry ingredients together in bowl and cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Toss in blueberries and zest. Beat together eggs and cream and stir into flour mixture. Mix very gently to avoid bruising berries. Press into 6×6-inch square. Cut into 3×3 inch squares, then into triangles Place on baking sheet, brush with a little cream and sprinkle with a little extra sugar. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 20-22 minutes. Makes 8.

Had a great day at the Coit Road Market today. Celebrating its 80th birthday. Special props to Kevin Scheuring for his wonderful food. It was a great day to hang out with friends Lisa Schnee, Linda Park, Pat Hartmann and more.  I made cupcakes and promised to post the recipe so here it is. Since I still had a couple of butternut squash left over from winter I decided to use one of them for this recipe. Thanks to my sister Cindy for getting the squash for me in Michigan last fall.

Butternut Squash Cupcakes

4 eggs

3/4 c. oil

2 c. sugar

2 c. cooked butternut squash, you can use pumpkin, too

1 3/4 c. flour

1/4 c. corn starch

2 t. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1 t. ginger

3/4 t. salt

1/2 t. cloves

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together eggs, oil, sugar and squash. Mix dry ingredients together and beat into egg mixture. Line muffin cups with paper liners and fill cups about 2/3 full. I used mini pans and got 10 dozen cupcakes. You’ll get about 3 dozen in standard sized pans. Bake 30 minutes for regular cupcakes. The mini ones were bakes in 10-12 minutes. Cool before frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting

12 oz. white chocolate

1 lb cold  butter

3-4 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate- I used a microwave. Cool chocolate and place in mixing bowl. Cut butter into pieces. Beat in butter a stick at a time.  Beat in powdered sugar until frosting is the desired thickness.

These were a big hit today. I hope you enjoy them. If you read this blog but haven’t clicked the “follow” button I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Local gardens and farms, in part due to a warm spring, are brimming with fresh greens. There is nothing  quite so nice as a fresh salad on a warm day.

My friend Benjamin mentioned that since greens are abundant now he and his group could use some recipes for dressings. Here are a few of my favorites. He also mentioned kale chips. I love them. My dinosaur kale will be made into chips throughout the year so I have also included directions for how to make them.

Lemon Dill Dressing

 ¾ c. olive oil

½ c. lemon juice

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. dill, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ t. each cumin and paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Makes 1 ¼ c.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

 ½ c. raspberry vinegar

3 T. minced chives, optional

1 T. each lime juices and honey

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ c. each olive oil and walnut oil or ½ c. olive oil

Combine all but the oils in a blender and mix well. Add oils in a slow stream with machine running until dressing is blended. Makes 1 cup.

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

¼ c. red wine vinegar

¼-1/2 c. fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme, chervil etc., or a combination

½ t. celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c. oil

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend for 15 seconds. Makes about 1 cup of dressing.

 Tuscan Kale Crisps

These make a different and fun appetizer when served upright in a tumbler or vase.

12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried and split lengthwise with the ribs removed

1 T. olive oil

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a large bowl toss kale leaves with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp- about 30 minutes for flatter leaves and 33 minutes for more crinkly leaves. Makes 24.

Note: Any kale can be used for these crisps.

Had a wonderful chicken dinner on Memorial Day. My dear friend Carl, from Blue Pike Farm had a freshly processed chicken and he offered it to me. I, in turn, offered to have him over for dinner to share. It is a breed called Naked Neck. Now I don’t want to hurt Carl’s feelings but in life these are pretty ugly birds. The bird weighed out at 5 1/2 pounds. It was also organically raised- quality feed, free range and very lean. I did not want to to mess it up. I have roasted hundreds of chickens but I do know that mass produced chickens are different. I went on to a foodie group  to seek advice. The responses were amazing. Finally decided to follow the advice of some one who has dealt with similar birds. Jenny Rocco suggested using a compound butter under the skin. She was so right. Thanks, Jenny.  Because the bird was so lean it needed a little extra fat to keep it juicy during baking. I mixed butter with rosemary, parsley and some hot sauce plus a generous shake of salt. Worked the mixture under the skin.  I started the bird at 400 breast side down. After 30 minutes turned down the heat to 350 so the butter wouldn’t burn. After an hour of total baking I turned the bird breast side up.   This method keeps the breast from cooking too quickly and reduces the need for basting.  30 minutes later it was done. Let it rest a few minutes before carving. Let me say the chicken was delicious. Juicy and while firmer than regular store-bought chicken it was not tough. We rounded out dinner with fruit salad, broccoli salad and potatoes cooked with beets, onions and chard and garlic scapes, also from Blue Pike Farm.

In most situations- with a conventional bird- I like a very hot oven to crisp the skin. This method would not have worked, I am convinced with this leaner locally produced bird. Lesson to be learned- all chickens are not created equal. If you are like me and plan on buying more locally sourced and humanely raised poultry be prepared to be flexible in your cooking methods. The results will be worth it.

Little green pod holds garbanzo seed(s)

As many of you know I have been sprouting seeds for fresh eating. During the winter I used large jars. As weather warmed I started seeds in pots. I’ve enjoyed pea shoots and adzuki beans, lentil, triticale and garbanzo sprouts. Was planning on picking some garbanzo shoots to saute and add to a breakfast omelet this morning when I made a fun discovery. I had seen a couple of flower buds on the garbanzo plants but that was it. Today I found my first bean pod. It appears to hold one seed- maybe 2, but my guess is just one. Never had fresh garbanzos before. Eating just one will seem , well, less than filling. Since the plants have flowers sprouting all over I opted for pea shoots in my omelet and will allow my garbanzo beans to continue to produce seeds. May want to rethink some of what I am planting in my garden. Maybe save some space for a patch of garbanzo beans. Have any of you planted garbanzos before?

I have been talking to so many people about wild edibles that I thought it might be fun to show you pictures of these “weeds” from time to time. I also think it helps to see a picture to help with identification. I love foraging for wild edibles in my yard and elsewhere. One of my favorites is Lamb’s Quarters.  It shows up almost anytime soil has been cultivated often sprouting in my flower pots. The plant can be eaten raw or cooked. It tastes just like spinach when cooked and you can use it in any recipe calling for spinach. Unlike spinach, Lamb’s Quarters does not contain oxalic acid so

you absorb more of the calcium it contains.  Besides eating it fresh from Spring to Autumn I also blanch and freeze plenty for winter. It can grow to a height of 5 feet or more.

I’ve been enjoying sprouts all winter for fresh greens. Now that spring is here I

Garbanzo sprouts

have taken to sprouting outdoors. Start with a pot almost filled with soil.  Place a good amount of seeds in the planter and cover with more soil. Bigger the seeds the more soil. Generally soil to a depth of 3 times the diameter of the seeds. Water and then let nature take its course. I have been enjoying pea shoots for weeks now. I’ll have garbanzo bean sprouts and fresh pea shoots for dinner tonight.

pea shoots

Stinging nettles deserve their name – they have tiny little hair-like stingers on the leaves and stems that make touching them very unpleasant. But never fear, cooking removes the stingy stuff and leaves only the woodsy-tasting leaves behind. Just handle fresh nettles with gloves and all will be well.

If you have never eaten stinging nettles you might be surprised at how tasty they are. They are also abundant in the Spring. You might find them at your local farm market. If you have a chance to try them- take it. Nettles are very nutritious and mild-flavored. They are sometimes used to make tea but can be used in any recipe where you might use spinach. Here are a couple of recipes you might want to try.

Nettle Pesto

1/2 pound nettles
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer for the nettles. Add the nettles directly from their bag and cook, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes. (This denatures their sting.) Dump into a colander to drain. When the nettles are cool enough to handle, wrap them in a clean dishtowel and wring out as much moisture as possible, like you would for spinach. You’ll have about a cup of cooked, squished nettles.

In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the paddle attachment, whirl the garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper to taste until finely chopped. Add the nettles, breaking them up as you drop them in, and the lemon juice and whirl until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Add the cheese, pulse briefly, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice.

Nettle Soup

1 lb. stinging nettles

2 t. salt

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1/4 c. rice

4 c. chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste