How long can you go without a trip to the grocery store? How much food do you toss every year because it goes bad? What is the best way to store foods for later use?

I decided to walk the walk this year. Since I teach canning and dehydrating and I support the use of local foods I decided to start the new year with a new challenge for myself. I want to see just how long I can go without going to the grocery store. I’ve been doing an inventory of what I have. I have a couple of cases of canned tomatoes along with canned carrots, pickle relish, pie fillings and preserves. I also have a good supply of winter squash thanks to my sister in Michigan and Carl from Blue Pike Farm. Besides what I like to think is a pretty well-stocked pantry I also have plenty of herbs and spices and proteins in the freezer. With the new dehydrator (thanks Jonathan) I was able to dry lots of fruits and vegetables.

I will admit that I grabbed some produce yesterday. I do want to be able to eat healthy. I also will share my success in making them last. In the weeks ahead I’ll have to keep it interesting and I’ll invite people over for dinner every week. I’ll also share recipes and tips on making food last.

My goal is to go at least until the end of January. With luck and support I may even make it to the first of March. Heck, people in cold climates did this for centuries- how hard can it be?

I hope to hear from you on meal suggestions and for topics you want to hear about. 🙂

Happy New Year!

That time of year- many of us are baking away. Here are some pointers to get the most out of the experience. Happy Baking!!!

Cookie Baking Know How

Types of Cookies

Bar- Spread or pressed into pans, baked and cut into squares

Drop– Soft dough dropped or spooned onto baking sheet, very quick and easy

Rolled- Dough is normally chilled then rolled out on wax paper or floured surface, cut into shapes

Refrigerator– Dough is rolled into logs, usually chilled and then sliced and baked

Pressed- Pressed through a machine into shapes or strips, usually very rich

Molded- Sturdy dough shaped by hand and often decorated later

Ingredients

Butter is usually best and never use diet margarine unless the recipe was specifically designed to use it.

Use only pure granulated sugar when recipes call for “sugar”. Some less expensive brands are a sucrose and dextrose blend and may cause crisp cookies to be soft. This type of sugar also cannot be used in jelly recipes.

All-purpose flour is best although you can use some whole wheat pastry flour. You’ll need to experiment a little, substituting about ¼ of the regular flour for the whole wheat pastry flour. Some recipes may react better than others to the higher fiber flour. Avoid regular whole wheat flour and don’t use flour labeled as bread flour.

Eggs means large eggs unless otherwise stated and should be used at room temperature if possible.

 Baking

Check cookies at minimum time listed in recipe. If cookies are browning on the bottom too quickly but not fully baked try doubling the cookie sheets. It will give you a little more insulation on the bottom and costs far less than buying air-bake cookies sheets.

Don’t open the oven any more than needed and close promptly. Every peek causes the temperature to drop 25 degrees and will add to the bottom heat the cookies endure as the oven re-heats itself.

Don’t place cookies too close to the edge of pans with sides. They radiate heat and can burn cookie edges. Leave about 1 ½ -2 inches or turn the pan over and bake on the bottom. There will be no sides and you can bake closer to the edge of the pan.

Shiny pans are better for cookies and dark pans are better for breads.

Grease pans with solid shortening or butter (when baking temperatures are less than 375-degrees) or use non-stick spray. Unless called for don’t use oil it will sometime stick.

Note: Don’t grease pans unless the recipe calls for you to do so. Cookies baked on greased sheets will spread out more so allow more space between dough.

Storing and Freezing

To store crisp cookies place in a container with a loose-fitting lid or cover lightly with foil. Sealing crisp cookies up can sometimes make them get soggy. In humid weather, however you might want to keep them in sealed containers in the freezer and just remove a few to defrost as needed.

Soft cookies should always be stored in containers with tight fitting lids to prevent hardening. In humid weather place them between layers of wax paper to prevent sticking.

If you want to mail cookies avoid crisp and frosted types. Soft cookies travel best.

Both raw cookie dough and baked cookies can be frozen. If you have the freezer space it can be a great help to get some of your holiday baking out of the way ahead of time.

Dough can be frozen 6-9 months.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags. Always label and date the package. Defrost in refrigerator and bake as directed.

Cookies can be frozen up to a year, but will begin to lose some of their flavor after 6 months. Use sturdy container and place layers of plastic wrap between cookies to prevent drying out. You should defrost cookies in their container, with the lid on to keep the cookies from getting soggy. When thawing there will be condensation on the package. If you take the cookies out of their container while frozen condensation will form on the cookies. Not so much of a problem with crisp cookies, but soft cookies are very moist and tend to get wet if defrosted unwrapped. If you only want to remove some of the cookies you can just place them in a bag and leave seal it up. Leave them to thaw on the counter and any condensation will form on the bag.

Remember: Your cookies are only as good as the ingredients you use. Dried fruits should be moist and fresh. Nuts should be stored in a freezer or refrigerator until ready to use. Make sure they have not gotten stale or rancid. Taste one to be sure. If nuts don’t taste fresh, pitch them and buy fresh. Nuts should stay fresh in the fridge for 3-6 months and frozen for up to a year (some will stay fresh a bit longer, so taste to be safe).

Before starting always make sure you have all the ingredients out and ready to use.

To save time around the holidays I like to do all my mixing in one evening (or afternoon) and then refrigerate or freeze the dough for baking on another day. I can make a dozen batches or dough at one time then put away all the mixing bowls and ingredients. If I am doing cookies that require decorating after baking I will often do that on yet another day to keep any one job as simple as possible. Remember, with the exception of bar cookies, most cookies bake for very short times and over bake before you know it. When baking them I like to have as few distractions as possible and always use a timer.

OK, now this is the coolest thing. I love those shrimp chips and I buy them at the Asian market and fry them up. A friend showed me a new way to cook them without frying!!!! You just place them in the microwave on a paper towel. Space them in a circle- do not put them in the middle. Set the timer for a minute and watch out. The ones we did took 28 seconds. They puff up all nice and crispy. He tells me that if you don’t watch carefully they go from crispy to “on fire” fast so be warned!!!! I’ll try to take some pictures to post later but I just had to share this one. Thanks Jared! 🙂

Got a special request to post the recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles so here it is.

Bread and Butter Pickles

6 quarts thinly sliced pickling cucumbers

6 medium onions, peeled and sliced thin

½ c. pickling salt

1½ quarts vinegar

4½ c. sugar

½ c. whole mustard seed

1 T. Pickling spice

1 T. celery seeds

Wash cucumbers and trim off ends before slicing. Place in non-reactive bowl (stainless steel, enamel, plastic) add the onions and then salt and stir. Allow cucumbers and onions to sit in the salt for 3 hours. After 3 hours drain well, but do not rinse. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil in a non-reactive pan-stainless steel, enamel. Add cucumbers and onions and return to the boil. As soon as the mixture is boiling ladle into clean, hot pints jars, leaving a good ½ -inch of headspace.  Wipe rims and screw on lids firmly. Place in simmering water bath and process at 185-degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove to counter and allow to cool naturally. Makes 12 pints.

Note: these need a couple of weeks for the flavors to develop. They can also be made with firm, small zucchini.

OK, I know, enough with the zucchini recipes already. It’s just that they are everywhere I look. Since I was lucky enough this week to also have some beautiful carrots from Blue Pike Farm I thought I’d post a recipe that uses both carrots and zucchini. I made a double batch and baked them in two 9×5-inch pans- added about 10 minutes to the baking time. While I am including the recipe for the frosting I did not frost the ones I made- sweet enough for me without.

Zucchini Carrot Cake

2 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. oil

1¼ c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. salt

1 c, grated carrot

1 c. grated zucchini, squeezed dry and packed tightly

½ c. chopped nuts

Beat eggs with sugar until frothy. Beat in oil then add dry ingredients. Beat on high for 4 minutes. Stir in veggies and nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool and frost

Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 T. butter or margarine, softened

1 t. vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese and margarine or butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and sugar. Spread over cooled cake

My dear friend, Amy McWilliam, sent me this recipe yesterday. It is for Greek-style stuffed zucchini. Now I have been talking a lot lately about the abundance of summer squash this time of year. If you are tired of zucchini bread, zucchini pancakes, zucchini ice cream and whatever other dishes you have tried using zucchini and other summer squash you might want to give this one a try.The recipe uses quite a few medium sized zucchini.

I have been gifted with some rather large zucchini. You know the ones I am talking about. The kind that family member/neighbor/ friend leaves by the door without saying a word. The kind of zucchini that could probably be a weapon if you needed it to be, not that I am advocating violence.  They are trickier to use. Generally speaking the seed cavity is mature and has to be scooped out and discarded. The skin my also be to tough to use. If you can’t pierce the skin of a summer squash easily with your fingernail you should peel it. These might just work for Amy’s recipe- with some adjustments. I am going to split the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. I’ll leave the skin on to provide support although not eat the skin. I’ll prepare the dish with the zucchini used more like boats with the stuffing piled on top rather than stuffed inside. Hopefully the guests at dinner tonight will like them. For now- it’s off to prep the zucchini. Here is the recipe Amy sent me. I hope you enjoy it. Oh and before you ask I am not sure what Syrian Spice is exactly. I may use my Ethiopian Seasoning or some of the spices Tyler brought back from Oman. If you aren’t sure what to use- you can’t go wrong with paprika in this one- smoked if you have it.

Greek Stuffed Zucchini (Kolokithakia Yemista)

24 medium sized green zucchini

1 large onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs ground beef lamb

1/3 cup white basmati rice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint ( don’t omit, you may use dry mint if fresh is not available)

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon Syrian spice

fresh ground black pepper

salt

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, separated ( does not work with egg replacer)

juice of one lemon

Wash zucchini and cut off stems and reserve them.   Scoop out centers of zucchini with a small spoon or zucchini corer. (I use the opposite end of a spoon which may work better depending on the shape of your cutlery).   Make corks from the reserved ends by trimming each.   Rinse and set zucchini aside. Gently fry the onion in 1 tbs olive oil until soft.   Mix onion into the meat with the rice, tomato paste, 2 tbs parsley, mint and cinnamon, and Syrian spice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill each zucchini with the meat mixture and cork closed. Place in layers in a pot, add chicken stock, the other 1 tbs olive oil and salt to taste.  Invert a heavy plate on top of zucchini and cover tightly.  Simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.  When cooked drain off stock carefully into a small pan.  Reserve stock. Reduce stock to 1 1/2 cups over heat and thicken with flour mixed to a paste with a little cold water.  Let it boil for 1 minute. Beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff, add yolks and beat thoroughly, gradually beat in lemon juice, then boiling stock.

Return sauce to the small pan and place over low heat stirring constantly until egg is cooked *** DO NOT BOIL ***.

Arrange zucchini on warm serving dishes and spoon some sauce over them.   Garnish with chopped remaining parsley and serve the rest of sauce in a jug.  Serve this with a fresh Greek salad and potatoes (mashed or lemon roasted) or rice (seasoned with Syrian spice).

Thanks Amy!!!!!

Scorpacciata is a term that means consuming large amounts of a particular local ingredient while it’s in season. I heard Mario Batali use it once. With all the abundance of produce right now its hard to think ahead to the lean months of winter. Still, it pays to make the most of what is around us now. Eat fresh tomatoes, lots of them. Use fresh peppers in omelets and grill them and stuff them. Let’s not even talk about all the zucchini. I’ve been eating so many fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables and it feels great. But the season will not be here forever. Freeze, can and dehydrate some of this bounty for the months ahead.

As I do laundry today every trip downstairs is a chance to carry down and pack away another case of tomatoes. We’ll enjoy them in soups and chili and pasta sauces all year long.  It’s like a little bit of summer in January. I’ve been teaching canning workshops at Blue Pike and ended with tomatoes on Saturday. Even if you don’t want to can here is a recipe for barbecue sauce you can use. It can be canned or frozen and tastes amazing. Be warned- it takes time to cook down- but you don’t need to stir it that often until near the end as it thickens.  Best to use plum tomatoes if you have them. They have less pulp.

I’ve also included a recipe for a fresh tomato soup to enjoy now.

Favorite Barbecue Sauce

16 lb. tomatoes, peeled and cut up

1/2c. pickling spice

2 sticks cinnamon

1 T. whole allspice

2 t. mustard seed

1 t. whole peppercorns

1/2 t. whole cloves

8 c. cider vinegar

5 c. sugar

2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. lemon or lime juice

2 large onions, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 T non-iodized salt

2 T. red pepper flakes

2 T. chili powder

1 T. paprika

Cook tomatoes over medium heat until soft, stirring often. Run tomatoes through a food mill or food strainer to remove seeds and crush tomatoes. Return this tomato sauce to kettle. Place pickling spice, cinnamon, allspice, mustard seed, peppercorns and cloves together in a piece of food-safe cheesecloth and tie securely. Place in kettle with tomato sauce and all remaining ingredients. Cook over high heat, stirring as sauce thickens until sauce reaches desired thickness. Remember you put in 8 cups of vinegar, this is going to take a while. Of course, it’s so thin in the beginning, at least you won’t have to stir it very often. The sauce will cook down to about 6-7 pints, give or take a little.  Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes or freeze.

Tip : To peel tomatoes place clean tomatoes in boiling water a few at a time and remove in a minute or so. Cool in cold water and then core the tomatoes. Skins should slip right off. To seed tomatoes cut them in half and then squeeze. Most of the seeds will just get “squished” out.

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 rib celery, chopped fine

3 whole cloves

1 small bay leaf

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 t. salt

3 c. milk

Peel and chop tomatoes. Place tomatoes in saucepan with onion, celery, cloves and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and cover, simmering 15 minutes. Melt butter in a large saucepan then stir in flour and salt. Cook mixture until bubbly. Add milk and cook until thickened stirring constantly. Puree tomato mixture through strainer, food mill or in a blender or processor. Add to milk mixture and heat through. Serves 6.

Ingredients: