Its been such a long  and often hot season and I can’t believe its almost over. Thursday will be the last market of the year at Blue Pike Farm- 900 E. 72 Street in Cleveland. I hope if you have wanted to come and haven’t you will make it tomorrow. I have been busy making wine jelly, pomegranate jelly and sweet onion relish. I will also have strawberry preserves, apple butter and my salt- free seasoning packets. I’ve been baking more lately, too. There will be zucchini bread, chocolate beet cake,  pumpkin cake, pumpkin scones , oatmeal bread and Swedish Limpa bread. I also have 1 hydrangea wreath left for sale. There will also be fresh eggs, honey and produce. Hope to see you there- the weather is supposed to be wonderful!!!

While I was blending up some basil for the freezer tonight it occurred to me that there is a simple way to clean the blade I’d like to share with you. Whether its basil or hummus when it comes time to clean out the food processor the blade can be tricky. Its very sharp, or should be, and can nick a rubber spatula. The solution? Just clean out the food that you can get to easily. With the processor nearly empty turn it on for a few seconds. The centrifugal force will send the remaining food to the side of the bowl leaving the blade clean. Easy!

Basil puree in processor

Processor running

Clean blade

So what treats will you be planning for Halloween this year? Candy apples, cauldrons of smoking punch, finger sandwiches? I’ve had some fun Halloweens over the years and have made a lot of fun treats. Bat cookies, flaming ghost cake cake, bat wings, goblin goo drink and many more. I’d love to hear what plans you have for Halloween this year. I’ll be sharing recipes, too. Here are a couple to get you started.

Vampire Chasers

2-3 heads garlic

Olive oil

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Sliced, toasted French or Italian bread, about 1 loaf

2 large onions, sliced thin

Salt and pepper

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Trim tops off the garlic heads, being careful not to dislodge the cloves. Brush with oil and wrap in foil. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until garlic is soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool a little. Squeeze roasted garlic out of skins and combine with the Parmesan cheese. Spread on the bread and keep wrapped until ready to use. Can be made a day ahead. Sauté onions in oil until browned. Season to taste. Divide onions among bread slices. Top with some of the shredded cheese and bake or broil until cheese has melted.

Bone Yard Beef Ribs

5-6 lbs. Beef back ribs cut into single bone pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic powder

1 c. Italian dressing, home made preferred

Barbecue sauce

Trim off any excess fat. You can ask your butcher to cut ribs in half lengthwise when you but them because they are very long. Still, the most dramatic effect is attained when the bones are left intact. Place ribs in a roasting pan and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Drizzle on the dressing and seal pan with foil or tight fitting lid. You can cook them right away or refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook place pan in preheated 350-degree oven for 1½ hours. Remove foil; drain off any liquids in pan and brush with barbecue sauce. Bake 30 minutes longer. Serve with extra sauce on the side. Serves 4-5.

Note: You can use pork ribs instead, if you prefer.

For a fun serving idea, stick ribs upright in a bowl or food-safe pail.

Beef ribs are not always available so ask your butcher ahead to insure you will have them.

I made these cookies for a friend who has been sick. Inspired by the season for the shapes and colors.The recipe is very easy to make. The royal icing hardens so the cookies are easier to stack and transport.

 Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

3 T. milk

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Beat in milk.  Heat oven to 375-degrees. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to about 1/3- inch thickness. Cut out with lightly floured cutters and bake on ungreased baking sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely. Frost when cooled. Makes about 4 dozen.

For tinted dough you can add food coloring to butter mixture before adding flour. For chocolate sugar cookies you can add ½ c. cocoa to flour mixture before adding to shortening and reduce flour by ¼ cup.

Decorating your cookies:

You can use tube of pre-made frosting or you can tint canned frosting, however the best way is to use royal icing. Because royal icing contains egg whites it gets hard. Cookies have a smooth appearance and can be stacked. When making royal icing ALWAYS USE PASTUERIZED EGG WHITES OR POWDERED EGGS WHITES TO PREVENT SAMONELLA.

You can also use colored sugar and sprinkles and mini chocolate chips for eyes.

Royal Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar

½ t. cream of tartar

5¼ t. egg white powder

6 T. water

½ t. vanilla, optional

Assorted food colorings

In large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add water and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Divide into small bowls and tint each batch as needed. Keep bowl covered with a damp towel while waiting to use so frosting will not dry out.

I will be at this local food festival this Saturday. I’ll be giving a free canning class at 12:35 and will be selling stuff the rest of the time. I’ll have my cookbooks, herb packets, local jams, preserves, relishes and pickles and yummy baked good, too. Hope you can come by. It will be a fun time for all and informative, too.

http://www.sustainableheightsnetwork.net/2012/09/free-and-open-to-all-local-food-week.html

LOCAL FOOD FESTIVAL | 10am-3pm Grace Lutheran Church, 13001 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights

Free and open to all. Come for a presentation or two (or all!), meet the local food activists who are leading the local food revolution in our area, and sample local food. Help grow the local food movement in the Heights. Family friendly, handicap accessible, near public transportation.

DOOR PRIZES! FarmShare Gift Basket and a One Year Subscription to Edible Cleveland

 

TABLES, PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS Farm fresh food samples | Food preservation and composting workshops| Fun stuff for the kids | Urban agriculture | Make seed balls | Locally-sourced food | Network with your food-growing neighbors | Community gardening | Local Cook books | Homemade jams and jellies | Reserve a Farm Fresh Thanksgiving Turkey|Herbs

 

There are still a lot of eggplant at the farm markets and I thought you might be looking for recipes. Here are a few of my favorites.

Herbed Grilled Eggplant

1 large or 2 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1-inch thick slices

Salt

¼ c. Olive oil

Pizza seasoning

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. Parmesan cheese, optional

Marinara sauce of your choice

Place eggplant slices in a large bowl and salt the slices. Let them stand 30 minutes then rinse, drain and pat dry. Brush slices with oil and season with the pizza seasoning and garlic according to your own taste. Broil or preferably grill eggplant, turning often until browned and tender. Sprinkle with cheese near the end of cooking time, if desired. Serve with warmed marinara sauce. Serves 6-8.

Caponata

2 small eggplants, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 5-6 cups

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 c. olive oil, or a little more

4 celery ribs, sliced

2 sweet peppers, seeded and chopped

1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 c. sliced black olives

3-4 T. red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste.

Soak eggplant in salted water for at least 15 minutes. Rinse, drain and pat dry. Set aside. Meanwhile in skillet cook onion in 2 tablespoons of the oil until tender. Add the celery and cook until the celery is tender-crisp. Place mixture in a mixing bowl and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons more of the oil and cook the peppers until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and cook 1 minute longer. Add this mixture to onion mixture and return skillet to the heat. Add remaining oil to skillet and cook eggplant until golden brown and tender. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Add remaining ingredients to bowl while eggplant is cooking. When eggplant is done add it to the bowl and mix well., Season to taste. Serve with crusty breads cold, hot or at room temperature. Serves 10-12.

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

1 lb. ground meat, beef, chicken or turkey

1 t. minced garlic

2 c. marinara sauce

1 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano

1 can, 14.5 oz., diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. caponata, see recipe above

1 lb. pasta, cooked, spirals preferred

In non-stick skillet cook meat and garlic until no pink is visible. Drain fat if needed before adding the rest of the ingredients, except the pasta. Heat through and cook 2 minutes. Toss with the pasta and serve. Serves 6.

Eggplant Parmesan

2 large eggplants

salt

flour

oil

1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese

1 T. Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning

2-3 c. tomato sauce or marinara sauce

12 oz. mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Peel and slice eggplant about 1 inch thick. Place in a bowl and slat lightly. Allow eggplant to stand 30 minutes, then rinse and drain. Dredge eggplant slices in flour and sauté in oil until browned and tender. Note: If you prefer you can place eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with oil and bake in a 400-degree oven, turning once until browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices. Combine ricotta with seasoning and spread over the eggplant. Top cheese with a little more sauce and another layer of eggplant. Top with mozzarella, remaining eggplant and remaining sauce. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and bake, uncovered in a 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and browned around the edges. Serves 6-8.

Had a great class in Beachwood today with 50 kids. The big hit was the pumpkin cupcakes. I had to promise we’d have them again next month!!! I also promised some of the kids I’d post the recipe so to Em, Giselle and Anna this is for you!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

4 eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 c. oil

2 c. sugar- I use less

2 c. cooked pumpkin or 1 (15 oz.) can

1 3/4 c. flour

1/4 c. cornstarch

3 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

Blend together in large bowl eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil and set aside. In another bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into paper-lined muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until cupcakes spring bake when touched lightly. Cool 30 minutes before frosting.  Makes 24-30. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting or Butter Cream. I used the butter cream frosting recipe but used buttermilk.

Classic Butter Cream

1/3 cup butter

4 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup milk or buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a bowl beat butter or margarine until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Tint with food color, if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1 lb. powdered sugar

½ stick butter

2 t. vanilla

Beat together until smooth.

Yesterday at Blue Pike Farm CSA members got fresh picked beautiful heads of cabbage. I promised some recipes for cabbage so here they are.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

 3 lbs. Sliced cabbage, about a 3 ½ lb. head or 3 lbs. Cole slaw mix

1 onion, sliced

1 T. oil, butter, margarine or even bacon fat

3 c. water

1 T. paste type soup base or to taste

½ t. thyme

1 t. dillweed

1 t. marjoram

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

2 T. sugar

½ c. catsup

1 c. water

¼ c. flour

Sauté onion in oil until wilted. Bring water to boil in large pot. Add soup base and add cabbage. Stir in onions and remaining ingredients, except for the 1 cup of water and flour and cook, uncovered until cabbage is tender. This can take from 15-25 minutes, depending on the age of the cabbage and the size of the pieces. In jar with a tight- fitting lid combine remaining water and flour and shake until smooth. Add to cabbage mixture and cook, stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes. Adjust seasonings. This dish is great served alone, or with pork or chicken dishes or with potatoes.

Red Cabbage Salad

8 oz. shredded red cabbage

salt and pepper

1 small onion, sliced thin

4 tart apples, peeled cored and diced

1 T. each sugar and cider vinegar

2 T. oil

2 t. Dijon mustard

Place shredded cabbage in a colander sprinkling with salt after each layer is added. Allow to stand for a couple of hours, then drain cabbage and squeeze out any liquid. Place cabbage in bowl and toss the cabbage with the onion and apples and pepper to taste.  Mix remaining ingredients and toss over cabbage.

Serves 4.

Cabbage and Noodles

1 onion, chopped

Oil

4-6 cups chopped cabbage

4 c. cooked noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh or frozen chopped parsley

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until wilted and a little brown. Add cabbage and stir fry until cabbage in tender. Stir in noodles and stir until heated through. Season to taste and toss in parsley. Serves 4.

When it comes to all American fruit there are only 3 fruits native to North America- cranberries, blueberries and concord grapes. So what could be more American than Concord grape jelly? This is the time of year when they are abundant in our backyards and at  farm markets. A friend asked me recently what he might do with harvest of Concord grapes in his front yard. I suggested making grape jelly. Home made grape jelly is so much more than anything you can find at the super market.

To make the jelly, any jelly really, you need juice.

To make grape juice: Wash, stem and crush the grapes. For every gallon of crushed grapes add 1 cup of water. Cook over medium to medium low heat until fruit is very soft. Don’t bring this mixture to a boil. It will cause crystals to form in the juice. Place juice in a dampened jelly bag to drain or in a strainer lined with several layers of food-grade cheesecloth. Don’t press down on the fruit or you will force solids through the bag and you’ll cloud the juice. Once juice is finished draining you can chill it to make jelly within a day or two. Juice should be chilled at least 12 hours. Strain again before using in case tartrate crystals have formed.

To make grape jelly:

4 cups Concord grape juice- from about 3-4 pounds of grapes

3 cups sugar

Combine juice and sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until jelly reaches the gel point  or until jelly sheets off the spoon.* Remove from heat and skim off foam, if needed.** Ladle hot jelly into clean jelly jars leaving 1/4 -inch head space. wipe rims and cover with 2 piece lids. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 4 half-pint jars.

*OK- I know some of you are thinking, “What?”  Well, you dip a cool metal spoon in the jelly and lift it out then tip the spoon and watch the jelly as it pours off the spoon. At first the jelly will just pour off but as it gets closer to the gel state it will start to pour off the spoon in more of a sheet- like a little ( OK very little) jelly waterfall. You can also tip the spoon and watch for 2 drops of jelly to come together and drip off the spoon as one big drop.  You can also put a small amount of the jelly onto a chilled plate. Place plate in freezer until jelly cools down to room temp. Run your finger through it. It should separate then slowly come back together. If this is making you crazy just buy a box of pectin and follow the directions for grape jelly. It will gel just fine with pectin.

** To reduce the amount of foam you can add 1 teaspoon of butter to the juice right at the beginning of the cooking process . It will reduce or completely eliminate the need to skim off foam.

Hope this helps, Jared.