Cucumbers Galore
A garden offers so many wonders. Whether growing a patio tomato or the whole produce department, you know the feeling.... sitting down to eat the bounty from your plot of earth, big or small. There is nothing like biting into something that you nurtured day after day to it's maturity. Sharing the gardens riches with friends is another of the garden perks. Pickles, preserves or baked goods made from what I've grown and nurtured are a true gift of love... to give and receive.
One vegetable that I adore growing is the good old cucumber. That good old cucumber gives us pickles, dill or sweet, whole or sliced and relish. How about soups; gazpacho and chilled cucumber with yogurt, YUM! How about some raita served with grilled unleavened bread? I could eat that duo for every meal! As kids I remember eating marinated cucumber and mayo sandwiches! Last but not least, how about that ever popular, never a southern summer table without, bowl of sliced cucumbers with a bit of dill, a pinch of sugar and vinegar?
Because there are so many things a person can make with cucumbers, size doesn't really matter BUT if pickling is your intent, it can be tricky harvesting cucumbers. Since the very best pickles are made from cuc's right off the vine you want to be able to pick enough of the same size all at one time. Unless you have quite a few cucumber plants it's not likely you'll find the quantity needed in one picking. When a few cucumbers are ready to be picked the others are still coming. That is why I love this DILL Pickle recipe from a previous blog post...all you need is enough cucumbers to fill one quart jar at a time.
Alas, you invariably end up with some cucumbers that sit on the vine too long. And, as those of you who've grown them before know, there is always that one hidden cuc you discover that has been growing for goodness knows how long. Yikes! A great option for those cucumbers is my Cinnamon Pickles from a previous post
This ongoing struggle with my cucumber harvest has probably been the source of my love of them today. I do not like to waste anything so no matter the size or shape; I had to create! I'm loving a pantry full of edibles for my table, gifts of love for family and friends and what better then a homemade gift for a host/hostess.... straight from your kitchen!
Today, I'm talking relish!
This was my first attempt and I can't say enough about the ease and results. One thing that did jump out at me was the color of the results...why wasn't my relish green? I now know they add blue dye to relish, EEK...no need, just change your expectation...it is so worth the small effort.
I adapted this recipe from Genius Kitchen
Tangy Pickle Relish
makes 6-7 1/2 pint jars
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 lbs cucumbers , peeled and seeds removed
- 2 -3 sweet onions
- 1⁄4 cup pickling salt
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dill seeds
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
- red pepper flakes to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Finely chop cucumbers and onions. I use a food processor and do smaller batches to be sure not too fine. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, stir well. Let stand for 1 hour.
- Drain mixture in a colander, rinse under cold water and drain again, pressing out any excess moisture.
- In a large pot, bring vinegar, sugar, garlic, dill seed, mustard seed, celery seed, and pepper flakes to a boil.
- Add cucumber mixture, bring to a boil again, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add the turmeric and mix well.
- Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal with lids and rings. Process in boiling water bath in canner for 10 minutes.
Winter Garden
Garlic in the Snow |
Winter gardening, it's kind of an oxymoron isn't it? Planting and harvesting fresh green vegi's in the winter months, really? Now I'm convinced everyone should try it! If I didn't have my prepared garden beds I'd have pots and beds on my patio and small containers of started seeds all over my kitchen window sill awaiting their place outside. As much as my hubby and I eat lettuce and the like, I plant seeds a few at a time so I have an extended harvest, or in plain English....lettuce all the time!
Have you noticed the price of fresh foods lately? It's crazy! If you really pay attention to the quality of those fresh foods it's even crazier! In our house we eat a lot of fresh vegetables so anything I grow rather then buy really makes a difference to our bottom line. Heck, just keeping me out of the store is worthwhile. Farm life keeps me a bit secluded some weeks and the grocery store becomes an outing I look forward to (sad but true) and that is not the formula for walking out with only 1-2 items! So, when I don't have to make that quick trip to the store for the perishable things we seem to always need most, it saves money and time. Let's not forget the increased health benefits from the garden freshness too. The vitamins are at their peak when picked. For me, knowing exactly how the food is grown and handled adds that much more satisfaction!
Arugula at 3 weeks |
Tango Lettuce at 4 weeks |
Onion that doubles as chive like herb |
The winter garden is also stress free. Less yield for me gives me more flexibility for the when and how the food gets from the garden to our plates. In the prime growing months when the bounty is brimming I sometimes find getting out there to pick before things get over ripe haunts me. Preparing that bounty before it goes to waste...I sometimes get stressed about that too. Don't get me wrong, I love making preserves, canning tomatoes or just preparing that fabulous freshness from our garden. Let's face it, when those vines are spilling over and the branches weep from weight I often have plenty else to do. So, winter gardening reminds me how manageable it can be and when it is, I am more inclined to enjoy it. It kind of re-exposes me to the 'root' of it all and I look forward to the bounty ahead.
I hope you will all find some seeds, whether you flip the pages of a catalogue or grab a pack as your standing in the check out of your favorite home improvement store, choose a vessel, and give it a try! I promise it will brighten even the gloomiest of winter days.
Pickles!
I don't know about you but I love pickles. Sweet, sour, spicy, chips, spears and those almost embarrassing whole ones...hey, I'm referring to the mere size...some so big we might wonder if one person could finish them.. Actually, I love anything "pickled" but today I am writing about the cucumber sort. I have a recipe to share with you! Pickles, pickled by the jar! Yep, that's right...8-10 cucumbers, depending on the size and you can have yourself a jar of fabulous pickles waiting in your larder for the day your taste buds water for the garlicky, salt and vinegar cure of that firm crisp pickle! You know the kind? The kind addictions are made of. Once the the vinegar begins to manipulate the sides of your mouth there is no turning back. Just one, are you kidding?
On our farm the garden is mostly about our own personal consumption and I'm learning how to deal with the various phases of the bounty. Pickles are the reason I plant cucumbers. The smaller (under 5" long) cuc's are good for dill pickles. As long as the cucumbers aren't bitter (not enough constant water) and not too large (over 2" in diameter) they're always good for B&B's (bread & butters for those not familiar with pickle vernacular). In my humble opinion FRESH picked is always key when it comes to pickles! I don't believe I have ever met a pickle aficionado that wouldn't stick their nose up at soft pickles!
Now, listen up, a few successful canning's and an expert I am, NOT! One of the reasons I am sharing this recipe; it is so darn easy. I promise, if you try this recipe two things will happen. 1) You won't believe how easy it is. 2) You too will feel like an expert
I am the type with BIG ideas and not always enough time, or these days, energy to get er done. So, this recipe really appealed to me. At the end of a long day working , destroying the kitchen with canning equipment spread from one end to the other doesn't appeal to me. Another reason I like this recipe is the ease of dealing with your daily harvest. In most home gardens the yield is a few a day. So, collecting the quantity of pickles needed for most other recipes can be a pain. Since the freshness of the pick contributes to the "
crisp
" of the bite, if you collect over time you'll have older cucumbers too. I believe the older ones have the potential to risk the crispness factor. Now I know some of you are wondering about those pickles resting on the grocery shelf. Don't think about! I wouldn't even try it. Just buy elsewhere. There are plenty farmers and farmers markets around these days that freshness shouldn't be an issue. When the seasons not right, don't pickle. By the way, have you seen
? Cucumbers are some kind of easy to grow.
When I found this recipe I was stoked. This is my third year using this recipe and I think I've finally perfected it. I adapted it from a recipe I found in
Magazine.
First, you want to wash your cucumbers well and snip the vine end, just a snip. I'm told if left on the cucumber it can create a bacteria in the jar that would ruin the whole batch. I'm not going to guide you through the basics of preparing the canning jars cause it is pretty basic stuff. You want to sterilize each jar and the lids. Any questions check out
site.
Using pint or quart size jars ( better for gifting) :
Place in the bottom of the jar
1 clove of garlic
1 healthy sprig of dill
1 dried hot pepper or a shake or 2 of hot pepper flakes (optional)
Next stuff each jar with as many cucumbers as possible. I sometimes use a wooden spoon end to manuever the cuc's to make room. They somehow snuggle up in the space. Leave 1/2" headroom from the top of the jar. If you'd prefer not to leave them whole the spears also work great in this recipe.
Add:
1-1.5 Tablespoon of non-iodized salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
Fill the rest of the jar w/ boiling water, again making sure to leave the 1/2" headroom.
Last but far from least place a fresh grape leaf on top of the jar before you seal it. I know most of you won't have access to such a thing. The old timers say it is the final step to assuring crispness. Maybe a neighbor has some grapes? If they have grape vines, they have leaves a plenty. Maybe it's the very thing needed to bring neighbor to neighbor?
Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.
Make sure the jars seal.
In 6-8 weeks your pickles will be ready for the tasting. Don't dilute the experience with crackers or anything else for that matter. You will not stop at eating one and you'll be running about the house bragging on your yummy treat. No, me, I didn't do that.....
What comes at the end of a Blog? Unresolved photo placement!
Flavor!
I considered FLAVOR successes the result of experience and creativity in the preparation...all attached to a finished product, say a fine cheese from a family that had been mastering the art for generations. I didn't realize what you begin with, the raw ingredients, could have such an impact on the final result. I thought, and why wouldn't I, that any bright green pepper without blemishes would provide the absolute complexity of any other green pepper anywhere, right?
SlowFood, founded in Italy in 1986 and soon after taking root throughout the US, helped me realize that the integrity of our food was in jeopardy. I became reacquainted with the most basic "ingredients" in my food experiences. I became educated to "organics" and familiar with "local" economies and the benefits of eating local. Farmers Markets were popping up everywhere. My thirst for fresh, local, healthy, juicy, FLAVOR full options became obvious. About the same time I saw the emergence of terms like "heritage" breeds and "heirloom" varieties...FLAVORS surpassed for bigger, prettier, faster growing, and disease resistant options. All these sheep, pigs, cows, and chickens with distinct flavors and natural lean qualities that couldn't keep up with the demands of the factory farm operations, too small, too slow growing, and not domesticated enough....all being replaced. As for our fruits and vegi's that were a little too fragile, or not pretty enough...also being replaced. As for our intimate food experiences, who had the time anymore?
Before now the naive belief that getting food to us faster, making it last longer, have a better shelf life, more of it and cheaper prices had been the perceived solution in our growing society. We were paying a huge price to achieve our goals. FLAVOR was gradually being sacrificed, but how were we to know?
My move to the farm brought the venue for my continued adventure down FLAVOR lane. With fresh vegi's from my garden and other farmers it became more and more apparent, the FLAVOR differences were so obvious. I believe my first mind blowing experience was the almighty tomato. Who doesn't know the difference between a garden fresh, ripened by the sun, hopefully heirloom tomato and a store bought, well traveled, refrigerated alternative? As I walked from my own garden with a spear of asparagus, watching the water flow from the freshly cut end, I realized I felt almost robbed. My ONLY experience with asparagus had been on my plate or in the grocery store with the ends dry and looking like the corrugated threads of cardboard. Walking toward my house that tender spear didn't have a chance, YUM! Even if you could bite into that pale green flesh at a grocery you wouldn't because tender, as we've known it, happened only after cooking. I bought carrots at the farmers market so sweet I'd swear I'd eaten a decadent dessert and lettuce varieties of all kinds, spicy, sweet, crisp and curled, dark green, light and even red. WOW! I was like a child learning the nuances of the very food I'd been so passionately consuming. Everything grabbed my senses. It wasn't until I realized FLAVOR was a choice not a given that I began to really pay attention.
So, whats the most important take away from my journey...we must engage in where our food comes from. I know we are all going through a food revolution of sorts. Those at the most basic end of the spectrum might be questioning buying from the big box stores, while others like me can barely shop in a grocery store at all. As I said I am lucky to have healthful, FLAVORFUL, fresh options mostly outside my door. My hope is at the very least you are all awakened by some morsel of food that makes your mouth water and your tongue dance too. I am more and more convinced we each have to find our way back to REAL SLOW WHOLE Food.
To be continued.......
-
September 2024
- Sep 10, 2024 Back to basics with sheep healthcare Sep 10, 2024
- Sep 10, 2024 Mac and Cheese Bites Sep 10, 2024
-
August 2024
- Aug 12, 2024 Tales of a female farmer Aug 12, 2024
-
July 2024
- Jul 12, 2024 Caring for sheep hides Jul 12, 2024
- Jul 11, 2024 Cucumber Lemonade Jul 11, 2024
- Jul 1, 2024 Cucumber Gazpacho Jul 1, 2024
-
May 2024
- May 23, 2024 Almonds, Sweet and Spicy May 23, 2024
-
January 2024
- Jan 17, 2024 Sheep fencing gone wrong… Jan 17, 2024
- Jan 17, 2024 In the beginning :Tales from the shepherd Jan 17, 2024
-
April 2023
- Apr 3, 2023 The journey to vegetarian, or not? Apr 3, 2023
-
March 2023
- Mar 20, 2023 Making sense of scents, or not... Mar 20, 2023
-
February 2023
- Feb 26, 2023 Lamb Sliders Feb 26, 2023
-
March 2022
- Mar 15, 2022 HOW TO BE THE BEST SHEPHERD: Lessons from a sheep Mar 15, 2022
-
January 2022
- Jan 17, 2022 Lamb Bone Broth /Stock Jan 17, 2022
-
April 2021
- Apr 26, 2021 Farming through Covid Apr 26, 2021
-
June 2020
- Jun 19, 2020 Turning 60 Jun 19, 2020
-
January 2020
- Jan 12, 2020 wool dryer ball transparency Jan 12, 2020
-
September 2019
- Sep 10, 2019 It's hard not to project Sep 10, 2019
-
June 2019
- Jun 21, 2019 Weaning, a whole new meaning Jun 21, 2019
- Jun 17, 2019 Strawberry Balsamic Basil Pops Jun 17, 2019
- Jun 10, 2019 Collard Salad Jun 10, 2019
-
February 2019
- Feb 28, 2019 Shearing Day was not a washout! Feb 28, 2019
- Feb 5, 2019 The life of a sheep! Feb 5, 2019
-
January 2019
- Jan 25, 2019 Lamb Liver Paté Jan 25, 2019
-
August 2018
- Aug 23, 2018 Pokeweed, Friend or Foe? Aug 23, 2018
-
July 2018
- Jul 20, 2018 Cucumbers Galore Jul 20, 2018
-
September 2016
- Sep 5, 2016 Mother Nature's Lessons Sep 5, 2016
-
August 2016
- Aug 23, 2016 Walking the Walk Aug 23, 2016
-
July 2015
- Jul 2, 2015 To Wean or not to Wean Jul 2, 2015
-
February 2015
- Feb 1, 2015 Sustainability & Our Precious Soil Feb 1, 2015
-
July 2014
- Jul 24, 2014 Squash Lasagna Jul 24, 2014
- Jul 24, 2014 Squash Squares Jul 24, 2014
-
June 2014
- Jun 2, 2014 Sustainability...What's it all about! Jun 2, 2014
-
May 2014
- May 29, 2014 What I know now.... May 29, 2014
-
April 2014
- Apr 4, 2014 Is the boss the farmer or the sheep? Apr 4, 2014
- Apr 3, 2014 Felted Chicks Apr 3, 2014
-
January 2014
- Jan 28, 2014 Lamb Ribs Jan 28, 2014
- Jan 26, 2014 DIY Wool Dryer Balls Jan 26, 2014
- Jan 15, 2014 Let the New Year Begin Jan 15, 2014
- Jan 13, 2014 DIY Heat Jan 13, 2014
-
October 2013
- Oct 30, 2013 WHOLEsome Food: EGGS Oct 30, 2013
- Oct 7, 2013 Cinnamon Pickles Oct 7, 2013
- Oct 7, 2013 Dog Biscuits Oct 7, 2013
-
September 2013
- Sep 18, 2013 Peaches, Peaches everywhere Sep 18, 2013
-
August 2013
- Aug 14, 2013 The Spider and the Butterfly Aug 14, 2013
-
July 2013
- Jul 30, 2013 They don't wear galoshes Jul 30, 2013
- Jul 21, 2013 Blackberry Lime Jam Jul 21, 2013
- Jul 11, 2013 Lamb Sliders Jul 11, 2013
- Jul 9, 2013 Our Little Orchard Jul 9, 2013
- Jul 2, 2013 The Hay Bale Fiasco Jul 2, 2013
-
May 2013
- May 17, 2013 My Secret Place May 17, 2013
- May 2, 2013 April. Did I miss it? May 2, 2013
-
March 2013
- Mar 28, 2013 Prada to Carhart Mar 28, 2013
-
February 2013
- Feb 21, 2013 Puttin Up the Fence Feb 21, 2013
- Feb 7, 2013 Lovely Cup of Chai Feb 7, 2013
- Feb 5, 2013 Looking for Llama's Feb 5, 2013
-
January 2013
- Jan 29, 2013 Winter Garden Jan 29, 2013
- Jan 24, 2013 The rams are back in their pasture Jan 24, 2013
-
September 2012
- Sep 7, 2012 Pickles! Sep 7, 2012
-
June 2012
- Jun 13, 2012 Morning Gifts Jun 13, 2012
- Jun 5, 2012 Finding the Words Jun 5, 2012
-
April 2012
- Apr 13, 2012 The girls and a few token boys! Apr 13, 2012
-
March 2012
- Mar 30, 2012 Flavor! Mar 30, 2012
-
October 2011
- Oct 9, 2011 Hay. A little three letter word that packs a PUNCH! Oct 9, 2011
-
July 2011
- Jul 22, 2011 The Glorious Tomato Jul 22, 2011
-
February 2011
- Feb 10, 2011 Shearing Day 2011 Feb 10, 2011
-
November 2010
- Nov 30, 2010 This farm gives me Goose Bumps Nov 30, 2010
-
July 2010
- Jul 23, 2010 Another aHaa Moment in Farming Jul 23, 2010
-
February 2010
- Feb 24, 2010 Farmers Wearing Lace? Feb 24, 2010
- Feb 16, 2010 Girls with no Coats Feb 16, 2010
-
January 2010
- Jan 4, 2010 Midnite on the farm Jan 4, 2010
-
April 2009
- Apr 22, 2009 Hard Day on the Farm Apr 22, 2009
- Apr 15, 2009 Lamb Meatballs Apr 15, 2009
- Apr 14, 2009 Spring Apr 14, 2009
- Apr 14, 2009 Roasted Coffee Marinated Leg of Lamb Apr 14, 2009
- Apr 13, 2009 In the Beginning Apr 13, 2009