Preserving the Harvest

For the past two weeks, the CSA boxes have been really full with up to 16 different vegetables, not including herbs and garlic!  We cleaned out the last of the early summer cabbage and the first beetroot and carrot plantings, had a great broccoli crop, a bumper harvest of beans and a rocket planting that never seemed to end.  We love loading these heavy boxes into the cooler and wonder what will be created in kitchens around the peninsula.

We have had a few emails regarding what's left in the vegetable drawer as members get ready for this weeks box.  Here are some of the ways we have found to preserve the harvest - fermentation, condiments, freezing and jarring.

Last year, I wrote a post on Preserving, Fermenting and Freezing which may also lend some inspiration. It has a list of some of my favourite preserving books.

These suggestions range from very simple to requiring a bit more time and effort.  It really helps to keep a supply of jars and new lids on hand throughout the summer.  If you do not have to look and/or clean the jars, you greatly reduce your time. The relish for example takes 1hour and 15 minutes from start to finish.  I also tend to stock our pantry with good quality vinegars and any special herbs now so that when I have the produce, I can get started right away.

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Greens Beans I was passed on a traditional New England recipe for Dilly Beans.  I usually make at least one batch as they are a fun addition to an entree platter or you can make a batch of these Spicy Dilly Beans to stir a Bloody Mary.

I love adding beans to minestrone soup.  So when there is a bumper harvest, I quick freeze them by chopping them into 1 inch pieces, dropping them into boiling water for 2 minutes, quickly transferring them into very cold water and then letting them dry in a colander before bagging them into ziplocks and freezing them.  These beans can be thawed and lightly steamed for a vegetable side or added in the last five minutes to a soup.

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Beetroot Although in these parts, we can harvest beetroot year round, I love having jars of pickled beetroot and beetroot relish to add to summer and winter sandwiches and platters.

Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff has a fantastic spiced, pickled beetroot recipe.  The vinegar is countered with a touch of honey and then cinnamon sticks, whole allspice berries and peppercorns offer that wonderful spiced scent that is a pickling memory I still hold from my childhood.  These beets are a far cry from the sickly sweet ones that used to be served in the diners dotting US1 in my home state of Florida.

Beetroot Relish is a great addition to a sandwich and a cheese platter.  There are two recipes with the link and they take less then 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete!

Cabbage I love sauerkrauts and kimichis and also believe in their health giving benefits. I highly recommend Sador Ellix Katz'sbooks about fermentation.  Scythes Australia offer great fermentation pots and other useful tools.

I also like a quicker Pickled Red Cabbage recipe which includes a pickling spice mix that I really love.

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Carrots We have carrots from the beginning of December until about the end of September when it is too cold to germinate more and the ones from winter have gone to seed.  I have to admit that I have never frozen or jarred carrots to try and have them for those two months in the middle.  But I do love Home-Made Vegetable Stock!  Each week starting in mid summer, I make a big pot of stock. Vegetable, chicken, beef - I use whatever I have around and let it simmer for several hours.  I freeze it in glass bottling jars. You can also find quart containers from a packaging supply store.  It is wonderful to have fresh stock for a myriad of recipes...from gravy to stir-fries to soups.

We also juice extra carrots and make a delicious Carrot Mash.

Celery Again, as an essential ingredient in stock, I add any extra celery each week into my stock pot or we juice it.

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Chillies If you love hot sauces or Sweet Chilli Sauce,  make your own spicy condiments using pure ingredients!  They are usually simpler then the ones you can buy, do not include the myriad of preservatives or corn derivatives and are much tastier. Liana Krissoff offers several hot sauce recipes including the mango and peach hot sauce pictured above.

You can also make Curry Pastes and then keep them for at least a month in the refrigerator in an air tight jar or freeze for longer!

Kosher Dill Naturally Fermented Pickles

Cucumbers Fermented Dill Pickles or Sweet Bread and Butter Pickles, I love them all.  You can make the bread and butter pickles as refrigerator pickles in small batches and use them within 1 month, thus eliminating the need to seal the jars with a water bath.  Both Sandor Katz and Liana Krissoff have wonderful recipes for pickles that range from quick dills to two week naturally fermented ones.

Eggplant Nikki Fisher at The Wholefood Mama posted a great Eggplant Pickle recipe from Jay Black.

Radishes Again, another vegetable which pickles and ferments into a wonderful accompaniment.  I will be trying a beetroot and radish ferment in the next few weeks using Sandor Katz's recommendations and a bit of imagination.  I did find this recipe for Pickled Radish which sounded good to me.

RocketRocket Pesto freezes well and uses large amounts of rocket!  Great way to get all of its wonderful health giving benefits.

Tomatoes Now that is a post on its own and, as we are not really to that stage yet, I will leave that for now.

Zucchini You can grate zucchini, drain it in a colander and freeze it in bags to add to quiches, slices or zucchini bread all through the winter.  You can also slice it, blanch it and freeze it to use in pasta sauces or as a vegetable side.  Here is a post on Farmgirl Fare which talks about how to freeze zucchini and summer squash and the many uses for it.

Herbs And what about any extra herbs you have each week.  A simple thing to do is hang the whole bunch upside down in a cool and shaded spot of the kitchen.  When the plant has completely dried, separate the herb from the stalk or stem, ensure that it is completely dried (or put onto a baking tray and leave on top of an oven that is cooling...NOT in the oven) and jar the herbs.  These fresh herbs will be far fresher dried then anything you can buy.

You can also freeze Basil Pesto for simple dinners and yummy pizzas throughout the winter. Make it omitting the cheese and freeze in glass jars or ziplock bags.

What other ideas do you have?

Eggplant 2013

Here is a look at the Eggplant varieties we are growing and trialling this year.  'Casper' is new to us...and I have to admit being a bit resistant to trialling it.  Isn't one of the best things about eggplant the incredible purple colour?  But the promise of a less bitter tasting eggplant won me over. Eggplant 'Black Beauty' Heirloom variety introduced in 1902, the fruits are dark purple and glossy with an excellent flavour. Eggplant 'Casper' Casper' is a French heirloom with delectable, ivory-white elongated fruits. White eggplants are firmer, creamier in texture and less bitter than purple types. Eggplant 'Florida Market' Heirloom variety from Florida, USA. Glossy dark purple teardrop shaped eggplants. Excellent for slicing, stuffing, and baking. Eggplant 'Long Purple' An Italian Heirloom from the 1800's,  'Long Purple' has a milder, more delicate flavor than regular eggplant. 'Long Purple' has just a few seeds and a thin skin that makes it easy to cook. This is an excellent eggplant for curries.

For more eggplant recipes...

Ratatouille

Ingredients2*1/2 kilo eggplants, cut into cubes 1 ¾ teaspoons plus ¾ teaspoon salt, divided 1 kilo tomatoes, diced 5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1/3 cup loosely packed, chopped fresh basil ¾ cup loosely packed, chopped flat-leaf parsley 700 grams onions, thinly sliced 3 bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped 1 kilo of zucchini, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices 1/3 cup dry white wine

Method 1. Place a single layer of paper towels on 2 large plates. Place the cubed eggplant onto the plates and sprinkle with 1 ¾ teaspoon salt. Allow the eggplant to sit for 20 minutes. 2. In a large saucepan, cook the tomatoes, garlic, black pepper, basil, and parsley, uncovered, over medium heat. 3. In a large skillet, sauté the onions and bell peppers in a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very lightly browned. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the browned vegetables to the tomato mixture. 4. Pat the eggplant dry with a fresh paper towel and add it, along with the zucchini to the tomato mixture. Cover the pot and cook the stew over low-medium heat for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. 5. Add the white wine and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Eggplant Caponata

Ingredients1 eggplant 1/8 cup olive oil grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon 1tbsp capers 6 pitted green olives 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper toasted pine nuts Parmesan

Method 1. Cut eggplant into cubes. 2. Cook in olive oil for about 10 min, until golden and softened. 3. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. 4. Toss eggplant other ingredients. This is good just as a side salad, as an entree with bread, or with pasta.

Thai Vegetarian Red Curry

This Vegetarian Thai red curry recipe is easy to follow and combines shallots, lemongrass, red chillies, galangal, cumin, coriander seeds, kaffir lime leaves, wheat gluten or tofu, yams or sweet potatoes, Japanese or Chinese eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, and Thai holy basil.Ingredients Paste 3 shallots OR 1 small red onion, diced 1 stalk lemongrass (see instructions below) 1-3 red chillies (depending on desired spiciness) 3 cloves garlic 1 thumb-size piece galangal, peeled and sliced (may be substituted with ginger) 1/4 tsp. white pepper (may be substituted with black pepper) 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, roasted and ground with pestle & mortar (or a coffee-grinder) 3 Tbsp. regular (light) soy sauce or tamari 1 kaffir lime leaf 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce 1 tsp. brown sugar 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric (or 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh turmeric, sliced)

Other 10-15 cherry tomatoes, or 3-4 regular tomatoes, sliced 3-4 kaffir lime leaves 1 small Japanese eggplant, sliced into bite-size pieces (do not peel, as there are vitamins in the skin) 1 sweet red pepper, or 1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

Optional 1 small sweet potato (or yam), peeled and cut into cubes 1/2 cup fresh Thai holy basil leaves OR sweet basil 1 package firm tofu cut into bite-size cubes 1 to 2 cans coconut milk (depending on how mild you like your curry, or how much sauce you prefer)

Method 1. To make the paste, place all paste ingredients in a food processor. 2. Add 1/2 can of the coconut milk and process into a paste. 3. Place paste, tofu, remaining 1/2 can coconut milk, and limes leaves in a casserole dish. 4. Stir well until paste is thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients. 5. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Then remove from oven and add vegetables. Stir well. (Note: if you prefer more sauce, or if you find the curry tastes too spicy, add 1/2 can more coconut milk.) 6. After another 10 minutes, remove from oven. Check to make sure vegetables are cooked to your liking. 7. Do a taste test for salt and spice. If not salty enough, add up to 2 Tbsp. more soy sauce (or season with sea salt). If not spicy enough, add another red chilli, sliced finely, OR 1-2 tsp. Thai chilli sauce. If too salty, add up to 2 Tbsp. lime juice. If too spicy, add a little more coconut milk (yogurt will work too if you are non-vegan) and stir well. 8. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves (these can be roughly chopped if too large), and serve with plenty of Thai fragrant rice (white or brown) for a nutritionally complete and satisfying meal.

Source:  Darlene Schmidt, Your Guide to Thai Food

Eggplant in a Thai Green Curry

This fantastic Thai green curry recipe features eggplant and red pepper (carrots make a great substitute if these are not in season).  You can add cauliflower, zucchini, beans...really any other stir fry vegetables you have in the fridge.  The homemade green curry paste is what makes this dish such a lovely combination of distinct flavours, so don't be tempted to substitute the store-bought variety. Top the curry with fresh basil.

Ingredients

1 can good-quality coconut milk

3 Asian eggplant (the long thin ones), sliced diagonally into 1cm thick rounds

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

1/3 cup fresh Thai or sweet basil

1/2 cup stock (I use chicken)

Green Curry Paste 3 stalk fresh lemongrass, minced 250 grams green chilies, sliced (if you can't find Thai chilies, jalapeno will work) 1 shallot, sliced OR 1/4 cup diced red onion 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup of fresh galangal OR fresh ginger, sliced approx. 1 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, leaves & stems 1/8 cup coriander seeds, roasted and ground 1 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted and ground 1/2 tsp whole white pepper, ground 2-3 tbsp fish sauce 1 tsp shrimp paste 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar 1 tbsp lime juice

Method 1. Place all 'Green Curry Paste' ingredients together in a food processor, blender, chopper, or pestle & mortar. Add up to 1/4 can of the coconut milk, enough to help blend ingredients (reserve the rest for later). Process (or pound) well to create an aromatic Thai green curry paste. If you don't have a food processor or chopper: try using a blender, or finely mince all ingredients by hand and stir together well. 2. Heat a wok or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2-3 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the green curry paste. Stir-fry briefly to release the fragrance (1 minute), then add the vegetables which take the longest to cook like carrots and cauliflower. Stir for 2 minutes coating with spices. 3. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Simmer 6-10 minutes (until the carrots start to tender). 4. Set aside 1/4 cup coconut milk, reserving it for use later (the thick cream is best). Add the rest of the coconut milk to the curry, plus the eggplant and beans (if using). Stir everything together, cover, and simmer another 7-8 minutes, or until eggplant is tender enough to pierce with a fork. 5. Add the bell pepper. Cover and simmer another 2-3 minutes, or until everything is well cooked. 6. Remove from heat and gently stir in the 1/4 cup reserved coconut milk. Taste-test, adding more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. Add more lime juice if too salty or sweet for your taste. Add more sugar if not sweet enough. More chili can also be added. 7. Serve with a generous amount of fresh basil and or more coriander.