Chicken Angel

rhubarb strawberry jam

1 lb. rhubarb, trimmed and sliced in 1/2 inch pieces 1 lb. strawberries, trimmed and hulled 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup apple juice pinch salt juice of 1 lemon

Combine fruit and juice in a pot, cook 15 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Add sugar, lemon juice and salt. . . . → Read More: rhubarb strawberry jam

Sour Dill Pickles

Pickling cucumbers to fill suitable ceramic, glass or plastic crock (5#) Grape leaves Fresh or Dry Dill, Garlic, Chilies, Black Pepper, Mustard Seed, etc. 6T Kosher Salt 2 Quarts Water

Try to find cucumbers that are uniform in size and firm — you don’t want to make pickles with old, floppy cucumbers. Clean . . . → Read More: Sour Dill Pickles

Jigsaw (Enigma, #3)

Tomato Hot Pepper Jam

2.5# Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes Mixed chilies to taste (2 Orange Habenero, 2 ripe red Jalapenos, 2 Fish, 2 Thai dragon) 2 cups sugar Juice of one lemon big pinch of sel gris

Mill everything tomatoes and peppers and combine in non-reactive pot with sugar and lemon juice and bring . . . → Read More: Jigsaw (Enigma, #3)

Sauerkraut: if I’d only known you were so easy

We love sauerkraut and have been happily forking over for Alexander Valley Gourmet’s fresh sauerkraut to get our fermented veggie fix. We’d been put off trying to make our own by accounts of wet moldy rags and open pickling crocks and then we read this SF. Chronicle article on fermented foods that had a . . . → Read More: Sauerkraut: if I’d only known you were so easy

Zucchini Bread

-OR-

What to do when you’re finally tired of using overgrown zucchinis as baseball bats

Nocino

Emily made a batch of Nocino with this recipe this year to celebrate her birthday and we just finished bottling it tonight. The walnuts were a little ahead of us this year and may have been a little too mature. It is also a little citrusy and doesn’t have the depth that we hoped . . . → Read More: Nocino

Refrigerator Pickles

2 large cukes 1/2 yellow onion, sliced 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1c water 1c cider vinegar 1 1/2 c sugar (to taste) salt (to taste, 1/2 t?) 1t mustard seeds 1t turmeric 1/2 t celery seeds 1/2 t pickling spice 1/2 t red pepper flakes

Toast spices to help release flavors, combine with . . . → Read More: Refrigerator Pickles

Apricot Preserves #1

5# Apricots juice and zest of 1 lemon 3c sugar 1c, scant, water kernels from 1/2 of the apricots

Combine all ingredients, cook, process!

Apricot Lavender Jam #1

4# Apricots (Blenheim) Juice and zest from 1 lemon 3c sugar 1 scant cup water 1/4 cup fresh lavender flowers kernels from about 1/2 of apricots

Combine all incredients, except for lavender flowers in a heavy pot and cook until nearly done. Add lavender flowers to taste and cook another 5 to 10 . . . → Read More: Apricot Lavender Jam #1

Milk Maid

3/4oz Nocino della Cristina 1/2 oz Galliano 1/2 oz Cointreau 1/2 oz citrus infused vodka 1 oz cream 1 egg white

Shake, with ice, serve in a cocktail class. Maybe with a preserved cherry or lemon twist spritzed around the rim.

We’ve been searching for a cocktail to features Nocino della Cristina but haven’t . . . → Read More: Milk Maid