EASY SWEET PICKLES is a divine pickle recipe you can almost eat-right-away. It’s perfect when you have a craving for a sweet/sour flavor. It gives a wonderful lift to your favorite deli meat sandwich. It is positively addictive on a grilled hamburger. Add it to chopped salads. Plus the jars look so beautiful in your refrigerator. It only takes 15 minutes to make. It’s ready to go in eight hours, and it will last, refrigerated, for up to 5 days.
Monday’s heavy rain was just too much for my laden tomato plants. Vines snapped and dropped. Those tomatoes were never going to ripen. I rescued them from the vines to make PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES. These are great with rich grilled and braised meats. Simple to make, delicious to eat. Now you’ve found another use for all your green tomatoes.
Makes 2 quarts (recipe easily halved for one quart
3 ir 4 dried red chilies
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp. cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp ground mace
2 tbs black peppercorns
5 garlic cloves
4 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tbs kosher salt
2 pounds green tomatoes of equal size
Combine all the ingredients plus 1/2 cup water in a nonreactive saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the liquid cool slightly.
Lightly prick each tomato 4 to 5 times with a wooden skewer. Place them in two 1-quart jars, cover them with the warm liquid, and screw on the lids. Refrigerate the tomatoes for up to l month. Start nibbling on them in a couple of days. Now wasn’t that easy.
This is exotic and delicious recipe. When I want to make something with an Asian flavour it’s my very favorite. However, I feel the dressing for the Asian Coleslaw has too much salt. I suggest you salt to taste, but salt lightly. There’s a lot happening in the meat marinade so you don’t really need all that salt.
If you are faint at heart when it comes to spicy food reduce the amount of Asian chili Sauce. This dish is just too good not to make.
Serves 4-6
l large tenderloin about 1 1/2 pounds. 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 3 tbsp. light brown sugar 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tbsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger 1 tbsp. Asian chile sauce 1 pound thinly sliced cabbage (about 6 cups) 1 generous cup grated carrots 4-6 scallions (both white and green parts) thinly sliced 5 tbsp. canola or peanut oil Kosher salt.
Trim the pork of any silver-skin and excess far, and cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick medallions.
In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, 2 tbsp of the vinegar, 2 tbsp. of the brown sugar, the garlic, ginger, 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil, and 2 tsp chile sauce. Toss 1/2 cup of this mixture with the pork medallions in a large bowl; reserve the remaining mixture to use as a sauce. Let the pork sit at room temperature or 25 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in another large bowl, toss the cabbage and carrots with half of the scallions, l tbsp canola oil, salt to taste, and the remaining 2 tbsp vinegar. l tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp tablespoon sesame oil and l tsp chile sauce. Let sit for l5 minutes, toss and again, and transfer to a large serving platter.
Heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium high heat until shimmering hot. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and transfer the pork to a clean plate. Discard the marinade. Add half of the pork medallions to the skillet, spacing them evenly. Cook them without touching until well browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the pork is just cooked through (slice into a piece to check), about 2 more minutes. Set the pork on top of the slaw.
Pour out the oil and the pan with paper towels (if the drippings on the bottom of the pan look like they may burn, wash the pan). Return the pan to medium high heat. Add the remaining 3 tbsp canola oil and cook the remaining medallions in the same manner. Top the slaw with the remaining pork and pour the reserved soy-ginger sauce of the medallions. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining scallions.
Chef Notes: I wiped the pan again after cooking the medallions and quickly sauteed the green onions in a small amount of oil. This sweets the onions and intensified their colour
Cornichons à la Française
Everyone interested in French cuisine has, at one time or another, bought a jar of these excellent tiny pickled cucumbers. If you can find baby pickling cucumbers, they are as easy to make as boiling an egg.
I was delighted to discover these sweet little one pound packages of crispy cucumbers at our marvelous local grocery store, Budget Foods. They’re grown up the valley in Langley, B.C. As soon as I saw them I thought CORNICHONS! My good gardening friend Dellis and I had been discussing this very treat.
Recipe:
They should average about 1 1/2 inches and should be freshly picked and slightly underripe; try to get them with a tiny bit of the stem still attached. Some of the cucumbers I bought were a little longer than this but they will still work.
You should ideally have a stoneware crock in which to store them, but a Mason jar will also do. If you are going to keep the pickles for a long time , it is a good idea to put a few fresh grape leaves into the jar to keep the pickles crisp.
To make one jar:
1 pound baby pickling cucumbers, scrubbed, soaked overnight in heavily salted water, drained and dried.
About 3-4 cups of white wine vinegar
Pack the cucumbers neatly and tightly into the jar. To determine how much vinegar is needed, pour it into the jar to about 1 inch above the top of the cucumbers. Now, pour off the vinegar into a large enameled, tinned or stainless-steel pan, and bring to a boil. Add an extra 1/2 cup of vinegar. At once, pour the vinegar, still at a boil, over the cucumbers in the jar and let the cucumbers soak for a full 24 hours.
Again, pour off the vinegar into the pan, bring it back to a boil, add an extra 1/2 cup of fresh vinegar, then pour the boiling vinegar over the cucumbers, cover, and let them soak for another 24 hours. Repeat exactly the same operation for the third time. This time, however, let the cucumbers soak, covered, in a cool place for six weeks. Take out the pickles as you need them. Always make sure that the remaining pickles are covered by liquid. Add more vinegar at any time, as necessary.
Now make a paté to go with your pickles. Enjoy!
This is the time of year to make marmalade. Bottle a little sunshine while grapefruit are so well priced. This recipe was given to me by my gardening guru Dellis. She is an enthusiastic jam maker.
RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT MARMALADE
3 Ruby Red grapefruit (about 3 pounds)
2 lemons
3 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar.
First wash and scrub the skin really well. Remove the zest from the fruit. The easiest way is to lightly score the skin and peel away from the grapefruit in sections.
Using a very thin, sharp knife scrap the pith away from the peel.
Peel and scrape as much of the pith and membrane off your grapefruit and lemon sections
In a bowl separate the fruit sections eliminating pits and stringy centre threads. Put all pieces in a good processor or blender and process until finely chopped (about 4 1/2 cups). Set aside.
With a very sharp knife cut the zest into very fine strips (1 to 2 inches long). You should about 1 1/2 cups grapefruit zest and 1/3 cup of lemon zest. In a large enamel or stainless steel sauce pan, combine the zest and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes. Drain well.
In a very sauce pan or stock pot add the fruit, zest and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Return to a boil over high heat and boil rapidly, uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the mixture gels on a cold plate or a candy thermometer registers 220F, stirring frequently. Keep the mixture boiling but do not have the heat to high or you’ll burn your jam.
Remove from heat and skim off the foam. Let your jam sit 15 minutes. This prevents the fruit rising to the surface when poured into the jars.
Ladle the hot marmalade into clean 1 cup jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Always use clean, sterilized jars. To sterilize,wash in hot soapy water, rinse well and place upside-down in a cool oven for at least half an hour. Seal immediately with two-piece lids according to manufacture’s instructions. If you are storing your jam in the freezer cool jars and then store. Alternately process in boiling water bath for ten minutes.
Now pop some bread in the toaster, or better still make scones and enjoy the fruits of your lab0ur.
In 1988 Paula Wolfert’s cookbook, WORLD OF FOODS, introduced me to PRESERVED LEMONS. The dishes in this book share common elements: deep, earthy flavours; richness without heaviness; and “big” flavour. Paula Wolfert is probably America’s most outstanding food writer. This book conveys the irresistible sheer pleasure of preparing extraordinary food. I have loved every recipe I’ve cooked from any of her books.
PRESERVED LEMONS gives you that oh so important bold flavour. Use them in salads, to finish tagines, and definitely in Caesar Salads. The recipe is quick and simple. Make lots because they keep months in your refrigerator. Put them into small jars. They make dazzling gifts.
SEVEN DAY PRESERVED LEMONS
2 Ripe lemons, 1/3 cup kosher salt (coarse), 1/2 cup lemon juice, olive oil
Scrub the lemons and dry well. Cut each lemon into four quarters leaving the bottom still attached. (so you’re not quite cutting all the way through).
Fan the lemons and pack as much salt as you can between the wedges. Pack them into a 1/2 pint glass jar with a glass or plastic-coated lid. Cover them with lemon juice (I use Real Lemon). Close the jar tightly and let the lemons ripen at room temperature for 7 days, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. To store, add olive oil to cover and refrigerate for up to six months. I always use at least 6-8 lemons. What luxury to have these lemons tucked away in your larder. Share them they are so wonderful.
To use rinse the salt from the lemon wedge, peel the flesh away and toss. Then finely slice and enjoy the amazing salty lemon flavour.
This presents the ubiquitous cranberry jelly wobbling on the table, in a much better light. The recipe is generous. You might want to make half. Or, freeze in portions to use with any kind of fowl.
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) water
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
1 orange zest only finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (50 ml) fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds (750 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
3 cups (750 ml) pears, peeled and died
1/4 cup (75 ml) whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) nutmeg freshly grated
1 tsp (5 ml) chili powder
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1/4 tsp (2 ml) cayenne pepper
Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and starts to caramelize. Immediately stir in onion orange zest, orange juice ginger and cranberries.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add pears. Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, fold in mustard and spices.
Can be made up to a week ahead and is best made one or two days before serving.
Salt is one of the most important items on your pantry shelf. Salt is an ingredient in cooking. It is important to use it in food preparation – not when the dish is finished. That’s why you taste as you cook. Pepper is a seasoning so you can wait until your dish is finished before adding it. Again taste, taste, taste.
There are all kinds of salts in the shops today. Lovely pink salt from Hawaii, gray salt from France, smoked salt for the bbq. They are pricy. Create your own flavoured salt. They are an asset in your kitchen and make wonderful little gifts.
My spiced salt recipe is simply made using ingredients found in your supermarket. It will keep a year. What more can you ask for. My recipe is as usual my old dears – on the right. Now see if you’re worth your salt!
There has been an amazing number of people making the BLT SALAD. And justifiably so. The smoky bacon, crisp fresh croutons, tart tomatoes are a perfect complement to the buttermilk dress and dark green romaine leaves. But darlings, hidden away in the recipe pages is an absolute stunning coleslaw. It’s served with the spicy Korean Pork tenderloin but it deserves more recognition. We make this in large amounts and it lasts two or three days in the refrigerator. It is wonderful as a side with sandwiches or just a bowl of coleslaw for a snack. You wont regret adding this spicy coleslaw to your repertoire.
Meanwhile, in another large bowl, toss 1 pound (6 cups) thinly sliced cabbage and one generous cup of grated carrots with three scallions white and green parts, l tbsp canola oil, salt to taste, and the remaining 2 tbsp v inegar. l tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp tablespoon sesame oil and l tsp chile sauce. Let sit for l5 minutes, toss and again, and transfer to a large serving platter.
Bel’ Occhio’s Blog
