Just to refresh, these last several posts, and most of the ones coming this year are from a modest book of food notes I put together. They are mostly about saving time (and occasionally not) around processing and preserving whole foods — shortcuts and tasty innovations I wish someone else had passed on to me…
Preserving Cassis (black currant, ribes nigrum), part 2
This post picks up where the last one left off, using the ingredients developed there. Here’s the link for reference. DEHYDRATING, the other choice, has a nice bonus product. After 3 to 5 days at room temperature, the fruit will have shrunk to about ½ the volume of the jar, and the honey will be…
Preserving Cassis (black currant, ribes nigrum), part 1
I’ve refined two very different, delicious, and nutritious ways of preserving cassis. Today, FRESH CURRANTS PRESERVED IN HONEY Fill jars with the clean, dry fruit, to an inch from the top. Fill again with good local raw honey to cover. Using a narrow utensil, gently shift things around so any air pockets are released, topping…
The Small Fruits: Quickly Cleaning Black Currants
Can there can ever be too many of the exquisite small red, purple, and blue fruits — all the berries? Unlikely. When there are not enough, they can be mixed with apples (as sauce, pie, etc.) and their flavors will still shine. While they are all wonderful, and fresh is the way to live while…
Parsley, it’s food!
Part cookbook, herbal, and gardening guide, these posts offer a collection of food-related notes on growing, harvesting, and prep methods. They’ve evolved over thirty-three years of combining my commitment to eat as much wild and home-grown food as possible with an over-full life of unrelated passions and pursuits. I hope something among them will enrich or…
Bracing Green Juice
This juice is enthusiastically savoury, forget the apples and bananas. Buy or grow plenty of extra arugula in season and freeze it for the dark months — this juice is even better from frozen. It’s a great way to get not only a LOT of green goodness, but also all the good stuff in…
Arugula
Arugula is in the brassica family and allows those who prefer to avoid kale or cabbage to carry on fully nourished. Here in the northeast, I plant great quantities of arugula every 2-3 weeks from early spring through late summer. I absolutely LOVE it. What isn’t eaten as salad is frozen raw, crammed in bags just like…
Chard, part 2
Last week was about why Chard is a good basic in the garden; now, how to preserve it for when you don’t have any fresh. TWO WAYS TO PROCESS CHARD FOR FUTURE USE Do the following once a week or so, after the plants are established if you are growing it, or of course, at your…
Chard, part 1
Since it’s planting time, I’ll say a few words about one to consider. Next week, some low-stress approaches to storing it for the off-season, whether you grow it or buy it. If garden and freezer space are very tiny and you must prioritize, chard will give the most monetary return. It is astounding how much…
Four Seasons of Goat Cheese, Primavera
After 27 years hand-producing and direct-selling countless tons of goat cheeses, I’ve accumulated quite a few options for creating variety with what’s at hand. SPRING: BANANA OMELETTE …
Sustenance For A Wild Woman 