Canning - The Comeback Kid!

Glass jar maker, Ball Corporation and Canning Across America have teamed up to create National Can It Forward Day.  On August 13^th, gather your friends and family together to continue the art of “putting up” food.

Canning is something your mother or grandmother probably did.  During the recent economic downturn, canning was rediscovered.  Take a stroll down the seasonal isle of most grocery stores, and you will find a wide array of canning supplies. 

Our grandparents canned to preserve the harvest.  They wanted to make sure there was enough food to get through winter.  We can now purchase most foods all year round.   Jams, jellies and pickles can also be purchased.  We no longer need to preserve food.   Canning is hard work.  You need to get out special equipment, wash and sanitize the jars.  It is messy work.  This is not going to be a 30 minute project.  So why would anyone want to can? 

As most do now, I searched on Wikipedia to see why people were canning.  I found no real answers.  So I decided to give you my reasons for canning.  I enjoy “all things food”.  I think I make a better product than major food companies.  I like to believe that cooking and canning give me better control over my diet. 

Whatever the reason for canning, it is on the rise.  I am not the only person slaving over jars, hot water baths, jams, jellies, and pickles.  Here are a few resources to help you get started with canning.

Websites

National Center for Home Food Preservation – http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

Ball Corporation – http://www.freshpreserving.com/home.aspx
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension –  http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/home

Books

So Easy to Preserve – University of Georgia – Cooperative Extension

The Ball Blue Book: Guide to Preserving – The Ball Corporation

Whatever recipe you use, choose a resource that has been approved by the US Department of Agriculture.  Safety is a major concern with canned products.

Good luck! And let us know about your canning projects.

Whole Wheat Bread

For years I told my students that 100% whole wheat bread was extremely difficult if not impossible to make.  Well, one year, a student decided to challenge me.  One day after class, she brought up a slice of 100% homemade whole wheat bread that her family makes.  Needless to say, it was quite tasty with a very smooth texture.  I was impressed, but still not convinced.  Sometimes it takes a little more to get some of us to move, change, etc.

I had to make whole wheat bread for a 4-H project I was working on.  I was going to prove my student wrong!  I found the perfect recipe on King Arthur flour website (http://bit.ly/rqAR0U).  It used all whole wheat flour, no white flour, no eggs, no potato, just whole wheat.   I decided to give it a try.  What to my surprise, when the bread turned out just fine.  It raised and I got a beautiful loaf of bread. 

Before you think of me as a little old fashioned and stuck in my ways, I do have a valid scientific reason for believing that you could not make a good loaf of 100% whole wheat bread.  Whole wheat flour contains fiber, which we all need to consume more of.  Fiber is good, but it plays havoc with gluten.  Gluten is the protein that stretches and traps the air, thus allowing the bread to raise.  Fiber pokes holes in gluten, which makes a denser loaf of bread.  So imagine my surprise when I got a good loaf of bread.

My colleague and I decided that maybe the method for grinding whole wheat flour has improved allowing fiber to have less negative effect on the gluten.  I also tried to make this bread with graham flour and it did not work.  The bread was dense, did not raise very much, and the flavor was bad.  Graham flour is the same as whole wheat flour, but has a coarser texture.

For this posting, I made two breads.  One I made according to the recipe on King Arthur flour website.  For the second loaf, I substituted ½ cup of whole wheat flour with the same amount of all purpose flour. 

Give either one or both a try.  Let us know how they turn out.

Left to Right:  Whole Wheat Flour; All Purpose Flour; Graham Flour

Beans in the Summertime

Growing up, we always ate beans in the winter.  My mother cooked them with pork (what else would a southerner use).  They were good, but these beans are not for summer.

Enter canned beans and salads.  Beans do not have to be hot and served with cornbread.  This is good news.  Beans are a good source of protein, fiber, potassium and folic acid and they are virtually fat free.  We need not wait until winter to eat beans.  Salads are another way to consume beans.  If you want a complete protein in one dish, make a bean and rice salad. 

The April 2011 issue of Bon Appétit magazine contained an article by Molly Wizenberg – Chick Magnet (http://bit.ly/oUPSCl).  Molly starts with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) but you really could use any bean.  Most beans have a fairly mild flavor and will take on the flavor of whatever is added to them.

To make a bean salad, choose a can of beans.  Drain and rinse.  After that, the sky is the limit.  Since I was on a roll, I decided to make two versions of this salad.  Both salads started with chickpeas (15 ounces).

As a nod to my trip last year to Greece, I made one on the style of the Greek salad.  And since I was in the Mediterranean area, I made the second one more Italian flavored.

Chickpea Salad - Greek Version

Serves 2.

 Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounce) Garbanzo beans

1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ small red onion, finely chopped
½ cup feta cheese

Directions:

1.     Drain and rinse the beans.  Combine with remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chickpea Salad - Italian Version

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounce) Garbanzo beans

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Combine in the same manner as the Greek version.

I hope you get the general idea about bean salads.  There are no hard and fast rules.  You basically make it the way you want to.  Depending on what is in your pantry, you may want to add olives, bell pepper, green onions.  If you don’t like a particular kind of cheese, switch to your favorite.  Most of all, have fun with your bean salad.  Let your imagination fly!

How to Make Your Colleagues Happy!

In 1984, President Ronald Regan declared July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day.  So use this month to eat as much of the good stuff as possible. 

Before you scream about the amount of calories in ice cream, remember, you only have one month to eat as much of the stuff as you can.  Also one of my dietitian friends told me that if I ate 1½ cups of ice cream, I would have the same amount of calcium that is in one cup of milk.  Now, mind you, she did not suggest that eat 1½ cups of ice cream. 

Can you guess the five most popular flavors of ice cream?  They are, in order, vanilla, chocolate, Neapolitan, strawberry and cookies n’ cream.  About ¼ of all ice cream sold is vanilla. 

Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts.

Ingredients:

1⅓ cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
2 eggs
4 ounces dark chocolate
1 can (5 ounce) evaporated milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla




Directions:

1.     In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Stir in whole milk.  Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer. 

2.     In a small bowl, beat eggs.  Gradually stir about 1 cup hot milk mixture into beaten eggs.  Stir egg mixture into remaining hot milk mixture.  Cook and stir over low heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

3.     Finely chop the chocolate.  Stir into hot mixture.  When chocolate has completely melted, strain mixture into large container.  Add evaporated milk, whipping cream and vanilla.

4.     Refrigerate mixture for several hours or overnight. 

5.     Pour mixture into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Ice Cream Fun Facts

Americans consume an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year, more than any other country.

In 2003, residents of Portland, Oregon purchased more ice cream per person than any other US city. 

Kids between the ages 2 – 12 and adults over 45 consume the most ice cream.

More ice cream is purchased on Sunday than any other day of the week.

It takes about 50 licks to finish a single scoop of ice cream. 

The ice cream cone’s invention is linked to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.  An ice cream vendor reportedly didn’t have enough dishes to keep up with the demand, so he teamed up with a waffle vendor who rolled his waffles into cones.

Spinach – It’s not Just for Popeye, the Sailor

Ok, so you grew up with canned spinach and don’t like spinach.  Well, now that you are an adult, it may be a good time try spinach again.  Your taste buds have matured and spinach is available in a number of forms.  Canned is no longer your only option. 

You may be wondering how I got on this spinach kick after all I the fattening stuff I write about.  Would you believe I was looking for something a little redeeming?  Ok, you are not buying that.  Here is the truth.  A colleague of mine has an abundance of spinach.  She is up to her eyeballs in spinach and needed a few suggestions for spinach.  So I thought why not blog about spinach.  Maybe give a few ideas for using and preserving spinach for those of you lucky enough to have an abundant supply.

Spinach Ideas.

1.     Spinach wrap – Use larger leaves as a wrap, the same as you would for lettuce.  You can wrap a vegetable or meat based salads.

2.    Make a frittata – For each person, use 2 eggs, 2 ounces cheese, seasonings (garlic, onion, salt and pepper) to taste, 1 cup firmly packed spinach.

3.      Spinach pesto – Use spinach instead of basil to make pesto.  Use with spaghetti or lasagna.

4.      Stuffed chicken breast – Combine spinach with cheese such as ricotta, parmesan, goat and stuff inside a chicken breast and bake.

5.     Salad on-the-go – Toss spinach leaves with your other favorite salad ingredients.  Add your favorite dressing and put inside a pita. 

6.       Twice baked potatoes – Add sautéed spinach to baked potatoes.

7.     Spinach fruit salad – Spinach pairs nicely with a variety of fruits, like, strawberries and mandarin oranges.

8.       Sautéed spinach – Sauté spinach with garlic and olive oil.

9.       Creamed spinach – This is an old favorite.

10.   Toss spinach into a stir-fry.

Thai Inspired Spinach Wrap

Ingredients:

4 cups rotisserie chicken, skinned and boned
2 celery ribs, cut into small dice
2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped peanuts
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger, squeeze to remove juice
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Large spinach leaves

Directions:

1.     In a medium bowl, mix chicken, celery, green onions and peanuts.  In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, fish sauce, ginger liquid, sugar, red pepper, cilantro and mint.

2.     Toss dressing with chicken mixture.  Allow individuals to place desired amount of salad in a spinach leaf.  Roll.  If making ahead of time, hold together with a toothpick.

 If you still have too much spinach, here are a few suggestions for using the"excess".

Fruits and Vegetables – More Matter - http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/spinach.html

University of Nebraska Lincoln – Extension - http://food.unl.edu/web/preservation/freezing
National Center for Home Food Preservation - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/greens.html

Haloumi Cheese – A Continuation of My Assignment

 

As some of you may recall, months and months ago, I gave my students an assignment to visit grocery stores they do not normally visit and look for cheeses they would not normally look for.  My goal was to get them out of their comfort zone. An education should move one to a higher level of thinking on a variety of subjects – food included.   

To say that I am behind schedule on my assignment is an understatement.  But, I am not getting a grade.  However, I am bound and determined to complete my assignment.  Never let it be said that I left a job undone. 

For my fourth assignment, I picked a Middle Eastern cheese, haloumi.  I learned about this cheese from reading Greek recipes.  I have never tried it, so this is a new experience for me too. 

Haloumi (Halloumi) originated in Cyprus and is also popular in the rest of the Middle East and Greece.  Traditionally, it is made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk.  Haloumi is a white cheese, similar to mozzarella.  It has a salty taste.  It is unusual in that it can be fried or grilled until brown without melting due to its higher than normal melting point.  Its resistance to melting comes from the fresh curd being heated before being shaped and brined.  Haloumi can be used to make saganaki, a fried cheese appetizer often found on Greek menus. 

Although some of my sources state that haloumi is similar to mozzarella, I’m not sure that I agree.  First of all, I did not find it to be as tough as mozzarella.  The texture was more grainy and fell apart easier than mozzarella.  It has a stronger flavor than mozzarella.

I decided to make saganaki with my haloumi.  Saganaki is often served in Greek restaurants as an appetizer.  Saganaki gets its name from the pan in which the cheese is cooked.  However, I made mine in a small cast iron skillet.   I have never made this before and was a little intimidated.  As I was making this dish, I thought of fried mozzarella.  I now wonder if this is how fried mozzarella got started.  If anyone in the blogosphere knows, please let me know.

Classic Saganaki with Olives and Lemon

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounce) haloumi

All purpose flour

2 Tablespoon olive oil

½ lemon

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Tomato wedges

Pita wedges

Kalamata olives

Directions:

1.      Rinse cheese under cold water.  Do not pat dry.  Coat with flour.  Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add cheese and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute per slide.  Transfer to plates and serve.

2.       Squeeze lemon over cheese; sprinkle with oregano.  Serve with tomato, pita and olives.



Woman vs. Rabbits

Every year I plant a garden, probably more to see who will win, me or the elements.  Up until this year, I thought I stood a chance.  This year, I am fighting the heat.  The heat won.  You see, it was cold in the Midwest and then, boom, it was hot. 

And now to top things off, the rabbits are loose and wrecking havoc in my garden.  I tried putting little cutout milk jugs over the tomatoes.  It appears the rabbits used them as a perch from which they could gnaw my entire garden of tomatoes.  Instead of tomatoes, I have stalks.  My gardening buddy took one look at my garden and promptly stated, “Why, Miss Jones, your garden looks worse than mine”.  Now if that isn’t a vote of confidence, I don’t know what is.  I’m on my third planting of tomatoes.  I once had hopes of tomato sauce and a few other tomato dishes.  I now hope for enough tomatoes for a couple of BLT’s.

I planted okra this year, just like all the other years.  I thought they were safe.  They came up, so nice and cute.  I went out one morning and my okra plants were just a thing of beauty.  Yes, I’m a proud mama.  I went back later in the afternoon and what did I have?  Okra stalks!  Those little jokers ate my plants in broad daylight. 

I now have my entire garden in either a fence or milk jug cover (thank God I drink milk).  It’s actually quite comical.  Some of the milk jugs are even double stacked. 

I suppose in some ways, this is sweet revenge.  You see, as a child my favorite book was Peter Rabbit.  I thought it was so cute for Peter to be loose in Mr. McGregor’s garden.  Well, you got it.  I am now Mr. McGregor.  And Peter Rabbit ain’t cute.   I have now switched over to Mr. McGregor’s side.

For those of you who have managed to grow a few strawberries, here is a recipe for you.  For the rest of us, a trip to the farmer’s market might be necessary.

 Strawberry Sauce

 Serves 4.

 Ingredients:

1 quart fresh strawberries

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

1.       Slice strawberries.  Add sugar and stir.  Refrigerate mixture for about 1 hour.

2.       Cook over low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Cool.

3.       Serve with ice cream, pancakes, angel food cake or as you desire. 

Regardless of how you serve your strawberry sauce, eat it outside so that you can guard the garden.