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HFTM | Hollywood 2Jan11

just a few things that made it home from the first trip to the farmers market this year…

Greens | Beets | Parsnips

Happy New Year! … and stuff.

Let’s get the whining out of the way: I’m cold.  Seriously, I would love a fireplace and a view of the Pacific. Thx.

Okay.  So, now that that’s out of the way.  It’s raining, again.  There were fewer stalls out this morning and things were def picked over by the time I got there.  Eh, put a little cramp in the MarketMosey, but it also made the trip quicker and more focused.

It’s only been a few weeks, but feels like forever since anything’s made it home from the farmers market.  Glad to get back into a more health-supportive* routine.

These beets are, so, about to get good and roasted.  The greens’ll get a good steam in the next couple of days.  The parsnips, well, they’re kinda cute.  Haven’t the slightest idea what will become of them, but I’m excited to try something new.

Making the best of whatever the situation is  great way to start the year and a great way to just get started.

Nikki♥

*I’ve pulled out my old Natural Gourmet by Annemarie Colbin.

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HFTM | Pershing SQ 28Oct10

just a few things that made it home from the market… ages ago

So it’s kinda been on and popping at the Farmers’ Markets here in LA.  Between challenges to the size of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market by another local business and vendors at other markets accused of selling not so local or organic as claimed, the value and authenticity of the markets and their produce has come up for debate.

Me, I’m still in.  What started earlier this year as just something to do has become something I, just, do.  Even at the CubeFarm, people would come up to me and talk about market day.  My weekly bounty would be on display in the afternoon as I watched minutes on the clock and strawberries disappear.

But, I haven’t been to Pershing Sq since the end of October.  With the Ice Rink up and my time at the CubeFarm winding down, I’ve been glued to my desk and going to Hollywood on Sundays.

I’m so happy to be able to say that I’m SuperGrateful for the time I’ve spent going to Pershing SQ this year.  It’s been such an important experience in the evolution of my relationship with food.

Nikki♥

*One quick word about the CubeFarm. They really are a great group of people doing good work for the folks of LA Country.  So glad to have got the chance to spend more time with them this year.

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Tigress’ Can Jam | CherryMeyerGingerLade (Dec)

i’m so glad we had this time together…

Wow.  This is, well, it.  The last Tigress Can Jam post.

I think it’s kind of fitting that I’ve had random conversations with people offline about canning this month.  From the woman I met at the airport who just saw another grandchild born to the woman on the train who was thinking about another way to make homemade gifts for friends and family to the co-worker who talked about how his parents canned throughout his childhood. These interactions not only shared a bit of history and camaraderie, but, also, looked to the future.

Having grown in this space of TCJ, I feel challenged to do much more.  I’m so happy that canning can be another way to hold dear a bit of family that could easily be forgotten or missed in the passing of generations.  It’s time to really dig in to the stories and the history of my family and food and canning.  Before it’s too late, I want to find out as much as I can about how roots in the South and Midwest played a role in how we ate and what we eat.  And I need to get that recipe for Cha-Cha* and, um, make it.

So.  For the last month of Tigress’ Can Jam,  I’m starting kinda where I began, with a marmalade.  We’ll see how it turns out this time.

CherryMeyerGingerAde
Framework adapted from Ashley English’s Cherry and Lemon Thyme Marmalade

1 lb meyer lemons
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
2 cups loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon, fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice

yield: approx 2 1/2 pints or 2 .25L weck jars

Prep your canner and sterilize your jars and lids.  Put a couple of saucers in the freezer.  Wash lemons well.  Quarter and remove seeds and pith.  Chop lemons and cherries into small pieces.

Add lemons, cherries, and lemon juice into non-reactive pot/saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add sugar and ginger.  Bring to a boil over medium-ish high heat for 25 minutes.  Watch and stir.  Lots.

Time to test for a set.  You are good to go when the jam reaches 220° f or you can do the wrinkle test.  Put a teaspoon of jam onto a chilled saucer and let it cool off for a sec.  Push it.  If it wrinkles a bit, it’s set.  If not, boil for 5 more minutes and try the wrinkle test again.

When ready, fill jars.  Leave a 1/4 inch of headspace. Use knife or other bubble releaser to make sure there are no air pockets.  Wipe rim clean with a damp cloth or paper towel.

Process for 15 minutes in the hot water bath.
NikkiBits: I♥Meyer Lemons.  I♥Cherries.  I♥Ginger, hardcore.  Every month has been filled with love.  Well, except, for July, but that was just a lot all around.  This here marmalade is GOOD.  Cooking at night with no flash.  Not so much.  I’ll shoot more in the am.

What’sNext: Where are my tangelos?  Seriously, it’s all about some marmalade.

So,  what else can I say about this amazing year of canning?  Not sure.  Now that it’s over, I want to take a minute to reflect on it.  I’ll either update this post or give Tigress’ Can Jam its own gratitude post.

Nikki♥

*Some folks call it Chow-Chow.  We’ve always called it Cha-Cha.  It’s that cabbage, tomato, hot pepper relish.  I’ll make it for you.  Soon-ish.

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TCJ | Lazybones Spiced Apple Butter (Nov)

my apple butter has a theme song…


I knew when it was announced that I could play in the apple orchard for this month’s can jam that I’d want something deep and heady.  Because this is such a crazy month full of reflection and obligation, I just had to return to the ease and simplicity that Marisa introduced me to last year in her Apple Sauce/Fruit Butters posts.

With the framework in place, I wondered how I could make that inner voice of mine, aka “Can’tLeaveWellEnoughAlone,” happy. What could I do to give it something extra? Oh, Cardamom, is that you calling my name? I could see Cumin and Coconut dancing in the corner of my eye. Ginger cried, “me, too.”

I went to the Farmers’ Market and found apples, apples and more apples.  Then, I stopped off to pick up a few things at TJs.  I had all kinds of plans and ideas. Yeah. Trader Joe’s said, “Change ‘Em!”

Um, couldn’t find plain apple cider.  And when given a choice between plain old apple juice and spiced cider, well, duh.  And OMG, was it full of spice, deep dark tones and even a little heat.  Everything I wanted and more.  There were citrus notes, too.

So, yeah.  Lazybones.  I wasn’t going to have to do a lot of tinkering to spice up my apple butter.

Lazybones Spiced Apple Butter
(Loads of Gratitude and Heaps of Thx to Marisa of Food In Jars)

4lbs of apples
1 c trader joe’s spiced apple cider
1 ½ – 2 c brown sugar
Lemon juice
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cumin Seeds
Creamed Coconut *

Peel, core and quarter apples.
In a heavy bottomed pan, add apples and juice.
With flames quite low, let apples fall apart into an apple sauce. The different varieties will break down differently and release varying amounts of liquid. Let it do what it does.
While there’s still some texture, aka still a little lumpy, I like to add sugar and a tablespoon or so of lemon juice just to see how the flavors are coming together. Add chunk of creamed coconut that is approximately equal to a teaspoon.  Sprinkle in a few whole cumin seeds. Say 10. Add a shake or two of cinnamon and a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.  Remember the apple cider was seriously spiced with warming goodness.  And it’s all about how you want it to taste.  I tend toward the heavy hand.
Keeping the flame low as possible, let it cook down for another hour or so. Stir, occasionally.
(This is when I get a bit tired or my mind starts to wander.)
Take it off the stove. Let it cool down. Fridge it for a day or more.
(I could say that I wanted the flavors to blend and to mellow, but, well, no.)
Whenever you decide to ummm… get back to it.
Pull out your bowl of sauce/almost butter. Allow to warm to room temperature.
Blend apples in batches until smooth.
Taste and adjust.
Put it back on the stove on lowest temp. Cook down until thick and spreadable.  Be mindful not to burn.

Wash and sterilize jars. Pack and water-bath process for 15 minutes.

Yield varies: I got 3 .25L jars of Lazybones Spiced Apple Butter from around 4 lbs of apples.

TheNikkiBits: I used a combination of apples: Arkansas Black, Fuji and Gala. The coconut and cumin add to the depth of flavor, but don’t scream out.  And who knows, I may have thrown a few habanero bits in there as well.  You know the problem with CLWEA is that I don’t always remember everything I throw in there. That is one of the great things about this recipe is that you can really do what works for you as you figure out flavors that make your belly sing.

What’sNext: I can’t wait to have this with the chicken and dressing for the holiday or maybe for leftovers.

So grateful for what this year of canning continues to bring.  Hope the season starts off well for you.

Nikki

*this isn’t the brand that I use.  Check your local South Asian or Caribbean grocery to see if they stock it.  I buy mine for $2 a bar at the Bangladeshi spot around the corner.

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HFTM | Pershing SQ 20Oct10 – Repeat Performers

just a few things that made it home from the market…

{Kale Strawberries Tomatoes Yellow Zucchini Chinese Broccoli Scallions}

The day is quickly approaching where carton after carton of strawberries will be just a memory.  That got me thinking about the things that have made it home from the market in the last year and what’s coming around the bend.

BLOOD ORANGES!!! MEYER LEMONS!!! TANGELOS!!!!!!!!!!

Nikki♥

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Tigress’ Can Jam | Habanero Berry Bliss (Oct)

my tongue is burning… in a good way

I’m in LA.  We still have locally grown strawberries.  Alas, we won’t have them for long.

Every trip to the farmers’ market since Kaela announced what we were canning with this month, I kept trying to stay away from the berries.  I have bell peppers that won’t get jellied and lots of hot peppers that will probably have to go it alone in a jar of vinegar.  For some reason though, the strawberries kept begging for the fire.

Oh, and since I’ve got a tendency to nibble while shooting my market haul, this is one of those tinybatches.

Habanero Berry Bliss

(nod to Bryant Terry’s Strawberry & Slightly Hot Pepper Jam and Eugenia Boone’s Strawberry Balsamic Jam)

2 cups hulled and halved strawberries
2 cups of sugar
½ Habanero pepper, minced (I kept the one seed)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

makes 1 pint/.5L

clean and sterilize your jar, lid and band.

add minced pepper, lemon juice and vinegar to non-reactive pot.  heat on low for a minute or two.  add strawberries and sugar.  turn heat up to medium-high.  stir until all sugar has dissolved.  turn heat down to a low-medium flame and leave it be.  only stir to make sure all the sugar is incorporated and has dissolved.  let it cook  for about 30 minutes.   don’t touch it.  just watch it.  oh, and skim off all that foam.  when the cooking time has finished, take your pot off the flame.  pack your jar, remove any air bubbles and wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth.  process for 10 minutes in your hot water bath canner.  remove your jar from the canner and place it on a dishtowel to cool off and rest.  I usually leave it overnight cause, well, I cook at night.

The NikkiBits: Um, proud of myself.  While Bryant and Eugenia gave me ideas, it really was the 2006 ed of the Joy of Cooking that made me feel comfy making it happen on my own.  It’s chock full of info for those of use who’ve strapped on the canning recipe training wheels.  I love being able to quickly find out what is full or bereft of pectin or acid.  It’s also great to be able to work out how much sugar or added lemon juice I need for my tinybatches instead of doing the math.  Seriously, quartering a recipe isn’t cute.

Now about that heat.  This is perfect for me.  It’s not outrageous, but I FEEL it.  I tend to squirt sriracha on my hand and lick it off, just cause.  So, maybe, if you’re going to do a tinybatch and you’re not sure about how much heat you can handle, you might want to use a quarter of the pepper.

What’sNext: More.  More.  More!  I just had some of the left over syrup on pancakes.  My tongue isn’t on fire, but it’s def HEATED in that sexy way.  I feel like this could be a good drink syrup as well.  I used to get strawberry balsamic martinis at Sheebeen in NYC.  The best part was that the balsamic was the kicker.  I don’t really get that from strawberry balsamic jam.  It’s just mellow.  This, though, the habanero is the tingly kicker.  Makes me feel alive.

And, now, I want ice cream.  I want to spoon my Habanero Berry Bliss over ice cream.

Kaela & Tigress, THANK YOU!

Nikki♥

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HFTM | Hollywood 17Oct10 – Play Misty For Me

just a few things that made it home from the market…

{Red Potatoes, Green Beans, Squash, Zucchini, Golden Beets, Salad Greens, Habanero Chilis, Dill, Red Bell Peppers, Lemon Verbena, Tomatoes, Tarragon, Italian Parsley}

I always think of Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut every time it barely rains.  I doubt it ever aired on a melancholy Sunday afternoon at 3 on Channel 5, but it feels like it should have.

Now I’ve got movies I grew up on stuck in my head.  Did anyone else watch the Blondie & Dagwood movies on Sunday mornings?  Were the Kung Fu flicks on Saturday or Sunday?

I’m going to make some more tea and crawl into bed and watch my own Sunday afternoon movie, All About My Mother.

Nikki♥