Suburban Homestead Store
Archive for the ‘In the Kitchen’ Category
Blood Orange Marmalade
Blood Oranges may sound scary, like something out of a horror movie, but this brightly colored orange is anything but frightening. Most oranges from California and Arizona can be found in markets throughout the year. The Blood Orange however, is only available from January through April. So, there’s not a lot of time to enjoy this sweet and unusual treat.
The Blood Orange seems to have a somewhat secretive past. Citrus experts believe that Blood Oranges are a natural mutation, in which the genetic levels of a sweet orange changed and produced an orange with red-colored flesh, juice and rind. The fruit was so interesting that those who saw it continued to propagate the variety. No one knows exactly where this took place, but most people suspect it was in the Mediterranean.
This very old variety first appeared in Southern Europe around 1850, although blood oranges may have been known of earlier. “Red oranges” were first mentioned in Sicily in the Jesuit Ferrari’s opera Hesperides in 1646. According to his account, these oranges were brought to Italy from the Philippines by a Genovese missionary.
Ferrari’s mention isn’t the only record of blood oranges. They also appear in a painting by the Tuscan artist Bartolomeo Bimbi and in illustrations by the botanist Micheli, both of whom lived in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Blood Oranges were eventually brought to North America by Spanish and Italian immigrants. They are also known as Pigmented oranges, Sanguina, Sanguine, Rubies, Blush or Moro oranges.
Blood Oranges are great eaten fresh, but also make a wonderful morning juice when squeezed fresh, or used in a favorite cocktail like a Sunday Brunch Mimosa or Screwdriver. Try slicing and tossing them in a salad or using them in a chicken marinade where orange juice is called for.
Our favorite treat however, is a Blood Orange Marmalade and when I saw the oranges on our tree show that telltale blush a few weeks ago, all I could think about was making marmalade, but the oranges weren’t quite ripe yet.
Over the last few weeks I’ve checked every few days and today my diligence was rewarded. The oranges on our tree were at the perfect stage of ripeness for making marmalade. These crimson beauties produce a marmalade that is bright, fresh and the flavor bursts when spread on an English muffin or used as a topping on a goat cheese smeared crostini. We also use marmalade in pork and chicken marinade recipes that call for orange marmalade. But that won’t be happening this year because with our afternoon of marmalade making came a slight kitchen disaster that lowered our production by two whole jars. That’s a lot when you start with 10 oranges and the recipe only makes 6 half-pints (more about our mishap later). Read the rest of the story »
The Storm that Never Came
The storm that was supposed to arrive last night never materialized. It skirted us and headed south; a sad turn to be sure. Our rainfall this season has barely reached 6 inches and with our wet season almost over this can only mean one thing…we’ll be watering sooner and more often than usual this spring and summer.
Not music to my ears, I can tell you. Our water rates have already gone up 5 times in the last year and another rate hike is slated to begin next month. This coupled with an increase in property taxes, medical insurance premiums and of course gas prices have this farm girl looking down at a pretty thin pocket book. All will turn out well I know. It always does. Anytime I’ve needed answers, they come to me when and how they are suppose to.
But, I won’t just be sitting around waiting for Manna from Heaven though; we’ll hunker down, pair down and keep an eye on our spending until we weather the storm. But, I have to say, I’d rather be weathering a rain storm instead.
An early spring means getting seeds into the garden sooner which is happy news. Brianne and I are picking up a load of free composted manure on Friday. It will fill the new raised vegetable beds. Hard work shoveling and a morning in the sun is a small price to pay for rich soil and an early harvest of lettuce greens, beets, carrots, radishes and spinach. I’ll plant early maturing crops first, and if time permits, I’ll start cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower in 4 inch pots. The tomatoes I planted last month are almost 3 inches tall now. In another few weeks they’ll be transplanted into larger pots until they are big enough and strong enough to withstand being planted in the garden.
Our rainless day was cold and blustery with winds that howled and cold that seemed to blow right through you. We spent the day at home with a warm fire and a pot of soup bubbling on the stove. There’s no better smell to fill a warm house then that of a hearty soup simmering away; except maybe for bread baking. On days like these I feel like cooking more than usual. There’s just something about being in the kitchen, creating, cooking, feeding a family. I thumbed through my notebook of collected recipes, rumpled from use and splashed from exuberant cooking sessions, and found one I haven’t made in a long time. Read the rest of the story »
Roasted Chicken with Lemony Potatoes
There’s nothing better than opening your freezer and pantry doors and being able to pull together not only a satisfying meal, but one where almost all the ingredients are grown within a few miles of your back door.
Last night, after a day of cleaning and de-cluttering; giving away, putting away or throwing away, I fixed one of our favorite chicken dishes — Roasted Chicken with Lemony Potatoes.
The half chicken, weighing over three pounds, once clucked and scratched and wandered around our small farm. The lemons hang abundantly on my neighbor’s tree, and they are delighted to share with everyone on our street. The rosemary and garlic grows feet from the house. Only the potatoes, olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt came from parts unknown or far away. Read the rest of the story »
A Homestead Pizza Party
Everyone in my family loves pizza. And, what better way to celebrate that love than with a homestead pizza party! This is no run-of-the-mill party though; this is a full-on feast of mature pies, best enjoyed when everyone pitches in to help with the creations.
Here’s how to throw your own party.
Invite a few friends over, open a bottle of your favorite wine (or beer), and spend the evening assembling, topping and baking each creative pie — just be sure to make a lot of dough the night before.
Share the evening’s workload by asking each guest to bring their favorite pizza topping. Or, pull some interesting recipes and assign ingredients for each person to bring. This will be a night of eating in stages, as each new pizza comes out of the oven, cut it into small slices so everyone can taste something new, different; another person’s favorite.
Need some ideas to get you started… Read the rest of the story »
Dabs and Dribbles = A Culinary Goldmine
We’ve all had them, those tiny bits of leftovers that are too small for a recipe, but large enough that we don’t want to throw them away. Well now you don’t have to.
With a plastic ice cube tray you can freeze those little gems of flavor to use later on.
• Small amounts of chopped or minced onion can be frozen with water, then thawed and added to any dish.
• Ethnic sauces can be frozen and dropped into chili, salsa or marinades for a hint of exotic flavor.
• Unused bits of yoghurt are perfect when frozen and used while blending smoothies.
• When a recipe calls for only a few tablespoons of lemon or lime juice, squeeze and freeze the rest to use when you need a touch of tart.
• Cubes made from tea or coffees are prefect when cooling down a pot of caffeine. Better yet, drop a few tea cubes into a glass of lemonade to add a layer of flavor.
• Tomato paste in cube form is the perfect amount for a savory sauce.
• Pesto cubes speed up the prep time of pasta, crostini and other Italian delights.
• Pureed butternut squash can be stirred into soups, stews and sauces for added nutrition.
• Tomato juice can be used to add a bit of flavor to soups, sauces and stews.
From fruits to herbs to sauces and marinades these frozen nuggets have a big impact on flavor. So the next time you find yourself with a dab of this and a dribble of that, don’t forego it, freeze it.
Egg Bread Recipe
In an attempt to reduce the collection of eggs filling my refrigerator I made this soft golden egg bread. It was perfect served warm with butter and honey, but the French toast we made the next day was divine.
¾ cup warm water (70 to 80 degrees)
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp salt
3-1/2 cups bread flour
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast
Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “basic” setting and “light” crust setting. Bake according to your bread machine directions.
Souper Simple
Nothing melts away winter’s cold better than a piping hot bowl of soup. Even the smallest amount of vegetables and meat simmered in a rich broth and dotted with rice, pasta, barley or beans can make a satisfying meal.
Whatever your taste, a few simple tips will start you down the path to creating delicious filling soups.
- Break out of your box—experiment. Find a recipe that peaks your interest and tweak it to fit what you have on hand or what your nose and taste buds tell you to cook.
- Try using an immersion blender to create creamy soups without the need for high fat heavy cream. Or, blend only half the soup, leaving the other half chunky.
- Use vegetables you have on hand; root veggies in winter, asparagus in spring, tomatoes in summer and squash in fall. Soups adapt well in any season.
- Keep a well stocked pantry with staples like onions, garlic, spices and herbs, broth, rice, beans and barley, and you’ll never be far from a hearty bowl of soup.
- Cook down chicken carcasses and beef bones into homemade broth and freeze to use later as soup base.
- Garnish soups with fresh herbs, croutons or shaved Parmesan cheese and pair with a salad and some crusty home baked bread for a simple elegant meal.
Whether you fancy a roasted mushroom soup, a spicy red pepper or a smooth herbed tomato soup start your recipe search (and collection) today.
photo credit: I Believe I Can Fry
Vermont Inspired Chicken Pot Pie
I have always been a huge fan of Chicken Pot Pies. As a child it was the only thing I would order when my family went out to dinner at Marie Callender’s. There’s nothing better on a cold weekend than the aroma of chicken, vegetables and herbs simmering in savory gravy. When I traveled to Vermont a few years ago I enjoyed several versions of this down home comfort food along with copious amounts of apple cider and Vermont cheddar cheese. But, those are stories yet untold.
Unable to decide on which version I liked the best I fiddled around with recipes, incorporating parts of each into a recipe that is now a favorite at our home. The main difference in my version versus those I’ve had in the past is the consistency. I love hearty winter dishes that are chock full of root vegetables in a thick sauce or gravy. And, this one has it all…veggies, herbs, and gravy, topped with a flakey pie crust. The only challenge is… I haven’t figured out how to assemble the pie so there is enough crust to top every bite of the filling. And let’s be honest – pot pie is all about the crust to filling ratio. Isn’t it?
The recipe is versatile, too. Any combination of roots from turnips to parsnips to potatoes along with the standard carrots, onions, mushrooms, peas and celery will work. It’s also a great way to use up leftover chicken. It’s amazing how much meat you can get from a carcass when it’s simmered down. And, the broth you get is nothing like anything you ever tasted. Each batch will be different because it takes on the flavors of the baked or roasted chicken.
Pot pies are also a great way to use the occasional stewing hen after her egg production years are over. That may sound gross or sad, but we are homesteaders after all, and everything on the farm has a use. And, what better use than a savory cold weather meal to take the chill off a hungry family. Read the rest of the story »
Gratitude for Blessings Not Yet Seen
I spent quite a bit of time on my garden rearranging project this past weekend. There’s still a lot left to do, but I did manage to move the berry bed to the north side of the garden, digging up and moving some of the blackberry, boysenberry and Fall Gold raspberry canes. The rest of the canes were planted in a large black tub to winter over. In the early spring, when it’s time to plant I’ll repot them for my front porch farmer’s market or the sale my garden club has each year.
The fruit trees were pruned and given 2 pounds each of gypsum. I spread it around the canopy line and gently scratched it into the soil. Sunday’s steady rain storm will push the nutrients down to the roots to feed them all through the winter.
Our big storm slated to arrive on Saturday evening finally blew in on Sunday and should last for several days. I raked leaves and dug them into the new raised vegetable beds, a foundation of organic matter. Some were piled over the perennial bulbs for protection.
By Saturday afternoon, the only task left to do was to dig up and separate my collection of Iris bulbs. Admittedly this is coming late in the season, but in Southern California Irises can be planted or divided any time of year with great success. Last months hot east winds had battered the Iris foliage, turning it dry and brown; very unsightly. Read the rest of the story »