Homesteading In The Pacific Northwest

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Spicy Asian Plum Sauce

This is a spicy hot, sweet sauce that pairs well with roasted or grilled meats ...


(Just pretend there is an onion in this picture; it showed up late for the photo op) 

Ingredients:
12 purple plums (washed, pitted and quartered)
1 large sweet onion, quartered
1/2 cup raisins
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (or grated)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp each of ground cloves and ground allspice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground Szechuan pepper (optional)

Place the plums, onions, raisins and garlic in the top of a steamer; add 1 cup water to the bottom section, cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat and steam for 5 minutes.  Turn the heat off and allow to sit covered for 5 more minutes.


Uncover the steamer and allow to cool (do not discard the juices that have accumulated in the bottom section ... we're not going to waste all that goodness!).



...we'll strain the juices and return them to the pan when it is cool enough to handle ...




While the fruit is steaming prepare the ginger and spices.  I find that using my microplane is the best way to prepare fresh ginger ....



I love the smoky taste the Szechuan pepper gives this sauce.  If you don't have any you can increase the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon, but I'd really encourage you to try the Szechuan.  My favorite source is Mountain Rose Herbs.  You'll get a generous 4 ounce bag (enough for you and to share with 2 - 3 friends : ) I use an recycled Spice Hunter grinder to grind  the pepper ...


Once the fruit has cooled there are a couple of ways you can prepare it for the sauce.  I used my Victorio Strainer (you could use a food mill, food processor or just a potato masher, too).



I got a nice sized bowl full of fruit pulp for my sauce ...


... which I added to the juices in the pan with the spices, ginger, sugars and vinegar ....


...  and allowed to cook down to about half it's original volume over medium heat, stirring occasionally (this will take about an hour)...


... as the sauce thickens you'll need to watch it closely and stir more often to prevent it from scorching (I had a close call with my first batch!).

While the sauce is cooking prepare 6 1/2 pint jars for canning ...  remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process in water bath for 15 minutes for half pint jars.


My yield was 5 full 1/2 pint jars plus another partial jar to go in the fridge and start enjoying now ....

Here is one of my favorite ways to use the sauce ... Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps ...


Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Rosemary and Nasturtium Vinegar

Fill a jar 3/4 full with nasturtium flowers and rosemary sprigs.  Fill jar with white wine vinegar, cover and store in a cool dark place for 3 weeks.



Place a few fresh nasturtium flowers and a fresh sprig of rosemary in a small bottle and fill with the finished vinegar ...


Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

It's Not Easy ....

Daphne has these ...


And Robin has these ...


And Laura (who lives just down the road from me) has these ....



And all I have are these ...



But I'm OK with it ... really!  I found this...


And, after all ...






Enjoy!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Midsummer At Paradise Cove ...

August 1st is Lughnasadh, the Celtic festival of the midsummer harvests.   To celebrate I'm participating in Northwest Edible Life's nosy neighbor homestead tour today.  Check it out!

Let's take a look at what's happening now that we have actually had a couple of weeks with some sunshine here in soggy Shelton, Washington!  We'll start in "The Garden", the "Edible Landscaping" on the lake side of the property ...



The "Three Sisters" wine barrel plantings (Anasazi and Cherokee Trail of Tears Beans with Golden Bantam corn and assorted squashes) are doing great!  I did have to add some trellising as the beans were outgrowing the corn in the cool weather we were having.

 The Delicata squash in the wooden crate ...


...has even started to form some fruit ...



The cedar log bed down by the lake is looking good ...


... more squash and Tiger Eye beans (the red gadget in the background is one of FitzGyver's toys ... a gasoline powered pump that takes water from the lake and sends it to a fire hose).

The "Dock Box" with buckets full of Rose Gold potato plants that are are starting to blossom now ...


Bingo Beans in one half wine barrel ...


Squash and Anasazi Beans in another ...


The Terrace Garden has a new resident ...


This was totally not my fault.  I HAD to buy him after reading this post on "The Bloggess".  When I saw him at the local nursery I was doomed ... so now Bunny has a friend ...

The two bay laurels in the Bell Garden have doubled in size and the herbs under the bell are ready to be cut and dried ...



I think that's about all that is new in "The Garden"; so let's take a look at " The Farm" on the back side of the house ...



The tomatoes and cucumbers are still coming along ...


I've harvested the potato bed and boxes and am getting ready to replant them ... and the logs in the garbage can are soaking in water.  Do you remember my mushroom experiment?  Well, it's time to see if it has worked; soaking the logs is the first step (I'll keep you posted).

Several of the beds have already been harvested and replanted for fall ...



These are root crops (carrots, beets and parsnips) ...


... and some green beans, beets and onions in the fore ground, snow peas and lettuce to the rear ...



More potatoes ...


...and more potatoes (I use a lot of potatoes in the winter time).


The wine barrel herb planting has come along nicely and I am very impressed with the Pesto Perpetuo Basil; that one is a keeper!

And last, but not least ...


The Cherokee Purple tomatoes outgrew their cages and needed additional support.  They are full of green tomatoes and I have my fingers crossed that the weather will continue to cooperate.

Enjoy!