 I'm not really a holiday person (with the exception of Halloween...), but I do have favorite recipes I've created that are inspired by specific occasions. This one is super easy but looks fancy, and has been a crowd pleaser in our home for years. Plus it uses homegrown ingredients! This dessert is inspired by the raspberries I harvested from the garden and stored in my freezer (y0u can use strawberries too). I'm sharing my Raspberry Chocolate Boxes—just in time for Valentines Day! These are just like those little raspberry cream chocolates found in the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, except the inside is CAKE made with homegrown raspberries and homemade applesauce. RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE BOXES Ingredients 2 cups fresh raspberries, washed (can use frozen but thawed) 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup butter (dairy or plant-based), softened 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup milk (dairy or plant-based) 1.25 cups flour, sifted 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt For the Chocolate 6 tbsp butter (dairy or plant-based) 3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips Fresh raspberries to garnish, optional DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 350F. Make a purée by combining raspberries and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Beat sugar and butter on high for 2 minutes in a stand mixer. Add applesauce, vanilla and milk. Mix on low for 30 seconds. In a separate bowl, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well and then add to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer. Blend until just combined. Next add purée and stir but do not over-mix. Pour into a greased cake pan (I use an 8x8” square). Bake for 24-28 minutes or until done. Allow to cool completely. Turn cake out onto parchment paper. Slice the cake into 1x1”squares. In a double boiler or microwave safe bowl, melt 6 tablespoons butter and chocolate chips. Carefully dip cake squares into chocolate to coat. Set on parchment paper and repeat until all cake is dipped. Top each square with a fresh raspberry if desired. Place in the refrigerator and allow to chill to harden chocolate. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.   Sometimes you just need a good chili oil, am I right? This oil is extremely full flavored. It's not just olive oil mixed with a little kick. This is an all out flavor fest with ginger, shallot, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, anise, chilis (of course), and more. I use it for drizzling over tofu or stir fry dishes, for adding a burst of flavor to the top of whipped ricotta cheese dip, or for just plain dipping with good crusty bread. It's SO good.  Ingredients for the chili base 3 oz. crushed red pepper/chili flakes 10-12 whole dried chilis, stems removed (thai, birdseye, etc.) 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoons white pepper, ground 5 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, ground (for color) Ingredients for the oil infusion 20 oz. olive oil (I used extra virgin) 4" knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 1" chunks 20 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled, whole 5 shallots, peeled and sliced in half 10 star anise, rinsed with water 5 cinnamon sticks, rinsed with water Directions Mix all of the ingredients for the chili base in a large heat-safe bowl or container. Set aside. Next, we'll start the oil infusion. Pour the 20 ounces of olive oil in a large saucepot over medium high heat. Allow to heat until it reaches roughly 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a thermometer, allow to heat for about five to ten minutes. Drop a small scrap of shallot into the oil. If it simmers with small bubbles, it's ready. If it deep fries with large bubbles and seems intense, turn down the heat. Make sure to remove your tester shallot slice. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced ginger. Allow to fry for only 15 seconds. Remove the ginger with a strainer and set aside. It should not be blackened, just slightly browned. It's important to not burn the ingredients that are infusing the oil. Next add the garlic. Fry for 20 seconds. Remove and set aside. Next add the shallot. Allow to cook for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside. The star anise should have been rinsed under water to keep from scorching during cooking, as should have the cinnamon sticks. Add the moistened star anise to the oil. Allow to cook for 2.5 minutes. Remove the anise and set aside. Lastly add the cinnamon sticks. Allow to cook for 90 seconds. Remove the cinnamon and set aside. Turn off the heat and allow the infused oil to cool slightly. The solids from infusing the oil (the ginger, garlic, shallot, etc.) may be discarded or composted. After allowing the infused oil to cool for about 5 minutes, pour a small amount from the sauce pot into the heat safe container holding the chili base. We want the oil to heat the chili base gradually--not all at once or we risk cooking the ingredients! I usually start by pouring in about a 1/2 cup. Over the next few minutes, slowly add the infused oil about 1/2 to one cup at a time until all of the infused oil resides in the heat safe container. The chili oil is now prepared! Allow to fully cool before handling, eating, or storing in air tight containers. Infused oil can be stored in the refrigerator to prolong shelf life. I personally keep mine on the counter as we go through it quickly! Just remember chilled oil can solidify so be sure to set out to warm up for a while before use.   If fire cider was a soup. This is the wicked spicy version of Italian penicillin soup (aka pastina) I make when feeling sick. I take the age old pastina soup remedy up several notches by adding extra garlic, fresh ginger, hot chilis, lemon juice, and black pepper. Plus I add reishi mushroom powder to offer the body extra support (it’s an adaptogen). When I get a bowl of this into my system 2-3x a day when sick, nasty bugs head for the hills fast. Unlike traditional pastina where a portion of the soup is blended and then returned to the stockpot as a thickener, there's no blending here. When I'm not feeling 100%, I want a quick one-pot meal with as little prep as possible. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium white onion, chopped 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced crushed red pepper to taste (I use about two teaspoons) 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced 2 large carrots, washed and sliced or diced 4 cups vegetable broth 3 cups water 1/3 cup pastina or orzo salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon dried oregano or parsley 1 teaspoon reishi mushroom powder juice of 1 lemon Directions Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and ginger, and stir. Allow to cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the sliced carrots and cook one minute more. Pour in the vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, stir in the orzo or pastina and add the salt, pepper, and parsley or oregano. Stir. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the reishi mushroom powder along with the lemon juice. Serve warm. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and reheated as individual servings. Here's why I've included what I've added to the classic Italian penicillin recipe:
Permaculture Tip: I use homegrown ingredients for this soup and make my own vegetable stock. Crops that are deemed too small or imperfect are great for drying or freezing, and then using in soups and homemade broths later on, all winter long. And, yes, I even grow my own ginger. Homegrown ginger does well in a sunny windowsill for those of us in cold climates. *Panossian, Alexander and Wikman, George (2010) Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress—Protective Activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 3(1): 188–224.   Honey sweetened/candied oranges are a healthier holiday sweet! I have such a sweet tooth and it’s so hard to not indulge in EVERY cookie I meet this time of year. So to keep in consistency with my passion for seasonal eating, I started making these honey orange slices. Someday, I’ll be making these from 100% homegrown citrus! For now I mix homegrown and store bought fruit with honey from my own hives. You can also dip these in dark chocolate for an added festive touch! Ingredients 12oz raw honey 12oz water 4 navel or Cara cara oranges, sliced Optional melted dark chocolate Directions Combine honey and water for a 1:1 syrup in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil and whisk to dissolve honey. Add orange slices and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, without stirring, for 45 minutes. Using tongs, place slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make sure they are not overlapping or touching. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set. Then either eat as is or dip in melted chocolate! 
Beans are a low acid food. Therefore, they require pressure canning and not water bath canning. Low acid foods like beans must be heated to an extremely high temperature that is not possible to reach in a water bath method. This high temperature is what makes the beans shelf stable.
Homegrown (or store bought) black beans are easy to make, and very high in nutrients. For reference I can 32 pint jars from 5 pounds of dry black beans.
Directions Soak black beans in a large pot or bowl of water so that they are submerged by at least 1 inch. Soak for 12 to 24 hours before you intend to can. I use the cold pack method, which means after the beans have finished soaking, I drain them, rinse them and then spoon them directly into clean and sterilized mason jars. I leave 1/2 inch headspace and then pour non-chlorinated water over the beans so that they are submerged within the mason jars. Leave 1/4 inch head space. Carefully wipe clean the rims of the jars and add a new lid and affix with a ring. Screw to finger tight. I do not add salt to the beans. Load the pressure canner with the jarred beans according to your pressure canner guidelines. In addition to the water at the bottom of the pressure canner pot, I add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to keep the outsides of the jars from calcifying. Close the pressure canner, turn on the burner, and bring to a boil so that the pressure begins to rise. Close the steam valve according to your pressure canner guidelines and process the jars at 10 pounds of pressure for 75 minutes. After 75 minutes turn off the burner. Once the steam is no longer rising from the steam valve remove the 10 pounds of pressure setting to allow steam valve to fully open and for remaining steam to fully escape. Once there is no more steam escaping from the fully opened steam valve, remove the lid while standing back and using oven mits. Caution—steam is extremely hot. Allow jars to cool within the pot. Carefully remove the jars once cooled, one at a time, and place on top of a dish towel on the counter. Check that all of the lids are properly sealed by placing one finger in the center of the lid of each jar and then pressing down. If it fluctuates, then the jar was not properly sealed and can be re-processed. If the jar lid does not fluctuate, a proper seal has been made, and they may be stored out of sunlight, in a dark and cool location, such as a pantry or a cupboard. 
 It’s citrus season! I started a new batch of homemade limoncello! Have you ever tried it or made your own? It’s so easy and ions better than store bought. Limoncello is a sweet and tart liquor sipped after a meal in Italian culture. Because it contains so much lemon oil from the rinds, it truly does help with digestion. Careful… it’s easy to over-sip. 😉 The yellow color of the liquor comes from the lemons, but you could also use orange peel for a Halloween-themed drink! Recipe below: Limoncello Recipe 1 bottle 190 Proof Grain Alcohol (I use Everclear but vodka works too) 10 meyer lemons, organic 2 cups water 2 cups sugar or more to taste Directions Wash the lemons. Carefully peel the skin from each lemon using a vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Try to get only the yellow skin; the white pith adds a more bitter flavor. Place the skins in a large glass bottle. Pour grain alcohol over the top and close the jar. Allow to infuse for two weeks, undisturbed, out of direct sunlight. After two weeks, strain the alcohol into a new container and discard the rinds. They’ll be crispy! Prepare a simple syrup in a large sauce pot over medium heat by combining equal parts water and sugar. Whisk and allow the sugar to dissolve. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon liquor to the sauce pot and whisk to combine well. Taste the limoncello. If more sweetness is needed, mix a second batch of sugar syrup in a second sauce pot. Slowly add to the limoncello (1/2 cup at a time so as not to over sweeten). Once the limoncello is fully cooled, pour into glass bottles using a funnel. Screw the lid on the jars and store in the refrigerator for up to one month or the freezer for one year. To drink, simply pour liquor in a shot glass and sip after a meal.  Here's the thing about dill pickles... They can be canned with lots of room for creativity so long as the vinegar to water ratios remain the same. The vinegar is the ingredient that contributes acid to the recipe which is an essential component of safe water bath canning. Water bath canning is the best method for dill pickles for long term shelf storage; while you absolutely could pressure can, the result would be a mushy spear as a result of the high heat. A crunchy spear can still be hard to produce in water bath canning because, after all, we are cooking the spear in boiling water. While some folks like to add pickling granules (calcium chloride) to their canning jars to help maintain a crispy pickle, I go the natural route with grape leaves. Grape leaves contain tannins that naturally contribute to a crisp pickle and we have plenty on-hand from our hobby vineyard. One grape leaf at the bottom of the jar is all that's needed to help keep your pickles crunchy.  ANGELA'S KOSHER DILL PICKLE RECIPEYields 4 pint jars Ingredients 2.5 pounds pickling cucumbers (fresh, washed and free of blemishes) 2.5 cups non-chlorinated water 2.5 cups distilled white vinegar 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 garlic cloves, peeled 4 grape leaves, washed and free of blemishes 12 fresh dill sprigs 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed, whole 24 black peppercorns Directions Wash the cucumbers. Cut 1/4" off of the blossom end. Quarter or slice the cucumbers in half, lengthwise. Trim to fit the height of the jar while allowing 1/2" headspace. Combine water, vinegar, and kosher salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt. Remove from heat. Sterilize the canning jars and prep the lids and rings. Start a large stockpot or canning pot of water on the stove. Bring to a boil. While the water is heating, begin to fill the jars. Place one grape leaf, three sprigs of dill, one garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed, and six peppercorns in each jar. Pack tightly with sliced cucumbers. Repeat until all jars are packed.  Pour the vinegar, water and salt brine into each jar, covering the contents. Leave 1/2" of headspace at the top of each jar. Remove air bubbles by running a clean butter knife around the inner perimeter of the jar. Wipe the rim of each jar clean with a dry towel. Add the lid and rim and tighten.
Submerge the jars in the boiling water bath and process for 15 minutes, adjusting for your altitude as needed. You can find altitude adjustments on Ball canning's website. After 15 minutes remove the jars from the water bath and set aside on a folded dish towel on the countertop. Allow to cool. Lids will pop as they seal. After the jars have fully cooled, check the center of each jar lid by pressing with your finger. If the lid fluctuates, reprocess for another 15 minutes. If the lid is firm, the seal is successful. Store in a cool, dark place. Pickles should be consumed within one year.  Here's the thing. Croissants are a waiting game. They're not hard to bake, they're just time consuming. But the from-scratch version is loads better than the kind you can buy pre-made in a tube and whack on the countertop to open. These croissants are flaky on the outside, and chewy on the inside. While they may not be perfect French pastries, they are certainly good enough for a homemade breakfast on a weekend morning. Recipe is for 8 butter croissants and 8 chocolate croissants. If you don't need 16 croissants, cut the recipe in half. The proportions still work just fine. Croissant Ingredients 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 320g warm water 440g pastry flour* 220g all purpose flour 60g sugar 400g butter, softened (plant-based or dairy) Dark chocolate chips (for chocolate croissants) Plant-Based Egg Wash Ingredients 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1/8 cup coconut or almond milk Standard Egg Wash Ingredients 1 tablespoon water 1 egg Directions 1. Combine water and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Whisk for a moment. Then sprinkle yeast on top. Whisk to mix slightly. Allow to rest to activate the yeast for five minutes. 2. Add flours to mixing bowl, 1 cup at a time, mixing between. There should be no dry dough. Next add 20g of softened butter. Mix. Cover and let rise 1.5-2 hours. 3. Remove dough and slice into 24 equal pieces. A kitchen scale is helpful here. Melt the butter in a microwave or over the stove top in a bowl and set aside. I use a pasta machine lasagna noodle attachment for the next step. You may also use a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface. 4. Roll one piece of dough very thinly into a 10x20" (approximate) rectangle. Carefully move to a piece of parchment paper. This is the base layer. Brush the dough from edge to edge with the melted butter. Repeat this step, rolling out each slice of dough and applying butter between until you have stacked 12 sheets. Do not brush butter on the top of the last sheet. 5. Repeat step four with the remaining 12 pieces of dough. This will create our second stack of croissants. Cover with a dish towel and allow all croissants to rise for 2 hours. 6. Roll each stack of dough into 12x24" rectangle. We are working to remove some of the air. Next make three horizontal cuts along the shorter width of the rectangle. We should have four sections in each stack. 7. Slice each of the four rectangle sections once in a horizontal line across the middle. We now have 8 triangles per stack.  8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
FOR BUTTER CROISSANTS: To roll the croissants start by taking one triangle. Start at the wide end and tightly roll towards the slender point. Tuck the point underneath the croissant and set croissant, point side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat for all triangles. FOR CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS: To roll the croissants start by taking one triangle. Place chocolate chips along the body of the triangle. I use about 10-12 chips per croissant. You can also melt the chocolate chips and brush onto the triangles before rolling. Start at the wide end and tightly roll towards the slender point. Tuck the point underneath the croissant and set croissant, point side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat for all triangles. 9. Cover the freshly rolled croissants with a towel and allow to rise 1.5 hours. You may also pause here and place the croissants in the refrigerator, allowing them to slow their rise and chill overnight. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 12 hours if desired. 10. Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Create the egg wash by combining the plant-based ingredients in a small bowl (or the standard egg wash ingredients in a small bowl). Whisk to combine the wash ingredients. Gently brush the egg wash on top of each of the croissants. Bake for ten minutes. Lower the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 8 minutes more. 11. Remove the croissants when they are golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. To store the croissants, wrap in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. Stores for 24 hours. If you wish to store the croissants longer, freezing is recommended. *If pastry flour isn't available, you may substitute all purpose flour for this amount. Note that the texture of the pastry will be less flaky, and more dense... but still delicious.  Ducks, like any other living creature on the homestead, get hurt. I've built up quite the arsenal of first aid supplies over the years after dealing with all kinds of gnarly situations. Right alongside conventional medicinals, I also keep homemade balms and salves. This is a topical recipe I created as an all purpose wound application. I use it on poultry (both chickens and geese) and even on myself at times. And it smells like lavender! It is safe for horses also. Black Wound Salve for Backyard Poultry Ingredients 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted 1 tablespoon beeswax pellets, melted 2 teaspoons raw honey 2 tablespoons activated charcoal 2 tablespoons bentonite clay 20 drops lavender essential oil Directions Combine all ingredients in a heat-safe bowl. Stir until fully combined. Pour the mixture into salve containers such as a mason jar with a wide mouth. The salve will solidify as it cools. Allow to cool fully before securing the lid. To use, simply scoop a small amount of the salve onto your fingers. Gently rub the salve onto the wound of the bird. Covering with a clean bandage is best to avoid melting salve during the warmer months. Repeat as needed. Discontinue use if irritation or reaction occurs.  Why these ingredients?
Coconut Oil Moisturizes skin, creates a protective barrier against bacteria, reduces inflammation Beeswax Reduces inflammation, fights infection, heals wounds (anti-bacterial and -viral) Raw Honey Contains antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral and antifungal Activated Charcoal Draws out bacteria and impurities Bentonite Clay Contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties while absorbing dirt and oil Lavender Essential Oil Calming aromatherapy in addition to anti-inflammatory abilities  We're a pickle family. We're always trying local deli pickles, homemade pickle recipes and sharing fermented pickle tips with friends. Then I heard about Carrot Pickles and was so excited to give them a try; we had just harvested a large bushel of carrots from the garden. These are so tasty even my kids love them.
Ingredients 1 tsp. black peppercorns 1 tsp. whole mustard seeds 1/2 tsp. dried allspice berries 1 c. rice vinegar 1 c. water 1/4 c. granulated sugar 1 tbsp. kosher salt 1 lb. baby carrots, peeled 2 whole cloves garlic, peeled Directions In a small sauce pot over medium heat, combine the peppercorns, mustard seeds, and allspice berries and toast until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Next add vinegar, water, sugar, and salt and raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Tightly pack the baby carrots and garlic into two sterilized pint-sized glass jars and pour in brine while hot. Add the lid to the jar, refrigerate, and let sit at least 12 hours before serving. This is not a shelf stable recipe for canning in a water bath or with a pressure cooker. This is a refrigerator pickle recipe only. |
So what do you do with all that food you grow? This blog has some ideas.
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