Canning 101

We have greatly enjoyed our explorations of seasonal cooking and love the variety and freshness offered at our farmers markets in the summer and fall.  However, there are certainly times in the dead of winter when we crave those fresh tastes of the summer - tomatoes, peaches, basil, cucumbers, etc. - but don't want to purchase foods from far away.  Not only are these imports harmful for the environment, they tend to be more expensive and much less flavorful.  While it seemed daunting at first, we decided to give preserving and pickling a try to capture our favorite flavors of the summer for enjoyment later in the year.

We tried canning for the first time last fall and made apple sauce and pickles.  The apple sauce was delicious and we enjoyed it all winter long, but the pickles were lacking the crisp and bite normally associated with dill pickles.  These experiences left us wanting to explore more this year, but also made us realize that we had a lot left to learn.

After attending a canning class in August and purchasing a canning cookbook, we felt like we had a much better sense of the process.  Last weekend we made four recipes from the cookbook to experiment with different types of foods and flavors (look for the recipes in coming weeks).  After sampling each of the recipes we are very happy with the results and eagerly look forward to enjoying them in a few months.  Not only that, we loved spending the day in the kitchen with each other and enjoyed the fun and rewarding weekend project.

Canning certainly is not just for your grandmother and great-aunt, so follow our suggestions and give it a try before the summer produce runs out!

Tabouleh Salad

Tabouleh is a great go-to side dish during the summer because of the abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables.  Better yet, no cooking is required so you can avoid heating up your kitchen.  Tabouleh salad is a Middle Eastern dish that is typically made with bulgar (also known as cracked wheat), tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley and mint.  However, bulgar can be substituted with a variety of grains including couscous and a variety of herbs can be used.  This is a great dish to experiment with and pairs nicely with vegetable-based dishes including stuffed vegetable rolls and falafel.  As we've learned, tabouleh develops great flavors over a few days so make extra to enjoy again and again.

Stuffed Vegetable Rolls

In the heat of summer we are always looking for refreshing meals that can be made ahead of time.  By doing most of the work ahead of time we are able to enjoy our evenings and not heat up the kitchen right before dinner.  Make-ahead meals are also great for dinner parties and potlucks any time of year.  This meal was inspired by our trip to the farmer's market where we found local eggplant and zucchini, though peppers would work great as well.  The filling (we used goats cheese, basil, and lemon) can also be adapted to your liking with different combinations of cheeses and seasonings.  These easy to prepare and amazingly delicious rolls will soon become a go-to main dish or appetizer all summer long.

Green Pea Soup

Cold soups are a wonderful way to enjoy the tastes of summer while cooling down after a hot day.  Because this can be made in advance, it is an easy meal to put together on a weekday night and have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.  If peas are in season this is an excellent use for them, but if not, then frozen peas work just as well.  We actually find that frozen peas are one of the few frozen vegetables that retain their taste and taste fresh once defrosted.  For that reason, we went with frozen peas here but the option is yours.  As for the cinnamon used here, while it may seem like an unusual ingredient for a savory soup, it adds a unique and delicious rounded flavor to this dish.