Last days of Summer

It's the time of year that we feel those first bites of fall in the air, and we desperately try to squeeze as much as we can out of our dwindling summer. Chilly at night with brisk mornings and then gorgeous days, where we can still where flip flops and shorts. 

There is a hush over the garden as it slows down its growth and settles down

 to get ready for the upcoming season.

 The plants have developed a brownish hue,

 the flowers and leaves not quit as bright as they once were.

The tomato vines are heavy with green tomatoes,

 which happily means another batch of Green Tomato Chutney to be made. 

We have been picking blackberries and enjoying the late summer fruits to our hearts content.

 It always makes me a bit sad. 

I hate to say goodbye to it for another year. 

Until then...

Homemade Granola

Granola cooling on the Silpat liner

I make this about once a week. It's pretty much the only cereal my husband and I eat. I have made it for friends as gifts, and brought it traveling. It's always a hit. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Pre-heat your oven to 300

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cup extra thick rolled oats (I use Bobs Red Mill and use 1/2 the package)
• 1/3 cup canola oil, or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup whole raw almonds, 
• 1/2 cup whole raw pecans
• 1/2 cup whole shelled pistachios, roasted but not salted
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1TB ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup dried cherries 

Directions:

In a large bowl mix together the oats, the nuts, and the spices. Then pour in the oil, if you use coconut oil you have to soften it in the microwave so it's liquid. I then use the same measuring cup to measure the honey. The oil makes the honey slide right out. Spread mixture out on a greased baking sheet. I use a Silpat to line mine, which is a handy thing for a cook to have. It's made of silicone and nothing sticks to it. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Check it to make sure the granola doesn't get too brown. Everybody's oven is a bit different. When lightly browned pull it out to cool. I then add my dried cherries or other dried fruit. When it's completely cool you can bag it up. It also freezes well for a future date. 

This recipe is one that you can substitute any kind of nuts and seeds. I always buy raw and unsalted because you are roasting it and seasoning it up. Any dried fruit works well too, but don't cook it, it gets hard and chewy. I do put coconut in, but always use unsweetened. Bobs Red Mill makes some if you're looking for it. Don't use angel flake it is loaded with sugar and really moist which makes your granola chewy when in a container. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Rosemary Jam

Lovely jars of Jam 

I was inspired by the Tom Douglas Bakery that we have in downtown Seattle. They serve freshly made doughnuts in a bag with rhubarb jam and some kind of vanilla cream delight. These are one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. They are like cinnamon puffs of air. Delish! Anyhow, let me stop dreaming about them and focus. This is my recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Rosemary Jam.

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
• 4 1/2 cups chopped organic strawberries
• 2 TB fresh lemon juice
• pat of butter to reduce the foaming
• 7 cups of organic sugar
• 2 packages of Sure Jell reduced sugar recipe pectin
• 3-4 7"long sprigs of rosemary
• 6 Pint jars with lids and rings or 12 1/2 pints

Directions:

I get my canning pot ready and set the water boil. I wash my jars and rings in hot soapy water. I boil water in my tea kettle and then pour over my lids to sit and wait until needed. Now I'm ready to start cooking. 

Place the rhubarb, strawberries, rosemary sprigs (whole), lemon juice, and butter in a large kettle with a heavy bottom. I measure out my sugar and then mix about 1/4 cup with the pectin, then stir it into the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Don't add the rest sugar yet! On a medium heat, I bring everything to a boil and then slowly add the sugar. Stirring continually, I wait for the mixture to come to a full rolling boil. ( This is where is still is bubbling even when you are stirring ) Pull out the rosemary sprigs and toss. 

When you get to this point it's time to fill your jars. I use a jelly funnel and fill each to about 1/4 inch from the top. Make sure the rim is clean of any jam with a moist paper towel, and top with a lid and ring. Screw on, but not too tight.

Place jars on the canning rack in your canning pot and lower into the hot water. I process mine for 15 minutes. Not sure where I got that number, but it works for me. Seattle area is at sea level and that has something to do with, but I forgot my logic in this. Anyhow, when the time is up raise the rack and use your handy canning jar tongs to lift out the jars and set them on a kitchen towel, about 2" apart, to cool. Now you will hear the best thing ever. The popping of the lids! Thwump! Thwump! This lovely sound means that the lids are sealed. If a jar doesn't pop that just means that you get to put the jam in your fridge and enjoy even sooner. 

For those of you that have never canned, it's super easy. You can buy a canning kit. It has the big black pot and  the rack. I also got a canning jelly funnel, which has a wide mouth, and a canning jar tongs which are handy for lifting heavy boiling hot jars. I got all my first recipes and ideas from Joy of Cooking. The packages of Sure Jell have recipes in them too. I always use the low sugar Sure Jell, because I can't stand putting all that sugar into my recipe. I also get ideas off the internet, but I like to free style a bit and change them up and mix-mash them to what I think works better. This recipe is a result of that. I hope you enjoy!

Wonderful Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

2 Cups Fresh Strawberries

Ingredients

• 2 cups organic strawberries, rinsed, de-stemmed, and chopped up
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3TB balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's 
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

This is a very easy recipe. You don't have to make a custard and temper the mixture. The balsamic is subtle and just adds a touch to the flavor of the strawberries. 

Mix the strawberries with the balsamic glaze and the 1/2 cup of sugar. Let it set in the fridge for at least a hour. (I do mine at night and make the ice cream next day.)

Mix the strawberries with the cream and the sour cream and put in the bowl of an ice cream maker. Follow the directions for your ice cream maker. 

Trader Joe's Balsamic Glaze It's good on everything!

Strawberry Balsamic with chunks!

This would be really good processed in a blender so there aren't any chunks and strained through a fine mesh sieve. Then stir in finely grated dark chocolate at the last minute when the ice cream is almost done in your machine. The Italians call that stracciatella. It would also be good with Frangelico (2-3 TB) soaked with the berries. Mmmn delish! The liquor would also lower the freezing point so it's not too hard.

This one is blackberry ice cream but I wanted you to see what stracciatella looks like -See the bits of dark chocolate. My husbands favorite!

 I use a Cuisinart Ice Cream machine, and I keep the ice cream bowl in the freezer so it's always ready to go. I also always use organic ingredients, especially the strawberries. I think it tastes better in general, and I try to get thin skinned fruits and veggies organic. Following the "dirty dozen" rules. Once my 4 year old asked me, " So a little bit of poison is okay?" I didn't have a good answer to that one. Anyway, it's hard to afford to buy organic, so I stick to the things that count in my mind, being dairy, meats, and thin skinned fruits and veg.