Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick

Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.

At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."

Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.

A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."

She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.

"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."

http://ezinearticles.com/?Compost-Tea-—The-Tea-Of-Worms-Explained&id=1059424

Compost Tea - The Tea Of Worms Explained
By Chris Dailey Platinum Quality Author

Article Word Count: 823 [View Summary] Comments (0)

Many people are tea drinkers. Whether they are drinking Oolong tea or black tea from their local grocery store, that person has a certain image as to what it is, what it tastes like, and what it is for. There is a certain kind of tea that no one should drink but is one of the most beneficial, nutrient filled solutions that has ever existed. It is called worm tea. What is worm tea? Here are a few tips on how you can create and use worm tea otherwise known as compost tea to enhance your organic gardening needs.

Used for hundreds of years, organic gardeners and farmers that have known of the value of vermicomposting have been creating this potent nutrient filled liquid that is better known as worm tea or compost tea. This liquid which some say has a fragrant odor or is completely odorless can be used on the leaves of potted plants and also in the soil to enhance plant growth as well as help protect the plants that you grow.

It is actually a very simple process with a couple of not so simple steps if you have never done it before. Basically, the vermicast is put into a filter like a nylon and added to a jug of water and oxygenated in order to encourage microbes within the mixture to flourish and grow. Some additional ingredients to add to this tea include molasses or sea kelp. The oxygenation process will continue for about a day or sometimes longer.

Once done, it can be bottled and sprayed on plants or poured into soil at the base of the plants in order to inject a kind of a topical fertilizer that not only helps plant growth but also repels insects and disease such as spider mites and various pathogens, respectively.

There are various ways to get compost tea and one of those ways is through the collection of worm castings. Worm castings are essentially the poop of the worms. Their manure feels like soft little nodules that can be bagged up and cooked like a tea (except at room temperature water) and then used in the same manner that the worm tea was used in liquid form. Usually distilled water is used in the sifting process when using the castings and can actually be a much neater process when doing this on a large scale.

Most compost tea is concentrated so even if it does come in a bottle that looks ready to use, treat it the same way you would miracle grow or other non organic fertilizers. Castings tea should not burn the leaves of plants or over fertilize the soil but it is a good idea to use it more often in diluted form than less often in concentrated form. Red worms and their castings have become a hot commodity for all of those in the organic gardening field.

In essence, you are putting healthy microorganisms back into the soil which can then begin to thrive and multiply creating the ideal environment for your plants and a natural barrier at times for things that would come to destroy them. And unlike most nonorganic fertilizers, if you happen to spill too much into an area of your crop, it will not burn your plants.

By taking the time to create your own worm farm, and making your own tea for your garden or crops, you should see not only a positive growth in your vegetables or fruit, but a noticeable taste difference and production difference in how long it takes your crops to grow. You will also notice that your plants succumb less to fungus and other pathogens and diseases.

Also, by regularly adding this special tea into your garden area, it will also help you regulate the watering of your garden which is very important for crop growth. If you are doing this on a larger scale, you may need special equipment in order to harvest the worm castings and process them, and also to make worm tea on a commercial scale requires significantly different equipment than a small scale operation.

Overall, it will be worth your while to go the natural way and create a worm farm that will supplement the nutrient needs of your garden no matter how big or small. The use of compost tea as not only an additive of nutrients but also as an insecticide to protect your crops will make your organic gardening growing experience more pleasurable each and every year.

So the next time that you hear about a special tea that can enhance the growth of your crops, make your food taste better, and increase your overall yields, you will not think about the kind of tea that you sip quietly at the kitchen table, but of natures key that is given to us by red worms to help all organic gardeners grow more plentiful crops called compost tea.

Chris Dailey is the owner of Super Organic Gardening Secrets, a freeonline service that provides valuable information on organic gardening,including compost tea To download his Free Organic Gardening Reports, goto http://www.superorganicgardeningsecrets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Dailey

Like cooking, I never follow the recipe. <<<

Laughing and thinking that you have been reading my mind.

I rarely follow a recipe, I read them and then someday, throw something in the pot and cook it.

As I post the recipes, I will often think “What will ‘they’ do to this one, to change it”.

I laugh at the ‘take a can of gravy’, there was a time when I made a gallon of it and used it kinds of ways, LOL, sometimes even as gravy.

Yes, dried rabbit is the best you can get, but we used it fresh too on orchids/cymbidiums, until Bill discovered that all those rabbits were being grown for the fertilizer and the kids would not eat them.....

I am smarter now, if I had to sneak a rabbit on the table, I would cook it and then shred and put it in tacos, etc.

A widow in Ramona raised her 5 kids on the wild rabbits, she even canned them. She hid them in enchilada type sauces, and it was nothing to stop by and find she had just canned 20 or 30 quarts of them.

I have not tried smoking foods, did learn the different tastes from the campfire woods, if I had a choice, which was not always the case in the desert.

dump chicken recipes
Posted by: “mamasan2jnb” mamasan2jnb@yahoo.com mamasan2jnb
Date: Wed May 14, 2008 8:05 am ((PDT))

They are called “DUMP-CHICKEN” because you DUMP the
mix
into a 1 gallon freezer baggie with the chicken and
freeze it. Then when you
want to eat it, you thaw overnight in the fridge and
DUMP it into a pan and
cook it.

****All the recipes below can be made with 4-8 pieces
of chicken
(any pieces will do... wings, thighs, drumsticks,
bone-in, skin-on, boneless,
skinless,maybe even whole chicken) To cook the
chicken, thaw completely in
the fridge,dump into 9x12” pan, bake at 350 until
done. For BL/SL
breasts it is about 25-35 minutes. For chicken pieces,
it runs closer to an
hour. You can also use your crock pot for this too!

DUMP HERB WINE CHICKEN

1 cup Red Wine
2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Lemon (sliced thinly)
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Teaspoon Basil
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

DUMP HONEY GINGER CHICKEN^

4 Tablespoons Chopped Onion
1 1/2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger
2 Tablespoon Sherry
1/4 cup Chives

DUMP HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN^

1/4 cup Butter — Melted
1/8 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Honey

DUMP HONEY SESAME CHICKEN

1/2 cup Beer
3 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds
3 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Cloves Crushed Garlic

DUMP LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN

2 Cloves Chopped Garlic
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

DUMP LEMON MARINADE CHICKEN

2/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Minced Onion

DUMP PEPPER LIME CHICKEN

1/2 Teaspoon Lime Peel
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 Teaspoon Basil
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

DUMP RASPBERRY CURRANT CHICKEN

1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1/8 cup Water
1/8 cup Raspberry Vinegar
1/2 cup Currant Jelly

DUMP RUSSIAN CHICKEN

2/3cup Apricot Preserves
16 oz Russian Dressing
2 Packages Dry Onion Soup Mix

DUMP SPICED CITRUS CHICKEN^

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

DUMP SPICY SWEET GLAZE CHICKEN

2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
2/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Tabasco

DUMP STICKY CHICKY

2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Smooth Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Ketchup

DUMP SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN^

1/4 cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
1/8 cup Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoons Minced Ginger
4 Cloves Crushed Garlic

DUMP SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN

1 Package Taco Seasoning
8 oz Apricot Jam
12 oz Salsa

DUMP TERIYAKI CHICKEN^

1 Clove Garlic — Crushed
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine (Or Sherry)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Minced Ginger

````````````````````````````````
The Delicious Dish @yahoogroups Member Additions:

Bloody Mary Chicken

2 whole chicken breasts
1 can cream of something soup
1 cup V-8 juice
3 cloves garlic
dash celery seeds
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
4 dashes tabasco

Put it all in crockpot and stir it. Cook on low and
serve over rice if you like.

ORANGE CHICKEN(Great for wings!)

1 c. orange juice
5 oz. soy sauce
2 tsp. garlic powder

DUMP BBQ CHICKEN

1 env. onion soup mix
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 c. catsup
1 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Blend all thoroughly before dumping on chicken

HOT ITALIAN CHICKEN

1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing
1 1/2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white vinegar
2 tsp. celery salt
1 c. water
1 c. ketchup
3 tsp. ginger

Blend all thoughly before Dumping on chicken

SOY SAUCE CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup soy sauce

Put chicken in a greased casserole pan. Blend soy
sauce and sour cream
together. Spread over chicken breasts; cover and bake
at 350° for about one
hour

courtesy of the group
Pantrychallenged@yahoogroups.com

To visit group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cheapcooking/

Depression meat Substitute

Here’s a reciepe for “meatless meatballs”
give it a try...I haven’t tried it yet tho

MEATLESS MEATBALLS

1 pound stale country-style bread, crusts removed and cut into thick
slices
1 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped to yield 2 tablespoons
1 bunch basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
Soak the bread slices in milk until soaked through, then squeeze dry.
Crumble and tear the
soaked bread into smaller pieces and process in the food processor,
using quick pulses, to yield 4 cups soaked crumbs.
Mix the crumbs in a bowl with the eggs, cheese, herbs, and garlic,
adding salt and pepper, as desired. Form into round balls about
2-inches
in diameter. Set aside on a rack or plate to dry for about 15 to 20
minutes.
In a saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil to
frying temperature, about 360 degrees F, and fry the bread balls
until
brown on all sides. Remove the balls as they brown and drain on a
rack
covered with paper towels.
Have the tomato sauce ready. Arrange the balls on a platter and spoon
the sauce over. Serve immediately.
Basic Tomato Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices
reserved
Kosher salt
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
onion and garlic and
cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add
the
thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5
minutes more. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a boil,
stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot
cereal,
about 30 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the
freezer.
Yield: 4 cups

gRANNY pAT

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cheapcooking/

Spaghetti Squash Pancakes
net.cooks/Margaret Reek (19850

I found an excellent recipe recently for Spaghetti Squash. For those
of you
who are unacquainted with these, they are a yellow squash about the
size of a
big butternut, only oblong, and after they are cooked you scoop the
insides
out which come out like strands of spaghetti. They are available in
some
grocery stores, and are easy to grow and will keep for well over 6
months with no
special care.

The recipe is for pancakes (ala potato pancakes), which make a nice
side
dish, or light lunch.

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash (see below on cooking directions)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix ingredients together. Heat a bit of oil in a frying pan. Drop one
heaping tablespoon of mix into pan for each pancake, flatten slightly
with a
spatula. Brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Serve
with a dab of
sour cream on top.

This recipe makes lots of pancakes. I use about 1/4 the recipe to make

pancakes for 2 for a vegetable dish; that makes 2-3 good sized
pancakes each.

Cooking directions for spaghetti squash:

350 degrees for an hour
or follow microwave directions for butternut or similar squash. I cook
mine
for the pancakes in the microwave, and it takes about 10 minutes for a

smallish squash.

MSG URL: _http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/3112487_
(http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/3112487)

I should have looked up the unknown ingredients, before posting, I was thinking soy or cheese and was part right.

post 3345...the meatless meat.

http://www.google.com/search?q=pecorino&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Pecorino - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pecorino is the name of a family of hard Italian cheeses made from sheep’s milk. The word pecora, from which the name derives, means sheep. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecorino - 25k - Cached - Similar pages

Pecorino Romano - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese, suitable primarily for grating, made out of sheep’s milk (the Italian word pecora, from which the name ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecorino_Romano - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
More results from en.wikipedia.org

http://www.google.com/search?q=Parmigiano-Reggiano&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Parmigiano-Reggiano - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard, fat granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmesan_cheese - 51k - Cached - Similar pages

Parmesan cheese - The real cheese parmigiano reggiano - Direct ...
Parmesan cheese: the best products of parmesan gastronomy (Italy)

www.parmaitaly.com/parmigianok.html - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

Onion and Roasted Garlic Jelly

2 large heads garlic
Olive oil
4 large onions (Spanish Sweet or Vidalia)
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup white vinegar
4 cups water
6 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin

Cut top off each garlic head and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 275
degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Caramelize onions: chop onions into small pieces (save half of 1 onion
and cut into large slivers; set aside to be used later as a garnish).
Place 2/3 cup sugar in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until
melted; mix in butter until melted. Add onions and cook until coated
by caramelizing mixture (onions should be soft and pierce easily with
a fork). Caramelize large slivers and set aside.

Add garlic cloves from one head and simmer 5 minutes. Add vinegar and
mix while still over medium heat; mix in 4 cups water and simmer 5
more minutes. Sieve mixture through a jellybag or cheesecloth,
allowing to drip until all liquid is through.

Measure 5 cups of the garlic/onion liquid into a saucepan and add
pectin. Bring to a full boil and add all the sugar at once. Cook at
full rolling boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and ladle mixture into hot, sterilized jars. Garnish
top of each jar with a large sliver of caramelized onion and a clove
of roasted garlic.

Put lids on and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Store in a
cool, dark place.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HunkerDown06/

“When confronted by the odd collection of leftovers, the typical
tightwad response is to make them into soup. But a lady from Michigan offers
another alternative. This
universal casserole recipe can use up a wide variety of ingredients
with impressive results.

1 cup main ingredient
1 cup second ingredient
1-2 cups starchy ingredient
1 1/2 binder
1/4 cup “goodie”
Seasoning
Topping

Main ingredient suggestions : tuna, cubed chicken, turkey, ham,
seafood.

Second ingredient suggestion : thinly sliced celery, mushrooms, peas,
chopped hard-cooked eggs.

Starchy ingredients suggestions : thinkly sliced potatoes, cooked
noodles, cooked rice.

Binder suggestions : cream sauce, sour cream, can of soup.

“Goodie” suggestions include : pimento, olives, almonds,, water
chestnuts.

Topping suggestions : potato chips, cheese, bread crumbs.

Thoroughly mix your combination of the above ingredients. If it seems
too dry, add 1/2 cup milk or stock. Place in buttered dish and bake at
350 degrees for 30-45
minutes. We routinely concoct casseroles, and almost always use a white
sauce variation as a binder because it’s cheaper than sour cream or
canned soup. The “goodies” are
optional, as they are generally expensive foods.”

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FunOnABudget/

http://www.ivu.org/recipes/african/algerian-green.html

Algerian Green Beans with Almonds
Karen Kolling, California, USA

This is a variation on an Algerian recipe from Rose Dosti’s Middle Eastern Cooking.
Since when is North Africa in the Middle East?
You may well ask.

(serves 4)

* 1 lb fresh green beans
* 4 cups water, salted
* 3 Tbsp peanut oil
* 1 clove garlic, mashed
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/4 tsp paprika
* 1/4 tsp ground cloves
* 1 Tbsp slivered almonds

(1) Clean and trim green beans.
Simmer in lightly salted water until just tender, about 30-45 minutes.
Drain and put in serving dish.

(2) Put remaining ingredients (except almonds) in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the almonds and stir briefly to coat.

(3) Pour the oil mixture over the green beans and toss gently until beans are thoroughly coated. Serve warm.

NOTES Canned green beans are not an acceptable substitute in this recipe.
Powdered garlic is probably OK.

RATING Difficulty: easy.
Time: 10 minutes preparation, 50 minutes cooking.
Precision: approximate measurement OK.

http://www.melborponsti.com/mel-jam00010.shtml

Algerian Eggplant Jam

3 md Eggplants (3 lb total)
Salt
7 tb Oil, olive
3 Garlic cloves; minced
2 ts Paprika, sweet
1 1/2 ts Pepper, Cayenne or
1/8 ts Harissa
Pepper; freshly ground
3 -to 4 tb Lemon juice, fresh
1 tb Parsley; chopped
3 Lemon wedges or
3 Tomato wedges

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the stems off the eggplants. Using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, peel the skin in 1/2 inch wide strips vertically down each eggplant so you get a striped effect. Slice each eggplant horizontally into 1/2 inch slices. Place in a colander and salt each slice. Let stand 30 minutes, then rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.

Brush a baking sheet with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Lightly brush the eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons oil and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the slices are light golden brown on both sides.

Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and, using a fork or potato masher, mash with the garlic, paprika, cumin, water and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the mashed eggplant and fry very slowly, turned occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the moisture evaporates. Stir in the lemon juice and cook 1 minute longer. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Place the eggplant on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon or tomato wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature. This eggplant spread has a jam like consistency. It is made all over North Africa, but this version, with garlic, cumin and lemon juice is one of the most flavorful. Serve it with warm country-style bread or pita.

Dorothy Hair

[Granny did not know what Harrissa was...LOL]

http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/spices/00/rec0079.html

Harissa Hot Chili Paste(Tunisia)

Recipe By : Paula Wolfert Mediterranean Cooking
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Mc Spice Mix

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
3 ounces mild and hot chilies — dried
mixture of anchos, New Mexican and — guajillos
1 clove garlic — crushed with salt
1/4 teaspoon salt — for above
1 teaspoon coriander — ground
1 teaspoon caraway seed — ground
1 red bell pepper — roasted
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
olive oil

Stem Seed and break up chilies. Place in a bowl and pour over boiling water.
Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain; wrap in cheeseclothe and press out
excesss moisture. Do the same for the red Bell Pepper. Grind chilies in food
processor with garlic spices, red bell pepper, and salt. Add enough oil to
make a thick paste. Pack the mixture in a small dry jar; cover the harissa
with a thin layer of oil, close th with a lid and keep refrigerated. Will
keep 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator with a thin layer of oil.

Table harissa sauce.

Serve at the table as an accompaniment to meat or fish, the heighten the
flavor of salads, or as an accompaniment to Tunisian couscous: Combine 4
teaspoons harissa paste, 4 yeaspoons water, 2 teaspoon olive opil, and 1 or
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice in a small bowl and blend well makes 1/4 cup.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Harissa&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2007/08/20/recipe-zucchini-fritters-with-chipotle-harissa-yogurt/

Recipe: Zucchini Fritters with Chipotle Harissa Yogurt
August 20th, 2007 by The Leftover Queen

My inspiration for this dish is my love of spicy condiments and my love of all things Mediterranean. Harissa is a North African spicy pepper relish, often found in many forms on the streets of Tunisia. I love Harissa and usually get around to making it once a year. It is a wonderful treat gotten with quite a bit of culinary effort and time, but it is worth it. I keep telling myself that I really need to make a bigger batch next time, but always forget! Maybe next year!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this dish! The fritters are nice and crispy on the outside and deliciously creamy on the inside, topped with the spicy Harissa and the cooling Greek yogurt it is a perfect combination!

icon-foodie-joust1.gif

If you want to join us this month for the Royal Foodie Joust, Click Here
for the details or just stop by the Leftover Queen’s Forum!

zucchini-fritters_ingredients.jpg

INGREDIENTS:

For The Harissa:
6 chipotle peppers
3 dried pasilla or ancho chilies
1 dried really hot pepper
2 TBS coriander seeds
1 TBS caraway seeds
sea salt to taste
5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
extra virgin olive oil as needed
½ teaspoon ground cumin

For The Fritters:
1 ¼ C. Buttermilk
2 TBS Butter, softened
1 ¼ C. Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt

2 large zucchini, shredded
2 cipolline onions, shredded
olive oil for cooking

1 8 oz. container of Greek yogurt

METHOD:

harissa_hot-peppers.jpg

To make the Harissa:

Cover the dried chilies with hot water and set aside to soften (about 20 minutes). Puncture each chili first to make sure it will sink and therefore all of the chili will soften.

harissa_spices-mix.jpg

Meanwhile in a mortar and pestle pound the coriander and caraway with about ¼ tsp of salt until you have created a grainy powder which is soft. Add the garlic and pound into a paste. You can also do this step in a food processor. If you do this step in the food processor, after it is ground, return the paste to the mortar. If you mortar is small then use a larger glass bowl.

harissa_cutting-peppers.jpg

Drain chilies and discard the seeds and membranes. Wearing some plastic or latex gloves, using a knife scrape the pulp inside into the mortar.

harissa_spices-mixing.jpg

Pound with the pestle to create a coarse paste. Pound in ¼ cup of oil, a tablespoon at a time, then add the cumin. Taste and add salt if desired. The sauce should be thick but spread able.

harissa_ready-to-eat.jpg

You can store the leftovers (if there are any!) in a jar, smooth down the top with a spoon and pour olive oil on top. Keeps in the fridge for about 3 months. Makes about 1 cup of Harissa.

zucchini-fritters_in-the-pan.jpg

To make the fritters:

Pre-Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat and heat about 1 TBS of olive oil.

In a large bowl mix buttermilk, butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the shredded zucchini and onions to the batter and stir until incorporated. Make into patties and cook until browned on one side. Flip once and cook on the other side.

zucchini-fritters_ready-to-eat.jpg

Serve with a dollop of Harissa and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

[good photos of how to on site]

http://www.recipesource.com/misc/canning/00/rec0017.html

Zucchini Chow Chow

Recipe By : cooking magazine—unknown
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : All Newly Typed Not Yet Shared Canning Recipes

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups thinly sliced yellow summer squash
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
salt
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons pickling spice
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 small red bell pepper — thinly sliced

Sprinkle zucchini, summer squash and onion lightly with salt; let stand in
colander 30 minutes. Rinse well with cold water; drain thoroughly. Pat dry
with paper towels.

Combine vinegar, sugar and pickling spice in medium saucepan. Bring to a
boil over high heat. Add carrots to bell pepper; bring to a boil. Remove
from heat; cool to room temperature.

Spoon zucchini, summer squash, onion and carrot mixture into sterilized jars;
cover and refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Makes 24 1/4 cup servings.

http://www.recipesource.com/misc/canning/zucchini-pineapple1.html

Title: Zucchini-Pineapple
Categories: Fruits, Canning, Preserves
Yield: 8 pints

4 qt Cubed or shredded zucchini
46 oz Unsweetened pineapple juice
-(canned)
1 1/2 c Bottled lemon juice
3 c Sugar

Yield: About 8 to 9 pints

Procedure: Peel zucchini and either cut into 1/2-inch cubes or shred.
Mix zucchini with other ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a
boil. Simmer 20 minutes. Fill jars with hot mixture and cooking liquid,
leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Zucchini-Pineapple in a boiling-water
canner.

Style of Pack: Hot. Jar Size: Half-Pints or Pints.
Process Time at Altitudes of 0 - 1,000 ft: 15 min.
1,001 - 6,000 ft: 20 min.
Above 6,000 ft: 25 min.

* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)
* Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

http://www.recipesource.com/misc/canning/spaghetti-sauce1.html

Spaghetti Sauce for Canning

Recipe By : Bill Hatcher
Serving Size : 25 Preparation Time :2:00
Categories : Canning Italian
Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
8 qt plum or paste tomatoes, coarse dice — measure after
dice
4 tbsp oregano — dry
2 tbsp basil — dry
2 tbsp parsely — dry
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp sugar
1 head garlic, minced (about 3 to 4 tbsp) — NOT 1 clove
3 med onions — coarse chop
2 med bell pepper — coarse chop
2 tbsp oil — olive or other

Dip tomatoes a few at a time in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place in
cool water. The skins will slip right off.

Chop coarsely and put in enamelware or stainless pot big enough to hold the 8
quarts of tomatoes and other ingredients. Add spices and bring to a boil,
simmering about 10 minutes. Substitute fresh herbs/spices if you have them.
Adjust for personal taste.

Mince the garlic and coarsely chop the onion and bell pepper; sautee until
just soft in the oil.

Add to the tomato mixture and simmer another 10 minutes or so. Do not over
cook; remember, there will be further cooking during the canning proccess and
when reheating at final use.

Prepare canning jars per manufacturers instructions. It is now recommended
that when canning tomato products additional acid be added. My canner
instructions call for 2 tbsp of bottled (not fresh) lemon juice per quart of
product. Put this in jar before the sauce. I also add 1 tsp salt per quart.
Proccess in pressure canner as directed.

This recipe produces enough sauce for 7 quarts and enough left over for one
plate of pasta for the cook!

http://www.recipesource.com/misc/canning/00/rec0011.html

SPAGHETTI SAUCE FOR CANNING

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 25 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Canning Italian
Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
———— —————— ————————————————
8 qt Plum or paste tomatoes,
Coarse dice — measure after
Dice
4 tb Oregano — dry
2 tb Basil — dry
2 tb Parsely — dry
1 tb Paprika
1 tb Sugar
1 Head garlic, minced (about 3
To 4 tbsp) — NOT 1 clove
3 md Onions — coarse chop
2 md Bell pepper — coarse chop
2 tb Oil — olive or other

Dip tomatoes a few at a time in boiling water for 30
seconds, then place in cool water. The skins will
slip right off.

Chop coarsely and put in enamelware or stainless pot
big enough to hold the 8 quarts of tomatoes and other
ingredients. Add spices and bring to a boil, simmering
about 10 minutes. Substitute fresh herbs/spices if
you have them. Adjust for personal taste.

Mince the garlic and coarsely chop the onion and bell
pepper; sautee until just soft in the oil.

Add to the tomato mixture and simmer another 10
minutes or so. Do not over cook; remember, there will
be further cooking during the canning proccess and
when reheating at final use.

Prepare canning jars per manufacturers instructions.
It is now recommended that when canning tomato
products additional acid be added. My canner
instructions call for 2 tbsp of bottled (not fresh)
lemon juice per quart of product. Put this in jar
before the sauce. I also add 1 tsp salt per quart.
Proccess in pressure canner as directed.

This recipe produces enough sauce for 7 quarts and
enough left over for one plate of pasta for the cook!

Recipe By : Bill Hatcher

http://www.recipesource.com/misc/canning/spaghetti-sauce-meat1.html

Title: Spaghetti Sauce with Meat
Categories: Sauces, Canning
Yield: 9 pints

30 lb Tomatoes
2 1/2 lb Ground beef or sausage
5 Garlic cloves; minced
1 c Chopped onions
1 c Chopped celery
-OR- green peppers
1 lb Fresh mushrooms, sliced
-(optional)
4 1/2 ts Salt
2 tb Oregano
4 tb Minced parsley
2 ts Black pepper
1/4 c Brown sugar

Yield: About 9 pints

Procedure: To prepare tomatoes, follow directions for Spaghetti Sauce
Without Meat. Saute beef or sausage until brown. Add garlic, onion,
celery or green pepper and mushrooms, if desired. Cook until vegetables
are tender. Combine with tomato pulp in large saucepan. Add spices,
salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until thick enough
for serving. At this time initial volume will have been reduced by
nearly one-half. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Fill jars, leaving
1-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to the
recommendations in Table 1 or Table 2 depending on the method of canning
used.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Spaghetti Sauce With Meat in a
dial-gauge pressure canner.

Style of Pack: Hot. Jar Size: Pints, Quarts.
Process Time: 60 minutes for Pints, 70 minutes for Quarts.
Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of 0 - 2,000 ft: 11 lb.
2,001 - 4,000 ft: 12 lb.
4,001 - 6,000 ft: 13 lb.
6,001 - 8,000 ft: 14 lb.

Table 2. Recommended process time for Spaghetti Sauce With Meat in a
weighted-gauge pressure canner.

Style of Pack: Hot. Jar Size: Pints, Quarts.
Process Time: 60 minutes for Pints, 70 minutes for Quarts.
Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of 0 - 1,000 ft: 10 lb.
Above 1,000 ft: 15 lb.

* USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539 (rev. 1994)
* Meal-Master format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

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