Phyllis's Gingerbread Cake {Recipe}

It's young ginger season again at Swainway Urban Farm! We love growing this beautiful tropical plant and enjoying the mild, clean flavor of the young ginger.

Last year some time, my mom mentioned my Grandma Phyllis's ginger bread recipe. We didn't eat it much growing up so I adapted it with our fresh young ginger and whole ingredients to try. Here's a cake I can love!

I've made this dark, molasses-sweetened cake several times since, including at a recent Seasoned Farmhouse class. Everyone enjoyed the simple, rich flavors.

This gingerbread easy to make, requiring no stand mixer and few dishes. Freshly whipped cream lightens and smooths the rich flavors. Try this recipe for the holidays or any time you want a special autumnal treat.

Grandma Phyllis's Gingerbread Cake

Makes: 8x8" cake, approximately 9 servings Time: 45 minutes

1/4 cup unsalted butter + extra for greasing pan 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1 egg 1 small thumb young ginger, grated 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup hot water Whipped cream, sweetened and flavored to your liking, optional but highly recommended.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Butter an 8x8 glass baking pan and set aside. 3. Melt butter in small sauce pan, allow to cool slightly. 4. Transfer butter to a medium bowl. Add sugar, molasses, egg, and ginger and whisk together until smooth. 5. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Meanwhile, heat water. 6. Alternately add flour mixture and hot water to butter mixture, stirring until smooth after each addition. 7. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes clean. Allow to cool before serving with freshly whipped cream.

Change Your Life Kraut Melt Sandwich {Recipe}

What I'm about to tell you is so devastatingly simple that it can hardly be called a recipe. And yet, a friend whom I recently served this to declared that it "changed her life." All you need is vegetable kraut, bread and cheese. I ferment my own mixed vegetable kraut from whatever's in season. The variety pictured includes beets, red cabbage, carrots, and garlic aged on the counter for just a week because I like my kraut crunchy.

Bread can be whatever you have on hand, sliced fairly thinly. Same with the cheese - use anything that melts nicely, sliced thin.

Toast the sandwich open faced for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees and you'll have a tangy, cheesey kraut melt. It doesn't take much time, but it might change your life.

Kraut Melt Sandwich

2 slices bread or sandwich bun 1/2 cup mixed vegetable kraut 4 slices swiss, provolone, cheddar or other cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. 2. Spread kraut evenly over the two slices of bread. Top with cheese. 3. Bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese is browned. Serve while warm.

Homegrown Home-canned Salsa {Recipe}

Home-canned salsa. It sounds so simple and yet many people struggle to make something that's "just right". The first recipe I tried was too watery. The next was too bland and the third had a too-cooked texture.  These were all a disappointing use of homegrown tomatoes and peppers!

Then finally last year my friend Jenn (who also shared celery powder with me) passed along this recipe. It is thick, richly-flavored, and has a pleasing chunky texture.

There are several tricks that make this recipe work. First is the preparation of the produce. I carefully remove the seeds and watery pulp with my thumb from each section of tomato and drop that into a bowl for the chickens. I chop the remaining flesh with skin on into a colander to drain away any further juice. I measure the tomato pieces into a large measuring bowl and then move on to chopping the peppers, garlic, and onion.

Next up is seasonings. Dry spices like cumin and coriander add an aged, smokey flavor that differentiates this salsa from fresh pico de gallo. Our own touch is some of last season's homegrown and house smoked ancho peppers.

Two elements contribute to the perfect salsa texture: a quick cooking and processing time and the addition of tomato paste. Overcooked salsa has the taste and texture of tomato soup, which isn't what we prefer. Tomato paste (we can our own each year) thickens the salsa while adding a rich, dense tomato flavor.

I like to can salsa in squat half pint jars manufactured by Kerr, found locally at City Folk's Farm Shop. The short and wide dimensions allow for dipping right out of the jar.

If you, like me, have been searching for the perfect tomato salsa recipe, try this one. 

Home-Canned Salsa

Makes: 10 half pints

8 cups chopped, seeded, drained tomatoes 2 cups finely diced red onion 1.5 cups chopped peppers (use a mix of sweet and hot peppers for a medium heat salsa) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup lime juice 1/3 cup vinegar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground smoked ancho peppers 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds 1 teaspoon black pepper 8 ounces tomato paste

1. Stir tomatoes, onion, peppers, and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add in lime juice, vinegar, kosher salt, cumin, ancho peppers, coriander, and black pepper.

2. Bring to a simmer on the stove. Cook for 5-10 minutes until onions begin to soften. Meanwhile, heat 9 half pint jars in a boiling water bath. Wash rings and new lids in hot soapy water.

3. Stir in tomato paste and return salsa to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

4. Ladle salsa into sterilized jars. Fill to a head space of 1/2 inch. Center lid and tighten rings.

5. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove from hot water, allow to cool completely, label, and store.

A note about canning salsa safely: Keep the proportions of tomatoes, onions and peppers to lime juice and vinegar consistent. This recipe keeps the ratios of pH tested recipes which rely on juice and vinegar to add acidity and balance the lower pH of onions and peppers. You can use fewer peppers and onions or spice up the salsa with additional dried peppers but do not increase the amount of peppers and onions or you might create a finished product without a low enough pH to be safely canned in a water bath.

Homegrown Home-canned Salsa {Recipe}

Home-canned salsa. It sounds so simple and yet many people struggle to make something that's "just right". The first recipe I tried was too watery. The next was too bland and the third had a too-cooked texture.  These were all a disappointing use of homegrown tomatoes and peppers!

Then finally last year my friend Jenn (who also shared celery powder with me) passed along this recipe. It is thick, richly-flavored, and has a pleasing chunky texture.

There are several tricks that make this recipe work. First is the preparation of the produce. I carefully remove the seeds and watery pulp with my thumb from each section of tomato and drop that into a bowl for the chickens. I chop the remaining flesh with skin on into a colander to drain away any further juice. I measure the tomato pieces into a large measuring bowl and then move on to chopping the peppers, garlic, and onion.

Next up is seasonings. Dry spices like cumin and coriander add an aged, smokey flavor that differentiates this salsa from fresh pico de gallo. Our own touch is some of last season's homegrown and house smoked ancho peppers.

Two elements contribute to the perfect salsa texture: a quick cooking and processing time and the addition of tomato paste. Overcooked salsa has the taste and texture of tomato soup, which isn't what we prefer. Tomato paste (we can our own each year) thickens the salsa while adding a rich, dense tomato flavor.

I like to can salsa in squat half pint jars manufactured by Kerr, found locally at City Folk's Farm Shop. The short and wide dimensions allow for dipping right out of the jar.

If you, like me, have been searching for the perfect tomato salsa recipe, try this one. 

Home-Canned Salsa

Makes: 10 half pints

8 cups chopped, seeded, drained tomatoes 2 cups finely diced red onion 1.5 cups chopped peppers (use a mix of sweet and hot peppers for a medium heat salsa) 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup lime juice 1/3 cup vinegar 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground smoked ancho peppers 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds 1 teaspoon black pepper 8 ounces tomato paste

1. Stir tomatoes, onion, peppers, and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add in lime juice, vinegar, kosher salt, cumin, ancho peppers, coriander, and black pepper.

2. Bring to a simmer on the stove. Cook for 5-10 minutes until onions begin to soften. Meanwhile, heat 9 half pint jars in a boiling water bath. Wash rings and new lids in hot soapy water.

3. Stir in tomato paste and return salsa to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

4. Ladle salsa into sterilized jars. Fill to a head space of 1/2 inch. Center lid and tighten rings.

5. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove from hot water, allow to cool completely, label, and store.

A note about canning salsa safely: Keep the proportions of tomatoes, onions and peppers to lime juice and vinegar consistent. This recipe keeps the ratios of pH tested recipes which rely on juice and vinegar to add acidity and balance the lower pH of onions and peppers. You can use fewer peppers and onions or spice up the salsa with additional dried peppers but do not increase the amount of peppers and onions or you might create a finished product without a low enough pH to be safely canned in a water bath.

Homemade Dry Cured Ham {Silent Sunday}

 

1. Alex, thrilled by the finished dry cured ham. This ham was pressed and salted for two weeks and hung to dry until it lost 30% of its weight, about six months. 2. Wishing he had a wooden ham vice. 3. Trying to achieve the perfect thin slice. 4. Pile of prosciutto-like ham.

Homemade Dry Cured Ham {Silent Sunday}

 

1. Alex, thrilled by the finished dry cured ham. This ham was pressed and salted for two weeks and hung to dry until it lost 30% of its weight, about six months. 2. Wishing he had a wooden ham vice. 3. Trying to achieve the perfect thin slice. 4. Pile of prosciutto-like ham.

A Gift of Green BEAN Delivery

A few weeks ago, the fine folks at Green B.E.A.N. contacted me about some updates in the works. I reviewed Green B.E.A.N. a few years ago and concluded then that the service was useful and cost effective, so I was interested to see what was new. My brother in law and his wife recently welcomed their first baby, Lil's first cousin, into the world. They live in Saint Louis which is too far for us to support them in our usual way by making meals. Unlike flowers that fade and clothes that are outgrown quickly, new parents can always use healthy food. The email from Green B.E.A.N. came at exactly the right time because Green BEAN could deliver for us!

Ordering a gift through Green B.E.A.N. was simple. I just set up an account with my payment information and my brother in law's delivery address. I chose the organic produce I want delivered plus a few healthy treats each week. Green B.E.A.N., available in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky, takes care of the rest.

The recently redesigned website features enticing photographs and descriptions of each option. Items you add to the bin are conveniently displayed on the right sidebar so you don't have to scroll up and down the page to see your total. I appreciate the methods of sorting the available foods because I can easily select vegan foods for my sister in law and see which vegetables are coming from local farms.

I'm impressed with the updates to the website and the ease of ordering for my out-of-town family. The account information is easy to access and it will be easy to cancel when I'm ready. I feel good about sending my growing family some healthy, growing food.

If you want to give the gift of Green B.E.A.N. delivery or start up service yourself, use code 15HHml for $15 off your first bin through July 29.

Disclosure: Green B.E.A.N. provided one bin for my review. I purchased the gift bins myself and all opinions remain my own.

A Gift of Green BEAN Delivery

A few weeks ago, the fine folks at Green B.E.A.N. contacted me about some updates in the works. I reviewed Green B.E.A.N. a few years ago and concluded then that the service was useful and cost effective, so I was interested to see what was new. My brother in law and his wife recently welcomed their first baby, Lil's first cousin, into the world. They live in Saint Louis which is too far for us to support them in our usual way by making meals. Unlike flowers that fade and clothes that are outgrown quickly, new parents can always use healthy food. The email from Green B.E.A.N. came at exactly the right time because Green BEAN could deliver for us!

Ordering a gift through Green B.E.A.N. was simple. I just set up an account with my payment information and my brother in law's delivery address. I chose the organic produce I want delivered plus a few healthy treats each week. Green B.E.A.N., available in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Kentucky, takes care of the rest.

The recently redesigned website features enticing photographs and descriptions of each option. Items you add to the bin are conveniently displayed on the right sidebar so you don't have to scroll up and down the page to see your total. I appreciate the methods of sorting the available foods because I can easily select vegan foods for my sister in law and see which vegetables are coming from local farms.

I'm impressed with the updates to the website and the ease of ordering for my out-of-town family. The account information is easy to access and it will be easy to cancel when I'm ready. I feel good about sending my growing family some healthy, growing food.

If you want to give the gift of Green B.E.A.N. delivery or start up service yourself, use code 15HHml for $15 off your first bin through July 29.

Disclosure: Green B.E.A.N. provided one bin for my review. I purchased the gift bins myself and all opinions remain my own.