Enjoying High Summer to Harvest and Beyond Pt I

                           “Enjoying High Summer to Harvest and Beyond” Pt. I

Our Larder - as of 9/10/17

Hello Everyone! I hope that for you, like me, this is quite an exciting time of year - sort of the “5th season”, if you will.  As i have attempted to convey through my Facebook page, for our urban homestead, it is a time of serious "busyness".  In just a few weeks, we attempt to save for ourselves everything wonderful about the growing season. I can happily say that we have accomplished that for another year.  Our larder shelves are filled to the brim.  Our freezer is loaded with berries, and our own greens, beans, okra and other treats. And we have peppers and pickles galore. We will be doing a bit more canning soon (more stocks, chicken pot pie ingredients, etc.), but these are not dependent on the seasonal availability of the ingredients. As we have been preserving, so have we been cooking.  We've been testing recipes, putting together batches of old favorites, and learning new techniques and treats.  In this and the next few Blog entries, I will be sharing what we have been learning, what new products, books, and other fun stuff we've found out about, and what we are planning for the coming Fall and Winter months  that will enrich us and feed, not only our stomachs, but also our souls. 

So, let’s start with a recipe that many of you have requested.  A timely note:  If you are going to make some of this, get out this weekend and get the fresh ingredients at your Farmers Markets.

Recipe:  Nonna Sauce

As I have said on my Facebook page, this recipe is very easy.  We make a big batch to can it, but here I offer a recipe that would serve 4 - 6 people.  The technique is also open to modification of the ingredients - you can leave garlic out, you can add dry red pepper flakes, you can leave the onion out. In other words once you make it and get a feel for how it comes together, feel free to experiment! The slow cooking together of great tomatoes and great eggplant produces an unbelievable flavor.

Ingredients 

Extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large or 2 medium eggplants (avoid the huge eggplants in the chain stores)

18 - 20 plum tomatoes, peeled and left whole

OR

1 32 oz can of really good whole plum tomatoes

Technique

Make a marinara sauce (if you have a favorite recipe for marinara, use it.)

Swirl EVOO in a hot large pot (use one that is heavy and will hold heat - it's a long cooking processt)

Add garlic, onion, and some salt

Stir until the garlic and onions soften

Add the tomatoes - if you are using fresh and you have peeled them they will have produced juices, add that juice; if you are using canned, add the juices from the can.  

note:  liquid is important to breaking down whole tomatoes.  I suggest filling the can with filtered water and then swirl out all of the remaining tomato and add that liquid.  If you have “tomato water”  in the house, use that.  If not, add filtered water.

Bring the tomatoes to a boil on medium high heat, stir, reduce the heat to a simmer, place a lid on the pot halfway and let the mixture cook for about 1 hour or so - it depends on the amount of tomatoes that you are using but you want to see the tomatoes breaking down.  You can help that process along after they have cooked for awhile by cutting the tomatoes with kitchen shears.  At the very least you should be using a heavy spoon (i prefer wood) to keep pressing and chopping the tomatoes as you stir.  

When the sauce is the consistency that you like, lower the heat and prepare the eggplants.

Cut off the stem end, cut the eggplant in half, and again in quarters and chop it into cubes.  Do not peel the eggplant!  There is so much flavor and other good stuff in that eggplant skin

Add the chopped eggplant to the sauce, add a bit more salt and stir.

Bring to a boil, stir, lower the heat, return to a simmer and cook, uncovered until the eggplant is barely visible in the sauce (you will see a bit of skin here and there).

Noona Sauce Almost Ready

At this point, you can decide if you want a somewhat chunky sauce or a very smooth one.  I go with the latter, so I use an immersion blender until I have a smooth sauce.

After using the immersion blender, if you do,  is the time to add fresh or dry herbs and red pepper flakes, if you wish.  For our canned Nonna, we add fresh basil - a good deal.  This sauce really benefits from Basil, if you like it.

Pour the sauce onto your favorite pasts, grate some cheese over (i prefer Pecorino Romano for this) and enjoy!

note:  You can accompany this with Meatballs, or Hot Italian Sausages, or whatever you prefer but it is also so rich and delicious by itself, it is not necessary.

In our area fresh Figs are in right now!   This simple recipe makes a wonderful appetizer for your Nonna Sauce dinner. 

Recipe:  Fig and Cheese Flat Bread

This is again, a very versatile and easy appetizer.  Flatbread is easily available.  If you can get them from an ethnic maker in a market, do it, but you can find it in supermarkets. A heavy Pita bread also works for this recipe.

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - about 2 tablespoons

Flatbreads or Pita Breads

Salt and Black Pepper

Crumbled Blue Cheese (substituting mild soft goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta are also all  delicious too)

Fresh Figs - sliced in half or quarters if large

A handful of fresh Arugula, chopped (optional - Chives or Parsley would work nicely too)

Technique

Heat the oven to 375 degrees

Brush the flatbread with the olive oil, lightly salt it

Place the bread into the oven and warm it up for about 7 minutes or so

Remove the bread, brush it again with olive oil and sprinkle the crumbled cheese over all of it.

Add the chopped arugula over all

Lay the slices of figs over all.

Sprinkle freshly black pepper over all.

Return to the oven, bake for 12 - 15 minutes, until the bread is darkening around the edges and the cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

Fig and Cheese Flat Bread

For this first edition of "High Summer to Harvest" Pt.I, let’s finish up the recipe section with a delicious, old time Southern recipe which we are still astounded that we did not know.  We do know now, and we will be making it a great deal!

Recipe:  Southern Tomato Gravy

This is wildly delicious!  And again, easy to make and so versatile.  It is heavenly on hot buttered biscuits, potatoes, over cooked macaroni (our “chopped meat and macaroni” dish recently posted), meatloaf, grits, and also with eggs, among so many other possiblities.

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, cored and chopped (i’m sure we’ll be using some of our canned whole tomatoes over the winter to make this, but if you have big tomatoes left or you see them at the farmers markets, they are perfect.  You can also peel them if you like).

1 cup of unsalted chicken stock (preferably home made)

1/4 cup bacon drippings or butter or a mixture of the two or if you have really good lard, use that (makes it very original); I used the mangalitsa lard that we keep on hand.

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 to 1 cup of milk, or cream or more stock. I used milk, about 3/4's cup.

2 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh parsley chopped (optional)

Technique

Put the chopped tomatoes in a sauce pan with the chicken stock, place over medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and continue to heat as you make a roux.

Put the fat you are using in a medium saucepan and put it over medium low heat.

When the fat melts (and in the case of butter, when the foaming stops), add the flour.

Whisk constantly until the roux is light brown (peanut butter color).

Stir the roux into the tomatoes and stock. Get it all in.

Return to the heat and stir in the cream, milk or stock

Whisk in tomato paste if you are using and season with salt and pepper

Cook over medium heat, stirring, until hot and bubbling. it should thicken up a bit as the roux does its job.

Add chopped parsley at service

Enjoy

Southern Tomato Gravy

                                                         End of Summer/Harvest Tasks  

if you set up certain things to happen once a year, at a certain time, it is easier to get them done.  Or at least it is for me!  This is that time of the year when I focus on the pantries.

The Pantry:  It is definitely time to clear out and renew.  Keep no spices for over a year  The same holds true for Baking powder and soda. Put the old baking powder in an open container in your ‘fridge to help control food odors. Take stock of what spices and supplies that you used and what are still sitting relatively unused. Going forward, this will help you with volume decisions. 
Check your implements - spoons, knives, etc.  What are you using? What do you hardly ever use? Do you need it? I do have a large collection of hand made wooden spoons and utensils - too many -  but i love them and I do use them although I tend to be very discriminating with them, but with other utensils I try to be a stricter judge!  
Wood Surfaces - This is also a good time to “salt” your wooden cheeseboards, island tops (if wood) and cutting boards..  Lastly, think about applying some bees wax to your wooden utensils, they will appreciate it, and will last forever.

EAT REAL FOOD

Next Up:  Garden talk.  More recipes. Book reviews.  Bringing folks to your table.