Very much related to recipes is canning. For a lot of good information on Food Security, Canning, drying and so much more, I recommend the YouTube Channel Rose-red Homestead. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did. Also, the channel “Thrifty chic Housewife” is often recommended for demonstrating safe, tested canning recipes. BUT… no matter what you watch on any channel, double check the sources below for the tested version of the recipe you want to make. Even the best of them can make mistakes or not getting it quite right, since they might be learning or focusing on making the video. I found several such things, and there are also updates from time to time, so do your own research
Also your best friend USDA’s Complete Guide to Home canning. Free online, I also got the book…just in case. Any Ball (or Bernardin) Blue Books that are not older than 12 years. Any Books or websites from USDA extension offices. For example, Colorado State University Extension or The University of Maine.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/#gsc.tab=0 “University of Georgia, National Center of Home Food Preservation”
Foods that are NOT safe to can by Penn State Extension
Also, a collection of Ball Blue Book Recipes and Bernardin (Canada Blue Book), check out https://safecanningrecipez.blogspot.com/, as well as https://www.healthycanning.com/
From these links, you should be able to get started with canning, as well as find whatever you might want to can, including recipes below with links removed. I started this website before I understood the role of USDA in canning, why tested recipes, and pressure canning. This changes everything -for the better, of course. I leave the entries for ideas, however. Have fun, and you’re welcome to ask me if you have questions. All the links are rabbit holes.
Here is a very good explanation WHY you should use tested recipes for canning. There is a science behind it. The use of tested recipes is a hot topic on the internet and outside of it. Myth 1 - the government is not trying to control if and what you can. They couldn’t care less. There are however some branches that were long ago established to enable Americans to safely can their own food. This happened during WW2 because food was needed for the troups. Other countries do not have it, and yes, they can and they survive… and we don’t hear about it when they don’t. So feel blessed that we have this and use it to keep yourself and your family safe. You heard the joke that 5 out of 6 people say that Roussian Roulette is perfectly safe…. same thing.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/resources-heat-processing-of-home-canned-foods?
Our Favorite Recipes
This section is a separate project ‘one day’ to make it more attractive and comprehensive with more recipes for a wider range of vegetables. I am working on that. Right now it looks a lot like that folder where I collect favorite recipes. Great stuff, but you have to dig around a little. This too has its charm.
If you have a favorite recipe you would like to share, we’d love to hear about it.
Here are some recipes we love that use fresh vegetables
Thank you, to our awesome CSA members and customers that have been so generously sharing their favorite recipes. Some of the recipes are my own, also how best to preserve. Some come from our other customers that enjoyed our offerings.
Salads or Soup - Quick, easy and so tasty
Nature’s Fast Food
Salads offer endless possibilities in combinations and dressings.
On a Hot Day especially, add some Protein, and it is a Meal.
When it’s cold, it quickly becomes soup.
Personally, I prefer to skip the protein and eat it with some fresh Bread and Butter or Cheese, Biscuits, or something like that.
Sprinkle your favorite Seeds or Nuts on it for interest.
Enjoy
Learning to cook? Easy. At its most basic, here is a quick overview.
You can roast things. That means cleaning everything, putting it in a pan with a little oil, and cooking it in the oven without a lid. Season to taste. This can be a complete “one pan meal” or something you serve with something else. It’s ready if you can insert a knife or fork when poking it.
You can make salads with everything that can be consumed raw, and that is not too tough to chew. Clean everything, chop it into bite-size chunks, grate or shred, mix it together, or serve separately, with a dressing mixed in, or on the side. You can include proteins like cooked meat, cold cuts, tofu, nuts, seeds… whatever you like or have, and sprinkle with croutons, or serve bread on the side to make a salad a complete meal. This can be creative and fun.
You can make soups. Again, clean everything that needs cleaning, chop it into desired chunks. With soup, you want to start by frying something like Onions or protein in a little bit of oil. Browning things gives a very desirable taste. When it is browned, pour in broth (Vegetable or meat stock that you can make yourself or store-bought) or just water. Add everything that needs to cook a while, root vegetables, for example, soaked beans, seasonings (to taste), and let it simmer. When the firmer vegetables are starting to get soft, add things that need a shorter cook time. Check how it tastes and make any adjustments, let it simmer for a little longer, and that is it. You have soup. For chunky soup serve as is, for cream soup use an immersion blender. You can also take some chunks out, blend the rest and add the chunks back in for a chunky cream soup. Served with fresh bread and/or croutons, perfect. For soups, you can also include rice and pasta or finish them with milks (cow, goat, almond, coconut, etc -each gives it another twist and flavor) and/or sour cream. Soups, like salads, are a wonderful meal that is incredibly versatile and can be adjusted to what you have available, as well as to tastes, lifestyles and seasons. They are easy to make, easy to digest and highly nutritious.
And if you make a chunky soup with less liquid and more solids, or use a little flour or cornstarch to thicken the extra liquid, it becomes a stew. How awesome is that?
The most important recipe you need to know about: A folk tale, but as relevant as ever
Stone Soup
Once upon a time, a wise old man decided to go on a journey. So he packed a small bag, said goodbye to his wife, and set off. He traveled all day without meeting anyone. When it was evening, he came to a small village. “I think I’ll stop here for the night,” he said to himself.
Near the center of the village, he met a group of people. So he introduced himself. “I’m a simple traveler,” he said, “looking for a safe place to sleep and a hot meal.”
“We’d be glad to offer you a place to sleep,” the villagers told him, “but we have very little food. Our crops were very poor this year, and there’s not much to eat in the whole village. Most of us are just barely getting by.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the old man said. “But you needn’t worry about feeding me. I already have everything I need. In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.”
“Stone soup?” the villagers asked. “What’s that? We’ve never heard of stone soup.”
“Oh, it’s wonderful,” said the old man. “Best soup I’ve ever tasted. If you bring me a soup pot and some water, I’ll make some for all of us.”
And so the villagers rushed back to their homes. When they returned, one was carrying a large soup pot, another had wood for a fire, and others brought water.
When the fire was going and the water had begun to boil, the old man took out a small silk pouch. With great ceremony, he reached in and pulled out a smooth, round stone. He carefully dropped the stone into the boiling water. The villagers watched eagerly. The old man began to slowly stir the pot, sniffing the aroma and licking his lips in anticipation. “I do like a tasty stone soup,” he said. “Of course, stone soup with cabbage—now that’s really special.”
“I might be able to find a bit of cabbage,” one villager said. And off she went to her house, returning with a small cabbage she had stored away in her pantry. “Wonderful!” said the old man, as he added the cabbage to the pot. “This reminds me of the time I had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salted beef. It was unbelievably good.”
After a moment of silence, the village butcher spoke up. “I know where there’s a bit of salted beef,” he said. And off he went to his shop to get it. When he returned, the old man added the beef to the soup pot and continued to stir.
“Can you imagine what this soup would taste like if we had a bit of onion…and perhaps a few potatoes…and a carrot or two…and some mushrooms. Oh, this would be a meal fit for royalty.”
And before he knew it, the soup pot was filled to the brim with vegetables of all kinds— carrots and potatoes, mushrooms and onions, turnips and green beans, beets, and celery—all brought by the men and women and children of the village. Not only that, but the village baker came out with some fresh bread and butter.
And as the soup simmered slowly over the fire, the wonderful aroma began to waft over the villagers. And they began to relax and talk together, sharing songs and stories and jokes.
When the soup was finally done, the old man ladled it out into bowls, and they all shared a delicious meal together. There was more than enough for everyone to eat their fill. Afterward, they all declared that it was the best soup they had ever tasted. The mayor of the village pulled the old man aside, and quietly offered him a great deal of money for the magic stone, but the old man refused to sell it.
The next morning, he woke early and packed up his belongings. As he was leaving the village, he passed by a group of children playing at the side of the road. He handed the youngest the silk pouch containing the stone, and he whispered, “It was not the stone that performed the magic. It was all of us together.”
Honey-Garlic Cauliflower, one of 40 mouthwatering recipes at delish.com
Let us know which are your favorites if you try these.
Submitted by Elizabeth O. Thank you very much.
Elizabeth makes this into Fries. Great Idea.
Pumpkin Pie Cake
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Mac & Cheese stuffed Pumpkin (also shared in the Newsletter)
from Sugar Spun Run with video
Our favorite Biscuits
While not Vegetable, it is one of those things that makes everything a meal. Quick, easy and so delicious.
Next to this, my Yeast Dough if you have a little more time. Also quick and easy ———->>
And since I shared Biscuits, I absolutely have to share our favorite Yeast Dough.
This dough is great for Bread, Rolls, Pizza, all those tasty things that are so complementary to vegetables. Think vegetable Pizza, or a comforting soup with a fresh loaf of bread. Or how the whole house smells so wonderful that everyone comes to the table hungry. Yes, as much as we love Vegetables, Bread belongs with them.
Ingredients:
This works well if you make it by hand or with the bread machine
1 1/4 cups water (or milk) adjust as needed if using whole grain
4 cups flour (bread or all-purpose)
1 TBSP Sugar (that’s to feed the yeast, it will disappear)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp yeast (I use active with good success, use what you have)
Optional, you may use a little oil as well as 2 eggs in this dough, which changes it a little. You can also use Buttermilk, which makes wonderful bread, but then you need to increase the liquid amount to 1 1/2 cups. As well, whole grain flour needs a little more liquid.
I usually use a cup and a half of some whole grain flour to bake in a little health and change the flavor too.
Instruction: Knead together well, until it is smooth and elastic, and let rest to rise about double in size. Then proceed to make what you would like to make. For bread and rolls, shape it and let rise about half its size again before baking.
Quick and simple. The rising is the longest part. Give it a warm spot without a draft, and this should happen quickly enough.
Here's another delicious way to use fresh zucchini: Turn it into a spicy soup with mint, cilantro, and jalapeño. Serve it hot or cold!
Spicy Zuccini Soup
Submitted by Jennifer P.
Jennifer says “Good way to use up lots of squash quick. Really good with the day-old bread.”
Thank you Jennifer. This looks really good.
Yellow Squash Soup
Submitted by Amanda W.
Thank you, Amanda.. This looks better than the original version.
“We made this for dinner tonight -- it was delicious and used up a bunch of squash! As you can see, we doctored it up a bit. We added some of the corn, fresh basil, kale chips, cayenne, and some pan-fried cheese. Mmmm.”
I asked Amanda about the amazing looking Kale chips, and here is the answer she generously shared: “ I like to play with the flavors by using different spices, but for the most part it's just oil, salt, and any other seasoning. A version we make often is with sesame oil or olive oil, salt, sesame seeds, and red chili flakes or cayenne. We bake them at 375 F on the top rack for about 12-13 minutes. (I don't actually time it, but Carl said 13 minutes is the sweet spot, haha!) “
This sounds very tasty. Thank you Amanda.
Zucchini Enchiladas
by Lucy Anne H. Thank you.
From here
This is a brilliant idea, and looks Ohhhhh so goood.
Gazpacho
Shared by Adele P. Thank you Adele.
“And here's how we are having regular pretend trip to Spain, having a tortilla de patatas to go with:
Gazpacho, approx. 1 qt.
place in cuisinart, blender or food mill, the following veg. cut up
approximately. It can be hotter or milder based on your choice/amounts of
onion and peppers. your preferences
1-1.5 lb. ripe tomatoes; 1 med. seeded cucumber; 1 cubanelle or mild/sweet
pepper; 1-1.5 c. yellow or red onion; 2 large or more small cloves
garlic, crushed & peeled
With: 1/2 c. olive oil; 1/4 c. sherry vinegar.
process until as smooth as it's going to get. Pass through mesh strainer
pressing to extract all the liquid. If you have a lot of solids, whizz them
again and repeat!
put in a glass or metal container and chill until extremely cold, drizzle
with oil & serve in a bowl or a small glass. Keep well in a glass jar for a
few days.”
Pickled Beans
Also by Adele P. Thank you Adele
“Here is how we continue to enjoy some of the green and yellow beans”
Note: Link was removed because it requires subscription now. It is also not from a tested source. However, there are now links to safe, tested recipes on top of this page
Roasted Tomato Sauce
By N. & B. Zimmerman, Thank you for sharing.
“We made the sauce by roasting the tomatoes in the oven. slice in half. take out the seeds. light olive oil on the pan with salt. Skin side up. 425 for 30 min. let cool and pull skins. Add tomatoes and basil to garlic and onion in a pot with olive oil for 10 min. Then immersion blender and you have awesome sauce. I certainly find that roasting the tomatoes gives a richer flavor as opposed to boiling them ”
BEST EVER ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE
A recipe section would not be complete without a good Zucchini bread recipe. This is how even my kids like Zucchini. Or carrots and other vegetably things. And sometimes I even use Beets, call it “Red Velvet” and get away with it …
There is nothing quite like fresh super sweet corn
How to best freeze corn
SBH
I have tried all kinds of things, the only way to have corn taste just like the fresh corn you put in the freezer is to cut it off the cob and freeze it raw.
Make sure to only put a moderate amount into the freezer bag and freeze it flat. This way you can easily break it up and only take out what you want. No need to thaw, just toss it into something very hot, and be amazed how it tastes like it should.
Tomatoes also freeze well raw
How to best freeze Tomatoes
SBH
Very soon there will be tooooo many tomatoes.
What I found works best, is to toss them in the Blender and blend until you can’t see any skin, and barely seeds. You can then strain if you like.
If you like you can add your tomato paste and herbs and onions, garlic for sauce now, or just freeze the blended tomatoes plain. And that’s it. It is so simple, that there is no reason to not have fresh tomato sauce in the winter.
I personally make some with the herbs, onion, garlic and peppers because these all freeze well raw, and while I freeze some of those separate, it makes it that much easier to just toss in a pot and go. I do like to finely dice these things, or just pulse in the blender for a little texture. This is up to you how you like it.
Caramelized Zucchini Flatbread
This inspires so many variations. Find the recipe here
For the southern souls
Fried Squash
Squash recipes are not complete without something fried. Recipe is from here
This is my husband’s favorite, only we use a lot of onion as well. SBH
SIMPLE SKILLET ZUCCHINI AND YELLOW SQUASH
A very quick and simple recipe
You can cut it like this, or cut it in rounds. I find it cooks best very thinly sliced with the Food processor.
Squash, Zucchini and easy Bread and Butter Pickles
Zucchini-Lentil Fritters with Lemony Yoghurt
Shared by Su Lin H. Thank you
Here is where you find the recipe
Squash Salad
Shared by Su Lin H. What a great idea. Thank you.
Lovely green and yellow zucchini salad from my latest CSA bounty from Stefanfarms! Delicious!!
“Easy shaving with a vegetable peeler” says Su Lin
Later, a friend to me that you could prepare squash as shown, but then turn it into tasty chips.
Pattypan Squash Pie by Laura P. Thank you
Pattypan Squash Pie
Laura P. “Stefanfarms it is so good! Not as sweet as pumpkin pie and it has a smooth buttery flavor because of the pattypan. Here's the recipe i used
Get the recipe Here
Baked-Zucchini-Spinach-and-Feta
“I love the squash! I’ve made several variations of the following recipe. Basically just squash, eggs, various cheeses and fresh or dried herbs. Sometimes with rice or bread crumbs.”
Shared by Jennifer P. Thank you
Post Workout meal
My post workout meal: fresh eggs from our chickens and zucchini from Stefanfarms!
Shared by Philip P. Thank you
Easy Bread and Butter Pickles
Get the recipe here
Note: Link removed. Please find a tested recipe in the many canning sources on top of the page.
Pumpkin
Image from here
Pumpkin preparation for filling from real, fresh Pumpkin /SBH
It’s that time of the year already. Pumpkins! Have you ever made a pie with fresh Pumpkins? That’s a world of difference from canned contents. However, besides being a processed food, those cans do not contain Pumpkin. That stuff is made from the Longneck or super sized Butternut that we also grow. Try some of those for pie too. Still a huge difference from the cans. Sooo goood. But there is a trick. When I first made pumpkin pie from fresh Pumpkins, or even Butternut/Longnecks, it did not taste like it should. It was “squashier” than it should have been. I’m not going to describe the journey figuring it out, but it was experimentation and I want to share it with you so you don’t have to. It is very simple. The pumpkins need to be blended to serious “mush” with a good blender or Immersion Blender. That’s it. When the fibers are broken down well, the squash taste vanishes.
Also keep in mind that fresh vegetables will have a higher water content and be ready to adjust the liquids to less, or slightly increase the dry ingredients to balance the recipes. Now you just need to find your favorite recipe and start baking. And there is a good chance that you don’t ever want a pie from canned pumpkin again.
This recipe is close to how we made it. But be careful with how much water you use in vinegar dilution. Always keep in mind safe acid levels when preserving. Since the liquid is reduced in the end, it will work here, but it is an important step beyond flavor.
Note, for canning, please find a tested recipe. Germany does not have such things as USDA or Ball, so we did not know better. Don’t risk winging it.
Sweet and Sour Pumpkin/SBH
This is a recipe I made, starting at a very young age, from regular big pumpkins. When I was young at least, I had never heard of Pumpkin Pies. As far as I know, Germans did not make those, even though they had to be around. We also did not have Sugar Pumpkins. But we pickled the big ones. This turned into a tradition, since these pickled pumpkins are incredible with some cheese of your choice and maybe some crackers. They go well with most things, even meat or cold cuts, changing the whole into something “more.”
kaddo-bourani-pumpkin-with-yogurt-and-meat-sauces
Thank you, Amanda W. for http://habeasbrulee.com/2006/10/20/kaddo-bourani-pumpkin-with-yogurt-and-meat-sauces/
This is a “must try” dish. Very different, and a nice change from the limited standard traditional pumpkin use.
Shared by Baerbl R. (found on 9 news).Thank you. Delicious.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup milk
2 shots espresso (or 1/2 cup dark coffee)
Optional: Whipped cream
Instructions:
Make espresso, or brew the darkest coffee you have
Combine pumpkin, syrup, pie spice and milk in a large mug. Steam and foam milk using espresso machine. Or, heat milk mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds until hot, then use an immersion blender or whisk to froth.
Pour espresso or coffee into foamy milk.
Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
Portuguese-Kale-Soup
From Amanda W. Thank you Amanda
The Best Ever Turkey by Alyssa B.
Thanks for sharing Alyssa, this is genius!
“Happy Thanksgiving! I had made vegetable stock with your carrot tops and various other vegetables during the summer and froze it, and we used it as the brine for our turkey this year! my whole family said it was the most flavorful turkey we had ever had - all thanks to your veggies!
In the past we had just used store bought, but this made all the difference! Feel free to write it on the recipe page!
Hope you have a great day”
I have to add, it might have been our vegetables, but I would not have thought to apply them this way. Brilliant, and I will try this with anything that could use a little extra flavor and moisturizing now.
Cabbage-and-Kale Soup with Farro
This is another one from Amanda W. Thank you so much
“I did find this delicious cabbage and kale soup recipe. No pics this time, though. I made a few substitutions so I didn't have to buy anything and it was still great. I used bacon instead of pancetta (basically the same anyway, right?), brown rice in place of farro, and mushroom powder instead of anchovy paste.”
Note: I tried to get the picture, but it won’t let me. Just go to the link and check it out. Looks delicious. Also, I REALLY like that Amanda shares how she adjusted the recipe. This is a perfect example how we can make something happen without having to leave the house, or find something that works when we don’t like something. Anchovies is not everyone’s thing for sure. I like them, but the rest of my family does not. Enjoy. Thank you again, Amanda
Fun Fact, Nutritional profile of Squash
That’s almost enough of squash. Fried, baked, boiled, soups, as Appetizer, side dish, main dish and dessert. But one can’t deny the fact that Squashes are incredibly versatile. You can do so much, it is a good thing that it also healthy. How healthy? Here are the Numbers: