A local meal to ring in the new year

Winter provides a challenge to those of us who try to eat primarily from our own gardens and from other local sources. Kentucky doesn’t grow citrus and even locally-grown apples that come out of cold storage aren’t always the best. The last one I bit into was mealy and spotted with a bitter brown. The persistent gardener can produce fresh greens, but that hasn’t been me this winter. So how, I wondered, can I plan a locally flavored meal for January 1 to bring in 2014, and to celebrate the wedding anniversary of friends?

Look to the shelf of canned goods. Yes, that summer flavor does return with a nice dish of spaghetti and meatballs made with our canned tomato sauce. The choice worked well for me because I did receive my own chitarra (see my November 19 post) as a Christmas gift and I wanted to try it out for our meal.

To accompany the pasta, I used our butternut squash, remaining beets, purple potatoes and sweet potatoes for a roasted vegetable dish. I also bought salad greens to provide a fresh accompaniment. Next, I made the Italian focaccia bread I learned in my class in Italy. And for dessert? I raided the freezer for blackberries, blueberries and raspberries so I could make a Kentucky berry and cornmeal cake. 

What have you preserved that you’re digging into this January?

Preservation Lessons Round #2

One of my great pleasures when the snow is on the ground is to open a jar of our tomatoes. We can tomatoes whole, make juice and prepare salsa and Lucy’s Basic Fresh Tomato Sauce. We use the sauce on spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, anything that calls for a jar of spaghetti-type sauce.

My friend Lucy gave me this recipe nearly eight years ago and I began freezing it then. But we began to have increased tomato gardening success and to realize we could use more of this yummy sauce, we started to can it. Just add a little lemon juice after it’s in the jar and it will keep with no problem.

One thing I’ve learned in making this sauce is that it cooks more quickly and more thickly if I remove the liquid from the tomatoes before throwing them into the pot. To prepare the tomatoes, we rinse them, score the top, drop them into boiling water for 30 – 60 seconds, then drop them into ice water. That makes it easy to peel the skin. Then I chop them, removing the seeds and inner jelly-like liquid, then put them into a mesh colander in the sink where more liquid will drain from them before I add them to the pot. My favorite type of tomatoe to use (although we use whatever we have) is the San Marzano, which grows larger than a Roma in my garden and has strong pulp but little liquid.

Lucy’s Basic Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 med. onions, chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
5 pounds (about 12 med.) firm, ripe tomatoes
1/3 c. olive oil
½ c. minced green onions, include some of green tops
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 to 1 ½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. anise seeds, crushed (optional-they have liquorish flavor)
1 Tbsp. oregano or Italian seasoning
¾ tsp. rosemary leaves, crushed
1 tsp. paprika
about 1 ¾ c. dry red wine, or to your taste

In large kettle, cook onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into eighths, or smaller if you like a finer sauce, and add to the pot along with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil and stir to break up tomatoes. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook for an hour. Remove cover and continue to boil gently until mixture reduces and thickens to your preference.

Easy Stuffed Peppers

At this time of year, our green peppers are their largest and we run out of things to do with them. That’s when it’s time to make stuffed peppers.

I’ve used a recipe from my mom for ages, but recently altered it to utilize some of the homemade tomato sauce from my shelf. That makes it super simple.

Stuffed Green Peppers
Cut off the tops of 12 peppers or so. Take out the insides. Boil in water for 5 minutes.
Brown 1 pound hamburger.
Cook 1 cup rice.
Combine hamburger, rice and as much of your preserved tomato sauce as you like.
If the sauce isn’t already seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, etc., add seasonings.
Stuff peppers. Pour more sauce over the top.
Bake covered for 45 minutes.
Remove lid, put a slice of cheese on top of each and bake 15 more minutes.

Enjoy!