Pantry

Dried hot chilies

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we grew habanero and jalapeño chilies this year, with some success.  That makes sense, given that we are only about 30 minutes from the area where piment d’Espelette is grown.  We planted six plants, three of each kind, in a part of our garden that not only gets […]

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, we grew habanero and jalapeño chilies this year, with some success.  That makes sense, given that we are only about 30 minutes from the area where piment d’Espelette is grown.  We planted six plants, three of each kind, in a part of our garden that not only gets

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Apple butter

Here is another recipe from my grandma’s favorite cookbook, “The Lilly Wallace New American Cookbook”. For those of you who are too young to remember apple butter, there is no butter in apple butter. It is, instead, like apple sauce reduced to the consistency and sweetness of jam.  My grandma flavored hers with warm spices,

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Slide 1

Here is another recipe from my grandma’s favorite cookbook, “The Lilly Wallace New American Cookbook”. For those of you who are too young to remember apple butter, there is no butter in apple butter. It is, instead, like apple sauce reduced to the consistency and sweetness of jam.  My grandma flavored hers with warm spices,

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Pickled green cherry tomatoes and pearl onions

I tasted my green cherry tomato-pearl onion pickles recently and I think they turned out very well.  So I am passing on the recipe. Note that this same method could be used for many veggies, such as green beans, cabbage and cauliflower.

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I tasted my green cherry tomato-pearl onion pickles recently and I think they turned out very well.  So I am passing on the recipe. Note that this same method could be used for many veggies, such as green beans, cabbage and cauliflower.

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Making use of storm loss

On a recent warm evening, a storm passed through Orthez, with wind and beating rain.  We were snug inside but the cherry tomatoes took a hit;  the next morning I discovered a lot of green tomatoes on the ground around the plants.  My mom used to make pickled green tomatoes using the same recipe she

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On a recent warm evening, a storm passed through Orthez, with wind and beating rain.  We were snug inside but the cherry tomatoes took a hit;  the next morning I discovered a lot of green tomatoes on the ground around the plants.  My mom used to make pickled green tomatoes using the same recipe she

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Quince compote with bay leaves and vanilla

The arrival of quince on the market stands always signals the beginning of winter for me;  quince are the last tree fruits to arrive at the end of the season and, since they keep well, they are also one of the last available at the end of the year.  My grandma primarily used quince in

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The arrival of quince on the market stands always signals the beginning of winter for me;  quince are the last tree fruits to arrive at the end of the season and, since they keep well, they are also one of the last available at the end of the year.  My grandma primarily used quince in

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Apple Chutney

In 2018, we planted a little apple tree in a sunny SE corner of our yard.  These days, it has grown to important size and yields a lot more lovely eating apples than we can possibly eat.  So after having given bags to all our friends and neighbors, and eaten apples everyday for a month,

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In 2018, we planted a little apple tree in a sunny SE corner of our yard.  These days, it has grown to important size and yields a lot more lovely eating apples than we can possibly eat.  So after having given bags to all our friends and neighbors, and eaten apples everyday for a month,

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Chicken stock

This recipe for chicken stock differs from the classic method I learned for making stock during my time at the Ecole Ferrandi in Paris.  At Ferrandi, all the vegetables were carefully peeled and dices and the herbs and spices tied into a boquet garni using cheesecloth.  However, I find that using the skins and peels

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This recipe for chicken stock differs from the classic method I learned for making stock during my time at the Ecole Ferrandi in Paris.  At Ferrandi, all the vegetables were carefully peeled and dices and the herbs and spices tied into a boquet garni using cheesecloth.  However, I find that using the skins and peels

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Tomato Chutney

This recipe is a great way to use up extra tomatoes when the garden is giving more than you can use.  You can preserve the finished chutney in jars in the Fall to have chutney all year round. It is also a good way to use plain preserved tomatoes in juice when fresh tomatoes are

Tomato Chutney Read More »

This recipe is a great way to use up extra tomatoes when the garden is giving more than you can use.  You can preserve the finished chutney in jars in the Fall to have chutney all year round. It is also a good way to use plain preserved tomatoes in juice when fresh tomatoes are

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Red Muscat grape jam

This jam, made with Muscat grapes that have a slightly more lively acid profile than most table grapes, is a great foil for well aged goat cheeses.  This recipe makes about 12 half pint jars of jam.

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This jam, made with Muscat grapes that have a slightly more lively acid profile than most table grapes, is a great foil for well aged goat cheeses.  This recipe makes about 12 half pint jars of jam.

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Olive walnut tapenade

Tapenade is one of the archetypical condiments of the French region of Provence.  As with many regional specialties, there are as many versions of tapenade as there are cooks in Provence.  This version used 3 different varieties of olive, but the rich, earthy flavor given by the oil cured olives predominates.  If you plan to

Olive walnut tapenade Read More »

Tapenade is one of the archetypical condiments of the French region of Provence.  As with many regional specialties, there are as many versions of tapenade as there are cooks in Provence.  This version used 3 different varieties of olive, but the rich, earthy flavor given by the oil cured olives predominates.  If you plan to

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