Pickling Things

With fall fast approaching, the farmers markets will soon empty out and cease their operations for the year.  That means that you ought to get as many fresh vegetables and can and pickle them.  Pickled cucumbers (pickles) are a no-brainer and easy, but it's fun to branch out a little.  I recently bought a whole bunch of tomatoes, potatoes, and onions, all of which I intend to can and pickle for the winter months.

Basic brine:
 I use a ratio of 1 tsp of salt (kosher or sea salt) to 1 cup of water.  When brining, I like to add in a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and/or white vinegar.

Boil the jars to sterilize them.  Wash the vegetables well and cut out any bruises or soft parts.  With tomatoes, remove the seeds and surrounding gel.  Some vegetables, like onions and potatoes, should be peeled.  Most vegetables should be pickled raw.
Boil together a solution of salt and water (brine) and mix in some lemon juice or vinegar.  Pack the vegetables into the jars well, but not so they are smushing each other.  Pour in the brine and tap the jar to get rid of the air pockets.  Place the capped jars into boiling water for ten minutes.  Remove, and let them cool naturally (don't cool them by running under cold water, placing in the fridge, placing in ice water.  This will cause the glass to shatter.)

Onions and tomatoes to be enjoyed for the months to come.

Soon, I'll write about making your own sauerkraut, which can be wonderful.

Recipe: French Onion Soup

French onion soup is a personal favorite of mine, owing to its simplicity and hearty taste.  I'm a big fan of onions and try to buy them as cheaply and as much as I can.  This soup is perfect for almost any season and can be mastered with extreme ease.  This is the recipe I use (I tinkered with it a little to bring out a richer and more full flavor.)

You will need:

8-9 medium onions (green, white, or yellow), chopped

10 cups of beef broth or stock (bouillon works well)

Sliced bread

Brandy (two shots' worth)

2 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

Cheese (traditionally Gruyere)

Pepper to taste

Oil to sauté

Add the broth to a big pot.  Peel and chop the onions.  In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, caramelize the onions in oil (about eight minutes), stirring constantly.  When the onions are turning brown, add the honey and the balsamic vinegar.  When the onions are caramelized, add everything in the saucepan to the broth and bring to a simmer.  Add in the brandy and grate in some pepper to taste.  Simmer for ten minutes or so.  Ladle the soup into bowls; top each bowl with a slice of bread and a thick layer of grated cheese.  The hot soup should melt the cheese over the bread and the top of the soup.  Serve.

Makes: about six servings.

If you let the soup sit for a day, the flavors will blend and meld better, making for a better soup.  But you can serve immediately as well.

I add the honey and balsamic to the onions, as I find it makes for a richer soup.  The vinegar and the honey cook a bit into the onion, allowing for a sweeter, yet more savory, soup.

Also, try serving in bread bowls for the ultimate experience.

Introduction

I started this blog to meld two of my favorite activities:  cooking and gardening.

My own garden consists of what I can fit on my windowsills and balcony.  Right now, I'm pretty bullish on tomatoes, but I also have other things like chives, lobelia, basil, and avocado (it's growing quite rapidly.)

My cooking is constantly evolving.  I started out as a poor college student, cooking whatever was cheapest (a lot of potatoes.)  Right now, I'm trying to branch out into different and exciting cuisines.  My successes and failures will be documented.

I hope you all enjoy my new blog!