My journey of cooking, gardening, preserving and more
Most of my cooking is inspired by what’s fresh and available, either from my garden or at the store and this recipe is a perfect example of that. Portobello mushrooms, as popular as they’ve become, are not always readily available where I live. Often, when I …
The last of my cucumber plants got pulled up last week and, though I’m sad to see summer end, I have to admit that this year’s cucumber harvest was a bit overwhelming. I added diced cucumber to salsa (delicious) and threw together quick cucumber salad …
You can ramp up the heat with these a number of ways, depending on what you have on hand when you process them. I made this batch 1/2 with crushed dried pepper flakes and 1/2 with hot jalapenos from the garden. Be creative here – fresh and dried peppers both work. The level of heat is also in your hands, so make these your own.
Although this is a recipe for canned dilly beans, you don’t have to process these to enjoy them. Just simmer them for about 10 minutes in the brine, let cool, pop into a covered jar or glass container and refrigerate them. Because of the vinegar, these will keep in the fridge for a few months, no processing required.
This makes about 6 pint jars.
Brine:
Per pint jar:
Sterilize jars, lids, and bands for 10 minutes. Leave in hot water until ready to use.
In a large pan, add water, vinegar and pickling salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
In each sterilized jar, place 2 cloves crushed garlic, dill head, dill seed, hot peppers, and peppercorns. Pack with green beans.
Pour hot brine over green beans, filling jar to 1/4 inch of rim. Wipe rim clean and seal with lid and band. Repeat for each jar.
Place packed and sealed jars into a boiling hot water bath, making sure the water level is at least 1 inch above jars. Cover, reduce to a low boil (but make sure water continues to boil) and process for 10 minutes. Carefully remove jars from water and let sit, undisturbed, until cool.
Store for at least 4 weeks before enjoying, to let the flavors really come together.
Any jars that don’t seal can be stored in the fridge.
I can seriously eat a jar of these by myself, that’s how much I love them. And feel free to switch this up with apple cider vinegar – it’s just as delicious, with a little different tang.
These little beauties also make great gifts, so something to keep in mind as your garden is winding down.
Cheers!
How to grow artichokes as an annual, from seeds to plants, in one season.
After trying for 3 years, I’m finally – successfully! – growing artichokes. I’ll be posting my entire journey through this at a later date, but here’s my photo of the first harvested one: Gardening is a beautiful thing.
I’ve made spring rolls a number of times because I love their crunchy freshness as well as their beauty. One of the greatest things about spring rolls is that their fillings are only limited by your imagination. I keep mine pretty simple with veggies, rice noodles, tofu and/or shrimp, but I’ve seen them filled with just about everything. The key to making them delicious is filling them with what you love.
The last rolls I made were strictly veggies and rice noodles. The prep work is the most strenuous part of making these because they come together very quickly. You want to have everything ready to go before you start rolling because eating them fresh is key; the wrappers don’t hold up well to long refrigeration. If you’re making these for a party, an hour or so at most in the fridge is the absolute longest I’d recommend. You’re better off having everything prepared and then let your guests have fun making these themselves…it’s a great conversation starter.
Fresh herbs are another important aspect of summer and fresh spring rolls. This last time around, I only had cilantro on hand so that’s what I used. Mint is another key herb but don’t be afraid to use parsley or basil, too. Again, think fresh and use what you love.
You really can’t go wrong with all these beautiful veggies, right? Right.
This isn’t a recipe, per se, but a guide for how to make these and also delicious dipping sauce to go along with them. The amount you make is entirely up to you; I can tell you that the large serving plate of veggies above, along with some rice noodles for some of the rolls, made about 10 rolls.
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside until ready to serve.
Here’s how I prepare my spring rolls and I rarely have any problems with them going together well. Fill a bowl with cold water and have a large wood cutting board on hand to roll your spring rolls on. Have all of your veggies cut and nearby, along with your cold rice noodles.
Are you ready to roll?
Take one spring roll wrapper and immerse it entirely in your bowl of cold water, moving it around if necessary to make sure the entire wrapper is wet, and removing it very quickly. Hold above bowl for a few seconds to let excess water drain off and then lay flat on your cutting board.
Working quickly, put your fillings of choice across just the center line of the wrapper. leaving a good inch or so free on each end.
Take one end of the wrapper and, using the wrapper, pull it over the ingredients and slide the ingredients and wrapper towards you so it’s tight, being careful not to pull too tightly and break the wrapper. Fold the empty ends over, like you’re rolling a burrito, and then roll up the entire roll. Place on plate and repeat with the next roll.
Pretty easy, right? Welcome to fresh, crunchy, heavenly veggie nirvana.
I find the spring roll wrappers by the fresh veggie area at my local store, right next to the wonton wrappers and tofu. The rice noodles are typically in the Asian food section – won’t it be nice when all of our food isn’t segregated but you can find any type of noodles in the “Noodle” section? Sorry, I digress. Anyway…use your imagination on the fillings and even the dipping sauce; you’ll be surprised at how easy but delicious these are.
If you’re can’t tell by the photos and are curious about the vegetables I used, here they are:
These are the veggies I used because these are the veggies I had on hand. Don’t overthink these…just make them with what you have and love. Oh, and they’re pretty good for you too….but you don’t have to tell anybody that.
Have fun and don’t be afraid to play with your food!
Have I mentioned how much I love eggs? Probably. And, rest assured, my cholesterol levels are spectacular. Mix them with some gorgeous vegetables, especially from your garden, a bit of cream and a touch of cheese and hello easy meal. Not only is this a …
