Pressure Cooking Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

EASY AS 1-2-3

• fresh whole green beans
• red potatoes, 1-inch in diameter or cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 cup water
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
• 2 teaspoons bacon drippings or olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

The amount of vegetables does not change the cooking time.  However,
DO NOT fill the pressure cooker over 2/3 full!

When mixing our vegetables, it’s good to use the cooking rack to keep them out of the cooking liquid. Each vegetable will retain its own distinctive flavor and appearance.  If you wish to blend the flavors, omit the rack and place them in the cooking liquid.

Pour 1 cup water into cooker.  Place the remaining ingredients in cooker, with or without rack.  Close cover securely.  Place pressure regulator on vent pipe.  Using a medium to high heat setting, heat the pressure cooker until the pressure regulator attains a gentle rocking motion.

NOTE: The air vent/cover lock may move up and down a few times when cooking first begins.  Steam will be noticeable.  This is normal.  Air is being vented out of the cooker.  Once the cooker has sealed, the air vent/cover lock will rise up and remain in the up position until pressure is released.  The overpressure plug will rise slightly and seal as well.

Cooking time begins when the pressure regulator begins to rock gently.  Gradually lower the heat as necessary to maintain a slow steady rocking motion and COOK FOR 4 MINUTES. CAREFULLY lift pressure cooker to remove from burner and place in kitchen sink.  Cool the pressure cooker under running water faucet  until pressure is completely reduced.  Pressure is completely reduced when the air vent/cover lock has dropped.

If the air vent/cover lock remains in its raised position, there is still pressure inside the cooker.  Continue to cool until air vent/cover lock drops.

Remove the pressure regulator BEFORE opening the cover.  Lift the cover toward you to keep any steam away from you.  If the cover turns hard, there still may be some pressure in the cooker.  Do not force the cover off. Continue to cool the cooker until steam no longer is escaping from the vent pipe, the air vent/cover lock has dropped, and the cover turns easily.

Food is ready to serve.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, halved and sliced
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss together the cucumbers, red onion and tomato. Gently stir in the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Ketchup or Catsup Recipe

Do you say Ketchup or Catsup?  I guess it all depends on which side of the river you were raised.  Either way, making ketchup from locally grown tomatoes far exceeds the quality and flavor of the store bought stuff.

As we acquire more and more tomatoes coming in from local farms, why not try your hand at making the most of our blessed abundance.  Show your kids or grand-kids what REAL ketchup or catsup is suppose to taste like.

To Make about 7 (16 oz) pints

You will need:
3 tablespoons celery seeds
4 teaspoons whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons whole allspice
3 cups cider vinegar
24 lb tomatoes, cored and quartered (about 72 medium)
3 cups chopped onions (about 4 medium)
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup Ball® Simple Creations® Preserving & Pickling Salt
7 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
TIE celery seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks and allspice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.

COMBINE vinegar and spice bag in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 25 minutes. Discard spice bag.

COMBINE tomatoes, onions and cayenne in a clean large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently for 20 minutes. Add infused vinegar and boil gently until vegetables are soft and mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes.

TRANSFER mixture, working in batches, to a sieve placed over a glass or stainless steel bowl and press with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. This can also be done using a food mill. Discard solids.

RETURN liquid to saucepan. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by half and mixture is almost the consistency of commercial ketchup, about 45 minutes.

PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

LADLE hot ketchup into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Cream of Spinach Soup

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pound fresh spinach, chopped
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup coconut cream
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• long strips of fresh chives, to garnish

Melt the butter in a pan over a moderate heat and sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until soft.  Add the spinach,  cover the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes, until the spinach has wilted and reduced.

Pour the spinach mixture into a blender or food processor and add a little of the stock.  Blend until smooth.

Return the mixture to the pan and add the remaining stock and coconut cream, with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.  Simmer for 15 minutes to thicken.

Add the whipping cream to the pan, stir well and heat through, but do not allow the soup to boil.  Serve immediately, garnish with strips of chives.

Pickled Asparagus

Pickled Asparagus is excellent added to all salads; fruit, vegetable, potato, and pasta.  Good lightly sautéed or grilled as a side dish.

Makes about 15 pints

• 10 pounds diced or sliced asparagus ends (does not include tender tip)
• 2 pounds peeled and sliced carrots
• 1/2 can red pimento pepper

Mix the above ingredients together evenly in a separate container.  Pack into mason pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.

For the Brine:

• 4 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 12 cups water
• 3/4 cups pickling salt

Bring the brine mixture to a boil and pour hot into packed jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.  Cap and process in boiling water bath for 12 minutes.  Cool and check for seal.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkins are popping up around us and the kids are overflowing with creative ideas for decorating these festive gourds.  But for those of us who love to go deeper, filling our cheeks with crunchy, fresh roasted pumpkin seeds is just the beginning to savoring Autumn’s fruits.

Let’s get to thrashing a pumpkin for its seeds.

First, cut out the top of pumpkin.  Look at the stringy, web-like action going on in there.  This is where I discover another place God is so COOL! Look at that beautiful creamy orange color. The center mass looks like an explosion and the seeds are just hangin’ out on the sides.  There are so many hidden places where God tucks His coolest artwork.

Fill a large bowl with water and give the seeds a good swishin’ around.  The stringy stuff sinks to the bottom and the seeds float.  Proceed to skim the seeds off the top with your hands and move them to a cookie sheet.  Allow them to dry just a bit and they’ll become sticky.

Now salt the heck out of them! I use good ol’ table salt. Much of the extra salt falls off during the roasting process, so don’t be afeard to be generous with the salt.

Heat the oven to 350F degrees.
Bake.  Stir.  Bake.  Golden brown, done.  Cool.  Eat.

Simple and very accurate.  It doesn’t sound like enough information, but it doesn’t take any time at all to roast pumpkin seeds.  It might take 7 to 10 minutes and 10 minutes is pushing it.  I set the timer for 5 minutes, then come back to stir them.  They tan up mighty quick.  I give them one stir with a spatula then stand there a couple of minutes and voila!  Done.

I immediately move the seeds off the sheet and allow them to cool.

Farmers’ Market Veggie Nachos

Simple and quick recipes are always a first choice when throwing together a hot lunch. My family would eat nachos everyday, if I’d let them. I like that they’re similar to salads, minus the greens. We can throw just about any vegetable, legume, meat, fruit, salsa, and of course, wonderful cheeses on top of a bed a chips. Slide’em into the oven for less than 10-minutes and then we’re ready to chow down. Any combination of our favorite toppings always seems to work out into a fun & filling lunch.

Better still, making nachos is a great way to clean out the frig of all those half-cut bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. Leftover grilled meats, cuts of cheese that are too small for a recipe, fresh herbs on their last day can be used to make fabulous nachos.

HERE’S A GOOD COMBINATION

• green bell pepper. diced small
• red bell pepper, diced small
• yellow onion, sliced thin
• tomato, seeded, diced small
• black beans, drained and rinsed
• fresh cilantro
• Monterey cheese, grated
• Cheddar cheese, grated
• Habanero Smoked Cheese, grated (from Love at First Slice)
• tortilla chips
• sour cream for dipping
• your favorite salsa for dipping

Heat oven to 375ºF. Use a cookie sheet lined with foil for easy cleanup, or not. Make a layer of chips on the sheet. Arrange the toppings as you like them. Cover lightly with grated cheeses. Bake 7 to 10 minutes.

mmm…hot, veggie nachos

Campfire Roasted Potatoes and Onions with Garlic

Patsy Yates has been selling the cutest little New Potatoes at the Main Street Farmers’ Market.  Their size makes them perfect for cooking with a bunch of green beans.  I couldn’t help take them along on a camping trip to Lake Bob Sandlin and roast them over our campfire.

HERE’S ALL IT TAKES

• as many New Potatoes as you want to eat, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• small yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• garlic cloves, halved
• oil for coating vegetables, 1 to 2 tablespoons
• 1/2- to 1-teaspoon dried parsley
• course salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• heavy duty aluminum foil

Pile the sliced vegetables onto a large sheet of aluminum foil.  Drizzle with oil and season with parsley, salt and pepper.  Make a foil packet.  Bring the longest sides up and fold together to make a sealed top.  Fold in each end well enough to prevent oil and steam from leaking out of foil packet.

Lay foil packet carefully over medium high fire on grill grid or lay over gray coals on the side of the fire, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

CAMP COOK:  Cook up extra potatoes and you can have savory potatoes with scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Keep the foil packet in good shape and reheat the leftovers the next morning.

The creaminess of the potatoes tastes wonderful with the sweetness of the onions and garlic.  Of course, you don’t have to go camping to enjoy this dish.  You can easily pop the foil packet in 425ºF oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Texas Peach Pie

It looks like a cobbler but has all the yummy fun of pie.  Before the season is done, pick up a basket of fresh picked peaches from the Main Street Farmers’ Market and make this incredible dessert. And instead of a pie plate, pull out the 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish and serve this up Texas size.  Your friends and neighbors will love helping you eat it up.

HERE’S ALL IT TAKES

Pie Crust

• 1 cup or 2 sticks COLD butter, cut into tablespoon slices
• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, (if you use salted butter, then do not add this extra salt)
• 7 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

In a food processor, pulse and cut butter into flour and salt until mixture makes small pea size crumbs.  With the processor on, add ice cold water through the top until all the flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.

Gather pastry into a ball; shape into flattened round. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  When you’re ready to assemble the pie, then divide dough in half.  Roll out each half onto a lightly floured surface to the size of your baking dish.  Lay the pressed dough over the rolling pin to help pick up and move the dough to the buttered dish.

Texas Peach filling

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 to 8 cups fresh sliced peaches (about 7 to 10 peaches)
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter

HEAT OVEN 425ºF.

After slicing all those peaches, make sure there will be enough to fill the casserole dish before prepping the dish for baking.  You may need extra peaches or you may have too many, it’s good to check before going further.

Mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon and vanilla.  Stir in the measured peaches and lemon juice.

Prepare bottom layer of pastry and lay into bottom of the buttered 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish. Don’t worry about it being pretty, no one will notice the bottom.  Pour peach mixture into pastry-lined dish. Dot with 3 tablespoons of butter.  Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it; seal and decorate to your fancy.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  Allow to cool so the peach filling has time to solidify, otherwise it will run out and fall apart as you try to move it to your plate.  Trust me on this one.

Sweet Tomato and Feta Salad

This tomato and feta salad is full of flavors. It’s perfect with roasted chicken, grilled burgers or steaks, particularly when you need to replace that serving of potatoes with something lighter.  It works very well just as a appetizer with crackers

HERE’S ALL YOU NEED

• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped purple onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (4 oz.) package Basil & Tomato crumbled Feta cheese

Cut grape tomatoes in half and place them in a medium bowl. Toss in all remaining ingredients, except feta. Make sure your salad has enough salt and pepper to taste and you’re finish tossing, then add feta in last toss. Eat right away or served chilled. This salad is best eaten the same day it’s made.

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