Pickle Relish
Recipe from Carolyn Heatwole
12 large cucumbers or zucchini
12 large onions
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
2 yellow peppers
½ c. pickling salt
5 c. water
Mix salt and water; pour over minced vegetables*. Let set one hour. Strain and let set in fridge for several hours.
3 c. vinegar
3 c. water
4 c. sugar
1 T. mustard seed
1 T. celery seed
¾ c. flour
6 T. dry mustard
1 T. turmeric
Pour over and let simmer 30 min. Can in hot water bath for 10-15 min. (Pressure canning could contribute to a mushier texture; hot water bath is sufficient.)
A few of my observations: *My food processor produced a perfect texture; I was afraid it would puree too finely, but it worked great!
The juice from straining the salt water could be used in pasta salad, as a meat marinade, meatloaf, salad dressing…it’s just too good to waste!
Roasted Marinara Sauce
The amounts listed in this recipe are just a good place to start. Adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes.
8 c. cherry tomatoes or 24 medium tomatoes
2 medium onions, quartered
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
olive oil
salt
basil leaves
1-3 cans tomato paste, optional
Wash and stem the cherry tomatoes or wash and core the whole tomatoes. Split them evenly, in a single layer, between 2 9×13″ baking dishes. The larger tomatoes can be left whole; they will break down during the roasting process.
Toss the quartered onions and peeled garlic cloves evenly between the two pans. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt.
Roast at 425 for 30-40 minutes. The timing isn’t an exact science. The combination will smell incredibly fragrant, and the tomatoes and onions will look wrinkled, roasted, and slightly charred. For a thicker sauce, cook longer and stir occasionally to keep from burning.
Remove the pans from the oven and set on the counter to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Place a large colander inside a large bowl and dump the pans into the colander to strain out the juice. Set the juice aside.
Scoop the tomato mixture into the bowl of a blender or food processor; add the basil leaves. Puree until it reaches the desired consistency. Dump the pureed tomato sauce into the reserved juice and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with additional salt, if needed. (You could also add tomato paste if you desire a thicker sauce.)
Serve immediately as pasta or pizza sauce or freeze in plastic containers or bags for later use.
Roasted marinara sauce has become our favorite for pizza, spaghetti and all things related. Roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness, so no sugar is needed. This year I added diced sweet peppers, oregano, and extra garlic. And it can be either canned or frozen. I love the way our house smells when this is roasting. – Angela Davis, frugallivingnw.com
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
3 (3 oz.) boxes vanilla pudding
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pt. cream
1 T. vanilla
1 ½ c. brown sugar
1 ½ c. pecans
Fry pecans in ½ stick of butter until lightly browned, then add 2 T. sugar and stir, watching closely so it won’t burn. Mix pudding as directed on box. Add condensed milk, cream, vanilla, brown sugar and nuts to freezer canister and enough milk to fill container about 2-3 inches from the top. Freeze as usual for homemade ice cream.
