~ More on Apple Cider Vinegar ~

Substitute apple cider vinegar when a recipe calls for an acid, such as lemon. Whisk together apple cider vinegar with crushed fresh garlic, fresh-ground black pepper, olive oil and a pinch of salt and cumin. Pour over steamed vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli or zucchini. * Marinades do more than give meat flavor; marinating meat also makes it more tender. Instead of using wine, or other types of vinegar, use apple cider instead. * Apple cider vinegar makes a great sauce when tangy is what you’re looking for. An apple cider vinegar sauce, or glaze, is also great over ham. Reduce apple cider vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, paprika, black pepper and thyme until it is the consistency of gravy. * Recently, there has been lots of articles about the health benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is highly acidic. The main ingredient of apple cider vinegar is acetic acid. As the name suggests, it's quite harsh. Apple cider vinegar should always be diluted with water or juice before swallowed. Pure apple cider vinegar could damage the tooth enamel and the tissues in your throat and mouth. So maybe Apple Cider Vinegar is best used in cooking. ~ Chef ~

~*~*~*~ Apple Cider Vinegar ~*~*~*~

* Choose apples that have a high-sugar content and that are fully ripe. Typically this includes Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji and Jonagold. Pick only the best apples. They should be worm-free as well as blemish-free. * Cut the apples into small pieces. Crush them. Filter the juice through a piece of cheesecloth inside a strainer, or press them in a fruit and vegetable press. Put 5 gallons of apple juice into nonmetallic containers and set aside 1 qt. of juice. * Crumble one cake of yeast used in wine making into the 1 qt. of juice that you have set aside. Stir it until it dissolves. Add the yeast mixture back into the rest of the apple juice. * Fill the nonmetallic pots about two-thirds full. Cover them with cheesecloth and put them in a dark place. The temperature should be around 60 to 80 degrees at all times. * Stir the apple cider vinegar once a day for 3 weeks. After that, taste it. When the vinegar reaches the desired flavor, filter it once again through cheesecloth to remove the mother. That stops any more fermentation from taking place. * Pour the vinegar into a large pot. Cook it over low heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature reaches 140 degrees to pasteurize it. Remove the vinegar from the heat. * Use a funnel to pour the pasteurized vinegar into clean plastic or glass bottles. Put the lids on the bottles. Set the bottles into a hot water bath to further sterilize them. Allow the bottled vinegar to cool and store it in a cool, dark, dry place.Vinegar has many uses, which we will discuss tomorrow.

~ Chef ~

~ Herbs ... why Organic? ~

With everything being organic these days why not herbs and spices? Well, herbs and spices are ideal candidates for organics. Herbs, which may be dried or fresh, come from the leafy part of a plant. Spices, usually used in dried form, are from seeds, roots, fruit, or bark and most originate in tropical or semi-tropical regions. It’s also possible for one plant to contain both herb and spice; the coriander plant’s leaves are the herb most people call “cilantro,” while coriander seeds are a spice in their own right. Thru the years spice usage has increased. In 1995, total consumption of spices in the U.S. was nearly 800 million pounds. By 2000, that figure was over 950 million pounds. In 2005, the latest year which data is available, total spice consumption in America had reached over 1.6 billion pounds. There are many more different herbs and spices available these days than ten years ago. So back to the question of "why Organic"? It turns out that commercially-produced herbs and spices are subject to attacks from a variety of pests, fungi, molds and diseases, just as are other crops. And the plant parts that give so much flavor to our foods are bathed in a “cocktail” of chemicals while they’re grown, an action that can leave pesticide residue on your condiments. So if you use alot of herbs and spices you might want to consider creating your very own herb garden. It could be very rewarding and definitely much healthier. ~ Chef ~

~ Green Tomato Relish ~

Ingredients:
25 medium or 35 small green tomatoes
3 medium green bell peppers
2 medium sweet red peppers
3 medium onions
4 tbsp pickling salt
4 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
3 tbsp mustard seed
3 tbsp celery seed
~~~
Instructions:
Chop or grind all vegetables into a fine dice.
Cover with the pickling salt and stir to coat.
Let the mixture stand for 3 hours, then drain well.
Boil the sugar, vinegar and seeds for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetables and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Seal in hot, sterile jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yields: 7 pints
~~~
This winter you will have a fabulous relish
to accompany your blackeye peas.
~ Chef ~

~ Fried Green Tomatoes with a Twist ~

If you've got tomatoes that just don't want to ripen here's a recipe just for you!

~~~
* 2 medium green tomatoes cut into 1/4 inch slices (you should have 8 tomato slices)
* fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt
* 1/2 cup all purpose flour
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
* 4 1/4 slices of mozzarella
* oil for frying
~~~

Season both sides of the sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place flour in one bowl. In another bowl beat eggs. In a third bowl combine panko and plain bread crumbs. Dip sliced tomatoes into flour, then the eggs, then dredge in the bread crumb mixture until coated. Shake off excess. Pour enough oil in a frying pan to coat the bottom. Heat over medium heat. Sprinkle a couple of bread crumbs into the oil, if it sizzles it’s ready. Fry the tomatoes until light golden brown on each side. About 2 minutes per side. Place 1 slice of mozzarella on top of 4 of the tomatoes. Place remaining 4 tomatoes on top. Gently press down, cook about 2 more minutes per-side or until tomatoes are golden brown and mozzarella is melted. Serve hot! Oh my!

~ Chef ~

~*~ Ladyfingers ~*~

Ladyfingers are very light, sweet sponge cakes. They have more flour, and so they are drier than other sponges; before baking, powdered sugar is sifted over the top to provide a soft crust. They are three to four inches long and most popularly used as the cake component in tiramisu (soaked in coffee liqueur). Ladyfingers originated in the late 15th century at the court of the Duchy of Savoy, to celebrate a visit of the King of France. ~ Chef ~

~ Spumoni ~

A Neapolitan specialty with layers of three different colored and flavored ice creams. Chocolate, pistachio and cherry are a popular combination, but other flavors can be used, with nuts, biscuits (cookie pieces) and candied fruit added to the layers. Originally, in the days before ice cream, spumoni was fruit ice (sherbet) blended with a large amount of Italian meringue (cooked, beaten egg white sweetened with hot sugar syrup). The foaminess of the dessert gave the dish its name (spuma is the Italian word for foam). As the recipe evolved, spumoni was molded into a cake-shape either an individual or a multi-serving size with the “surprise” flavors inside. Larger sizes are sliced ... never scooped! Now you know. ~ Chef ~