~ Yellow Pepper Relish ~

Ingredients:

3 cups water
3 yellow bell peppers, seeded
2 medium onions, peeled
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

Directions: Put water on to boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, shred peppers and onions with the large-hole side of a box grater into a large bowl. Finely chop any remaining pieces of onion or pepper and add them to the bowl. Cover with the boiling water and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain in a large colander for 5 minutes (don't squeeze out any moisture). Place the shredded vegetables, sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice concentrate, salt and jalapeno (if using) in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer until thickened and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry before the peppers are tender, add water, 2 tablespoons at a time. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled, about 2 hours. Can be used on salmon patties, in a bowl of beans and anything in between. ~ Chef ~

~ Cucumber Relish ~

Ingredients:
8 cups finely chopped pickling cucumbers
3 cups finely chopped onion
8 cups finely chopped bell peppers, part red
1/2 cup pickling salt
3 1/4 cups cider vinegar
2 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons celery seeds
3 tablespoons mustard seeds

Directions: Prepare the vegetables; combine them in a large stainless steel or enamel lined kettle. Stir in the pickling salt; cover and let stand in a cool place for 4 hours. Transfer the vegetables to a colander and rinse with cool water. Drain, squeezing gently to remove excess liquid. Prepare the jars and lids. In a large stainless steel or enamel lined pan, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, celery seeds, and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the drained vegetable mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Fill hot, prepared jars and remove any air bubbles with a small plastic spatula, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Clean jar rims and fit with lids and rings. Process in a covered boiling-water bath canner for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the cover and let jars stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 6 pints of relish. ~ Chef ~

~ Cranberry Relish ~

Ingredients:

1 package whole, fresh cranberries
2 large oranges
zest from 1 orange
2 medium apples
2 cups sugar
5 to 6 drops food coloring

Directions: Using your food processor, dump cranberries in container with a puree blade. Slice and cube apple, removing seeds but leave peeling on. Add into processor. Wash thoroughly one orange and scrape zest. Peel both oranges, section and add to mixture. Add sugar and food coloring. Puree until all is blended. Refrigerate overnight for best results. ~ Chef ~

~ Chow Chow Relish ~

Ingredients:
4 cups onions, ground
4 cups cabbage, ground
4 cups green peppers, ground
4 cups green tomatoes, ground
2 cups red peppers, ground
1/2 cup salt
8 pint jars, sterilized
(for the syrup)
5 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

Directions: Wash all vegetables before using. Put the onions, cabbage, green peppers, green tomatoes and red pepper through a food grinder. In a large pot mix ground vegetables; cover with water, add salt. Let stand in refrigerator 4 to 12 hours. Drain vegetables thoroughly. Add to drain vegetable the syrup ingredients; sugar, cider vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds and turmeric. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Ladle hot relish into sterilized jars; leave 1/4" head space. Process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Wait three weeks before using. Make sure to use fresh vegetables. Sterilized the jars, lids and rings in dishwasher. Homemade Chow-Chow Relish is best when chilled before using. If any of the jars do not seal after cooling; put in the refridgerator to use right away. WARNING! Be careful when filling jars with hot mixture; use a pot holder to hold the jar in place and be cautious when removing from the water bath. ~ Chef ~

~ Strawberry Loaf ~

Ingredients:

(for the batter)
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries (20 oz. frozen, if you must)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
(for the spread)
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup strawberry juice (or jam)

Directions: Let fresh strawberries stand at room temperature while preparing the batter so juice can settle. If using frozen berries, thaw in container. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine the oil and eggs. Drain strawberries, reserving juice and mash. Add in the oil and eggs, mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the strawberry mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined. Grease and flour two 9" loaf pans. Divide batter into the two pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool and remove from pan. For the spread, beat together 1/2 cup strawberry juice (or jam) with softened cream cheese. Serve on the side for spreading on each slice, like butter but better!  ~ Chef ~

~ Pear Crumble ~

Ingredients:

3 pears - peeled, cored and sliced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cold butter
2 tablespoons chopped nuts

Directions: Place pear slices in a greased 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. In a bowl, combine the sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly; add nuts. Sprinkle over pears. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Get the spoon! ~ Chef ~

~ Peach Spice Cake ~

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 can (1 pound 13 ounces) peaches and juice
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions: Combine all ingredients except pecans in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend thoroughly. Stir in pecans. Pour into greased tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 ¼ hours. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Slide knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert. Cool. Enjoy! ~ Chef ~