Red Gooseberries

I always thought gooseberries were green.  Check out these little gems.

While visiting Salt Lake City this summer with Carrisa we found a thriving farmer's market on Saturday morning at Pioneer Park.  In August there is an incredible selection of local and artisanal foods to be had such as meats, cheese, honey, bread, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits.  I loaded up on local fruit that I don't usually see in the southern California markets such as three varieties of currants (purple, red, and white), two varieties of gooseberry (green and red) and two varieties of raspberry (purple and red). The flavor and sweetness of the red gooseberry reminds me of grapes. 

Summer Gazpacho

A dish of gazpacho is the flavor of summer in a bowl.  This batch is made with Arkansas Marvel Heirloom tomatoes.

To make Gazpacho blanch and peel about a pound of tomatoes.  Place them in a blender with salt, fresh herbs and olive oil.  Blend until smooth.  Refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.  dress with diced tomato, red bell pepper, avocado, crumbly goat cheese, and a sprig of cilantro.

VARIATION:

Experiment with different varieties of tomatoes.  Green zebra, another heirloom variety, makes a particularly silky gazpacho.

The Well-Composed Salad

My Favorite Summer Salad 

For lunch on a hot summer day nothing is more tasty and refreshing that a well-composed salad. One of our favorite summer salads features three colors of beets. I gather most of my salad makings from the local farmers market   I buy deep red beets, golden beets, and pinkish watermelon beets from local farmers.  Early in the day, often while I am making breakfast, I steam the beets, slip off the skins, and store them in the fridge.  Later when I want to make a salad I slice the beets and arrange them on a bed of organic salad greens.  I like to add cubed raw cheese,  hard boiled egg, or toasted walnuts.  The fun part is decorating the salad.  I have grow boxes and terra cotta pots of flowers and herbs expressly for this purpose.  I gather whatever looks fresh and lovely at that moment.  Chive blossoms, violets, calendula petals, and borage flowers are all fair game.  I finish the salad with a drizzle of homemade salad dressing.

Heirloom Tomatoes With Personality

This summer my husband Dan discovered heirloom tomatoes.  He planted several varieties in grow boxes and containers.  He likes their somewhat untamed and prolific growth.  I like their intriguing names and how each variety has a distinct taste and character. 

Homemade Freezer Jams and Jellies

During the summer, even while traveling, I like to comb local farmer's markets for delectable and unusual summer fruits that can be made into jams, jellies, and preserves - knowing that when I have a friend over for a cup of tea this winter I will have an assortment of jewel-like jams and jellies in the ready.

This summer I made black currant jam, red currant jam, white currant jelly, red gooseberry jam, green gooseberry jam with cardamom, elderberry jelly, and loquat cinnamon butter.

Jars of Homemade Jams and Jellies

How to Freeze Green Beans

Carrisa and I grew great green beans this summer.  When we were sated and had eaten all that we could possibly eat I began freezing them for winter stews.

HOW TO BLANCH AND FREEZE GREEN BEANS

Wash the green beans in a big colander.  Trim the ends off and cut them into pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling carefully place the green beans in the water and blanch for 2 minutes.

Once the green beans have been in the water 2 minutes - quickly strain - and immerse them in a bowl of ice water.  Leave them in the ice bath until they are no longer hot.

Place the green beans in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer.  If you place them in the bag without freezing them on the cookie sheet first they will freeze into a solid block of green beans.

At this point you can pack them into freezer bags.  It is nice to label and date the freezer bags.

Elderberry Jelly

Fresh Picked Elderberries

Carrisa and I picked wild elderberries all summer long. The nicest berries we found came from the Provo Canyon in Utah.  The berries that grow in Utah are much larger than the smaller southern California variety.

Since we never did picked the 3 - 4 pounds of berries that most jelly recipes call for we made up our own jelly recipe.

HOW TO MAKE ELDERBERRY JELLY

The biggest part of making elderberry jelly is de-stemming the berries.  That takes patience.  Once the berries are de-stemmed rinse them in a colander.  Place de-stemmed berries in a sauce pan on the stove over a medium heat.  Mash the berries with a potato masher to help extract the juice.  When the berries come to a boil,  reduce heat, and simmer with a lid for about 10 minutes.  Place the berry mash in a colander over a bowl and let it strain for several hours to extract all of the juice.

Place the elderberry juice on the stove and add pectin according to package directions, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and sugar or other sweetener to taste.  Bring to boil and simmer on the stove at a low boil for 2 minutes.  Pour into jars to cool.

When the jars are cool, seal, label, and stash in the fridge.

Hint: Use only the bluest blackest berries and discard the pale greenish hued berries as they are not ripe.  Ripe elderberries have a white bloom on them not unlike a blueberry.