- Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes – enjoy the variety, heirlooms like Hillbilly are yellow and red stripped and delicious just sliced with a little salt.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
- Basil
- Eggplant – if at a loss for what to do with this delicious summer veggie, just put it on the grill with a little olive oil and garlic
- Onions – “Alisa Craig” beautiful and large but not a good storage onion so eat it in the next few weeks.
- Garlic
- Asian Pears
- Bartlett Pears
The canning party was a great success. Fun was had by all even with temperatures in the high 90s. We started early as I had harvested all the vegetables the day before. People rolled in and began to tackle the most time consuming recipes first.
We made plum and apple chutney (plums thanks to Jocelyn who has a brimming Italian plum tree), apple and curry chutney, fiery tomato and pepper salsa, spicy cherry tomato jam, Dave’s pickles, pickled green beans, pickled beets (2 different recipes), pickled peppers, tomatillo sauce, cherry tomato ginger jam, shallot marmalade, black berry jam, lemon ginger zucchini marmalade, roasted Serrano peppers, and preserved eggplant in olive oil. We didn’t have time to get the summer squash canned so Susan made zucchini chips in the dehydrator.
We managed to finish with all the prep, canning and clean-up by 3:30. The grand total of canned items was 438 jars! Each participant got at least 16 jars to start their pantry. The community canning event is an incredible amount of time and energy to put together. It would be insurmountable without the guidance of Mary Kay. She has given generously of her time and expertise every year bringing a level of organization and professionalism to our farm canning event that would not be possible without her. She invited a mutual friend, Jay who added his knowledge of microbiology to the mix for a very fun and safe canning session.
Every year I wonder how our small farm can sustain 66 shares and find surplus to put up for an entire community. At some point every year I say I won’t do it again and yet by the next season I only remember the fun and good tastes we produced and not the sweat and time it took to prepare. The canning party is like child birth; you quickly forget the hard part and retain only the good memories.
The weeds are daunting, it has been too hot to work in the field after 2 pm. Juvencio has worked hard this week to fill in the drainage canals Rosario created to take water from the huge barn and send it in the gardens. We are trying to keep that corral dry for the goats in the winter. There is still a lot of attaching of pipes to go, but almost done. The house has been painted and we are really happy with the work done by the painters. The colors were a bone of contention but now the family has adjusted and we are getting used to the bright colors.
Zucchini Pickles
Published August 18, 2010
Makes 1 quart or 2 pints
Ingredients
• 2 cloves garlic • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds • 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds • 2 dried hot red peppers or 2 large pinches crushed red pepper flakes • 1 pound zucchini, cut into spears • 1 1/4 cups cider vinegar • 1 1/4 cups water • 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar Instructions Sterilize one quart-size canning jar or two pint jars with lids. Place the garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds and red peppers in the jar (or divide them between two pint jars). Pack zucchini spears into the jar(s). They will shrink somewhat after the brine is added, so pack them in as tightly as you can without mashing them. In a saucepan add the vinegar, water, salt and sugar; bring to a boil, then remove from heat and pour the brine over the zucchini (you may not need all of it, depending on your containers and how you packed your zucchini). Attach lid(s) on the jar(s), let cool and refrigerate. By the next day, the zucchini will be pickled enough to enjoy, although it’s even better if allowed to pickle for a week. CUCUMBERS WITH WASABI AND RICE VINEGAR 1 lb Japanese or Kirby cucumbers (about 5) 1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder 1/2 teaspoon water 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce Equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer Very thinly slice cucumbers crosswise with slicer; toss with 1 teaspoon salt and drain in a colander 15 minutes. Rinse cucumbers under cold water, then squeeze handfuls to remove excess water; pat dry. Stir together wasabi powder and water in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, whisking until sugar has dissolved. Add cucumbers and toss well. Cooks’ note: Cucumbers can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.