Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Dark Days 3: Simple plus Dessert (updated with pickle recipe)


Roasted sweet potatoes with lots of salt and pepper. 

Collard greens cooked long and slow with sweet onion, salt, hot sauce, and finished with a splash of vinegar.  Satisfyingly strong dill pickles. 


And then, dessert because I was using up dabs out of the freezer and keeping my family off a new batch of Christmas cookies made for later this week.   I love gingerbread with peaches!


Specifically, the Dark Days aspects:  sweet potatoes, onions, and collards from local farmers.  Gingergread made with local organic eggs, local organice whole wheat pastry flour, homemade yogurt from local milk, and locally produced molasses (but I don't know where their raw ingredients come from - that warrants a phone call, don't you think?).


Homemade, home canned dill pickles with dill from our backyard and cukes from somewhere local - I had several different suppliers this past summer.  Homemade ice cream with local cream, milk, and eggs.  Home canned local peaches.

Updated with dill pickle recipe:

Phyllis Rhoades Kosher Dills

Have ready 6 clean quart canning jars.  Wide-mouth is easier to work with.  Have lids and rings hot and ready.

Prepare brine and bring to boil:
1 c. pickling salt
3 quarts water
1 quart cider vinegar

Working with one jar at a time, put in:

1-2 cloves garlic
2 heads of dill (or 1 Tbsp. dill seeds)
hot pepper to taste (I use a slice of jalapeno)
pickling cucumbers, cubed or sliced, fill to top

Pour over boiling hot brine, leaving 1" headspace:

Immediately wipe jar rim, lay on hot lid and screw down with hot ring.  Process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.  Set aside for 12-24 hours  Check for seal.  If a jar did not seal, store in fridge for several weeks.

For long term storage, remove canning ring.  For best flavor, allow to sit in dark cupboard or basement for a month or so before eating.

6 comments:

  1. You are so good at this. Summer, I do great. Winter, it's basically what I canned or froze, which doesn't leave me able to do an entire meal very often.

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  2. The food looks good--and I know it tastes good, too--but Ben's nose is the focus for his granny. And Evie . . . so cute as she enjoys the homemade goodies.

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  3. I think roasted sweet potatoes are going to get me through the Dark Days!

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  4. This meal sounds delicious! I love the idea of eating local and I try to do that as much as I can.

    I am a new reader; just found your blog yesterday. I have been reading some old posts and I am really enjoying them!

    I noticed the vintage Little People right away in your gingerbread photo above! My two kids play with them all the time. So much fun!

    I live in PA Dutch country and I am a homemaker. I have a blog too but it's private. I would love to send you an invite through your email.

    I can't wait to read more of your recipes!

    Merry Christmas!
    Johanna, Bittersweet Cottage

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  5. hi JC, I would love a link to your blog. Please email me
    thriftathome (at) verizon (dot) net

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  6. Looks yummy! Do you have a recipe you could share for the pickles? We love dills but I've never attempted to can our own? Thanks.

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I enjoy the conversation in the comments - thank you for that. I will answer your questions here in the comments. Please note that I don't want the world wide web to know my family's surnames and location. Generic comments with links will be treated as spam and deleted.