Preserving a Peck of (Jalapeño) Peppers: 5 ways
We were blessed with a bumper crop of hot garden peppers this season, particularly jalapeños. Yesterday, we picked several pounds of peppers off a single plant! So what do you do with so many jalapeños coming at you all at once?
A Pinch of Lov(age): Preserving Herbs with Salt
If you found yourself with the happy problem of having an abundance of fresh garden herbs this season, you might be scrambling to find ways to use or store them before the cold weather rolls in.
Air drying, freeze drying and freezing are common ways to preserve fresh herbs, but there’s another way. An easy way… herb-infused salts!
Stocking Your Herbal Apothecary
For the majority of our history, we’ve relied on the inherent wisdom of plants for both medicine and nourishment. Even as modern pharmaceuticals become widespread, nature continues to provide a plethora of safe, effective remedies to those who know where to look.
When Life Gives You Sumac… Make Sumac Pink Lemonade
Let’s make some super-easy sumac pink lemonade! A cold-water infusion of the ripe berries produces a nutritious and refreshing lemon-like beverage known as “sumac-ade” or “poor man’s lemonade.”
Mint-Infused Honey (Plus a Mocktail Recipe!)
There’s nothing quite like fresh mint. It’s chock full of benefits all by itself, but paired with raw honey it becomes a therapeutic (and delicious) powerhouse!
Got Garlic Scapes?
I just love garlic scapes! They add visual interest to a vegetable garden with their whimsical, Dr. Seussian spirals. But while they look charming and I’m always a bit sad to cut them off, removing the curly green stalks dramatically improves the development and flavor of the garlic bulbs forming below the soil. There’s another reason to remove the scapes… They’re delicious! ♥
Garlicky Sunchokes with Lemon Butter
Sunchokes are crunchy, nutty and mildly sweet and tend to take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. To me, they resemble a cross between a potato and a water chestnut, so we use pretty much any way we would normally use water chestnuts or potatoes. You know… “Boil ʹem, mash ʹem, stick em in a stew.”
Ethical Wildcrafting
Wildcrafting, sometimes simply called ‘foraging’, refers to the practice of harvesting plants and herbs from their natural habitats for medicinal, culinary, craft or spiritual purposes.
Reciprocal wildcrafting is a perspective that emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world, viewing wildcrafting as an opportunity for mutual exchange and benefit.
In other words, making an effort to give back as much as we take.
Prepared Horseradish with Dandelion Vinegar
If you ran out and got yourself a big ol’ pile of horseradish roots after reading last week’s post, now what? What do you do with them?
Make some prepared horseradish, of course!
Why & How to Grow Horseradish
At first encounter, horseradish’s intense spiciness might seem overwhelming, but with repeated exposure, its complex flavors can be truly appreciated. The initial heat gives way to a slightly sweet and tangy undertone, adding depth and character to dishes. Its sharpness can be invigorating and add a lovely ‘kick’ to a variety of culinary creations.
Horseradish tends to have a “love it or hate it” reputation, but for those willing to embrace its bold flavors, it’s an acquired taste worth acquiring!
