The Garden Apartment

Candied Meyer Lemon Slices

This weekend, I found myself standing face to face with a bag of meyer lemons. 

All weekend long I had been obsessively pondering what would be next on my baking list. I perused all the local apple varieties at my Whole Foods dreaming up apple cakes, but failing to feel inspired. I even considered the ruby-red fresh cranberries stacked up so nicely along the back wall.

But it was the meyer lemons who spoke to me. Face to face with them, I knew only wonderful things could come from their purchase. 

You see, it was nearly a year ago that I was converted by these cookies. Never before had I really enjoyed lemon desserts. Who knew that a thing so simple as a lemon sandwich cookie could be so life-changing?

Now, I dreamt up a lemon-buttermilk cupcake topped with buttercream and a candied lemon slice.

We'll begin with how to make the candied lemon slices.

Candied Meyer Lemon Slices

Recipe adapted from Zen Can Cook

Meyer lemons are only in season during the winter months. They are sweeter and juicier than the typical lemon varieties available at most grocery stores, and I do my best to use them when they are available.

• 3 Meyer Lemons
• 3 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 4 Cups Water

Freeze the lemons for 30 minutes. In the meantime, place 1 1/2 Cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a sauce ban and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Remove the lemons from the freezer and slice as thinly as possible (warning: this part is tricky).

 

Place the lemon slices into the simmering syrup and process for fifteen minutes. 

Strain and set aside for ten minutes. (Note: save the strained lemon syrup as a holiday drink mixer.)

Combine the remaining sugar and water (2 cups each) in your sauce pan and bring to a boil again.

Place the lemons in the boiling water; simmer for 30 additional minutes.

 

Strain the lemons. 

Place the candied lemon slices on a single layer of parchment. Allow to come to room temperature. Cover with another layer of parchment and refrigerate until further use.

Resist the urge to eat them all.

Now, for those cupcakes. . . . stay tuned.

How to make turkey stock

Our carefully set Thanksgiving table

A week ago, as I fretted over all the details of our Thanksgiving day, my husband teased me that by now it would all be over and done. Well, as time does inevitably pass, his words now ring with sage truth. Thanksgiving is gone, and all that hard work is something of a memory.

Well, somewhat. My fridge being completely full is still very much a Thanksgiving reality. 

One of the joys of Thanksgiving is reusing the leftovers in many different ways. Yesterday morning we concocted some leftover mashed potato pancakes. And then, for dinner we enjoyed turkey and fresh cranberry sauce sandwiches on my leftover homemade whole grain bread spread thinly with dijon mustard. 

And now, for one of the best parts: making turkey stock from the leftover turkey carcass. 

It's a little embarrassing to admit that one of the most exciting parts of my Thanksgiving Day was carefully wrapping up the turkey carcass to save for this very moment. I feel the way I imagine my grandmother might have after hosting family for Thanksgiving: carefully using every little last bit of food and making the most of a holiday in which we honor food and the fall harvest.  

Getting past my romantic musings of how Grandma Angie may have felt in Thanksgiving's past, I had also practically set aside some leftover vegetables for the stock: celery, an onion, some fennel, a carrot, some herbs, and some purple carrots from our crudite platter. I think my guests were afraid to eat the purple carrots. 

Homemade Turkey Stock

• 1 Turkey Carcass
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into two pieces
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• 1/2 fennel, halved (optional)
• a bundle of fresh herbs (sage, parsley, thyme)
• 1 bay leaf (fresh, if available)
• a handful of whole peppercorns

Place the turkey carcass and all other ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover with water so that the carcass is just under the surface (this will allow you to get the most flavor). 

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer the stock for 3-4 hours. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain into large tupperware containers.

Once the stock has reached room temperature, place it in the fridge or the freezer. It will store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, and store in the freezer for about 6 months.

Stay tuned for my turkey and wild rice soup, made with this very stock.

25 Pounds of Tomatoes {and canning pasta sauce}

After canning pasta sauce as a work assignment, I decided it was absolutely necessary to do at home. 25 pounds of tomatoes later, I had fresh tomato sauce and several cans of simple tomato sauce to enjoy. Read on for the story, or scroll down for the recipe.

 

Seemingly, a work assignment involving a very large garden with a lot of tomato plants and several days spent canning everything tomato (ketchup, crushed tomatoes, sauce, and whole tomatoes) would deter most people from continuing to can tomatoes during time off at home. 

Seemingly.

But, after processing fresh tomatoes into a delicious simple pasta sauce (inspired from Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle), I knew I had to make some at home. 

I urgently emailed my friend Calvin of Bigg Riggs Farm. "Can you sell me some seconds tomatoes?"

An affirmative reply was quickly rendered, and I made plans to pick up my tomatoes from the Wednesday afternoon King Street Gardens Park Farmers Market. When I arrived for the tomatoes, I only planned to buy about ten pounds.

Calvin scoffed at this idea. "10 pounds? You should really get more like 20-30."

Having never been one who avoids purchasing excess produce, I agreed. The 25 pound box of tomatoes (all for $12) was so heavy that I was unable to carry it to my car without assistance. 

When I arrived home, the tomatoes found a nice cozy spot on a kitchen chair making my husband ponder what on earth I had gotten into now.

The next morning, I woke up early and got my supplies ready. Canning takes time and careful preparation, and most importantly a zealous belief in sanitation.

With this in mind, my first steps are always to get my glass jars out, and to separate the jars from the lids and rings. The jars can be sterilized in the dishwasher (mine cycles for around two hours), while the lids need to be sterilized just before processing the cans. 

The next step is to set up the following equipment: 

• a pot of boiling water
• a large bowl filled with ice and cold water  
• a large cutting board and knife
• a discard bowl 
• a strainer perched atop another bowl 
• a large stock pot for making the sauce 

Since my recipe calls for two chopped onions, I decided to get all that chopping out the way before getting my hands into the tomatoes. Once the onions were chopped, they went right into the large stock pot and softened up so that they were ready when the tomatoes joined them in the pot. 

With the onions out of the way, the assembly line began. 

Each tomato first needs to have its skins removed. The easiest way to do this is to blanch them for about one minute in boiling water. . . 

 

And then plunge them into an ice water bath for at least the same amount of time.

Next, the skins easily slide off into the discard bowl. 

At this point, I like to cut them in half to remove the core and the seeds. 

After the skins, cores and seeds were removed, my tomatoes went into a strainer set atop another bowl. This allowed the excess juice to strain out-- a process that takes around thirty minutes. The juice can be saved and reused in other cooking. 

 

Messy, messy tomatoes.

Finally, after straining all those tomatoes and simmering them with the onions and spices for over two hours, I processed them in a water bath for 40 minutes.

The end canned result canned was a simple pasta sauce which I doctored up to make even tastier with a little fresh basil, garlic, and grated parmesan.

Canned Pasta Sauce:

 

Note: Be sure to read and follow all instructions carefully. Safe home canning requires careful adherence to guidelines and the use of properly sterilized equipment.

Ingredient List

• 20 pounds of tomatoes
• 2 onions, roughly chopped 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 2 TB dried oregano 
• 2 TB salt  
• 2 TB pepper 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Equipment List

• 1 stockpot 
• 1 smaller pot  
• 6-8 pint sized canning jars 
• 1 pair of jar lifters 
• 1 cutting board 
• 2 large bowls 
• discard bowl (another medium- large sized bowl) 
• 1 strainer 
• 1 large canner 
• funnel 

Prepare the ingredients

 
Have ready and set up: a cutting board, one large bowl filled with an ice and cold water, and one large bowl with a strainer set on top of it. I also like to keep a discard bowl handy for the tomato skins, cores, and seeds.

Chop the onions and place in the large stock pot. Warm over medium heat until they are softened. If necessary, add water to prevent sticking. Important: Do not add oil! Once onions are softened, turn off heat and wait for tomatoes to be added before continuing to cook. DO NOT add other vegetables or garlic to the recipe as it will change the pH level of the tomatoes and increase the risk of contamination.

In the meantime, fill the smaller pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, begin blanching the tomatoes in the boiling water. After one minute, immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath (they should stay in the ice bath for at least one minute).

Bring the tomatoes to the cutting board and peel off the skins. Cut the tomato in half and carefully remove the core. Cut each half in half (quarter) and remove the tomato seeds. Place each tomato quarter into the strainer set over a bowl. Allow tomatoes to strain for about thirty minutes to remove excess juices (this will help your sauce thicken better).

Note: At this point, some people like to puree the tomatoes in order to have a smoother sauce. I prefer a thicker sauce with tomato chunks, so I keep the tomato pieces in quarters and break them up while the sauce is simmering.

Add the strained tomatoes to the large stock pot. (Tip: You will have to do this in batches because the amount of tomatoes is so large. I keep an assembly line going to increase the efficiency of the process.)

Once all tomatoes have been added to the stockpot, add the sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring from time to time. Allow to simmer for 2-3 hours, until the sauce has thickened to your likeness.

Preparing the canning equipment:

Once the tomatoes begin processing, it is a good idea to get the canning equipment ready. 

Most importantly: it is essential that everything you are using is clean and sterile.

I like to sterilize the canning jars in the dishwasher, and since the cycle takes around 2 hours, it works out perfectly with the timing of the sauce.

The jar lids and rings can be sterilized by running boiling water over them. This should be done right before the sauce is processed in the boiling water bath canner.

Make sure all of your kitchen surfaces have been cleaned and sanitized of any tomato seeds and pulp that may be leftover from working with the ingredients. Set up your water bath canner on the stove top, fill it with water and bring to a boil.

When your sauce is ready, place your sterilized jars on a clean kitchen towel. Place a funnel over the jar mouth; ladle sauce into the jar leaving 1/2" head space. Carefully wipe off any excess sauce which may have gotten on the jar rims. Seal each jar with a lid and ring, tightening them just past the point of resistance. Repeat this with the remaining jars and sauce.

Process all jars in a boiling water bath canner for 40 minutes.

Remove from the canner using jar lifters (this will really help prevent burns- believe me) and set on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, check the seals to make sure they are firmly shut. The seal should not move at all when it is gently pressed down on. Any jars that did not properly seal should be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Garlic-Basil Pasta with Parmesan

I enjoy pasta sauce so much that I didn't process all of my tomato sauce in mason jars. I just couldn't wait to eat it. 

Instead, I kept about four cups of sauce in the stock pot. I simmered the sauce a little longer, then added some of the ingredients I couldn't during canning: two crushed cloves of garlic, some fresh basil, and a little olive oil. This delicious sauce was spooned over a heaping bowl of pasta with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

And now, whenever I pop open a jar of my homemade sauce, I can look forward to a delicious bowl-- just like this one. 

Embracing Autumn with A Pumpkin Di(sh)patch: Pumpkin Basics

Sure you know how to carve a pumpkin or use it as a fall decoration, but do you know how to roast the pulpy insides to use in pies, soups, sauces, and more? Do you know how to roast the seeds? Stay tuned for step-by-step instructions on both, and follow me this week as I post recipes using the roasted pumpkin puree and the seeds.

With the first frost in our immediate area, and several frosts in the farming areas outside of DC, the farmers market is thinning out to greens, gourds, lots of apples, and campaigners pawning off McCain and Obama stickers (actually, the campaigners may be the only thing not thinning out). Not to fear, however, as I am a big believer in welcoming each season. And who wouldn't, with beautiful scenes like this in our local area?

Several years ago, (during another election year) my roommates were both from Arizona. One roommate was very excited about the changing colors and the coming of snow, while the other really missed warm weather. In an effort to help her, I started a campaign called "Embracing Autumn." This campaign included activities such as apple picking, cider and cocoa drinking, root vegetable roasting, soup making, and even learning to knit winter scarves. Unlike negative campaign ads, my "Embracing Autumn" campaign was a hit.

It was in this spirit that I set off for the Old Town Alexandria farmer's market Saturday morning. The day seemed to reciprocate my hopefulness with beautiful blue skies, almost warm weather, and streaks of bright sunshine. My first stop was Bigg Riggs Farm, where I found eight varieties of apples, some lovely acorn squash varieties, and the last of the yummy peppers. Coming in a few weeks, Calvin will be offering market-goers farm fresh eggs and frozen veggies (flash frozen this summer). 

After grabbing some apples and two acorn squash, I headed off to get some cheese from my friends at the Blue Ridge Dairy, then made a dash over to Spring Valley Farm and Orchard where I found these "Veronica Cauliflower" which remind me of pictures of chaos theory. Though intrigued, I resisted and instead bought a big batch of gorgeous looking spinach.

My real goal this Saturday, though? Pumpkins! And I had yet to find them after several stops. With my head down and shoulders slumped over, I decided to conclude my farmer's market trip. 

Ah, not so soon, though:

I found these pie pumpkins at the Cameron Berry Farm stand. Cameron Berry Farm is a farm near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The farmer at this stand informed me that they are also selling frozen berries from the spring and summer harvests. This was delightful news to me since my small home freezer really limited my ability to freeze berries and other summer treats.

Now, with my head proudly up, I avoided the political campaigners and proudly left the market with a full bag of produce embracing autumn. 

So, let's talk about those pumpkins, shall we? Though the local produce is much more limited at this time of year, its incredible how versatile these items can be. In this spirit, I am declaring this week "Pumpkin Week" and throughout the week I will be posting some pumpkin creations for you including a first course, an entree, and a dessert-- all with pumpkin as the primary ingredient.

To begin, however, let's talk about some pumpkin basics. I was surprised to find out that many of my friends didn't know how to roast a pumpkin in order to use the pulp-- or how to roast the seeds to make delicious pumpkin seed snacks. In this post, I'll discuss the basics so that you can join me on this journey of using the pumpkin in multiple recipes. 

Roasting the pumpkin:

I purchased two pie pumpkins. Pie pumpkins have a better flavor than the larger carving pumpkins we're used to seeing. You can also try using another type of pumpkin (if you can find one) like the Cinderella or a Kabocha squash.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F. 

In the meantime, get a large knife and cut your pumpkins in half (cut them carefully, making each side flat so that the pulp will be able to steam when placed pulp-side down).

Remove the seeds by scraping with a spoon. Place them into a collander so that you can easily clean them for roasting later.

Place the pumpkins pulp-side down on a lined baking sheet.

Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the pulp begins to look soft. 

Remove the pumpkins and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pulp with a spoon. If you plan to use the puree for pumpkin bread, you may want to remove some of the liquid from the pulp by blotting with cheesecloth (thanks for the tip, Holly!).

If desired (for a smoother consistency), process the baked pulp in a food processor. 

Two pie pumpkins will yield about 6-7 Cups of pumpkin puree. This will store in your fridge for about one week-- perfect for using throughout the week in multiple recipes.

Roasting the Seeds:

Before I digress too much, go ahead and pre-heat your oven to 350 F. 

And now my digression. . . I feel like I'm really offering a public service here by including my instructions on how to roast pumpkin seeds. I've had three people tell me that they've had failed pumpkin seed roasting experiments this fall. The problem: you're trying to be too healthy by not using any oil or butter! 

That's right. There, I said it. If you're going to roast pumpkin seeds you at least need to use oil, or use butter. I like to use both, and a lot of salt. This is a snack, folks, and it only comes once a year. Embrace the butter and the salt, at least for this one recipe.

After rinsing and cleaning the seeds of all the stringy pulp, place them on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil on top. Then, place small squares of butter around the seeds. You can see them melting in this photo:

Liberally add Kosher Salt. 

Roast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until they look perfectly roasted and crispy like these.

Enjoy these as a snack or on top of soups and salads. 

I've given you the basics, and throughout the week I'll follow-up with some delicious ways for you to use the pumpkin puree. I would have more recipes incorporating the pumpkin seeds, but my husband has already eaten them all. 

Hopefully I've gained your vote for my "Embracing Autumn" pumpkin campaign. Now get out there and show your support: buy some pumpkins!

Coming in the next post: Pumpkin Soup with Apricot Brandy Cream. . . .