Papaya Jam

I came into a box of beautiful Papayas this week and decided to make jam. It came out really well. There were 8 Papayas in my box and I used 7 of them. If you have less Papaya you can halve the recipe and it will come out fine. I prefer to chop the Papayas instead of mash them. I like having the bits of fruit in my jam. :)

Fresh Papaya Jam

8 cups finely chopped Papaya (skins and seeds removed)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 envelopes of pectin
7 cups sugar


In a large heavy stockpot bring papaya, orange juice and pectin to a boil. Cook for about 10 min until the fruit is cooked and soft. Add the sugar and return to a boil. Allow the jam to boil for exactly one minute then remove from the heat. Fill prepared sterilized hot jars and process in a water bath for 10 min.

Barley with Acorn Squash and Broccoli

This recipe has a real unique blend of ingredients that makes it intriguing and perfect for a fall day.

Barley with Acorn Squash and Broccoli

1 Medium Acorn Squash
1 Bunch of Broccoli cut into floretts (or about 4 cups frozen broccoli floretts)
1 cup Barley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 minced onion
1 can chick peas
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup rasins
Shaved Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450. Half squash and remove the seeds, then slice into 1/2 inch slices. On a rimmed baking sheet toss with 2 teaspoons veggie oil, salt and pepper, then arrange in a single layer. On another rimmed baking sheet prepare the fresh broccoli the same way. Place baking sheets in the lower and upper thirds of the oven, squash up and broccoli down, and roast until tender, about 30 min.

While squash and broccoli roast cook barley according to package directions. (I cooked mine with a garlic clove in the water to add taste) Set aside.

In a small bowl prepare dressing, whisk lemon juice, olive oil and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

(This is where the recipe can be different if you are using frozen broccoli) In a large skillet bring 1/3 cup water to a boil, add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and chopped onion. (if you are using frozen broccoli steam it here with the onion.) When the onion is cooked and most of the water evaporated add chick peas, raisins to warm, then turn off the heat. Add squash, broccoli and barley and toss. When you are ready to serve add dressing and walnuts and toss again. Serve topped with Parmesan shavings.

Arugula Pesto

I got a ton of Arugula the other day and I decided to use a lot of it to make pesto. I used this recipe and then I froze the sauce in ice cube trays. When it was frozen I popped out the sauce cubes and stored them in a freezer bag. Now I can easily use them as pesto sauce or to season stewed tomatoes. I used walnuts instead of pine nuts and it worked just fine.

 Ingredients

• 4 cups packed fresh arugula
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup pure olive oil
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted, plus 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.

Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula and put in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and the vitamin C, if using. Blend for at least 30 seconds. In this way the green of the arugula will thoroughly color the oil. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
Pull out before dinner to get to room temperature. Before serving, add the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted pinenuts.

Red Lentil Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I love red lentils. They are smaller and lighter than the traditional green or brown lentils, they  cook up excellently in this hearty and flavorful soup.

Red Lentil & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 tbsp oil`
1 onion chopped
5 garlic cloves chopped
1 yellow summer squash chopped
2 large carrots chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bag of red lentils
1/2 cup white wine
3 roasted red peppers
1- 24 oz can of chopped tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
grated parmesian cheese for serving

Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Add veggies and saute until onion is soft, then add red pepper flakes and stir for 1 min. Add lentils, wine, peppers, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook covered over low heat until the lentils have swelled and veggies are cooked. (30 -45 min) Using a blender, puree the soup in batches. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the vinegar. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Melanzani Salata

This is a traditional Greek dip also sometimes referred to as Baba Ganoush, my grandmother made for us a lot at the end of summer when the eggplants were fresh. It is beautifully flavorful and packed with great things for your body. It also seems to be a great way to get eggplant-o-phobes to eat this amazing veggie.

Melanzani Salata

3 medium eggplants
5 garlic cloves lightly rubbed with veggie oil
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tablesppons of Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place washed, whole eggplants in a large baking dish along with the 5 garlic cloves in skin and rubbed with veggie oil. Bake together 1 1/2 -2 hours until the eggplants are shriveled and very soft and the garlic is browned and soft inside when you poke it. Let them stand for a while until they are cooled. Then peel the eggplant and garlic cloves and place the soft insides into a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and process. Serve warm or chilled with pita or veggies.

Grapefruit Marmalade

I ahd a few Grapefruits left over from my Fair Food site this week and decided to try this. It turned out so great. Amazing taste. There are a lot of steps, but I found that this recipe does not mind waiting on your schedule. So cut your fruit  while you watch TV, then boil it and put it in the fridge to rest while you rest, and when you have time the next day take an hour to boil it with the sugar and process it. Enjoy...it is delicious!!

Recipe for grapefruit marmalade which makes 4 half pints.

Ingredients:

• 2 large grapefruits, thick skinned
• 1 large lemon, thick skinned
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups granulated sugar

Preparation:

Peel grapefruit and lemon; cut away inner white part of peel, leaving rind and white pith. Cut rind into slivers 3/4 inch long and 1/8 inch wide. Chop fruit coarsely, reserving juice.(This recipe thinks that you have to be precise...I really don't think so, slice your rinds thin and chop the fruit. not such a big deal. also...make sure you squeeze out your inner pith and get all that juice out!!)

In an 8-quart nonreactive heavy kettle over moderately high heat, simmer rind, chopped fruit, reserved juice and water, uncovered, 10 minutes. Pour into a large heatproof glass bowl and let stand, covered, in a cool place overnight.

Return mixture to kettle. Add sugar and set over moderate heat. Insert a candy thermometer and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 218 degrees F to 220 degrees F. I put my canning water on when I start this so that when the marmalade reaches the 220 degree mark I am all ready to process. (p.s. don't forget to sterilize your jars and prepare you lids while this is boiling)

Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle into sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims, seal jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (15 minutes for altitudes above 6000 feet). Remove jars from water bath, let cool for 12 hours and test for airtight seals. Label and store in a cool, dark place. If you decide not to sterilize and process jars, refrigerate marmalade and serve within three weeks.
Makes 4 half-pints

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberry Butter

This scone recipe rocks and it is so nice on a cold fall morning. Enjoy!!

Cranberry Butter:
2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Dough:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or just mix your own sweet spices)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
1/2 cup canned (or home pureed) pumpkin
1/3 cup whole milk

Place cranberries ina small bowl; add boiling water. Let stand for five minutes, drain and chop. In a small mixing bowl beat butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and cranberries; mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl whisk together egg, pumpkin and milk; add to dry mixture and stir together with a fork until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 10 times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into eight wedges. Place wedges on a greased or wax papered cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes