More of the Same … and Then Some

Today I owe a loving dose of gratitude to my friend, Sherrie, who came to visit and help me cut up the last of the tomatillos. Together we chopped them along with onion, garlic and hot peppers and got another two and a half quarts of salsa verde fermenting.

Two heads of cabbage were also prepared, and a half gallon batch of sauerkraut started too.

It was excellent help and perfect company as we chatted, caught up, chopped, sipped tea, sampled the fresh-made salsa and the batch that was started a couple of days ago which seemed to evoke some misty memories. In any event, it's gonna be so good! And she went home with a wee jar of fermented salsa to enjoy at her leisure.

That's what I made today. Peace.

Salsa Verde Ferment

Today I start playing catch-up on a few discretionary tasks, including posting here on this silly blog. So, since this is catch-up, we'll just take a little literary freedom and say that I made this today … 

I still have tomatillos to preserve. If you remember, I made a batch of canned salsa verde last month and while it's quite good, I wasn't anxious to make more of the same. I'm glad I listened to my hesitant intuition, because this past week I got my copy of Food As Medicine - The Theory and Practice of Food, by Todd Caldecott. All other praises to Todd and the book aside, one little serendipitous piece in the book is a recipe for a naturally fermented salsa verde. Of course I had to make a batch. I adore fermented foods and honor the method as, perhaps, the premier method of preserving food.

Don't ask me for the recipe … rather, purchase your own copy of Todd's wonderful book. I'm glad I did. I'm sure that over time I will make my own adaptations that I will share with you. But really, fermentation is so simple and safe that recipes are really unnecessary, once you have basic salt/brine ratios under your belt. 

I'm looking forward to watching this particular ferment over the coming few days. I'll taste it at every "check" and will know within four days or so if I want to make more of it. I suspect I will.

That's what I made "today." Peace.

("Literary" freedom in a Blog?)

A Comeback

Ah, yes. I have been remiss in my blogging of late. I injured a toe and I don't do injuries as well as I used to, staying put and all. So I took a break from routine and did my best to heal and recover. During that time I prepped a number of mini journals and today I started the final stages of adding the little blessings of Nature to them. These are all still wet and will change in appearance as the medium dries. 

I also worked on some ACEOs that I will be trading with some of my Passion for Painting Guild friends. 

Healing is process, just like any creation. For me, to heal well, to heal whole, I must ...

That's what I made today. Peace.

Lacto-Fermented Kimchi

Today I harvested a lovely head of Napa cabbage, a couple carrots, a nice big daikon radish, some green onions. I gathered my garlic and hot pepper flakes, the organic ginger I bought at the local health food store yesterday and my supply of whey from my homemade yogurt and made ...

Lacto-fermented Kimchi

1 head Napa or other cabbage, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped 

1-2 carrots, grated

1 daikon radish, grated (or any radish)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 T. fresh ginger, grated

2 T. hot pepper flakes (or more!)

1 T. sea salt

4 T. whey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, massage to release natural juices. Transfer to a jar, pack down, cover with a loose lid. Allow to sit in a warm place, out of direct light for 2-4 days. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

It's so good and good for you.

That's what I made today. 

Peace.

Salsa Verde Variation

I still have a lot of tomatillos to harvest, yet I choose to do things in bite sized, manageable doses. So today I made a batch of salsa verde ...


Tomatillo Salsa
11 cups tomatillos, husked, cored and chopped

2 cups red onion, diced
1 1/2 cup green cayenne peppers, sliced in rings 1/2 cup sweet pepper, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
8 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt

Clean and sterilize your canning jars and lids, keeping everything hot until ready for packing. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pan, bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Load up the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head room, cap and process in boiling water for 30 minutes (for pint jars). More detail can be found at Tigers & Strawberries which is where I found the recipe to adapt to what I had on hand.

If I had waited one more day, or even until evening, I could have added some nice organic cumin, but it arrived with my herb order after I was done. No worries though, I'll be making more because it came out quite tasty and I love the color that the red onion leant to it!

Also, I choose to leave the cilantro out and add it at serving time. I have a "pesto" supply of cilantro in my freezer and I prefer the bright flavor that it adds, when I don't have it fresh from the garden, that is.

That's what I made today. 

Peace.

Grape Vine Wreaths

The Boy cleared a patch of our little acre and amid the brush and such were grape vines. Lots of them. So I made wreaths. The Boy even made a couple. I made other stuff too and now I'm too tired to share them with you.

That's what I made today. Peace.

T-Shirt Yarn

This morning I made time to go through my crafting bookmarks and I rediscovered this tutorial for making t-shirt yarn. Well, I was inspired to search through my Goodwill bags for t-shirts so I could try this technique, which is, by the way, simply brilliant. I'll be making more. I'm not sure what I'll be creating with these first few balls, but I'm sure some strands will find their way into some Spirit Cords and I'm thinking upcycled cotton place mats and pot holders are in my future.

That's what I made today. Peace.

Harvests to Seed

Autumn arrived to my little acre early this morning and I was awake, up and ready to greet her. Rains fell, off and on, all day, so garden harvesting was kept to just what I needed for lunch and dinner. I made packets for my keeping seeds and spun more Spirit Cords.

That's what I made today. Peace.

Merry Autumn, or Spring as the case may be!