A busy week in the kitchen.. but the #everybitcountschallenge is entering the last few days. I have been given so much fresh produce from friends gardens it has filled my freezer and store cupboard . Im tired..but its a good tired.. and I will continue to grow my pantry.. but not at such a pace.
A few days ago.. while chopping vegetables.. I was watching one of my favourite homesteading channels on Youtube.. They were talking about how when they were away spending time with family... the power to one of their freezers had gone off.. and they almost lost everything inside. This got me thinking.. and I dont want this to happen to us. So... I have decided to start using my freezer as a stop gap to store food until I get around to canning or dehydrating it. Of course...some things cant be preserved this way.. but I can make a good start...
So what have I stored this week. Lets see..
Old Fashioned British Chutney... which I used to make back home in Wales using the green tomatoes from my garden. Here I used tomatillos... and they worked perfectly. Lovely served with cold ham and cheese.
Blackberry and Apple Jam.. using blackberries from my freezer and some of the apples I have been given
A gift of seven peaches was turned into some lovely peach preserves..
I got a 10lb bag of Russet potatoes for just $2 so I sliced, blanched and dehydrated them...
I used some from my old stock to make a lovely au gratin for Mondays dinner
Using more tomatillos..I made my first ever Salsa Verde.. which was so simple... and delicious
And... my first ever garden salsa. a lot of chopping.. but so pretty. Too many jalapeños for me but MrD loves it. And talking of jalapenos.. why didnt someone tell me about wearing gloves when chopping the peppers. Jalapeño Hands is a real thing. My poor fingertips were on fire for most of the day.. Lesson learnt!
And finally.. Still being mindful of the freezer going out... I used most of my bags of frozen strawberries to make Lemon and Strawberry Jam.. making sure I left a couple of baggies in the freezer for smoothies. This jam is scrumptious...and is wonderful on my homemade bread.
Want the bread recipe? Here it is...
No Knead Artisan Bread
This bread is so easy to make... and it is replacing shop bought in our house. The original recipe says to make it in a Dutch oven... but I actually use a lidded casserole dish..and it works great. Recentlu I started putting it in a bread tin... much easier to fit in the toaster!
3 Cups Flour (Bread or All Purpose)
1/4 Tsp. Yeast
1 Tsp. Salt
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 Cup Water
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt and stir to combine.
- Add the yeast and water to the flour and stir with a spoon until a sticky dough forms and no pockets of raw flour remain.
- If you wanted to add cheese or herbs, do that here and stir them in
- Cover and set aside for 3 hours. until the dough more than doubles
- Using a dough scraper or spatula turn the dough onto your floured bread board
- Sprinkle the dough with a tablespoon of flour and flour your hands well.
- Then working gently, shape the dough into a ball
- The dough will still be sticky. That's okay.
Now you can choose how to bake it...
In a Dutch oven or Casserole Dish.. which will give a round Artisan loaf....
- Line a bowl with parchment paper and place the dough into it
- Cover with a towel and leave rest for 35 minutes
- Meanwhile.. preheat the oven to 450
- Put in your Dutch oven or 5 quart lidded casserole dish inside to heat up.
- When the dough is ready, remove the pot from the oven and set aside.
- Lift the parchment paper and dough into the pot
- Cover with the lid and bake 35 minutes
- Then remove the lid and bake an additional five to ten minutes
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Or...in a loaf pan...which will give a more sandwich loaf
- Spray a loaf pan with a thin coat of oil and place the dough into it
- Cover with a towel and leave rest for 35 minutes
- Meanwhile.. preheat the oven to 450
- Sprinkle a little flour on the top of the dough
- Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes
- Check occasionally as ovens vary and you dont want the crust to burn
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
By the way... the casserole dish isnt dirty... its just flour burnt on the front and washes off easily
Love and Hugs
Phoebe x
