Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients:
8 cups of mixed vegetables (carrots, celery, beets, cauliflower)
2 cloves garlic
1 T dill seeds
1 T mustard seeds
1 T coriander seeds
1 T black peppercorn
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups water

Preparing the pickled vegetables:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. Place the vegetables in the boiling water and let cook until vibrant in color, but still firm, about 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a prepared ice bath, let sit until cool and drain. Transfer the blanched vegetables to a clean jar* (or jars) with the garlic. Top with spices and herbs, and set aside.

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Preparing the marinade:
Combine the sugar, vinegar and water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture comes to just under a boil. Pour the mixture directly over the vegetables and seasonings. Allow to cool to room temperature, cap, and refrigerate. Store refrigerated for at least 48 hours and for up to 1 month.

Makes 4 pints

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Sterilizing jars:
Before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.

Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.

As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.

After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

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Gilly's Fresh Pasta

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 T kosher salt
1 T olive oil

Preparing the pasta:
Place the flour in a food processor. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the salt and olive oil to the eggs and stir to combine. Add the egg mixture to the food processor. Pulse to combine the ingredients, scraping down the sides once or twice. Continue, with the machine running, until the liquid is evenly distributed, about 1 minute. The dough should stick together if pinched between your fingers. The dough will be cornmeal-yellow in color. Some of the dough will be sticking together, but it will not form a single ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a ball and knead gently until the dough is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

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Rolling out the dough to desired shape:
Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and set aside. Cut a piece of the dough off the ball and shape into a rectangle about the size of a deck of cards. Cover the remaining dough with plastic wrap until you are ready to use it. Roll the rectangle of dough through the widest setting of the pasta machine a few times until it is smooth. Then roll it through the remaining settings to the thinnest setting. Sprinkle the sheet lightly with cornmeal, gently fold, place on the cornmeal-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Continue rolling out the rest of the pasta. Cut into desired shape.

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Cooking the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. Drain pasta, using a large mesh strainer or slotted spoon, and sauce.

Serves 4

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Iggy's Homemade Ricotta

This is great in lasagna or on grilled bruschetta.

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 T white wine vinegar

Preparing the ricotta:
Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta.

Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Makes about 2 cups

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Getting The Most Out Of Vanilla Beans

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How To Turn Your Slow Cooker Into A Sous Vide Cooker

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How To Cook Beans

Use Great Northerns, navy beans, or cannellinis. Under running water, pick over and discard any broken or discolored beans (or stones), and then soak the beans. One way to soak beans is to cover them with water and let them rest overnight (or at least eight hours). A faster way is to bring the beans and water to a boil and cook them for two minutes and remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and let it rest for one hour. Whichever method you choose, after the initial soak, drain the beans and cover them with fresh water. Bring to a boil and immediately turn down the flame to a simmer, cooking the beans slowly until they become tender, around 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or longer. Keep the water at a simmer, not a boil, to prevent the skins from splitting and the beans disintegrating. When beans are cooked, toss with a little extra virgin olive oil, season with salt, pepper, freshly chopped sage or whatever else you may have on hand.

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