Marionberry Pie

One of the things I love about living in the Willamette Valley is our access to the berries that thrive here. Every summer, we make a special trip to the local u-pick for marionberries because we love them so much, and freeze as many as we can for jam and pie and smoothies throughout the year. There’s just something about the way they hit the taste buds that I can’t describe, but we all crave them and consider them to be one of our favorite flavors of the summer.

This year, we harvested our berries on the early side, so they’re a little more tart than usual. To be honest, we’ll probably head back in another week or two to harvest more at a riper stage, but it’s no loss to us. The tart ones are perfect for pie and jam. In fact, I made my first pie of the summer yesterday with these, and it was so delicious that I’ve come here to jot down the recipe before the details leave my mind.

It’s a little difficult to find recipes for marionberry pie online since they’re so specific to us locally, so I based mine off a recipe I like for blackberry pie and tweaked it from there. If you can get your hands on marionberries, even frozen, I highly recommend it. The riper your berries are, the less sugar you’ll need, and you may want to add a little citrus peel or juice to adjust the acidity as well. In any case, keep in mind that the berries I used in this recipe were quite tart, and it was perfection.

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Marionberry Pie

Author: A Wooden Nest

The marionberries I used for this pie were fairly tart. If your berries are more ripe, you may want to use less sugar, and perhaps add some lemon juice to increase the acidity.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of salted butter, sliced
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water

Marionberry Pie Filling

• 5 cups marionberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a food processor, add your butter, flour, salt and sugar. Pulse until the butter has evenly distributed throughout the flour.
3. Add your water while the food processor is running, one tablespoon at a time, until it begins to clump up. Stop the food processor and then pour out your dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and form two discs. Wrap discs and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. In a bowl, combine the berries, flour, sugar and pinch of salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. If your berries are frozen, you can combine them all in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water on medium-low heat, and stir now and then, mixing all together, until the berries begin to soften. Remove from heat
5. Remove pie dough from refrigerator and roll out the first disc over a lightly floured surface. Transfer the rolled out dough to a 9-inch pie dish. Fill with the berries, and then roll out the second disc of dough. At this point you can either form a solid top for your pie, making sure to create vents for the steam to escape, or you can cut your dough into strips as I've done to form a lattice top. Once you're done, crimp the edges. Brush the top with milk, and sprinkle a bit of sugar over it. The milk will help the sugar adhere.
6. Place pie on a cookie sheet and into your preheated oven. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 375F degrees. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, checking every 10 minutes or so.
7. Once done, remove from oven and let come down to room temperature. Slice and serve! We like ours with ice cream. Specifically, the Tillamook marionberry pie ice cream flavor. Enjoy!

Bread & Butter Pickles

Like zucchini, there are always a few cucumbers that elude me and grow a little bigger than I’d like. For my slightly-too-large cucumbers, I just slice them up, soak them in salt water overnight with onion, and then turn them into my favorite bread and butter pickles.

I’ve been refining my recipe for bread and butter pickles for more than ten years now, and have a trick up my sleeve for making sure each jar is perfect. All you have to do is place the cloves, allspice berries, and hot pepper flakes in each jar by hand rather than into the big pot when making the syrup. This ensures you have a consistent flavor, and that each jar contains a few spices to help develop its flavor over time. The longer the pickles sit, the better they become.

Don’t get me wrong, I often crack open a fresh, day old jar and eat from it right away, but the flavor that comes from those few extra months of marinating is well worth the wait. Enjoy!

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Bread & Butter Pickles

Yield: 8-10 pints

Author: A Wooden Nest

This is one of my favorite recipes to use for garden pickles that are slightly too big to use for whole dill pickles.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds fresh cucumbers, rinsed and sliced (1/4-inch) with ends removed
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 2 large onions, halved and sliced
• 2 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup mustard seeds
• 2-3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tsp each: cloves, allspice berries, red pepper flakes (plus more for each individual jar)

Instructions

1. Place the prepared sliced cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and add the salt. Add water until it just covers the cucumbers. Gently stir once or twice and place in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Remove from refrigerator, drain the salt water, and rinse the cucumbers and onions under cold water in a colander.
3. Prepare a boiling water bath canner, and sterilize your jars and lids.
4. In each jar, place 2 cloves, 2-3 allspice berries and a small pinch of red pepper flakes.
5. In a large stock pot, add your distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, whole cinnamon sticks, turmeric and whole spices. Bring it up to a boil, stirring occasionally, and then add your rinsed cucumbers and onions. Bring back up to a boil, and then turn off the heat immediately.
6. Remove your cinnamon sticks and discard.
7. Using a slotted spoon, pack each jar with your cucumbers and onions up to 1 inch away from the rim. Spoon over the syrup leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
8. Dip the corner of a clean towel in the hot, boiling water from your water bath canner. Use it to wipe the rims of your jars clean. Place the lid on and secure the band until it's finger tight.
9. Place your jars in the boiling water bath canner, making sure the water level is at least an inch above your jars. Process for ten minutes, remove onto a towel-lined counter and let cool to room temperature.
10. Remove bands from each jar, check seals (refrigerate any jars with failed seals), and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Notes

The flavor of the spices in the syrup develops over time and make the pickles taste extra delicious. That's why I make sure to put a couple whole spices (especially the clove and allspice) in each jar by hand rather than directly in the pot while cooking. Also, the red pepper flakes are completely optional, but I like the extra kick.

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Pickled Eggs with Beets

We are up to our ears in eggs this time of year, which is a good problem to have if you ask me. We love eggs! But it does get a little boring eating them scrambled day in and day out, so I’ve been coming up with fun ways to prepare them, and this recipe for pickled eggs with beets is one of my favorites for this time of year.

Not only does it make the eggs taste delicious, but you get pickled beets in your jar as well, which not only helps to infuse a deep pink color into the eggs, but make for a fun flavor accompaniment as well. I personally like adding both ingredients to my salads, or eating them together on a plate as a midday snack.

For this recipe, you can use either one half-gallon mason jar or two quart-sized jars as I have done here. And although the recipe calls for 18 eggs, I always like to hard-boil a few extra just in case any of my shells break.

Believe it or not, these pickled eggs will keep in your fridge for up to a month, but they never last that long around here. I hope you like them as much as we do. Enjoy!

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Pickled Eggs with Beets

Yield: 18

Author: A Wooden Nest

Pickled pink eggs that are beautiful for spring.

Ingredients

• 18 hard-boiled eggs
• 4-6 beets
• 2 cups of the beet cooking water
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch of salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Trim the tops and roots off your beets, and boil in water for 20-30 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove and let cool.
2. Reserve two cups of the water you used to boil your beets. If the water is brown, add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to bring it back to a deep beet color.
3. Peel beets once cool. Leave whole or slice into quarters.
4. Using either 1 half-gallons mason jar or 2 quart-sized mason jars, gently jar up your eggs and beets, taking care not to squish the eggs.
5. Pour 2 cups of the reserved beet cooking water in a medium pot with 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Place over a burner over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
6. Ladle the liquid in jars over the eggs and beets.
7. Place a lid on each jar and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

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Lazy Pie

We harvest tons of berries in the summer and store them in the freezer, and one of my favorite ways to prepare them is in pie, yet I rarely feel like taking the time out of my day to make a pie crust. There’s just something about refrigerating the dough and fighting with the rolling pin that holds me back, which is how I stumbled upon this method for lazy pie, which is essentially a cobbler recipe pared down to the very basics.

My method is very simple. I pour out my frozen berries to fit whichever dish I’m using, whether it’s a pie pan or a 9x13 or anything else, coat the berries in a few spoonfuls of sugar and flour, and then spread the “crust” evenly over the top. This topping is essentially made from the ratios of my favorite pie dough recipe sans the water that turns it into a dough, so it’s flaky and powdery with the butter evenly cut throughout.

And even though this recipe is basic, I often find myself adding a dash of cinnamon or cardamom or something to give it an extra kick, depending on which berries I use. It also works using frozen apple or peach slices too. Enjoy!

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Lazy Pie

Author: A Wooden Nest

This is my version of a cobbler, but pared down to the basics. No leavening agents, no spices or seasonings other than salt. Just something we can throw together when we want a simple dessert in a pinch.

Ingredients

Filling

• Frozen Berries (enough to fill your pan 3/4 full)
• 3-4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour

Topping

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup salted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Filling: Pour berries into a pie dish until the dish is 3/4 full. Sprinkle the sugar and flour over the berries and stir to combine.
3. Topping: In a food processor or mixing bowl, cut the butter into the flour and then add the sugar and salt to taste.
4. Sprinkle the topping over the filling. It's ok if some of it sinks to the bottom of the pan between the frozen berries.
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for 20 minutes and then serve.

Notes

• I often make this in a 9x13 and will make 1.5 or 2x's the topping
• How much sugar I use depends on the sweetness of the berries, so always sweeten to taste
• Feel free to add spices and flavorings. I often add a dash of cinnamon or some lemon peel to kick it up a notch.

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Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of the foods I look forward to most during the holiday season. I love it with turkey, of course, but I serve it whenever we roast up a chicken for dinner too, which is usually about once per week. I also enjoy using the sauce as a second-fermentation flavor for kombucha whenever I find myself with a surplus that needs to be used up quickly.

It’s quick to whip together, and over the years I’ve landed on my own tried and true recipe. I like the depth of flavor from the cinnamon, and the brightness that the orange juice brings. As for the brandy, whether or not I add that to the mix really just depends on my mood. I added it to this year’s batch because I was feeling it, and it’s so, so good. Feel free to omit it, though, or to swap it for bourbon or vanilla extract.

I’ve also experimented in the past with making this using honey or brown sugar instead of organic cane sugar. Both options are delicious. Enjoy!

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Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Yield: Less than a pint

Author: A Wooden Nest

A quick and versatile recipe.

Ingredients

• 8-12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)
• Juice from half an orange
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• A splash of brandy
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high, stirring frequently, until it begins to boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the cranberries begin to burst.
3. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the berries against the side of the pan until most have burst open and have formed a sauce.
4. Scoop a bit of the sauce up with a clean spoon and allow to cool. Check the taste for sweetness and saltiness. Add more sugar or salt if needed.
5. Remove from heat and discard the cinnamon sticks. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Notes

Tips:

• Replace sugar with brown sugar or honey if preferred
• Omit brandy if desired, or replace with bourbon or vanilla extract
• Grate in some orange zest before squeezing out the juice

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Fire Cider

You can look up Fire Cider and find a dozen recipe variations at any given time. It’s just one of those things. I’ve tried a few of them, and the one I’m sharing below is my favorite. The combination of orange citrus with warming spices and fermented garlic honey just adds something extra that makes the whole concoction really tasty. And since I’m going to be taking this regularly, I want to enjoy it as much as possible.

I like to make this in late summer/early fall to have on hand during cold and flu season. I’ll take a shot before breaking my fast to get my digestive juices flowing, or I’ll up the dosage and take it 2-3 times a day if I feel a cold coming on. Aside from increasing circulation and supporting the immune system, it helps make my throat feel better and clears the sinuses.

I prefer taking it straight-up myself, but you can dilute it in water if the flavor is too strong. It also makes a delicious dressing for salad when combined with a little olive oil, and can be used as a seasoning for soups and marinades and such.

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Fire Cider

Author: A Wooden Nest

Everyone makes their fire cider a little differently. I prefer mine with orange citrus, warming spices and raw fermented garlic honey.

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups sliced horseradish root
• 1 cup sliced ginger
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 5-6 hot peppers, sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 head of garlic, peels removed, bulbs crushed
• 5-10 cinnamon sticks
• 5-10 cloves
• 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Raw honey (I like to use fermented raw garlic honey)

Instructions

1. Add everything to a large jar and top with raw apple cider vinegar until fully submerged.
2. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks, shaking often.
3. Strain and add raw honey to taste (I use raw fermented garlic honey).
4. Bottle up and enjoy!

Notes

TIPS:

• I like to drink my fire cider straight-up before a meal to get my digestive juices flowing, but you can dilute it in water if the flavor is too strong. It's also delicious as a salad dressing or flavoring for soups and other recipes.
• I prefer orange, but you can use any citrus you like.
• Sometimes I like to add turmeric, herbs or different spices to change up the flavor.
• This can be made using homemade scrap vinegar too, just so long as it's raw.

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Pumpkin Spice Syrup

I’m not in the hates-pumpkin-spiced-lattes club, but I avoid buying them from that one coffee shop because, honestly? They’re too sweet for me. Other than that, I think they’re pretty tasty, and I enjoy indulging in one now and then in the fall, but only if it’s made from scratch. I sweeten my version with maple syrup, but you can sweeten yours with sugar or brown sugar if you prefer.

To begin, I usually make a big batch of my own toasted pumpkin pie spice, and if we are lucky enough for a bountiful pumpkin harvest, I’ll roast one up and puree the flesh for this as well. The store bought versions of both pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice will do nicely too.

If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, you can add cream or half-and-half to this syrup to make a delicious coffee creamer. Sometimes I make it this way just for a little variety, or I’ll add some syrup to plain milk and gently warm it for the kids. Delicious.

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Pumpkin Pie Syrup

Author: A Wooden Nest

This recipe makes a spiced pumpkin syrup that's perfect for sweetening your coffee beverage.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (recipe here)

Optional

• 2 cups cream

Instructions

1. Combine the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spices and maple syrup in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
2. Once the mixture starts to heat and loosen up, remove from heat.
3. If you want to turn this into a pumpkin spiced coffee creamer, go ahead and add the cream now, stirring until fully incorporated.
4. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container, or up to three months in the freezer.

Notes

Feel free to substitute the maple syrup for brown sugar or sweetener of your choice.

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Toasted Pumpkin Pie Spice

My favorite way to stock up on pumpkin pie spice is to make it myself, starting with whole spices. I measure and pour everything out into my cast iron skillet, toast on medium-high until the aroma hits my nose, and then immediately transfer it all to my Vitamix dry grains container to process into a powder.

Before I had my Vitamix, I used a mortar and pestle or a simple coffee grinder from the store. This worked well enough, but limited the amount of spice I could grind at one time, and I tend to enjoy making a lot of this at once so I can package it up to give as gifts.

Also, please consider this a base recipe that can be tweaked depending on your own preferences. Enjoy!

P.S. Use this spice blend to make your own pumpkin spice latte! Try my recipe for pumpkin spice syrup here, perfect for your coffee beverage.

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Toasted Pumpkin Pie Spice

Yield: One cup

Author: A Wooden Nest

Start with whole spices that are toasted on the stove to bring out the flavor.

Ingredients

• 15-20 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice
• 1-2 teaspoons pieces dried ginger
• 1-2 teaspoons whole cloves
• 1 small, whole nutmeg

Instructions

1. Crush the cinnamon sticks with a mortar and pestle, and place in a cast iron pan or heavy-bottom skillet.
2. Add the allspice, ginger, cloves and whole nutmeg.
3. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the aroma hits your nose.
4. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a coffee grinder (I used my Vitamix Dry Grains container).
5. Grind the toasted spices until they have been powdered evenly,
6. Using a strainer and funnel, pour into a jar for storage.
7. Store in a jar at room temperature for up to a month, or longer in the refrigerator/freezer.

Notes

TIPS

• I use these measurements as a baseline, but feel free to play around with your spice ratios depending on which flavors you want to bring out.
• You can re-grind any larger pieces of spices that didn't make it through the strainer to reduce waste. 

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Pickled Dilly Beans

These are my favorite pickles, hands down. It’s been that way since I first started gardening back in 2009. The brine is peppery and savory with just the right amount of sweetness, and the beans, if harvested at the right time and pickled fresh, are perfectly crunchy. We often eat a single jar in one sitting.

I like to eat them straight up as a side dish with burgers or steak, or on a salad (I’ve heard they’re particularly good in Nicoise salad). Sometimes I’ll chop them up and add them to tuna or egg salad, or add them to a charcuterie board. They’re also fantastic in a Bloody Mary. Enjoy!

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Dilly Beans

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

You

• 8-10 sterilized wide-mouth pint or pint-and-a-half, lids, and bands.
• 5 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed to 4 inches long
• 1 small white or red onion, sliced
• Two heads of garlic, cloves peeled and separated
• Whole peppercorns
• Whole mustard seeds
• Dill, dried or fresh
• Pepper flakes or whole dried chiles

Brine

• 5 cups water
• 5 cups distilled white vinegar (5% acidity)
• 5 tablespoons non-iodized salt
• 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1. Sterilize your jars and lids, and prepare your ingredients.
2. Divide your onion slices and your garlic cloves evenly between your jars, and place at the bottom. To each jar, add 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon dried pepperflakes (or 1-2 whole dried chiles). If you're using dried dill, add about 1/2 teaspoon per jar. If your dill is fresh, add 1-2 heads per jar, depending on your preference.
3. Pack your jars with your beans, fitting them in as tight as you can over the spices, onion, and garlic.
4. Make the brine by combining the water, vinegar, salt and sugar in a large stock pot. Heat over medium-high to high, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Ladle brine over beans, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Run a thin, non-metallic utensil (like a chopstick) down the inside of the jars to remove air bubbles, and wipe the rims clear with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cover with lids, and secure with bands.
5. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, making sure the water level is over the jars. Remove jars from water and set on a towel-lined tablecloth. Let cool until room temperature. Remove bands, check seals, and store in a cool, dark place for 1-2 months before eating for best results.

Notes

Tips:

• If any of your seals didn't take, you can store those jars in the refrigerator and snack on them periodically to test the progress of the flavor. The'll stay good so long as you've got them refrigerated.
• Using straight beans will help you pack in those beans nice and tight. You can also tilt your jar to the side.
• Make sure your beans are freshly picked. The fresher they are, the tastier and crunchier your dilly beans will be.
• If your beans are long, use wide mouth pint-and-a-half jars rather than pint jars.

Adapted from McCormick

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Mushroom Seasoning Salt

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Whether they’re cultivated or wild, store bought or foraged, we love mushrooms. Or my husband and I do, anyway, though I’ll admit our kids are less enthusiastic about them. My oldest once told me she likes their flavor but can’t handle the texture, which inspired me to want to experiment with different preparations to find a way for the kids to enjoy them too.

Enter mushroom seasoning salt.

I first experimented with making this a couple years ago using only wild varieties of mushrooms that we purchased from the farmer’s market. I then dehydrated them in our Excalibur, and mixed them with a bunch of sea salt, ground seasonings and herbs, and it was delicious. We used it to season meat dishes, eggs, potatoes, stews… anything that needed an extra dose of savory deliciousness. We also gave a ton away as gifts that year for Christmas.

Eventually, it dawned on me I could use any kind of edible mushroom to make this, including just your basic store bought white or Cremini, so if you don’t have access to wild varieties, or you want to mix and match, that’s an option too.

And if you’re starting with fresh mushrooms, you don’t need a fancy Excalibur to dehydrate them. You can use a more affordable dehydrator, your oven on a low setting, or you can even air dry them if you’d like, so long as you give them plenty of time and ventilation to do their thing. If you don’t want to bother dehydrating mushrooms for this, I often see mixed dried mushroom varieties sold at Costco, so it’s worth checking out your local bulk food or grocery store to see what they have available.

And I should mention that although my daughter isn’t into the texture of mushrooms, she does really enjoy this seasoning salt. Especially when sprinkled on her morning scrambled eggs. Enjoy!

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Mushroom Seasoning Salt

Author: A Wooden Nest

Prepare for this recipe by grinding up dehydrated mushrooms in a coffee grinder or a Vitamix Dry Grains container. Three cups of packed, dried mushrooms will yield you approximately one cup of dried mushroom powder.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried mushroom powder
• 2 cups salt (we use Redmond's Real Salt)

Optional Add-Ins

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons ground chili flakes
• 4-6 tablespoons dried ground herbs (I like to use thyme and parsley)

Instructions

1. Combine your mushroom powder with your salt in a quart jar. You can stop there or add any/all of the optional add-ins. Place a lid on your jar and shake to combine. Store in your pantry for up to a year.

Notes

Most mushrooms are difficult to digest raw, so this seasoning salt is meant to be used in applications where it will be cooked rather than as a finishing salt. We like to use it on meat dishes, roasted vegetables, soups, stews, and anything else that could use a savory, umami kick.

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Candied Hot Peppers

Also known as “Candied Jalapenos” or “Cowboy Candy,” this recipe for Candied Hot Peppers is one of our favorite ways to preserve our pepper harvest. Not only are the peppers spicy and delicious, but the vinegary syrup is full of flavor and fun to use as well. Frankly, we’re addicted to the flavor and love to use it on anything and everything we can think of. If you like spicy things, you’ll want to give this recipe a try.

Our favorite uses so far:

• Tacos and burritos

• Nachos

• Pizza

• Mixed with cream cheese and eaten with crackers

• Cocktails (syrup only)

• Mixed with sour cream to make it spicy (syrup only)

• As a marinade for chicken and onions

We’d love any other ideas you may have for using this recipe. And don’t forget to save your excess syrup! It’s infused with that peppery flavor and great to use on its own. Enjoy!

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Candied Hot Peppers

Author: A Wooden Nest

Also known as "Cowboy Candy," or "Candied Jalapenos," this recipe can utilize other hot pepper varieties as well. And remember to save any of the extra syrup/brine you have leftover. It can be used for all sorts of things, including spicy margaritas, cream cheese dip, or you can even use it to spice up your sour cream for tacos. Endless possibilities.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds fresh hot peppers, washed and sliced
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 4 cups white granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt

Instructions

1. Slice your peppers into 1/4-inch rounds or run through a slicer in your food processor.
2. In a large stockpot, add your cider vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Once your syrup has come to a boil, add your hot peppers, seeds and all, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes and then remove from heat.
4. Using a funnel, ladle your peppers into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Top with syrup, maintaining the same amount of headspace.
5. Top with sterilized lids and bands.
6. Store in the refrigerator or process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (or longer if you live at high elevation), fully submerged.
7. Remove from boiling water bath and place on a towel-lined counter. Let cool, remove bands and check seals. Store for up to one year in a cool, dark place.

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Roasted and Blended Tomato Sauce

The first year Matt and I grew a garden (back in 2009), I canned just about everything we were able to harvest, including my tomatoes. They were absolutely delicious, and I loved the way they looked lining my shelves, but these days you would be hard-pressed to convince me to do that again so long as I have the freezer space to avoid it.

Why? Because canning is a lot of fiddly work, and I prefer not to steam up my house if I don’t have to. Instead, what I’ve preferred doing over everything else for the past couple years is roasting my tomatoes on cookie sheets in a single layer until the skins have charred and browned, and then tossing it all - skins, seeds, juices, everything - in a blender to puree until it’s perfectly smooth and creamy.

It might seem weird to incorporate the skins and seeds, but with a good whiz in a high-powered blender, they seem to contribute to the creaminess and intensity of flavor for this application. Honestly, I have a hard time not eating this sauce up with a spoon straight from the blender, it’s that good.

Aside from the convenience and time saved from processing my tomatoes this way, there are other benefits as well. First, roasting helps to caramelize their sugars and elevates the flavor, making it more intense and less “raw.”

Second, it makes for a delicious tomato base that can be used for a variety of purposes. I can can add Italian seasonings, for example, and turn it into spaghetti, or I can throw in a whole different combination of spices to make a curry. I can even use it as a pizza sauce, or keep it simple and heat it up to make tomato soup to serve with grilled cheese.

Third, I can harvest a cookie sheet (or two) full of tomatoes every day during peak harvest season, and just process that much at a time daily until the season is done. This makes dealing with my tomatoes far less overwhelming in the long run, and gives me the chance to roast them right when they’re at their most fresh and flavorful.

Once I've pureed my sauce, my favorite way to store it in the freezer is with these BPA-free plastic storage containers. Generally speaking, I don't love using plastic, but I can reuse these over and over again, and they really do a good job of storing and sealing my garden goods so I can use it all year round.

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Roasted Tomato Sauce

Yield: Varies

Author: A Wooden Nest

Roast and process a sheet or two of fresh garden tomatoes daily throughout the peak harvest season to keep from getting too overwhelmed by your tomato harvest.

Ingredients

• A rimmed cookie sheet that fits in your oven
• Tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. Rinse your tomatoes thoroughly. Pat to dry.
3. Halve or quarter your tomatoes and place them on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer. You want all the pieces to be relatively the same size. Cherry tomatoes can be left whole.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
5. Place in a preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the skins have caramelized and browned.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
7. Place tomatoes (skins and all) and any leftover juices in a blender. Puree until smooth.
8. Store in airtight freezer containers and use within a year.

Notes

You don't want to stack your tomatoes too high on your cookie sheet or they will produce too much liquid and/or steam up your oven. 

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Crabapple-Pepper Jelly

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One of the exciting things about moving here in springtime was having the chance to observe the plants and trees growing here at the beginning of the growing season. I wasn’t able to put time or energy into starting a garden that first year we moved in because life was so busy, but I wasn’t lacking for food to harvest. Not only were the majority of our fields covered in blackberries, but there were fruit trees scattered throughout as well, including cherries, elderberries, apples, hawthorn trees, plums, quince, and lots of crabapples.

For me, it was the crabapples that immediately caught my attention. we have a few varieties that grow here, but there’s one particular tree that has the most vibrant, gorgeous red fruit I’ve ever seen, and I was immediately drawn to it. Like I said, we were short on time that first summer here, and truthfully we lacked space. The kitchen wasn’t even fully unpacked, so the idea of digging out my jars and then finding a place for them amongst the chaos didn’t appeal, but this summer when the trees started fruiting again, I was determined to find something quirky to do with them

Enter the the steam juicer, a kitchen tool I’d never used before. I purchased one to try this summer, and found that the juice from the crabapples was just as bright red as the fruit, and it was surprisingly sweet considering the crabapples themselves were so sour and puckery. I was able to get a gallon of juice from just one round in the steam juicer, so I had plenty to work with, and decided I wanted to turn some of it into jelly to maximize on its gorgeous color.

But I didn’t want straight crabapple jelly. I wanted it to have a kick of flavor or spice, and we just so happened to have hot peppers growing in our garden that were ready to harvest, so I sliced some up, tossed them in a big stock pot, seeds and all, and added the crabapple juice. I steeped them together for awhile, gave the juice a taste, and it was perfect.

That evening, I made jelly using the only pectin I had in the house, which was Pomonas Universal Pectin. I loved using Pomona’s for this because the amount of sugar needed is so much less than your typical pectin recipe, but please note that Pomona’s pectin doesn’t just require less sweetener, it actually needs less sweetener for the jelly to set, meaning if you add too much sugar, you’ll have issues with getting your jelly to set at all.

I’ve written my instructions here to reflect Pomona’s instructions for crabapple jelly, but you’ll want to make some modifications to your sugar amounts if you’re using a standard pectin. Enjoy!

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Crabapple-Pepper Jelly

Author: A Wooden Nest

This recipe was developed with Pomona's Universal Pectin in mind, which is a pectin that requires less sugar than most in order to gel up. If you're using a different type of pectin, please consult that brand's info sheet to adjust for the amount of sweetener needed.

Ingredients

• 4 cups unsweetened crabapple juice
• 2 cups sliced hot peppers (like jalapeño)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
• 4 teaspoons Pomona's Universal Pectin
• 4 teaspoons Calcium Water (prepare as instructed on the box)

Instructions

To Prepare the Juice

1. Combine the crabapple juice with the peppers in a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce heat to low, and continue to stir now and then for the next 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let steep until mixture cools.
2. Strain the peppers out of the juice and pour into a large stockpot to make your jelly.

To Make the Jelly

1. This recipe is specifically for those using Pomona's Universal Pectin. If you are using a different type of pectin, please refer to manufacturer's guidelines for instructions on how to proceed.
2. Place the crabapple juice, lemon/lime juice and calcium water in a large stockpot, and stir well to combine.
3. Pour sugar out into a separate bowl. Add the pectin and whisk into the sugar until evenly combined.
4. Bring mixture in stockpot up to a full rolling boil. Add in the sugar-pectin mixture and stir vigorously for two minutes while mixture comes back up to a boil. Remove from heat.

Storage

1. At this point you can either store your jelly in the refrigerator, or you can water bath can for shelf-stable storage as outlined below:
2. Fill your jars. I like to use half-pint jars, and leave 1/4-inch headspace. After all jars are filled, wipe the rims clean using a clean rag dipped in hot water. Place lids and bands on each jar, and add, fully submerged, to a boiling water bath. Let boil for 10 minutes (or longer if you live in high elevation).
3. Remove jars from water bath canner and place on a towel-lined counter. Let jars cool, remove bands and check seals. Jars should be stored without bands on.

Notes

https://pomonapectin.com/instruction-sheet/

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Walnut-Basil Pesto

I never seem to grow enough basil in my garden for my liking. This year, I planted more than ever before, and harvested early and often so it would bifurcate to keep my plants bushy and productive, yet I still found myself wishing I had planted twice or three times as many plants as I did.

What have I learned from this? Well, next year I’ll need to plant more basil, obviously, but I’m also going change a few things up:

First, I’ll plant my seeds earlier in the season, and practice more succession planting. Once a basil plant has established itself to the point it can be harvested, it can become quite bushy and productive if done in the correct way. Therefore, it’s really more about getting my plants going early rather than how many I have growing at one time.

Second, I plan to plant in clusters of 3-5 rather than dedicating an entire bed to tidy, uniform rows that are evenly spaced. This will make it so I can plant basil in various nooks and crannies, in containers, or alongside other plants growing in my garden, which should also hopefully help to reduce damage from pests since it won’t all be concentrated in one location.

And third, I’ll harvest my basil once a week rather than as-needed for recipes. From that weekly harvest, I’ll make pesto to freeze and/or store on my counter in a jar of water, and pluck the leaves as needed.

Our Favorite Ways to Use Pesto:

• As a sauce in pasta

• As a base for pizza

• Mixed in with eggs

• With meats (we especially enjoy it over roasted chicken)

• With potatoes

• In homemade salad dressings

Do you have any special ways you make or use your pesto? If so, please feel free to share in the comments below. I’m always looking for new ways to use it.

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Walnut-Basil Pesto

Yield: About 1 pint

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup roasted walnuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt, to taste
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground paper
• A generous squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times. Remove lid and scrape down the sides. Repeat this process until the pesto has reached your desired consistency. I prefer my pesto to be a bit chunky, but you can blend until perfectly smooth if you prefer.
2. Scoop pesto into an airtight, freezer-safe containers and store in the freezer for up to a year. Alternatively, store pesto in a jar in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Notes

Optional: soak and dehydrate your walnuts prior to roasting to increase digestibility.

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Honey Caramel Corn

I decided to try making honey caramel corn on a whim a couple weeks ago, and everyone in my family liked it so much it’s now one of our favorite fall snacks. At first, I was worried the flavor of the honey would be too sweet. I will often avoid using it when making baked goods because the flavor tends to be overpowering, but in this case the flavor of the caramelized honey mixed with the butter, salt and popcorn creates a nicely balanced and delicious combination, and it’s really hard to describe. It’s just one of those recipes you have to try for yourself. These days, I prefer using honey to sugar or corn syrup whenever I make my caramel corn.

In our house, we’ve been working through a gallon of local raw raspberry honey, which definitely has a stronger flavor than a mild clover honey, but still works perfectly in this recipe. I’ve also used barley honey and wildflower honey, and I love how each variation comes through slightly differently. It can be a real celebration of local flavor if you source your honey nearby. We also like to play with different varieties of popcorn. A dessert as simple as this gives the ingredients a chance to shine, so we like to get the best quality we can get.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you may want to try mixing in a tablespoon or two of peanut butter or some vanilla extract (or both). If you use the nut butter, it’ll thicken the sauce a bit more, so you’ll need to move quickly before it hardens too much to stir, but it’s worth the extra trouble if you love the creamy addition of peanut butter like we do.

Regarding our popcorn, we source our kernels either locally through farmer’s markets, or from organic bulk stores like Essential Organics, and we pop it using an air popper, but you could use any method you like to pop the kernels. Just make sure they’re all popped and waiting in a large enough bowl to stir without making a mess before you get going on the sauce. It’ll save you a lot of trouble in advance.

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Honey Caramel Corn

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Pop your popcorn into a large enough vessel that you can stir vigorously without spilling. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt together the butter, honey and salt. Let come to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil for 2 minutes while continuing to stir, and then remove from heat. Add the baking soda and stir until well incorporated.
2. Pour sauce over the popcorn. Stir until evenly coated. Spread over a lined cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the popcorn starts turning golden brown. You’ll need to keep a close eye on it because the honey will burn quickly.
3. Remove from oven, stir the popcorn and bake for another 3 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for five minutes and enjoy. Can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, but is best if eaten immediately.

Notes

Try this delicious variation: melt 2 tablespoons peanut butter with stovetop mixture. This will create a thicker sauce, so you’ll need to work quickly before it starts to harden too much. 

https://www.awoodennest.com/blog/2020/10/21/honeycaramelcorn

honey caramel corn, natural sweetener, honey, popcorn

dessert

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Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peanut Butter

The origin of this recipe comes from an inspired afternoon in the kitchen this last spring while Matt was outside building a fence in the rain. I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies, but instead of using white and brown sugar to sweeten them, I wanted to try it with maple syrup. I also wanted to use einkorn all-purpose flour instead of the regular stuff, but einkorn absorbs liquid differently, so I knew both these changes would mean the wet and dry ratios would be off.

But I was in the mood to experiment.

The first batch was actually kinda perfect. Looking back, I’m not sure how I managed it. Beginner’s luck, perhaps. It took several tries after that first batch to nail down the texture and level of sweetness, and then at some point later on I decided to add peanut butter to the recipe, which definitely made my husband fall more in love with me, but also meant more fiddling with the recipe to get it right. Luckily, my family is not at all picky when it comes to cookies, so they were happy to test out my various experiments.

So this week, I decided to nail it down so I could share it with you here and remember it for later. This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, hands down. It’s rich but not too sweet, indulgent but easily digestible. We love it. I hope you will too.

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Einkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies with Peanut Butter

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 1 cup room temperature butter, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or chunky
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips (we use miniature)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease or line your cookie sheet with a silpat mat.
2. Place butter, peanut butter, honey and maple syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes until creamed together. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
3. Using a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together slowly until it all just comes together. Scrape down the sides and add the chocolate chips. Stir one or two times more and then remove from stand.
4. Using the two-spoon method, drop your dough onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden brown. Don’t overbake. Remove from cookie sheet and place on a cooling rack for five to ten minutes, and then enjoy!
5. Keeps well on a plate at room temperature (in a protected place) for a few days. Also delicious straight from the freezer.

https://www.awoodennest.com/blog/2020/8/12/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies

cookies, einkorn, peanut butter, maple syrup, natural sweetener

dessert

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Elderberry Syrup

Here we typically make a big batch of elderberry syrup in fall and take a spoonful daily until spring. Everyone who makes elderberry syrup has their own method, and it’s all mostly the same with varying details. Here’s ours:

1 cup dried elderberries
4 cups water
2 inches ginger, sliced thin
2-3 sticks cinnamon
5-6 cloves
raw honey, to taste

Combine the elderberries, water, ginger, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Continue steeping for 30 minutes or until the liquid has cooled to warm. Remove from heat and add raw honey (to taste). Stir until dissolved.

Strain the syrup into a quart sized mason jar and store in the refrigerator.

Notes:

• If you brew kombucha, use this as a flavoring. It’s delicious and gives you the benefits of both elderberry syrup and kombucha in one.

• I often add a little raw apple cider vinegar to the finished syrup. I like the flavor better that way, but I won’t do this if I’m planning to use the syrup in kombucha.

• My favorite places to purchase elderberries are through Mountain Rose Herbs (https://www.mountainroseherbs.com), Essential Organics (https://essentialorganicingredients.com) or Amazon (Amazon affiliate link).

Apple Butter

This is a recipe I’ve carried with me for years. I make it nearly every summer and give it as gifts for Christmas. It’s rich and good, and can be used on breads like jam, in marinades and sauces, in sandwiches with some fried chicken and cheese… lots of delicious possibilities.

The recipe I follow lies somewhere between what is offered by Simply Recipes and Food in Jars. I liked the recipe from Simply Recipes when I don’t feel like peeling the apples. A food mill is often more suited to my situation, and I like the fact that the peels and cores lend pectin and flavor. The Food in Jars recipe is more specific about the canning procedure, and gives options for a chunkier fruit butter if I ever decide to peel and chop my apples instead of milling them. Sometimes I’ll just puree them with an immersion blender, which is what I’ve done this year.

The main thing to keep in mind is to cook the butter down longer than you think you need to. The more caramelized, the better the flavor. And you’ll want to invest in a splatter screen if you don’t have one already. Trust me on this.

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Stovetop Apple Butter

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 8 lbs apples2 cups cider vinegar (5% acidity)4 cups waterAround 8 cups sugarFreshly squeezed lemon juice (one large lemon)1 teaspoon salt4 teaspoons freshly roasted and ground cinnamon1 teaspoon freshly roasted and ground allspice1/2 teaspoon freshly roasted and ground cloves1/2 teaspoon freshly roasted and ground cardamom

Instructions

1. Quarter, stem and skin and seed the apples, cutting off any damaged parts (you don't need to skin them if they will later be processed through a food mill). Place in a 5-quart or larger pan with the cider vinegar and the water. Turn heat on high, stirring occasionally. When the liquid begins to boil, lower the heat to medium and continue to stir the apples every five minutes or so until they are soft and mushy.
2. Leave chunky or puree with an immersion blender. (If you left the skins on, run the softened apples through a food mill). Measure the remaining applesauce, and return to your pan. Cook on medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Keep the lid off so that the water can evaporate out.
3. Add 1/2 cup sugar for every cup of apples (8 lbs of apples would generally yield me about 16 cups of sauce after milling, which is why I listed 8 cups of sugar to the recipe list). Add the juice of one large lemon.
4. Dry roast your spices whole in a small saucepan on medium-high until the aroma hits your nose. Shake the pan so that the spices do not burn and continue to roast for another minute or two. Take the spices off the heat and cool. Once cooled, grind your spices in a coffee grinder and add to the pot. Taste and adjust accordingly. If you don't like cardamom or cloves or allspice, simply omit those spices from the recipe.
5. Stir the pot every five minutes or so, making sure to scrape the bottom to prevent burning. Cook for ~3 hours until the sauce has reduced to the desired consistency.
6. If you want to can your jars for long-term storage, read up on the proper canning procedures. Otherwise, funnel your apple butter into sterilized jars and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Read up on the proper procedure for canning your apple butter here: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html

Zucchini-Basil Soup

This recipe is simple and good. It’s the recipe you’ll want to use for all those giant zucchinis that are flooding your harvest baskets right about now. Add a handful of basil, onions, a few cloves of garlic and some butter and you’re good to go.

Sometimes I'll garnish my bowl with some cooked leeks or whatever happens to be growing in the garden for a little texture, but I usually eat it as-is, straight out of the pot, accompanied by thick slices of toasted sourdough bread drizzled with olive oil.

I should also mention that I make a double batch and have written the recipe as such because this soup keeps well in the refrigerator. Matt and I like to eat it cold for lunch the next day, especially if it's hot outside. If you want less or have less zucchini, feel free to halve the amounts.

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Zucchini-Basil Soup

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 4 pounds zucchini and/or yellow crookneck squash1 large onion, roughly chopped6 tablespoons butter (yes, you can use less or sub for olive oil)6 cloves garlic4 cups water or broth/stock1 handful of basil leaves, rinsedSalt to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse zucchini and remove ends. Slice lengthwise, and chop into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic cloves, and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the chopped zucchini and/or squash, and a pinch of salt, and cook for another five minutes. Add the water or broth/stock.
2. Bring up to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. Add the basil leaves. Puree using an immersion blender until completely smooth. Taste and add salt as necessary. Pour into bowls and serve warm with bread or crackers.

Notes

Note: Soup tastes amazing hot or cold.

Honey-Sweetened Sourdough Muffins

Over the past few months, I’ve been getting to know my sourdough starter bit by bit, and I’m doing it in a really “intuitive” way, meaning I mostly eyeball it with my timing and ingredient amounts rather than weighing things out on a scale and being precise with hydration or flour ratios. I’ve kept my starter on the counter, fed it twice per day, and when it’s not used for bread, I try to find something enjoyable to do with the discard. I’m baking bread nearly every day because, as someone who learns by doing, I know it’s the only way I’ll ever improve my skills. As a result, I’ve got bread coming out of my ears. I’m baking more than we can eat and giving most of it away to any family member or friend I can.

With two feeds per day, I’m learning a whole lot about sourdough and the way we enjoy it. Mostly my loaves turn out edible and beautiful in a rustic sort of way, but there are occasional duds. Even with this many feedings, it’s rare that I’ll throw that precious discard down the sink. Mostly it goes into sourdough dutch babies, pancakes or muffins, and I’m always looking for other easy ways to use it because that’s a whole lot of good quality flour down the drain if you can’t find a way to bake and eat it.

I eventually plan to learn how to make all-things sourdough: pie crust, bagels, pastries, crackers, quickbreads… but for now, while I’m still focused on learning how to make basic bread and feeding my starter this often, I’m just looking for solutions that can be accomplished quickly and easily with a napping baby and a 4-year-old underfoot.

That said, I’d like to share a recipe for sourdough muffins that I’ve been using nonstop this summer for my discard. It uses all-purpose flour and cornmeal for a light, yet robust muffin that won’t get soggy with berry add-ins. Plus, they’re lightly sweetened with a bit of honey. Delicious.

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Honey Sweetened Berry Sourdough Muffins

Author: A Wooden Nest

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour1 cup cornmeal1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon1 cup sourdough discard¼ cup milk1 egg¼ cup melted butter or oil½ cup honey2 cups berries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a muffin tin. Set aside. Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Wet ingredients: Whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, egg, butter/oil, and honey in a large bowl until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
3. Fold in the fresh berries.
4. Fill the wells of a standard sized greased muffin tin with batter until ¾ full. Place in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and then remove muffins from muffin tin and place on a cooling rack until room temp. Store in an airtight container. Muffins will last for a couple days on the counter, a couple weeks in the fridge or a couple months in the freezer.
5. Enjoy!