Moving on to Ginger: Ginger Rhubarb Jam

I'm a big fan of Ginger on so many levels.  Any food that has the potential to clear out your sinuses is fine with me. Go big or go home.

  

Before I found candied ginger and before I discovered I could make candied ginger, I kept left over ginger in a zip lock bag in the freezer. Now, my jar of candied ginger stays in my fridge.  Recipe coming soon.  But for now - 

Ginger Rhubarb Jam
4 c. fresh rhubarb, cleaned and chopped
3 c. sugar
3 T. candied ginger, finely chopped
2 T. lemon juice, from the bottle.  

Combine ingredients.  Allow to stand for about 30 minutes.  

Turn into a large sauce pan and bring to a slow boil at medium heat, stirring.  Cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Ladle into hot sterilized canning jars and seal.  Process using the boiling water bath method for 10 minutes.  If you are not familiar with the boiling water bath method of canning, consult a canning cook book.

Beautiful dark red.  Texture is lovely.  Of course, a little sweet, but the ginger is distinct.  This is going to be awesome over Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice cream.  I'm very happy.
  

Did you know - Rhubarb

• The leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous if eaten in much quantity.  The poisonous compound is Oxalate.  There have been cases of people cooking the leaves like collards and becoming sick, or even dieing.  So if you let, or encourage, children to eat directly from the garden, and I hope you do, make sure that they understand that they are not to eat the leaves of this plant.
• Rhubarb is grown from a rhizome.  According to my handy dictionary, that's a thick underground horizontal stem that produces roots and has shoots that develop into new plants
• Parts of this plant have been used as a laxative, an antiseptic, a diuretic, a treatment for liver, bladder and urinary complaints. 
• Rhubarb is a cool weather plant, hence my having one.
• Early Americans referred to rhubarb as "Pie fruit", but of course, it isn't really a fruit, or even a vegetable.  The part we eat is the stalk of the plant.
• It dates back to 2700 BC in China where it was grown for its medicinal properties.
• Traditionally, it is pared with strawberries or apples for sweetness, although paring it with ginger is also common and tasty.
• As early as the mid 1500's, it was much more expensive than cinnamon in France.  By the mid 1600's, rhubarb was double the price of opium in England
• My husband doesn't like it.  Go figure.
  
   

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb

http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/

http://www.savor-the-rhubarb.com/index.html

Mom's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Every so often I mention that I love pie.  I mean I love everything about pie.  I love crust.  I love filling.  I love the crimped edges.  I love the smell of it in the oven.   I love pie.  And this is my all time favorite pie in the whole world. 

So go ahead.  Say it's old fashioned.  Say it's been done.  But this is my mom's recipe.  This is just plain good. 






Mom's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 homemade double pie crust.  Recipe of your choice.

1 1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. grated orange peel

3 c. rhubarb, cleaned and cut.  My mom's notes say "1/2 inch pieces," and I always do what my mother says.

2 c. strawberries.  We are still using California strawberries.  They aren't ripe yet here.  But there is always hope.

2 T. butter.  My mother's recipe actually calls for margarine, but I haven't used it for many years

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Mix sugar, flour and orange peel in a small bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, mix the fruit.

Turn half of the fruit into prepared bottom pie crust; sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. 

Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar.  Dot the top of the pie with small pieces of the butter.  Top with the pie crust.  Crimp the edges and poke slits in the crust for air to escape.  

Cover the edges with aluminum foil or other protection from getting too brown. 

My Mom's notes say "Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust, 40 to 50 minutes."  Mom never had a clean oven a day in her life and neither have I.

Basic Rhubarb Syrup

When cleaning out my freezer for the season, I found that I had quite a bit of rhubarb left.  I'm working on ways to use ingredients I have on hand more efficiently. 

Basic Rhubarb Syrup

4 c. rhubarb, cleaned and chopped - (frozen is fine if that's what you have)

1 c. sugar

1 c. water

Simmer 15 - 20 minutes.  Strain the liquid for use.

Refrigerate or freeze.

A tablespoon or more of this syrup is delicious and thirst-quinching in a glass of ice water.  It is also a delicious sweetener in a cup of hot tea.  I'm looking forward to trying it in club soda, ginger ale, lemonade, ice tea. What else?

  

Tortilla Stack with Green Sauce

Sauce number 2 is just a bit spicier than I would like for setting in front of guests with a bowl of chips but it is delicious and flavorful.  I continue to read recipes looking for my next inspiration.  

I've found a recipe that called for the tomatillos to be placed in a 350 oven until they pop.  I'll likely try that next. 

This tortilla stack recipe is an original to me, but reminds me of something my Mom made in the late 60s and early 70s.  My mom was ahead of her time.  

You need a deep dish pie plate and 4 10 inch tortillas.

A cup of shredded cheese of your choice and a small can of sliced olives, drained. 

A pound of ground beef and a pkg of taco seasoning or your favorite homemade version.  This is 2 t. dry minced onion, 1 t. salt, 1/2 t. dried garlic, 1/4 t. dried oregano, and 1/2 t. ground cumin.  I sometimes add 1 t. chili powder and/or 1/2 t. crushed pepper flakes, but not tonight.  To be clear, I'm adding this to my meat instead of the pkg of taco seasoning, your choice.

This is ground chuck from the Butcher Boys - my new favorite source of meat.  I bought it from the owner's daughter. It's incredibly lean and beautiful.  It comes from a farm in McMinnville, OR.  I've paid quite a bit more for organic lean ground meat.  Support local business. 

Husband came through and complimented my outfit.  I wasn't feeling it, but always nice for a middle aged woman to hear it. 

Little does he know, I dressed this way because of hot flashes.  I guess I'm still hot; it just comes in flashes.  

Now to assemble the dish. Into the deep dish pie plate, 1/4 of the meat mixture, then a tortilla.  The next 1/4 of the meat mixture, a 1/4 of the olives, cheese and green sauce.  Also some black beans because I had them left over and needed to use them. 

If you want to add tomato or other ingredients, now's the time.  This is what I have tonight.

Another tortilla and do it again.

Another tortilla and whatever you've got left. 

Now into a preheated 350 oven until it's bubbly.  The tortillas crispy up in so places.  It gets soggy and bubbly in a good way in other areas. 

Cut it like a pie and serve it that way.


Remember to look for all the spice that life can offer.    

Green Chili Salsa #2

My first attempt at green chili salsa was not exactly what I'm looking for.  You wouldn't stick a chip in it, although its almost gone three days later and I'll be making it again.  It was fantastic as a sandwich spread, almost like a relish, but not sweet.  The added vinegar makes the ph more acid and safe for canning, which I'll be doing again soon.

Attempt #2 - Salsa Verde

1 1/2 lb tomatillos.  Remove the husk and wash well.  They are kind of sticky on the outside but that comes off and I'm think it should.




Quarter them. 

Put them skin side up on a sheet pan and roast them by sticking them under a broiler for a few minutes.

I'm not sure I have exactly what I want yet.  They don't brown like roasting peppers.  They kind of fall apart.  Looks like more experimentation is in order.

1/4 white onion, chopped

1 T. lime juice

1/4 t. sugar

2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded

Made 3 cups.  Very flavorful.  I'm a light weight with spiciness.  I get enough fast. 

But by the next day, the flavors had mellowed a bit.  Do you think it freezes? 

Green Chili Enchiladas

A long time ago, I had a co-worker who made the best chicken enchiladas.  I've made them ever since.  For green chili sauce, I used the bottled green taco sauce.  Today, I'm using the sauce I made yesterday.

But first, some product decisions.  I support local business: 

Don Pancho products.  Manufactured in Salem OR, clearly a privately and locally owned company.  This is exactly the type of company I'm trying to support.  To make it easier, Safeway carries it.  I've seen them at Fred Meyer also.

Okay part of the thing is I like Juanita brand chips.  They are just really really good.  I haven't completely veted them, but it appears that they are indeed manufactured in Hood River,  OR.  I'd like to know more about the company.  In the meantime, did I mention they are good? 

Green Chili Enchiladas

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or chopped.  In a pinch, you can use 1/2 a roasted rotisserie chicken.  But everytime I have left over meat, I chop it up and freeze it or plan a meal like this to use it up to use it up. 

1/2 c. green chili sauce.  Homemade or bottled green taco sauce and 1/2 c. sour cream. 

I cup black beans.  I'm notorious for cooking an entire sack of beans and freezing the unused part, never to be seen again.  I'm working on dragging that stuff out and using it so it doesn't go to waste.  Or use a 16 oz can of black beans, drained.  I don't like refried in this, but that's another option if you do. 

Mix the above ingredients in a bowl.

A fourth of the mixture goes into the center of a tortilla and rolled enchilada style.  A cup of good cheese gets sprinkled over top.  A cup of your favorite red salsa on top of that.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly.