I’m entering my slaw in the “Can You Can It? Yes, You Can!” contest at

Eve’s The Garden of Eating Blog! The roundup will be posted on August 22nd,

followed by a week of public voting. You’ll vote for me, right?

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*The winner of Sarah Hood’s new book, We Sure Can!, as chosen by Random.org, is Comment Number 6: Elle! I think you’ll love it, and hope to hear about your new canning adventures in the future! Thanks for playing, everyone! We Sure Can! is now available through Amazon.com, too – you should get it anyway. *

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Let the Pickle Party begin! And like any good party, I’ve got a prize for one lucky reader! But first, you have to read about my Pickled Chayote Slaw recipe. I’m sneaky that way.

Pickled Chayote Slaw

All across the world, foodies and food bloggers are posting pickles. We want to show you that it’s not as hard and scary as you think to “put up” some of nature’s bounty – whether you grow it yourself or run across an incredible deal at your local farmers market – and take back some control of the food you put on your table. I chose to make a citrusy pickled chayote slaw for the Pickle Party.

At first, I thought I’d pickle some cauliflower for you, since that’s one of my husband’s favorites and he still hasn’t forgiven me for trading the two jars we had left, at our recent Miami Food Swap. Since I started selling my jams at the South Miami Farmers Market every other week, though, I’ve had the opportunity to get in on some very cool produce at very reasonable prices. Last weekend, I was gifted with half-a-dozen chayote squashes.

Not familiar with “chayote”? Read this:

“The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as christophene, vegetable pear, mirliton, christophine (in France), chouchoute (in Vanuatu), choko (in Australia and New Zealand), starprecianté, citrayota, citrayote (Ecuador and Colombia), chuchu (Brazil), chow chow (India), cho cho (Jamaica), Sayote (Philippines) ,güisquil (Guatemala, El Salvador), or pear squash, iskus (इस्कुस) (Nepal) is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.” — Source: Wikipedia

All parts of the chayote are edible. It can be eaten cooked or raw and is a great source of Vitamin C. The texture of chayote is crisp and slightly starchy and it has a very mild, slightly sweet flavor that is perfect for soaking up the flavors of whatever you choose to cook with it. It can be cooked like any other squash and is frequently shredded and mixed with lemon or lime juice for a slaw-like side dish.

This recipe was created for the “boiling water” canning method and will yield about 5 pints of pickled slaw. For detailed information on safe canning practices, please visit the link for the USDA Canning Guides that’s in the “Places I Like To Visit” section of the far-right sidebar. And check out the links at the bottom of this post, too! – This weekend, we’re going to be Canning Across America! Canning parties and live streaming videos from my friends at CanningAcrossAmerica.com!

Pickled Chayote Slaw

Ingredients:

6 chayote, halved and cored

1 medium onion, peeled and halved

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

4 cups white vinegar

1/3 cup lime juice (I used Key Lime juice. ‘Cuz I’m a rebel.)

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar (see *Note, below)

1 Tbs. canning salt

Cumin seeds

Celery seeds

Brown mustard seeds

Small dried hot chili peppers (such as Thai chilies) – optional

Preparation:

Fill your boiling water canning pot with water and put it on to boil. While it’s heating, start prepping the vegetables and pickling liquid as follows:

Shred the vegetables, using the medium shredding disc of your food processor or the large-holed side of a box grater. Set aside.

In a 6 quart, non-reactive pot, combine the vinegar, lime juice, water, sugar, and canning salt. Heat to boiling, over high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved.

When the liquid boils, add all the vegetables to the pot, stir to mix well, and return it to a rolling boil, and turn off the heat.

Heat your jars and lids in the boiling water canner.

Fill each jar with the hot vegetables to one-inch (1″) from the top. To each jar, add 1/4 tsp of the cumin seeds and mustard seeds, and 1/8 tsp of the celery seeds. Add one of the dried hot peppers, if using. Fill each jar with the hot pickling liquid to 1/2″ from the top. Poke around inside each jar with a long, thin utensil, such as a chopstick or fondue fork, to release any trapped air bubbles. This has the dual effect of distributing the spices.

Top each jar with a new canning lid, twist on the ring, finger-tight, and, making sure that the water covers the jars by at least one-inch (1″), process in the boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit in the canner for an additional 5 minutes before removing them to a surface that’s been covered with a dish towel or newspapers.

Allow the jars to sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours and check your seals. Any jars that didn’t seal properly should be refrigerated. The slaw should be ready to eat in a day or two.

*Notes: Make sure to taste your pickling liquid before adding the vegetables, to make sure you’ve got the sweet/tart balance to your taste.

What I was going for, was something like a cross between a vinegar-dressed cole slaw and sauerkraut. It came out tart, only the slightest bit sweet, but still retaining a slightly crispy bite – very much like a cabbage-style slaw or kraut. You can eat this as a side dish with any kind of sandwich, or pile it on your favorite hot dog, as I did here:

(Why yes, I did neglect to take a photo of the chayote before I shredded it for my slaw. If you’d like to see what it looks like in the raw, go here.)

Now for the even more fun stuff! If you’ve visited here in the last several weeks, you might have noticed this badge, over there in the sidebar:

I was surprised and delighted when Toronto food writer, veteran canner, and fellow Can-Jammer, Sarah B. Hood, asked to include one of my pickle recipes in her new book, We Sure Can! I tell you up-front that I was paid a grand total of $50 plus two copies of the book as compensation for my contribution.

Well, I just got my copies of We Sure Can! last week, and it is beautiful! Great photos and over 100 great canning recipes from respected and talented food writers and bloggers in whose company I am more than humble to find myself (including Sarah, herself). Seriously. Read more about this fabulous book and everyone who contributed, on the publisher’s page.

So, what am I going to do with two copies, hmm? To celebrate the Pickle Party and the official launch of We Sure Can!, I am going to give my extra copy to one of you! To enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me about a favorite food memory and what you’d like to preserve; AND/OR
   
2. If you’re on Twitter, tweet this: “I entered to win a copy of “We Sure Can!”, the new canning book by @SarahBHood, from @RJFlamingo. You can, too! http://bit.ly/qpwnsm” Then leave a comment saying that you did. AND/OR
   
3. If you’re on Facebook, please “like” Flamingo Musings, and leave a comment here, saying that you did. AND/OR
   
4. Post on your Facebook wall “I entered to win a copy of “We Sure Can!”, the new canning book by Sarah B. Hood, from Flamingo Musings. You can, too! http://bit.ly/qpwnsm”, and of course, leave another comment here.

The winner will be selected by Random.org on Sunday night, August 14, 2011 at midnight. Please make sure there is a valid email address attached to your comment(s) so I can get in touch with the winner. If I don’t hear from the winner by Tuesday, August 15th, another winner will be chosen. Please limit your tweets to once per day – I don’t want you to annoy your friends!

P.S.: Did I mention that this is open to everybody, everywhere? What the heck – it’s my nickel, right?

We Sure Can! is now available through Amazon.com, too!

If you want to learn more about pickling and preserving, don’t forget National Can-It-Forward Day, this Saturday! Check out the links, below:

National Can-It-Forward Day

Streaming Can-It-Forward Demonstration Schedule

CanningAcrossAmerica.com

Happy Pickle Party!

It’s quite embarrassing that I haven’t posted anything in nearly two whole weeks, so let me break the ice a bit with this quickie one-pan meal. It uses fresh vegetables and another fun pasta shape – orzo.

Orzo is a small pasta, shaped rather like large rice grains, and particularly well-suited to my favorite one-pan meal concoctions. Basically, you can just toss it into the pan with everything else, and it will cook itself! One less pot to wash!

This dish is also very versatile – don’t limit yourself to the vegetables I used here. You can use whatever’s on hand or even (ack! don’t tell anyone!) frozen mixed vegetables of your choice! And it takes about 30 minutes or less from fridge to table. No excuses, now!

Orzo Pasta & Veggie Skillet

(makes about 4 servings as a main dish)

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

3-4 cloves garlic (or more if you like), chopped coarsely

approx. 3 cups broccoli florets

2 large yellow summer squash, chopped coarsely

1 large (or 2 medium) tomatoes, chopped coarsely

1 32 oz. container of vegetable stock or broth (preferably organic)

1 box orzo pasta

salt & pepper to taste

Shredded parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Preparation:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high, then add the onions and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the broccoli and squash, stir and cook briefly, or till the broccoli starts to turn a bright green. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.

Pour in the vegetable stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Now add the orzo, stir to combine, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Allow to cook for about 12-15 minutes.

Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Continuing with this week’s Halloween theme, I bring you Squashed Soup.

I’ve adapted this recipe from the Butternut Squash Soup that used to be served at the Simon Pearce Glassworks and Restaurant in Quechee, Vermont. We discovered this soup one October several years ago, when MJ and I took a “leaf-peeping” road trip to take in the foliage colors through Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

As a glass-lover, I’d heard about the Simon Pearce Glassworks and we made a special point of including it on our drive. We’d also heard that the restaurant they have onsite is top-notch, so we also made a point of having lunch there. If you’re in the neighborhood, you should, too. The food is absolutely delicious, served on their own dinnerware, with a view not to be believed – especially at the height of the leaf-peeping season!

This recipe is especially attractive to me, because it’s one of the only creamy soups I’ve ever had that doesn’t get its body or texture from the addition of dairy, making it perfect for the lactose-intolerant, kosher, or vegan! Simon Pearce actually handed out this recipe at their restaurant, if you asked for it, so I’m not giving away any trade secrets here. They’ve since changed their butternut squash soup recipe to include cream, so I’m glad I retained the original!

Butternut Squash Soup with Scallion Cream (adapted from Original Simon Pearce Recipe) – Yields about 6 cups

One 2 to 2 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
8 Tbs. olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium leek, white and tender green, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp. dried
1 quart vegetable stock

Optional Scallion Cream Topping:

1/4 cup cold heavy cream
2 medium scallions, minced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large roasting pan, toss the squash with the 4 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, leek and carrot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until barely softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the ginger, thyme and roasted squash. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Partially cover, reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, or use a stick blender and puree directly in the pot. Return the soup to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper and reheat.

In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the scallions and a pinch of salt and whip to firm peaks.

Ladle the soup into bowls or shallow soup plates and garnish with a dollop of the scallion cream (if using) and a sprinkling of the chives or additional chopped scallions.

*Notes:

Butternut squash is hard. I find it easier to peel the squash with a vegetable peeler and cut it up after. Just take care – naked squash is slippery.

I’ve modified Simon Pearce’s recipe by substituting olive oil for the butter, using vegetable stock for their chicken stock, and using half the amount of squash to intensify the flavor. The scallion cream is completely optional. If you’d like to garnish or really feel the need for a creamy topping, sour cream works well, as does Tofutti’s non-dairy sour cream replacement.

You can also double or treble the recipe to serve a crowd. It’s also a great make-ahead dish – you can prepare this soup a couple of days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Just reheat gently and serve when ready.

For Halloween, try serving this in black or Halloween-themed mugs – makes a nice warm-up after a chilly evening of Trick or Treating… or is that Twick or Tweeting?

This is, of course, another post for The #GreatHallowTweet Halloween Blog Hop – Don’t forget to hop on to the next blog in the #GreatHallowTweet sidebar to see what’s lurking around the corner!

I love autumn. One of the first signs of the season shows up in the grocery store – the winter squashes arrive. Not just one or two Butternut Squashes from God-only-knows-where, but bushels of them, along with Delicata, Acorn, Spaghetti, and my favorite – Sweet Dumpling.

The Sweet Dumpling Squash has a cream colored skin marked with streaks of green and orange, and is shaped something like an Acorn Squash, but more squared, and a seed cavity just begging to be stuffed. The texture of the flesh is soft and rich, but light and sweet – something like a cross between Butternut and Acorn. Get a good-sized one of these babies and a light, but satisfying meal for two is on the way!

Sweet Dumpling Squash With Brown Rice and Carmelized Brussels Sprouts

1 Sweet Dumpling Squash (approx. 16″ circumference – sounds huge, but it’s only about 5″ or 6″ high)

1 tsp. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400º.

Cut the squash in half, lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and fibers with a spoon. Brush each half with a 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place each half, cut-side down onto a foil lined baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the skin can be pierced easily with a fork.

In the meantime:

1/2 cup brown rice

1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth

pinch each of salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Bring broth to a boil, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 40 – 45 minutes.

And then:

Carmelized Brussels Sprouts:

I know what you’re thinking: Brussels Sprouts?!? Seems most people either love ‘em or hate ‘em, and no in between. We happen to love them. I think the people who hate them have had bad sprout experiences – mushy, overcooked to oblivion. Just try them this way once. Please? I think you’ll find that a crispy, garlicky exterior combined with a firm but creamy interior, makes all the difference. Just once. For me?

1/2 pound fresh brussels sprouts (or more, depending on how much you like brussels sprouts!)

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. butter (we use SmartBalance Light)

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped in large pieces

Pinch of salt and pepper

Trim off the stem ends of the sprouts and any dark outer leaves. Rinse in cold water and while they’re wet, put them in a medium saucepan with the oil, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Do not add any water. Cover tightly and turn heat to medium. After several minutes, the butter should be melted, and there should be a slight sizzle. Keep covered and turn heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, remove cover and raise heat to medium. Stir lightly and allow the sprouts and garlic to brown, an additional 5 minutes or so.

Topping:

1 medium to large shallot, sliced thinly

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat olive oil in a small pan, add shallots and fry over medium heat until dark, golden brown. As they start to turn color, keep an eye on them, as they can go from yummy to burnt in a heartbeat! Remove the shallots from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

Put it all together:

Divide the Carmelized Brussels Sprouts between two plates. Spoon half the rice into each squash half, top with the crispy fried shallots, and a few shreds of Parmesan cheese if you like. Then dig in!

This recipe is easily made vegetarian or even vegan, depending on your choice of broth and butter or butter alternative, and you can certainly double or even triple the ingredients, depending on the number of people you’re feeding.

If fresh brussels sprouts aren’t available, you can certainly use frozen. Cooking time will be reduced by about half, and don’t forget to crisp them up at the end!

Enjoy!