We finally got a frost. Just before it came, we picked all the tomatoes we had on the plants. My table is covered in tomatoes:
So more canning is in order and I must find a good recipe for fried green tomatoes. In the meantime, I decided to make "Beef Ole", a recipe I got from my mother-in-law many years ago. It is very easy, filling, and makes good use of the tomatoes. You will need:
About 7 ripe tomatoes (if you don't have an abundance of tomatoes, a 15 oz can of tomato sauce will also work) 3 tbsp taco seasoning (any brand will do) 3 tbsp sloppy joe seasoning (any brand will do) 2 lbs ground beef 2 cups of chopped or shredded lettuce 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes 1 can sliced olives (if desired) 1/2 avocado diced (if desired) 1 cup shredded cheese taco sauce tortilla chips Peel, seed and coarsely cut up the tomatoes, allowing them to drain for a few minutes in a colander. Puree in the blender or food processor and cook over med-high heat stirring frequently until boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer and continue to stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook until reduced by about 1/2. This will take about 1 hour. In the meantime, place the ground beef in a large frying pan and add the seasonings. Cook completely until nicely browned. Add beef to the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened to the desired consistency.
In a cereal bowl, place about 10 tortilla chips and lightly crush. Add a couple scoops of beef mixture over the chips. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, olives and avocados. Drizzle some taco sauce over the top if desired and enjoy. This is great on a chilly evening.
Did I mention this was a great garden year? Here it is two days before October and we have not yet had a frost. This has been a blessing especially for my neighbors who started heirloom tomatoes from seeds. The seedlings did so well, that they ended up planting 103 tomato plants!! Needless to say they have been supplying tomatoes to many lucky people who are fortunate enough to live nearby. I am blessed to be one of them, and along with the tomatoes from my own plants, I have had plenty to make all kinds of wonderful dishes. Now, I like salsa. The flavor combination of all the ingredients is delightful, but I like it MILD. It is difficult to find really tasty MILD salsa. So years ago, I started experimenting with different recipes to come up with one that is both mild and flavorful. If you like heat, this one is not for you, but if you, like me, do not like the feeling of a burning tongue when you eat salsa, give this recipe a try. I found the basic recipe in the "Better Homes and Gardens Presents America's All-Time Favorite Canning and Preserving Recipes" book (copyright 1996). It is on page 39 entitled "Chunky Homemade Salsa" and modified it to meet our family's taste.
You will need:
An 8 quart stainless steel pot Colander and large bowl to set it in Large heat resistant spoon for stirring 4 cup measuring cup Water bath canner or large stock pot to process the jars of salsa Jars and lids for canning (see canning tips in my other post, or go to Ball (TM) Getting Started With Canning for more information.) Assemble the tools above. Wash jars and lids and place in the dishwasher or a pan of water and heat them. Keep them hot until ready to fill. Prepare the fresh ingredients: 8.5 lbs of tomatoes (about 25 medium) 4 or 5 Anaheim chili peppers 3 jalapeno peppers 3 or 4 sweet bell peppers 2 cups coarsely chopped onion (about 1 large onion) 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup vinegar 1 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper Wash, seed and core the peppers. (Tip: Wear rubber gloves while working with the peppers to prevent the oils from burning your hands.) Measure 1/3 cup jalapenos, and 2 cups of Anaheim and bell peppers combined. Place in a large bowl. Chop onion, measure and add to peppers. Mince the garlic and chop the cilantro and add to the peppers and onions. Add the vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper to the bowl. Set aside.
Wash, peel, seed and core tomatoes. (Tip: Dip washed tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 10 - 15 seconds then transfer to a bowl of cold water. The skins will come off very easily). Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters and put in the colander over a bowl and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Coarsely chop tomatoes and measure out 16 cups and place into the stainless steel pot. Cook over med-high heat, stirring frequently until boiling. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency while continuing to stir frequently. (Tip: If you use a heavy bottomed pot, it will be less likely to stick or burn.) Add the pepper mixture and return the sauce to boiling increasing the heat to med-high and stirring frequently. Once the mixture reaches boiling, you can remove from heat.
Fill the large stock pot or canner with hot water and set on stove top to heat. (Tip: If you live in an area with hard water, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the water in the canner to avoid a white scale from forming on your jars.) Put the canning lids into a small pot with boiling water. Remove from heat and set aside. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars and wipe the rims with a clean, wet cloth. Put the lids in place and secure the bands. Put into the canner and submerge in the hot water. There should be at least 1 inch of hot water over the top of the jars. Bring to a boil and process half pints or pints in the water bath for 35 minutes. Remove from the canner and set aside to allow the jars to seal. Once they are sealed you can store them in your pantry. This should yield you about 6 pints.
It seems that whenever I make a canning recipe, there is always some left over after I've filled all the jars, not quite enough to fill another. This was the case today, and I had about a 3/4 cup left over. As it happens I had thawed some steaks for dinner and thought I'd try something different to season them before grilling. This is what I came up with:
3/4 cup fresh home made cooked salsa 2 tbsp taco seasoning (McCormick's, French's, Schilling, whatever brand you have). 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp ground paprika Combine these ingredients and stir thoroughly. In a large bowl, place a little of the sauce on the bottom and add a layer of steaks. Spoon a generous amount on top of the steaks and spread over them completely. Add another layer of steak and spoon more salsa mixture on top. Continue until all your steaks are layered with the sauce. Cover and set aside for at least 1/2 hour. Prepare your grill and heat it to high. Place the steaks with the sauce on the grill at high heat for 1 - 2 minutes and turn over. Spoon any remaining sauce over the steaks and sear for 1 - 2 more minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook until done to your desired taste. I served this up with a simple salad and fresh corn on the side. It was delicious. I hope you have the opportunity to try this. Enjoy! Goodnight, Tammie
Good evening. Here is tonight's clutch. I love the subtle color differences in the individual eggs, they are so pretty! Too pretty to eat, almost.
Spent a little time with the cows too, gave them a new bale of hay, they are very happy now. This is Pansy, my little 3 month old heifer.
She is learning to lead. I am a firm believer in tame cattle, as they are much more predictable and easy to handle than wild ones.
Dinner tonight was pasta with homemade-from-scratch sauce. It takes several hours to prepare, but can be made ahead and canned in a water bath or frozen. Recipe:
Home made Pasta Sauce (Yield 6 pint jars)
20 large or 30 medium tomatoes. 2 cans chopped olives about 6 - 7 medium mushrooms chopped 6 cloves of garlic (roasted - see below) 1/2 cup finely chopped onion or 2 tbsp dried onion 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley 1 tsp finely chopped oregano 2 tsp garlic salt (or to taste) 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp fine black pepper 1tsp olive oil (to roast the garlic) 2 tbsp ketchup 1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar (to taste) 1/4 c vinegar
Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. (Tip: Put the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for 20 - 30 seconds then plunge into cold water. The skins will slip off much easier!) Let drain for 30 minutes in a colander over a bowel to remove some of the water. Puree all but 3 cups of the tomatoes in the blender or food processor and pour into a large stainless steel pot. Coarsely chop the remaining tomatoes and add to the puree. Cook for 1 - 2 hours over med-high heat stirring frequently to prevent burning. (Tip: If you use a heavier pot, it won't burn as quickly). This will reduce the volume by approximately 1/2. Meanwhile, place the unpeeled cloves of garlic in a piece of foil and drizzle the olive oil over the top. Wrap tightly and place on an oven safe dish in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once the tomato puree has cooked down, remove the garlic from the foil, cut in half and squeeze the cloves from their peels and mince. Add the minced garlic, olives, mushrooms and onions to the mixture and cook until softened. Add the herbs, seasonings, vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. Adjust the seasonings to taste if you desire. Cook for an additional 30 minutes. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Place lids and screw bands and process pints in a water bath for 35 minutes. (Tip: Get canning parameters from your local county extension office or refer to Ball (TM) Getting Started with Canning for more information.) Alternately you can place in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Enjoy any way you would ordinarily use store-bought pasta sauce, but with the knowledge that you are bringing the freshest ingredients to your family's table. Let me know how you use pasta sauce, or if you have a recipe you'd like to share. Tammie
