Canning Greenmarket Bounty Today Brings Smiles in Winter
Posted in Exhibitions, The Edible Garden on July 29th, 2009 by Plant Talk – Be the first to comment |
Trish Sebben-Krupka is Corporate Chef for the Viking Culinary Center, based in Fairfield, New Jersey, as well as a caterer and food writer specializing in plant-based cuisine. She hosts her own blog, Local Girl Makes Food, and is a contributor to the recently published The Best of Vegan Cooking. Viking is a supporting sponsor of The Edible Garden. Trish will present at the Conservatory Kitchen on August 8. |
I entered the Garden through the Mosholu Gate on a beautiful July morning, with my refrigerated bag and freshly chilled ice blanket waiting in the trunk. My mission was to spend no more than $20 on fresh produce at the Greenmarket and head back to the Viking kitchen to preserve what I found. As I walked through the market stalls, I wished I had set a higher budget; cabbages, fresh berries, gorgeous tomatoes, greens of all sorts, and the season’s earliest apples all called out to me.
Eleven dollars bought me three pounds of amazingly sweet heirloom cherry tomatoes in all shapes and sizes. Another $9 was spent on plump, fresh blueberries and four crisp Empire apples. I did not count the delicious cinnamon-apple scone I purchased toward my budget—it was a necessary luxury.
All told, I spent about three hours cooking and canning. I find this work to be meditative and pleasant, and I’m always pleased to open a jar of something out of season when mid-winter comes around.
I hope that you will try this recipe below and stop by The Edible Garden Conservatory Kitchen on August 8 to see my home canning presentations at 1 and 3 p.m. I’ll teach you how to make your own fruit preserves and tomato sauce, and you can taste some of the fruits of my labor putting up this summer’s amazing local produce. On a dark and snowy February day, you’ll open a jar of something special that you made with love, and you’ll be glad you did! read more »