Vickie's This and That
Good morning, I have enjoyed the cooler weather this week. Now we just need a little rain to go with it. Fall is definitely here and I am very glad. Sorry "This and That" is a day late but I just couldn't seem to get around to it yesterday. Granddaughter has not been feeling well this week so I have been giving her lots of TLC . I cooked her 2 pots of homemade potato soup. My mother did this for me and it always made me feel better.
I hope everyone enjoyed the fajita luncheon, Doo Dah parade, and chicken cooking contest Wednesday. Congratulations to all the winners. I was lazy and didn't make them this year. First time in a long time that I haven't participated. The Poultry Festival is upon us before we knew it. See you there.
Last week I shared how to prepare vegetables by freezing them. I did this method for many years but I now prefer canning to freezing. Canning is more labor intensive but I think in the long run - well worth it. This week I will share how to preserve/freeze some vegetables that you may not know you can freeze.
Freezing Vegetables Continued:
Potatoes: Irish - Select new potatoes directly from the garden, peel/scape and wash. Blanch for 3 to 5 minutes, cool then package, seal and freeze. For French Fries - wash and peel mature potatoes. Cut into 1/3 inch by 3/8 inch strips. Rinse in cold water; dry thoroughly. Deep fry in hot fat (360 degrees) for about 5 minutes until tender but not brown. Drain and cool. Package, seal and freeze. To serve, heat in a 475 degree oven until golden brown.
Cabbage - frozen cabbage is suitable for use only as a cooked vegetable. Select fresh, solid heads. Trim coarse outer leaves and cut into medium to coarse shreds or thin wedges. Water blanch for 1 1/2 minutes. Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving some head space. Seal and freeze.
Green onions - green onions may be chopped and frozen without blanching but they will not be crisp. I use them in dressing, casseroles, and soups.
Sweet potatoes - baked. Wash, trim and heat potatoes in oven at 350 degrees without peeling until slightly soft. Cool, remove peel and wrap individually in aluminum foil. Place in plastic bags and freeze. To eat, bake in a 350 degree oven until heated and soft, leaving potatoes wrapped in foil. To use potatoes for casseroles or pies, cook until almost tender and let cool at room temperature. Mash sweet potatoes (to keep from darkening add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for each quart of mashed sweet potatoes). Pack into containers, seal and freeze.
Some vegetables that are easy to freeze: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, peas, peppers, spinach, squash, corn.
Until next week!! I would enjoy hearing from anyone else on gardening tips or your favorite recipes. Email tips to info@shelbycountytoday.com (Attn: Vickie's This and That.)
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Most of the recipes I will be sharing are recipes from the 40's,50's, & 60's that were my mother's.
This week's recipe:
Incredible Baked Meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil (I used 1/2 tsp of dried as I don't always have fresh)
Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into golf ball sized meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Great to use with spaghetti or egg noodles.
Start pasta by boiling water. For a quicker boil, simply cover the pot. (Use about six quarts of water for up to one pound of pasta.) Salting the water just before adding the pasta enhances the flavor of the pasta and also helps it absorb sauce. When pasta is done, rinse it only if you're not saucing and serving it immediately, otherwise the starch that clings to the strands (giving it good taste and texture) will be lost.
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