Drunk pears waiting for winter!

I love it when I spend two days cooking for a party, then get sooo much more from my guests when they arrive. There were chips and dips, cheese and crackers and sausages, side dishes galore, and more beer and wine than Bryan and I will be able to drink in a month!

And a few guests even brought gifts from their own gardens for me to indulge in the days to come. It didn't take long for me to take advantage of the pears from Adam, Emily and Penny, especially after I found this recipe for Canning Pears Mulled in Red Wine. Since I'd never canned pears before, I looked online and was immediately smitten by this recipe. I didn't even bother looking at any other ones!

The wine syrup smelled delicious, the pears were juicy and crunchy, there is no way these won't be the best pears EVER!!! I'll let you know this winter when I'm in the mood for some drunk pears on ice cream!

Back to the kitchen, with gusto

So maybe I went a little overboard last night. But I had a brief respite from what I'm now lovingly calling "family month," and I not only missed my kitchen, but I also needed to get cooking while some of my produce was in its prime.

First I made a batch of peach jam since I gave away the entire first batch that I made in July. This time I made half-pint jars, so hopefully the giving will go a little longer.

Then I decided to make up my own entree. After Bryan was talking about a Seattle P-I article about how wonderful bacon is, I decided it would be the perfect addition to the halibut that we got from Bryan's cousin in British Columbia during the first part of "family month."

It's not much of a recipe. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, then heat an iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook for about 5 minutes so the grease coats the bottom. Flip the bacon and move it to one side, place a fillet skin-side down, and top it with half the bacon. Repeat with a second fillet, and cook in oven for about 8 minutes.

We paired it with Bob's Red Mill Polenta and Swiss Chard Gratin from Greg Atkinson's "West Coast Cooking."

And we finished the evening with Peach Cobbler, also from "West Coast Cooking." And no, I didn't get any work done last night. But we sure did eat like kings.

A peachy Fourth of July weekend

We didn't have any camping trips or other big events planned over the Fourth of July weekend, so I decided to create my own big event, namely canning some peaches.

I'm a little ashamed that it's taken nearly a year for me to get my act together and apply the knowledge I learned at Leslie's Canvolution last August. But at least I did it. And the jam: delicious. I'll have to get back to you on the peaches because it takes at least a month for the flavor to fully infuse.

And at least I learned my lesson after my attempt at canning carrots earlier this year resulted in a broken jar Mom had given me that probably once had my baby food in it. This time, not only was I better prepared with a jar lifter, but I also figured out that boiling the jars is not a good idea. It says "200 degree water bath," not rolling boil!

After canning 10 pounds of peaches with my little helper, Bryan, stirring away, I realized I didn't have enough sugar to can anymore but I still had quite a bit leftover. So I made this Peach Tart, shown above in the middle, that I was drooling over while at the gym a couple of weeks ago. Normally, Paula Deen recipes kinda make me feel a little ill with her too-generous use of fat, but this one's a keeper. Just ask Ed at Vortex Cellars -- and stay tuned for more on my friend's up-and-coming winery!

Yes I can can Spicy Pickled Carrots!

Another great achievement on Easter was the pickled carrots that I brought.

Remember back in August when I went to a canning party? After that, Mom gave me her pressure canner and I got all excited to get in touch with my canning roots, but it just never happened.

But then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw that asparagus was on sale and I was suddenly determined to do some canning. I looked up a couple of recipes, and decided to just buy whatever was on sale and to give it a try.

I started out small, hoping for just two Mason jars full of pickled carrots, but one of them broke because I think I was boiling rather than simmering the jars. Live and learn, right? But one survived, and the contents were marvelous after just three weeks. Next time I'll be sure to wait longer, I just wanted to share the bounty with my family for the first test.

Spicy Pickled Carrots
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut in matchsticks
1 t. kosher salt
3 c. vinegar
3 c. water
8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 jalepeno, cut in half
1 t. peppercorns

Sterilize two Mason jars (or whatever you like) and their lids.

Meanwhile, heat salt, vinegar and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until you're ready to use.

In each sterilized jar, place half the carrots, four garlic cloves, 1/2 t. peppercorns, 1 bay leaf (ripped in half) and half the jalepeno. Pour the vinegar mixture in each jar until it's about 1/2 inch from the top. Seal with the sterilized, two-piece lid and simmer, completely covered, in a canner or large stockpot for 15 minutes.

Remove jars carefully then cool at room temperature overnight. Store it in a cool place for about a month before opening.

40 pounds of peaches canned in a day

Why, oh why, did Mom never teach me how to can? I remember eating jars and jars of canned peaches and pears when I was growing up, but I can't remember ever seeing Mom actually doing it -- although I do remember her later saying she would never do it again.

I think I'm going to get her to start up again. After all, I will need a partner to get started after taking a daylong lesson over the weekend at my friend Leslie's house. Plus, Mom lives closer to the rural parts of the county where you can actually come out ahead when you can, unlike us city folk who can end up spending an arm and a leg to "save money" on canning.

So what did we can? Forty pounds of peaches and 5 pounds of green beans!!! I suppose to people who actually can regularly, that's nothin'. Our instructor, a mutual friend with whom Leslie once worked and I went to college, said she normally cans 100 pounds in a day. And she has two children. And I have no excuses! Well, I still have yet to buy the equipment, but I'm hoping Costco will have it all in a big package in honor of the season the next time I go. Or maybe I'll just hit up some estate sales or look on Craigslist.

The class was wonderful, though. Laura and our other instructor, Kathy, gathered herbs in bulk (the only way to buy, apparently!) for us to use as we desired in our peaches and pickled green beans. I used a piece of vanilla bean, a couple of cardamon pods and a cinnamon stick in my peaches; and I got two jars of green beans: a spicy one with probably too many hot peppers, basil and garlic; and one to share with my friend Nicole, who can't handle spicy food, with just dill and garlic. Can't open them for at least a month, so if you're lucky, I'll come back with a full report.

I finally tried the peach jam today on an English muffin and it was absolutely heavenly. Looks like Leslie is responsible for yet another hobby in my overhobbified life!