kale chips and eating atlantic

I tried kale for the first time this week, and probably ingested that little guy. (I didn't see him until I was editing the picture! A few days too late.) I had heard several times over about kale chips, and how making them is a sure-fire way to get kids to eat their kale. Not that Phillip has any kind of picky-eater issues at all - I just thought it must be a good way to make it delicious. In case you're like me and haven't tried it before, it's pretty much broccoli in leaf form. Smells like it, tastes like it, but is leafy. I don't go for wilty greens - something about them really makes me squinch my nose - so I figured that (as is the case with most things) roasting it with some olive oil and salt would do the trick. And it did - it was delicious. And so very, very crumbly. They kind of disappear in your mouth. Yum! Special thanks to JK for giving me the kale from her garden in the first place!

We've been eating all kinds of amazing local vegetables lately. We had some celery in our CSA basket that has the most concentrated celery flavour imaginable. Which isn't my favourite flavour, but I completely appreciate the amazing quality - it is absolutely nothing like the pale green celery at the grocery store. Delicious.

This is especially for you Atlantic Canadians - the Eat Atlantic Challenge is happening right now! Not only can you have the pleasure of eating all Atlantic Canadian food on September 2 and put your carrot on the map, but you just might win a lovely $250 basket of Atlantic Canadian food! I was tickled when I realized that it's the day after tomorrow, and also realized that we should easily be able to do the day with what we have in the house. Yay!

canning queen

I've had Dancing Queen stuck in my head for about a week. Except I change 'dancing' for 'canning'. I am such a dork. But aren't the results beautiful?I made Spiced Plum Butter, from my new favourite book, last night. It is gorgeous, isn't it?
On Saturday, I made ground cherry jam with the ground cherries from our CSA basket.


My name is Sherrie, and I'm a canning addict.

Edited to add: the ground cherry jam recipe I used is here.

fabulous friday

I have had a lovely day. Phillip woke up singing, the sun was shining, the clothesline promptly filled up with laundry, and we all had haircuts. (The stylist comes to us - it's an amazing arrangement!) I even had a chance to take some pictures of the beautiful sunflowers I picked up at the market last week.

I haven't yet been able to get a non-hilarious picture of Thomas in the Bumbo. Legs out straight, arms out - he was watching me stir the granola.

"Granola?" you say?

Yes. And yum.

We have a fun weekend coming up, I hope that yours turns out that way, too!

peach lavender jam

So. After a minor setback yesterday (in the form of a minor burn on my hand from some boiling water, but I'm fine now, thanks!) I was up and running on the canning train again today.

Peach lavender jam. Yum.

As you can see, the fruit floated to the top. I asked a canning-savvy friend what she though happened, and she suggested that perhaps chopping the fruit traps air, which causes it to float. So, even though the recipe calls for chopping, I might try crushing next time. I'm assuming that it will still gel in the same way. Also, the recipe says that this makes 6 cups; I ended up with 7.

Peach Lavender Jam
from the oh-so-excellent-and-you-should-buy-a-copy-book The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving. Please buy it for me for Christmas - I currently have it checked out from the library.

2 tbsp food-grade dried lavender flowers (available at Yarmouth Natural, if you're local)
1/2 cup boiling water
4 cups finely chopped peaches (about 5-6 medium peaches)
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch liquid fruit pectin

1. Place lavender flowers in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over flowers and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and discard flowers.

2. Combine lavender liquid, peaches, lemon juice, and sugar in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat and boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in pectin.

3. Ladle into sterilized jars and process for 5 minutes.

Makes 6 cups (1.5 L).

Yesterday's Bluebarb (blueberry and rhubarb) jam. It is divine, and the recipe is from the same book. Plum sauce is coming up, I think. And apples in a few more weeks! And pasta sauce! I'm addicted.