Sassy Beans

I've got a weakness for pickled vegetables. So, when I received a big bag of green beans I knew I had to track down a recipe to pickle them.

I adapted a recipe I found from the wonderful blog :food in jars:. This site is inspiration. The recipe in question, was itself adapted from another source. So Easy to Preserve.

I cleaned, prepped, measured and cut the beans and then packed them in the jars. Now, the packing part was a little crazy making cause my green beans weren't particularly straight.

Due to my orderly nature (issues, I know) I had to have them perty. But then due to my frugal nature (issues, I know) I couldn't waste the extra bits. So, in the end, I had a variety of prepped jars.

Here is the recipe.

Pickled Green Beans (aka Dilly Beans)

2 pounds green beans, trimmed to fit your jars
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons dill seed (not dill weed)
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt (use a bit more if you’ve only got kosher)

Prep your canning pot by inserting a rack to keep your jars off the bottom of the pot, place pint jars in (wide-mouth pints work best here. A 12 ounce jelly jar is also nice, as it’s a bit taller than a standard pint and makes for less trimming) and fill it with water. Bring to a boil to sterilize while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Wash and trim your beans so that they fit in your jar. If you have particularly long beans, your best bet is to cut them in half, although by doing so, you do lose the visual appeal of having all the beans standing at attending.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. While it’s heating up, pack your beans into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace (distance between the tops of the beans and the rim of the jar). To each jar, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon dill seeds.

Pour the boiling brine over the beans, making sure to leave that 1/2 inch headspace. Use a plastic knife to remove air bubbles from jar by running it around the interior of the jar. Wipe the rims and apply the lids (which have been sitting in a small saucepan of water at a mere simmer for at least ten minutes in order to soften the sealing compound) and rings.

Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath (remember that you don’t start timing until the pot has come to a roiling boil).

These beans want to hang out for a least two weeks before eating, to thoroughly develop their flavor.

The beans were finished on the 13th and we're now 2 weeks out. Drum roll, please......

They're delicious. They still retain a snap and the cayenne has added a delightful sass.

I now dub them Sassy Beans.

Creepy Crawlies

SPIDERS

SPIDERS

SPIDERS

They're everywhere this season. What is the deal. These cute little guys have grown up and they're getting scary.

Here in the Willamette Valley there seems to be an excess of the eight legged beasts.

Now, I'm not normally one to complain about these fly catchers but I've walked into one too many spider webs while walking to the front door.

Okay, I'll admit the artistry of the web is amazing. I'm not so amazed at the circular pattern. I'm more amazed at how that spider gets from one side to another in order to anchor the web.

Spiders have skills.

San Juan Style

Our summer holiday on Lopez Island mid August was all I hoped. Family, relaxation and adventure. Okay, the adventure part was a little tame I admit.

Top 10 memories from Lopez Island:

1. The Island Wave

2. Sunfish (as opposed to Starfish)

3. Crabbing attempts

4. Walks in the woods

5. Sitting back in the lounge chair

6. Meditteranean Fish Stew

7. Self serve ice cream in the Lopez Village Store

8. Kayaking

9. Boys playing in the sand

10. Bike rides

Oh wait, one of my most favorite things were the sunsets. As you can see.....

Here are a few:

I'm planning on going back next summer.

My Remington Rand

My new toy. Love it.

So do the kids.

Well, I haven't visited foodandbooksandstuff for a while. I missed it. Daily life sometimes takes over.

Yesterday, I popped over to the neighbor's garage sale. I'd never met this neighbor, two doors down, as they don't spend a lot of time out of doors.

Interestingly, my neighbor was someone who had volunteered for an area I coordinated at the Salem Art Fair this last July. Interestingly, one of my last blog posts was during the Salem Art Fair. Interesting or cosmic weirdness?

The neighbor and I chatted and laughed about the coincidence. Then I spotted it.

Eureka.

I'd been looking for an old typewriter at the urging of my youngest but was always put off by the expense of the wonderful machines. But, there, on the other side of the driveway, hidden behind some recording devices of old, was the tell tale carrying case of a vintage portable typewriter.

The neighbor's husband explained it had been his brother's while in college and was passed along to him. It's been sitting, waiting, for me.

I don't know how old it is. My brief foray into research on the brand - Remington Rand - suggests that it is unlikely to have been made post 1955.

I'm in love.

My other spoils from the garage sale include: Records; Orson Welles' "The War of the Worlds," a Tom Jones album for my pal Trice, two "Remember the Golden Days of Radio," which include vintage radio broadcasts, from comedy to news, and finally Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly." I also bought a grab bag of vintage office supplies which included an old stapler, a single hole punch and a Cross pen.

All in all a lovely haul.

Such Tiny Ankles - Salem Art Fair

Omelettes for Artists - Salem Art Fair

Saturdays Are Wonderful

Saturdays are wonderful.

Soccer games, road trip, street fair, playing with a five year old with an impish grin, shaved ice, trying a new cheese (mmmm), and a beautiful sunset.

Soccer games were forgettable, unfortunately. A few good plays but no score thus no wins.

Road trip up to Portland and back.

The Mississippi Street Fair was excellent. It went forever. My favorites were - the superhero, cool hats, hip art, bucket drums and the cellist Adam Hurst.

The five year old was cute and had a friend. He loved lime shaved ice. He had a dirty face. He was bored and preparing to flop at New Seasons until he met the iPhone.

Shaved ice is always good. Lime and Mango today.

New cheese was smooth and peppery. Pyrenees Peppercorn. Went well with the fig spread.

And a beautiful sunset ends the day.

Salem Pedestrian Footbridge - Looking Up

Swiss Chard Pie

I'm amazed by the power of social networking.

Just today I was searching the internet for a local Sunday Farmer's Market with no luck. I logged into FB and noted an old high school chum had posted a link to her friends' website with the notation that they would be selling their veg at a local farmer's market.

This is how I found you Pitchfork and Crow. Cute website and lovely veg. Their noted recipe for Swiss Chard Pie was my inspiration for dinner.

Of course I tweaked it a bit. The recipe below only varies slightly from the original.

I used a no roll pie crust recipe and adjusted the amounts to my liking for one pie.

Swiss Chard Pie

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 small bunch Swiss Chard (6-7 leaves)

6 eggs

1 cup shredded cheese

1 teaspoon salt

pie crust

~

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown onion and garlic in butter. Trim and chop chard, add to pan, and cook until wilted. Beat eggs in a bowl; mix in cheese, salt, and chard mixture. Pour into pie crusts.

Bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.

.

Recipe adapted from the excellent book: From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, Third Edition

Red Currant Pancakes

The gnomes got to my stash of red currants in the night.

Not really, it was my kids. I would have thought they were too tart for their taste.

I'll have to try making the sorbet another day.

I can't be too sad because these red currant pancakes were muy delicioso. They were perfect topped with homemade strawberry freezer jam.

Bursts of tart within.