RECIPES

Making Homemade Vanilla Extract (Edible Gifts)

July 3, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Making vanilla extract from scratch is a reward all on its own. Whether it’s to save a bit of money, to enhance your baking experience, or to make a thoughtful handmade gift, there’s something special about extracting your own vanilla flavour.

MAKING VANILLA EXTRACT FROM SCRATCH

To some, making vanilla extract from scratch seems out of the realm of possibility.

The truth is, it couldn’t be easier to make!

No matter how many different ways you roll the dice, vanilla is expensive.

Taking the DIY approach, however, will save you a few bucks and give you a cool kitchen project.

All you need is a handful of vanilla beans, a half-pint mason jar, 80-proof alcohol, and six month’s worth of patience.

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Cucumber Salad: a Victory Garden Recipe

June 26, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

Looking for a cucumber salad recipe? When cucumbers and herbs are plentiful in the victory garden, it’s time to make this refreshing cucumber salad. Tossed in a light and creamy herbed yogurt dressing, it will leave everyone wanting more!

VICTORY GARDEN-GROWN IS BEST!

I’ll be honest.

I make this cucumber salad year-round, but only when cucumbers are less than $1 apiece.

I wish I was joking about this, but I’ve seen cucumbers selling for $3 each on more than one occasion.

Crazy!

By the way, there are many reasons why I call gardens victory gardens, which you can read about in my victory garden post.

Whichever way you cut it, victory garden-grown herbs and cucumbers are best.

Let me tell you why.

Did you know that most produce loses 30% of their nutrients within three days of being harvested?

Unless you’re buying the herbs and cucumbers from a farmer’s market, it’s pretty hard to pinpoint when they were picked and how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf for.

Fortunately, cucumbers aren’t on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list for 2021, but they have been on that list in the past.

Unless you’re buying organic produce, it’s more than likely that storebought cucumbers have been treated with something.

Therefore, not only are garden-grown cucumbers fresher and more vibrant, but they’re safer and more nutrient-dense, too!

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Making and Maintaining a Sourdough Starter (it’s easy!)

June 19, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Why bother with store-bought yeast when you have your own sourdough starter in the fridge? Learn how to make and maintain this old-fashioned leavener with only three ingredients: flour, water and time.

SOURDOUGH: A NOURISHING TRADITION

Sourdough first came on my radar when I read through Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series as a child.

I would have given almost anything to take a bite out of one of Ma Ingalls’s good sourdough biscuits!

Indeed, sourdough has been around for a long time, much longer than most people would guess.

Did you know that sourdough bread dates back to at least 3700 BC?

While sourdough was shelved away for a while (like a number of other old-fashioned skills and traditions) it is experiencing a resurgence.

When yeast was hard to come by in some areas, sourdough was back in popular demand, and it’s no small wonder why!

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Bacon Parmesan Dandelion Salad (a way to eat your wild greens)

June 12, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

A dandelion salad in spring is a gift to your liver. It turns out that those pesky dandelions growing in your backyard are one of Nature’s greatest gifts!

DANDELIONS ARE NATURE’S GIFT

At some point in history, someone decided to go to war against the dandelion.

Troops of herbicidal homeowners were riled up to destroy this sunny plant and the war continues to this very day.

I really don’t understand it, because dandelions are one of the healthiest plants out there, and they’re FREE!

Dandelions are truly God’s gift to humankind because they are brimming with vitamins and minerals.

These nutrient-dense weeds are full of vitamins A, B, C, K and E, and pack more potassium than a banana.

Sulphur, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron, and silicon, are just some of the other minerals found in dandelions.

One thing that might turn some folks off from eating dandelions is that they are bitter, but not so fast!

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German Potato Pancakes Recipe (Kartoffelpfannkuchen)

May 29, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Kartoffelpfannkuchen, or, German potato pancakes, is a simple traditional dish that makes for an easy meal. All you need are a handful of ingredients, a food processor and hot skillet!

plate of german potato pancakes Kartoffelpfannkuchen

WHAT ARE GERMAN POTATO PANCAKES?

Growing up, German potato pancakes were a special treat on our table. Of course, we just called them potato pancakes, but when I asked my mom for her recipe, she looked at me blankly.

“Do you mean latkes?” she asked.

“When have you ever called them latkes, Mom? You’ve always called them potato pancakes.”

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Easy Duck Prosciutto (a nitrate-free recipe)

May 8, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

This easy duck prosciutto recipe will leave you wondering why you haven’t made this before now. Plus, there’s something so satisfying about slicing up charcuterie you cured yourself!

THE PERFECT CURING PROJECT FOR BEGINNERS

Before making this easy duck prosciutto recipe for the first time, I thought curing meat was a complicated process best left to the pros.

Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn, the authors of Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing, showed me I was wrong.

Their recipe, which is the one I’ll be sharing with you today, calls for three simple ingredients: kosher salt, a duck breast, and white pepper.

Other than that, you’ll need a non-reactive container (like glass), cheesecloth and kitchen string.

Oh, and a bit of time and a cool spot for curing.

You might not want to hear this, but you’ll need a minimum of eight days from start to finish.

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