Fiber Fool

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in using pizza a fall back dinner option. Especially if you are talking delivery. How often are you truthfully thrilled with your delivery pizza? I know we appreciate it because it was a respite from heating up the house with oven or stove or because we didn’t have do anything more than dial the phone, sign the receipt and get the plates out of the cupboard. But as a culinary treat they usually fail in some way or another. We’ve had under-baked crusts, pesto pizzas literally swimming in olive oil, artichoke hearts with the tough layer still attached waiting to gag you, un-drained pineapple and roasted red peppers, raw and undercooked mushrooms and onions. You name a possible pizza problem and it has probably knocked on our door.

The best pizza treat around these parts is when we make our own. It is always hot and fresh. As long as we chose a good crust recipe, the crust is fully cooked and appropriately crispy for the thickness. Homemade pizza also allows us to get a bit creative with the toppings, something DH really appreciates since not all pizza places are created equal in their offerings for vegetarians. Over a month ago now we invited a friend over to enjoy an evening of grilled pizza on the patio. We had the fixings for three really unusual pizzas and one only slightly different pizza.

Probably the most unique one we made had roasted beets and onions (a bit saved from making the warm beet and lentil salad), some chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of Gorgonzola cheese. All three of us liked it. It is a very different taste for pizza. Though I think we all agreed that it was not one you would want to eat alone as your only type of pizza. I like beets pretty well though so I might be okay with that and a generous side salad. It would depend on my mood.

Next up was a pizza inspired by a casserole (or tartlette) recipe from Olive Trees and Honey (a cookbook that I cannot recommend enough, even if you aren’t vegetarian or Jewish) that Drew likes to make fairly regularly. A week or two before this pizza night we had made the same filling, but put it into my Fatayer crust for eggplant pasties. It was the first time we had actually roasted the eggplant on the grill and we were blown away by the difference that made, even on a gas grill.

So, we did it once again for this pizza, though it wasn’t charred as much so didn’t have quite the smokiness of the pasties. The crust was brushed lightly with some olive oil that was gently heated with several smashed cloves of garlic to infuse it. Then we spread the roasted and chopped eggplant on top, added a sprinkling of salty feta and a bit of cheddar cheese. The result was slightly smokey, very hearty (almost meaty) and really, really good! We’ll definitely be revisiting that in the future, even in the winter when we roast in the oven I presume. I wouldn’t mind a bit of sauteed onion and some black pepper in the mix too.

This one is simple at the core. It is your basic cheese pizza - tomato sauce and mozzarella. Except, I didn’t use your standard Italian-inspired tomato sauce. Instead, I used a smokey and spicy tomato sauce from Caribbean cuisine called choka.

We first learned of choka 5 or 6 years ago when we started going to farmer’s markets on a regular basis in the summer. There was a booth that sold three different spiciness levels of choke which we quickly became addicted to. Mostly we ate it on our scrambled eggs on the weekends. And no, it was nothing like having salsa on your eggs. The flavor profile is unique and quite different from that of salsa. Sadly, for the last 2 or 3 years this booth has not been at the farmer’s markets. They do have a restaurant now so we had tried to buy some, but they said they don’t sell it anymore. If we ordered it a week ahead we could get some. It was unclear though if we would need to purchase the entire 10 pound batch they said they make so we haven’t ordered any.

Instead, I scoured the Internet for recipes. I came to the conclusion that there are as many choka recipes out there as there are meatloaf recipes. But, I found the process of one to be really clear and combined that recipe with some of the ingredients I knew to be a part of the one we had purchased. I didn’t quite hit the mark. There is some refining to do. But the result was still good on our scrambled eggs and was better than no choka or salsa. It was also an inspired pizza sauce! If you aren’t vegetarian I think I’d maybe add some grilled or shredded chicken or to get really crazy maybe a nice white-fleshed fish like tilapia and then squeeze a fresh lime over top right before eating it? Hmmm, I may have a new recipe to cook the next time I go back to MN and it is warm enough to grill!

This last pizza is not quite as unusual as the others we partook of that evening. It too was inspired by something we really enjoyed but could no longer get though! A regional pizza chain used to have a wild mushroom pizza that was really good. It wasn’t your garden variety white button mushrooms and it had garlic and rosemary flavor throughout. As seems to be the fate with many things we really like, it is no longer available. So, we used some of our often weekly mushroom mix from Hazel Dell and sauteed it with garlic and fresh rosemary at medium-low for a fairly long time. Like the eggplant pizza, we brushed the crust with garlic infused olive oil, then topped it with the mushroom, garlic and rosemary mixture. With this one we were a bit more generous on the mozzarella and added a bit of parmesan cheese as well. The result was delectable, and while simple, unlike any other dine-out or delivery pizza we’ve had besides the inspirational one.

Of the three of us, no one could choose a true favorite amongst the four pizzas. I do think it was a really nice mix of flavors. Each one quite a distinct palette experience. I think having the less challenging mushroom one was a good move. It was nice to have something a little more familiar and comfortable to visit. The lovely red wine brought by our guest paired quite nicely with all of them. I’m afraid though that I no longer recall what type of wine it was :-/ I really need to start keeping a wine and beer journal!

I realize this post may make me seem a bit pretentious in my pizza consumption. Let me assure you that this is not how we eat pizza every time we make it. But sometimes, especially when entertaining, it is nice to elevate a simple and universal food like pizza to a different level. To make the experience of eating it brand new. That said, I still crave a plain old sausage, pepperoni, onion, mushroom and green pepper pizza (and lately I’m loving banana peppers on it too). In fact, I indulged in one last Saturday evening.

How do you like your pizza? What is the most unusual pizza you’ve had?

This is a week where I probably have more to learn than share. But, share I will… The things I should be doing more of lately…

1. Spend time with animals! The antics of Emma and Brandon make me laugh daily at least once and certainly cause me to smile many more times. Plus, petting animals has been shown to lower anxiety and blood pressure!

2. Get some exercise, be it a brisk walk outdoors or a more formal exercise class. Exercise is said to improve the feel-good chemicals in your brain and help fight against depression.

3. Take some time to pamper yourself! One of my favorites is to take a long, hot bath with some escapist fiction and homemade bath and body products. If I can squeeze in enough time, a mani/pedi is a nice way to cap that off.

4. Spend some time with friends. This one can be especially helpful for me since I work from home and have very little people interaction on an average weekday. If my brain is like a hamster on a wheel an adult beverage might be a good addition to the mix.

5. Do something for someone else. It doesn’t need to be world changing, but getting outside yourself to do something nice for someone else can be a good thing. It can be as simple as bringing a meal to a friend who has been especially busy.

6. Get outdoors! Natural light can do wonders, especially if you work in a florescent cubical farm. Or, if like me you are trying to keep the house as cool as possible so are sitting around in the dark with all the blinds and curtains shut as tight as possible. As a bonus, you can combine it with #2 above and #7 below for a 3-in-1 special!

7. Be present and mindful of your surroundings. For me, that means having camera in hand and taking time to capture the little details. The process of analyzing possible shots, the right angle and exposure and lighting can really help take my mind off other things. Then when I return home I can continue by processing the photos and maybe playing with a new technique, filter or action to try for a different look.

8. Spend some time with children. Like animals, they are almost assuredly going to make you smile at the very least and quite likely laugh. Being with them also gives you permission to be a little silly and let go. All great mood lifters!

9. Call, text, or IM a far away friend or family member. Maybe you need to unload, or maybe just sharing some old stories about past antics will make you laugh and lift your mood.

10. Treat yourself to a nice, bright bouquet of flowers. There is no need to wait for someone else to buy you a bouquet (that can be a really long wait sometimes). This time of year Farmer’s Markets often have inexpensive and beautiful flower mixes, and if you arrive near the end of the market you often get an even better deal. Plus, you get the added satisfaction of supporting a local grower rather than someone half way around the world!

What is your favorite mood lifting activity? Check out the other links at Carole’s or sign-up there to take part in future weeks.

Knitting & Spinning:

• Have you heard about the new e-mag premiering this fall? Anne Podlesak and Lori Law have teamed up to put out Ennea Collective that has a handspinning bent. I can’t wait to see the first issue!
• Speaking of handspun, check out this gorgeous handspun Cirrus Shrug on Ravelry. The pattern is still free if you are inspired to cast-on some handspun yourself!
• And, how about recycling some newspaper into yarn?
• And check out this recycled necklace featuring interchangeable focal images, including an adorable sheep! I actually like many of the designs in that Etsy shop.
• While I was poking around Ravelry I saw this lovely, wear with anything version of Tesni.
• If you wonder how designer write knitting patterns, Kristen TenDyke of the newly launched Caterpiller Knits walks through her Excel process.

More Crafty:

• I’m having visions of snarky outtakes of my pattern photoshoots with some of these DIY chalkboard speech bubbles! What fun they would be!
• I’m totally scarf obsessed and have found the wearing of them to be quite therapeutic for my neck troubles, even when I don’t think I’m chilled. This looks like a fun project that is stylish, quicker then knitting and I’d get to learn to use elastic thread!
• And these vintage-inspired flowers are great! I’m envisioning hair adornments, brooches and maybe even a bib necklace with varying sizes!

Photography:

• If you have a photographer on your gift list, check out these must haves for under $25!
• Are you aware of the rights you are giving away when you post your images online? (This is one of the reasons I watermark).
• Prime lenses give a closer end result to what you see with your eyes, but in the field a zoom lens can be more versatile. Did you know you can calibrate your zoom lens to capture what your eyes see?
• I recently downloaded an app for my phone where I kept running into references about hyperfocal distance and did a little digging. It seems it gets kind of complex with the varying sensor sizes in digital cameras so lots of the current photography books skip over it. This DPS article gives a brief introduction to it.

Food

• Rodale has some tips to keep your kitchen cool as we ride out these last hot days of summer. (Not canning would be at the top of my list. )
• We’re big eggplant fans around here and we’re going to have to try these Eggplant Salad Toasts from Smitten Kitchen! Yum!
• This looks like a great dip and might be a way to sneak a bit more veggie into kids too!
• Lilyella has a round up of some great food blogs in case you are looking to expand your food reading.
• Almost 8 years ago, we should have a wedding cake like these.
• If the recent egg recall and all the various jargon on egg cartons has you confused, check out Rodale’s run down of what common labels really mean about the eggs inside the carton.

Humor:

• I laugh at this, because if I didn’t I’d have to cry because it is a little close to the truth about working from home.
• As usual, The Panopticon comes through with a phrase one should be very careful about uttering in public! Especially around muggles!
• This very unfortunate sign outage is hilarious. I’ve since learned it has been that way for years. I don’t think it would last long around here.

Smooth. Creamy. Sweet. Spicy. Yum!

While I thoroughly enjoy the lower sugar content and richness of fruit butters, the process of cooking them down into that creamy thick spread can be long and taxing. When making them on the stove top they need almost constant stirring at a low temperature. I’ve been known to park my butt on a bar stool at the stove and read a book in one hand and stir with the other. There is another way and I tried it for the first time this week and I think I am in love!

Enter the slow cooker! Around here our crock-pot mostly gets pulled out for chili or a few other soups. The rest of the time it sits in the cupboard unloved. But, it’s lower and constant heat is perfect for gently cooking down something so it seemed like a natural tool to use in the making of fruit butter. Since our main slow cooker (yes, we have more than one) is rather large and I had a large amount of peaches to use quick I opted to use it to make the peach butter. Besides the more hands-off approach to fruit butter making, the crock-pot also allowed me to put it together in the morning and put off the actual canning until late evening when it was cool outside and the house could be open. A real plus with daytime highs in the mid-90’s!

This peach butter has a little kick of fresh ginger to it and a fair amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. You can easily adjust those amounts to your own tastes. Just keep in mind that if you take a taste early on and it doesn’t seem like enough spice that it does concentrate as the liquid evaporates so err on the side of less spice.

With little odds and ends of all these various preserves around the house I’ve been getting a bit more creative in how I’m using them (with a few helpful suggestions from friends). If we were to eat them only on bread products like yesterday’s English muffins or scones or crumpets we would be in trouble, in more ways than one. I’m loving this one on Greek Yogurt, perhaps a sprinkling of muesli or granola would be a nice addition. Also, mixing the yogurt and peach butter together makes a yummy fruit dip that goes especially well with apples or melon. I suspect some graham crackers or graham bunnies or bears in that dip would make a fun after school snack too. Last night we had it on cheesecake for dessert.

Spicy Slow-Cooker Peach Butter

yields 8 cups

Ingredients

• 5 lbs Peaches (about 13 medium)
• 1 oz Fresh Ginger, sliced thin (a large man-sized thumb)
• 5 cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 Tablespoon Nutmeg, ground
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 2 T Fruit Fresh

Directions
1. Blanch, peel, pit and slice peaches. Puree in blender in batches with the ginger and lemon juice until smooth. You should have about 10 cups of puree.
2. In slow-cooker, combine puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and fruit fresh and stir until well mixed.
3. Turn slow-cooker on high and cook covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Turn slow-cooker to low and cook uncovered an additional 10-11 hours or until volume is roughly half or desired thickness is achieved. You may invert a metal strainer over the top of the slow cook to cover yet provide ample evaporation.
4. Stir and fill warm canning jars with butter mixture, leaving a 1/4-1/2″ headspace. Wipe rims clean, place lids and tighten bands until finger-tight. Place in a hot water bath canner and be certain the water is 1-2″ above the lids. Process at a full boil for 10 minutes plus any altitude adjustments if required.

I’ve already gone on about the benefits of canning your own preserves when I talked about my plum butter adventures of a few weeks ago. This Tuesday I had to get serious about dealing with our box of peaches. Several had odd spots that when they first arrived just looked like imperfections in the skin from some sort of trauma during their growing season. But, it ended up that they rather quickly were turning to bruises and moldy spots. I really should have canned on Saturday or Sunday, but there was just too much going on this weekend. I hastily made room to put about 7 of our 20+ pounds into the fridge before we left for the wedding Sunday morning and sadly threw out about half a dozen that were beyond saving.

I made three different kinds of preserves on Tuesday, totaling 24 cups! First up is a lower sugar raspberry peach jam. The organic raspberries were the same price as the conventional so I splurged on two boxes and mixed them with some of the peaches for a jam that I’m betting will be fabulous in our favorite tea cake!

I’ve tried lower sugar preserves before and had problems with them over-setting. Encouraged by my friend Laurie’s success I decided to give it another go. This time with an easier to use low-sugar pectin than I have used in the past. It set quite well. Almost on the edge of being overset in my opinion, but stirring it up broke it up and made it easily spreadable so I’m calling it good. Having about half the sugar of the inspiration recipe on TastyKitchen, the fruit really takes center stage and tastes fresher, brighter and truer. Frankly, it is plenty sweet as it is and I can’t quite imagine it with twice the sugar.

Low-Sugar Raspberry Peach Jam

Makes about 8 Cups

Ingredients

• 12 oz Raspberries
• 2 lbs Peaches (approx 4-5 medium)
• 1 Box Low or No Sugar Pectin
• 1/2 Tablespoon Butter (optional, to reduce foaming)
• 3 1/2 Cups Sugar

Directions
1. Blanch, peel, pit and chop peaches.
2. Using a potato masher, mash half of the raspberries at a time in a large bowl. If you prefer seedless jam, run them through a food mill.
3. Add peaches to raspberries and puree as desired. We like our jam hearty so we leave some rather large chunks of peaches, but you want to puree some though to release some of the natural pectin. I find it easier to get a good mix of puree and chunks if I use the immersion blender. You should have 4 1/2 cups of pureed fruit.
4. Cook according to the directions for your pectin. For my Sur-Jell you mix 1/4 cup of the sugar with the pectin in a separate bowl, then add the mix to the fruit and stir. Add butter, if using. Cook over high heat until a rolling bowl is achieved (it still bubbles while stirring). Then quickly add remainder of sugar and return to boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
5. Ladle hot jam into warm canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Make sure top of jar is clean, place lid on top and screw the band on until finger tight. Place in canning rack suspended over hot water bath. Once all the jars are filled lower into hot water. Be certain there is 1-2″ of water over the top of the jars and process in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes (sea level) plus any adjustment required for your altitude.
6. Remove jars from hot water bath and place on a towel on the counter and let sit without moving or touching them for 24 hours.
7. Check to make sure all jars sealed, then remove the rings and store in a cool, dark place.

Here in Fort Collins (~5000 ft above sea level) I need to process jams for 20 minutes. If you do not know if you need to adjust your processing time, check with your local Extension office. If you know your altitude there are adjustments on the sheet in the package of pectin, in the Ball Blue Book or here.

Borrowing a page from Cindy, here is today’s this week’s soundtrack. I was first introduced to this song via a two-disk mixed CD Chris made me, called Fiber Foolish, when she came to visit and attend the Estes Park Wool Market. Let’s have a hand for Greg Brown…