Dilly Beans

We finally did it!!! We finally made a batch of pickles that tasted exactly like they were supposed to! For anyone who hasn't tried to make pickles, it sure seems easy to do. Let me tell you that is all a big fat lie! So far this summer, Joe and I have made at least 3 different batches of pickles and this is the very first recipe to turn out just right. Pickling is an art; a very difficult, finicky art. So to say I am proud that we made delicious pickles, is an understatement.


I've always loved pickles, but dilly beans are my all time favorite. I first had dilly beans (which are simply pickled green beans) at my grandmother's house. Once my grandmother stopped making them, my parents and I were always on a search for dilly beans. We found them several times in Amish Country in PA but they were few and far between. This year I told Joe we HAD to try to make my beloved dilly beans. The food blog Food in Jars has been a lifesaver, helping us not just with how to can but also providing our first successful pickle recipe. 


Dilly Beans
(makes 4 pint jars)


2 pounds green beans, trimmed to fit your jars
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons dill seed (not dill weed, learned this the hard way)
4 cloves garlic
2 1/4 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt (use a bit more if you’ve only got kosher)


Wash a trim green beans to fit your jar. Sanitize the jars for about 5 minutes in the boiling water bath. In another pan heat the vinegar, water, and salt until the salt is dissolved. In each sanitized jar put 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp dill seed, and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper. Pour the vinegar mixture over the beans until only 1/2 inch of headspace is left. Use a chopstick or knife to run along the edge of the jar to remove air bubbles. Put the lids (already heated in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften the seal) on tightly but not too tight. Process the jars in the boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Let cool for 24 hours before readjusting the lids. 


The canning part is daunting at first but after a few times you get in to a rhythm. Let the beans sit and mellow for at least 2 weeks, then open and enjoy! I still cannot get over how much our beans taste exactly like my grandmother's recipe! Now our cabinets are filled with 8 jars of dilly beans just waiting to be eaten!! If you decide to try pickling on your own, try to make small batches and don't get discouraged! It takes several times to find the recipe right for you! Refrigerator pickles would be a good place to start since they don't involve the canning process. Happy pickling!

Rocky Road Ice Cream Our Way

Towards the beginning of the summer I mentioned that I wanted to get an ice cream maker. In my mind I was of course thinking of an old manual crank machine like my parents had when I was little. Once we started getting watermelon from our CSA, we took the plunge and bought one. Now of course Joe couldn't have just any ice cream maker; we had to buy the expensive (not too expensive but still) one versus the cheap Walmart version I was planning on buying. It's turned out that Joe was right, I now love our "expensive" ice cream maker, especially once we made this ice cream.

The amazing thing about an ice cream maker is...you can make ANY ice cream or sorbet or frozen yogurt that you can imagine. It's Cold Stone Creamery only you get the whole pint! We used a basic chocolate ice cream recipe and added marshmallows, chocolate pieces, and pretzels. How could it go wrong?

Rocky Road Ice Cream (our way)


1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
pinch salt
2/3 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
marshmallows (cut up)
chocolate chunks
pretzels (crushed)

In a medium bowl, mix together the cocoa, sugars, and salt. Add the milk using either a whisk or hand mixer on low speed. Mix until combined. Stir in the cream and vanilla. Refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight.

Pour the mixture in to the ice cream maker (yes, you need to have one) and let mix for about 15-20 minutes. Add the marshmallows, pretzels, and chocolate pieces a few minutes before it is finished.

* Sorry there isn't a picture of the finished product, we were too busy eating to take a picture!*

This is an incredibly delicious dessert. If you hadn't already guessed from the heavy cream AND whole milk, it is a very rich ice cream. Next time I might try the same ingredients with a vanilla ice cream to make it a little less sweet. If you are going to use the pretzels try to eat the ice cream relatively soon as they tend to get a little soggy over time.

I'm so excited to keep experimenting with flavors, because honestly even ones that don't turn out the way we want are still going to taste yummy. My goal is to have a special ice cream ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year!

Eggplant Fries

Between our CSA and our garden, we've been getting a lot of eggplants this summer. This would be wonderful...if Joe and I could figure out what to do with it! We haven't tried making eggplant parmesan yet, because we want to highlight the eggplant's flavor instead of cover it up with cheese and tomato sauce.  It's been quite a challenge. I finally found a recipe that I enjoyed, though that may be because it involves frying. The tricky thing with eggplant is that it truly doesn't have a distinctive flavor, your recipe has to add all the flavor.

Eggplant Fries


1 large eggplant
rice flour (I used pasta flour which is also very fine)
frying oil (I used vegetable)
curry powder
salt
pepper


Cut the eggplant in to about 4 in. long fries, about 1 in. wide. Chill in ice bath for an hour or two. Heat the oil over medium heat until about 325 degrees (when you flick drops of water on it, it will sizzle). Mix the dry ingredients together to coat the eggplant. Go heavy on the curry powder. Fry the fries for about 3-4 minutes, making sure to flip halfway through. Only fry about 5-6 at a time and let the oil heat back up after each batch. Let the fries drain on a paper towel covered plate. Season with lemon juice and salt.

Overall these were a great side dish. The curry powder wasn't strong enough when I made them which is why I suggested going heavy with the curry powder. I dipped the fries in a curry ketchup which was the perfect pairing. The fries were crispy and light on the outside, while soft and sweet inside. Enjoy!

If there are any eggplant lovers out there, any yummy eggplant recipes would be much appreciated!