Big Tut, Little Tut.
Hello Everyone,
We are so excited to have our family in Georgia tomorrow for Thanksgiving! We will be playing with Grandma (Gigi II), and the three little boys, Uncle Reed and Aunt Mary Ann. Aaron and his cousins Abraham and Benjamin will meet for the first time. We will take walks, read stories, and watch movies with Grandma! And play with the dog . . .
Since Delta charges for checked luggage, I won't be bringing any apple butter or Green Tomato Relish (see recipe below) to share. But we have been enjoying the bounties of the season, including the green tomatoes from our garden and Mom and Dad's. We bought a water canning kit for about $20 on Amazon, and it has been the jumpstart I needed to begin canning.
Our family has always loved Grandpa Evans' green tomato piccalilly. This is a little spicier, no-sugar version from a farmgirlfarerecipes.blogspot.com.
Farmgirl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish
2 lb. green tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 lb. white or yellow onions, chopped
3/4 lb. sweet red peppers, cored and chopped
1/2 lb. tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith, cored and chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 c 5% acidic organic raw apple cider vinegar (or less as desired, if you are not canning your relish)
1 T Kosher or sea salt
4 T jalapeno peppers, coroed, seeded if desired, and finely chopped (next time I'll leave in a few seeds to give it a bigger kick)
2 T chopped cilantro
1 t ground cumin (optional--I didn't use it this time, but I might try it next time)
Combine the tomatoes, onioins, red peppers, apples, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a large, nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about an hour.
Stir in the jalapenos, cilantro and cumin and simmer for 5 more minutes. Carefully puree the mixture using a stick immersion blender or in a traditional counter top blender, in batches if necessary, until still somewhat chunky. Do not overmix; you don't want it smooth. (I pureed about 2/3. The rest was chopped enough in the food processor, and I didn't want a mash.)
This relish will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
If canning, return the pureed relish to a boil, then ladle the hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner. store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
Note: 1.5 recipes yielded 12 cups of relish for me.
Farmgirl's readers say that this is good stirred in refried beans or other Mexican food, or on a burger or with meat. Of course, we know the true way to eat relish is with a good old (but not too old) grilled cheese sandwich!
Laurelina is the concertmaster of her orchestra, Wasatch Camerata. We got to watch her walk in to her concert. I started clapping. I think it was her new glasses! And her new Young Womanhood medallion.
I'm so grateful for the Lord's bounty, especially the bounty of friends and family.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!