White Peach Salsa...Canned.

The inspiration for this adventure is Peach Salsa II.

Looks yummy.

Jars are all sterilized and ready to go!



Ingredients
4 cups fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and chopped (I used White Peaches - from the farmers market)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 jalapeno peppers, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (49 gram) package light fruit pectin crystals
3 1/2 cups white sugar
canning jars

Directions

Sterilize jars and lids.

In a large saucepan, combine peaches, onion, pepper, cilantro, garlic, cumin, vinegar, and lime zest. Stir together pectin and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, and stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups sugar. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir for 5 minutes.
Pour peach salsa into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch air space. Seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

NOTES: This is REALLY sweet, more of a jam/jelly than a salsa, but still came out really good. I got 3 jars full and then enough for us to use on dinners for a few nights.

We used it with chicken, in salad and on spread on bread. All really good. I would make this again and am looking forward to enjoying it in the "off season" when I can crack open a jar!

As far as canning, this is only my 3rd attempt at it and I have the original Ball Jar Kit.
This was a great recipe to try out as it doesn't yield TOO much. And would also be a great gift!

Ground Grapes

I don't know much about them. I bought them at the Farmer's Market. They are supposedly called ground grapes. You peal them open and pop them in your mouth! They don't suck.

White Mashed Potatoes

These were so good, so easy and the potatoes are from the farmer's market! What are we going to do over the winter!!!

White Mashed Potatoes

4 white potatoes
Salt
Loaded Baked Tater Dip
1.5 tablespoons Smart Balance
1% Milk
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Place cut potatoes in pot fill with water and sprinkle salt. Bring to boil and continue on low rolling boil until potatoes are desired softness. Drain from water and mix with Smart Balance, milk and add Loaded Baked Tater dip to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Garlic Parmesan White String Beans

We get these beans at the farmer's market, and the are so crisp and fresh I try to keep them as crisp and fresh as possible when I prepare them. This dish is so simple, quick and very flavorful. It's was a great side dish for our grilled chicken and mashed potatoes. And will most likely be used again next week when I make my first ever meatloaf.

Garlic Parmesan White String Beans

1 tablespoon EVOO
2 cloves of Garlic
2 handfuls of white string beans
Cracked Black Pepper
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Saute garlic in EVOO. Rinse and snip beans, add to pan and cook to preference. Remove from heat, toss with cracked black pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Gilled Eggplant Parm

My version of Grilled Eggplant Parm.

Just looking at this picture is making my mouth water.

Did I mention every single thing in this recipe except for the cheese and bread is from the farmer's market? The cheese and bread are from Whole foods. Oh and the can of tomatoes.. that wasn't from the market either.

Ohh, and the linguine that was store bought.

YUM.

Linguine was left over from the night before.

Bread was from Whole Foods, sliced, drizzled with EVOO, then grilled.

Eggplant was cut longways, brushed with EVOO, grilled for 3-4 minutes each side, then I placed slices of part skim mozz on it, grilled until it melted and removed.

We didn't have any jarred sauce, so I sauteed some garlic & onion in EVOO, threw in some bell peppers, oregano, crushed red pepper and a can of diced tomatoes.

I layered the eggplant with sauce and POOF. I was stuffed, but it was sooooooooo sooo good.

Makes me wish I had bought two eggplants instead of one. Perhaps I could make it with zucchini or squash, this place is lousy with that.

Needless to say this went over very well. I've made it before cutting the eggplant in discs, and either way it's great.

Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad

A trip to the farmers market inspired Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad. Everything I used in this recipe I bought at our local farmers market on Saturday.

I diced up some plum tomatoes, an orange tomato and red onion. Added some red wine vinegar.
I mixed melted Smart Balance with garlic powder (not from the farmers market). Grilled the corn...

De-cobbed (is this a word?) the corn and mixed.

Visually stunning and VERY tasty. Super easy and a great side dish to any summer meal.

Putting up the Zucchini

Another fabulous Saturday at the farmer's market and how could I not get some of my favorite, zucchini. I couldn't not buy it, it was calling to me. So I put a few aside for some of our meals this week, and then I threw some in my 4-cup chopper and...

Put in in baggies, with the amount labeled. I even took it another step and put it in the bags by how much my favorite recipes call for. So when the time comes and it's snowing and cold and dark and dismal and all I want is a zucchini spiced cupcake or a zucchini "crab" cake, I can just pull the bag out of the freezer and defrost.

Poof! Zucchini is put up!