White pumpkins are fun to carve for Halloween, and if you’re carving pumpkins of course you have to roast the seeds! Simply separate the seeds from the inner pulp (the “goo” if you’re a kid), rinse well, and spread in on a well greased pan. I prefer to use real butter for this, coating a baking pan with approximately 1 tablespoon of melted butter for each cup of seeds. Then, sprinkle generously with your favorite seasoning. Half-Pint is on a ranch kick, so we used the ranch seasoning mix shown above. Roast in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, flipping seeds with a spatula halfway through. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Happy Halloween!
Author: PhDone! Editing Solutions
Autumn Biscuit Pie
This recipe is adapted from Tomato Imperative, which we discussed while making Sweet Tomato Figs. You’ll notice that the ingredients are flexible, allowing you to use this recipe as a backbone for creating something delicious out of whatever goodies your garden is offering up today! Let’s get started!
Ingredients (Serves 4 – 6)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, sliced into several pieces
1/2 cup milk
3 – 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup other garden vegetables (optional) such as thin sliced root vegetables or freshly cut corn
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used mint)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used muenster and gouda; cheddar would also work well)
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Directions
Step 1) Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to work butter into the flour mixture until the butter resembles small crumbs. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use your hands to work the mixture into a smooth biscuit dough.
Step 2) Press biscuit dough onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of a greased, 8 inch x 10 inch glass baking dish.
Step 3) Layer vegetables, fresh herbs, and half of the cheese over the biscuit dough.
Step 4) Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and garlic. Gently spread mixture over the vegetables and cheese. It’s ok if ingredients move around a bit. 🙂
Step 5) Top with remaining cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until both the cheese on the top and the crust on the bottom (this is why we use a glass pan!) is golden brown.
Step 6) Serve immediately. Be well, friends!
Sweet Tomato Figs
A few years back, my fellow gardening friend Denise gifted me with a copy of Tomato Imperative. It is unfortunate that this book is no longer being printed, as it is chock full of old school recipes for enjoying and preserving tomatoes.
Today we are making Sweet Tomato Figs, adapted from Continue reading
Dried Cantaloupe
My garden cantaloupe are abundant this year – what a great celebration! Cantaloupe are as healthy as they are delicious, low in calories yet full of Vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber. Alas, Continue reading
Deconstructed Pumpkin Stew
Rich, earthy stews with layers of warm and savory flavors are ubiquitous with autumn. This pumpkin stew makes good use of one of the most wonderful offerings of late season gardens… pie pumpkins. It’s so flavorful that omnivores won’t even notice how the dish is entirely vegan.
Deconstructing the stew, i.e. layering the stew over slices of roasted pumpkin instead of mixing the pumpkin into the pot of stew itself, is an awesome way to preserve the satisfying texture of freshly roasted pumpkin. Try this for your next Meatless Monday. Three cheers for autumn!
Ingredients (Serves 4 with leftovers)
1 pie pumpkin, 7 or 8 inches in diameter Continue reading
Fresh Tomato Soup
Few foods are more satisfying on an autumn afternoon than a bowl of fresh tomato soup with the last of the garden tomatoes. This recipe is simple to prepare, and doubles easily for freezing or canning. Yes, it’s safe for water bath canning, to enjoy throughout the winter! Enjoy.
Ingredients (Makes one large pot; recipe can be easily doubled OR cut in half) Continue reading
Zucchini Pickles Two Ways
Left: Spicy Zucchini Pickles  Right: Garlic Dill Zucchini Pickles
My garden zucchini plants went bonkers this year. I’ve already made zucchini apples (a favorite around here), zucchini boats, and several zucchini-enhanced baked goods. With the last of my garden zucchini – because I am uprooting the plants to make room for a late crop of onions – I’m making Easy Zucchini Pickles.
Crisp and tangy, these pickles will stand up to any cucumber pickle, I promise. Let’s get started!
Ingredients (Makes approximately 4 quarts)
2 large (approximately 16 inch) or 3 medium (approximately 12 inch) zucchini
4 cups water
4 cups white vinegar
3/4 cup salt
1/4 cup white sugar
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
For garlic dill pickles: 16 heads of fresh dill -or-
For spicy pickles: 12 Thai chili peppers, scored lengthwise
Directions
Step 1) Wash zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds. Slice Zucchini halves crosswise into 3/4 inch slices, then cut each slice into 2 inch pieces. Set zucchini pieces aside in a large bowl.
Step 2) In a large pot, combine water, vinegar, salt, sugar, and garlic. Bring brine mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to simmer.
Step 3) Pack zucchini pieces into sterilized quart jars, layering a head of dill (or a chili pepper), about 1 cup of zucchini, and about 1/2 cup of brine at a time. Don’t be afraid to really stuff the zucchini into the jar, 1 cup at a time! The back of a tablespoon can be useful for packing zucchini.
Step 4) Leave 1/2 inch head space at the top of each jar (no zucchini should be “poking up” into that last 1/2 inch of space). Make sure zucchini is covered in brine, and tap the jar (or poke with a chopstick) to remove air bubbles.
Step 5) Cover each jar with a sterilized lid and band. For refrigerator pickles, place jars in the fridge. For canning, place jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.
Your zucchini pickles will taste best after one week. Enjoy!
Five Minute Salsa Chicken
Do you have five minutes? Great – because that’s about how long you need to prepare this delicious Salsa Chicken! Two ingredients + one slow cooker = a delicious dinner that you can prep early and forget about for a few hours.
Here at Crowded Earth Kitchen, we Continue reading
Yes, you need Garden Sauce in your pantry!
Garden Sauce is so simple to prepare, it hardly counts as a recipe. You can make a little or a lot; the ingredients below may be easily doubled or tripled. Not only is Garden Sauce easy to prepare, it is versatile as well! Here are just a few Continue reading
Toasted Melon Seeds
If you’re waiting longingly for October to enjoy the savory taste of roasted pumpkin seeds… no need. One of the best kept secrets among frugal cooks is that ALL melon seeds are edible! The seeds from pumpkins, winter squash, watermelon (yes, watermelon), cantaloupe, honeydew, etc. are not only edible, they are chock full of Continue reading
Wisconsin Cream Puffs
It’s time to make cream puffs again! The Wisconsin State Fair is cancelled this year, which is all the MORE reason to recreate these tasty treats in your own kitchen. Enjoy!
Wisconsin State Fair opens this week, and of the many indulgent foods available at the fair, cream puffs reign supreme. On average, Wisconsin State Fair sells… wait for it… 350,000 cream puffs during the 11 day event.
Cream puffs are stone simple to make. Really. They fall into my favorite baking category, “looks complicated but is really easy!” Go on, play in the kitchen for a little while, and dazzle your friends with an amazing dessert at your next backyard cookout!
Dough after eggs are mixed in
Ingredients (Makes 30 small or 10 “Wisconsin State Fair sized” cream puffs)
1/2 cup real butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
View original post 246 more words
Spiced Cherry Jam
The season for fresh cherries at the market is absurdly brief. When they appear, I buy a few extra pounds for a big batch of Spiced Cherry Jam. The kids like to help, which I welcome – learning canning and preserving methods is a great home school lesson! Cheerful bright red jars of this jam taste like a burst of summer throughout the winter months. Enjoy!
Ingredients (Makes 10 half-pint jars)
10 cups fresh pitted cherries Continue reading
Italian Marinated Eggplant
It should come as no surprise that Crowded Earth Kitchen features at least one or two new eggplant recipes every summer. When you emphasize “fresh” and “frugal” in your kitchen, eggplant has a way of emerging as a frequent star. This summer, as these lovely purple beauties make their way from our garden to our table, we’re trying something new. Italian Marinated Eggplant is best served cold as part of an antipasto platter, with a side of crusty bread, or as a salad ingredient with fresh mozzarella (shown above). Enjoy!
Ingredients (Makes 1 quart)
1 large or 3 small eggplant Continue reading
Great-Grandma’s Corn Relish
Sharing a true golden oldie from the 1930s… this recipe is great alongside a roast or added to a pot of chili. Enjoy!
My Grandpa Fred grew up enjoying this corn relish on the family dinner table. He remembers it fondly. I found his mother’s corn relish recipe in a treasure box of family recipes and, since my Grandpa is just about the coolest guy around, I’m happy to make a batch just for him whenever fresh sweet corn is available. I love you, Grandpa!
*Note: I’ve scaled this recipe down to a manageable size, as Great Grandma made a LOT of corn relish at once! Original quantities (which I occasionally prepare) are 3 times the quantities listed below.
Ingredients (Makes 8 pints)
8 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 onions
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup vinegar
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 teaspoon mustard seed
1/3 teaspoon celery seed
Directions
Step 1) Working carefully, use a sharp knife to slice the kernels from…
View original post 83 more words
Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice
For some reason, fried rice has always sounded complicated. It’s not. The trick is to cook the rice the day before and refrigerate it overnight. It is much easier to stir-fry cold, day old rice. Trust me on this, and dive into this delicious, Thai inspired treat!
Ingredients (Serves 4 with leftovers)
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
2 cups Jasmine rice, cooked to package instructions and refrigerated overnight
1 cup diced, fresh pineapple Continue reading
