My friend Barry has an elderberry tree in his yard. Last summer he offered up the harvest in exchange for a sampling of the end product. I collected a lot of berries and was a bit unsure about what to do with them. Raw elderberries have a somewhat unpleasant scent and are not edible so …
This article and the accompanying recipes originally appeared in print in the Globe & Mail on September 5, 2009. I thought I’d repost it here today since the season is so ahead this year and my large, indeterminate tomato plants are on the verge of a first round of ripening. CAN NOT WAIT! If you’re …
This growing season, I have teamed up with friend and experienced gardener/plantsman Barry Parker to offer hands on gardening and canning workshops in Toronto. We’ve started off with 3 workshops in the month of May and plan to offer a few more later in the season based on interest, time, etc. Pickled Spring: Homecanning Asparagus …
This is how I see canning: making snack foods for the apocalypse. Because in truth, with the exception of the plain tomato jars and sauces, many of the items I put up tend to be condiments, pickles, and intense fruit preserves — food I could probably live without. If, say, we were to suffer through …
And make our own edible version of Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party! There has been a long and harried internal debate raging in my brain for days over that title. I have avoided making this post, worried that I will offend people by using the anatomically correct word for part of the female anatomy on a …
Ramps, aka wild leeks, are a wild North American onion-like plant that pop up in forested areas in early-mid spring. The season for ramps is short, typically no more than a few weeks between April and May depending on your location. Believe me when I say that they are GOOD. Ramps resemble scallions except that …
Greetings from the hermit’s nest where I am working feverishly, both figuratively and unfortunately quite literally through what I can only describe as a marathon of deadlines. This summer has revolved 100% around gardening and food, a focus that promises to continue through the fall and well into winter. Actually I’ll still be at, although …
Since the harvest season has got underway I’ve been doing quite a bit of canning. Canning in a small, claustrophobic apartment kitchen can get a little gnarly at times but I actually enjoy the process quite a bit. I feel like I’m getting one over The Man with every jar that seals. I always appreciate …
With both the gardens and the Farmer’s Market in abundance these days, it’s become canning central around here. I’m on a personal mission to find a use for just about everything. Last weekend was the whole 50 pounds of tomatoes insanity which resulted in approximately 28 various-sized jars of Roasted Tomato Sauce and Blackened Salsa …
Because I woke up this morning and said to myself, “Self, you do not have enough tomatoes. Must. Get. More. Between the bowls in the fridge, the bowls on the counter, the bowl that was just roasted, the bowl that was oven-dried, and the tomatoes still in the garden what you really need right now …
Guest post by Amy Urquhart Today I got around to grinding up my dried herbs. Why? Because I found a great deal on a coffee bean grinder at Loblaws…$9.99! It worked really well. Each weekend lately I’ve been harvesting from the garden whatever edibles I can. I managed to bring in almost all of the …