Pasta Sauce

I don't have a recipe per se for pasta sauce - which I call spaghetti sauce, but I use for all kinds of things. This is something I make w/out using a recipe and change every time I make but only slightly. This is also sneaky - a way to get a few extra veggies in when no one is paying attention. This is weekend thing so I don't have to cook at least one night a week  and is easy to double and freezes like a very cold dream.


Onions - how ever much you want - for a double recipe - I use at least 1 1/2 large onions, but maybe more or less and type doesn't matter too much (yellow, white, red, whatever)
Carrots - grated on a box grater - sneaky vegetable - usually about 4 ish but could be more or less depending on size and how many are in the fridge

Saute onions - I start them first w/olive oil and get them going while grating carrots. Add carrots (all extras peels from onions, carrots and mushrooms, etc. go to compost bin). Saute until they start to soften. In the mean time (what does that mean really?)...slice mushrooms - sneaky vegetable #2 and add to mixture - let cook until the mushrooms dry out a bit (takes a little while, suck it up and deal). Now the fun starts.
Add:
handful of dried oregano, handful of dried basil, garlic (how ever much you like) and cook until fragrant - you'll know. And then ... the wine. Add red wine - now -- right when the pot starts to dry out, turn up the temp a bit and then hit it w/some much needed alcohol. I use red wine - typically Merlot since that's what I like and let is simmer until almost gone - Those handy dandy little single serving bottles work well in this application. I suppose you could do without, but why the hell would you? 
Then and only then do you add the tomatoes. And again - whatever you have - I've used whole, diced, crushed - 2 large cans.. doesn't really matter they all break down in the end. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and let it go until you're happy with it - I tend to simmer for an hour or so - turn off for an hour or two and then bring back to simmer and then store - might not matter - probably just a habit, but I don't question it.

This is a vegetarian sauce- probably because I started making it when I was a vegetarian. I have since gotten over than phase, but it did not do me any harm - I always had bread and cheese and that's all that really matters after all. You really don't even need pasta with this - just some in a bowl with grated parmesan on top and good bread for dipping - dinner. 

Rosemary Carrots Update - Can Jam Review

Well, we tried them. Nope - not so much. They taste, well, like rosemary carrots, but there's no real spark to them and because they were processed - which it totally necessary I completely understand, they are a little soft.

It probably didn't help that we tried them at the same time we tried the Firecrackers. But I even had a problem there - not hot enough. I'm hoping that in another week they will have a little more going on.


I was concerned, to be sure, about carrots. But you never know until you try...

Firecrackers - AB

In my fit to say I knew of NO carrot recipes for the February Tigress' Can Jam, I forgot one thing... that I did know one recipe for pickled carrots. It wouldn't work for the Can Jam since it's not hot water processed, but I have made it before (in 2002) for the MotH. Here it is... 


Firecrackers
Alton Brown
Ingredients

1/2 pound mini carrots

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon chili flakes

2 dried chilies

Directions

Place carrots in a spring-top glass jar. Bring the water, sugar, cider vinegar, onion powder, mustard seeds, salt, and chili flakes to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Boil for 4 minutes.

Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots, filling the jar to the top. Place the chilies in the jar. Allow the carrots to cool before sealing. Refrigerate for 2 days up to 1 week.


Comment from the Counter: 
* Used crinkle cut carrots - had a noble idea of cutting carrots on mandoline, then reality set in and I just bought them - a little weak to be sure, but the firecrackers got made this way. 
* Used more onion powder (2 tsp) - I don't keep onion powder on hand, so had to purchase, but now I'm not sure what to do with the rest of it ...
* 1 tsp mustard seed - how can that hurt?
* 1 heaping tsp of red pepper flakes - don't we want it hot?
*Instead of two dried chilies (which I can't find at the damn store, except for dried ancho peppers - boring), I used two fresh finger hots (Jwala). 

Pickled Rosemary Carrots

Hot Damn  - it's the can jam... carrots edition

Pickled Rosemary Carrots

3 c (720ml) H20

3 c (720ml) vinegar

1/4 c (60ml) sugar

1/4 c (60ml) pickling salt

2 T (30ml) mixed peppercorn

6 hot chili peppers (red)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

4 lbs (1.8 kg) carrots, peeled, cut into sticks, 4" long x 1/2" wide (10c x 1.2c)

six 3" sprigs fresh rosemary

Yield: 6 pints

Prepare preserving jars (Note: wash, wash, wash w/soap, dry, process 15 minutes in hot water and keep warm until ready to use). Combine H20, vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a pot. Bring to boil, reduce to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Working 1 jar at a time, place 1 clove garlic, 1 chili pepper in each hot, sterilized jar. Pack carrot sticks tightly in jar standing upright. Slide sprig of rosemary into jar. Pour boiling solution into jars leaving 1/4" head space. Release air bubbles. Seal, repeat with the rest of the jars. Process 15 minutes.

Well Preserved

Mary Anne Dragan

p. 129

From the kitchen counter:
I made only half a recipe. That seemed like plenty since although I like the pickling liquid, I'm not sure how well I'll like it with carrots - I'm kinda on and off with carrots. Also, peeling and slicing 4 pounds of carrots - a bit o' overkill for me. 

Had to go outside with a flashlight (TY MotH) to cut the rosemary, but it's still in great shape - some little bit of damage from the 13 days of freezing, but just a few brown tips (cut off). No comments about 13 days of freezing - it's the gulf frigging coast - we shouldn't have 13 days of freezing even in January. Bugger.

Cans with pink lids - really too summer-y, but I'll rationalize it by the card-company created "holiday."

It's easier to put the rosemary in with the carrots and pepper - they are all vertical in my book so... 

Used two cloves of garlic for each jar - me likey garlic. 

How frigging long does it take to boil water - honestly - I should have timed it for my own morbid curiosity. 

I do like my new H2O canner - ordered online - saved $ --nice.

An idea just crossed my mind, by the time we finish the can jam, my pantry will be well stocked. Nifty.

Processing 15 minutes to sterilize = lots of standing around and waiting. 

Then more waiting - jeez.

Need mixed peppercorns. Time to spend some $.

No notes for how long to wait to try these, so I'm giving it a week to see what's up. Will report back. 


So what will next month bring.... we'll see. 

Carrots

Looking back at my recipe journal, it seems that on 28 August 2009, while in the midst of pickling more cukes than truly necessary and okra, and tomatoes, etc.  I considered pickling carrots... so maybe I did think about it a bit. Memory loss of most things pre new kitchen... as if.
Flavor Bible recommended some ideas for things that play well with carrots (I keep trying to add an extra t to carrotts  - a little more balanced it kinda works for me). Okay, flavors are: chili, coriander, cumin, dill, GINGER, LEMON, thyme.


Here's what I came up with: white wine vinegar, hot pepper (serrano), blk pepper, salt, garlic, mustard seed, lemon zest.
Perhaps we'll try a little bit of my ideas and the recipe I picked and see what we come up with...


What I really wish is I had some heirloom carrots -- burgundy, black, red... THAT would be cool.


photo: Americanfest.com

Carrots - What the frig....

You've got to be kidding me... carrots! .Groan - I know that I have no recipe for preserving carrots and probably don't have anything with carrots in them - at least not in my files. It's time to get out the books - thankfully, I have several. I'm betting Oded Schwartz's Preserving will have something for me to work with. What a great book - and beautiful to look at too. I'm a big fan of chutney, so I'll likely lean in that direction. We'll see how it goes ... going to be interesting. Or maybe not so much ...