lacto fermented green beans

When asking friends what they do with an abundance of green beans, one mentioned lacto-fermented green beans.  I'd not had those before so started a batch last night.  Directions from here. I didn't put anything except beans and brine in the jar; I'd used some pickling spices in a batch of cucumbers and I really didn't like the taste of something in there; plus, the fermentation gives a nice flavor all on its own (like with sauerkraut, which I've never seasoned).  So, we'll see.  I'm clocking it for 10 days and we'll see. 

Ingredients

• 2 lb of green beans (or as many as you need to fill your jar), ends removed
• spices, which may include: 
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed but not pealed 
• pepper corns, pickling spices, etc.  
• 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt (Kosher, sea, or pickling salt) per one cup of non-chlorinated water (make as much brine as you need to fill your jars) 

Instructions

1. Wash your jar well. Add spices to the jar.
2. Start packing the green beans.
3. When the jar is packed half way, add the crushed garlic.
4. Keep adding beans and packing the jar. Make sure to leave two inches of headspace.
5. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in one cup of water and add to the jar. Keep dissolving salt in water and add to the jar until the beans are covered.
6. Place a fermentation weight on the beans to make sure they are all submerged in the brine.
7. Close the jar with its lid finger tight.
8. Place the jar on a plate (to catch the brine that might spill out during the fermentation process) and set on the kitchen counter at room temperature to ferment. It takes half a gallon jar about 10 days to ferment.
9. During the fermentation process, the brine will become foggy and you'll notice some bubble action. This is the gas that forms during fermentation. We need to let this gas out, or in other words "burp the jar". Once a day, twist the lid open, wait a few seconds and then twist it back to close the jar (there is no need to open the jar completely). Once the brine is "clear" again, the fermentation process is done (it will never be as clear as it was when you first added it but it will be clearer than what it was during fermentation).
10. Store your jar in the fridge or in a root cellar. It should last a few months.

apple oat dessert

 apple-oat dessert

Just saw this on a video and I'm going to give it a try as a dessert with yogurt.  

• 50 g oats
• 150 g apple, chopped
• 150 g yogurt
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• (1 tsp brown sugar)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix together, bake for 25 minutes at 200C/ 400 F.

green beans and chicken sausage on a sheet pan

 I've got green beans and chicken sausage to use up, and a zucchini I'll probably toss on there too.  From here. 

 Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, cleaned and trimmed
• 12 oz chicken sausage, sliced thick
• 3 T olive oil
• spices (I'll use Tony Cachere's) 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• toss beans with oil, then put onto rimmed baking sheet
• add sausage
• Bake 10 minutes, then flip everything
• Bake another 5-10 minutes to browning. 

 

 

zucchini lentil bake

 Took this recipe and will cut it in half (though it probably does freeze well).  It's a great way to use zucchini and has good flavor.  

• olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• approx 250 g zucchini, grated 
• 1/2 cup brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 can or equivalent fresh tomatoes (diced, passata, etc. 225-400 g) 
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme 
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• black pepper, salt to taste  
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 
• up to 1/4 cup grated parmesan 
• fresh herbs for garnish  

Instructions

Gently saute onion until soft and nearing transparent (about 8 minutes). Add garlic, for about a minute.  Add zucchini, saute about 8 minutes.  Then add lentils, tomatoes, broth, herbs, and stir well.  Bring to light boil and simmer covered about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  If the cooking pan is not ovensafe, transfer to baking dish.  Put mozzarella and then parmesan on top and bake uncovered about 20 minutes.  

Great with olives, pine nuts, pita, etc.   

Jacob's lentil stew with barley from Bob's Red Mill

 Barley from Bob's REd Mill was on an end cap at my favorite grocery store and I picked it up because of this recipe on the back.  It's very tasty!  Definitely worth making again.  Just looked it up and see it's based on ancient cooking which is pretty cool, and Jacob is THAT Jacob of the Bible, and this is THAT stew.  Different seasonings can be used such as sumac and hyssop.  Not sure it's worth trading my inheritance for (not that I have an inheritance, ha!) but definitely adding to the rotation.  Excellent fiber and protein and vegetables and nutrients and all that.  

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1 ½ cups Onion diced (about 1 large)
• 1 cup Carrot diced (about 2)
• ½ cup Celery diced (about 2 stalks)
• ½ tsp Garlic minced (about 1 clove) - or more 
• 2 cups Red Lentils
• ½ cup pearl barley 
• 1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp dried Parsley
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 8 cups Vegetable Broth (don't do less - I tried and it needed the full amount)
• ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until soft and beginning to caramelize, 7–10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.
2. Add lentils and barley, cumin, parsley, bay leaf, vegetable broth and cilantro. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until barley is soft, about 60 minutes (or less - it was good at 45 minutes, and it was burning on the bottom).
3. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and finish with lemon juice.

 

 

zucchini with sardines

 Going to try this based on ideas from this recipe and what I have.

NOTE:

The original recipe makes a lot, so here's the half recipe I make:

•  2 shallots or small onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic
• a couple of tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4# zucchini, grated 
• 1 tin sardines, drained, with oil saved to share with the dog (otherwise it is too fishy)
• fresh basil, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp lemon zest//lemon pepper
• pepper
• grated parmesan  

 Heat olive oil, gently saute shallots and then garlic until soft. Add tomatoes, cook to a sauce.

Add zucchini, cook a few minutes, then add sardines, basil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, pepper, and other spices to taste.  Cook to heat up and meld flavors, not too long.  Serve with grated parmesan.  

 

**

ORIGINAL - LARGE BATCH 

• 2 shallots (or small onion), minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• a few tomatoes, chopped 
• 1.5 pounds zucchini, grated 
• 2 tins sardines, drained, with olive oil saved
• fresh basil, sliced (2/3 cup or so)
• 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp lemon zest (lemon pepper would be a good substitute) 
• pepper  
• finely grated parmesan or similar cheese (4 oz or so)  

Heat olive oil from the tins of sardines.  Gentle sautee shallots and garlic until soft, then add chopped tomatoes and cook down into a sauce.   

Add the zucchini, cook lightly, then add sardines, basil, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, pepper, and other spices to taste.  Cook to heat up and meld flavors, not too long.  Serve with grated parmesan.  

 

fermented pickles

 Wonderfully, I have a cucumber producing wonderfully this year, and the cucumbers are very tasty and good all-around.  I like to pick them small for good flavor, and they probably dont' taste great if large.  They are called mini-me, after all.

I'm frankly kind of overwhelmed by cucumbers, so ... I'll ferment them!   I did a batch and I really liked it, gave away most, and so I'm making another jar now.  

Here's what I'm doing:

Get: 

• a quart jar (I use wide mouth because I have lids that fit) 
• a smaller jar to mix up brine at ratio of 3 T: 4 cups
• non-chlorinated water (I filter it; can also leave out at room temperature about 24 hours to evaporate the chlorine ... probably; there are some treatment facilities that chlorinate differently and it doesn't evaporate out) 
• cucumbers!
• grape leaves
• seasonings: this time I used 1/2 tsp dill seed, 1/2 tsp peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic, dash of red chili flakes, 1/4 tsp mustard seeds.  (Last time I used a pickling spice mix and I think it has something I don't much like, maybe allspice)

 Steps:

• clean freshly-picked cucumbers and grape leaves with filtered water
• crush garlic cloves but keep skin on 
• put grape leaf on bottom of jar and a clove of garlic
• start to pack the pickles in and when about halfway, add the rest of the spices
• fill the jar, then pour brine on top, leaving at least 1/2"
• put a grape leave on top to help keep everything underneath
• I put a fermentation lid on that off gasses because a friend gave it to me but I used to just use regular lids and open slighly each day for gases to disperse
• if the cucumbers pop up above liquid, you need to get them to stay down.  I usually plan the cucumbers accordingly, pushing one in to hold things down, but you can also use a weight or a clean rock on the grape leave 

Put it in a darkish place, preferably 70-75 degrees ish.  And put it on a plate because it will overflow.  Start checking at 3 days for readiness, though others go longer.  I look at color and cloudiness of brine and usually start tasting around then.  Last batch I had one jar for 3 days and the other for 5.  I may go a little longer this time.  

Then they'll keep in the fridge for months, if you don't eat and give them all away before then.