Witchin’ in the Kitchen at the Bubbling Cauldron

This is an excellent addition to your Harvest, Samhuinn and Yule tables. The colors and richness are warming and satisfying on the coldest of days. This is a large recipe and cans well. Ball now makes canning jars suitable for freezing or canning. I’ve poured half of this recipe into jars and stored away in my freezer for a bit of spice and sunshine in the coldest, darkest part of January.

Spicy Three Squash Soup

3 winter squashes of your choice, halved and seeded
1 medium head garlic
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tart apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup dry sherry
3 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth
1 small red bell pepper, roasted and minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme or winter savory
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1 to 1 1/2 cups hot water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place
the squashes cut side down on a roasting pan.
Wrap garlic in foil and set in pan with squash.
Roast squash and garlic for 50 to 60 minutes.
Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium
heat. Saute the onion for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in ginger and curry powder; cook 3 more minutes. Stir
in apples and sherry; reduce heat to medium-low and
simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender and set aside.
When the squash and garlic are done squeeze the softened garlic into the apple mixture.
Process until blended, but still slightly chunky.
Return mixture to pot over medium-low heat.
Scrape out flesh of the squash and puree small batches of squash and veg broth.
Transfer each batch to the pot with the apple-garlic mixture.
Stir in red bell pepper, rosemary, parsley, basil,thyme, pepper, salt, cayenne.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
When ready to serve stir in hot water.
Makes 10 servings.

2 c. finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
2 c. finely chopped onion
2 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Cool; store in the refrigerator.
Makes a nice condiment for poultry, pork or beef.

I’m tinkering a bit with the recipe and using the last of my garden’s harvest-all the tomatoes and cayenne and ancho chilis

Green Tomato Salsa

5 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
1/2 cup seeded finely chopped jalapeños
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup bottled lemon or lime juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa into 5 pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15 minutes.

This recipe makes a hot salsa. You can make a mild salsa by substituting green bell peppers in place of the long, green chiles. I often make a medium salsa, excellent as a condiment for meat dishes, by using all jalapenos. You can also substitute bottled lime juice for the bottled lemon juice, which makes a very lime-flavoured salsa that is always a big hit. I love the lemon and lime juices from Santa Cruz Organics, which is non-reconstituted and tastes as close to freshly-squeezed as you’ll get in a bottled juice product.

22# more blueberries picked yesterday.

Blueberry Vinegar

2c red wine vinegar
3/4c blueberries
1TB honey
one cinnamon stick

Birng vinegar to a boil, add berries, honey and let boil for 5 min. Pour into a hot sterile bottle or jar, add cinnamon stick and cover. Let sit in a cool dark place for about a week or 10 days.

At the end of that time I’ll strain and rebottle adding a few frozen blueberries I’ll have set aside and the cinnamon stick.

So this is what I made with the first of the rhubarb. I’d have included a photo but the jar is already in the freezer to save for autumn. This recipe is delicious and a big hit with the family. I subbed dried currants for the fruit listed.

Spiced Rhubarb Chutney

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes fresh rhubarb (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup (generous) chopped red onion
1/3 cup dried tart cherries or golden raisins (about 2 ounces)

Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy large Dutch oven.
Bring to simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Add rhubarb, onion and dried cherries;
increase heat to medium-high and cook until rhubarb is tender and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Bring to room temperature before using.)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups thinly sliced trimmed rhubarb (about 12 oz.)
1/2 cup peeled and seeded fresh or canned tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
a generous pinch of ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
fresh ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a heavey saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and stew gently, stirring occasionally, until softened but not brown,about 7 minutes.
Stir in the rhubarb, tomatoes, honey, sugar, salt, and allspice. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it has melted down to a thick puree, about 20 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. The sauce
should have a nice balance between sweet and sour, if not adjust seasonings. Serve hot, over chicken or fish.

managed to find a sweet recipe in my files as well

Rhubarb Sauce

Good served warm over ice cream or cold in a compote.

2 cups chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice or water
1 tsp grated orange peel (opt)

Combine all ingredients in a 2-qt saucepan.
Cook over medium heat 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until rhubarb is soft and sauce is slightly thickened.

SOURCE: unknown

I scored a few pounds of rhubarb today, what to do what to do…Strawberry season has passed around here so I’m looking more toward savouries.

Rhubarb Chutney

1 lb Rhubarb
2 t Coarsely grated fresh ginger
2 Garlic cloves
1 Jalapeno chile, (or more) seeds and veins removed
1 t Paprika
1 tb Black mustard seeds
1/4 c Currants
1 c Light brown sugar
1 1/2 c Light vinegar

Wash Rhubarb and slice into pieces 1/4-inch thick. If the stalks are wide, cut them in halves or thirds lengthwise, first. Finely chop the grated ginger with the garlic and chile. Place all the ingredients in a non-corrosive pan, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is broken down and is the texture of a jam, about 30 minutes. Store refrigerated in a glass jar.

Makes 1 Cup

SOURCE: unknown

1 1/2 lb Ripe strawberries
1 c Sugar
2 ts Lemon juice

Wash berries well. Cut hull in half and slightly mash. Put all ingredients in a pan on a propane stove and boil for about 5 minutes, without stirring. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes. Pour mixture into baking pan, 9″x9″, and cover with plastic wrap. Place outside in sunlight for 3 to 8 hours, until it is thick. Pour into a jar and chill or use for a snack right away.

1 pound juneberries
1c. water
4 1/2c. sugar
1/2c. lemon juice
1 package pectin

Wash and crush ripe juneberries. Add water and simmer 15 minutes. To prepare juice; rest colander in a bowl or kettle. Spread cloth or jelly bag over colander. Place hot prepared fruit into cloth or bag. Fold cloth to form bag and twist from top. Press with masher to extract juice.
Measure 3c. juice into 6-8 quart kettle and add lemon juice and pectin. Stir well Place over high heat, bring to boil, stirring constantly. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam and pour into glasses. seal with paraffin or use dome seals and boil water bath method.

Pick enough violets to fill a quart jar.

Rinse, remove stems and pack into a quart jar.
Cover violets with boiling water, let stand for 24 hours.
Drain juice (about 3 cups)from violets and discard violets.
To each cup of juice add the juice of l lemon, to this add l box of surejell.
Boil mixture then add 3 cups of sugar. Bring this to a rolling boil when stirring.
Boil for 1 minute, pour into sterilized jelly jars, cover with lids and rings.
Place jars in canner, cover with boiling water, bring back to a boil and process for 5 minutes.
Remove jars from water and cool on a towel.

Recipe makes approximately 5 jars of jelly.

SOURCE: unknown