Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper

3 1/4 lbs. cleaned hulled strawberries
4 1/2 c sugar
1 T lemon juice
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 t freshly ground black pepper, coarsely ground
pectin of choice

Makes about 8 half-pint jars

Crush berries with potato masher.  Cook with sugar to rolling boil, add pectin as directed.  Stir in balsamic vinegar and black pepper.  Jar and seal 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  Enjoy!

Caesar-inspired lemon dressing

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 3/4 c olive oil (scant)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 drizzle Worcestershire sauce
• 3 anchovies
• 2 T mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

Mash the garlic with the anchovies into a paste.  Scrape into a tightly sealing jar, add remaining ingredients and shake shake shake it up.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Yum.

Creamy Dill Dressing

• 3/4 c mayonnaise
• 3/4 c yogurt
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons grated onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Stir together and let rest for 1 hour before using; re-whisk and serve.

Sweet & Spicy Nuts

1 1/2 T light corn syrup

1 1/2 T maple syrup

1 1/2 T sugar

1 t salt

1/4 t (generous) freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 325;°F. Combine syrups and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to oiled or parchment covered baking sheet.

Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake nuts 5 minutes. Using fork, stir nuts to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until nuts are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil or remove parchment from pan to counter. Separate nuts with fork. Cool, and store in airtight container.

Options:

Increase the cayenne to 1/4t for more bite

Use Sriracha Sauce (Vietnamese Rooster Chile sauce)

Add a splash of bourbon

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

We’ve been eating a lot of delicious salads this fall.  One mix of ingredients I really like is mixed greens, red onion, diced tart apples, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts.  While Dan’s mom was here for Thanksgiving, I added some diced smoked shoulder from our pig of last year, and honey mustard dressing.  That was a delicious salad.

Make this with a 4-1 ratio:

• 4 parts mayonnaise
• 1 part lemon juice
• 1 part honey
• 1 part good spicy mustard

The mayo is usually salty enough, but taste for balance.  I like my dressing on the tart side, but you could reduce the lemon juice a bit.

Creamy raspberry dressing

• 5t raspberry vinegar
• 3 T sour cream
• 4T neutral oil

Dissolve salt in vinegar.  Add pepper, then sour cream and oil.  Mix well.  Adjust seasonings.  The dressing is a rather unfortunate shade, but ignore that, it is delicious.  This is FABULOUS with a mixed greens salad with toasted walnuts.  I bet raspberries as a garnish would add the perfect touch.

Apple Jam with Lemon and Cardamom

Make sure you use fresh cardamom, it makes a big difference.

8 c apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
apple cider
¼ c  lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 t cardamom
8 c sugar
2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 boxes pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter

Measure apples into 4 c Pyrex measuring bowl.  Add cider to the 4 cup line. Add  apple/cider mix to pot. Stir in lemon juice and cardamom.

Stir pectin into fruit. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Add sugars. Return to full rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam.

Ladle quickly into jars.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Soy-ginger marinade

• 2T soy sauce
• 2T lemon juice
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t crushed red pepper

Crush garlic with salt and pepper flakes.  Stir into remaining ingredients.

Savory Tomato Jam

This is fabulous on sandwiches or with cheese and crackers.

• 6 lbs tomatoes
• 4 c sugar
• 8 T fresh lime juice
• 4T fresh ginger, coarsley chopped
• 3 t cumin
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t cloves
• 4 t salt
• 2 T crushed red pepper flakes

Chop tomatoes.  Add to pan with remaining ingredients, cook until jam like.  Be careful at the end not to let the bottom scorch.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

There are many versions of this sauce out there, but this one works for me. Use it for noodles, dipping sauce, or thin it and dress spinach salad.

1/2 c chunky peanut butter
6T boiling water +/-
2 T honey
3 T grated ginger root (or more to taste)
2 T soy sauce
4  T sesame oil
squirt of sriracha sauce or hot pepper flakes to taste
lime juice
garlic to taste

I use unsweetened natural peanut butter.  If I want a hit of garlic, I crush a small clove and stir it in. For dipping sauce, thin it with a little additional water (or you can use tea). I usually toss this with noodles and veggies, this is about enough for a 1/2 lb box. Add cooked broccoli florets, red bell pepper, sliced cucumbers, pea pods or snap peas — it’s all good. Last night I added grilled sweet onions, yum!