Country Belle

Category Archives: Cooking

Chilies

January 13, 2012
by Crystal
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Chilies

These are dried chili peppers, waiting to be ground into homemade chili powder. I don’t know what variety these are, because Dad bought a bunch of unmarked pepper plants on sale last year. I do know that they are hot.

Right after I took this picture, I snapped off the stems. I was maybe ten peppers into the pile before I remembered gloves. Oops. I managed to keep my fire-tipped fingers away from my face, but a cheese stick I ate later was the spiciest cheese stick there ever was.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I discovered that dried bell peppers (cut into strips before dehydrating) make an excellent crunchy snack.

Boiling tomato preserves.

January 8, 2012
by Crystal
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Tomato preserves

After buying some clearly labeled pure cane sugar, the second batch of tomato preserves came out beautifully. It’s a lovely alternative to typical jellies and jams. In case you missed it, here’s the recipe.

January 6, 2012
by Crystal
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Bungled tomato preserves

OR: The problem with beet sugar

The project of the day was making tomato preserves out of The last of the tomatoes. Mom’s altered recipe was as simple as any jelly or jam. She’d made it several times before, with no problems.

It would not set up. At all.

I ran to the internet, and discovered that the contents of a calcium pill mixed in hot water helps react with the pectin, somehow. I tried it. It helped a little. But not enough.

Back to the internet. I read on a message board that beet sugar doesn’t cook the same as cane sugar, and beet sugar didn’t play well with jelly. I looked at the sugar bag. It was a store brand, found on sale. It said: “sugar.” That’s it. I guarantee you it wasn’t “pure cane sugar” like the name-brands boldly state.

The “sugar” concoction got boiled until it was a little thick, and poured up anyway. It tastes okay, if somewhat overcooked. But now I know: Don’t trust the sugar.

Mom’s Tomato Preserves

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups tomato juice or pureed tomatoes
  • 1 package fruit pectin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • lemon zest (optional)
  • 3 1/2 cups sugar

Mix everything but the sugar in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add sugar and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. It should drizzle off the edge of a spoon (rather than drip) when it’s done.

Skim off any foam. Pour into clean jars, add lids and bands, and turn upside down for five minutes so the heat will seal the jars.

 

Roast Beef

January 2, 2012
by Crystal
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Mom’s Roast Beef

Yesterday, for my family’s New Year’s dinner, Mom made roast beef. If you’ve only had roast beef in a restaurant, let me tell you, you have not had roast beef yet.

This meal is a favorite for my whole family. Quite a few of my recipes, like this one, have no measurements for the ingredients. We’re just not that precise in the kitchen, I suppose.

These are two arm roasts. (We cook to have leftovers.) The arm roast is a good balance of quality and budget-friendly. There are hardly any bits of connective tissue, and the flavor is good. The beauty of this recipe is in the slow cooking. The potatoes absorb some of the roast’s flavor, and the roast turns deliciously tender. It’s also foolproof, as the gravy covers a multitude of sins, especially if you let the roast get too dry.

Ingredients:

  • Roast
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Vegetable oil
  • Potatoes
  • Baby (or baby-cut) carrots
  • Corn starch

Rinse the roast and pat dry with paper towels. Coat with flour. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. (She’s pretty liberal with all three.)

Heat about 1/8″-1/4″ of vegetable oil in a heavy pot. (She uses Permanent cookware.) Brown the roast on all sides before turning down the heat and covering. Let cook slowly for an hour or so.

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Add potatoes and carrots to the pot. Let cook for another hour. If at any time the pot seems to be running dry, add a couple of cups of water.

When the vegetables are done, and the roast is tender, remove them from the pot. To make gravy, add some water to the drippings in the pot. Turn heat back up and bring to a boil.

Whisk a tablespoon or so of corn starch into a cup of water. Pour into the pot, and stir constantly for at least one minute. If the gravy seems to be thickening enough, remove from heat. If not, repeat this step.