And the winners are...

So sorry for the delay in posting the winners of the Can You Can It? contest.

I've got a good excuse though, I swear! Hurricane Irene meant business here in upstate New York - we got 9 inches of rain in 24 hours, and gusts of wind up to 60 mph. It was a looong, scary storm that left tons of trees and power lines down and lots of flooding.

So we're still without power or internet chez nous and it may take up to 10 days to get it back. But we were much more fortunate than some of the neighboring towns in our area which suffered such severe flooding that there's not much left to call a town. Poor Prattsville and Windham have been basically washed away.

I am extremely grateful that we were spared that level of devastation. And also very grateful that my mom never lost power. I'm at her house right now, luxuriating in a couple hours of lovely electricity and wifi - just like a pig in shit!

But I'm rambling on - you want to know who won the contest, don't you? Those of you who followed the voting know that we had a real neck and neck race. And it ended in a tie!

So first place goes to both Julianne Puckett, the Kitchen Ninja for her Zucchini Chips - shown below

And first place also goes to Jen Barthell, the Neighborhood Foodie for her Blackberry Kumquat Cardamom Jam - shown below.

Congratulations to you both!!! I'll be in touch shortly to get your mailing addresses so I know where to send the prizes.

Thank you again to all of you who entered - I was inspired by your beautiful, yummy entries. Hope to hear from you again soon.

And a huge thank you to both Storey Publishing and to Mighty Nest for "putting up" (sorry, could not resist a good canning pun...) the lovely prizes!

Spicy-Sweet Moroccan Chickpea Spread With Blood Orange

They say good things come to those who wait and I guess it's true.

I've been thinking about making this spread since my friend, Kirsten, a wonderfully adventurous cook who blogs about her culinary exploits here, made something very similar to it at a lavish Moroccan-themed dinner party she hosted at her home a while back, when we all still lived in Berkeley.

But my son was born a few months later and everything kind of went to hell what with adjusting to becoming a mom and the general sleeplessness of life with an infant so it's taken me a little while more than two years to get around to it... Nonetheless, I think it was worth the wait. (And I cannot say enough good things about sleep training -- thank you Ferber!)

I was primarily inspired by Kirsten's use of blood orange juice and honey -- such interesting, delightful additions! It had never occurred to me before to make a hummus-y type spread sweet. Turns out she's a genius 'cause it's really good.

I also used lime juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper. I chose chipotles over jalapeños because they are milder and I like their smokey flavor (I also kinda fell in love with the La Morena label.)

The result is an addictive combination that is slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and deliciously savory. And super easy to make, too - I love posting a recipe that includes only one step in the directions (and not just because I am lazy, though I admit that I am.)

This spread goes well with toasted pita bread, olives, feta cheese, lamb, chicken or shrimp kabobs, pickled beets, tzatziki, chopped salad, and couscous. (And now I am drooling...)

Spicy-Sweet Moroccan Chickpea Spread With Blood Orange

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients 

* 1 can (1 ½ cups) cooked chick peas

* ½ cup citrus juice (you can use any kind but I used a mix of blood orange and lime juice - the blood orange will turn the spread a little pink but I think it looks nice)

* ½ cup cilantro, chopped

* 2 cloves garlic, peeled

* 1-2 chipotle peppers (you can use more or less pepper depending on how spicy you like your food, and you can substitute a small jalapeño for the chipotles, too - they're spicier)

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 1-2 teaspoons honey

* 1 teaspoon cumin

* Sea salt to taste

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Adjust for salt, honey, lime and spice. It's as simple as that!

You might also like:

• Hummous With Caramelized Onions & Garlic Topped With Golden Beets, Pinenuts & Greek Yogurt
• Spiced Lamb Kabobs with Tomato Jam
• Tzatziki (a.k.a. cucumber yogurt salad)
• Chopped Summer Salad
• Cumin-Scented Quinoa With Grated Beets Topped With Quick Curried Chickpeas
• Lemon-Scented Quinoa With Tahini and Chickpeas
• Quick Pickled Beets

Just a note to let you know that I am submitting this recipe for the August edition of My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Preeti of Relishing Recipes.

Cast Your Vote For The Can You Can It? Winner!

It seems the answer to "Can You Can It?" is, "Yes, You Most Certainly CAN!" Just feast your eyes on these amazing entries!

So which one is your favorite?

I've posted the entries in the order in which they were received. Please browse through the entries below, then cast your vote for the winner via the poll that pops up on the right (there is only one vote per person). Or, if you do not see the poll pop up, just click here to view it on its own web page.

Whoever receives the most votes by August 29th will win a set of Weck canning jars from Mighty Nest. Whoever receives the second most votes will win a copy of Put 'Em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, From Drying and Freezing To Pickling and Canning from Storey Publishing.

I'll announce the winner here on August 30th. If you're worried you'll forget, you can sign up to get posts by email, like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter to ensure that you don't miss it. Good luck!



1. Apricot Jam With Saffron & Rose from Yossy Arefi-Afshar who writes the delectable Apt. 2B Baking Co. in New York, NY

2. Grapefruit In Pineapple Juice from SJ Smith whose grapefruit tree has had a banner year in Lake Elsinore, CA

3. Spicy Plum Chutney from Emmeline Craig of Emmeline's Bolinas Watercolors Blog in Bolinas, CA.

4. Highbush Blueberry Lemon Verbena Jam from Lindsay Murray who writes the yummy blog Uncanny Preserves from Sackville, NB.

5. DIY Cornichons - French Tarragon Pickles from Kirsten Lindquist who writes the inspiring and delectable From Kirsten's Kitchen To Yours from Santa Monica, CA.

6. Senfgurken a mustardy pickled cucumber that is popular in Germany from Eszter Befőz who writes an eponymous blog all about pickling and preserving from her home in Hungary.

7. Pickled Cippolini Onions from my extraordinarily culinarily gifted cousin, Nina Lesser-Goldsmith of the amazing Learning Center at Healthy Living Market in Burlington, VT.

8. Blackberry Kumquat Cardamom Jam from Jen Barthell who writes Neighborhood Foodie from San Diego.

9. Pickled Chayote Slaw from Renée Joslyn who writes Flamingo Musings from South Miami, FL.

10. Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper inspired by Molly Wizenberg's book, A Homemade Life, from my friend and colleague, Elizabeth Brookbank in Seattle, WA.

11. Mango Magma Salsa from Erica Bruielly who writes The Gritty Girl Blog from Northwest Ohio.

12. Zucchini Chips from Julianne Puckett who writes Adventures of the Kitchen Ninja from Jericho, VT way up in the North Country.

13. Caramelized Onion Jam from Leena Trivedi-Grenier who writes Leena Eats from Oakland, CA - my old stomping grounds!

14. Spiced Peach Jam from Teresa Riley who writes a blog called PaperOnParade from Asheville, NC.

15. Sicilian Tomato Sauce from Angela Hallisy who writes Cooking For Peace of Mind from Warren, MI.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad With Black Beans, Corn & Peppers

After getting off to a shaky start several years ago, my relationship with quinoa has blossomed into something beautiful. I find that its mild, nutty flavor goes well with pretty much everything and I love dressing it up in various costumes.

This simple salad has a decidedly southwestern feel to it - black beans, sweet corn, crunchy red peppers and a generous dose of fresh cilantro, lime juice and cumin. Mmmmmm....

It's easy, tasty, filling and remarkably good for you -- what's not to love, eh? Although I did not have any on hand when I made my salad, I've included tomatoes and feta cheese in the recipe below as they'd both be very welcome additions.

I'd write more but our son keeps waking up at an ungodly hour in the morning so I am feeling a bit less lyrical than usual and also need to keep things short so I can go research toddler alarm clocks - a brilliant invention  designed to keep your child in bed longer by telling them when it's okay to get up and when they need to sit tight because it's only, say, 4:45 AM...

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients

For the salad:
* 1 cup organic quinoa, rinsed and drained
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup cooked sweet corn kernels
* 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 small red or green bell pepper, de-seeded, de-stemmed and chopped
* 1 medium tomato, chopped
* 1/4 -1/2 cup minced red onion
* 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed, dried and coarsely chopped
* 1/2 cup feta cheese (optional)

For the dressing:
* 4 Tbsps fresh lime juice, or to taste
* 2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
* 4 Tbsps olive oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 Tbsp honey or agave
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil, then stir in the quinoa, lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cover for 15-20 minutes until done - you'll know the quinoa is ready when you see the little white "tail" of the germ around the outside edge of each seed.

If you're starting to see the little white tails but the quinoa seems too soggy, remove the lid for the last few minutes of cooking. And if the water is all gone but the tails are not visible yet, add a little more water and simmer for a few more minutes, covered. Then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, you can make the dressing. Place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine.

3. Once the quinoa has cooled down and the dressing is ready, it's time to put it all together. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss well to make sure everything is equally coated. Top with more cilantro leaves and if you've got a ripe avocado lying around, cut it up and lay those lovely green slices on top before serving.

You might also like these recipes from the Garden of Eating:

• Lemon-Scented Quinoa With Tahini and Chickpeas
• Sweet Corn Tomato & Basil Salad
• Cumin-Scented Quinoa With Grated Beets Topped With Quick Curried Chickpeas
• Quinoa & Spinach Gratin 

Or these yummy-looking quinoa recipes from other bloggers:

• Quinoa Salad With Roasted Beets, Chickpeas & Orange from Gluten-Free Goddess
• Quinoa and Shrimp with Fresh Corn & Cherry Tomatoes from Susan at Food Blogga
• Quinoa With Currants, Dill & Zucchini from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks

Homemade Maraschino Cherries

I don't care how gauche or tacky they are, I LOVE maraschino cherries. I love them so much that I even eat the stems, in fact, crunching through the woody stems may be my favorite part.

My love affair with maraschinos dates back to our first meeting -- I was seven years old and my family had gone out for dinner to one of our favorite restaurants, The Little Bear, a then-newish Chinese restaurant perched on the side of a stream in Woodstock, NY. My parents let me order my first Shirley Temple. I've always had a much larger than average sweet tooth so the pink-tinted beverage was like heaven in a glass... And the crowning glory was the big maraschino cherry perched daintily atop the ice, practically glowing an unnatural and alluring shade of red. I made short work of it, stem and all.

And I've never looked back since. But I have since become much more aware of all the yucky, no doubt noxious ingredients in most maraschino cherries - red dye number 5 million, high fructose corn syrup, etc., etc. And I have always wanted to try making maraschinos myself so when I saw this simple recipe on the blog In Jennie's Kitchen, I knew the time had come.

I ran out the next day and purchased a big load of cherries at Sunfrost and a cherry pitter from the new kitchen shop in town, Diane's Kitchen.

The process of making my own maraschinos was surprisingly quick and easy. The pitting did not take long though I was a bit surprised by how violent it seemed. No doubt this impression was enhanced by cherry juice's strong resemblance to blood... Our sink and the surrounding areas looked like the set of Apocalypse Now by the time I was done. And my apron will never be the same...

But it took mere minutes to juice the lemons while I heated the cherry juice, water and sugar until the sugar had dissolved completely.

Then I tossed in the cherries, lemon juice and pure almond extract and cooked them briefly - no need to cook for very long if you plan to can them since the cherries will get cooked for 10 minutes during the hot water process.

Meanwhile, I sterilized my jars in my canning pot and got things ready for the brief canning that followed. 15 minutes later, two jars of maraschinos were cooling on the counter. And now we can set sail on the Good Shop Lollipop!

A note that this is all a fry cry from real maraschino cherries which were originally made from a type of sour cherry grown in Croatia called a Marasca cherry. The Croats crushed their Marascas to make a sweet liqueur which I am guessing derived its almond-like flavor from the cherry pits. And the cherries that were then preserved in that liqueur were called Maraschino cherries. But since I am not interested in liquor-soaked cherries, the bastardization does not bother me one bit.

Another important note -- you should enter Can You Can It? - my awesome canning contest. You could win a set of wonderful Weck canning jars or a copy of Put 'Em Up - my favorite canning and preserving cookbook! But hurry up - the deadline to enter is Wednesday, August 17th.

Homemade Maraschino Cherries (adapted from Nick Mautone's book Raising the Bar)

Makes one quart

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup (125 ml) water

* 1/2 cup (125 ml) black cherry or concord grape juice

* 1/2 cup (4 ounces) natural cane sugar

* Freshly juice (3 tablespoons/1 1/2 ounces/50 ml) of 1 lemon

* 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

* 2 cups (9 1/2 ounces/266 grams) sweet bing cherries, pitted

Directions

1. Add the water, cherry or grape juice and sugar to a 2-quart pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook 1 to 2 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the lemon juice, extract and cherries. Cook 5 minutes to let the cherries absorb the flavors, then remove the pot from the heat.

2. Transfer to a clean sterilized jar and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes for long-term storage, or just put the jar in the fridge if you plan on using them within one month.

You might also like these cherry recipes from other folks:

• Cherry Pit Liqueur from Julia at What Julia Ate
• Chocolate Black Cherry Sundae Topping from Canning Homemade
• Cherry Pie Filling from Megan at Stetted
• Sour Cherry Jam from Marisa at Food In Jars

Or these yummy desserts from The Garden of Eating:

• Candied Bergamot, Meyer Lemon & Blood Orange Peels
• Chocolate Raspberry Tart
• Meyer Lemon Sorbet
• Wild Blackberry Sorbet With Lavender & Garden Mint

Savory Corn Fritters

I whipped up a batch of savory corn fritters for lunch. They were such fun to eat - crispy fried edges, sweet corn kernels, with a nice hint of herbs and sharp cheddar cheese.

The idea to make fritters had come on gradually. We had grilled the six ears of corn we received from our CSA, Hearty Roots Community Farm, a few nights ago. I'd cut the kernels off the uneaten cobs with the intention of using it to make something tasty. We'd also received two gorgeous red peppers in that same haul of fresh veggies from the farm. But what to make to properly honor these fine summertime ingredients?

I found myself thinking about these delicious sweet corn fritters my mom used to make for breakfast. Fritters sounded fun, but I wanted to put a savory twist on them. So I looked around for inspiration. Food 52 offered an intriguing recipe for cheddar corn fritters but it seemed a lot sweeter than what I was looking for so after checking the Joy of Cooking (my fall back resource for any untried recipe), I decided to wing it.

The result was damn good, if I do say so myself. Not that I can take much credit, I feel like food more or less speaks for itself at this time of the year.

I served these crispy little corn zeppole with a big dollop of plain yogurt, a spoonful of mango ginger chutney and a very simple salad of fresh cucumbers and the first ripe tomatoes (which were amazing!) from our garden, tossed with olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper.

It was hard to stop eating them... Hope you enjoy!

Savory Corn Fritters

Serves 4

Ingredients

* 2-3 cups of cooked corn kernels

* 2 eggs, beaten

* 1 cup flour

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 1 onion, chopped

* Large handful fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley, thyme - whatever you have on hand), washed and chopped

* 1 red pepper, washed, de-stemmed, de-seeded and chopped

* 1/2 - 1 cup milk

* 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

* 1 tsp sea salt

* Several grinds fresh black pepper

* 1/2 - 1 cup canola or peanut oil for frying

Directions

1. Sautée the onion in some oil until translucent. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the corn, red pepper, onion, herbs, cheese, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, eggs and milk. Stir until well mixed. If the batter does not seem wet enough, add more milk until the consistency is loose.

2. Add the canola or peanut oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat until a drop of batter sizzles when you drop it in. Drop the batter in one large spoonful at a time. Fry until brown, 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper bag.

3. Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a spoonful of chutney or applesauce.

You might also like:

• Tomato Corn Pie With Butter-Brushed Biscuit Crust
• Zucchini Fritters
• Sweet Corn and Zucchini Gratin with Fresh Basil
• Chopped Summer Salad
• Sweet Corn, Tomato & Basil Salad

Can You Can It? Yes, You Can!

'Tis the season for canning! Raspberries, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, peppers, peaches and more are bursting off the vine/stalk/cane/tree in massive amounts, begging to be preserved for the leaner winter months ahead.

So the time is "ripe" to announce Can You Can It? - a canning and preserving contest I'm hosting right here on this little ol' bloggeroo.

Here's how it works:

1. Find something you want to can or preserve - sky is the limit! And don't feel hemmed in by jars, drying and freezing are fair game, too.
2. Once you've done the deed, take a photo of whatever you've canned and write down the recipe.
3. If you've got a blog, post it there and be sure to link back to this post from yours. Feel free to include the Can You Can It? logo if you like - you can find far too many versions of it here - sorry, I went a little Andy Warhol...
4. Then send me an email at gardenofeatingblog at gmail dot com with the following information:

• Your name
• Your location
• Name of your blog, if you have one
• URL of your blog post (if you don't have a blog, just send me the recipe in place of the link to your post)
• Photo of your canned creation (max width 500 pixels, please send in .jpg or .gif format)

Entries must be received by August 17th. I'll post the roundup on August 22, followed by a week for public voting to determine the winners.

Oh yeah, and the prizes! Take a look at what a little canning can win you...

First Prize - a set of Weck canning jars ($30 value). These are the bomb! Not only are they pretty and wonderfully reusable, but their glass lid and clip system also means you don't have to worry about BPA exposure. This prize comes courtesy of Mighty Nest - a wonderful company that specializes in safe, non-toxic products for your whole family.

Second Prize - a copy of Put 'Em Up - A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook by Sherri Brooks Vinton and my favorite canning and preserving cookbook. This prize comes courtesy of Storey Publishing - an awesome company that publishes great titles.

Am I dangling a big enough carrot to get you to start sterilizing some jars?

Not sure how to get started? If you need any tips, check out this how-to post.

Looking forward to your recipes and photos. 

The contest has ended but you can click here to view the entries or here to see who won the first and second prizes.