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

I've been thinking about making this spread ever since my friend, Kirsten, who is an excellent and adventurous cook, made something very similar to it at a lavish Moroccan-themed dinner party she hosted a while back, when we all lived in Berkeley.

But my son was born a few months later and everything kind of went to hell what with adjusting to motherhood and the resulting horrendous sleep deprivation 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, Dr. Ferber!)

I was primarily inspired by Kirsten's use of blood orange juice and chipotles -- 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 I like their smoky flavor and relatively mild spice level and because I love 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...)

-- print recipe --

Spicy-Sweet Moroccan Chickpea Spread With Blood Orange

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients

* 1 can (1 ½ cups) cooked chickpeas

* 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 or maple syrup

* 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
• Warm, Spiced Chickpea & Arugula Salad
• Cumin-Scented Quinoa With Grated Beets Topped With Quick Curried Chickpeas

For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Just a note 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.