East of Eden Cooking

2017/04/192018/01/09

Quick Pickled Strawberries and a Kale Salad

Quick Pickled Strawberries and a Salad to Remember

The word got around when a girl really wanted to know.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

More strawberries? Why yes, but savory this time. It’s spring and local berries make me insanely happy. April’s Food in Jars Mastery Challenge is quick pickling. All manner of vegetables can be pickled, with a variety of vinegars, spices and herbs. I’ve shared quick picking before, spicy red onions and earthy beets. But pickling sweet berries was an entirely new concept. When I read about Quick Pickled Strawberries I was intrigued. I had to give it a try. And wow, what a pop of flavor! Sweet and tangy, all at the same time. A salad to remember, Quick-pickled Strawberries are perfectly matched to the robust flavor and texture of kale.

Essentials

If you’re losing interest in salads, listen up, quick pickling will have you not only making healthy salads again, but craving salads again. The time it takes to make quick pickles is minimal. The tangy flavor boost quick pickles offer is nothing short of amazing. Quick pickling is not hours spent in the kitchen, chopping tons of vegetables or using canning gear. Quick pickling can be fifteen minutes of meal prep to jump start a week of healthy salads. All that is needed is a spotlessly clean jar with a tight fitting lid, vinegar and salt. The barest hint of sugar and spice add to the intrigue. The choice of what to pickle is entirely up to you. READ MORE . . .

2017/04/072018/02/09

Berry Basket Cake

With Fallen Meringue and Lemon Curd

“Adam started. He sighed deeply. Isn’t it too simple? he asked. I’m always afraid of simple things. It isn’t simple at all, sad Lee. It’s desperately complicated. But at the end there’s light.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The first strawberries of spring have arrived. I always say I’ll wait until later in the season to buy them. They will be much sweeter then. But then I cave, and buy them anyway. I’m glad I brought home two baskets. As soon as I was home, I ate almost an entire basket standing at the sink. I was too greedy to wait. The berries were much better than I imagined. But then, my winter tastebuds are hungry for spring. READ MORE . . .

2017/03/282018/02/09

Pomegranate Jelly with Balsamic Vinegar

An Easy Jelly Making Adventure

“The Trasks were well established in Salinas. Lee, once he had given up his brackish bookish dream, made a new kind of place for himself in the house beside Reynaud’s bakery. On the ranch his possessions had never really been unpacked, for Lee had lived poised to go someplace else. Here, for the first time in his life, he built a home for himself, feathered with comfort and permanence.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

This months’ Food In Jars Mastery Challenge was just the motivation I needed to try making a jelly I’ve thought about making many times, Pomegranate Jelly with just a hint of balsamic vinegar. Not enough balsamic vinegar to taste, but enough to add depth, a mystery flavor, to the naturally tangy pomegranate. Jelly now gone rogue, somewhat sweet and very spreadable, a fitting accompaniment to toast and crackers. What I really, really like about this jelly is its’ use in either sweet or savory applications. It’s somewhat akin to cranberry sauce or lingonberry jelly. Definitely making this very easy Pomegranate Jelly recipe for the winter holiday season. Cranberries take a rest, a new flavor has arrived. READ MORE . . .

2017/03/192018/01/09

Quick Pickled Beets and an Orange Salad

Quick Pickled Beets Bring More Flavor

Samuel took a big swallow and tilted his head back. I see what you mean. That is good. Here are some sandwiches, pickles, cheese and a can of buttermilk.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Pickled vegetables and particularly pickled beets,can add an immense boost of flavor to salads. This is an idea worth exploring. More flavor without more calories is always worth the time. I tried the “Use a Spoon” Chopped Salad from Paul Newman’s restaurant, The Dressing Room, in Food 52’s Genius Recipes. My favorite part of the salad was the pickled carrots, celery and bell pepper. I wanted more. Quick pickling beets turned out fabulously.

Essentials

It is just as easy to cook and pickle two bunches of beets as it is to prepare one batch. By making a double batch of the pickled beets there were plenty for this salad, and more to use during the week for another salad. The leftover vinegar can be used to make a bright red vinaigrette. All this multi use, cooking for the week ahead, is just the timesaving I crave. Homemade, healthy and with immense flavor, a winning kitchen strategy for the always busy cook. READ MORE . . .

2017/03/092018/02/09

Lime Snowball Cookies

Sweet Limes

“ At noon on March 15 Tom sat on the bench outside the forge. The sunny morning was over, and gray water bearing clouds sailed over the mountains from the ocean, and their shadows slid under them on the bright earth.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

It took me almost three weeks to score these organic, tree-ripened Bearss limes. So yes, I do have more #CitrusLove to share. If you prefer lemons over limes, I know why. The dark green limes at the grocery store are so sour they often are bitter. These limes are picked before they mature. If limes are left on the tree to ripen, they are less bitter, similar to a tangy lemon. Ripe limes often are yellow too. A tree ripened Bearss lime is sweeter, seedless and often pale yellow. A Bearss lime can also be known as a Tahitian lime or Persian lime. If you can find sweet limes, take them home with you. It’s quite the winter surprise. READ MORE . . .