This fruit spread recipe is a sister to the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe.  I took notice that the syrup recipe did not spell out to discard the fruit after it was drained.  I tasted the berries and thought they just needed a little extra sugar and they could easily to be converted to a spread.  I couldn't bare to throw them out, it didn't seem fittin'.

HERE'S WHAT I DID

• 8 cups cooked & drained blueberries from the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine all the ingredients, except lemon juice and cook until the blueberries are cooked down and thickened, 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Ladle fruit spread into a sterile glass 1 pint jar and cover with lid and band.  Process in water canner for 10 minutes if you want to store in pantry and eat later.  Or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  It will go fast.  Trust me.

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Raichlen notes there are several possibilities for chili powder; ancho or New Mexico chili powder for mild fajitas; chipotle chili powder for something spicier.  Whatever you use, be sure it's pure chili powder and NOT a blend.

HERE IT IS

• 1/4 cup paprika
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons pure chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork.  Transfer to a jar, cover, and store away from heat and light.  The rub will keep for several months.  Makes 1 cup.

Variation--

To make a wet rub, add 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons olive oil to the rub and stir to make a thick paste.  Spread this mixture on the meat and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour before grilling.

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Think of a blueberry syrup that you would use to make fresh fruit sodas or stir into a milkshake, yogurt or ice cream.  This recipe makes a thin, flavor packed syrup, not a thick pancake syrup.  Now with that being said, let me just say this stuff is GRRRRR-EAT!  The kiddos and I have been enjoying blueberry sodas made with 1 part blueberry syrup and 2 parts club soda on ice.  They LOVE mixing up their own drinks and away they go.  I feel good knowing they're drinking a carbonated soda free of high-fructose corn syrup and unnecessary ingredients.  We're back to the basics, blueberries, water, sugar, carbonated soda.  Everyone is happy!

Before I start explaining the steps to canning the syrup, I just realized we could easily store the cooled syrup in freezer containers and freeze it.  Just divide up the syrup in portions that can be consumed in 2 weeks time.  Store thawed or unused syrup in refrigerator.

Now if you've never tried home canning, this is a super simple recipe to begin with.  Don't be scared.  It's too easy. And so long as you follow the instructions, you can't go wrong and make anyone ill.  Let's just have fun with the whole experience.

TOOLS & JARS

• wide mouth funnel
• magnetic lid lifter
• vinyl coated jar lifter
• vinyl coated tongs
  All easily obtained from an inexpensive canning kit. I paid $10 for mine.

TOOLS continued

• tall, large stockpot with lid and cooking rack
  I happen to have a 30 quart stockpot with a strainer basket. Works great.
• 4 pint (16 ounce) glass preserving jars
• 4 lids and bands
• cooking thermometer that registers over 230ºF
• large saucepan
• small saucepan
• tea towel or jelly bag, dampened
• wire mesh strainer
• large bowl
• stirring spoon
• clean towel

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups blueberries (about 3 1/2 pounds)
• 6 cups water, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

HERE'S WHAT TO DO

Combine blueberries, 2 cups of water and lemon zest in a large stainless steel saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.

Transfer to a dampened tea towel or a strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth set over a deep bowl.  Let drip, undisturbed for at least 2 hours.  Save the drained blueberries to make a delicious blueberry spread.

Prepare boiling water canner.  Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use.  Do not boil.  Set bands aside.

Combine sugar and remaining 4 cups of water in a clean large stainless steel saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and cook until temperature reaches 230ºF, adjusting for altitude.  Add blueberry juice.  Increase heat to high, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice.

Ladle hot syrup into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe rim.  Center lid on jar.  Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.  Remove jars and cool.  Check lids for seal after 24 hours.  Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

While you have everything out and the water canner is still hot, you may as well use those leftover blueberries to make a fruit spread for your morning toast or over your yogurt.  You know what Memaw used to say, "Waste not, want not."

Blueberry Spread Recipe

If you would like to watch a veteran home-canner in the kitchen, then watch my mentor Linda Tanton in this video.  In the video she's cooking up a Cucumber Relish to be canned.  The tools and steps for canning are the virtually the same.  She shows us just how simple it is.

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My good friend, Mark, asked me over the Summer if I would steep a batch on Limoncello.  I had never tasted it but remembered that scene from the movie Under the Tuscan Sun when Diane Lane drinks it with her new Italian friend on the beach.  Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that is served well chilled.  It is meant to cleanse the palate after dinner or served as an after dinner drink.  It is to be consumed in a very small amount.  The strong, refreshing lemon flavor married with the simple sugar syrup makes it easy for the vodka to go down.  Mark brought over 100 proof vodka and the recipe and I started to work on the Italian concoction.

It takes a full 80 days to have the fullest lemon vodka flavor from this recipe.  There's two stages of steeping that last 40 days each.  The original recipe said 30 days works, too, but 40 is better.  Locate a cool, dark place to store the jar during the stages.  My bedroom closet was the perfect spot in my house.

HERE'S WHAT IT TAKES

• A large 1 gallon glass container with lid, like a pickle jar, sterilized
• 15 small size lemons
• 2 (750 ml) bottles 100 or 80 proof vodka, save the bottles
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 5 cups water
• extra sterile bottles or jars with lids for storing in the freezer

Wash the lemons and pat dry.  Carefully shave off the lemon's rind without picking up the white pith.  The white pith is bitter and said to spoil the lemon vodka concoction.  It's almost impossible not to get a little white in the mix, but try to keep it to a very minimum.

Finding the right tools to remove the rind was by trial and error for me.  Because the recipe I was following said to "zest", I naturally started with a microplane zester.  That made fine particles of zest that made me worry I would not be able to strain out later.  Then I tried a vegetable peeler, it picked up more pith and was hard to make thin shavings. Finally, I settled on my trusty pairing knife.  I had a much easier time getting under the rind and moving over the small lemons much quicker.  This step takes time.  Time enough to watch a Jane Austin film on Netflix on my laptop while I shaved lemons.  The large pickle jar shown in the picture was my vessel of choice for my home brew.  It turned out to be just large enough to hold all the liquid.

STEP ONE
In the large jar, add one bottle of vodka to the lemon rinds.  Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for 40 days in a cool dark place.  There is no need to stir.  All you have to do is wait.  Meanwhile, the vodka slowly takes on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon rinds.

STEP TWO

41st DAY In a large saucepan, stir 4 cups of sugar into 5 cups of water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until all the sugar is dissolved and syrup thickens.  Allow the syrup to cool before adding to the lemon-vodka jar.  Add the second bottle of vodka. Give a light stir and cover with lid.  Allow to rest for another 40 days.

STEP THREE

80th DAY Notice the lemon peels sink to the bottom of the jar.  Use a clean tea towel over a strainer to strain lemon vodka, discarding the lemon peels.  Bottle Limoncello and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

This makes A LOT of Lemon Vodka, so plan to share it out to friends and family.  A little goes a LONG way.  This recipe would make great gifts to all those who appreciate homemade foods.

The Limoncello turned out a beautiful bright yellow with a surprisingly fresh taste. We threw an Italian potluck dinner to celebrate. A few of us, not accustomed to drinking liqueurs, were completely surprised by the light and fresh taste. And even though we were drinking straight vodka, it was extremely smooth and sweet. It was not difficult to take it in and appreciate.

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Now this fajita rub recipe is an adaptation from the most trusted grill master, Steven Raichlen.  I've never had one of his recipe turn South on me.  In fact, his recipes make me look like rock star.  I didn't have the exact ingredients his recipe called for, I had to improvise instead.   In the end, all was a success and the men-folk went ga-ga over the fajitas!  Everyone uttered groans of happiness with cheeks filled with smokey spicy beef entwined with grilled onions and bell peppers.  Oh what a dinner!

HERE'S THE WET RUB
Makes plenty for 2 pounds of skirt steak.

• 1/3 cup onion
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons neutral tasting oil, plus more for coating meat

• 2 tablespoons New Mexico Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoons course salt
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
• 3/4 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Chihuahua de Mexico smoked salt (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried cilantro or 2 tablespoons fresh
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Process the onion, garlic and oil in a one cup food processor until they practically pureed.  Add in all the remaining ingredients and blend well.

Arrange the meat in a glass baking dish.  Massage the wet rub into and onto both sides of the meat, be generous and completely coat the meat.  Drizzle a little extra oil over the both sides of the meat to prevent sticking when it's time to grill.  Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Use this smokey combination of spices on skirt steaks, chicken breasts, or whatever other food you plan to grill for the fajitas.  Cover and marinate in frig for 30 minutes to 2 hours before grilling.

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This recipe is about the marinade I soaked the chicken boobs in.  That colorful vegetable medley on the side is Sweet & Zesty Fiesta Salad.  It works as an addictive dip or a beautiful side to the chicken.  I've also eaten it all by itself for a light lunch.  It's very versatile.

As for the marinade, the perky lime juice mingles with the fresh onion and spicy garlic.  The parsley and rosemary add color and a fresh taste of bright green to the chicken.  All together, they make an incredibly flavorful chicken that only needs a hot grill to finish it off.  You could easily roast the chicken after marinating it, but I like firing up the grill any chance I get.

BRAZILIAN GARLIC-LIME MARINADE
Makes 1 cup; enough to marinate 2 to 3 pounds of meat.

• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, enough to make 1/3 cup
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

Place garlic, onion and salt in a 1-cup food processor until finely chopped.  Scrape into dish or bag you will use to marinate meat.  Add the lime juice, vinegar, parsley and rosemary.  The marinade taste best used within a few hours of making.

Use this marinade for pork, chicken or lamb.  Marinate thin cuts of meat (steaks, chops, and chicken boobs), covered in the frig for 1 to 2 hours; larger cuts of meat, such as pork loins or shoulders, for 6 to 8 hours or even overnight.

IF YOU'RE GRILLING THE CHICKEN

Make SURE to coat the chicken with cooking oil before placing on the grill, to prevent sticking.  Grill chicken as you normally prefer.

IF YOU'RE ROASTING THE CHICKEN

Make sure to coat the chicken with cooking oil.  Heat oven to 350ºF degrees. On a baking sheet covered with heavy duty foil, drizzle and coat breasts with light cooking oil. Bake covered for 35 to 40 minutes for bone-in breasts. For boneless breasts, roast for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness.

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My beautiful friend, Cheryl, brought this incredibly addictive salad slash dip to our party the other night.  She carried it in a BIG ol'bowl.  I thought she might have gone overboard and made too much.  It turned out, she knew exactly how much to make.   We couldn't get enough of this tangy sweet collage of goodness.  We walked past it dipping our chips all night long.  And when it was time to eat our grilled fajitas, we went back to the bowl to make it a condiment. I was lucky there was just enough leftover that I could photograph it in good light the next day.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 (14 oz.) can shoe peg corn with liquid
• 1 (14 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 oz.) can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small jar diced pimentos with liquid
• 2 bell peppers, red, green, yellow or mix, cored, seeded, medium diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 cup celery, finely diced (optional)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely diced

Mix all the vegetables in a large bowl.

• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In small saucepan over medium heat, bring remaining ingredients to a boil.  Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat evenly.  Marinade in the fridge 4 hours or overnight.

Serve with tortilla chips as a dip.  Most scrumptious as a condiment with fajitas or as a side salad

Makes 10 cups.

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I lurv asparagus right up there with spinach.  Don't you?  I have eaten it snapped off fresh, coming out of the ground.  Of course, I prefer it sauteed in good extra virgin oil with a few cloves of garlic and seasoned with fresh ground pepper.  *mouth watering*

HERES ALL IT TAKES

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & fresh pepper to taste

Prep asparagus by snapping off the thick ends.  Just bend the bottom stalk and it will naturally snap off, discard thick ends.  Wash thoroughly.  Peel and slice garlic cloves.

Heat oil in a medium fry pan on medium heat until oil is shimmering but not smoking.  Add asparagus and garlic and cook until garlic has soften and lightly tan, 4 to 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then serve hot.

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I want to take this opportunity to tell you about my friends, Nathan and Ellen Melson.  Nathan and Ellen operate Sloans Creek Farm in Dodd City, Texas.  I met them back in March 2009 when the Sulphur Springs Farmers Market bloomed in its first season.  They are a very cool couple raising and selling grass-fed meats and marketing their hard work around the Dallas/East Texas area.

Nathan and Ellen raise heritage animal breeds such as Red Poll Cattle, Irish Dexter Cattle, Murray Grey Cattle, St. Croix Hair Sheep, Myotonic Meat Goats, and Red Wattle Hogs.  Their animals eat grass and forage freely on the farm.  Their hogs are pastured on soil and grass where they can root around, wallow in the mud, and compliment there grain based diet as they see fit with grass, roots, bugs, and worms. This is just as swine were intended to be raised.  The animals are not injected with hormones or subtherapeutic antibiotics.  Sloan Creek Farm is a non-certified organic, family farm.  And family farms care more about their animals, the environment, and the local economy.

Do you think organic foods and grass fed meats are expensive?  For someone like me, a consumer accustomed to low meat prices, at first it was difficult to agree on paying a higher price for grass-fed meats.  I wanted my family to eat healthy foods; I just wasn't ready to pay the price.  That was until we TASTED the difference.  I kid you not.  There is a distinctive difference in the aroma and flavors of grass-fed meats compared to large feed lot finished meats.  For example, fresh ground beef from grass-fed cattle actually smells clean and fragrant.  There's very little fat and I don't feel compelled to cover it with spices so it can taste like something else.  And let me tell you about the pork!  Oh wait.  I told you about the pork chops when I wrote, Grilled Boneless Pork Chops. Well, I feel the same way about pastured raised chickens.  I stopped buying grocery store chickens last year and there's no way I'm turning back.

I've learned something about myself and paying more for higher quality.  I don't waste food.  I use just what I need and save & stretch the good stuff out as long as I can.  I've learned, and still learning, how to preserve higher quality foods in the freezer and by canning.  Delicious fresh food raised by family farms is the way to go, my friends.  I'm not saying the grocery store is a bad place.  I still need the grocery store, but not for everything.

Farmers' markets are fantastic places to meet and get to know where your next meal is coming from.  I realize that as I write this article, it is the end of October.  Most farmers' market are closed and the growing season is over.  We still need the grocery store to get us through until next spring.  But not all is lost.  Fresh meats are still available!

Sloans Creek Farm is prepared for the holidays and has plenty of meats on stock.  Take a few minutes to read through their website, and download their Price List.  Then, call and order so you can taste the difference like I have.

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Oh the joy of discovering excellent recipes!  My heart is full with happiness and my stomach cannot wait to taste this nurturing soup again.  I wish I could claim full credit, but I cannot.  This is the fine work of Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.  The original recipe is called Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup.

It serves 6 to 8, easy.  I enjoyed it twice in one day last weekend, it's so smooth and satisfying. It's called creamless AND creamy because the recipe does not call for heavy cream or half-n-half.  The creamy texture comes from using 3 slices of sandwich bread.  I kid you not, it's the secret ingredient to its success.  My family didn't have a clue; they didn't even ask.  They just slurped it down as they groaned over their bowls.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

If half of the soup fills your blender by more than two-thirds, process the soup in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step.

The original recipe is called Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup, published September 1, 2008, from Cook's Illustrated.com.

MY COOKING NOTES:

• I wanted to use my very favorite canned tomatoes, San Marzano whole plum tomatoes.  They're sweet with the right level of acidity for soups and sauces.  They cost more than the average can of whole tomatoes, but they're worth it when I need a tomato sauce to stand alone.  I use the other brand tomatoes for chilis and salsas.  Taste them for yourself and you'll know where I'm coming from.
• I saved the pinch of red pepper flakes as the last seasoning before serving the grown ups.  I was afraid the heat would be noticeable to the kiddos.  I wanted them to love this soup and didn't need reasons for them not to like it.
• I skipped the brandy.  No one in my family has ever tasted it.  I don't keep it on hand.  So, I figured no one would know it was missing. Right?
• I didn't have onion chives, but I did have garlic chives from the herb garden.  They were perfect.
• I used my immersion blender to puree the tomato-bread mixture.  Then I passed it through a mesh strainer before adding the broth.  This removed the seeds and stray bits of tomato skins, along with taking the soup to the next smoothest texture.  It makes all the big difference in making the soup feel creamy in the mouth.  It's worth it when I take the extra 3 minutes to strain the soup.
• Next time, I'm doubling the recipe so I can freeze servings for make-ahead-lunches.  Since there's no dairy involved, this recipe is sure to hold up for future meals.

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