Can-O-Rama: Italian Tomato Sauce

While September may signal back to school for most, for me it’s indelibly linked with something else – the smell of tomato sauce. September meant bushels of tomatoes in the backyard, the back porch spread with even more to further ripen in the sun; huge pots bubbling on the stoves in the kitchen and the basement; jar after gleaming jar filling the tiny kitchen table; and most of all, my parents, working as a tag team, up early and well into the night, conversation sparse, focused on the task at hand.

After trying plum jam with success, it seemed time to honour my parents’ memory by making my own tomato sauce.  And, like my parents, it was a team effort, me and Rich both chopping, stirring, and tasting the afternoon away.  For such a simple thing, there are seemingly a million ways to make the sauce, all sanctioned by legions of Italian nonnas.  I'm looking forward to perfecting our very own tried and tested technique in the years to come.

Italian Tomato Sauce
makes approx 6 litres

This excellent sauce will form the essential basis to any great tomato or meat sauce. It’s deliberately salt and seasoning free, the better to leave a blank canvas upon which you can create your own sauce masterpieces.

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
1 bushel San Marzano or Roma tomatoes

Citric acid, ½ tsp for each 1 litre jar
1 large bunch fresh basil (optional)

We searched high and low for San Marzano tomatoes - the ultimate plum tomato

Equipment:
Before plunging into sauce making, prep your equipment. You may want to have a jar or two extra on hand in case your tomatoes yield more.  This website provides a great "Canning 101" and will give you lots more information if you're interested.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 8 1 litre Mason jars
• 8 jar lids and screw bands
• Tongs
• Canning funnel
• A stockpot to cook the sauce. I used a 14 litre capacity pot, and had to make the tomatoes in two batches. Depending on your budget and ambition, you can scale up or down.
• A canner to seal the jars

Tongs, jars and a canning funnel: canning essentials

1. Prep your equipment. Clean and sterilise your jars by washing them in warm soapy water and rinsing thoroughly; putting the through a quick wash cycle in the dishwasher is even easier and ensures sterilization. Set aside on a clean tea towel.

2. Wash and sort tomatoes. Trim, core and cut into quarters.

3. Put two cups of tomato quarters into an oversized stockpot. Bring to a boil. Using a potato masher, crush the tomatoes to release the juices.

4. Add more tomato quarters, two cups at a time, bringing to boil and crushing as before. Continue adding tomatoes until your pot reaches capacity. You may need to cook the tomatoes in two batches. At this point, cook an additional ten minutes until the tomatoes are completely soft. Cool slightly.

5. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill to separate the seeds and the skin from the puree. Put the tomato puree back into the stockpot (be sure to rinse the pot of any stray seeds or skin). Bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and continue to cook at a rolling boil until the puree is reduced by a third (about one to one and half hours). For a thicker sauce, continue boiling until reduced by half.

6. While the puree is cooking, finish prepping your canning equipment. Wash the lids and the bands. Keep the lids hot in a small pot of simmering water. Fill your canner with water, add the clean Mason jars, and put on the stove over medium high heat to begin heating the water. The water will eventually need to be brought to a boil.

7. When the sauce is ready, you’re ready to can! Using the tongs, carefully lift a jar out of the canner, emptying the water back into the canner. Set the hot jar on a tea towel and place a sprig of basil in the jar. (Note: my mother always slipped a sprig of basil in each jar, but that strong oils will definitely change the flavour profile of your sauce.  For pure tomato goodness, eliminate the basil).

8. Place the funnel on top of the jar and put a ladleful of hot sauce into the jar. Add ½ tsp citric acid and continue filling the jar, stopping ½ inch from the top.

9. Run a small spatula or skewer around the inside of the jar to release any air bubbles. Wipe the top of the jar to remove any bits of sauce.

10. Carefully remove a hot lid from the pot and place firmly on the jar. Screw a band on until just fingertip tight. Place the jar back in the canner ran proceed with remaining jars.

11. Once the jars are all done, bring the water in the canner to a boil, ensuring the water is at least one inch above the tops of the jars. When the water boils, cover the canner and process the jars for 40 minutes.

12. Take the jars out carefully with tongs and place on a tea towel. Let rest for 24 hours and test to ensure the seal is firm.

Buon appetito!

Summer Cornucopia: Heirloom Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad with Marjoram

The dog days of summer are here, and as hot sultry August becomes September, the hot days are redeemed by the abundance of the season.  Although shrink-wrapped corn is available year round, it's only now that I want to buy the crunchy, milky ears.  And while it's dead simple to boil an ear or two and douse them with butter and salt, these beauties deserve a gourmet treatment.

Paired with über ripe heirloom tomatoes, dabs of lemony scented sheep's milk cheese and fresh marjoram, this salad is super easy and addictive.

Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad with Marjoram
serves four

4 large leaves butter lettuce
3 ears of corn, silk and husks removed
1 dozen heirloom cherry tomatoes
2-3 medium heirloom tomatoes; choose red, orange, yellow
¼ c olive oil
½ tbsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp fine sea salt, more to taste
Coarse black pepper to taste
⅛ c chopped fresh marjoram, plus a sprig or two for garnish
½ c soft sheep or goat milk cheese (I used Blossom from Monforte Dairy; if you can find a soft cheese with lemon zest, try it - it will give your salad a subtle zing)

1.  Line a platter with the lettuce leaves and set aside.

2.  Grill the ears of corn until they are lightly charred.  Cool, cut the kernels off and place in a medium bowl.

3.  Add the cherry tomatoes, cutting the larger ones in two, and add to the corn.  Add half the olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper and toss lightly to combine.  Spread the mixture over the platter.

4.  Slice the larger heirloom tomatoes and place them on top of the tomato-corn mixture.  Dab the cheese on top, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the platter, and sprinkle a bit more salt on top of the sliced tomatoes.  Garnish with marjoram sprigs and serve.

Summer never tasted so good

Plum Crazy: Rich and Delicious Plum Jam

My mother was the queen of preserving. It followed along with her inbred philosophy of using everything and wasting nothing, born from a childhood of barely modest means and hard work. We rarely bought canned anything: tomato sauce came from a Mason jar in the basement, pickles were at the ready, plum jam a year-round staple.

That plum jam seems to play in my memory the most. Rich, gooey and delicious, we used it for everything from thick buttered pieces of Italian bread to stuffing for dessert gnocchi. After a recent attempt at making pierogis, I was inspired to finally try my own version of plum jam, taking advantage of in-season Italian plums. The results were exactly right: as sticky sweet and satisfying as I remember.

Italian Plum Jam
yields 5-6 cups

Without a recipe to follow, I did a quick search online and found that most plum jams are nothing more than plums, sugar and pectin. While I had the jars, the plums and the sugar, I hadn't thought about buying pectin, so this version doesn't use any. This recipe from Taste Hungary provided the inspiration.

Approx 4 lb Italian plums*
8 oz sugar (by weight)
Juice of one lemon
1 cup water (optional)

* For the amount of effort it takes to make the jam, the next time around I'll be using lots more plums and adjusting the sugar accordingly. Stay tuned for details!

Equipment you'll need:

Large heavy non-reactive stockpot
Canning pot or oversized stockpot
Mason jars (4 oz or 8 oz size)
New lids and screwtops
Canning tongs
Canning funnel

Tools of the trade

1. Wash, half and pit the plums. Place in a large, heavy non-reactive stockpot (my Le Creuset was perfect), add the sugar, water if using and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid sticking.

2. While the plums are cooking, prepare the Mason jars. Wash the jars and lids in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly. In a large canning pot (or regular oversized stockpot), place the clean jars, submerge in water and bring to a simmering boil until ready to use.

3. The jam is ready when the plums are completely soft and the liquid has become very thick and syrupy. It took about 3 hours for my 4 lb of plums; probably less time would be required if I hadn't added the water.

Almost ready!

4. To test if the jam is ready to can, place a small saucer in the freezer. When the jam seems to be the right consistency, place a spoonful on the plate and put back in the freezer for one minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate: if the jam runs together, it's not ready; if the funnel you've created with your finger remains separate, the jam is ready to can.

Yum...

5. To can, first prepare the jars. Using the tongs, carefully lift and empty each jar of water, pouring the water back in the stockpot (keep the water simmering, replenishing if needed to ensure that the jars will be completely covered by one inch when placed back in the pot). Place on a clean tea towel.

6. When all of the jars are ready, you're ready to can! Place the funnel in a jar and carefully ladle the hot jam in, being careful to leave a ½" at the top. Wipe any excess jam off the top of the jar, place a lid on the jar, and put a metal band (threaded lid) on, turning so that the band is on securely but not too snugly.

7. Using the tongs, carefully place the filled jars back in the water, and bring to a boil. Be sure that the water is a generous 1 inch above the jars. Boil gently for 10 minutes, remove the jars with the tongs and place on the tea towel. Let the jam cool for 12 hours before storing. Your jam jars will "pop" as they are cooling: this is a good thing! It means the jar is properly sealed. Once the jars are cooled, you can test the seals in the following ways (source: pickyourown.org - see link below):

"Option 1: Press the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed.

Option 2: Tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. A clear ringing sound means a good seal. If it makes a dull sound, the lid is not sealed. If food is in contact with the underside of the lid, it will also cause a dull sound (that is not a problem or a sign of spoilage). If the jar is sealed correctly, it will make a ringing, high-pitched sound.

Option 3: Hold the jar at eye level and look across the lid. The lid should be concave (curved down slightly in the center). If center of the lid is either flat or bulging, it may not be sealed."

For more great tips and a detailed FAQ on home canning, see the Pick Your Own web site.

Happy canning!

Daring Cooks Challenge: Summertime Pierogi

I often wonder about where the love of cooking comes from. Certainly it’s as much about nurture as it is a learned art. Take my friend Vera, for instance. Dinner at her house is never a production, but relaxed and easy. Everything is always delicious and there’s always lots of food, a nod to her Ukrainian heritage and her generous hospitality. We go over hungry and never leave disappointed. Not surprisingly, her mother was also a wonderful cook. And although not every person who’s lucky enough to grow up with an artist in the kitchen translates that ability themselves, with Vera it’s bred in the bone.

Although it was long ago, I can taste her mother’s cooking still – always something ready to serve and abundantly. It’s probably the first time I tasted pierogis – that Eastern European version of the ravioli I was more accustomed to eating. And they were amazing. So I was really excited to read about this month’s Daring Cooks’ Challenge: Pierogis.  The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

Not only was making the pierogis going to be an adventure, but I was also looking forward to creating a stuffing that was uniquely local. I knew I wanted potatoes to be a key ingredient, and Vicki’s Veggies had beautiful new agria potatoes, plus there were shallots that were just the right size.  A bit of kale from Everdale Farm would add healthy colour, Pingue Niagara smoked pancetta would soften the kale’s bitter edge, and I would finish the mixture with Blossom, a creamy sheep’s milk cheese with flecks of lemon zest from Monforte Dairy.

Agria potatoes - top left corner, just below the sign

Everdale's kale is pretty enough to put in a vase and enjoy before eating

Can you see the flecks of lemon zest?

With the ingredients fresh from the market, the pierogi-making adventure began.

Russian style pierogi
makes 4 generous servings, around 30 dumplings

This traditional Polish recipe is Anula's family recipe. The filling is my own.

For dough:
2 to 2½ c all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
About ½ c lukewarm water, more if needed

For filling:
1 lb fleshy potatoes
1 medium bunch kale, washed, tough stems trimmed, chopped roughly
1tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
1-2 oz smoked pancetta (or a good quality prosciutto), finely diced
1/3 c creamy goat or sheep’s milk cheese
Salt to taste*

*You’ll want to add salt as a last step, since the cheese and pancetta will add saltiness to the filling.

Make the dough:
1. Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl or on a work surface and make a well in the center. Break the egg into it, add the salt and the water. Bring the dough together, kneading well and adding more flour or water as necessary. Cover the dough with a bowl or towel. Let it rest 20 minutes.*

*My mother always let her pasta dough rest for at least an hour before rolling it out and with that in mind, I wrapped the dough in plastic, and let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling:
1. Peel the potatoes, quarter them, and boil until soft enough to mash. Don’t salt the water! (see note above)

2. While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the kale. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the shallot and pancetta, stirring for a minute. Add the kale and continue to cook until the kale is wilted and cooked, but not completely wilted. Take off the heat and let cool.

3. Mash the potatoes until they are smooth and creamy. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and add the cheese, mashing to incorporate thoroughly.

4. Chop the kale mixture as finely as possible. Add the kale to the potato mixture and stir to combine. Test for salt and add more if needed.

Make the pierogis:
1. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out thinly (⅛”) cut with a 4-inch round or glass. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the filling into the middle of each circle. Fold dough in half and pinch edges together. Gather scraps, re-roll and fill. Repeat with remaining dough.

This is going to be a case of delayed gratification. I wanted to share this first attempt with Vera, and with travel, cottages, kids and life, getting together will likely be a bit of schedule shuffle. The pierogis wait, frozen and ready to pop into boiling water at a moment’s notice. Vera, when are you coming over?

It's Easy Being Green: Edamame-Bean Summer Salad

I admit it - I'm a bit obsessed right now with sunflower sprouts.  I mean, they're just so good!  Rather than just eat them out of the bag by the handful, I decided to put all of my green market buys into one fab dish.  This salad is so yummy that I wanted to eat the whole bowl but restrained myself to stretch out the joy for a least one more day.  And incidentally I discovered my new obsession - fresh edamame beans.

Edamame and Green Bean Salad
serves four

I know, I know....things like fresh edamame beans and sunflower sprouts are not your standard supermarket fare.  I've suggested some substitutions you might try.  Whatever you use, make sure it's fresh - and preferably local.  This is not about food snobbism but the pure pleasure of eating really really fresh things that just came out of the earth.  I promise that you will feel like you've been given a giant vitamin.


1 pint fresh edamame beans (approx one c shelled; use frozen edamame if fresh are not available)
2 c mixed beans (green, yellow, purple - so pretty! or just good ole green beans will do too), trimmed and cut in half
1 tbsp plus ¼ c olive oil (make sure the ¼ c is your very best stuff)
1 lg shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 anchovies, either packed in salt and rinsed, or oil-packed, cut into thirds
¼ c chicken stock or water
2 c fresh sunflower sprouts (use lettuce if sunflower sprouts are not available)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Splash Champagne vinegar (use white wine vinegar as a sub)
½ tsp French grey sea salt (or any fine grained salt)
Pinch sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

1.  Rinse edamame thoroughly to remove any sand.  Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the beans.  Boil for approximately 7-8 minutes, or until the beans are cooked but still with a firm bite.  Drain the beans, rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallot and garlic and saute for a minute until fragrant.  Add the beans and anchovies and continue cooking, stirring constantly.  After a few minutes, add the stock or water and cook until the beans are tender-crisp, about 7-10 minutes. Take off heat and set aside.

3.  In a small bowl, combine the ¼ c olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper and whisk until thoroughly blended.

4.  Put the sunflower sprouts in an attractive serving dish.  Top with the green beans, and then the edamame.  Pour dressing over the salad, toss gently and serve.

I got the fresh edamame beans from O.K. Farms, which has a stand every week at the Liberty Village "My Market". It's the first year they've grown the soybeans and they're absolutely fantastic.