It's a weekend of culinary experimentation. I'm trying my hand once more at kombucha (last effort was naaaasty), canning paste tomatoes, and making herbed oil. I'm using the oil recipe* from A Self Sufficient Life (love the nom-de-plume of the writers!).One thing's for sure: it takes a heckuva lot of basil to make up 250 grams (per the recipe). Even though I had two huge bunches of basil, it was only enough to infuse about a cup and a half of olive oil. I'm thinking about contacting the CSA to see if they have any bulk basil they're willing to sell. I definitely want to make enough of this oil to give away as gifts this Yule, when fresh herbs are scarce and we all could use a bright taste of Summer.
Some ideas for using the oil: a dip for bread, "caprese" burgers (thanks JMM!), salad dressing base, marinade base, popcorn topper (instead of butter)... lots of cool stuff. It'll be three weeks before the oil is ready to strain & try, but I'll let you know how it goes. The Dirty Boots gang claim the oil can last for a year on the counter, but for safety's sake, I'm going to recommend folks use it up within a few months. I've never known cooking oils - once opened - not to go rancid outside four months. The good news is that this oil can be refrigerated or even frozen! Will keep you posted on how it turns out.
In the meantime: what's your favorite homemade gift to make? Or receive?
* You can find a grams-to-ounces on-line calculator here.
[Pic: the experiment.]
It is a busy time of year and it always seems too busy to find time to put things up for winter, but I am glad that you are finding time. We have put up green beans, tomatoes, berries and stored potatoes, onions and garlic. Next week I have to freeze corn and harvest the dry beans (black cocos, Jacob's cattle and red kidney). We have winter squash, more tomatoes, beets and more green beans as well as herbs yet to go. It seems like so much hard work right now, but in December it always feels so good eating our own food when it is cold outside. The herbs look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLast year I made everyone cool reversible market totes from an Amy Butler diaper bag pattern. They turned out great. Unbeknownst to me, at the same time my niece was making cute totes for us all out of vintage pillow cases, plus little mesh drawstring bags to put each different veggie in. No more plastic for us!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap I bet that oil is good! I have a bunch of basil...sounds like a cool idea.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, gifts...I like to give beeswax candles...
Chicken! My fave homemade gift is my mum's blackcurrant jam. Sadly there is never enough of it and we've yet to get blackcurrants to cope with the heat here so I have to make do with one measly jar a year sent over from the UK!
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