Bell Pepper and Egg Rings with Tomatillo Salsa

Our bell pepper plants only made one large pepper this summer, so we had to do something special with it. This is what Jesse came up with. Delicious. 

Measurements depend on how much you want to make, completely flexible.

Tomatillo salsa

7 tomatillos
3 Serranos
2 Jalapenos
2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
¼ cup white vinegar
salt (to taste)
1 ½ cups water

Cut tomatillos into quarters. Cut peppers into quarters length-wise. Simmer all ingredients in a saucepan until the bright green of the peppers begins to dull and the tomatillos have softened enough that a fork easily passes through their skin. When cool enough, place all in blender and blend to desired consistency.

Green bell pepper rings

eggs
garlic
Serrano pepper (if you like spicy food)
grape seed oil (or other vegetable oil)

Cut the bell pepper in to rings, 1 to 1 ½ inches wide. Remove the seeds, leaving the rings hollow. Mince the garlic, Serrano and some of the left over bell pepper for toppings.

Heat oil in a cast iron frying pan on low heat; use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan in a generous layer. Place pepper rings into the pan and break an egg into each ring. In the same pan, off to one side, sauté the minced toppings. Cover pan with a lid. Cook until the whites of the eggs are solid. Occasionally stir the toppings, but do not move the pepper rings until they are done.

Place the pepper rings on a plate and top each with some minced garlic and peppers, sprinkle with salt, and pour the tomatillo salsa over the top (you may want to warm the salsa if it has been in the fridge).

Sjolund Family Traditional Pickled Salmon

This “tradition” was developed before electricity, before refrigeration, at a time when the food needed to be preserved in a manner that would provide sustenance in the future when the gathering time was well over.  It requires a lot of planning to enjoy because the fish needs to cure in rock salt for several months before the pickling process. My mother, Ivy Sjolund/Crowther, is Scandinavian and a fisher person to the core, the rhythm of the sea is in her blood and the rhythm of the great Salmon fish as well, she passed these genes on to her grandson and one of her great grandsons, missing me completely!  She spent many an hour on the sea in a small boat littered with her catch of the day, sometimes coming home with King Salmon as big as she was so the raw material was usually at hand when I was living at home.  Her grandson/my son Brian, is the one who carries on this tradition best!

Brian Dahl’s Cured, Pickled Salmon

CURING

Use a large, freshly caught salmon with high fat content, ideally 20 lbs. or bigger.

1. Fillet Salmon
2. Put 3 inches of rock salt in the bottom of a ceramic crock jar or large glass container
3. Put a single layer of Salmon, skin side down, on salt in container
4. Cover fillets with 1 inch of rock salt
5. Repeat layering until crock is full, ending with a layer of salt
6. Let cure for 3 months in a relatively dark cool place

Fish cured this way will last an incredibly long time.  I have used it a year later and it is fine.

PICKLING

1. Remove fish from salt, cut away skin and if you do not like the grey stronger tasting fat, cut it away as well
2. Soak in water 20 minutes, change water and repeat 2 more times (3 total)
3. Cut fillets into 1/4 inch or thinner slices
4. Dry white wine and white vinegar.  Mix this into approximately a 75% wine, 25% vinegar mix
5. Slice some red onions
6. Pickling spices
7. Layer onions, Salmon, and spices in quart jars.  Cover with wine, vinegar mix til jar is full
8. Let sit overnight (if you can) before eating.  This will need to be refrigerated and will last approximately a week.  If you want it to last longer, decrease wine and increase vinegar considerably.

Zucchini Bread

Taura’s zucchini bread and tea

(First, a little genealogy, I am sister to Maya’s mother Kathleen, I am mother to Taura, Kristi and Brian.)

Ahhh, behold, the prolific zucchini! Funny after all these years I still love this versatile vegetable, be it grilled, baked, stir fried, stuffed or made into a dessert! Today I am posting dessert….This makes one loaf of bread.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup candied lemon peel (optional)
1 T lemon zest
1 1/2 cups flour
2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Beat sugar and oil until blended, beat in eggs.

2. Stir in sifted dry ingredients then add zucchini and any optional ingredients.

3. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 375 degree oven for about 40-45 min. Test for doneness by putting knife into center, when it comes out clean, it is done. Cool 15 min before cutting.  I have made multiple loaves and put into freezer for later. Great for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or just because.

Crowther Sisters’ Granola

marcia edgar’s handwriting circa 1972

While visiting my mom Marcia this holiday season I found the recipe box.  It’s one that she’s had since she was a girl herself and is a strong memory in my mom’s kitchen.  This is the first in a series of some of the recipes and stories I found there about her food, our family and friend’s favorites and even my own highschool recipes.

This one is the granola recipe that Marcia and her sister Kathy made and cooked together since they were hippie girls on the ranch.  Made especially sweet because I had just seen Kathy and have a bag of this very granola in my cupboard here in Hong Kong.

Mix together:
7 cups oats
1 cup wheatgerm
1 cup wholewheat flour
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 T salt
1 t lemon rind
(nuts such as almonds optional)

Finally mix well in:
1 cup honey
1 cup water
1 t vanilla
1 cup vegetable oil

Spread onto shallow baking sheets at and bake at 200F (95C) for 2 hours.