I love making all types of preserves, pickles, vinegars, etc...  so "The Food in Jars Kitchen:  140 ways to cook, bake, plate and share your homemade pantry" cookbook definitely speaks to me.  Never have a come across such a great resource to help me use up some of these jars of stuff!

This quinoa salad uses pesto (I had carrot top pesto on hand), pickles (yep, had some of those!), vinegar (I used beer vinegar I made from a keg we had that went flat).  And to be extra instead of water I used whey from mozzarella cheese making.
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This salad helped me clean out my fridge and is really interesting.  I'd never thought to use pickles in a salad but I'm loving that!  I highly recommend this book for any preserver!

Quinoa Salad with Pesto Dressing
The Food in Jars Kitchen:  140 ways to cook, bake, plate and share your homemade pantry by Marisa McClellan

2 cups quinoa, uncooked
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups water
4 ounces pesto 
1/4 cup cider or red wine vinegar
salt
pepper, freshly ground
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup sour pickles, diced
15 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped

​1. Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh sieve or very fine colander and rinse under running water.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the wet quinoa.  Add the 3 cups fresh water, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Once the water boils, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.  Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is finished cooking, spread it out on a rimmed baking sheet so that it will cool quickly and won't become gummy.

2. In a spouted measuring cup, combine the pesto and vinegar.  Whisk the vinegar into the pesto to loose in.  Still whisking, stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed.

3. Place the red pepper, onion, pickles, chickpeas, feta and parsley in a large bowl.  Add the pesto vinaigrette and stir to combine.  

4. Once the quinoa is cool enough so that it won't immediately wilt the parsley, stir it into the salad.  Taste and add salt, if necessary.

5. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Everyday Almond Cake
from "Sweet Vegan Treats" by Hannah Kaminsky

​Makes 10-12 Servings
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For a more decadent rendition, she suggests to double the recipe for both cake and ganache and create a double-decker layer cake by sandwiching extra ganache between the two rounds!  Served that way at Nourish Cafe in San Francisco.

ALMOND CAKE:
1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup nondairy milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
whole almonds, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 F and generally grease one 8" cake pan.

Combine the almond meal, both flours, baking power, baking soda and salt.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Separately, whisk together the oil, nondairy milk, maple syrup, and vinegar vigorously until the mixture is slightly frothy and bubbly on the surface.  Incorporate the two extracts.  Slowly add in the dry mixture, whisking just until everything is combined.  Don't be alarmed if the batter seems thin, almost like crepe batter rather than your traditional cake.  That means you've done it right!

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.  Make sure it's completely cool before decorating.

To make your ganache, heat the chocolate, coconut milk, and maple syrup together in a medium saucepan over very low heat, stirring well until completely smooth.  Pour generously over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.  Use a flat spatula to smooth over any gaps until it's fully covered.  Place whole almonds decoratively around the border, if desired.  Let the ganache cool and set completely before serving.
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And my favorite - Cheese!  They have two of the richest, creamiest cheddars available in the grocery store.  They are soft and smooth, making a great addition to a cheese plate (yes, sometimes I have cheese plates for dinner or lunch or snack).  There's two options of cheeses-  Natural Aged Cheddar, which is a lighter cheddar, aged 6 months.  I like it with something spicy, like hot pepper jelly or melted in a sandwich.  My favorite goes to the Natural Sharp Cheddar, which is bolder, aged 12 months.  This one I prefer on it's own, as a snack with fruit like grapes.

A note about how this stuff is made.  Not only is it made by 3,000 family farms across Ireland, but it's certified animal welfare approved by A Greener World, a non-profit that focuses on food transparency.  The cows are graze outside, each on an average of 2 acres of land to roam free on.  I don't buy a lot of cheese but when I do I prefer it to come from smaller farms that treat cheesemaking like a craft and not a factory farm.

Contest time! 🧀
​I have some Truly party packs to give away; fun stuff and coupons!   
In the comments leave me a good old cheesy joke.  Here's one of my favorites I've heard recently:

What do you call a factory that makes OK products?  
A Satisfactory!
😂

Winners will be chosen at random on 9/20/20 at midnight EST.  Open to US residents; winner will be contacted by email to get shipping address.  Name and contact information will not be kept on file or used for any evildoing or spam.

#pairswithyou #trulygrassfed #tryazon #freebee #giveaway

I'm always looking for ways to use the herbs I grow, especially mint.  So much mint has come in gone in my life that I have not used.  
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This cookie recipe from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a good use.  I've liked it both with fresh or dried mint.  Photo shows it with chocolate chips which is also a good choice.

Replacing half of the butter with vegetable shortening makes it a little more like those cakey sugar cookies.  You can't go wrong with any of the options here!

Mint Cookies
Keith & Bonnie Amborn, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

​1 cup butter, room temperature (or 1/2 cup vegetable shortening & 1/2 cup butter)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 tablespoons crushed and dried mint leaves (or 4 tablespoons fresh)
additional sugar

​1. In mixing bowl, cream butter and the 1/2 cup sugar; add flour, salt, extract and mint.  Mix thoroughly.  Chill dough.

2. Preheat over to 350 degrees.

3. Form dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Press each dough ball with thumb.  Bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes, or until light brown on bottom.

Vegetable Fried Rice
1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson
​
​2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
3 green onions, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric, optional
3 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice, cold
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin or dry white wine
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1. In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, and zucchini and stir fry until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions and stir fry until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the turmeric, if using.  Add the rice, peas, soy sauce and mirin and stir fry until hot, about 5 minutes.  Drizzle with sesame oil, toss to combine and taste, adjusting seasoning and adding more soy sauce if necessary.  

3. Serve immediately.

I've made a few attempts at pudding from scratch but this was one of the best!  The rich chocolate creamy flavor is worth the work.  This also makes great pudding pops; make as instructed and put in popsicle molds.

This classic recipe is such an oldie that I can't find it on Martha's website anymore.  I know it's simple but it's so delicious and a perfect way to use up the cherry tomatoes in the garden.

Tiny Tomato Salad
Martha Stewart, circa 2006

2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes
1 cup basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
coarse salt
ground pepper, freshly ground

1. Cut 3/4 of the tomatoes in half, and place in a bowl.  Set whole tomatoes aside for garnish.

2. Arrange basil leaves on each of four plates.  Top each with 1/4 of the cut tomatoes.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Garnish with reserved whole tomatoes, the feta cheese, and oregano.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve.

Here's a salad I like to have for lunch as it's healthy and filling.  I've also taken this one to potlucks with a good response.  This is a good one for those new to quinoa as the classic tomato, cilantro and black bean combo is a winner!

Being from Wisconsin I do love cheddar and I do love beer...  so this dip from the Penzey's catalog is in my rotation of party foods.  It's so simple and good.  For the non beer lovers a lighter choice like PBR works to add a slight bitterness.  But for those like me that prefer something a bit more bitter an IPA or darker ale is a nice contrast with the creamy cheese and garlic.