Canning Craze

What? No comments on my last post? I know it's only been 24 hours but I hope it at least sparked your interest.  I'm actually in the process of ordering bulk coconut oil for me and a bunch of my friends online.  We'll probably get like 30 gallons.  Anyone want in?

Anyway, I've been busy canning everything from salsa to applesauce to pasta sauce.  I have been lucky to have so many friends come to help me in my efforts.  Not only does it make things fun, but having an extra couple hands when you have two kids running loose all over the house is really nice, especially when some of those hands are from baby hungry teenagers:)  Here's my super darling friend De'Mia.  She's a gourmet chef in the making and we've decided to become You Tube stars by doing our own cooking show.  Stay tuned:)  She helped me make salsa and my dried corn the day she came over.

Here are my two salsa recipes.  I am seriously considering planting some tomatillos next year in my tomato garden because they make such thick salsa, way better than any tomato I've used, even roma.  They are already limey and thick so you don't have to add much to get the flavor or consistency of great salsa.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

INGREDIENTS

    * 12 roma (plum) tomatoes
    * 1 small head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
    * 1 onion,
    * 1 jalapeno chile pepper
    * 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
    * 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    * 1/4 teaspoon salt
    * 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS

   1. Preheat the broiler.
   2. In a medium baking dish, place roma (plum) tomatoes, garlic (cut side up), onion and jalapeno chile pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
   3. Checking often, broil 5 to 10 minutes, or until outsides of vegetables are charred.
   4. Remove vegetables from heat. Remove and discard tomato cores, jalapeno stem and garlic skins.
   5. In a food processor, coarsely chop the charred vegetables. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in cumin, salt, lime juice and cilantro.
You may add as little or as much of each ingredient as you like. I like to add more garlic and more lime juice because I’m just that sort of gal, so add or subtract whatever you like to come up with the best combination.  This is best served warm right out of the blender with chips warmed in the oven. Yum!

 Salsa Verde (Tomatillo)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 1/2 pounds tomatillos,* husked, rinsed

4 large fresh poblano chiles,* halved lengthwise, cored, seeded

4 unpeeled garlic cloves

2 cups (packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish

1 cup (packed) chopped green onions

Preheat broiler. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange tomatillos, poblano chiles, cut side down, and garlic cloves on prepared baking sheet. Broil until tomatillos and chiles begin to soften and blacken in several spots, watching closely to prevent burning, about 10 minutes (do not turn). Remove from oven. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.

Transfer tomatillos to processor. Peel garlic and add to processor. Peel charred parts of chiles; coarsely chop chiles. Add generous 1/3 cup chopped chiles to processor (reserve remaining chiles for enchilada filling). Add 2 cups cilantro and 1 cup green onions to processor; using on/off turns, blend until coarse puree forms. Season salsa verde to taste with salt and pepper.