Every year I give some homemade food gifts for Christmas. Last year there
were a dozen recipients on my list.

I used to do some homebaked goodie most years, but of late I've restricted
my gifts to canned goods -- the last thing I needed close to Christmas was
"bake 12 loaves of bread" on my To Do List.

Last year I gave a box with two half-pint jars of jam, selected from a
variety I put up over the summer and fall. The year before I gave a basket
with a pint of Cry in Pain salsa (tomato-based, and absolutely incendiary)
and Cryin' Shame salsa (tomatilla-based, and very mild).

This year I'm thinking about giving a box with two gourmet appetizer
spreads -- the roasted red pepper spread from the BBB, and Bruschetta in a
Jar. But I'm wondering -- does anyone have a favorite recipe for an
appetizer good that's shelf-stable?

Anny

"Anny Middon" wrote in message
om...
Every year I give some homemade food gifts for Christmas. Last year there
were a dozen recipients on my list.
snip
But I'm wondering -- does anyone have a favorite recipe for an
appetizer good that's shelf-stable?

Two that come to mind. We raise 3000 # of asparagus each year so asparagus
recipes tend to dominate my mind this time of year.

Dilly Asparagus...just use a Dilly Greenbean recipe.

Simply can the asparagus and then when needed serve cold with either Italian
or vinaigrette dressing drizzled over it.

In article ,
"Michael" wrote:

"Anny Middon" wrote in message
om...
Every year I give some homemade food gifts for Christmas. Last
year there were a dozen recipients on my list. snip But I'm
wondering -- does anyone have a favorite recipe for an appetizer
good that's shelf-stable?

Two that come to mind. We raise 3000 # of asparagus each year so
asparagus recipes tend to dominate my mind this time of year.

OMG! Fly to Minneapolis and marry me, Michael!! Oh, wait -- I have a
husband!
It's on sale for $1.50/lb this week and I bought about 2-1/2 pounds on
Sunday morning. Ate it all by Monday lunch. Alone. It's my favorite
vegetable.
Local isn't in season here until about Father's Day.


Dilly Asparagus...just use a Dilly Greenbean recipe.

Simply can the asparagus and then when needed serve cold with either
Italian or vinaigrette dressing drizzled over it.



--
-Barb, www.jamlady.eboard.com updated 3-29-04.

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

In article ,
"Michael" wrote:
"Anny Middon" wrote
Every year I give some homemade food gifts for Christmas. Last
year there were a dozen recipients on my list. snip But I'm
wondering -- does anyone have a favorite recipe for an appetizer
good that's shelf-stable?
Two that come to mind. We raise 3000 # of asparagus each year so
asparagus recipes tend to dominate my mind this time of year.
OMG! Fly to Minneapolis and marry me, Michael!! Oh, wait -- I have a
husband! It's on sale for $1.50/lb this week and I bought about 2-1/2
pounds on
Sunday morning. Ate it all by Monday lunch. Alone. It's my favorite
vegetable.Local isn't in season here until about Father's Day.
Dilly Asparagus...just use a Dilly Greenbean recipe.
Simply can the asparagus and then when needed serve cold with either
Italian or vinaigrette dressing drizzled over it.

Ditto likewise - OMG. Yesterday made 3# of asparagus (4 pints)
pickles from _Small Batch Preserving_. Uses fresh tarragon twig &
1/2 small scallion, little bit sweet vinegar stuff. Pretty nice,
pretty sour, but not too sweet. Probley taste better in a few weeks.
Even after processing 25 min way up here, the spears were not
too soft. But I never tasted fresh asparagus before and they almost
didn't make it to the jar. I'll do up some dilly asparagus tho, that
sounds great and my *first* dill bed is up real nice.
Edrena, gettin' crazy from the vinegar fumes.

Anny Middon wrote:

Every year I give some homemade food gifts for Christmas. Last year there
were a dozen recipients on my list.

I used to do some homebaked goodie most years, but of late I've restricted
my gifts to canned goods -- the last thing I needed close to Christmas was
"bake 12 loaves of bread" on my To Do List.

Last year I gave a box with two half-pint jars of jam, selected from a
variety I put up over the summer and fall. The year before I gave a basket
with a pint of Cry in Pain salsa (tomato-based, and absolutely incendiary)
and Cryin' Shame salsa (tomatilla-based, and very mild).

This year I'm thinking about giving a box with two gourmet appetizer
spreads -- the roasted red pepper spread from the BBB, and Bruschetta in a
Jar. But I'm wondering -- does anyone have a favorite recipe for an
appetizer good that's shelf-stable?

Anny

PS - I made blackberries in brandy last year, in 4 oz jars. Just enuf for two
over ice cream. I'll dig out the recipe if you want.
Edrena

please do post the blackberries in brandy recipe. berries are due in
here any week now. i'm starting my list already as well. here's some
savory things from previous years: pickles (duh), worcestershire sauce,
homemade vinegar, boursin, smoked tomato ketchup, ras al hanout, big d's
bbq rub, cajun pecans and tarragon mustard. holler if you'd like
anything. can't divulge this year's list because someone here is a
recipient and i can't give away the surprise!

robin


PS - I made blackberries in brandy last year, in 4 oz jars. Just enuf for two
over ice cream. I'll dig out the recipe if you want.
Edrena

robin wrote:

please do post the blackberries in brandy recipe. berries are due in
here any week now. i'm starting my list already as well. here's some
savory things from previous years: pickles (duh), worcestershire sauce,
homemade vinegar, boursin, smoked tomato ketchup, ras al hanout, big d's
bbq rub, cajun pecans and tarragon mustard. holler if you'd like
anything. can't divulge this year's list because someone here is a
recipient and i can't give away the surprise!

robin

PS - I made blackberries in brandy last year, in 4 oz jars. Just enuf for two
over ice cream. I'll dig out the recipe if you want.
Edrena


Comin' atcha in a separate thread. I'd like to see that worcestershire sauce. I use
a lot making beef jerky. And what exactly is ras al hanout?
Edrena

i'm sorry that over the course of time the author of the original
mailnote has been lost. i picked this up on r.f.c many moons ago.

robin

===============================
I make this every year for my Christmas baskets btw - its wonderful - I
don't even buy the paper wrapped bottles anymore.
robin

begin original note:

"I read the story somewhere...where, I forget. Some ol Brit who spent a
time in India glommed onto a Hindu marinade and brought the recipe back
to England with the intention of marketing it and making big bucks. It
flopped. He ended up selling it to Lea and Perrins and somewhere along
the line a big batch of it was forgotten and left to ferment in the
corner somewhere. Well, the new owners discovered this lost batch and
the rest is history. The originator died penniless and Worcestershire
sauce went on to be the greatest thing to ever happen to slaughtered
cows...a cosmic joke that is no doubt lost on the Hindus.

As to what's in it, look on the side of a bottle. Lotta dead fish and
some vinegar and corn syrup. I thought the proportions were a trade
secret that has never been revealed, but then how would that explain all
the copy cat versions. Considering how cheap it is, I can't imagine
anyone wanting to go thru the hassle of making it. But......

Worcestershire Sauce

1 Chopped onion
2 Cloves of garlic crushed
1 1/4 in thick slice of ginger
3 Tbsp Yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes
1 1 in. long cinnamon stick
1 tsp Cloves whole
1/2 tsp Cardamom pods
2 cup Vinegar
1/2 cup Molasses
1/2 cup Dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Tamarind pulp
3 Tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp Curry powder
1 Crushed anchovy
1/2 cup Water

Place the onion, the garlic, the mustard seeds, the red pepper flakes,
the peppercorns, the ginger, the cinnamon, the cloves and the cardamom
on a large piece of cheesecloth and tie in a little bag. In a large
saucepan, combine the spice bag with the vinegar, the molasses, the soy
sauce and the tamarind. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer
for 45 minutes. Mix together the salt, the curry powder, the anchovy and
the water. Add to the liquid in the saucepan. Remove from heat. Pour the
contents of the saucepan (including the spice bag) into a stainless or
glass container. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for two
weeks, mixing from time to time and squeezing the spice bag. After the
two weeks, remove the spice bag and bottle the sauce. Keep in the
refrigerator and shake well before use."

The Joneses wrote:

robin wrote:


please do post the blackberries in brandy recipe. berries are due in
here any week now. i'm starting my list already as well. here's some
savory things from previous years: pickles (duh), worcestershire sauce,
homemade vinegar, boursin, smoked tomato ketchup, ras al hanout, big d's
bbq rub, cajun pecans and tarragon mustard. holler if you'd like
anything. can't divulge this year's list because someone here is a
recipient and i can't give away the surprise!

robin


PS - I made blackberries in brandy last year, in 4 oz jars. Just enuf for two
over ice cream. I'll dig out the recipe if you want.
Edrena



Comin' atcha in a separate thread. I'd like to see that worcestershire sauce. I use
a lot making beef jerky. And what exactly is ras al hanout?
Edrena

"robin" wrote in message
...
please do post the blackberries in brandy recipe. berries are due in
here any week now. i'm starting my list already as well. here's some
savory things from previous years: pickles (duh), worcestershire sauce,
homemade vinegar, boursin, smoked tomato ketchup, ras al hanout, big d's
bbq rub, cajun pecans and tarragon mustard. holler if you'd like
anything. can't divulge this year's list because someone here is a
recipient and i can't give away the surprise!

Would you please post recipes? The cajun pecans sound great for this year's
gift-giving, but the others sound wonderful too -- maybe for next year, but
definitely for my own pantry!

Or maybe I'll forget about the appetizers idea for this year, and do smoked
tomato ketchup, tarragon mustard, and that interesting-sounding recipe in
the BBB for red onions in vinegar.

Anny

"Anny Middon" wrote in message
m...

Would you please post recipes? The cajun pecans sound great for this
year's
gift-giving, but the others sound wonderful too -- maybe for next year,
but
definitely for my own pantry!

Or maybe I'll forget about the appetizers idea for this year, and do
smoked
tomato ketchup, tarragon mustard, and that interesting-sounding recipe in
the BBB for red onions in vinegar.

Anyone looking for a memorable recipe to put up for gifts should try the
Apple Chutney recipe in the Ball Blue Book. It's wonderful. Be warned,
though. Although it says it yields 10 pints, I got barely seven. I'd double
the apples. Cheers.
--
Ivan Weiss "Bush, Bush, where's my job?"
Vashon WA Gone to feed your greedy mob!"
-- The Mugwump campaign, 2004