GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN

Homemade Meditteranean Pesto

Fun and Healthy Homemade Goodies to Share with Friends and Family

BY PAT CROCKER

I’m a cook, I’m a foodie, and I’m an herb whisperer. My life is seasonal and revolves around the only two places I love to be: a kitchen and a garden. I’m in my own garden, or visiting the gardens of others, from spring through summer. I’m in my own kitchen, or the kitchens of friends, throughout the fall. Winter finds me writing and testing recipes for the next book project. And through the rhythm of the seasons, my life is connected to family and friends through anniversaries, birthdays, holiday celebrations and many other gift-giving opportunities.

So it’s not unusual for me to spread the love with a jar of jam, or toss a playful punch with a tin of homemade Madras Curry Blend. There’s something deeply touching about opening a jar of chutney (homemade for heaven’s sake!) or popping the lid on a sweet and sassy chocolate mousse –pack a spoon and I bet it’ll be eaten right from the jar ... before your eyes.

I promise that these special gifts won’t take you long to make. And I hope you spend more time having fun thinking of ways to package, label and adorn them; that you express your own inventive creativity and think out of the box ... or jar or tin. So start collecting interesting bottles, containers, bags, paper, ties, labels and cards and get into your favourite room to start your homemade gifts with the recipes below.

1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil 1 cup lightly packed fresh mint or oregano 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice ¾ cup olive oil (approx) Freshly ground sea salt

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, process garlic using the ‘pulse’ button or an on-off technique until coarsely chopped.

Add pine nuts and cheese. Process, using the ‘pulse’ button or an on-off technique until nuts and cheese are coarsely chopped. Add parsley, basil and mint to the bowl.

Drizzle lemon juice over and process for 30 seconds or just until leaves are coarsely chopped.

With the motor running, add oil in a steady stream through the opening in the lid. Keep adding oil and blending until the pesto has reached the desired consistency. Stir in salt to taste.

Pack into sterilized jars, screw on cap, add your own customized handwritten label, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. (If this is to be a gift, be sure to write storage instructions on the label.)

RECIPES

Mediterranean Pesto

(Makes 2 cups) 4 large cloves garlic ½ cup pine nuts or sunflower seeds 3 oz (90 g) hard Italian cheese (Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino), cut into small cubes

A Home Economist, Culinary Herbalist, and award-winning author, Pat Crocker has written 23 herb/healthy cookbooks

Lemon Chutney

(Makes 4 cups) 8 organic lemons, scrubbed 2 Tbsp kosher or pickling salt 4 large cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup dried currants 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup organic unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp freshly grated gingerroot 1 dried cayenne pepper, crushed 1 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp crushed coriander 1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes, optional 2 cups + 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar (or use 1-1/2 cups coconut sugar as a lower glycemic alternative)

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons, being careful not to include the white pith. Using a paring knife, cut away and discard the white pith from around the lemons. Finely chop the zest. Coarsely chop the lemons, discarding the seeds.

In a non-reactive (glass) bowl, combine the zest, lemons and salt. Cover with a clean cloth and set aside in a cool place overnight.

In a Maslin pan or large saucepan, combine macerated lemon mixture, garlic, currants, apricots, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, cayenne, cardamom, coriander and hot pepper flakes. Bring to a light simmer over high heat.

Reduce heat to medium and stir in the brown sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Adjust the heat to keep the mixture at a regular simmer and cook, stirring frequently for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick and mounds on a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, heat four 1-cup (250 mL) mason jars in boiling water and scald the lids, lifter, funnel and tongs.

Skim and discard any foam. Fill hot jars, leaving a 1/4inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and add more hot chutney if necessary, to leave a 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) headspace.

Wipe rims, top with flat lids and screw on metal rings. Return jars to the hot water bath, topping up with hot water if necessary. Bring to a full rolling boil and process jars for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid of canner (large pot) and wait 5 minutes before removing jars to a towel or rack to cool completely. Check seals, label, and store in a cool place for up to 1 year.

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SPICE BLENDS

I found a well-stocked Indian grocery store on Gerrard Street West in Toronto with an entire wall devoted to spices that are fresh, whole, and most importantly, decently priced. I’m sure there are similar spice sellers all across the city, and it’s important that we seek them out and give them our business. Always pur chase whole spices from stores Lemon Chutney makes for that specialize in spices, or a tangy homemade gift health food stores that have a large spice section. Start out with small quantities so that you always have fresh at hand.

Madras Curry Spice Blend

(Makes ½ cup) Curry is a blend of spices, not one spice, and everyone has their own secret curry combinations, so feel free to experiment with spices and amounts. The heat in the blend below comes from the mustard, peppercorns, and chiles. Of course, the fresher these spices are, the hotter they will be. If you like the flavour but not the heat, reduce the amounts of those spices in this blend.

You will need two small, dark glass jars (1/4 cup capacity), plus lids and labels. 2 Tbsp fenugreek seeds (see Recipe Note) 2 Tbsp coriander seeds 1 Tbsp allspice berries 1 Tbsp mustard seeds 1 tsp peppercorns 1 stick (4-inches) cinnamon, crushed 10 cardamom pods 5 dried chiles 2 Tbsp ground turmeric

In a small skillet or spice wok combine fenugreek, coriander, allspice, mustard, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom and chiles.

Toast spices over medium heat, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly coloured and fragrant. Remove from heat just as the seeds begin to pop. Do not let the spices smoke and burn. Let cool.

In a mortar (using a pestle) or small electric grinder, pound or grind toasted spices until coarse or finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and mix in turmeric. Transfer to jars, add cap, apply label, and store the blend in a cool place for up to 3 months.

Recipe Note: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), a plant in the legume family, is the one spice closely associated with the flavour of curry, so it is almost always included in curry blends.

Chocolate Apple Mousse Conserve

Rich tasting, but not loaded with fat, this conserve makes a sweettart chocolate sauce and topping for all sorts of desserts. The keys to this textural delight: start with cooking apples, cook them until they are soft, and purée them in a food silky processor -smooth. I o n r blender the absen un ce til of Chocolate Apple Mousse a food processor, either a fine sieve or a food mill will work for this purpose. You can double the recipe, but be sure to use a very deep and heavybottomed pot because, when the puréed mixture is returned to the pan, it will spit when it bubbles.

I’ ve included directions for water-bath canning the jars, the safest way to store this condiment. You can use clean, sterilized jars and keep the mousse in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 weeks before giving away. Be sure to instruct recipients to “Store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, ” if you do not use the Water Bath technique to preserve them. (Makes 3-1/2 cups) 1 lemon 6 cups chopped apple (about 2 lb/1 kg) 3 cups granulated sugar (or use 2 cups coconut sugar as a lower glycemic alternative) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Juice lemons and grate the rind of one half. In a Maslin* pan or canning kettle, combine lemon juice, lemon rind and apples. Stir well to coat the apples with the lemon juice.

In a bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir into apples and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently for 20 to 30 minutes or until apples are soft. Using a food processor and working in one or two batches, purée the apple mixture until smooth.

Meanwhile, heat four 1-cup mason jars in boiling water and scald the lids, lifter, funnel and tongs.

Return the purée to a clean Maslin pan or canning kettle. Add vanilla and bring to a light boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly for 15 minutes, or until mixture thickens enough to mound on a wooden spoon.

Fill the hot jars with the mixture, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Run a thin, non-metallic utensil around the inside of the jar to allow air to escape. Add more hot conserve, if necessary, in order to leave a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims, top with flat lids and screw on metal rings. Return the filled jars to hot water bath, topping up with hot water if necessary. Bring to a full rolling boil and process jars for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes

before removing jars to a towel or rack to cool completely. Check seals, label and store in a cool place for up to 1 year. * A Maslin pan is a stainless steel, heavy-bottomed canning pan that is narrow at the base and wider at the top (to encourage surface evaporation). Alternately, any heavy-bottomed pan large enough to hold 6 - 8 litres of liquid will suffice.

To Sterilize Jars: Stand jars up in a canner or stock pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the jars by 1 inch. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Cover the pan and boil for 15 minutes. Remove lid and let the pot stand for 5 minutes before removing jars. Remove and fill one jar at a time and cap before filling the next jar.

To Scald Lids: Place rings and flat lid pieces in a pan. Bring a kettle of water to the boil and pour over lid pieces. Set aside until lids are required. Use tongs to remove lids from the hot water.

Polynesian Spice Blend

(Makes ½ cup) I use cinnamon as a sweet flavouring in both sweet and savoury dishes. It imparts an aromatic ‘Island’ taste to dishes. My favourite ground, or stick, cinnamon is premium Vietnamese, but Cinnamomum zeylanicum is a close second. Both are much sweeter (with a pure, never bitter, cinnamon flavour) than the common Cinnamomum cassia, which is the cinnamon most often found in supermarkets.

For this recipe you will need two small dark glass jars (1/4 cup capacity), plus lids and labels. ¼ cup toasted coconut flakes ¼ cup coconut sugar crystals 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp sea salt ½ tsp ground cloves

In a mortar (using a pestle) or small electric grinder, pound or grind toasted coconut until coarse or finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add coconut sugar, cinnamon, allspice, salt and cloves. Mix well and transfer to a jar.

Cap, label and store in a cool place for up to 3 months.

(To view a recipe for Tandoori Spice Blend, see extended version of this article posted at www.vitalitymagazine.com)

Author bio: Pat Crocker has a pantry filled with preserves and exotic salts and spice blends for gifts. Her mission in life is to write with insight and experience, cook with playful abandon, and eat whole food with gusto. As a professional Home Economist (BAA, Ryerson U., Toronto) and Culinary Herbalist, Pat’ s passion for healthy food is fused with her knowledge and love of herbs. An award-winning author, Pat has written 23 herb/healthy cookbooks, including The Healing Herbs Cookbook,The Juicing Bible, and her latest books, Cooking with Cannabis and The Herbalist’ s Kitchen. Visit her website at www.patcrocker.com