Basil Bloom Vinegar

 

Basil blossoms
White Vinegar

The easiest way to remember the ratio is 1 part basil blossoms to 3 parts vinegar. So if your jar is 1/3 full of basil blossoms, use 3 times that amount of vinegar.
Add your basil blossoms to a clean jar and cover completely with vinegar. Let it sit on your counter for 1 week, giving it a shake whenever you remember.
Strain the vinegar and set the blossoms aside.
Basil Blossom ‘Capers’
We are using the blossoms that have been soaking in our vinegar for the last week! To preserve the blossoms, gently rub them between your fingers and slide the little blossoms off into a clean bowl.
I ended up with about 1/3 cup of blossoms, so I added 1/2 tablespoon salt and transferred them to a clean jar. Fill the jar with half of your blossom vinegar and half water, making sure the blossoms are completely covered. Press out any air bubbles, seal, and store in the refrigerator.

Menu 9/21-9/27

Monday: Dinner with Friends

Tuesday: Falafels and roasted vegetables from the garden

Wednesday: sourdough pizza

Thursday: Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese

Friday: White Bean Onion Soup

Saturday: Mexican over rice

Sunday: Spaghetti

Menu 9/14-9/20

 Monday: Dinner with friends

Tuesday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup with sourdough bread
We pureed a can of chickpeas for added protein

Wednesday: Harvest Salad
We used a butternut squash and added Fava Bean Feta. We added pumpkin seeds instead of pecans.

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Harira Soup

Saturday: Mexican over rice

Sunday: Spaghetti

Gluten-free Sourdough bread

 

We used the King Arthur recipe in a Romer Topf terracotta pan, following King Arthur's steps through step 4.

We soaked the Romer Topf top and bottom in water for 30 minutes at the last rise of the dough.
We placed the dough on parchment paper and lowered the dough into the Romer Topf base.
We covered the dough with the Romer Topf lid and placed it in a cold oven.
We turned the oven on to 450 and turned on the timer for 60 minutes.
After 1 hour, we lifted the bread out of the Romer Topf, removed the parchment paper and put the bread back into the oven at a lower temperature, 400, for 12 minutes.
When we removed the bread from the oven we checked the temperature, we want it to be over 200. It was 205.
We let it cool and sliced it.

The best sourdough bread ever!!!

Herbal Salt

Herbal salts are used to finish a meal whether it is meat or vegetables.

Basil Salt
1/2 cup coarse salt
1 cup chopped basil flowers and/or leaves
Pulse in food processor
Spread on baking sheet
Bake at 200 for 35-40 minutes

Rosemary Salt
1 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
Pulse in food processor
spread on baking sheet
allow to air dry for a couple of hours

Sage
1/2 cup coarse salt
1.5 cups sage leaves
Pulse in food processor
Spread on baking sheet
Bake at 200 for 35-40 minutes

Thyme Salt
1 cup coarse salt
2 TBS thyme leaves
Pulse in food processor
Spread on baking sheet
Bake at 200 for 35-40 minutes

Oregano Salt
1 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup oregano leaves
Pulse in food processor
Spread on baking sheet
Bake at 200 for 1 hour

Parsley Salt
1 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup coarse salt
Pulse in food processor
Spread on baking sheet
Air dry at least 24 hours

Cilantro Salt
1.5 cup coarse salt
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp cumin
Pulse in food processor
Spread on baking sheet
Bake at 200 for 1 hour

and we can't forget Lavendar Bath salts

Lentil Salad

 Marinated Lentil Salad

Ingredients
2 cups cooked green or brown lentils, drained
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes  1/2 cup diced cucumber
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil 3 TBS olive brine
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:
Cook the lentils: If using dry lentils, simmer about 1 cup lentils in plenty of water for 20–25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and cool.
Make the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper.
Combine: Add lentils, bell pepper, onion, parsley and cilantro to a large bowl.
Marinate: Pour the dressing over everything and gently mix.
Rest: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the best flavor, let it marinate 4–6 hours.
Finish: Sprinkle with sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds and a little extra parsley before serving.

Menu 9/7-9/13

Monday: Burgers with corn pasta salad

Tuesday: Mung Bean Soup

Wednesday: Fiesta Burrito (with Lime & Avocado)

Thursday: Burgers, slaw and sweet potato fries

Friday: Roasted Tomato Soup
Instead of coconut milk we pureed white beans (2 cans using canned). We replaced the salt with basil salt.

Saturday: Mexican over rice

Sunday: Spaghetti