How To Freeze Blueberries For Winter
If your like me, you enjoy a little taste of summer in the cold winter months.  Freezing is the best possible way to store berries and it is super easy.  Once frozen, you can do anything from making muffins to jam to popping them right into your mouth!

What you will need:
*Blueberries - any amount
Options:
*Cookie Trays
*Parchment Paper
*Ziploc Freezer Bags
*Strainer or Colander

Once you have picked or purchased your berries:

Option 1, give them a good rinse with water and let sit in a strainer until most water is gone.  Place parchment on a cookie sheet and fill the tray with berries.  Let dry completely, giving them a good roll now and then.  Place tray (uncovered) in the freezer and freeze overnight.  Next day remove berries and fill baggies and place back in the freezer.  That's it!

Option 2, place the whole tray of berries right into the freezer, wait a few days to repackage.  It can be that easy!  Farming without using any sprays or chemicals makes this possible, but there still could be dust, rain residues, or avion droppings.

Tip: While filling bags, measure out exact amounts for pies, treats or jams to make it easier when you are baking!
Garlic Scape Hummus
2 cans of chick peas (garbanzos), drained

1 cup sesame seeds or tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh chopped garlic scape pesto (sold at farm, while supplies last)


Place the ingredients in a blender and mix on high until a thick paste forms. Salt to taste. Simple, Easy, Enjoy!


Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg, syrup and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir into mixture until well blended. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten slightly.
  3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool on wire rack.

allrecipes.com
Chestnut Cupcakes
Makes 12
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 ounces chestnut puree
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 2Tb. butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 oz. melted chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. Set aside.  In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.  In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chestnut puree. Mix well.  Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla.  Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.  
For the frosting: in a large mixing bowl, use a spatula to mix well the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar.
Paint the inside of a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip with the melted chocolate. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in the bag and decorate the cupcakes in whirly motion.  
Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon
  • 1 pound brussels sprouts
  • 1/3 pound thick-sliced bacon or slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces or batons
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 20-25 canned roasted chestnuts, quartered or roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Lemon wedges to serve

METHOD

1 Put a large pot of salty water on the stove to boil. While the water is heating, cut the brussels sprouts in half and slice thinly, starting at the top of the sprout and working back toward the stem. Discard the hard tip of the stem side.

2 Cut the bacon into pieces about 1/4 inch wide and put them in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

3 Once the water is boiling, add all the brussels sprouts and boil them for 2 minutes. While the sprouts are boiling, get a large bowl of ice water ready. Transfer the brussels sprouts to the ice water (this will shock them vibrant green and stop the cooking) and chill thoroughly. Move to a colander to drain.

4 When the bacon is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat (do not put down the drain, see how to render bacon fat). Turn up the heat to high, add the red onions. Cook until the onions begin to brown, add back the bacon.

5 Add the chestnuts and brussels sprouts to the sauté pan with the bacon and onions. Add the chicken stock and toss to combine. Stir in about 1 teaspoon of salt, more or less to taste. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add pepper to taste.
Roasted Chestnuts
  • Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Cut little crosses in the chestnuts as described before, then place them in a roasting pan and cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
  • Roasted chestnuts are best eaten still warm to the touch and peeled by the eater. We like dipping them in a little bowl of sea salt.