a short stop in New Mexico part 2- A tale of 2 chiles

(welcome to Chimayo...)

(and Hatch!)

Our second day in New Mexico was all about heat, and I am not talking the weather. I have been really looking forward to getting my hands on the amazing chiles of New Mexico for Backyard in a Jar The Hatch chile items were uber-popular last year and let's face it, heat is a big thing and sells well.
The first part of our day was spent heading up north to Chimayo a small village north of Santa Fe. Known for textiles & chiles, it is also a place known for miracles.
The main part of Chimayo consists of a some shops, places to eat, holy areas for prayer/ceremonies, a few chili stands and 2 churches that are worth the drive up itself...i have never seen anything like this-truly beautiful. The interior of one of them, the Chaple of Santo Nino de Atocha was like a Spring garden inside with floating banners of peace, joy, love....branches with ceramic flowers and birds...INCREDIBLE to see in person.

(unfortunately photography was not allowed in either place-you will have to go see inside yourself)

 (can you believe this door!)

(got several bags of these...coming soon to you!)

(we also bought this beautiful ristra for my mother whose birthday was on the 10th)

Of course you cannot think "New Mexico chile" and not think Hatch...named after the tiny town in southern New Mexico that grows this hot and popular chile...anyone from this state knows this before they know anything else. Fortunately for us, the time we happened to be in Hatch is right when the harvest begins...we loaded up on over 200# of fresh, dried and powdered varieties of this pepper.

(trying ristras on the spot-she was a little shy)

(a few peppers drying in the sun)

(roasting for a couple from La Puente...i might want to pick one of these up next year)

I focused on green powders from Chimayo and red for Hatch...be sure to look for these and some other canned goodies in the next month!

Our vacation is almost over....

127 preserves, tips and next year!

(a post-127 surprise...hells yes!!!)

One thing that i didn't cover too much but we bought a lot of was preserves. Pretty much every time we saw them we bought. Here's a list of some of the things we are going to be eating once at home:

•  pickled tomatoes, crab apple jelly, blackberry jam, green tomato ketchup, elderberry jelly, red peach jam, half sour pickles, grape-muscadine jelly, Tennessee moonshine jelly, key lime jelly and sweet potato butter...lots of inspiration.

(i also managed to score a number of old school preserving books and one on smoking seafood Florida Cracker style!)

Tips for the 127 Yard Sale (if you go to previous years HERE and HERE you can get all of the tips for the sale, but as far as new ones):

1. One thing that i found really useful on this trip was bringing your own canvas bags-we all have them I know but they will get a lot of use out here. Plastic bags are heavily used in the area so if you want to eliminate waste, for sure bring your own.
2. Saturday was incredibly HOT, more than the other days and what really helped was putting a thin towel in our ice chest that morning and using when it became unbearable-that and freezing a bottle of water in your hotel the night before is a great tip for those who really cannot deal with the heat to well.
3. NOTES: this is what i am starting to do NOW. Take notes of where exactly you found your favorite vendor (town, park, etc) and what kinds of things you found there-this will help you fine-tune your shopping and cover more ground.
4. Know where the banks are!: we were starting to run out of cash (most people DO NOT accept checks and yeah right on cards) and Wells Fargo (one of my banks) was nowhere in the area...be prepared.
5. Set a realistic budget: i went over, i admit and i should have prepared for more, the more i do this trip the more i can get a handle of how much i actually want to do.  I will be honest with you, prepare on spending $100 a day (i did not do this)...but for your first time this is perfect i think...of course more is better but do you have the room to carry it all back??  think about that too!
6. CAST IRON SURPRISE: if you take I-40 from Nashville to Memphis you will cross the Lodge Cast Iron factory store-hells yes!  I know you probably have just went through 200 miles of vintage cast iron madness but if you are looking for new, you have to stop here!  Located in a South Pittsburg about an hour outside of Nashville, the factory store has this backroom where they have "mistake pieces" or not absolutely perfect quality-WELCOME TO THE GOLD MINE! there is a ton  of stuff for basically wholesale (but minus the super expensive shipping). Picked up some Christmas gifts, a wok, grill for our stove...about 15 pieces for less than $150!

(very overwhelmed)

So do you want to do the yard sale, but really would rather spend the $$ going on a tropical vacation and not treasuring hunting in a wet sauna??  don't have the patience to drive across the country just to drive on a hwy for a few hundred miles just to drive back home?? too busy in August to make the sale but want some unique items for you home, business or gift???

We will be doing this trip for as long as I can and would be happy to do some personal shopping for you! If you would like for me to do shopping for you on 127 or another adventure that i go on, please email me at the following email address and i will send you over a form so that you get the items you have always wanted-just for you!...i will even pick you up some cast iron if you need me to (because i am for sure going back there again).
delilahsnell1@gmail.com

Pre-127 yard sale part 2: shopping list

(good morning Texas!)

Yesterday was a big day for us.  Starting at 3AM we left Santa Ana and headed all the way to Amarillo, TX…about 1000+ miles. Today we have a slightly shorter route to St. Louis, MO (about a 12 hour drive)-tons shorter than yesterday! The reason behind the 2 marathon drives right at the beginning is because I have been wanting to go to an Amish community to look for crafts for the shop-I love the simplicity and skill of the Amish and on last year’s trip I bought several items from the Mennonites that live around Southern KY.

So the drive from Amarillo-St. Louis is not going to have many stops so I figure this would be a good time to get a little shopping list together so I don’t get overwhelmed (which happens after the first stop).

Linens:  some of the vintage linens have been doing well at the shop, especially the tea towels with the different years on them…for sure going to hit those up! Also a big hit were some of the larger tablecloths with little embroideries on them. One of my chicas, Erin asked me to find some cute linens as well.

(like this 1976 towel from etsy seller nine20nine)

Furniture: this time we have an SUV and it is just the 2 of us, so I am going to take advantage of every inch of space and try to get a few larger pieces. One thing I am on the lookout for is a smallish desk for the building materials area of the shop. For sure tater boxes are on the list, people always compliment me on the one I have in the house from my first trip to 127 with my mom.

Canning/preserving items: what a shocker! I want to find old canning books and tools also pickling crocks and lots of old blue Ball jars, those sell really well. I will also be posting or doing videos on other fellow preservers that I meet on 127…there are plenty of canners there!

 (from etsy sellers: old bittersweet & victorian gables)

Pie/Soda/Ice Cream goodies: my friend Karen Klemmens of MotherCluck is opening an artisanal ice cream shop called MotherMoo Creamery (LOVE the name right??)…I will be keeping her in mind. I am also going to be doing a few posts for KCRW’s Good Food blog with things that I find/people I meet/things I eat called Disbatches from HWY 127. Last year I bought lots of pie-themed goodies for Good Food host and dear friend Evan Kleiman…mera-mera is getting more goodies this year too!

(Karen: am I on the right track? images from veraviola, inspired journey, and Grandmas Folly)

I also have a few shopping requests so I will be doing some other personal shopping, cross your fingers!

Anything else that might be good to grab?? let me know!

Preserved Lemons-find someone with trees NOW

On Sunday I helped to celebrate the anniversary of the Hollywood Farmers Market by doing a series of demos on the multi-purpose and fantastic lemon.

So my demos had to do with preserving lemons 3 ways: preserved lemons, limoncello and lemon curd. in a few day i will post on curd, next week limoncello, but for now= PRESERVED LEMONS

PRESERVED LEMONS

*info* preserved lemons are a North African lemon condiment, like a pickle/ like a seasoning...they are not to snack on alone but more for enhancing heartier dishes or ingredients...

•  3-4 lemons
• 3-4 t salt
• *additions: cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, peppercorns, chili flakes, paprika (all not necessary)

 the traditional way of making this is to cut a whole lemon almost down to the core, but leave it whole. this is traditional, BUT hard to fit in a jar and you wont use the whole thing so i like to...
wash and cut the lemon into segments, think 6...you dont want it too thin but not a whole lemon-experiment with cuts.  see here:

for every lemon, you want about 1tsp of salt, sprinkled around the lemon so that there is salt (PLEASE USE SALT w/out iodine-NASTY). and get a clean jar (canning not necessary) and mush the crap out of it.  you will notice, especially after a few hours that there is a ton of juice.  the salt really helps to pull the liquid out of the lemons and hopefully you will have enough to have the brine cover the lemon bits.

 Wait till the end of the day, smashing down what you have, if you don't have enough liquid, add some from a spare lemon. Let this lit (with the lid ON, you dont want bugs or dust) on the counter for a month, mixing to make sure the salt and lemons get nice and friendly with each other.  after a month-put it in the fridge.

(this is a batch made with chili flakes and is about 9 months old-perfect!)

so at this point you notice that you have a jar of soft lemon peels-the "fruit" part has fallen off...seems at a loss but this it GOOD.  but dont go eating it like popcorn...here are a few basic ways to use it
*note* use preserved lemons like you would a condiment that you want lemonly-salt added to.

(new batch on right, 9-month old on left)

OLIVES DEVINE: mix with a number of cured olives, just a wedge will do, just mix well
QUINOA: add to cooking water of quinoa
FISH: rub a wedge on fish while cooking

DIY canning rack: what to do with leftover canning rings

As an avid food preserver, one thing I always end up with is a boat-load of canning rings-I usually have a bag of them somewhere in the house or in the root cellar. Of course I use them, but it seems like there are always more than I started with, kind of like the sock getting lost in the dryer deal except I end up 3 socks instead of 1.

(part of our class on Sunday-WORK it chicas!)

I have been trying to figure out what to do with the extras. For sure I am thinking of a window display and a few other projects (which I will for sure post about), but one was the perfect solution to a dilemma in this past weekend's canning class-a canning rack!
The traditional rack, one that you might acquire when purchasing a canning package looks like this:

Yes it works, but if you happen to use the cute little 4oz jars like I do you will realize that the rings in the rack are WAY to big and the jars just fall out making the rack pointless. There are newer versions of racks that solve this problem like this one below:

(PS you can buy all of this at Canning Pantry)

I happen to have 3 old-school racks and 1 new-school and occasionally there has been a situation where we have to process 2 canners at one time (and they happen to all be the cute little jar dudes). What do you do?? Whip out those leftover canning rings!

DIY canning rack:

You'll need 8-10 canning rings (just depends on how big the pot is) and 10-15 twisty ties or rubber bands.

Lay them out tops up and arrange them in the best possible way that allows you to fit as many in the pot as possible without curling up. Fasten the twisty-deal or rubber band until they are snug.  Fit into the pot and slowly add your jars in with a jar holder so that they balance on the rings...proceed with canning!

NOTE: make sure that you remove the ties and dry the rings after, the bands will break from the heat and the ties/metal of the rings will rust and now you have rusty rings-and I have no idea what to do with those!

(wham)

(bam)

(thank you ma'am)

(PS: this jam turned out BEYOND INCREDIBLE already sourcing to sell!!)

Winter at the Hollywood Farmers' Market

Over a week ago, we were able to visit and do the table at the Hollywood Farmers' Market...I still can't believe it has been over 2 months since I have been able to sit at the table, time really is flying! It was wonderful to see all the familiar faces (although everyone has been working overtime with the whole BS situ with the Film School)-but it was a joy to be out in the market.
So yes I did happen to see James Van Der Beek, looking normal with the fam, but WAY MORE important was the baby goat from Soledad-10 days old...she was the star of the market the entire time-crowds non stop!

(yeah, she fell asleep in my arms!!)

This time we brought our neighbors Jack and August, they had a blast and even went to Amoeba and brought back this classic Lee Perry album...all I have to say is better not bring it to our house or you will never see it again!

I sat at the MFP table and hung out with Kevin, Master Gardener (dearly missed!!) for a few hours and tried to catch up on everything that has been happening for over 2 months...I can't believe it has been that long. Eventually we closed up and we were able to go shopping...

(root veggies galore)

McGrath Farms always has incredible produce (in the center ring of the market). They usually have a few items that you cannot find anywhere else. As we walked by, I noticed something EXTRA special: Ghost Peppers. If you are into heat, the ghost is known as the hottest pepper on the planet (think habanero x 10...I still can't imagine that). We had to pick up some for another canning creation.

(some lady got mad at me for taking so many!)

I am also big on the prepared food of the Hollywood FM-while I am usually a breakfast burrito gal, I have recently fallen in love with the Caribbean creations at Flava- I am down for beans, rice and plantains any day/all day, but she also as a mean chicken dish (from what I hear) that is not only cheap but way good!

(PS the hot sauce on the counter is hot but UBER good!)

(fixin's with hot sauce-I had 2 orders)

I am hoping to make a regular stop at the market this year every 1st Sunday of the month pending a class or lecture. Either way, you have to check out he Farmers Kitchen where Ernie has made a number of yummy preserves from the farmers who do this market. He is also heading the LA MFP program after 10 years (yours truly will be teaching the first class on food safety)- to apply for one of the 15 spots, click here- go Ernie!!!!

quick pickled peppers

We have a few pepper plants sitting in front of the Apartment Homestead-habaneros, jalapenos, serranos and cherry (my favorite) and while I was watering yesterday I noticed that they were all bustin' out-when did that happen?
My usual next step would be to harvest them for Fire or Green Heat Jelly, but I already had several pounds in the fridge that I was going to can in the next few days. The fact that I had about a quart of peppers seemed obvious-pickle them!

(check out my little habby plant!)

(a small collection from the porch)

I love me some pickled peppers-I dig the tart and the vinegar cuts some of the heat, especially from the uber-hot ones. Basic fridge pickled peppers last a long time too. The past batch I made was 4 months old when we finally finished it. I love these in salad, sandwiches and on an appetizer platter with a bunch of other goodies-and don't throw out the pickle juice-its great in dressings (or in a cocktail).

QUICK PICKLED PEPPERS

2 c mixed peppers (i have mixed but you can use whatever you can tolerate)
1 c water
1 c cider vinegar
large squirt (1-2T) agave
2T salt
2 bay leaves
2 T coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic, peeled (actually like to use more than this, as many as you can fit in the jar, then you get hot garlic too!)
2 T black peppercorns

Wash the peppers, take a sharp knife and stab them a few times so the brine can permeate the whole pepper.  You can keep them whole or slice them like the ones you see in the store. I say do whole, strips and slices, that way you have more of a selection to choose from! Pack into a quart jar.

(i added some mustard too!)

In a non-reactive pot, combine all the other ingredients and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Pour over the peppers and allow to cool on the table.  Once cool, move in the fridge.  You can start eating them tomorrow, but honestly they taste WAY better in a week or month!

(I like to use these old-school juice containers that we picked up on 127)

geranium syrup=some good mojitos tonight??

My friends Linnea and Dave told me that they had some geranium plant for me to use-i have been wanting to use geranium for a while to make a few things. my two plants, while they are getting bigger are certainly not enough to make jelly, liquor, scented sugar and syrup without stripping them bare.

YOWZA-i ended up getting an entire trash bag full of the stuff that left this wonderful scent in the store and house...so first things first...
i made 2 bouquets in old mason jars, one for the house and one for the shop. not only do i get to have the fragrance of the plant for a little bit longer, but keeping geranium in some water prolongs the plant so i can use as much of it as possible.

(just another Thursday night: cleaning and sorting geranium plants!)

For the longest time i have been wanting to turn this plant into a cocktail-type ingredient, i haven't really seen it on any menu (tell me if i am wrong) and anyone who has a geranium knows that once it is established, it grows like crazy (hence the trash bag present). The first two things that came to mind were sugar and sugar.

SCENTED GERANIUM SUGAR

• handful of large geranium leaves
• 1 large mason jar (quart)
•  2 cups of sugar (or whatever you need to fill the jar)

Quickly sterilize the jar by pouring some hot boiling water with a shot of vinegar in the jar (or a run through the dishwasher) and dry it.  Line the bottom of the jar with a few leaves and cover with 1" of sugar, tamp the sugar down with a spoon to start releasing the oils from the plant. keep alternating geranium with sugar until you reach the top. Attach the lid, and leave in a sunny place on the counter for a few weeks. Check and shake the sugar every day or so until you can smell/taste the geranium on the sugar. Filter the leaves out after a few weeks and store in the pantry.

GERANIUM SYRUP

• 2 c water
• 2 c sugar
• 1 c washed geranium leaves

Dissolve the sugar in a large pot under medium heat while washing the leaves.

Add the leaves to the sugar mix and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain the leaves and bring the mix to a boil again for 10-15 minutes.  Allow to cool and pour into cute jars.

(bottles from Ikea, $1 store down the street and the nice lemonade @ Trader Joes)

I have to let the syrups cool before i can use them, but i am planning on making geranium mojitos tonight when our friend mike comes over so i will be posting about that and a few other things i make!