Tequila Mockingjay

Yield: 1 serving

1½ ounces tequila

¾ ounce fresh lime juice

1 ounce blueberry simple syrup, see notes

2 dashes jalapeño tincture, see notes

 Notes: To make blueberry simple syrup, stir together 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar in a small pan over medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain into a jar, pushing gently on the pulp to extract juice. Pushing too hard will make it cloudy.

• To make jalapeño tincture, place 4 to 5 cut-up jalapeños and 1 (750ml) bottle of grain alcohol, such as Everclear, in a jar. Cover and allow to sit a couple of days until the liquid turns bright green. Strain to remove the jalapeños.

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice.

Recipe by Sanctuaria Wild Tapas

Check out this Kelowna man’s giant pickle

By    –   Global News

KELOWNA–A Kelowna man who received a lot of attention last summer for growing a three-and-a-half foot cucumber has found a way to preserve his 15 minutes of fame.

Daniel Tomlin was interviewed by news organizations worldwide about his big cuke, which he named Big Larry.

“It was funny,” says Tomlin. “Even in Australia, people recognized me and said ‘Aren’t you the Canuck with the big cucumber?”

Tomlin felt Big Larry was too special to eat, or let go to waste.

“Big Larry turned into a pickle,” he says.

Tomlin got a custom made pickle jar to fit his long fruit, and put Big Larry into the brine.

Now Big Larry is a mascot of sorts for Tomlin’s fermentation business, as he displays it proudly at markets and conventions.

He says pickling Big Larry isn’t his only plan to perpetuate the cucumber’s legend.

He also managed to salvage some of its seeds.

“Actually last night I planted a little Big Larry right in the exact same spot,” he says.

Tomlin hopes the famous cucumber just might spawn another garden miracle.

 

Hungry bear raids farmhouse to get to pickles in storage area

By KAZUYA MIKI   –   The Asahi Shimbun

KANEYAMA, Yamagata Prefecture–A bear attracted by the smell of pickles and fermenting miso staged a daring daytime raid on an isolated farmhouse here, but caused no injuries–just one heck of a mess.

Farmer Masako Mikami, 77, reported to Shinjo police station that the animal ransacked jars and tubs stored in the “doma,” an annexed storeroom where people can go in wearing shoes.

Mikami lives in a remote settlement in a mountainous area near the Kamuro dam in the northern part of the main Honshu island.

Her surprise visitor first turned up late on June 24, and then again lunchtime the following day.

Paw prints were found on an exterior wall under the window sill about 1.3 meters above ground.

The local hunters’ association set traps around Mikami’s home in case the animal decides to come back for seconds.

Mikami said she used the doma to store jars and tubs for Japanese-style miso and sake-lees pickles. Because of the strong smell, she generally left the window and back door open to allow air to move freely.

Late on June 24, Mikami was startled by a sound. When she checked in the morning, she found several broken jars of pickles. The contents of tubs were also scattered on the floor of the doma. She thought raccoons were responsible for the mess, and locked the back door.

Around lunchtime on June 25, she heard a similar noise to the one the previous evening and saw the shadow of the bear through the glass of the sliding partition door between the doma and the room she was in.

She rattled the door to frighten the animal, which fled after a few moments.

“It has been almost 40 years since we built this house, but we’ve never seen a bear so close here. I am really surprised,” Mikami said.

According to Yamagata prefectural officials, 200 bear sightings had been reported this year as of June 19.

They said farmers had complained of damage to their cherry and other crops by bears.

This Week at the Market: Jalapenos

By Kaylea M. Hutson-Miller   –   Grand Lake News
khutson@grovesun.com

  • Jalapenos are just one of the items available at the market, which is open from 8 a.m. to noon, Wednesdays and Saturdays, on the Grove Community Center lawn, 104 West Third, Grove.

    Want to try something new? Here’s a couple of recipes which uses this week’s featured item.

    Chuys Creamy Jalapeno Dip

    Ingredients

    1 C. sour cream

    1 C. mayonnaise

    5 T. dry Ranch Dressing Mix

    1/2 C. pickled jalapeno peppers

    1/2 C. fresh cilantro

    2 T. fresh lime juice

    Directions

    Wash and dry the cilantro. Use only the tops of the cilantro steam, discarding the majority of the cilantro stems. Chop cilantro into coarse pieces.

    Place sour cream, mayonnaise, dry Ranch Dressing mix, jalapeno peppers, lime juice, and coarsely chopped cilantro into a blender. Pulse seven to eight times. Pour dip into bowl.

    Chill for one hour before serving.

    Souce: CopyKat.com

    Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Skillet Cornbread

    Ingredients

    4 slices bacon

    3 jalapeno peppers, minced

    1 C. yellow cornmeal

    1 C. skim milk

    3/4 C. gluten-free flour

    2 T. white sugar

    1 T. baking powder

    1/2 tsp. salt

    2 eggs

    1/4 C. butter, melted

    1 C. shredded pepperjack cheese, divided

    5 green onions, chopped

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon in a cast iron skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels, reserving bacon grease in the skillet. Spread the grease up the sides of the skillet using a paper towel.

    Cook jalapeno peppers in the bacon grease over medium heat until lightly browned, about five minutes.

    Combine cornmeal and skim milk together in a bowl; let sit until some of the liquid is absorbed, five to 10 minutes.

    Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Mix eggs and butter into cornmeal mixture; stir into flour mixture just until batter is moist.

    Fold 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese and green onions into batter. Pour batter into the cast iron skillet; crumble bacon over top and sprinkle remaining cheese over bacon.

    Bake in the preheated oven until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes.

    Source: allrecipes.com

    The Grove Farmers’ Market is operated by members of the Grove Area Merchants Association. For more information, or to participate, persons interested may call 918-786-6600 or visitwww.facebook.com/grovefarmersmarket

Beatin’ the heat: Parks summer programs continue with Slip ‘N’ Slide

Mondays may be dreary for some, but not for about 350 kids who turned out at Community Park for slipping, sliding, and a pickle party. Say that three times really fast.

The Corsicana Parks and Recreation Department hauled out the giant slide at Community Park Monday and mixed soap with water for a really good “slip,” and supplied the pickles as well as the summer fun tunes.

“We had 250 box lunches that FJV brought and handed out and they were gone within an hour,” said Sharla Allen, director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Once the lunches of peanut butter and jelly, a cheesestick, pear, and chocolate milk were gone, there were still kids waiting in line. Family Joint Ventures is a non-profit 501(c)3 based in DeSoto that brings already-prepared meals to serve free-of-charge in the community.

Parks Department crew served the pickles, and Allen said they ran out of everything, including drinking water.

“You could hear those kids all over that park, you can tell that they loved it,” she said. “My guys even loved seeing it, the kids loved it so much.

“We have kayaking, messy art, and golf this week too in our summer programs.”

Allen said the Slip-N-Slide/Pickle Party will be reprised one more time on Monday, July 18. Everyone is welcome, there is no sign-up required for the event.

“There will be kids waiting for us to turn the water on,” she said. “We really enjoy this event. I think they went from that water event to the Spray Park, because it was packed. We are just happy from our Parks Department for kids to be enjoying our events.”

Allen also reminds those who regularly use the park pools, and know they are closed for maintenance on Mondays and Tuesdays, that the pools will be open on Monday, July 4 for the holiday, then the town will gather at the IOOF Park for the fireworks display sponsored by the Corsicana Rotary Club.

 

Gedney, it’s the local pickle

story By Pauline Chandra Correspondent   –   Chaska Herald

F or its latest product, Gedney Foods could change its slogan from “It’s the Minnesota pickle” to “It’s the local pickle.”

With plans for a July harvest, “Community Garden” pickles should hit the marketplace later this summer.

Last week, officials from Gedney and AgStar Financial Services of Mankato, along with a group of “emerging farmers” met at Lions Park in Chaska. The group celebrated an agreement calling for local farmers to grow thousands of pounds of tiny, three-inch cucumbers to fill Gedney pickle jars. Gedney is located in Chanhassen, on the southeast Chaska border.

Praising the arrangement with Gedney, North Minneapolis farmer Reggie Hunter said, “It means we’re actually farmers. It’s empowering to be able to be part of the food system.”

AgStar is a financial cooperative that helps farmers with operating and equipment loans. According to Sai Thao, emerging agribusiness lending executive with AgStar, emerging farmers are “non-traditional growers (who) by themselves are small farmers, but collectively they’re able to work with large businesses like Gedney.” He differentiates these farmers from larger operations that grow corn, soybeans and grains.

Emerging or non-traditional farmers grow vegetables or keep honeybees, and traditionally sell their produce at farmers markets, he said.

“We want them to be successful,” said Sai Thao, explaining that AgStar helps with loans and vouchers through the farm credit system. He noted that emerging farmers often face barriers such as access to markets, access to capital and language barriers.

In 1879, when M.A. Gedney moved to Minnesota to start the pickle business, the company began recruiting local farmers to grow cucumbers for pickles. Now, the company buys pickling cucumbers from a broad geographic area, said Greg Niemann, vice-president of sales and marketing.

“It’s not often we connect this closely with the farmers,” said Niemann, in recognition of the full-circle moment marked by this agreement. For him, it was heart-warming to see the emerging farmers celebrating the opportunity to be able to sell their produce to a large food company.

“It’s now the Minnesota pickle again,” said Minnesota Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia), referring to the fact that from “seed to jar” locally grown cucumbers will be processed at the Gedney Foods for Community Garden pickles. Nash said he helped facilitate the AgStar and Gedney arrangement.

STEADY INCOME

“It helps my income to be more steady,” said Phenhli Chie Thao, president of the Minnesota Hmong Agriculture Co-op. He is one of two farmers from his group that signed the agreement with Gedney. Ten other farmers are the designated “emerging farmers” in the one-year partnership.

Chie Thao said his family started out selling their produce at several area farmers markets. However, produce that’s not immediately sold in the farmers markets is often tossed. The ability to sell the cucumbers to Gedney means less waste and more income stability, he said.

In addition to plots as far away as Afton, Chie Thao signed up to lease a half-acre plot next to the Gedney factory in Chanhassen at a cost of $50 for the plot, plus expenses for tilling the soil, garbage removal and a portable toilet. The costs add up, Thao said. However, he hopes they’re offset by the proximity to the pickling site. For him and the other farmers in his co-op, reliable transportation is a constant struggle in getting their produce to market.

Each of the 12 farmers has leased one of the lots within view of the large green vats next to the Gedney facility. Before now, the land, which is not owned by Gedney, was used to grow corn. Carl Tuttle, Gedney’s general manager and a fifth-generation descendant of Matthias Anderson Gedney, estimates that these 12 plots will yield about 240,000 pounds of cucumbers that could fill a half million pickle jars.

That’s just a fraction of the estimated cucumber yield in the agreement. The farmers all have other plots spread out around the entire metro area where they are growing cucumbers for Gedney along with their other crops. Niemann said that Gedney’s total estimate from the 12 farmers is approximately 700,000 pounds of cucumbers.

Chie Thao said that the farmers will be paid according to the size of the cucumbers in the crop. For optimal filling of pickle jars, cucumbers up to three inches will command the highest price. Larger ones will yield less income for the farmers. A sorting machine at Gedney will categorize the sizes.

MINNEAPOLIS

The group of 12 also includes of farmers from North Minneapolis.

“It’s one of the greatest collaborative efforts,” said Robert Woods, one of the 12 farmers. To him, the agreement represents a new level of economic development. “We can hire our friends, our neighbors and put them to work.”

“I’ve always had a passion for growing. I used to take seeds and grow them in my backyard when I was growing up,” said Hunter. He began as a gardener with kale, broccoli and tomatoes in his North Minneapolis backyard and scaled up from there.

“We hope it just catches on fire. We want to be able to pay you, the farmers, a very good amount. I hope you bring in way more than 700,000 pounds,” said Niemann.

According to Niemann, the current agreement is in place for one season, after which the company will decide its next steps. Meanwhile, Gedney continues to buy cucumbers from other growers to meet its requirements.

Bowser starts bottling jalapeno hefe

Kristen Inbody, kinbody@greatfallstribune.com   –   Great Falls Tribune

Long a customer favorite, Bowser Brewing Co.’s Jalapeno Hefeweizen is being bottled, a first for the Great Falls brewery.

A couple from Illinois, formerly stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, has called dibs on four cases already and is coming to Montana to pick them up, owner Evan Bowser said.

“One of the reasons for bottling jalapeno hefe was it’s different, something no one else is doing. We’re known for the funkier beer,” he said. “We don’t do the generic five beers. This is the beer that says what we’re all about.”

The jalapeno hefe is the brewery’s most popular, and customers have long requested bottles. Bowser has a machine that does 12-oz. bottles and cans as well, but Bowser is beginning with 22-oz. bottles.

The flavorful hefe also is award winning. Bars in eastern Montana have been requesting it since the beer won best of show among the 90 beers of the Bakken Brewfest in Sidney this spring. It will compete in the Great American Beer Festival in Denver this summer.

“A lot of people think it will be hot, but we de-seed the jalapenos. It’s a refreshing beer without a lot of heat,” Bowser said. “Add a lemon, and it’s a great ‘lawnmower beer’ for after yard work.”

The brewers removed seeds from 1,000 jalapenos for the 3,800 bottles of beer.

“I didn’t plan to go in this direction. I planned to focus on the tap room, but customers talked me into it. They wanted bottles not cans, and I prefer bottles, too,” Bowser said. “It just tastes better from a bottle, I think, though the debate is always ongoing.”

The first day, bottling took 20 hours. The second day, Bowser and his team had trimmed that to 13 hours. By the wee hours of the nights, labels no longer went on as straight as they had hours before. He plans to switch to screen-printed bottles in the future.

People who return six empty bottles will get a free beer in the tap room. Bottles are $8 in the brewery and $8.99 to $9.99 in the stores.

The Bowser bottles will be in Albertsons, Smith’s, Town Pumps and Zip Trips. Look for bottles in wooden grain elevator displays.

The brewery itself has cultivated a calm and relaxed atmosphere, with funky art and interesting conversations.

“It’s great for people who just moved here because you meet friendly people,” Bowser said.

The brewery also has an English hand pump drawing from beer in a barrel, where it ferments with natural carbonation.

“It’s starting to catch on,” Bowser said.

Bowser also experiments with beer cocktails, combining brews for fun new combinations. The jalapeno beer goes especially well with the strawberry blonde.

“A lot of customers say, ‘Mix me something,’” Bowser said. “If they like it, we remember the mix.”

Sometimes the brewery goes in an experimental direction. This summer will be “a purist summer of simple beers,” Bowser said.

Summer also brings Bowser’s Singer Songwriter Summer Series, with Friday sessions through the summer.

The food available at the brewery is focusing more on submarine sandwiches for summer, too. Nachos, mac-and-cheese and a flat bread will stay on the menu for the summer, too. The brewery makes a cheese sauce with beer, and bar nuts with the jalapeno hefe.

Bowser is Great Falls’ oldest brewery, with the Bowser family, Evan joined by his parents, Rich and Deb, and his wife Michelle, opening the brewery doors just before Christmas 2011.

A traditional gift for the fifth anniversary is wood, so Bowser will showcase barrel-aged brews for the celebration.

“I can’t believe it’s been five years,” he said.

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Inbody at kinbody@greatfallstribune.com. Follow her on Twitter at @GFTrib_KInbody.

If you go

BREWERY: Bowser Brewing Co.

SINCE: 2011

LOCATION: 1826 10th Ave. S.

HOURS: 3-8 p.m.

TOP BEER: Jalapeno Hefeweizen

ONLINE: bowserbrew.com

NOTE: A bottle release party is 6-8 p.m., Friday, July 22, at the brewery. The event will include the raffle of a bottle signed by everyone who worked on the bottling project, live music and the release of the first five cases bottled.

Quinoa and Veggie-Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Kick

BY LAUREN SPAGNOLETTI   –   PJ Media

In this series of recipes, I am highlighting the wonderful produce that is in-season in the summer. This week, I couldn’t resist focusing on delicious bell peppers. You can use any color that you’d like – but keep in mind that the red ones are slightly sweeter than the green. I like to change it up and make one of every color.

Since sweet bell peppers are on the Dirty Dozen list (the Environmental Working Group’s list of produce with the highest pesticide loads), that means that they are more likely to have a high pesticide content. So when I cook with bell peppers, I always buy organic. Same goes for the tomato, baby spinach and jalapeno used in this recipe.

The stuffing for the peppers in this dish is an easy-to-make quinoa mixture. If you want to re-purpose the recipe, the quinoa makes a delicious side to chicken or shrimp—so if you don’t have bell peppers, it’s not a problem!

Also, the recipe calls for jalapenos and Monterey (or Jalapeno) Jack cheese to give it a little kick. It’s not overwhelmingly spicy by any means, but if you prefer a milder taste, feel free to substitute cheddar for the cheese, and take out the jalapeno completely. (Keep in mind that removing seeds from jalapenos cuts back on their level of heat. So if you want an even spicier option, keep a few of those seeds in there!)

I have found that this dish works great as a side (we ate ours with cheeseburgers topped with Monterey Jack cheese), but it can work just as well as an appetizer or small lunch. They’re deceptively easy to make, so if you prepare them for guests, you’re bound to get a lot of compliments for very little effort!

(Makes 3 large peppers, or 4 slightly smaller ones)

Ingredients:

  • 3 large bell peppers (or 4 slightly smaller ones), with tops, seeds, and spines carefully removed
  • 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
  • 2 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable stock to make the dish vegetarian)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds removed
  • 1 large tomato, cut into ½ inch chunks
  • 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and more for brushing and topping later
  • ½ cup of Monterey or Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded
  • ½ avocado, cut into slices
  • Salt and pepper

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to Roast at 375 degrees.
  • Cook quinoa according to package instructions, using stock instead of water. Season with a pinch of salt, and fluff with fork. Set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
  • When oil is hot, but not smoking, add the shallot, garlic and jalapeno.
  • Cook for about a minute until the shallot is translucent.
  • Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and mix together, about a minute.
  • Add the spinach and another pinch of salt. Toss all ingredients together until spinach is wilted.
  • Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa to the pan. Season with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Mix everything together and remove from heat.
  • Lightly brush the insides and outsides of the bell peppers with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt each.
  • Fill each pepper cup with the quinoa mixture. Add a small amount of cheese in the middle, and then continue filling with quinoa.
  • **Note: if the peppers aren’t standing up on their own, use a knife to cut the bottoms off so they don’t fall over.**
  • Top each stuffed pepper with a sprinkle of jalapeno jack cheese.
  • Place peppers on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until peppers are tender.
  • Add slices of avocado to the top, and enjoy!

Pickle Juice Cabbage Slaw

By Don Mauer   –   Daily Herald

1 small head green cabbage

1 small head red cabbage

1 medium onion, peeled and minced

2 medium carrots peeled, trimmed and grated

½ cup minced parsley leaves (Italian flat leaf, preferred)

1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise dressing

6 tablespoons dill pickle juice (from a jar of pickles)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1-2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (I prefer Frank’s)

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 packets non-artificial sugar substitute (I prefer organic stevia)

If they’re not in good shape, remove the first layer of outside leaves of each cabbage. Cut each cabbage head in half. Remove the core and then cut the halves in half. Slice each quarter crosswise into thin ribbons. (The ribbons won’t be perfect, that’s OK.)

Add the cabbage ribbons, minced onion, grated carrot and parsley to a large mixing bowl and with clean hands, toss together. Set aside.

Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard, vinegar, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper and sugar substitute to a medium mixing bowl; whisk until combined.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat and combine.

Makes 8 servings

SaltSense: 37 percent of the sodium in this slaw comes from the added salt. Omitting the added salt reduces sodium per serving to 495 milligrams.

Note: Yes, reduced-fat mayonnaise dressing has ingredients you wouldn’t expect in “real” mayonnaise. The label on the dressing I used clearly stated that.

Nutrition values per serving: 165 calories (57 percent from fat), 10.5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 15.7 g carbohydrates, 6.7 g sugars, 6.7 g fiber, 3.8 g protein, 10 mg cholesterol, 786 mg sodium.

Hot Pockets launches food truck flavors full of jalapenos

SOLON, Ohio – NESTLÉ owned brand Hot Pockets has collaborated with four award-winning food truck proprietors to develop a new line of products to address the popularity of mobile eating among consumers with Food Truck Bites and Food Truck Sandwiches.

Chefs from Los Angeles- and Chicago-based food trucks Komodo, The Lobos Truck, Baby’s Badass Burgers and Toasty Cheese Mobile Eatery worked with Nestlé’s culinary team to co-create the new products and flavors inspired by their menus to give more consumers a chance at the food truck experience.

“Consumers today are looking for more flavor from food and trying different types of cuisine – and they’re often inspired by international options,” said John Carmichael, president of the Nestlé Pizza and Snacking Division, Nestlé USA. “Based on the explosion of these trends and the popularity of mobile eating, we wanted to give consumers a delicious and creative new product that brings food truck cuisine to life in their own kitchens.”

The new products feature original packaging with the co-creation story and cook quickly in the microwave or conventional oven. Food Truck Bites come in 20 oz. bags with a suggested retail price of $5.99, Food Truck Sandwiches come two to a box with a suggested retail price of $2.99 and are both available at supermarkets nationwide.

Food Truck Bites varieties include:

Triple Cheesy Bacon Melt Bites, co-created with Toasty Cheese Mobile Eatery: Inspired by Greg Barnhart’s popular Toasty Cheese Mobile Eatery menu item dubbed “The Great Dane Double Cheese & Bacon Melt,” these bites combine a robust blend of provolone, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses with Applewood smoked bacon and basil in a buttery crust.

Smokin’ Bacon BBQ Recipe Burger Bites, co-created with Baby’s Badass Burgers: Savory hamburger, Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and onions smothered in a mesquite barbecue sauce in a soft-baked crust comes from Lori Barbera and Erica Cohen’s gourmet “She’s Smokin” burger at Baby’s Badass Burgers.

Fiery Jalapeño Lime Chicken Rollers, co-created with The Lobos Truck: American comfort food with a twist comes to life at Jasmine Wolf’s The Lobos Truck. These all-new bite-sized rollers feature tender dark meat chicken, jalapeños, cilantro and corn with spicy ginger lime sauce in a mini spring roll.

Spicy Asian-Style Beef Rollers, co-created with Komodo Truck: Latin and Southeast Asian-style flavors combine to create amazing fusion cuisine from Komodo. Eric and Erwin Tjahyadi’s unique bite-size creation is made with tender beef, red pepper and jalapeños with Hoisin sauce in a mini spring roll.

Food Truck Sandwich varieties include:

Fiery Jalapeño Lime Chicken Sandwiches, co-created with The Lobos Truck: The sandwich version of Fiery Jalapeño Lime Chicken features grilled white meat chicken, jalapeños, cilantro and corn with spicy ginger lime sauce in a crispy crust.

Spicy Asian-Style Beef Sandwiches, co-created with Komodo Truck: The sandwich version of Spicy Asian-Style Beef includes Angus beef, red peppers and jalapeños with Hoisin sauce in a crispy crust.