Friday, July 23, 2010

Roasted Corn and Zucchini Salsa

Can Jam Challenge #7

Well, I figured there was going to be a whole lotta’ pickling going on for this month’s Can Jam Challenge, so here’s a little something different.

Since I’m in Florida, our pickling season was month’s ago and local cukes are long gone. I’ve mentioned my pickling trials and tribulations here, here, and here. Good pickle-making is a gift and every year it’s a new challenge. We’re already up to our armpits in pickles, so this month is salsa.

I’ve made this salsa before and it’s pretty good. It's not as good as Annie’s Salsa, but it’s a different spin. The original recipe results came out tasting more like a relish, so I’ve added a few things I thought would give it more of a flavor profile without jeopardizing safety. It can also be served on top of grilled chicken breasts or fish, plus it uses some the hot-to-trot produce that’s in season right now: sweet corn and zucchini.

Kathy's Roasted Corn and Zucchini Salsa
Recipe Modified from: "Preserving the Harvest"
Makes 8 pints

6 medium zucchini, cleaned, trimmed and diced
4 teaspoons canning salt
*4 ears of yellow or sweet corn, husked, silks removed (2 cups of kernels)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups fresh lime juice (or bottled)
1 cup cider vinegar
4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
½ cup minced red onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon canning salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin

*Note: Good, quality frozen corn kernels work fine.

Toss the zucchini with the salt and “sweat” for about 30 minutes in a non-reactive colander. Rinse and drain well.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Coat the corn with olive oil and roast on a cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes. Cool. Cut off the kernels and scrape the cobs. If using frozen, defrost corn in the microwave, drain, spread on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and roast. Be careful not to burn the corn, you just want it to lightly brown. If over-cooked, the corn will turn out tough and chewy.

Combine the zucchini, corn, tomatoes, lime juice, vinegar, jalapenos, onion, garlic, and remaining spices in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Ladle into hot, prepared canning jars with ½ inch headspace. Process in a BWB for 15 minutes.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Panic at The Disco

I haven't been around here these past two weeks because I've had my hands full with these two little stinkers.

Meet Chuck and Dave:

I'm fostering them until they can get adopted. I told my friend, "Sure, I'd LOVE to foster a kitten or two," thinking I have cute little kitten cuddles, and play time, and purring.

NOT!

I ended up with two feral kittens who where trapped who knows where in the wild. When I got them 2 weeks ago, they had pretty much every parasite that could be tested for on a cat: coccidia, giardia, toxoplasmosis, and a whole host of other "swimmers." Plus they had conjuctivitis, and a highly contagious type of mite to HUMANS! Oh, and one of them also has cerebral hypoplasia.

They were very sick kitties!

So, the past two weeks have been full of god-awful, death-smelling diarrhea, sanitizing, administering 4 meds daily, and mite baths. On top of all that, these babies are wild, so they are pretty much FCUK YOU LADY!

The good news, is they are getting healthier every day. I've never been so obsessed about the consistency of cat shit in my whole life. They are warming up to the thought of treats, and chin scratches, and lap time. I know somewhere, I am banking karma points.
 

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