Summer Blueberries and Blueberry Pie

Hope you all had a fabulous Fourth of July weekend! Up here in D.C., it was overcast and rainy most of the weekend, so many of the fireworks displays were canceled. That's okay as far as I'm concerned because an overcast day is a perfect day to pick blueberries!

Hubby and I went to a local u-pick farm to pick these beauties, but the farm is so small and unmarketed, we like to think of it as "our farm". The owner primarily works with the state cooperative extension office as a volunteer to grow certain varieties of food and report his experience back to them. They provide equipment and funding and he grows lots of great food, which he then donates to the local food bank!

90% of what he grows is non-GMO and organic, like these blueberries:

He does sell some of what he grows to farmer's markets and restaurants, but I think he primarily does it for the fun and tax break. We come to this same farm for our asparagus, rhubarb, and whatever else he's growing at the time.

During our visit, we had company via the farm chickens. They were so friendly and amusing to watch.

They stayed by our sides the entire time. These chickens have it made, let me tell you! Free run of an organic fruit and vegetable farm - I think they were tired of the blueberries and were hoping that we'd throw them a bug or worm.

Hey, guess what? CHICKEN BUTT!!

It dawned on both me and my husband that we have never picked blueberries before this. Such an awesome first for both of us. We ended up picking 15 lbs., which were taken home and frozen for future treats. 

Yesterday, I made a blueberry pie. It was a bit of a disappointment because the filling turned out to be runny, but there were no complaints when served with a side of vanilla ice cream!

I'll have to try another recipe, or maybe I'll make some blueberry coffee cake, or some muffins, or a blueberry cobbler, or some blueberry ice cream, or.... :-)

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Happy Fall everyone!

I know many of you are done with tomatoes for the season. In fact, you might still have a bunch of green tomatoes on your plants that you know won't ripen before the cold weather arrives.

What to do? There's only so many fried green tomatoes that you can make, right?

Welcome Green Tomato Salsa Verde!

This mild (IMO) green tomato salsa certainly isn't a traditional salsa verde, which is usually made with tomatillos, but it is every bit as delicious. I found this recipe on the Ball website and it's a keeper for sure. Like most of my canning recipes that call for tomatoes, I roast them first for peeling and extra flavor.

Of course you can enjoy it with tortilla chips, but I particularly like to make Cheesy Pork Enchiladas with it, which calls for salsa verde in the recipe.

Green Tomato Salsa Verde
Recipe Source: Ball website
Makes 6, half pints (double recipe to get 6 pints)

12-14 medium green tomatoes (7 cups chopped after roasting)
5-10 jalapeno, habanero, or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded & finely chopped (I used jalapenos)
2 cups chopped red onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

To roast and peel the green tomatoes, set oven broiler to high and place oven rack 6 inches away from broiler heating element. Wash tomatoes, remove cores, and slice in half from core to core. Place tomato halves on a cookie sheet skin side up and place in oven. Roast tomatoes until blackened and charred; remove from oven, and place a dish towel over tomatoes to steam and cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skins and discard.

Chop tomatoes to equal 7 cups. Combine tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and lime juice in a large pot or saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in cilantro, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5-15 minutes.

Ladel hot salsa into prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and process in a BWB for 20 minutes.