Those Amish Pastes must be wonderful. I looked at that variety once but don't think I could ripen them well enough with our growing season.
Havenite Food Creations
- Thread starter pustelniakr
- Start date
The irony with me is that in the biz, I could balance half a hundred things and carry on 5 separate conversations simultaneously in stride. Very seldom bothered me to do so.
Now? Not so much. I'm a curmudgeon.😂
Over the last few years, they've quickly become our overall favorite. They produce well, eat well, and make great salsa and crushed or puree for canning. Low moisture, but not dry and firm but no pronounced core. Perfect, imho.
Do you like those better than Roma tomatoes for canning and sauces?
We've grown many varieties of plum tomatoes over 41 years. I couldn't tell you specifics about many of them, that's Sharon's purview and every year she experiments with new, different plants. I couldn't keep up with it if I tried.😂 Most likely some version of Roma was what we would've started with decades ago. These are for sure our personal favorite - for now.🤷♂️ We're also growing 6 other varieties, which is about half the number she usually plants. The tomatoes represent a relatively small percentage of the different veggies we grow. I try to keep notes.😂
Sadly that's why I don't post here. My better half has had dietary issues but in the past several weeks, she's been to the emergency room twice with a combination of hiatal hernia and now a gall bladder flaring up. I can still eat what I want, but I feel guilty chowing on something while she's having to eat foods with little or no fat, with few spices. She's hoping for (or dreading, depending on the hour) surgery within the next month or two.
But it's hard to get worked up about food lately. And not worth posting mundane blandness. (I do that enough in music threads.)
Although, I went against what I believe in as far as kitchen gadgets (the fewer, the better) and bought an Instant Pot. I mean, it was 50% off with free shipping. How could I refuse? At least I could try it. I'd read for years how many chefs prefer to use a pressure cooker, which is really what this thing is at heart. And now I see why. Not so much for the speed, but for the flavor. I got better chicken soup out of about 75 minutes' worth of work and pressure cooking than I've ever gotten from using a stock pot all day, and dealing with the smell and the mess. The lentil soup was also a winner--again, better than stovetop. I have two recipes to try tomorrow (one soup, one gumbo). The lentil soup was nearly perfect but, like any recipe, we try it once then make adjustments.
As much as I'd love a nice USDA Prime NY strip on the grill right about now...it's not happening.
Last weekend I made a pot of "unstuffed" cabbage soup. Basically, soup that was like stuffed cabbage rolls. I rarely have ever had cabbage rolls, but have had stuffed peppers many times, and this soup recalls both. It satisfied one craving I've been having. Aside from the rice (which adds carbs that neither of us really want), it was "safe" for both of our dietary needs, and I had to resist Hoovering the entire pot in one sitting. 😁 Maybe just a tiny bit more Worcestershire sauce next time?
She has also noticed that since we've begun pressure cooking the soups, there is a lot more flavor and I agree that spices go a lot further as well. I am having to dial them back a little in some recipes.
She also tried pizza for the first time since November. I used part skim mozzarella and only gave the pizza enough shreds to hold the sauce in place (less than half what I normally use), and added a light dusting of grated parmesan as the light usage has very low fat content. Turkey bacon was the protein, and a large sliced "baby bella" mushroom made up the rest. And this was on the King Arthur gluten-free "00" pizza dough.
She has also noticed that since we've begun pressure cooking the soups, there is a lot more flavor and I agree that spices go a lot further as well. I am having to dial them back a little in some recipes.
She also tried pizza for the first time since November. I used part skim mozzarella and only gave the pizza enough shreds to hold the sauce in place (less than half what I normally use), and added a light dusting of grated parmesan as the light usage has very low fat content. Turkey bacon was the protein, and a large sliced "baby bella" mushroom made up the rest. And this was on the King Arthur gluten-free "00" pizza dough.
JoeThePop
Known member
No Brussels sprouts?
Thankfully, no.
Is it just me or do stews/soups taste better the next day?
JoeThePop
Known member
Not just you. I think many times they do.
Same here--some of my creations are better the next day. The primavera, no...the vegetables reheated lose some of their firmness. I'm finishing up the last of some "unstuffed" cabbage roll soup that is just as good reheated as it was fresh.
