Different. That's what the cookbook enthusiastically suggests (I knew it was enthusiastic because of the exclamation marks. We're not just passively pickling new and different things around here.).
My grapes never set this year. I have no idea what happened, but the leaves are healthy, and it seems a shame not to do something with them. My old Ortho Canning book from the 60's suggests pickling them. Why not? It couldn't be any stranger than pickling day lily buds (and you can't make dolmas out of those).
Anyone out there tried this at home with good results? I know that a jar of pickled grape leaves goes for close to seven dollars around here, so there's a good incentive to try it. I have Concords, so the leaves aren't huge, but they are certainly large enough to use for dolmas.
If only I knew what to do with hundreds of smallish, green tomatoes (I'm not pickling those). I guess chutney is the obvious thing, but I'd really find it more satisfying to stand on West Center Road in Omaha tossing them at cars and screaming, "You people all suck!"
Yeah, I know I can't do that-I don't really possess the upper body strength.
Have you ever tried a green tomato cake? It kind of tastes like a carrot cake and my kids eat it. Ask Lord Google for the recipe and I'm sure you'll find one you like. Of course, pelting them at cars also has it's merits.
ReplyDeleteNice blog, just stumbled on it recently.
Autumn in NH
Autumn,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, welcome.
Yeah, we've made the cake (and the pie, and the mincemeat)but after a slice or two the rest gets thrown out. I can't seem to interest those two in tomatoes, green or ripe.
I think I'm doomed to a large batch of chutney.
ORTHO canning book??! Ortho, the insecticide company? Oy!
ReplyDeleteI have grapes; the past couple years (~6 year old vines), my grapes (Thompson green) have been less than ideal. This year they were better than last (probably because I didn't prune the vines once they came out of winter dormancy as I did the year before), but summer 2009 were horrendous. Never got plump and edible; they only went from small to shriveled raisins.
Yes! THAT Ortho. I know, how fantastic/horrible is that?
ReplyDeleteDid you actually dry any of your grapes for raisins? I know people make very sweet wines from grapes that have started to shrivel. Wine making is next on my list of things to do because...er... "Wine is good for your heart!" Or because I really like wine...er..."Because wine is good for your heart!" But obviously not this year, because I never got any grapes.
They become raisins on the vine. But by that point they've been nibbled by birds and have spiderwebs on them. So I just let them hang there for an "autumn" effect. (As I let my flowers go dry and dead in their pots. It shows the natural cycles of life, and provides occasional photo ops).
ReplyDeleteHey, by the way (unrelated thought): what if one makes toast and an image of Mohammed appears on it? Oy vey!
I guess as long as you didn't get the image appearing on a Danish (cartoonist) you're probably OK.
ReplyDelete*rimshot!* Good one!
ReplyDelete