Apple Plum Butter

We had a fairly sizable yield of Jonagold Apples and Italian plums from our garden this year. The apples, plums, pears in the garden usually skip a year or two for giving maximum fruits, so, the years when they are aplenty I like to can them.

As they are organic, the worms get to the apples before we do so it is a bit tenuous to share it with friends. As we joke at home, What's worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm? Biting into an apple and finding half a worm!

Chopping the apples up and getting the good parts is usually fun, even if a bit tedious.

Plums have been safe from bugs so far - birds and squirrels get to them first. There is a short window when they are perfectly ripe for picking, when they are juicy and sweet and ready to eat. But they are just fine when they are firm but tart and work well for jams and preserves.

I like to can some of them whole, pit and all, in mild syrup so it saves time. But taking that extra effort to pit the plums and make jams and preserves is very satisfying too.

The Apple Plum Butter/Jam is a pretty straightforward recipe: simply cook with favorite spices for long enough time till apples caramelize to a thick jam-like consistency.  I did not measure exactly for this batch.

Ingredients
Chopped apples, skin and all
Chopped Italian plums, pitted
Lemon juice
Prune Juice
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves
Brown sugar (or Splenda, just enough to reduce the tartness)
Apple Cider vinegar
Water as needed

I cooked the above ingredients on stove-top for about half an hour over medium heat, then transferred to a slow cooker/crock pot and left it overnight on low, and finally increased it to high to finish cooking for the last 2 hours. Indeed, it takes about 14 hours to make this but one taste and it convinces me that it is worth it.

I made some garlic relish as well, and some key lime pickle - my favorites - Indian-style. Unlike the usual Chunky style Lime Garlic Chili pickle, I diced the key lime finely and minced the garlic and chopped the chili to make a Thokku-like pickle.

Hawaiian Chicken Breast with Bulgur Salad

'Hawaiian' marinade is just in spirit as pineapples and hot sauce and soy sauce inspire the island flavors for me.

The bulgur salad is mild with Mediterranean flavors and it complements the sweet-and-spicy chicken breast well.

Ingredients
For the Hawaiian marinade:
4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or Sriracha™ hot sauce or Bull Snort™ Texas Tail Torcher sauce
2 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp canola oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

For the bulgur salad:
½ cup bulgur
1 cup water (salted if preferred)
1 cup chopped bell peppers - red, yellow, orange
1 medium summer squash diced,
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
6 Kalamata olives, chopped
Feta, crumbled, as much preferred
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)

10 mint leaves for garnish, cut into ribbons
Sliced almonds, dried pineapples, dates, prunes for garnish

Preparation

1. Marinate: Reserve some marinade for basting while cooking; combine the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken breasts for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge until ready to cook (avoid acidic juice if marinating overnight)
2. For the Bulgur Salad: 
• Bring the water to a boil in a sauce pan, add the bulgur, turn off heat, cover and let it sit for 20-25 minutes; drain if needed and fluff with fork; allow to cool to room temperature
• Sauté the onions and squash in some olive oil, with a pinch of salt; allow to cool to room temperature
• Combine the bell peppers and the rest of the ingredients for the salad, along with the sauteed onions and squash, with the cooked bulgur; garnish with feta and mint leaves
3. Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a pan; drain and discard the marinade and cook chicken breasts till done - depends on the thickness/size of the breasts; baste part way through to keep it moist and flavorful
4. Garnish with almonds, chopped dried fruits, and mint leaves and serve at room temperature

Tricolor Gigli Salad with Roasted Squash, Bell Peppers and Purple beans

The colorful gigli (campanella or riccioli) pasta with a burst of fresh vegetables and a light dressing makes this a delicious pasta salad, especially when prepared ahead and served cold on a warm summer evening.

We had some vegetables from the home garden  - purple bush beans, green beans, onions, tomatoes. Use any favorite vegetable combination for the pasta salad.

Pan roast the squash and onions; mildly saute the carrots, bell peppers, green and purple bush beans; or leave them raw, no need to saute... I prefer almost 2:1 ratio of vegetables:pasta in my pasta salad.

The dressing is rather quick and easy if pesto is handy. I had some home-made Mint and Fennel Pesto as mint and fennel are overgrown in the garden. Or, any favorite store-bought pesto can be used.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked tricolor gigli pasta
1 medium summer squash, cut into chunks
1 medium Walla Walla sweet onions, sliced
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced or chopped
1 or 2 carrot, cut into discs
as many purple and green beans as preferred
½ cup cooked Mayo Coba beans (optional)
2 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
1 to 2 Tbsp oil for pan roasting

Dressing:
3 to 4 Tbsp Mint-and-Fennel pesto
2 Tbsp beaten non-fat yogurt (or sour cream)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp ground smoked paprika
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Pomegranate red wine vinegar
1 tsp Samabl Oelek (or any hot sauce or chili paste)
salt to taste

garnish: fresh herbs - I used rosemary, oregano and fennel from my garden

Preparation

1. Cook the gigli pasta per package instructions to al dente. Drain, rinse and keep handy.
2. Pan roast the vegetables (or use them raw if preferred), allow to cool
3. Combine the dressing ingredients, all but pesto, and beat to a smooth thick consistency; taste and adjust flavors
4. Toss the vegetables and pasta together at room temperature, add pesto and just enough of the dressing to lightly coat the salad, reserve some dressing in the fridge if preferred to serve on the side
5. Chill the pasta salad in the fridge for an hour or up to a day 
6. Garnish and serve cold