Broth Making: Homemade vegetable broth

The other night, I was all set to experiment with a squash soup recipe I had bouncing around in my head, but I realized I was totally out of vegetable broth.

What's a Nana-in-Training to do? Well, make homemade broth, of course! Homemade vegetable is easy, delicious and economical freezer staple. To make broth you will need a selection of vegetables, herbs, spices and water. You can really use any mixture of vegetables. Use up those vegetable ghosts of recipes past and make this fantastic freezer staple.

Vegetable broth is great in soups and other recipes. Swap out chicken broth and make your vegetable soup, truly vegetarian. Use it instead of water for rice or couscous.

This batch yielded 22 cups of broth!!

The goods

1 bunch of celery--washed, stalks separated, leaves on (I used celery left over from bloody mary's)

5 red potatoes-washed, skin-on, quartered

1/2 cup mushrooms--any variety (I used plain jane white mushrooms)

1 bulb garlic, roughly chopped

1 large onion--washed, skin on, quartered

1 cup carrot (I had left over shreds. You can just toss in a couple whole carrots cut into chunks)

Stems from one bunch of broccoli (who eats the stems anyway? save the tops for dinner!)

3 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Fresh herbs--I used the stems from one bunch of cilantro, 2 stems of basil. (The stems have flavor too, perfect for broth!)

2 inches of ginger, un-peeled, roughly chopped

Gear

Large stock pot, preferably a large pasta pot with strainer insert

Plenty of freezer bags

Liquid measuring cup

Permanent marker

Stock-making

Put all ingredients in your pasta pot with the strainer insert in place (or in a large stock pot). Cover completely with water. Put lid on and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 1-2 hours, until stock is fragrant and rich in color (should be like a caramel color).

Remove from heat. Let stand and cool at room temperate for another hour.

After broth is cooled remove strainer insert from pot. Or if you used a stock pot, strain broth into a large bowl or pot.

Use liquid measuring cup to measure broth in 1 or 2 cup portions. Pour into freezer bags, label, date and freeze flat. Yield: 15-20 cups

Solutions: Address stampers and calling cards!

I remember the first time I had to fill out a form for Lily--it was her first pediatrician appointment. At the time, it seemed so exciting to be able to do things for my baby--it made Lily a real little person with a real identity.

Then came day care, later more doctors, school, horse back riding, art classes, choir, ballet and then a baby sister--who had activities, school and doctors and needed all the forms filled out. In these first two weeks of September, I've filled out about 35 forms. Sometimes, I need to fill out a nearly identical form-twice-for the same activity. It actually makes me want someone to install a microchip in my hand, so I can just scan in and be done.

This great solution comes from my husband's Aunt Lydia. Lydia--who cans and cooks and crafts and works full time--has creative solutions! Lydia suggests buying a rubber stamper with your address on it and use this on your children's forms. Keep the address stamper in your purse and voila, you have at least part of the tedious form complete in minutes!

And as luck would have it, Vistaprint has a free address stamp offer going now! Each stamper allows for 3 lines worth of text--which I fit in our last name (figuring that I will use the stamper for all of us and just write in the first name), our address (all on one line) and home telephone number.

And while you are shopping, grab 250 free business cards! Whether you have business card for professional purposes or not, personal "calling" cards are great. Use them when you meet a new mom or a potential babysitter or anyone you want to keep in touch with. Tuck one in your kids backpacks and use as luggage tags. Vistaprint has oodles of cute designs.

All you pay is shipping--which amounts to about $6.

A fabulous deal and effective solution that gets the Nana seal of approval!

Cooking together: Peachy Keen Salsa by Trish & Miranda

I love my girlfriends--especially as I plunge headfirst into motherhood and my 30s. This week, I had the joy of cooking with one of my favorite Nana's-in-Training Miranda (author of the fab blog At the Cookery). We cooked and canned up a batch of Peach Salsa--it is sweet and spicy and oh so peachy.

While we chopped (and I made her chop the jalapeno, sort of a hazing into the Nana program), cooked and canned; we chatted. It made me think of women everywhere--those of today and those of centuries ago. Whether it is women working together in an office to build a corporation or two fabulous Mommas preserving summer in jar--it is the sharing of stories, tips and laughs that makes the end product special.

In each jar of our Peachy Keen Salsa, there is laughter and love and friendship. There is the background noise of our children--Max, Emma, Lily and Chloe--laughing and throwing toys around the room. When I eat this salsa, I'll always savor the taste of my girlfriend and our day together.

Let me tell you a little about my girlfriend Miranda. Miranda is absolutely a Nana-in-Training. She loves finding authentic solutions for her family--whether it is monthly meal planning, cooking for the season or planning a meal that even a picky 3-year-old will eat--Miranda is a solution oriented momma. She is way more analytical than I could ever be-

-which is a wonderful complement to my wayward and wandering ways.

Our Peachy Keen Salsa is tomato-less. Even though I love tomatoes, I really wanted to make something that showcased peaches. We produced 20 half-pints. You could halve (or quarter) the recipe and just make a batch for your refrigerator too. If you don't can it, still simmer it together--the heat softens the peaches and melts their natural sugar into the spice of the jalapenos and cayenne. Also feel free to adjust the heat of the salsa--adding less or more peppers.

We snuck some from the pot and tried it with tortilla chips. Miranda can't wait to try it on shrimp. I think it would also compliment a firm white fish--Mahi Mahi (which will be our dinner tonight!) or even pork.

Here's the recipe we followed (based on something I found online called Katie's Peach Salsa).

Peachy Keen Salsa

18 peaches-diced, skins left on

3 small-medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

8 jalapeno peppers chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup lime juice (if you can, use bottled lime juice. if you are not canning, you can use either fresh or bottled)

4 tablespoons local honey

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne

Toss everything in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. If processing, pack into hot jars and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Eggplant Prep--salt, sweat and rinse

A common complaint amongst eggplant or aubergine lovers is the sometimes bitter flavor.

Most smaller varieties of eggplant (japanese, fairy tale, etc) do not become bitter when cooked. The larger eggplant varieties can be bitter. (The seeds contain something related to the tobacco plant that produces that bitter flavor when cooked).

To reduce and avoid bitter taste, slice and salt the eggplant (using kosher salt). Let the salted eggplant sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The eggplant slices will "sweat" and then you can rinse the slices, removing the bitter flavor.

Salting and sweating the eggplant will also reduce the amount of oil absorbed when frying or sautéing. It is a quick, fabulous step that will ensure the rich flavor of the eggplant shines through!

Triple mini tomato bruschetta

Tomato bruschetta was the first grown up dish I learned to make. Over the years, I've played with my recipe a bit and finally, I think I've stumbled on the most brilliant variation using food from the season.

I am absolutely loving the variety of summer tomatoes. You will love this triple mini tomato bruschetta made a mixture of yellow grape tomatoes, purple cherry tomatoes and red teardrop tomatoes. The variety of mini tomatoes infuse this bruschetta with sunshine and soil. It is absolutely fantastic. Bruschetta is great on fresh bread or use to top a salad, as a no-cook pasta sauce or on chicken or fish.

The good stuff:

About 1 pint--mixed variety of mini tomatoes (grape, cherry, teardrop), cut into quarters

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup of fresh basil leaves, snipped/chopped into thin strips

1/4 cup EVOO

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Kosher Salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

2 baguettes, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces

Mix tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, EVOO, vinegar and salt/pepper (to taste). You can serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with sliced baguettes.

Weekend meals: World's Best Chicken & Shrimp Skewers with Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

We've had a fair share of weekend company this summer and since our patio is bigger than our dining room, I always want to grill. This dinner is so easy--just takes some advance cutting and marinating. The cooking time is short and with veggies, chicken and shrimp--there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Serve it up with fresh corn-on-the-cob and maybe my Triple mini tomato bruschetta . If there are any leftovers--make salads or sandwiches the next day.

Chicken and Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch chunks

1 lb peeled/deveined raw shrimp (medium to large in size)

4 cloves garlic--shaved across a micro-plane to make a paste

4 lemons-juice and zest

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons of fresh herbs, chopped (I typically use basil and parsley--but use what you have)

Salt/pepper

Mix garlic, lemon, oil, herbs and s/p in a large bowl.

Put the chicken and shrimp into separate large ziploc bags (or tupperware containers). Pour half of the marinade into each ziploc bag. Place in refrigerator and marinade for 30 minutes-1 hour. Don't marinade too long--the citrus cooks the chicken and shrimp.

Thread chicken and shrimp onto skewers. Don't mix--the shrimp takes about 5 minutes to grill and the chicken slightly longer. Grill over medium-high heat outside (or inside on a grill pan). Place chicken on first--after about 3 minutes, add the shrimp. Grill both until cooked about 10 minutes for chicken and 5 minutes for the shrimp.

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients:

You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand--this was what was in my veggie drawer.

2 eggplant--sliced 1/4" (see note about salting and rinsing eggplant)

1 zucchini--sliced long way, 1/4" thick

1 yellow summer squash-slice long way, 1/4" thick

1 red onion-sliced 1/4" rings

2 red peppers-quartered

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt/pepper

1 cup feta cheese

Place vegetables in a large plastic bag or dish. Pour vinegar and oil over vegetables and toss to coat. Add s/p to taste. You can let the vegetables marinate or grill immediately.

Grill over medium heat on stove top (in grill pan) or outdoor grill. Grill in batches, cooking about 2 minutes per side. Vegetables are done when slightly softened and caramelized on both sides. Removed cooked vegetables to a platter. When all vegetables are cooked, top with feta cheese and serve immediately.

In a pickle: garlic-dill pickles

I am a pickle fiend. When I was turning 9, I begged my Dad to bring me home a large vat of pickles from Southampton Estates (where he worked as an overnight security guard). He did and I ate those hamburger dills until I was ill. My Nana always put out a pickle and olive tray with dinner. Nana typically included Heinz sweet gerkins. Yum. Sometimes she would include her homemade Bread and Butter pickles-which are sweet and sour and simply perfect.

Mike and I met in high school. One day after school, I tried a batch of his Grandma Rudko's pickles. Those pickles were soaked in a garlic-dill brine and topped with oak leaves (so old school and marvelous!). After one bite I decided that I would marry Mike--if only to get more of those pickles.

I love our shared family tradition of pickling. Mike's Uncle Vic cans pickles every year--and now, so do we. Mike and I have played with many recipes and finally, I think we came up with our own version of garlic-dills. This year Lily helped me the first batch.

The best part of pickling is working together. Lily is a pro at packing the pickles and pretty good company as she serenades me with whatever song is stuck in her brilliant little head!

You can use any size pickling cucumbers (which are available at farm stands and markets all over this time of year. It seems the small pickles can be hard to find--so sometimes I make batches of spears or chips (if I can't find enough small whole pickles to fill a jar).

As you jar these up, if you run out of brine, just make more. This yielded about 4 quarts and 6 pints. Have enough supplies to make more than you think! Pickles are such fun gifts during the holidays--we pass out to neighbors, friends, teachers and anyone who mentioned that they love pickles!

If you aren't up for the whole canning process--you could halve the recipe and just make this pickles in your refrigerator.

Ingredients:

Pickling Cucumbers (4-5 pounds), washed

6 tablespoons kosher salt

4 1/2 cups water

4 cups white vinegar

2 large bunches of dills, washed

2 bulbs of white garlic-cloves separated, peeled

Mustard Seed

Bay leaves--a bunch

The process:

1. Wash, clean and sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. If you need more instructions on how-to can, take a peak at the Ball website.

2. Fill your sink or a large basin with ice and water. Place cucumbers in ice bath. They will soak in ice bath for about 10-20 minutes, while you get everything else together. The ice bath helps ensure a crispy pickle. You can soak the cucumbers whole and then if you want to cut into spears or chips, do so right before you pack the jars.

3. Combine salt, water and vinegar (this will be the pickling brine) in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Heat water in your canning pot (or, we use a large pasta pot for processing).

4. While the brine and processing water heat, pack your jars. Place whole or cut cucumbers into jars--filling in the larger spaces with cucumbers (it is sort of like a puzzle). Leave 1/4 inch of head space.

5. To each jar add: 2 full stalks of dill, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon mustard seed and 3-4 cloves garlic.

6. Fill each jar with hot brine, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

7. Cap and process 15 minutes in boiling water.

Store pickles in a cold dark place (like your basement or pantry). Label and date!