Curry Leaves Chutney Powder

“What are they?” asked the British lady standing right next to me in the Asian grocery store.
“It’s curry leaves,” I replied.
“Oh! So curry powder is made from these leaves then?” … [read more]

From Monsoon Spice

Canning Tomato Sauce

I spent the last Saturday of summer the same way my grandmother did 70 years ago – canning thick tomato sauce out of heirloom organic tomatoes.

Six hours of roasting, skinning, crushing and carefully pouring into sterilized mason jars. The process is almost as enjoyable as the rich sauce it produces – as is the sense of accomplishment, watching full jars line the counter top … [read more]

From Local Lemons

Blueberry Lemon Icebox Jam

As a young girl, canning was a summer constant. My mother had a huge garden filled with every fruit and vegetable Southwestern Virginia could grow. She would spend hours picking peaches, blueberries, raspberries, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, radishes. You name it. But, not even our neighbors could keep up with all of the produce coming out of our garden. I would make humiliating deliveries to their front doors, praying they would not answer after I rang the doorbell, to offer them plastic Kroger bags over-filled with tomatoes, green beans, corn, and herbs. On my summer layoffs, my one chore each day was to pick the garden … [read more]

From AnticiPlate