MitchaRachia Farmhouse Salsa

It's good. Real good. It definitely rivals any of these other salsa companies coming from Vermont gardens. And, as I love sharing my vibes, I will share with you! Check it!

Please note two items of importance in regards to MitchaRachia Farmhouse Salsa:

1.) Before you attempt - get your canning supplies and get someone who has canned before to give you a lesson in canning. Not me though, I charge $100 an hour.
2.) You can switch the veggie items around as you see fit and also also mix up the spices a bit for your taste, but the other ingredients must remain for the sake of how to preserve without chemicals.


# denotes directly from my garden! (this made about 4 quarts)

8 cups of chopped, seeded, peeled, and cored red and yellow tomatoes (this is MESSY!!!) #
2 cups of chopped, seeded, and peeled cucumbers #
3 cups of chopped and seeded green and yellow peppers #
1 cup chopped hot peppers (wear gloves so you don't get burned) #
1 cup chopped green onion #
1 cup chopped leeks #
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup minced cilantro #
1/4 cup chopped chives #
2 tablespoons marjoram
2 teaspoons of salt
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice

After you spend several hours chopping, peeling, de-seeding, etc., combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps (meaning lightly screw on just as the first bit of pressure can be applied). Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

YUM!!!!!!

Fried Green Tomatoes!

I have been meaning to get more posts up here regarding all of the fabulous food Mitch and I have been making directly from the garden. We are so localvoring it - pick and then plan the meal - it's so fun! For instance last night I had some big mushrooms in the fridge almost ready to go bad. So, I took the stems out and chopped 'em up. Then I picked some carrots, tomatoes, peppers, rosemary, thyme, parsley, chives, leeks and chopped them up. I did some veggie sauteing, binded them all together with some flour, cooking wine, and water, and topped it off with some mozzarella, Parmesan, and bread crumbs and stuffed those mushrooms right up. I also stuffed a few peppers as well. Then I baked 'em and have leftovers today for a lunch meeting with an old friend. How fab is that???

Today I wanted to share with my favorite Vermont Vibers about the fun of Fried Green Tomatoes. I actually didn't ever see that movie until a little over a year ago - sometimes I am not sure where I have been. It is a most excellent movie and I think I actually blogged about it last year as the best movie to watch after creating a spa night for oneself.

As I watched my garden grow this summer, I found while I was waiting for the veggies to show up (now I am swimming in them), there were an awful lot of green tomatoes and hot damn - what would I do with them all once they ripened? So, I looked to my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook I bought for my mom as a birthday gift when I was in the fourth grade and then stole when I left for college (although now is when it's really started to get a workout). Sure enough there was a recipe and with some tweaking - I offer you:

Farmhouse Friend Green Tomatoes:

~ Pick green tomatoes off vine
~ Cut into four slices
~ Place four bowls on counter and fill:
Bowl 1:
milk
Bowl 2:
Flour, salt, pepper, and garden herbs (I use parsley and thyme)
Bowl 3:
Beaten eggs
Bowl 4:
Bread crumbs
~ Dip tomatoes in each mixture in order above
~ Place tomatoes in heated veggie oil in frying pan
~ Fry 3-5 minutes per side, depending on heat level of oil

Fried Green Tomatoes are the one fried food approved by Vermont Vibes - and while it's traditionally a southern thang, I think they should be the official fried food of the Green Mountains! They're green and Vermonters grow lots of tomatoes!

Fish Emulsion and Veggies

Ha! Another sneaky chance for me to write something while Rachel is not around!!! I wanted to comment on the crazy and prosperous time we have had with our garden this summer. As a first time gardener, I have had to learn many tricks and deal with many annoying details (i.e. - weeding, pruning, tying up tomatoes, bugs, etc). I also have been able to experience the pure bliss of the "fruits" of my labor. For all of those vibers out there who have a garden or want one in the future, I have two words for you....FISH EMULSION!! Man, this stuff is crazy!! It is smelly and for the most part, well, gross. However, it is an all natural way to make your garden explode with hearty, sweet veggies that are just amazing to eat. Depending on the size of your garden, just mix 2 to 4 teaspoons into a 2 gallon watering can filled with water, and then water your plants as normal. You only need to do this once a month. Just to clarify, Fish Emulsion is a liquid made from fish parts. There is no actual chunks or anything nasty to deal with! Just prepare yourself, because you will be swimming in vegetables!! Uh Oh....I hear Rachel coming back, so I will be back at some point with some sort of sneaky vibe!! Peace, Mitch