Preserving the Harvest

I've been dabbling in canning and preserving for over 15 years now. I fondly recall playing darts with my cousins in our grandma's basement in Waunakee, carefully avoiding the shelves of mysterious cans with who-knows-what preserved inside. I recall there being many cans of peaches, which perhaps weren't a favorite since there seemed to be so many left on the shelf. I'm not sure where, in southern Wisconsin, grandma got the peaches that she canned. Perhaps she purchased the boxes of juicy ones from Colorado that arrived in Midwestern grocery stores each summer. Regardless, grandma was a canner and I am too. She out of necessity and me out of enjoyment and food snobbery. (I have not been able to eat store-bought pasta sauce since discovering the recipe I can each year.)

Canning in Minnesota provided loads of opportunities, and in the Midwest, if you want to eat locally all year round, it plays an important role in the process. I also froze a lot of stuff, but we left the deep freeze with Sean's brother, so it's not much of an option these days. Plus things grow here year-round so eating locally is really quite easy. One could get lazy about canning, but luckily I enjoy it too much to give it up.

A selection of this year's canned delicacies.

This year I have canned the following:
- Pasta sauce (with Early Girl tomatoes from a fabulous bearded and pony-tailed farmer at the Merced Farmer's Market)
- Tomato jam (also with Early Girls)
- Lemon marmalade (with lemons from our friends Joe and Heather's lemon tree)
- Lemon curd (also with J&H's lemons)
- Strawberry, ginger, black pepper jam (with strawberries from Yang's Farm Stand and ginger from the Modesto Farmer's Market
- Fig and balsamic jam (with mission figs from the Merced Farmer's Market and balsamic vinegar from my guy who sells Sciabica's olive oils and vinegars at the Modesto Farmer's Market)
- Plum jam (with plums from our backyard tree)
- Mulberry, strawberry, blueberry jam (with mulberries from our backyard tree - identified and tasted by my brother-in-law, Aaron and strawberries and blueberries from Yang's Farm Stand)

I use many sources for recipes, but am particularly fond of my first canning book, which I received from my mom as a gift. That book, Canning and Preserving, by Linda Ferrari, started it all. This year, due to all the jam making, I relied heavily on The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, by Rachel Saunders. She has delicious and creative ideas and I look forward to further exploration of her giant citrus section this winter as our Meyer lemon tree looks to be producing a good crop.

I'll end this post with the tomato jam recipe I love. It's soooo much better than ketchup on burgers!

Spicy Tomato Jam (FoodNetwork.com)

4 large lemons

5 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups light muscovado sugar or packed light brown sugar

4 teaspoons ground cumin

Kosher salt

2 scant teaspoons red pepper flakes

4 small cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

8 1/8-inch-thick slices peeled ginger

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in wide strips, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Squeeze the lemon juice through a strainer into a large, wide saucepan. Add the lemon zest, tomatoes, sugar, cumin, 4 teaspoons salt, the red pepper flakes, cinnamon sticks, cloves and ginger. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are juicy and the sugar dissolves, 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are dark and syrupy and a candy or deep-fry thermometer registers 220 degrees F, 40 to 50 minutes (the timing may vary depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes). Reduce the heat if the mixture starts to scorch. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Meanwhile, sterilize four 8-ounce canning jars and lids. Fill the jars with the tomato mixture, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, then seal and process.

Taft Point - Yosemite

This post is a bit overdue and I have no particularly good excuse as for why, except that I have been canning a bit lately, but I will save those details for another post.

As I have shared previously in this blog, we were fortunate to have many visitors this spring and summer. At the end of July we were pleasantly surprised to find that the parade of visitors from Minnesota was not over. Sean's friend and coworker Vasily and his wife Lily did a whirlwind tour of San Francisco, San Jose, and Yosemite over a long weekend. We were able to meet up with them for a day in the park. We began with breakfast at the Ahwahnee, did a tour of the valley, with a hike to the base of Bridalveil Falls, and a hike to Taft Point, which had been on Sean and my list for quite a while. The views were incredible! And the company was great.

Sean and Vasily posing in front of El Capitan. Vasily had to show the St. Jude Medical folks what Sean's office looks like.

Lily and Vasily at Tunnel View.

The view from Taft Point is not quite as spectacular as the one from Glacier Point, but one is much closer to the scenery at Taft.

Modesto

45 minutes by car up "The 99", as the highway is known in the Valley, lies Modesto, CA. Home of the Gallo wine empire (generous donors to UC Merced), hometown of George Lucas (celebrated each year with American Graffiti Days), and home base of Yosemite climber and outdoor clothing designer, Royal Robbins, Modesto is a town we visit often.

Every six weeks or so I schedule a haircut at the Aveda salon in Modesto. I plan the appointments on Saturdays to coincide with the farmers' market.  The Modesto Certified Farmers Market is a nice, mid-sized market with a variety of produce, cheese, fresh fish from Santa Cruz, and the best flavored olive oil, Sciabica.  Because we buy so much, my guy sets me up with good deals and cheap shipping for my visitors. On our last visit to Modesto we also discovered a great organic grocery, Sunflower Market. 

Lately we have also enjoyed great meals at Modesto restaurants. We celebrated our friend Mike's tenure award at UC Merced with he and Laura at Camp 4 Wine Cafe, a terrific place for wine selection and delicious panini opened by Royal Robbins' son, who placed it in the original Royal Robbins clothing factory and named it after the climbers camp in Yosemite. Another favorite is Dewz where we celebrated our wedding anniversary. The table-side Caesar salad preparation wowed Sean and I was smitten by a delicious cocktail. Sugar N Spice contained: Ron Zacapa, Cherry Herring, Cinnamon Schnapps and Jalapeno, served with a Cinnamon, Sugar and Cayenne rim. It was liquid Big Red and it was fabulous.

Merced has its charms, but Modesto has won us over for its produce we can't find in Merced and its great dining options.

Tuolumne Meadows - Yosemite's High Country

 We have enjoyed many trips to Yosemite in the 14 months we have lived in Merced, but until June we had not yet experienced Yosemite's high country. My parents were able to join us to enjoy this amazing area. This trip is best documented in photographs. Thankfully we have my dad's to supplement our own pictures.

This gorgeous shot gives a perspective on how breathtaking the high country is.

Our tent (#16) at the Tuolumne Meadows tent cabins.

A view from inside our cozy tent cabin.

Our first hike was the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. One of three groves in the park.

Next stop - Olmsted Point, for the back view of Half Dome.

A group shot at Olmsted Point.

Soda Springs provided a short excursion into a historic piece of the Tuloumne Meadows area.

Day two had us hiking up Lembert Dome. Can you spot Sean at the top?

Dad, capturing Sean at the top.

For a change of scenery we then hiked along the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River.

Day three led us to a wonderfully solitary hike around Tenaya Lake.

A downed tree provided great seating for a break mid-hike.

I opted for a spot on the sandy beach.

Visitors!

I have been derelict in my blogging as of late, but there is an excellent reason. We have had visitors! From Memorial Day to the 4th of July we had 4 sets of visitors spend time with us and it was marvelous!

Kim and Aaron
First up were my sister Kim and brother-in-law Aaron. They came for a long Memorial Day weekend all the way from Washington, DC, and I believe we showed them as good of a time as they have shown me on my many visits to the nation's capital. We visited Yosemite where a late season cold front dropped snow at 5000 feet. Viewing Mariposa Grove with snowflakes falling through partial sunshine was magical. Wine tasting in Lodi and a visit to the Modesto Farmers' Market was a highlight, as was the meal we created that evening with our purchases. Our planned pool party turned patio party due to the cool weather, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. A day on the coast in Carmel topped off a wonderful visit.

Aaron and Kim in front of Tunnel View

 

Melissa

My good friend Melissa, who I met as an undergrad at Winona State came to visit for part of a week and enjoyed sunny California. We spent a lovely day poolside with magazines and margarita freezee pops. The swimming was excellent and it was so great to catch up. We also showed Melissa the sites in Yosemite. Wine tasting in Lodi was on our agenda too and we enjoyed some of our purchases with dinner in the evenings. A trip to Modesto for some shopping, particularly to Stewart and Jasper for almonds in the shell, was fun. We have really turned a lot of people onto those almonds! We also had a delicious woodfired pizza at Bella Luna downtown Merced for our final dinner together.

Melissa and me in Yosemite Valley

Mom and Dad
We were able to convince my mom and dad to extend their trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons to join us for a long weekend at some tent cabins near Tuolumne Meadows. Our good friends Heather and Joe offered to dog sit the huskies, so we had peace of mind the entire weekend. The Tioga Pass section of the park is so gorgeous it deserves its own blog post, so expect more from that trip later.

Mom and Dad on Lembert Dome

Heidi, Barry, Ben, Leah and Grace
My sister Heidi and her family were able to spend their 4th of July week of vacation with us and we had a terrific time! We tried to break up driving days with swimming days to give the kids a break. We saw the classic sites in Yosemite and also spent some time near (and in - for the kids) the Merced River. We spent the 4th swimming and grilling and watched the fireworks in Atwater at the old Castle Airforce Base parade grounds. We cooled off on Thursday by heading to Monterey and Carmel, with a stop at Casa de Fruta for snacks. Carmel Beach was gorgeous and the shopping on Cannery Row was great. We even checked out the 17 mile tour of the Pebble Beach area and saw the Lone Cypress. Our last day involved more pool time, with dinner at In 'N Out and cupcakes from Little Pink Boxes. That has to be the most fun that has been had in our pool in one week.

Barry and Grace in the Merced River - Yosemite Valley

Ben could almost reach across the tree tunnel in Mariposa Grove

Leah and Heidi waiting for fireworks

The Danielsons checking out the Pacific at Cannery Row

The only remotely bad thing about having all these wonderful visitors is that I now think the rest of the summer might seem anticlimactic. Sean and I will just have to find some more fun things to keep us occupied in and around Merced. I think that list of Yosemite hikes is around here somewhere...

Cesar Chavez Holiday Weekend in Carmel and Big Sur

The State of California kindly gave me an extra day off to honor the important work of Cesar Chavez.  The continued abuse of farm workers was always present as we drove through the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys on our way to the coast.  While we did enjoy our holiday, we also renewed our commitment to sustainable farming - for the land and the workers.

A trip to the Monterey Peninsula wouldn't be complete without a stop at Casa de Fruta for a snack and leg stretch.  While I headed inside for drinks, Sean walked the dogs near the peacocks. They were enthralled.

Once in Carmel we headed straight for the dog-friendly beach at the end of Ocean Avenue to smell the sea and let the dogs feel the sand under their paws.  It was sunny and lovely.

That is Kodi's happy face

Sean napped with the dogs while I shopped the fabulous shops of Carmel.  Everyone got presents - Sean from Tommy Bahama and the huskies from Diggidy Dog.  Our hotel, the Carmel Mission Inn, welcomed dogs and had an awesome undersea mural with blue lights that shone on it above the bed.  The huskies were welcome at our lunch stop for burgers, but not our seafood dinner.  Carmel loves its dogs.

Fire on the patio at Carmel Mission Inn

Saturday threatened rain, but we had a hearty breakfast at Em Le's Cafe, including their "secret" syrup, and headed down Highway 1 to Big Sur.  The trees were lovely, but the rain prevented us seeing much of the coast.

Too rainy

We made it as far as Coast Gallery, where I picked up a cool photo of otters for my new office, and then headed back to Carmel for some rainy day wine tasting.  First we picked up some baguette, olives, and cheeses at the Carmel Cheese Shop, including our favorite from the last trip: Piedmont.  Tastings at Wrath and Cima Collina left us with a 4-pack and case, respectively.  The rain appeared to be letting up, so we headed back to change into sneakers and walk the huskies on the trail by the mission, but it once again began to rain, so instead we had an impromptu cheese and wine late lunch in the hotel room. Late dinner at Rio Grill deliciously ended a great day on the coast.

Sunday dawned clear and sunny so we made a quick stop at Crepes of Brittany at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey and then headed down Highway 1 to see the sights.  Saturday's storm meant high surf warnings and the waves were spectacular!

Sunny day at Big Sur

Our trusty book, Dog-friendly Hikes in Central California, pointed us to Pfeiffer Beach where we had a blast soaking in the ocean sights, sounds, and smells.

This is Sean's happy face

The waves threatened to soak the trio, but Ili stood her ground

Can you spot the husky in this photo?

So many sniffs to sniff!

Sandy paws meant we found beach "souvenirs" in the travel kennels for the next week

What a great way to celebrate the end of Ili's radiation treatment and the almost end of Kodi's chemotherapy.  It was a glorious weekend on the coast!

Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete

This weekend the 33rd annual Kiki Raina Tahiti Fete was held at the Merced County Fairgrounds.  Dancers and drummers came from all over California, other states, and even other nations, to compete and celebrate Polynesian culture and dance.  Our friend was able to score us some 3-day passes from UC Merced Ohana (a campus group that promotes Hawaiian culture).  The dancers were amazingly talented and their costumes, which most made themselves, were incredible.  We enjoyed some island food and pina colada Hawaiian shave ice and did a little shopping - coconut shell jewelry and a new sarong for wearing by the pool. 

Unfortunately, given the fact that I only had my phone camera and did not want to block anyone's view of the dancers, my pictures don't do the event justice.  You'll have to come to Merced next March and experience it for yourselves. 

A teenage contestant wows the crowd.

The headdresses were amazing.

Delicious island wonton noodle soup.

Pina colada Hawaiian shave ice.

The group numbers were amazing.