Preserving the Harvest - A Guest Post by Taste and Savor's Culinary Intern, Stacy Maple

It’s harvest time!  As another growing season comes to an end, many of us are looking for ways to preserve the year’s harvest.  Preserving your own foods allows you to enjoy the taste of summer all throughout the year.  But, before you run off to buy a box of mason jars or gallon size freezer bags, let’s take a look at the various techniques used for food preservation.

     The term food preservation refers to any one of a number of techniques used to prevent food from spoiling.  It has become an increasingly important component of the current food industry as fewer people eat foods produced on their own lands, and as consumers expect to be able to purchase and consume foods that are “out of season”.         

Food Preservation includes methods such as drying, salting, canning or bottling, sugaring, oil and fat, curing and smoking, fermenting and pickling, refrigeration and freezing.  With so many different food preservations methods currently available, it is important to consider the following factors when deciding on which method to use.

• Space:  The amount of space you have available to dedicate to the preserving process and/or space used for storage of preserved items should definitely impact your choice of preservation.
• Cost:  Naturally, the costs involved in preserving your food should be weighed against the cost of purchasing the food from a local market or vendor.  In addition, there may be costs in using up storage space, purchasing specialized equipment etc.  Of course, the health, environmental, and nutrient benefits that arise from preserving your own foods, should weigh heavily in the decision process, as well
• Climate:  The climate can aid or hinder different storage methods. 
• Available Equipment:  Some preserving methods require specialized equipment that you may not have access to, or that you may be unwilling to use.
• Nature of the Food:  Be realistic about the ability of the food to be preserved.  Some food may not tolerate any form of preserving and needs to be eaten fresh.  Some foods can actually become toxic when preserved so you must do your research ahead of time.
• Hygiene and Safety:  Your ability to maintain a high level of hygiene and safety during the preservation of process is important. 
• Local Laws and Regulations:  It is important to be aware of local laws and regulations regarding the preservation of foods, especially if you are planning to sell these items.

Food spoilage occurs from the growth of bacteria.  Bacteria grows best under the following conditions: where it has a food source, when acid levels are ideal, when given time to grow, when temperatures are between 45-135 degrees, when there is oxygen, and when there is moisture.   To slow the growth of bacteria, we restrict it from the ideal conditions needed to grow.  When we slow the growth of bacteria, we extend the shelf life of our food. We call this food preservation.  Each method of food preservation, attempts to restrict the bacteria from one or more of the ideal conditions it needs to grow and thrive.  There are many methods of food preservation available.

Drying: Drying is an ancient technique of food preservation that is still used today.  It is commonly used because it is inexpensive, as you rely only on the sun or an oven to eliminate moisture from the food.  The dried items are compact and easy to store.  The greatest disadvantage of drying is the loss of color and vitamins, and the change of flavor and texture.

Salting:  Salt is another ancient method that reduces the moisture in food.  When used as part of the drying process it increases the shelf life of items such as fish and meat and it enhances the flavor of dried items too.  It is important to wash off the excess salt or salt water brine from the foods or they will become too salty in taste and the over-consumption of salt can be harmful to one’s health.

Canning or Bottling:  Foods preserved by this method are sealed into a closed container, such as a glass jar, bottle, or can.  Therefore, this process requires special canning equipment and a heat source to properly seal the container.  Properly sealed containers deny bacteria the needed oxygen to grow.  Items preserved this way can be stored for up to a year and maintain their flavor well.  However, canning or bottling can be expensive after purchasing the special equipment needed and factoring in your fuel costs.  There is also a high risk of severe food poisoning if this process is not done properly, especially in low acid foods such as vegetables and meat. 

Sugaring: Preserving through the use of tree saps and/or sugar is commonplace in some parts of the world.  The sap produced by some trees, such as the Maple, can be stored for long periods of time.  The addition of sugar to some foods, like jams and jellies, can lengthen their shelf life.

Oil and Fat:  Some items can be stored in fat or oil to increase shelf life.  The fat or oil completely covers the food and denies bacteria the oxygen needed to grow.

Curing and Smoking: Smoking is a method used to dry meats, fish, cheese and nuts.  The smoking process not only preserved the foods, but imparts a desirable flavor into the preserved foods.  Curing requires the addition of curing agents known as nitrates and nitrites, followed by smoking to preserve the food.  Although the taste of smoked and cured meats is desirable, be aware that nitrates and nitrites are carcinogenic.

Bin Storage:  If you have access to a cool, dark place, such as a cellar or basement, it is possible to store foods for short periods of time just relying on the coolness of the room. The cool temperature will slow the growth of bacteria that causes foods to spoil.  Shelf life can be further gained by storing items in bins of sand which restricts oxygen to bacteria on foods.

Fermenting and Pickling:  High levels of acid will slow the growth of bacteria that causes foods to spoil.  Fermenting and pickling are methods of preservation where foods are stored in a flavored acid.   Foods like pickles, sauerkraut, soy bean curd, and eggs are examples of foods that have been pickled or fermented and can be kept for several months this way.

Refrigeration and Freezing:  Most commonly used in the United States and other parts of the world, refrigeration and freezing slow the growth of bacteria by storing foods in cold or freezing temperatures.  If electricity is available, this is the easiest method to store food.  However, not all bacteria are killed through the freezing process so it is important to follow safe and sanitary food practices during and after thawing the item.  Also, the quality of food can be diminished if not stored properly.

Many times a combination of methods are used to increase shelf life of foods.  Whatever method is used, it is important to always label and date your preserved foods and follow all safety requirements to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.

This is my family's favorite bread and butter pickle recipe.  Though my boys only know them as “Grandpa’s Pickles”, the recipe is actually my Aunt Mary Lou’s.  Regardless of where the recipe originated, my boys love them and you will too. They are easy to make and unlike many pickle recipes, the process from cucumber to pickle takes only a few hours.

                                                             “Grandpa’s Pickles”

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe

2 Quarts of sliced cucumbers

3 T Salt

1 tsp turmeric

1 ½ cups cider vinegar

1 large onion

2 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp celery salt

Wash and slice the cucumbers very thin, but do not peel them.  Thinly slice onion into rings.  Place cucumber and onion slices in large bowl and sprinkle with salt.  Cover with ice cubes and mix thoroughly. Let this stand for 3 hours. Drain thoroughly, but DO NOT rinse.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Pour over cucumber mixture and heat on stove to a slow boil.  Remove from heat and seal in hot jars. 

Makes 4-5 pints.

Hot and Steamy Race - Cool and Refreshing Salsa

What fun I had at the race to benefit Cancer Wellness in Fayette today! Over 250 walkers came out to brave the humidity and support a great cause. The picture you see above is the Cancer Wellness Chef and Wellness Team! Chef Nancy, Chef Beci, Dietician Taryn and I enjoyed providing participants with healthy foods and recipes.

And speaking of recipes – here’s the one that I share today. My recipe card was all about the yummy lentil burgers I’ve made at Cancer Wellness, (they are on the Friday Four as well!) So I decided to whip up this salsa as a good topper for the burgers. I served it with tortilla chips at the race, but it’s also super with grilled salmon or chicken. In fact sometimes I just slather a little hummus on a flatbread, put a scoop of this salsa on it – and roll it up to enjoy!

Pineapple Tomato Salsa



2 Cups Chopped Fresh Pineapple

1 Cup Chopped Grape Tomatoes


¼  Cup Chopped Red Onion


¼ Cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper

Juice and Zest of 1 Lime


1 Jalapeño, Chopped with Seeds and Ribs removed


1/2 Tsp Sea Salt


2 TB Honey Ginger Vinegar*

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

Create the salsa by whisking the ingredients together in a large bowl.

* I used F. Olivers Honeyed Ginger Vinegar in my salsa for the race. You can find it on line here: http://www.folivers.com

If you can't wait to make your salsa - here's how to make a version of honey ginger vinegar:

1 Cup Rice Vinegar

1 TB Grated Fresh Ginger

2 TB Honey

Shake the ingredients together in a jar. Place in your fridge for a couple of days to allow the flavors to blend. Use whenever you’d like a delicious ginger honey taste to a salad dressing or salsa.

My Cheesy Excuse: A Guest Post by Healthy Sous-Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

Despite all of my intentions to write a new and interesting blog each week, there are instances when my hectic schedule leaves me with little time to sit quietly at my keyboard and write.  Typically, I have a valid excuse such as, I worked three thirteen hour shifts in a row or I was carpooling the kids all evening.  Last week was not one of those times. 
Last Thursday, I had every intention of stealing off to my office and writing up a new blog and recipe that I had made earlier in the week.  But alas, I was invited over to my neighboor's house for a "glass" of wine.  This is really code for "let's chat and drink a bottle of wine".  Since Carol was kind enough to supply the bottle of wine, I could not arrive empty handed, so I pulled out a nice piece of cheese that I had been saving for a special occasion.  So pehaps, this was not the special occasion I had in mind, but wine, cheese and good neighbor's company would suffice.
I walked into Carol's house with the immediate disclaimer that the odor she may smell was not me.  Many times it is me of course, because after a day in the kitchen with onions, garlic and other offending smells, well, you get the picture.  In any case, the slightly funky smell was from my prized block of cheese, that I brought to share.  This cheese is one of my new favorites and was of course introduced to me by Chef Nancy.  It is called Morbier.

Morbier is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from France.  It resembles a blue cheese, but the vein running down the middle is actually thin layer of tasteless ash.  The cheese was still cold out of the refrigerator when we first tasted it.  It was delicious of course, but the flavor was not yet fully developed. As we sat and talked over the next couple of hours, it was great fun to see how the taste of the cheese changed and improved as it warmed up to room temperature.  Needless to say, the time passed, the wine was gone and all that remained of the Morbier was a lifeless rind sitting on a plate. 

Yikes! I had spent the entire evening eating cheese and drinking wine.  No time for a blog this evening.  I had to walk home and make some dinner for the kids and get everyone organized for school and work the next day.  

I hated having to tell Nancy that I had no new blog for her on Friday morning, but I kept my fingers crossed that she would see the humor in the picture of my "dead soldier", shown above.  She is afterall, a Partyologist!  Luckily, she did, and I ended up getting a blog out of my evening, albeit a week late.

So, the next time, you feel the urge to procrastinate and or just spend a nice evening with a friend, take along a nice slice of Morbier to share.  I buy mine at the Buford Highway Farmer's market and have seen it at Whole Food's and occasionally Costco.  Oh, and if you need to bring the wine as well, try a nice Pinot Noir.  Enjoy!

Cooking with Herbs and Spices

The article published by Health Watch MD last week about herbs and spices was so much fun to do. I did give some ideas about what herbs and spices paired with which foods - but I thought I would share some of my favorite herbs and spices recipes, so you could take advantage of the wonderful summer growing and grilling season.

To Prepare Your Meat or Poultry for the Grill:
Marinate chicken breasts, thighs or a pork tenderloin for 1 hour in a mixture of 2 TB Olive oil, 1 TB Chopped Rosemary, 1 TB Chopped Parsley, 1 Cup White Wine, (or Apple juice) and 1 TB Dijon Mustard. Remove from the marinade, pat dry and season with salt and pepper and grill. Add a green salad and a side of the Herb Cornbread Muffins and you have dinner!

Cilantro Barbeque Sauce

1 ½ Cup Minced Onions

2 TB Unsalted Butter


1 Tsp Turmeric


4 Garlic Cloves, grated

1 ½ Cups Ketchup (low sugar if possible)

¼ Cup Bourbon (optional)

2 TB Dark Brown Sugar


¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper


1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

2 TB Lemon Juice


¼ Cup Cider Vinegar


1 TB Worcestershire Sauce


½ Cup Orange Juice (if not adding bourbon, add another ½ cup orange juice.

3 TB Chopped Cilantro, plus more for garnish

Sauté the onion in the butter and turmeric until soft. Add the garlic and cook and stir for an additional minute. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 – 45 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with chicken, portabella mushrooms or pork that has been seasoned with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

Easy Herb Cornbread Muffins

¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour

½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour

¾ Cup Corn Meal

    (Yellow or White)

2 TB Raw Sugar*

2 Tsp Baking Powder

½ Tsp Sea Salt

1 Cup Light Buttermilk

    (or Nonfat Yogurt)

¼ Cup Canola or Oil

2 Egg Whites

2 TB Chopped Fresh Herbs (If using dried use 1 TB)

Step One

Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the flours, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.

Step Two

In another bowl, stir in buttermilk, oil, egg whites, and herbs.

Step Three

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients - mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into 12 or 24 non-stick sprayed muffin tin. Bake 12 -18 minutes or until golden brown.

*I am using raw sugar here, because I am trying yo use a less processed sweetener - if you have plain sugar it is fine.

Stacy and Julia.... A Guest Post by Taste and Savor's Culinary Intern, Stacy Maple

I am Chef Nancy's new culinary intern.  In twelve short weeks I will be graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. I will be joining an elite group of chefs who have completed this degree, including the beloved, Julia Child.  Like Julia, I entered Le Cordon Bleu as a "non-traditional student":  married, middle-aged and a woman.  In light of her 100th birthday,  I find myself thinking of her and the impact she made on the culinary world...and, perhaps, on me.

Julia Child was arguably, America's first celebrity chef.  Many of us grew up watching her on TV.  I know I did.   Everything about her seemed exaggerated and almost cartoonish:  her unusually, large stature; her heavy French-like accent; her overly simple wardrobe paired with a string of pearls; her mop of hair; her painfully, extensive knowledge of French cuisine; and her unmistakable voice. She was not today's image of a celebrity chef, but none the less, Americans were drawn to her her...and some of us still are.

Julia was a pioneer in the culinary world.  I believe, her weekly television show did much more than she ever intended.  Not only did she introduce French cooking techniques and new ingredients to the American housewife, but she inspired them.  She made it possible for women to dream beyond their home kitchens and find jobs in professional ones.  Women can make careers out of something we have done since the beginning of time...cook. 

Happy 100th birthday, Chef Child.  And thank you!  I am looking forward to graduation and wearing that tall toque...with a string of pearls.

Savoring Summer: A Guest Post, by Healthy Sous-Chef Partyologist, Lea Bowen

Though the official end of summer is still a few weeks off, summer as I know it has come to an end.  Vacations are now cherished memories, my workload has picked up and the kids are back in school.  As many of you know, I had the opportunity to travel to Alaska last month with my parents and nine year old son.  My parents generously offered to take both of my children on a special trip.  Last year was a tour of Italy with my daughter and this year the Alaska trip with my son, Zach.  Although, not officially invited on either one of these trips, I could not help but tag along as they were both places I had not yet been in my travels.  The sad thing is, is that I only have two kids and have no wonderful trip to look forward to next summer.  Perhaps I can convince the parents, that my new furry, four-legged child Charlie needs a trip to Paris, after all, he is small enough to fit into a Louis Vuitton bag for convenient and chic travel and I know the French love taking their "petit chiens" out to the cafes.  I will certainly get working on that, but in the meantime will fill you in on my trip to Alaska.

I had no idea what to expect of this last frontier.  I knew there would be salmon, (Because, what else is there to think about on a trip other than what you are going to eat?) and mountains and maybe a moose sighting.  Quite frankly, I was a bit hesitant about the whole trip.  I have never been the rugged outdoor type, and felt like a complete fraud when I stepped into the R.E.I store for the first time in search of waterproof hiking boots and rain gear.  So, with my bags now appropriately packed, we headed to Anchorage and the start of ten glorious days of discovery.

We arrived to a dreary cold scene, which was actually a pleasant change from the 105 degrees we hit in Atlanta the week prior.  Our tour started with a bang.  The first night at dinner, we had the pleasure of meeting Petra the eighteen year old bald eagle.  She was regal and beautiful and just the beginning of the spectacular natural beauty we would see on this trip.

Everyone, I met before my trip, who had already been to Alaska, assured me that I would be awed by the beauty.  Blah, blah blah.....I really just wanted to eat good food and come back with some delicious culinary inspirations, as I had on last summer's trip to Italy.  That did not happen, while I did have several interesting meals, I had to put my love of food photography on hold.  It was really not that hard to find something amazing to take a picture of.  Iditarod sled dogs, Mt. McKinley, glaciers, running rivers, icy lakes, colorful flowers and the animals at the wildlife preserve.  It was amazing! 

There were many firsts for me on this trip.  Kayaking, a five mile mountain hike, a jet boat ride and a trip up in a small plane to view Denali, just to name a few.  But perhaps the most breath taking thing that I witnessed, was watching my son have the time of his life.  To see the grandure of Alaska through his eyes and personal experience was wonderous.

So, I did not come back from Alaska with an inspired recipe, but instead, a new love of nature, the great outdoors and of course, my new waterproof hiking boots.  The Alaskan's are passionate about their state and are the most resourceful group of people I have ever encountered. 

Now, as I plunge head first into the new school year and my busy fall work schedule, I will reflect fondly on the tranquility and beauty I found in Alaska and try to carry some of that with me in the hectic weeks ahead.

How to Grill Octopus!

While visiting New York earlier this year, I saw an "octopus" trend. Every menu seemed to include an iteration of octopus. Grilled, sautéed - even blackened. After returning to Atlanta, I watched to see how long it would take before the many-armed cephalopod made it's way to the south...It's here! So, I couldn't resist reposting a blog from the summer of 2009. Here's my first attend at octopus wrangling, aided and abetting by my fun and intrepid sister, Pat. After rereading the blog - I realized that I didn't share our wine choice for the evening. We drank a crisp Greek Assyrtiko - super refreshing for a hot summer evening.

On our way out to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we picked up some octopus at the Eastern Market in DC and we invited a good friend over for an adventurous dinner, lots of wine and stories.
The very good news: our briny buddy was cleaned at the fish market – Woo Hoo! Both my sister and I have enjoyed octopus in a variety of different preparations but, after deciding that it should be grilled, we set out to find out just how. I researched on the Internet – let me share with you there are some funky posts out there for cooking octopus! We couldn’t beat it on the rocks as they do in Greece. It didn’t sound right to just sauté it briefly and then grill – visions of rubber bands were floating in our heads. So, we decided to defer to the master of scientific cooking, (Harold McGee), and used his advice along with some hints and tips from Mark Bittman’s video blog to turn our slimy cephalopod into dinner.

First, my ever-intrepid sis cut off the arms and swimmers. (I’ve spared you a picture of this step – but basically she just trimmed off the arms and the webbing around them). Next, she blanched the octopus arms for 30 seconds in boiling water, and then placed them into a covered, dry cast iron pot, for about 4 hours at 200 degrees. Look at the beautiful maroon juices it gave off! (She used the juices to boil some potatoes, which were served on the side in a beautiful Greek salad). Finally, a quick turn on the grill to brown and caramelize the exterior and a bath in olive oil and spices. Our fun and delicious dinner was accompanied by Tzatziki, grilled flatbread and much laughter.

Here’s a quick and flavorful recipe for Tzatziki, a Greek Yogurt, Cucumber and Garlic Dip, great with flatbread, pita chips or raw veggies.

1 Cup Diced or Grated, Peeled and Seeded Cucumber
16 oz Plain Greek Yogurt
6 Garlic Cloves, Minced or Grated
1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
2 TB Chopped Fresh Mint or Dill or Combination of Both
Kosher or Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to Taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a Drizzle

Step One
Place the Cucumber in a fine strainer over a bowl. Salt the cucumber lightly and leave to drain about ½ hour. Remove the cucumber from the strainer and place in a paper towel. Roll to remove moisture.

Step Two
Place the yogurt, garlic, oil and lemon juice in a bowl and stir. Add the cucumber, and the herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with oil and enjoy.