Pickled Jalapenos

This picture was taken back in June and the plant has grown like crazy since then!

I planted a little plant.  A little Jalapeno plant.  I watered this plant, I loved this plant…this plant grew and grew and then become a tree.  It supplied me with all the jalapenos a person could want…and then some!!!!  LOL!!!

I really didn’t think that this plant would survive the searing summer sun and temps but it has thrived.  Thrived to the point that it has a 2 inch trunk and peppers popping out all the time!  And these are hot.  Very hot peppers.  Last week I ended up with so many I wasn’t sure what to do with them  I just can’t keep up with simply eating them.  So I decided to pickle them.  A favorite topping of mine on nachos!

I am submitting this post to this months Grow Your Own (GYO) event because I really did grow this jalapeno tree!!!

Pickled Jalapenos (Recipe from The Purple Foodie)

Ingredients:

about 20 jalapenos, whole or sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, lightly pounded
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. Pack the jalapeños in a clean glass jar.
2. In a saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the jalapeños and let it rest for a few hours. Shake it up a little so that the peppercorns are evenly distributed.
4. For a crunchy bite, you can start nibbling on them within a few hours. As for softer texture, let this sit for 4-5 days.
5. Keep refrigerated for up to two months or can it according to jar manufacturer’s instructions.

***I added some onions to the jar and the top to help keep the jalapenos under the pickling brine!

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Fennel and Orange Salad

Fennel and Orange Salad

Anyone who follows me on twitter (follow me here) knows that this is my region of the country's growing season and I am getting a wonderful box of produce from my local farm co-op (CSA Box). My only problem seems to be my plethora of fennel.

I really don't like fennel all that much. I find that the flavor when cooked is a little strong and tends to over power anything it is going with! I decided I had better try it raw and see how that goes. At this point I had 4 large bulbs of the stuff. Thank goodness my sister is here and she was able to help out with eating all of this!

I looked around for a couple of ideas and came up with a Fennel and Orange Salad...Big yummm. I had some arugula going wild in my garden so this went into the salad! This one is really a winner!!!


I am entering this into GYO because I grew the arugula from seeds that we planted in October. Grow Your Own is a twice-a-month blogging event that celebrates the foods we grow or raise ourselves and the dishes we make using our homegrown products. This months event is hosted by Andrea of Andrea's Recipes. Go on over and check out the round up tomorrow!

Fennel and Orange Salad

3 or 4 bulbs of fennel , tops removed and bulb thinly sliced
large bunch of arugula, cleaned and torn to bites sized pieces
2 oranges, supremed or thinly sliced
1 Tbs olive oil
juice from the remaining orange scraps
salt and pepper to taste

Toss all salad ingredients. Whisk together the oil, orange juice, salt and pepper. Toss together and serve chilled!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

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