Beth Dixon's Famous Granola "Tastes great with just milk, or yogurt and berries. Enjoy!" (makes 8 cups) Ingredients: 3 cups of rolled oats 1 cup of shredded coconut 1 cup of chopped almonds 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup of honey 1/4 cup of coconut oil Dash of salt 1 cup of raisins 1 cup of dried blueberries 1/3 cup of flax seeds Return to Main Story Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Combine all of the dry ingredients, excluding the fruit and flax seeds. 3. Stir in the honey and coconut oil, and spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet covered with foil. 4. Place the cookie sheet in the center rack of the oven, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes. (In my oven, I need an extra 5 minutes to brown the granola evenly, so just make sure you're checking on it.) 5. Once everything is nicely browned, mix in the dried fruit and flax seeds. Allow it to cool before putting it into an airtight container. Marion Groth's Refrigerator Pickles "Mmm! Dilly beans! A healthy snack, but also great in Bloody Marys. I add a hot pepper to mine, but all you really need are the beans, garlic and fresh dill. If you still want the color, add some slices of red bell pepper." (makes 2 quarts) Ingredients: 2 pounds of green beans, ends trimmed 1/4 cup of pickling salt 4 fronds of dill, stems removed 4 cloves of garlic, left whole 2 1/2 cups of white or cider vinegar 2 1/2 cups of water Serrano pepper, halved (or, substitute with sliced red bell pepper) Directions: 1. Pack the beans with garlic, dill and pepper, leaving 1/3 inch of headspace in pint container. 2. Combine water, vinegar and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. 3. Pour brine over beans. 4. Cover with canning lids and firmly tighten the rings. Place upside-down overnight on the counter. Store in a refrigerator for a week or two before opening and eating. After opening the jar, pickles should last for two to three weeks in the refrigerator. Andrea Buono's Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients: 1 bunch of Italian parsley 1/2 cup of dried oregano 10 cloves of garlic 1 jalapeño (or other hot pepper) 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes 1/5 cup of vinegar 3/4 cup of olive oil 1 teaspoon of salt 1. It is easiest to use a food processor when making this recipe, but not necessary. Chop all of the whole ingredients finely. 2. If processing, first add vinegar and then all other ingredients except for olive oil. 3. Gradually add the olive oil until the sauce is a smooth consistency. (If chopping by hand, add all of the finely chopped ingredients to the vinegar and then gradually whisk in the olive oil.) 4. Serve over steak or lamb. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a month. Marguerite Jones' Pickled Figs "I modified this recipe last year from a recipe I found when I had 500 pounds of figs [figuratively] to do something with. Pickled figs have a sweet, yet savory, flavor and pair well with a blue cheese, Meadow Creek's Grayson or prosciutto." (makes 2 quarts) Ingredients: 3-4 pounds of figs, any variety 3 cups of balsamic vinegar 1 large orange 5-6 cups of water 1 cup of honey 2 cups of sugar 1-2 cups of halved walnuts (optional) Whole peppercorns 4-8 sprigs of fresh rosemary (depending on size) Directions: 1. Pierce the figs with a knife or skewer and place them in a large pot of boiling hot water for about three minutes to thoroughly clean them. Drain, and set aside to cool. 2. Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Juice the orange, and in a large stockpot, add water to the orange juice so the total liquid volume equals 6 cups. 3. Add the vinegar, honey and sugar, and bring the mixture to boil. Simmer until the honey and sugar are dissolved, stirring. Then simmer the syrup for another 10 to 15 minutes. 4. Add the figs and simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Stir in the walnuts (if desired). Continue to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. The liquid should be slightly syrupy, and the figs should have a glossy appearance. 5. Sterilize four pint-sized canning jars. This can be done in your dishwasher. One regular cycle will sterilize them. Simmer the rings in boiling water on the stove in a small pan for 10 minutes before using. Turn off the heat and add the flat lids. This will both sterilize them and soften the rubber gaskets inside to ensure that you achieve a vacuum seal. 6. Add three to five peppercorns, one or two sprigs of rosemary and the orange zest to each of the hot jars that you've taken out of the dishwasher. 7. Next, pack the figs and walnuts into the jars with the hot syrup mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Take a plastic knife and run it around the edge to release any air bubbles. 8. Wipe the rims of each of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids on top of the jars and screw on the rings tightly. 9. Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes. 10. Remove the jars from the water and place on a dishtowel. Each of the lids should be slightly concave. If the lid isn't concave after 30 minutes, put the jar in the refrigerator and use within one month.
