Chelsea Green Blog
Food & Drink
How to Make Whole Fruit Jam
Soak up the end of summer by whipping up some whole fruit jam with seasonal fruits! The best part of this sweet spread? There’s absolutely no sugar added. This recipe relies on natural sugars to provide a balanced flavor. The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by the Gardeners and…
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8 Steps to Fermented Hot Sauce With Wild Greens
Hot sauce fans, this one’s for you! This easy recipe for fermented hot sauce with wild greens is sure to add an extra punch of flavor to your favorite meal. The following is an excerpt from The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for the web. RECIPE: Fermented Hot Sauce With…
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Drying Prune Plums (Plus Figs, Apricots, Peaches and Nectarines)
Learn the ropes on drying prune plums and other fruits! Whether you’re a pro at preserving or you’ve never tried it out before, anyone can make these simple and delicious snacks. The following excerpt is from The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe. It has been adapted for the web. Prune Plums: Perfect for Preservation Prune plums…
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Summer Cherry Cornmeal Cobbler
Cherry season isn’t over quite yet! Soak up the flavors of summer while they last with this sweet, mouth-watering recipe for Summer Cherry Cornmeal Cobbler. The following is an excerpt from Cooking Close to Home: A Year of Seasonal Recipes by Diane Imre and Richard Jarmusz. It has been adapted for the web. RECIPE: Summer Cherry…
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A Guide to Making Jams and Syrups With Wild Ingredients
One of the best parts of cooking with ingredients you forage for yourself is discovering how they work on their own to deliver delicious flavors. This is especially true when it comes to making jams and syrups with wild ingredients. The possibilities are pretty much endless with wild ingredients — use almost any fresh fruit or…
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Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes: Almost Too Sweet to Be True
No summer day is complete without an ice cream cone. Unfortunately, dairy intolerance makes it tough for many to enjoy this seasonal dessert. Try out these dairy-free ice cream recipes to indulge in this frozen treat while still being kind to your gut. The following recipes have been adapted for the web from The Heal…
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Easy-to-Make Drying Trays
Looking for a new way to enjoy the benefits of your garden all year long? Follow this easy tutorial for making drying trays to expand the lifespan of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by The Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante. It has been adapted for…
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Fruity Ferments: End of Summer Fruit Kvass
Fruit kvass is a great first ferment for beginners. All you need is fruit, whey or ginger bug, and jar to hold the ferment. Start this recipe today, and you’ll be enjoying a delicious fizzy drink in about three days! The following excerpt is from The Wildcrafting Brewer by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for…
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Fruit-Infused Vinegars: Making Vinegar With Blueberries and Blackberries
Looking for something to do with the berries you’ve been growing all season? Try making fruit-infused vinegars! These recipes for blueberry-mugwort and blackberry infused vinegars allow you to get creative with ingredients to concoct unique flavors. The following is an excerpt from Wildcrafted Vinegars by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for the web. RECIPE:…
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Wild Flavors to Fire Up Your Grill: Foraging for Wood and Aromatics
If you love grilling, you probably know that various woods add delicious smoky flavors to grilled meat, fish, and vegetables; but where do you find them? Here are some tips on foraging for wood, bark, and aromatics to help you add a wild twist to anything you toss on the grill this summer. The following…
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Lacto-Fermenting: A Faster Way to Ferment Vegetables
Looking for a faster way to ferment your vegetables? Lacto-fermenting, a fermentation method widely used in Japan, involves a special glass or plastic container that has a device for constantly pressing down the vegetables. With this method, you’ll be ready to eat your fermented veggies in as little as a few days! The following is an excerpt…
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5 Activities for Summer Vacation Fun
School’s out for summer! Fill the lull between beach trips and camp with some of our favorite kid-friendly activities for summer vacation fun. From sunrise to sunset, there’s always something to do in the kitchen or the garden that will keep the kids entertained and educated all season long. How to Get Your Kids in the…
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The Radiant Raspberry: Foraging For and Cooking With Wild Raspberries
Raspberries: they’re sweet, flavorful, extremely versatile, and can be found in your own backyard or local forest. Forage for raspberries yourself and use them to create delicious dishes, as well as some lasting memories! The following excerpt is from The Fruit Forager’s Companion by Sara Bir and has been adapted for the web. The Freedom of Foraging For…
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I Scream, You Scream, We All Forage For Ice Cream
We’re over plain vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. This summer, we’re craving some new and original ice cream flavors! Forage for your own ingredients and create a one-of-a-kind seasonal dessert. The following is an excerpt from The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora by Alan Bergo. It has been adapted for the web. Spruce Tip Ice Cream…
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Preserving Vegetables in Salt: Whole Tomatoes
Buying fresh produce feels like a waiting game — if you blink, your food will go from ripe to rotten all too soon. Beat this game by preserving vegetables, such as tomatoes, in salt. This process will keep them fresh and ready for sauce, stock, and more. The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food Without…
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How to Cook the Perfect, Tender Grass-Fed Steak
Summertime is here, which means it’s officially grilling season! Whip up a delicious grass-fed steak at your next BBQ to support small-scale farmers, help protect the environment, and give your guests a meal they’re going to be talking about all summer. The following is a collection of recipes from cookbooks by Shannon Hayes, author of…
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Raspberry and Blueberry Soda: Brewing Up Some Bubbles
One of the best ways to begin brewing is by dipping your toes in the bubbling waters of homemade soda. This recipe for Mountain Raspberry and Blueberry Soda features just a few local ingredients and allows you to get as creative as you’d like. There are no real rules when it comes to this fun…
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The Perfect Slice: Watermelon Radish and Preserved Lemon Gremolata
Gremolata is most commonly used for a final flourish of flavor to add a fresh taste to rich meaty dishes. This traditional Italian condiment is sprinkled over any number of dishes and it will make every mouthful pop with its bright flavor. It is a great addition to grilled meat, roasted or grilled vegetables, and pasta…
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8 Foraging Recipes for Your Perfect Summer Picnic
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a picnic in the sun. Next time you want to go for a picnic, grab your foraging basket first and gather your meal from nature’s bounty! We have everything you need to get started, from foraging recipes and tips to advice on preserving wild food. Foraging for Food: 10…
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Bring On the Brews This Summer: DIY Beer, Wine, & Cider
There’s nothing much better than having a drink after a long, hot day. What could make it better is drinking something that you brewed yourself. Create great drinks all on your own this season with help from these recipes for summer brews! The following is an excerpt from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz. It has…
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The Whole Sunflower: Delicious Down to the Stem
“The process of cooking sunflowers is slightly different from that for cooking artichokes, with the result being a unique vegetable with the texture of an artichoke and a strong sunflower flavor.”— Alan Bergo Did you know that more than just the seeds of a sunflower are edible? Almost every part of this tall, beautiful plant…
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Summer Vegetable Tian: Simple and Elegant
The term tian simply refers to a dish of thinly sliced vegetables that have been cooked in fat of your choice and baked au gratin. This crispy and colorful Summer Vegetable Tian is the perfect side to showcase the medley of mouthwatering veggies that the season has to offer! The following excerpt is from The Heal Your…
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Mint Salt: A Fresh Take on Seasoning
Searching for a new way to use salt and seasonings in your kitchen? Look no further than this recipe for mint salt! This fresh, natural salt is a game-changer that is bound to mix up the way you season your dishes. The following is an excerpt from Salt and the Art of Seasoning by James Strawbridge.…
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5 Creative Summer Drinks to Help You Cool Off
With the “dog days” of summer underway, the heat can feel a little unrelenting. On hot days, there’s no better way to cool off than with a refreshing, cold beverage. Here’s a list of some perfect cool-down summer drinks made with organic ingredients sourced right from your garden or local wild places. The following excerpts have…
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Panna Cotta With Galium: A Sweet Stand-In For Vanilla
Who needs a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down when you have galium? This wild herb not only has a sugary sweet aroma on its own, but can also add a delicious vanilla-like flavor when added to desserts. Forage for your own galium in the woods or even your own backyard to…
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