Hi gang! I want you to know I don't forget to eat but I do forget to post in here. It is probably the drugs :bubbles:.

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Today's project Fresh Pack Dill Pickles.

7.5 pounds of pickling cucumbers
21 cloves of garlic
7 carrot halves
7 grape leaves
Lots of fresh Dill or 7 dill heads
Pickle Crisp Granules
1 cup of pickling salt
1 bottle of Orchid Brand Rice Wine Vinegar 12 oz.
5 cups of distilled white vinegar
12 cups water
7 - Qt canning jars with new lids and fresh bands.
Water Bath Canner
Salt resistant pot.
Small sauce pan with water to heat the lids to 160°F

I went to the farm market today and got the cucumbers, garlic and the grape leaves off a nearby grape vine. I got the fresh dill and carrots at Whole Foods (scallops were on sale - yumm see first thumbnail). It takes more effort to gather the ingredients then to can them.

Clean and prepare all your veggies while the jars are running through the dishwasher. Fill the water canner and get a fire under it. Do Not Bring to a boil only 185°F , Add the salt, water, rice wine vinegar and white vinegar to the salt resistant pot and bring to a boil. As soon as the dishwasher dry cycle is done take a jar out and fill it with 3 garlic cloves, 1 carrot piece, 1 grape leave, a bunch of dill, 1/4 tsp Pickle Crisp and as many cucumbers as fits easily. leave plenty of space for the vinegar salt solution. Work fast and fill all jars. Pour the just off boiling salt solution into the jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Put a lid on the jars and tighten down with a new ring.

Process for 15 minutes at 180°F in a water bath canner. Remove to a stagnent air area to cool slowly and seal.

These need a few months or more to "Pickle" and I have eaten them after way too many years on the shelf.

This recipe is no longer considered safe and you should double the vinegar according to some sources. Just tastes bad to me. I have been using this recipe for 30 plus years.

So don't eat no stinking pickles or slimy ones either!
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I love Lasagna. My recipe has change over the years with the latest due to gluten intolerance. I used to slave over a pot of marinara sauce made from scratch. Now I doctor up a jar of Prego or other off the shelf pasta sauce. First I poach some good Italian sausage in some red wine, reserve the remains. While they are poaching sweat some onion and pressed garlic in some olive oil. Add the remaining drippings from poaching the sausage. cook a few minute and add the jarred sauce. Bring to a simmer. Slice Portabell Mushroom 1/4" and saute in (goat) butter when cooked down remove from heat salt and squeeze lemon juice over them. In a sauce pan heat a 1/2 stick of butter and pressed garlic when it just starts to sizzle the garlic wilt a large bunch of parsley chopped and remove from heat.

Cheese, this is where I have made many changes due to not being able to eat cow cheese. I will use goat cheese but you should use cow.

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Now this was a mistake as the corn pasta welded itself together so cook single layers in a long pan. It says you don't need to pre-cook but I don't like how chewy they come out so I pre-cook.

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Making the layers Sauce the bottom of the pan and put in a layer of noodles, on top of the noodles a layer of sausage. On top of that distribute the mushrooms and the sauce it.

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A layer of noodles, (you should use a layer of fresh mozzarella and then noodles, I don't get this layer), Crumbled Goat cheese (Riccota for you) for me and the sprinkle around the butter, garlic, parsley wilt

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Noodles and sauce topped with Midnight Moon Goat and Goat Cheddar for me. You should use Asiago and Parmigiano Reggiano.

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Bake in a 400°F oven for about 45 minutes to an internal temperature of 180°F.

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The corn pasta is quite good and if you did not tell someone in advance they may not notice it is not semolina.

My recipe is not hard but it does take time. I always make two at the same time and put one in the freezer. Bake a frozen Lasagna 1.5 hours @350°F covered and then 15 minutes at 450°F uncovered to brown the top.
 
Shredded pork tacos and gluten free IPA, Oh-lee

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I drank 2 IPAs I will probably be hung over tomorrow :yoinks:
 
BBQ

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The chicharon on the pork was so F'in good Ms. MOG and I picked it clean. Pork, salt, black pepper and Alder wood smoke. The turkey roll is for tomorrows Club Sandwiches!
 
Let's Make some Chile Verde Tamales. It takes days so I will just come back and edit this post until it is done - Olé.

Really you need to season some lard with corn and fried chicken. You cook corn chips in it until it foams or your tired of making chips. Then you fry some chicken in it careful not to burn it. Now you have seasoned lard. This will go in the masa.

If you can find good fire roasted Anaheim Chili Peppers canned you can use them but I much prefer to roast my own. Ortega Brand used to be good twenty years ago. Someone here found some in glass jars that might be good.

I got 10 nice thick walled Anaheim Peppers, washed, fire roasted, sweat them for 30 minutes or more and then stem, seed, peel them and cut into ~3/8 inch strips. I find that the gloves with a texture work the best to "slide" the skins off. Sometimes really easy and sometimes you end up scraping them with the back edge of a knife.
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While you are sweating the chilies cut about 6 # of pork shoulder butt into 3/4" cubes and get them on the stove.

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When You have nice Back Fat cut it off and cube it up small and cook it real slow over low heat until crispy - chicharones!
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Salt & Pepper & Cook the pork down until it begins to fry and add the diced onion. Now this is where most cooks fail. You need to "Brown" the meat. With pork it usually ends up stuck to the pot because the pork is so tender. You want a nice thick coating stuck to the bottom of the pot. Be sure to have your canned tamatillos open 1/2 way at this point because the pot can burn while you fumble around opening cans. As soon as the layer on the bottom is brown before it burns add strain the water out of the tomatillos and reduce the heat. Then I just crush the tomotillos with my hand as they come out of the can into the pot. If you do it wrong they can squirt across the kitchen! Deglaze the pan and bring the pot to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 -45 minutes untill the tomotillos turn sweet. Add the chili strips and bring back to a simmer. Salt to taste.
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This is a meal all by itself with some buttered tortillas.

Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Tomorrow the tamales!
 
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We are going to start by talking about the lard you use in the masa to make tamales. If you use fresh lard only you will have lousy tamales. I cook corn chips or nextimal in my fresh lard to first give it some corn/lime flavor. The lime used to soak the corn so it can be ground adds a flavor to the lard. Then you need to fry chicken in it, The more the better just do not burn the oil. never let it go over 330°F. In our family this is known as seasoned lard. It is traded like currency among us.

To make Masa I buy stone ground masa corn and refrigerate overnight.

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To 5 Pounds of cold Masa in a big mixer add ~1/2 pound of fresh lard and ~1/2 pound of seasoned lard and about 2 Tbsp. of salt. The temperature of the lard needs to be colder than room temperature but not too firm. Mix well and taste it for salt. It should be almost salty but pleasant to eat. When you have the correct amount of lard in the corn it will just float in a glass of water. If it sinks just add some more lard until it just floats.

Cut heavy cotton string to 15" lengths. You need 2 for each tamale. Cut parchment into 12 inch squares.

Soak the dry corn husks in some tepid water to clean and soften them. Butter them in the middle about 3/8 inch thick and 3 inches wide with the masa. There is a smooth side and a rough side of the corn husk; butter the smooth side. Stack them while you go and keep them covered with a damp towel so they do not dry out.

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Fill and tie the tamales. Take a larger buttered husk in one hand and lay a second husk pointed the other direction with the masa lined up forming a cup in your hand and fill with the Chili Verde. Fold the husks around the Verde and add another husk. Squeezing gently from the ends toward the middle, set on a parchment and roll it up. Do not press on the middle and pick it up by the ends and twist the ends toward the middle. Wrap a string around one end and tie with a granny knot. Make this as tight as you can. Then tie the other end. It takes a little practice to get the hang of this.

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Steam them for 1 hour or throw in the freezer for later. When cooking from frozen steam for 1.5 to 2 hours. You will need wire cutters to cut the strings off the ends of the tamales. Cut the strings but before you unroll the tamale spank the outside with a spoon to loosen the masa from the husks and then unroll. Enjoy!

PS I missed taking a picture of the filling with the verde so I substituted a picture of a different recipe with molé.
 
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Time to cook and eat a tamale.

Steam from frozen for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

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Spank the tamale with a spoon to loosen the masa from the corn husk. Cut the strings and unroll the tamale like you put it together except backwards.

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