I know it's just the middle of May, but aren't you getting excited about summer? I know I am. The grass and trees have burst into all of their verdant glory, and my perennials are shooting up from the ground. I can't wait until my yard is in full bloom. Better yet, I can't wait until all of the glorious produce is in season. My favourite farmer has been supplying me with just-picked asparagus, so for the past week I've been eating it daily. And I figure I will be doing so for the next month or so. This is also the time to think about what I want to preserve this year. Sure, apple butter and plum jam are a given, using the fruit from my backyard, but a new cookbook has landed on my doorstep recently and it has made me want to preserve all of the things. I have a feeling my canner is going to be busy!!
Many of you may already know the blogging duo Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison from Well Preserved, a Toronto-based blog devoted to preserving. They've recently launched Batch: Over 200 Recipes, Tips & Techniques For a Well Preserved Kitchen from Appetite by Random House and if any of you have any inclination to preserve anything this summer and fall, this is a must-have for your kitchen. With beautiful photographs and well-written recipes, plus loads of tips and instructions, the cookbook covers 7 methods of preserving: dehydrating, cellaring, fermenting, canning, salting, smoking and infusing. So many options for so many things. I'm dying to try the Charred Pickled Beets and the Chili Infused Vodka. Roasted Apricot Vanilla Jam sounds like it would be absolutely divine on scones, and I've always wanted to make Kimchi, and now I have the recipe at my fingertips. The variety of recipes in this cookbook is impressive, and I know it will be a wonderful resource for many years to come. Congratulations Joel and Dana on an impressive achievement. You should be very proud!
My love of breakfast, brunch and pancakes is no secret, so my first recipe selection from Batch is Fermented Pancakes with Maple Syrup with Dried Blueberries on page 140. You might be like, what? And I'm like, trust me, these are killer. I first stirred together buttermilk and flour, let it rest on the counter for about 24 hours, then I stirred in some egg yolks and the usual suspects into the batter. The beaten egg whites at the end gave them a nice lift, but these aren't your traditional pancakes. With their slight tang and light, almost bubbly texture, they remind me a little bit of the Ethiopian bread injera. Smothered in a blueberry-infused maple syrup and topped with fresh fruit, I loved every bite. This may just be my new go-to pancake recipe. I made them bigger than the recipe called for - partly to save time and partly because I wanted nice, round pancakes. The batter is quite thin, so the small ones ran into each other. But, who doesn't like big pancakes!
I'm so happy that Joel, Dana and Appetite by Random House have generously offered one copy of Batch to a lucky reader. Simply leave a comment below telling me what you plan on preserving this year and a winner will be chosen randomly.
Other wonderful food bloggers are also participating in the giveaway, so be sure to stop by the following for another chance to win! My lucky winner will be chosen on Monday May 16th, so enter soon! And happy preserving!
Getty at GettyStewart.com
Mardi at eat. live. travel. write.
Jan at Family Bites
Kelly at KellyNeil.com
Amy at Family Feedbag
Valeria at A Canadian Foodie
Isabelle at Crumb
Food Bloggers of Canada
