Pecans
Here’s a fabulous recipe for candied pecans. It’s really easy if you’re only making 2 cups worth. The reviews of the recipe suggested doubling the recipe and adding cinnamon and honey. That’s what I did, and it worked out great. My mom used to make something like these for teacher gifts when I was a kid. I remember it being a hassle for her, but that may have been the logistics of making them in large batches.
I also used a defrosted egg white. A few months ago I found aging free-range eggs at Kroger for $1.25 a dozen, and I had two $1 off coupons. So I ended up with 2 dozen eggs for fifty cents! I thought I’d just bake my tail off, but then I found out you can freeze eggs if you separate them first. I separated all of them and froze them in ice cube trays. A yolk is one cube, and a white is two. I’ve used them ever since for baking or cooking emergencies, and they’ve worked fine as far as I can tell. Then again, I don’t do anything ambitious with them. I make muffins, cookies, and quick breads, which are pretty forgiving, I think. I do try to plan ahead of time to defrost the egg parts in the refrigerator, though, because I can’t seem to defrost them in the microwave without cooking them a little bit.
Walnuts
I used a half cup of the black walnuts to make biscotti. The taste is a little strong although it’s growing on me. If I use black walnuts for biscotti again, I think I’ll reduce the walnuts by half. Here’s the recipe; I’m not sure where it came from. I use spelt flour instead of whole wheat and craisins instead or raisins. But that’s just because it’s what I had around the first time I tried this recipe.
Whole wheat walnut raisin biscotti
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or spelt!)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar (I’ve used a 1/4 cup, and it’s still good)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Stir in
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped or ground
1/4 cup raisins (or craisins!)
In a small bowl, whisk together
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Add to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Flour surface and hands and form dough into a loaf about 1 inch thick, 2.5 inches wide, and 7 inches long. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until risen and firm – about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on sheet. Reduce oven to 300.
Place loaf on a cutting board and cut 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on a sheet in a single layer. Bake, turning once, until dried and slightly golden – about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely and store in airtight container for up to a month.
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I’m going to make a black walnut-banana cake next. Here’s the recipe. I’ll probably make a half recipe for us. Update: This turned out well – really moist and yummy.
Black Walnut-Banana Cake (serves 10-12)
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together
1-1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
Beat in
2 eggs
1 cup thinly sliced bananas
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sour milk*, combined with 1 tsp baking soda
Stir together and beat in
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
Add
1 cup black walnuts, ground of finely chopped
Pour into greased and floured 9×9 cake pan. Bake 45-50 minutes.
* To make sour milk, add 3/4 tsp of lemon juice to fresh milk and let it sit for 15 minutes.
This recipe comes from More-With-Less Cookbook
– a Mennonite cookbook that’s one of my all-time favorites.
Duck eggs
I haven’t done anything ambitious with the duck eggs; we just scrambled some last night. They are almost all yolk! I read that there’s never been a reported case of salmonella from duck eggs. So we’re going to bake chocolate chip cookies or brownies with our last two and then happily lick the bowls, beaters and spoons clean.
Daikons
We are out of lettuce and carrots but still have a daikon radish left. I think I’ll make another fried rice dish with onions and daikons. We’ve also eaten thin slices topped with generous amounts of Italian dressing and survived.
Sweet potatoes
I cooked and froze the rest of my ugly sweet potatoes – 4 pounds total. I froze them plain so we could use them however we want later. For instance, my mom made a wonderful sweet potato pie for Christmas, and I think we’ll want to try one of those ourselves soon.
What’s left
I have one apple, four sweet potatoes, a butternut squash, 3 eggs, and a daikon radish left. Plus everything that’s in the freezer – but that’s for the next post….
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thoughtful consumption 