Karen Solomon is one of those instantly likeable people. She’s fun, bright, wears funky clothes, and can teach anyone a thing or two about enjoying food to the fullest. She has participated in The HOMEGROWN Village at Maker Faire for three years in a row – teaching tinkerers how to cure bacon, crank out homemade marshmallows and, this year, she went back to the basics and held a canning workshop for the newbies.
We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of her latest book, “Can it, Bottle it, Smoke it”, and we’re happy to report that this is not just another precious cookbook. These recipes are fresh and novel – DIY Nutella! Homemade Hot Dogs! Smoked Apples and Pears – whoooooahhh! This book promises hours of kitchen adventure.
There are over 75 clearly-written recipes, tons of pretty pictures, and just the right amount of straightforward advice to make you feel armed with the skills you need.
Get a load of some other recipes from the book:
- Carrot Almond Jam
- Quince Paste
- Sesame Rosemary Granola
- Preserved Lemons
- Smoke and Chocolate Spice Rub
- Miso Pickles
- Bagels
- Cakes in a Jar
- Tamales (Two Ways)
- Corn Dogs
- Dulce de Leche
- Rice Milk
- Strawberry Black Pepper Syrup
- Salted Margarita Cream Pops
All perfectly genius! Karen has been generous enough to share her recipe for Carrot Almond Jam with us. What a fantastic way to use those carrots from our CSA share!
Carrot Almond Jam
From Can it, Bottle it, Smoke it by Karen Solomon
1 1/2 pounds carrots, trimmed, peeled, and shredded (about 41/4 cups)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
21/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped tamari almonds
1 thin-skinned orange
1 lemon
Instructions: Combine the carrots, ginger, sugar, and water in a large Dutch oven. In a food processor, grind the nuts and add them to the pot. Wash the orange and lemon and cut them into quarters. Chop them—seeds, skins, and all—in the food processor, and then stir them into the pot as well.
Put the pot over medium heat, cover, and let it come to a boil. Stir, turn the heat to medium-low, cover again, and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the carrots to get tender.
How to Store It: Spoon the jam into clean jars and refrigerate for up to 3 months. Or spoon into sterilized canning jars, packing very tightly to eliminate the air bubbles inside (you can also stick a chopstick or long skewer into the jar to pop the bubbles before canning). Process for 15 minutes (review the canning instructions on page 28). This will keep for up to 1 year on the shelf.
We’re giving away a copy of the book to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment here answering the question: “What recipe have you recently cooked that was a new challenge for you?” It could be a new technique, ingredient, type of dish…whatever. Just tell us how you stretched your cooking repertoire – and tell us what you made! Good luck! We’ll pick a winner at noon Eastern on Friday August 5th. NOTE: THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!