Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard

It was yet another good week for putting away for winter.  Still not quite done but with snow on the ground this morning I am afraid it will be winding down soon.

Picked the first basil from the Aero Garden this week so made a compound butter with it.  It is great on pasta.  I store it in the freezer and when I want it just take it out and cut off what I need.

Basil/Garlic Compound Butter

2 oz Fresh basil leaves (about 2 bunches)

10 oz Butter, softened (2-1/2 cubes)

1 tsp Garlic, minced

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Black pepper

3 T Grated parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish

1 T Grated romano cheese

1 lb Fresh Linguine or angel hair pasta

1 lb Medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

Wash and dry basil leaves.  Remove the leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Place basil in food processor and process until finely chopped. Process in two batches if necessary to get a uniformly chopped basil. Remove from processor and reserve.

Place butter in small mixer bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip butter until whipped. Add garlic, salt, pepper, parmesan and romano cheeses, and basil; mix until incorporated.

Basil butter can be used immediately or stored covered in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Shrimp Scampi over rice with the Basil/Garlic Compound Butter

Fried hot Italian Cabbage from the cabbage I picked this week.

Hot Italian Cabbage

Olive oil

Garlic chopped fine

Cayenne Pepper

Shredded Cabbage

Tomatoes

There is no set recipe for this dish.  I was taught to me by an Italian friend who was an owner/chef of a local restaurant.  It was an old family dish.

Saute the garlic and cabbage in the olive oil until the cabbage has started to wilt.  Add some canned tomatoes that have been squished in your hand or you can us fresh peeled tomatoes.  Add cayenne to taste as well as salt and black pepper.

  

First batch of carrots canned  5 pints.

 

Finally process the sauerkraut

 

The rest of the beets 

 

The last of the tomatoes that had ripened in the house made into tomato juice.

I was also able to pick more peppers when I cleaned up the community Plots this week and put them in the dehydrator.

Marcia also asked that I post my Cabbage Role Recipe that I should last week coming from the freezer.

Cabbage Rolls

1 large Cabbage

2 eggs

4 tsp salt

4 T Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 C Chopped Onion Sauteed

1/2 Cup of Milk

2 Cups Cooked Rice

2 Pounds of Ground Beef (I prefer 80/20 for taste and moisture)

Leaving the cabbage whole remove the core and drop into boiling water to slightly soften the leaves.  Remove the large leaves and set aside.  I find it necessary to dip the cabbage in boiling water more than once.  

Mix the rest of the ingredients together and put in the refrigerator to chill.

Cut the tough stem from the middle of the leave then overlap the leaf from side to side to make a solid leaf again.  Place some of the meat mixture in the leaf at the stem end and roll up like an eggroll.  Place seam side down in a slow cooker.

Sauce

1 large can of tomato juice or about a quart and a half of homemade

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

3 tsp onion powder

3 tsp garlic powder

1/4 C Worcestershire Sauce

Pour over rolls and cook on low 6-8 hours

I know that some folks bake them and they shred the leftover cabbage that is too small to use for rolls and place some under the cabbage rolls and some on top before they pour the sauce over them.  Cover them with foil and bake at 350 degrees but I don't know the exact timing.

Be sure to check our host for this week 

Spring Garden Acre

And see what everyone else has in their cupboard.