Lacto-Fermented Salsa - Two Ways

Our tomatoes are finally coming in, so this week I'll be focusing on a variety of tomato-y condiments.  Here are a couple of different flavors of lacto-fermented salsa.  Keep in mind that L-F salsa is preserved with salt or a salty brine --it's what makes lacto-fermentation work -- so it will taste saltier than many other salsas.  You can offset that by serving it with low-sodium tortilla chips and/or reducing the salt in the Mexican or Tex-Mex dishes that you'll be topping with the salsa.

If you have more salsa than will easily fit into your jars, it can be eaten the day you make it.  However, the flavors will blend and mellow the longer it is stored.

Annie's Basic Lacto-Fermented Tomato Salsa

4 cups of diced tomatoes (no need to peel)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons whey
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Finely diced jalapeno pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Adjust amount of jalapeno and/or spices to taste.  Ladle into clean wide mouth pint canning jars.  Press vegetables down so they are under the liquid and/or use a glass weight to weigh them down.  Seal tightly with canning lid and ring.  Set on countertop at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until brine is bubbly and salsa tastes tart.  Remove weights and reseal with lids; place in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Will keep in fridge for up to a few months.  Makes about 5 cups of salsa.

Annie's Basic Lacto-Fermented Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa

3 cups of diced tomatoes (no need to peel)
1 cup of chopped strawberries and peel, diced kiwi (any amounts to total 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons whey
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 Tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Finely diced jalapeno pepper - to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Adjust amount of jalapeno and/or spices to taste.  Ladle into clean wide mouth pint canning jars.  Press vegetables down so they are under the liquid and/or use a glass weight to weigh them down.  Seal tightly with canning lid and ring.  Set on countertop at room temperature for 2-3 days, or until brine is bubbly and salsa tastes tart.  Remove weights and reseal with lids; place in refrigerator until ready to eat.  Will keep in fridge for up to a few months. Makes about 6 cups of salsa.

What To Do With Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a favorite here, but I usually make enough to have intentional leftovers.  Here are a few ways to use those leftovers:

• Just reheat them.  I find they reheat pretty well.  Add just a little more milk if necessary.
  
  
• Freeze them.  Potatoes alone don't freeze well, but because of the butter and milk in them, mashed potatoes are great for the freezer.  Just reheat slowly in a pan or in the microwave.  They will appear watery at first, but just stir everything together and they turn out just fine.  I promise.
  
  
• Make pan-fried potato cakes.  My mom did them like this:  Mix a beaten, some salt and pepper and a little flour into leftover mashed potatoes.  Heat bacon grease in a skillet.  With floured hands, scoop up some of the potato mixture, form a patty, fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.  Not one to leave well enough alone, I also add things like garlic, chives, chopped bacon, chopped ham, etc.
  
  
• Use them to top a shepherds pie.  Here I've used leftover roast venison and gravy, with some frozen mixed veggies added.  I heated leftover mashed potatoes and blended in cheddar cheese and a little more milk until the mixture was smooth.  I used a pastry bag to pipe the potatoes onto the meat mixture, but a spoon works just fine. I sprinkled it all with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and baked it at 350 degrees until the potatoes were golden.  Obviously, some of them dissolved into the stew below.
  



• I still had some left, so I piped them onto a parchment covered cookie sheet, topped them with Parmesan, and baked them, also at 350 degrees, until golden.  Savory Potato Snacks!  They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and at least a little better for you to snack on than potato chips.





• Do the same as above, but add an egg to the mixture, and you have Duchess Potatoes to serve as a side dish.

Book Review: Knack Healthy Snacks for Kids

I recently read a book called Healthy Snacks for Kids by Amy Wilensky.  It's part of the Knack - Make It Easy series of books.

This is a cookbook, but it also offers tips, ideas and nutritional information.  I don't always believe everything I read about nutrition in the mainstream media, but most of the author's advice seemed solid to me.  I did find her tone just a little off-putting and it seems like she mentions Greek yogurt at least once in every 2-page spread. That's ok. I like Greek yogurt,...and don't have to like the author to like the book.

I'm trying to let go of some of my cookbooks, not bring more in, so I'll probably just return this to the library and not order a copy for myself.  It's tempting, though.  I found a lot of great new ideas for snacks -- and lunches -- not just for Kat, but for the whole family.  The book has lots and lots of pictures, which is a must for a cookbook to catch my eye these days.

Overall, I think this would be a good addition to anyone's cookbook collection, but especially for those who have kids.