The Event ~Still in the Kitchen

The kitchen is the hub of the house in most homes.  I think that holds true for my kitchen as well.  I love being in the kitchen, but I don't like to cook.  However, I like to do kitchen projects, like baking bread or cookies, seasonal canning, and, yes, a holiday meal.  I'm not good at planning or cooking everyday meals, but I can enjoy planning and fulfilling an event meal. 

It seems this time of the year, it's hard to get out of the kitchen. It starts with the rhubarb early in the season, followed strawberries when I can get some.   Last week it was corn. 

Then it was pickle relish.  A friend gave me an abundance of cucumbers from her over abundant crop.  With my carrots, onions, peppers, and green tomatoes, it was time to make sweet pickle relish.  I try to do this every two or three years and make enough to last that long. 

Now I have zuchinni waiting to be made into bread, cabbage waiting to be made into cabbage burgers, and blackberries to pick.    I did chop and blanch two heads of cabbage for the freezer, which will be added to vegetable soup this fall.  I have to get to the farm truck and buy a box of peaches for preserving for the winter and making into jelly.  

Yes, working in the kitchen is a rewarding event; and  it's hard to get out of the kitchen at this time of the year.   But I am always glad to turn my (our) kitchen over to Tim when it comes to cooking a meal. 

Here's my simple recipe for pickle relish that I have been making for forty years.  It's the same one my mother used to make when I was growing up.

PICKLE RELISH:   Fill a kitchen sink with cucumbers, green tomatoes, carrots, onions,  a few green peppers, and a few  red peppers.  Grind through a meat grinder, alternating veggies as you grind.  Add 1 cup canning salt to about two gallons of relish mix.  Mix well.  Drain by squeezing through a colander and squeezing out  excess juice with hands.   Put drained relish in big kettle.  Add six cups sugar and six cups vinegar to 12- 16 cups of relish. Adjust vinegar/sugar amounts per amount of relish.   Mix well.  Heat to boiling.  Put hot mixture into hot jars.  Turn upside down and cover with towel to help heat to seal lids.  Excellent on hamburgers, hot dogs, and ground meat sandwich mix.