Beckys Berries have it your way

I run across Becky of Beckys Berries with her stacks of sparkling jars of jam and other sweet products everywhere it seems. She sells at farmers markets, the annual Made in Montana show, and the Montana Agri-Trade Exposition (shown above), among many other places. I also find her treats at local shops.

And I really like the flavor combinations she comes up with: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and marionberries (called Traffic Jam; add jalapeno peppers and you get Road Rage Jalapeno Pepper Jelly); Strawberry Rhubarb Jam; Pineapple Jalapeno Pepper Jelly; blackberry and chipolte peppers (Black Bear Chipolte Glaze).

And while its heavenly to simply spread Beckys jams on toast or pancakes in the morning, there are many ways to enjoy them throughout the day.

The following are a few ideas I came up with. I am not a chef, and in any case I like to keep things simple, so dont expect blue-ribbon winners here. Thats why Id also like to know what offbeat uses you find for jams and jellies.

I just adore grilled cheesy toast. Often I top it with sliced tomatoes or salsa. But how about Raspberry Chipolte Glaze? This glaze is also a tasty addition to a turkey sandwich.

The chipolte glazes are a lovely blend of hot and sweet. Betty at the Cinnabar Creek shop in Big Timber suggested mixing one of them with balsamic vinegar and pouring over a spinach salad topped with blue cheese crumbles and toasted walnuts. I tried this and highly recommend it!

Another savory idea is to mix together any jam, jelly, or glaze with your choice of salsa. This could top a taco or brighten up a bag of dipping chips. I think Paul and Becky make such a sweet and spicy couple!

Stir jam, jelly, or glaze into yogurt or a smoothie. Putting jam on ice cream is nothing new, but do try one of Beckys hot and spicy blends for a bright new taste.

To be honest, when a sweet fix is needed immediately, I dont hesitate to dip a spoon straight into the jar!

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Frogs have an anti bacterial bio film on their skin

Frogs have an anti-bacterial bio-film on their skin.  In fact there is an ancient Russian practice of placing a frog in milk to keep it fresh longer.    My bioponic systems are teaming with frogs and tadpoles.  Nitrification continues but it makes me wonder if Im deriving a special advantage from the frogs that may help prevent diseases such as bacterial canker, soft rot, leaf spot, and wilt.  I rarely experience these problems, so maybe its a gift from the frogs.  At night their singing it very loud but I like the sounds of nature..

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Have a sweet day!

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Heres to abundance in the new year!

Happy New Year!

Here is another year to give us all a new beginning.

I am grateful to live in a beautiful state, where despite long cold winters and short hot summers we still manage to get enough for all of us to eat. Well, yes, even if that means trucking in some of it from other states.

I have long thought that eating locally meant eating only foods produced within a reasonable distance from home. But after receiving an unexpected bounty of oranges and lemons from California, I have revised my thinking. These precious citrus gifts were grown locally where my friends picked them and found their way to me with a minimum of effort.

A Los Angeles friend enclosed lemons from the tree by her back door with a Christmas gift, and a Montana friend, who had driven to San Diego to visit relatives, brought back oranges and lemons from the relatives yard.

So technically, this is not local food, but I eat it with joy and gratitude, thinking of the generous people who share their bounty.

To make the transition to the new year a bit brighter, I also sipped some Grand Marnier I bought to use in making fortune cookies. The cookies were somewhat of a flop, but I learned that they are not difficult to make even if you are doing it late at night in a kitchen with bad lighting and iffy equipment. (Parchment paper is adequate -- it wrinkles when you reuse it, creating wavy cookies -- but a silicone baking mat would be perfect.) And it was fun to search for and even create fortunes to stuff them with. So I will try again.

Here is a toast to a joyous new year filled with all good things . . . whether they look perfect or not!

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