Busy Sunday ~ Beet-Cabbage Relish ~ Corn Relish ~ Bubbles and Squeak Cakes

Sunday's work list was changed once again.  While Hubby continued to work on the truck, I went straight out to water flowers.

Watering with a rain barrel takes patience.  The water doesn't just spray out like a hose hooked to the house.  We have drained one barrel, and almost a second one, leaving me two more to water with.  I don't like to completely drain them, or a good swift wind will take them sailing, and I'll be replacing water spigots again.
Our 16 year-old got busy in the kitchen and made us breakfast omelets.  That was nice (and delicious).

I then went straight to work at peeling and dicing beets to cook.  I made beet-cabbage relish, also called beet or red relish.  I used the ball recipe that is in the ball blue book. The recipe yields 10 half pint jars, so it's worth the work.

While the beets cooked, I prepared the remaining ingredients. 

While they sealed in the canner pot, I quickly started a load of towels in the washer.

 Ten jars of Beet-Cabbage Relish done.  It's the only way I can get my kids to eat more vegetables.

 It was a very windy day, so the laundry dried quickly.

Then I was on the porch shucking corn, and measuring off 4 cups for another recipe. 

A good tip for leftover corn on the cob, is to cut it off and can corn relish.  The ball recipe requires "cooked" corn to can it.

Hubby was still working on his truck, so I decided to continue canning and made a batch of corn relish (Ball recipe).  

While that was getting a water bath, I decided to go online and order some books from the library.   I'll have a lot of reading to do when they arrive. In fact, we are making a library visit today.

After that I had a few minutes to relax on the porch.  I'm starting a scrap yarn crochet blanket, to use up odds and ends of yarn in my bedroom closet (yarn leftover from other projects).  Hubby is approving of course, as the space is congested, and I have yet to get back to that big job.

My break was not for long however.  I was back inside, chopping potatoes and cabbage (root cellar dish), to go with burgers.   We were making burgers so we could try our relish on both.

We popped open one jar of the relish to give it the family taste test.  

First, this is how I made my "cakes."

I cooked and mashed my potatoes in a bit of butter.  Then I shredded my cabbage and cooked it in another pot in about one inch boiling water.  I drained the cabbage and added it to the mashed potatoes, along with chopped green onions, white parts included (next time I'll add something with more kick to it maybe).  I don't have an exact amount of what I used from both potatoes and cabbage (maybe 2 lbs potatoes with one small head of cabbage).  I also added salt and pepper.

I then put enough for nice size cakes on a cutting board to cool.  It didn't take long for them to cool.  I flattened them, and gave them a quick toss in whole wheat flour.  I wonder how a millet flour on these would taste?  I just may have to try it too.

You can use whatever you have on hand to fry these - lard, organic olive oil or organic (non-gmo) canola oil.  I used canola oil for higher heat.    


The results of our taste test? 

These cakes were delicious with the beet relish!  I tasted my cake without the relish, and it is good on it's own, but much better with relish.  The burgers were wonderful with it too.  

Can you tell I am hinting to Hubby we really do need the root cellar?  He was impressed.  We still have to cut a tree down by the garage, before we can even dig, but in the mean time, I will continue to cook "root cellar" recipes.

All in all, I had a very productive day.  The bad part about having to buy your produce, is that you get it all at once at a Farmer's Market.  It's laying all over my kitchen begging me to get it all done.  

The good news is, that it rained last night.  I can skip my chore of watering the herb garden and flowers this morning.  I best get busy and start chopping.  Son is due to arrive home early tomorrow morning.  He is getting a long leave before heading onto the next chapter in his life.  I'm sure Jesse will be smothering him in doggie kisses.

Now...if the Good Lord would provide me with some tomatoes.....I could use a few jars of tomato sauce in the pantry.

As for the truck?  It's still not repaired.  He really needed a second person who knows this stuff, but you do what you do, when you have to.