How to Make a Sweet Probiotic Raisin Chutney

   First,  cover 3 cups of raisins with boiling water and let soak until the raisins plump up. Drain off some of the water and set aside. Add 1 tsp. aniseed, ¼ tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. sea salt, ¼ cup whey, 1 tsp. ground orange peel, and ½ tsp. cinnamon. Stir thoroughly and put into a glass 1-quart jar. Add some of the reserved liquid if needed, to bring the level to about 1 inch below the top of the jar. Seal tightly. Let sit at room temperature for 2-3 days before refrigerating. Serve with hot cereals instead of sweetener. This adds a nutritious burst of enzymes and flavor to your breakfast!

How to Make Chile Pepper Flakes

Cut the top off the chile, then cut it in half. Scrape the seeds out, cut it up in fairly big pieces. Then put it in the dehydrator for around twenty-four hours or until crispy. After it has cooled, put it in a blender until it has turned into small flakes. Use in soups or sprinkle on food at the table, so that each person can have their food as spicy as they like. My favorite use is to sprinkle on split red lentil soup with cheese.

How to Make Sauerkraut

Remove the outer leaves of cabbage and rinse thoroughly. Cut out any bad spots, slice very thinly, and add about 2 ½ tablespoons sea salt per cabbage. Pound with a heavy, clean object to release the juice. This salty juice is the pickling brine. When there is  enough brine to more than cover the pounded cabbage, put into a large crock. Set a clean plate on top of the cabbage, weighting it down, making sure the brine covers the plate. Cover the crock with cheesecloth secured with a rubberband, and store in a cool place. Check the brine every day or two. The sauerkraut can be served anywhere from two days to several weeks into the pickling process, while the flavor continues to develop.

Some Photos

This is me, Dancing Fingers, with some of the produce we've gotten this harvest.

Burnt Cheesecake, Sir Chucklehead, and I working on the chili pepper flakes. 

Me rinsing kale.

That's Burnt Cheesecake in the background being goofy. (That's kinda what he does best!) I'm rubbing olive oil into the kale. 

This is produce we bought on our second trip to the Farmer's markets up north. (Mom bought the tomatoes for the family, but the peppers belong to Nutritious Delicious).

Sir Chucklehead's big grin. Here he is putting oiled and salted kale onto dehydrator trays.

Nutritious Delicious Kale Chips

I recently learned how to make a delicious and healthy snack. Tear the leafy part of kale off  the stem and into bite-sized pieces. Rinse thoroughly. Place it in a clean bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and rub it in till it shines. Sprinkle with sea salt till just barely salty (because the flavor will intensify later). Put it into the dehydrator for about twelve hours, or until crispy. This is great for long car trips, as an appetizer, or merely with a meal.