Tomato Salsa (for canning)

This is a less spicy recipe that does not use much cilantro. Adjust the seasonings and peppers to create a spicier salsa if preferred. Just remember that the total of all the combined peppers should be between 4-5 cups, no matter what type used. Also, if desired, add a little hot sauce or extra ground chipotle to spice it up a little more.

Depending on the tomatoes used, this can be a very sweet salsa. Add a little additional vinegar if too sweet. Lastly, feel free to use lemon or lime juice instead of the apple cider vinegar for variety.

Grandma Bea’s String Bean Soup

Grandma wrote this recipe for me years ago. I like fresh from the garden raw string beans. This is my favorite way to eat them cooked and I make it often in the summer.

While I kept Grandma’s original recipe, I put my changes in parenthesis. When we make this, I often use more potatoes, sometimes as much as half potatoes and half string beans, though I prefer it closer to 1:4. This is good as a soup or with less liquid as a stew.

We often garnish with cheese and bacon with tortilla chips on the side.

Grandma Bea’s Sauerkraut Pierogi

My mom taught my siblings and me how to make pierogi when we were very little. I can only remember making cheese pierogi and there were no measurements for the filling. “Add potato flakes to cottage cheese until the cottage cheese is dry. Let sit a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.”

Grandma had many different ways to make pierogi, but sauerkraut is probably my favorite. After making, warm up pierogi in a heavy pan with butter and sau·téd onions. If desired, add sour cream before serving. This makes a great meal, but is best when served with green vegetables or salad.