First try at Apricot jam

The receipe calls for apricots, lots of sugar, water, some kind of citrus, pectin, and a liqueur. I spoke to a friend and she said her mother would cook the jam for an hour, leave it overnight, cook it again for an hour and that way the sugar would set with the fruit and Pectin wasn't necessary.

In the 7" round pot
Roughly chop two lbs apricots.
Top with two cups of sugar.
Juice and zest of one orange.

Cook in the summer position for two hours with the lid off so that some of the liquid can evaporate and allow the natural pectins to jell.
Let sit for twenty four hours in a dark place like your regular oven.
Cook in the summer position for two more hours.

The sugar caramelized, the jam set, however the flavor was closer to marmalade. When I redo this receipe I will only add a Tablespoon of orange juice next time. Store in the refrigerator in a bottle and use within two weeks. I don't know if it will last like a store bought jam since there may not be enough acidity.

Ginger orange tea

Five thin slices of ginger cut accross the stem.
Three or four leaves from an orange tree.
Three to four inches of associated twigs.
Tiny cutting of Fennnel if available- skip if you dont like the flavor.
Six cups of water.
Cook in the winter position for one hour.

Ginger is available at the farmers market from asian farmers almost year round.

Store in a bottle in the refrigerator and use within three days.

Caulflower potato korma

Kormas are like a mole a thick sauce with nuts and spices.
Saute half a finely chopped large onion in the 5" oval unitl it changes color in a table spoon of oil. About six to ten minutes.
Top with
1/4 teapoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayene
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
Two garlic cloves finely chopped
About half an inch ginger finely chopped
One large serrno pepper chopped in thin rings (leave out if too spicy.)
Fistfull of onion ground.
Half a cup tomato paste mixed with 1/2 cup water
Half a cup ground walnuts.
One cauliflower florets only broken into small pieces
Four small potatoes cut into half inch cubes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 table spoon oil
Salt to taste
Cook in the winter positon for two hours.
Mix and cook more if needed.
Top with a fist full of finely chopped coriander (cilantro) mix and serve over rice.

Black beans with chard and green tomatoes.

Layer in the 5" oval pot
Half a large onion chopped medium and fried until it changes color in a table spoon of oil. About six minutes.
One large clove garlic minced
One large stalk of celery chopped small
One small carrot chopped small
Six green tomatoes chopped medium
Dry red chilly flakes to taste.
One spicy green chilly chopped small. Skip if necessary.
One bunch chard cut in thin strips and washed.
Tuck in one small branch rosemary or herbs of choice.
Drizzle two table spoons olive oil.
Salt to taste.
Cook for two hours in the winter position.
Remove and toss Rosemary branch.
Mix with cup of cooked black beans.
Top with half a tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Mix well, correct for salt and serve.

For the black beans soak one cup overnight in four cups water. Bake in the oven at 280 deg for two and a half hours. There may not be enough sun this time of year to make sure to start early.
Salt when done.

Lentils with green tomato and chard

Pour two table spoons oil in the 5" oval pot
Dust with two teaspoons cumin powder.
Quarter teaspoon turmeric
Half a cup whole lentils soaked overnight in one and half cups of water.
Add one large clove garlic chopped fine (optional)
Half of a ginger chopped fine.
One spicy chillies chopped fine or to taste.
Three or four green tomatoes chopped small
Top with one large head of chard, kale, or collard cut in half inch strips and soaked to remove any grit.
Salt to taste.


Cook in the winter position for two hours starting early in the morning.
Mix, taste and add salt as needed. Mix throughly with a fist of cilantro chopped fine.
This is a complete meal, eat with bread, flour tortilla, or over rice.

I ended up with two bags of green tomatoes when I switched the garden over to beans last week. If you don't have green tomatoes use half as much regular tomatoes.

Chile verde creame cheese dip

Make the chile verde
Mix equal portions chile verde with cream cheese.

If the chile verde is  cold warm the cheese for 15 seconds in the microwave before mixing.


Serve with tacos, tortilla chips, bread, crackers or mixed in with a salad dressing.

simple recipes for maker faire

Sweet potato with pepper/ or honey
Sweet potato cooked for 1.5 hours in the summer position.
Skin
Mash with a 1/4 onion or spring onion, cream cheese, one sprig parsley chopped fine, and cayenne or honey.

Cauliflower  with greens
Trim off the florets. Chop the stem thin.
Bake for 50 minutes in the summer position.
Serve with Salt, pepper and olive oil.

Broccoli
Trim florets. Skin stem. Chop roughly.
Bake for 50 minutes in the summer position.
Serve with any combination of
Salt, pepper, Olive oil, Lemon juice or white wine vinegar and or balsamic.

See the previous recipe to combine with pasta.

Pasta with swiss chard and parsnips.

One bunch swiss chard (about twenty leaves.)
Cut the leaves across in half inch strips until the last piece of green on the stem. Discard rest of stem.
Place in the 7" round pot.
Chop one clove garlic in thin strip.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Note this cooked without oil.

Trim two large or four smaller parsnips. Wash carefully. I soak them in water then scrub them with a brush in the same water. Peel (if you want.) Cut into the equal sized portions. Layer on top of the chard.

In the other 7" pot pour two table spoons olive oil.
Add two halfs of breasts of chicken.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Top with one clove thin chopped garlic.

Cook in the summer position.

Chop a large handful parsley into tiny pieces. Place in a large bowl.
Crush two cloves garlic.
Shred Parmesan to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Press half a large lime.
Pour four table spoons olive oil and mix.

After half an hour remove the chicken. Check with a tooth pick to make sure its cooked. If not return for another ten minutes.
The chard should be cooked in one hour.

Chop the chicken into half inch strips.
Toss chicken, chard, and parsnips with the parsley olive oil mix.

In one 7" pot heat one cup thick pasta like casareche. In the other place three cups water.
Place in the summer position.
After one hour combine the water with the hot pasta and stir to make sure it doesn't stick.
Cook for twenty minutes. Pasta should be done- if not cook for another twenty minutes.
Drain and reserve the water.

Mix the pasta with the chicken, chard, parsnips and parsley.
Add one cup or what's left of the pasta water. Mix and let sit for ten minutes. Then mix again before serving.

Chinese stalky greens with bamboo shoots.

Chinese stalky greens (- not the leafy greens like bok choy) with bamboo shoots.

Rinse. Cut the greens in three parts with increasing length toward the leafy portion. Trim and cut the bamboo shoots into three centimeter strips. Portions that simple to bite and chew when raw are ok to cook. The fibrous portion is what you toss. Near the top you will peeling more off to toss.

Cook in the summer position for 40 minutes with salt and pepper to taste.

Crush two cloves garlic. Mix with olive oil and vinegar to taste. Or use sesame oil and rice vinegar. Pour over the vegetables while hot.

For added variety toss with handful of thick cooked pasta like casareche
and handful of ham cubes or sausage rings cooked for 30 minutes in the summer position.

Sweet pumpkin with garlic Afghan style

Daylight savings time starts with sunny mornings to you have to change your schedule and start cooking earlier. Clean the outer lid of the oven so that the maximum amount of sunlight can get in. This time of the year there is a lot of pumpkin!

Peel the pumpkin and cut into six 1.5" sticks; set aside to dry for a few hours.
Brush/rub with vegetable oil.
Rub over with two crushed garlic cloves.
Place in the 5" oval pot.

Sprinkle with
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger powder or root chopped fine.
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar.

Drizzle over with honey.

Cook in the winter position for two hours with the reflector on, more till its soft. With daylight savings time its more important to start early.

For the yogurt sauce mix
1/4 tsp Crushed garlic
1/4 tablespoon Salt
1/2 cup Plain yogurt
Garnish with chopped mint leaves

To serve: Spread some of the yogurt sauce on a plate and lay the pumpkin on top. Top with remaining yogurt and juices left over in the pot. Sprinkle with chopped mint.

Fair Trade Month

Mixed green string beans

In the 7" round pot
Chop half one onion small.
Chop about 1lb mixed green string beans into half inch lengths.
Dust with one level tablespoon mustard powder.
Chop one jalapeño in circles.
Drizzle two tablespoons cooking oil.
Add salt to taste.

Cook in the summer position for 1.5 hours.
Mix and serve.

Zucchini salad

There is a lot of Zucchini and arrugula coming out of my mom's My Farms garden right now. Raw zucchini has a nice flavor and garden fresh zucchini is nutty and fresh tasting. The corn and carrots are from Calderon at the Belmont Farmers Market. The cheese, olive oil and balsamic are from Sonoma from the San Mateo Farmers Market. The walnuts are from Babagelata at the Belmont Farmers Market.

Place one corn in the summer position for one hour.
Cut the kernels off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of the knife.
Add to salad bowl.

With a salad shooter or cut fine
Handful walnuts
Third of a large zucchini
Half inch of sharp cheese like cheddar
One carrot

Chop one handful of arrugula (or mixed salad herbal mix) into one inch segments.

Toss with three tablespoon olive oil, two and half tablespoons white wine vinegar, half tablespoon balsamic, salt, and pepper to taste. Let sit for ten minutes for the zucchini to absorb the flavors.

Fenugreek greens rice pilaf with corn and peppers

We get a mix of kale, mustard, beet, chard, carrots with their green tops, radish, and Italian braising greens from My Farms SF. Hold the bottom of the stem and pull with two fingers, nails inward, to remove the leaf from the stem. Chop the greens up in 1/2 or 1/4 inch strips after the tougher stems have been removed. Kale, turnip, radish, and carrots have tough steps.
Corn, poblano peppers, onions and garlic were available at the organic Calderon Market table at the Belmont Farmers Market.

Layer in the oval or medium round pot
About ten cups thin chopped greens.
Chop the not so thick stems small and add.
One large corn, kernels removed.
Two hot chillies chopped small.
Two tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves.
Two cloves garlic sliced thin.
Half inch ginger chopped small.
Two tablespoons cooking oil.
Two green peppers like ancho or poblano chopped into half inch pieces.
Salt to taste.

In the small 5" round pot
three quarter cup brown rice
two cups water

Cook for two hours in the summer position
Mix and serve.

Variations- Cook without the rice since the corn is form of grain. Vary with string beans.

Spicy summer squash with basil

From my mom's garden by My Farms in San Francisco we got summer squash and a herbal salad mix of cilantro, parsley, dill, arrugula, etc.

Layer in the 7" oval pot
two tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin power
One small onion chopped small
Quarter of a medium squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Two or three hot chillies chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon allspice or nutmeg or star anise dusted over all
1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt to taste

In the 5" round pot
One cup whole lentils or split peas
1/8 teaspoon turmeric2 leaves bay laurel
two and half cups water.
salt to taste

Cook for an hour and half in the summer position.
Basic Indian style lentils would also work

Chop a handful sweet basil or herbal salad mix.

Mix all three together while hot and let sit ten minutes before serving.

summer position

(Non solar readers: If using a standard electric or gas oven bake at 250 degrees. Black pots will cook faster. Use the same times in the recipes.)

The solar sport sits on its wider base in the summer. It does not the need the reflector. The reflector is used rarely, on overcast days, and after the equinox. If used, be vigilant on the timer, since this style oven gets hot enough to warp!









I like the solar sport because it holds two pots and is extremely fast to setup and use without the reflector. And it works well n hard to cook items like legumes, and root vegetables. The reflector is needed sometimes in the winter. The oven I use is about eight years old and saves about $15/- per month on gas.

HINT: Keep your recipe quantities small. There will always be another sunny day and solar cooking basics are worry free. So cook what you need. Stuffed pots have a higher heat quotient- much more important in the winter when the cooking times are restricted by uncooperative weather. I cook enough for a meal for four and generally augment with a salad.

For winter see this post.

Summer corn and cherry tomato salad with eggplant or avocado

Adapted from a recipe in this month's Sunset Magazine to conform with local ingredients at the Belmont Farmer's Market and what I have in the garden. Because of the stronger flavor of lemon and wine vinegar this recipe could be used on corn available all summer.

Calderon Market had sweet corn for .50c each. They are now going as far as Martinez. The Asian vendors had gorgeous eggplants. Most vendors had fabulous sweet cherry tomatoes.

Three heads corn husked and rinsed. Place in the 7" round pot with lid and cook in the solar oven for one hour in the summer position.

Let cool then remove kernels by running a knife blade down the sides. Then scrape the back of the knife down the husk to remove any leftovers from the kernels.

Cut one small eggplant in half inch cubes and salt in a colander. Rinse after a half hour, and bake in the solar over for one hour without the lid on the pot. With the Solar Sport both steps can be combined. Skip this step if using avocado.

Cut half a basket cherry tomatoes in half.
Chop half a small red onion small.
If not using eggplant core one avocado in small pieces.
Julian a handful basil and parsley as available.
Combine in a serving bowl.

For the dressing
Juice of 1/4 lemon
equal part wine vinegar
two parts olive oil if using avocado. Three parts for eggplant.
Salt to taste.
Chile cayenne pepper to taste.

Whisk and toss in the serving bowl.
Why solar cook?

Mustard Turnip greens

Two heads mustard green cut in thin strips
Two heads turnip greens, stalks removed, cut in thin strips.
Soak in water and drain to remove mud.
The mustard and turnips were from mom's garden which was planted by My Farms. The rest of the vegetables are from the Belmont Farmer's market, mostly Calderon Farms.

In the five inch oval pot layer
One red bell pepper cut in thin strips.
One dry jalapeno pepper crumbled. More to taste.
One half inch of ginger chopped fine.
1/4 teaspoon asefetida powder
One potato cut in half inch chunks
Two turnips cut in one inch chunks.
two clove garlic chopped
1/4 teaspoon dry rosemary
1/2 a teaspoon crushed fenugreek seeds.
Mustard and turnip greens cut and drained.
Salt to taste.
Three tablespoons vegetable oil drizzled on top.

Cook in the winter position for 90 minutes. Mix and serve.

spicy hot cabbage

Calderon was selling cabbage for one dollar a head.



In the 5" oval layer
Two jalapenos chopped in rings or as taste permits.
One or two sweet peppers (red bell or as available) chopped in small strips. Balagellata had smallish sweet pepper.
One garlic clove chopped small
Place one layer of cabbage down and dust with 1/4 teaspoon of fine ground yellow mustard powder.
Repeat until the entire cabbage is in the pot.
Dust an 1/8 of a teaspoon asafetida on top.
Cut half a yellow onion in strips and layer on top.
Drip two tablespoons olive oil.

Cook for two hours in the winter position, mix through the pot, and serve warm.

Brussel sprouts in a mustard dressing

Calderon Farms had their brussel sprout stalks back. There are about 60 sprouts crowded on a stalk that looks like a deadly weapon- on of those curmudgeons featured in cave men movies.

Snip 15 sprouts off. Cut the larger ones in half.
Put in the 5" oval and cook in the winter position for two hours- more if you like it soft. If you use the reflector cut the cooking time in half.

Meanwhile mix
Two tablespoons olive oil
half a teaspoon fine yellow mustard power
1/8 of a teaspoon cayenne.
ground sea salt and pepper to taste.
three green onions cut small.

When done mix the dressing with the hot sprouts and serve.