Author Archives: Linda Ziedrich

About Linda Ziedrich

I grow, cook, preserve, and write about food in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

One Amazing Apple Press

Posted on October 16, 2019

After many years of wanting to visit Joe Brocard and his famous apple press, I finally made it to his annual public pressing last weekend. Joe and his wife, Catherine, brought the press to Oregon from the East Coast, where … Continue reading →

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Lemon-Soured Cucumber Pickles

Posted on September 30, 2019

While I was promoting the first edition of The Joy of Pickling at the Oregon State Fair, in 1998, a woman asked me if I’d make lemon pickles. Certainly I’d pickled lemons; I started to show her the various pickled-lemon … Continue reading →

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Salad in a Jar: A Quick, Light Sliced Cucumber Pickle

Posted on September 18, 2019

As the sky turned grey and the rains commenced, I knew what I wanted to do with what might be the last of my suyo cucumbers. I wanted to fill a quart jar with thin crosswise slices, adorned with sliced … Continue reading →

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Radish Pods, for Seeds and Pickles

Posted on August 8, 2019

To replenish my stock of Candela di Fuoco radish seeds, I let a single plant go to seed. It grew into a lovely bush, about three feet tall and wide, with pretty pink blooms that continued to appear as seed … Continue reading →

Posted in Pickles, Vegetables | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Show Your Preserves at the Fair

Posted on August 5, 2019

If you’re proud of your home-preserved foods, why not show them off at your county or state fair? You probably won’t win big prizes—fair premiums are small these days, if they are available at all—but you’ll inspire your fellow preservers … Continue reading →

Posted in Fermented foods, Fruits, Vegetables | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Playing with Pokeweed

Posted on June 29, 2019

“That weed we had last night gave me whacky dreams,” complained Robert. His dreams may have been whacky, but he was wrong to blame the weed: Pokeweed has no reputation for causing wild or vivid dreams. Poke just makes you … Continue reading →

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Serve It with Flowers

Posted on June 27, 2019

Too seldom do I take the time to embellish meals with garden blossoms, whose bright colors can enhance the appeal of almost any food. At the Thyme Garden Nursery, in Alsea, Oregon, summer tours conclude with an outdoor luncheon, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Herbs, Travel, Vegetables | Tagged | 1 Comment

How to Freeze Artichokes

Posted on June 7, 2019

Last winter we had plenty of freezing nights, but they were always followed by warmish days. As a result, none of the artichoke plants lining my short driveway died back at all, and this spring I’ve been harvesting artichokes by … Continue reading →

Posted in Pickles, Vegetables | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A More Colorful, Flavorful, and Textured Rhubarb Chutney

Posted on May 29, 2019

The best apple chutney I ever ate was made as I watched by a sorority cook who said she never used a recipe. She would make chutney quickly and instinctively for the young women in her care the same day … Continue reading →

Posted in Pickles, Sweet preserves | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

After the Radish Harvest, Hot Radish Soup

Posted on May 17, 2019

The big difference between cooks who garden and those who don’t is that the former start with what’s available. Market shoppers may claim to do the same—to begin their meals by buying produce that’s fresh and in season. But shoppers … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and blogs, Vegetables | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments