Grow Great Grub

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
May 17, 2010

Grow Great Grub
by Gayla Trail
(Clarkson Potter, 2010)
$19.99

Urban growing is the current trend. Rooftop gardens are popping up all over Brooklyn. I hope that this is more than just another trend, here today, gone tomorrow, but rather evidence of an understanding that it’s important to know where our food comes from. And, if we can, to even grow it ourselves.

Gayla Trail’s latest book, Grow Good Grub, follows that mission. She’s a big proponent of urban agriculture and encourages urbanites to grow anything we want, even in the most limited of spaces. She’s been managing her rooftop garden in Toronto for the last 10 years, and she also produces the gardening website YouGrowGirl.com.

Inspired by her West Indian grandmother, who grew potatoes in a bucket on her tiny concrete balcony in Canada, Trail never stops experimenting with less-than-perfect garden spaces in urban areas. This book has inspired me to try my hand at urban growing, too, though I’m going to start easy with herbs before I tackle peppers and tomatoes.

In addition to gardening tips, the book also includes recipes. I love ketchup and hot sauce, so the tangy red pepper ketchup was an easy pick to share.

Tangy Red Pepper Ketchup

Makes approximately 11 quarter-pint jars

3 pounds red sweet peppers, cored, sliced, and cut into large chunks
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
2 apples, cored and cut into large chunks
11⁄2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
11⁄2 cups honey
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1⁄2 lemon, sliced

Spice Packet:
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 tablespoon coriander seed

My gang loves this ketchup, and that’s saying a lot because we are die-hard mustard people. It is so tangy, tasty, and versatile that you’ll be adding a dab to everything before you know it. And then throw out the mediocre store-bought brand because that tired relationship is over.

1. Finely chop the sweet peppers, onion, and apples in a food processor and transfer to a medium cooking pot.
2. Add the vinegar, salt, honey, molasses, and lemon slices. Stir until well mixed.
3. To make the spice packet, cut a 5” square of cheesecloth. Place the ingredients in the center of the square; pull up the sides and tie closed with a piece of cotton twine. Submerge in the sauce.
4. Turn the heat up high and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, until wet and syrupy. Stir occasionally to prevent the ingredients from sticking or burning on the bottom.
5. Discard the lemon slices and reduce the heat to low. Continue simmering for another 40 minutes, or until the mix is thick and sticky.
6. Discard the spice packet. Press the mixture through a food mill to make a smooth sauce.
7. If it still seems too watery, put it back on the stove and simmer over medium-low heat until the ketchup has reduced and thickened to a consistency that suits you.
8. Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1⁄2” headspace, and process in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes. Detailed canning instructions can be found starting on page 189.