36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 28-october 4, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com It’s easy to take ketchup for granted. To just assume it will always be there. But once our all-American burger and fries arrive, if we don’t have ketchup we have a problem. Of course there are other uses for ketchup, many of which are in the form of hacks and secret family recipes, where a little ketchup here or there goes a long way, and nobody notices it—in the beef stew, borscht, Bloody Mary or beyond. Ultimately, ketchup is a low-fuss steak sauce for the common people who take their meat in burger and dog form. That same thick, tangy sweetness makes it a great dipping sauce for the people’s preferred deep-fried potatoes. The Reagan Administration once called ketchup a vegetable during a food fight over school lunch programs. Thankfully that did not fly, although they may have had a point. My homemade ketchup is absolutely a vegetable. Homemade ketchup is as much better than Heinz as Heinz is better than all the other commercial brands. And this time of year, when tomatoes are overflowing in Monterey County gardens and markets, a batch of ketchup is a good allocation of this resource. A modest batch can last a year. I first made ketchup by following a recipe in the classic Stocking Up food preservation manual. Until then, I’d never thought about the delicate layers of flavor it delivers. Sweet and sour are the dominant flavors, but the condiment has many more. A touch of spice. A touch of umami from the tomatoes, a hint of bitterness from the garlic and paprika, and aromatic spices like clove and cinnamon. Since then I have made the recipe my own. The concept is flexible. Taste and tweak as you go. If you follow my recipe, you’ll end up with a sauce so thick and meaty you won’t even need a burger. Every fall when I do my big tomato processing push, I make sure to do a batch of ketchup alongside my pizza and pasta sauces. If I have the time, I’ll start by halving the tomatoes and broiling them cut-side down on cookie sheets until the skins blacken. I let them cool and then pluck off the stiff skins before whizzing the broiled tomatoes in the blender. You don’t need to go that far, but you do have to get the seeds out. I use a mesh strainer and a rubber spatula to smear it through. My kids, impressed with the smoothness, now demand that all of my red sauces be equally smooth. But none are as quietly complex as my humble pot of ketchup. First course Tomatoes are in season—and bountiful in many gardens and farmers markets around Monterey County. So who says condiments come from a store? DIY Charcuterie…California Seltzer Co. hosts a Build Your Own Charcuterie Board event on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 5:30-7:30pm. Let your creativity soar and learn a skill that is bound to come in handy this holiday season, or any time you are hosting. Participants will create their own custom board to take home. Tickets ($55 per person) include two drinks and board makings, and can be purchased at bit. ly/CSCCharcuterie. 631 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. 717-3827, californiaseltzerco.com/lovers-point. Breakfast is Back…With the return of football season comes the return of Sunday breakfast at Peter B’s Brewpub. The breakfast menu, which includes huevos rancheros, cinnamon French toast, a smothered breakfast burrito and much more, is served from 9:3011am and meant to be enjoyed while watching Sunday morning football. There are also drink specials like $8 mimosas and Bloody Marys on offer. 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey. 649-2699, portolahotel.com/dining/peter-bs-brewpub. Adult PSL…No matter how you feel about this cliched beverage, fall is pumpkin spice latte season. Here’s an opportunity to mix it up just a little: The Grill At Point Pinos has an adult PSL made with Pumpkin Spice RumChata. This is the perfect fall drink to sip with brunch or for a fun little afternoon pickme-up. 79 Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove. 375-1313, grillatpointpinos.com. Taste Test…Chez Noir celebrates its one-year anniversary (and a Michelin star!) by changing things up. The chic Carmel spot now serves tasting menustyle dinners where guests enjoy a four- or five-course meal that showcases the talent of Chef Jonny Black and his team. The menu changes weekly to keep things seasonal and surprising. Not looking to go all in? There are four first-come, first-served seats at the bar for those wishing to order a la carte. 5th Avenue between Dolores and San Carlos streets. cheznoircarmel.com. best of the best…The Weekly’s annual Best Of Monterey County® Readers’ Poll is out today, Sept. 28 (you can find the winners listed in a glossy guide inserted in this issue, or online at mcweekly.com). There’s a lengthy section on restaurants and one on specialty foods, so you can find out where our readers get the best ice cream, best latte, best burger and many more culinary categories. By Jacqueline Weixel morsels Send a bite to eatanddrink@mcweekly.com Eat + DrinK Tajha Chappellet-Lanier Catch Up to Ketchup While tomatoes are in season, why not make homemade ketchup? By Ari LeVaux Homemade Ketchup This recipe is for the most tangy and flavorful ketchup you will ever try. Makes two cups of ketchup. 1 quart blended tomatoes 1 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt Place the tomatoes in a food processor and liquefy them together until smooth. Push the blended tomatoes through a food sieve or food mill to remove the seeds and any other solids. Transfer the strained mixture to a pot. Bring to a simmer. In a separate pot, combine the vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a simmer, then add it to the tomatoes. Simmer the ketchup, stirring often, until it thickens to a ketchup-like consistency. When you drop a spoonful on a clean plate it should not have a ring of reddish water around the ketchup. Lower the heat as it thickens. Once that water is gone, stop cooking. It will thicken further as it cools. Your ketchup will last for months in the freezer, and almost as long in the fridge after you open it. Or, you may choose to can your ketchup for the pantry. Properly sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for an extended period of time.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==