This recipe is brought to you by Seed Life Skills, Chef Hugh Acheson's new non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth to become sustainable stewards of food and financial resources. The program aims to revitalize hands-on home economics skills in today's youth by providing experiential finance, culinary and DIY curriculum and resources to teachers and partnered programs in the community.
The youth involved with Chess and Community may not have known chow-chow by name and probably had never mixed up an egg salad for lunch, but through Seed Life Skills, they spent one morning learning about knife skills, food safety, canning techniques and even the simple art of hard-boiling an egg. They also learned that cooking from scratch can be a rewarding means of nourishing your loved ones.
Classic Chow-Chow
Makes 2 quarts or 4 pints
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 cup minced celery
2 cups diced green tomatoes
2 cups chopped red bell peppers
2 cups chopped cucumbers
1 cup minced sweet onion
1 cup minced scallions
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chile powder
1 1/2 tsp celery seeds
In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet onion, and scallions. Add the salt and mix thoroughly. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then drain off the excess liquid.
Combine the vegetables with the spices and vinegar in a nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
To can the chow-chow, carefully ladle the mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace in each. Cap with lids and bands. Process according to the jar manufacturer's instructions.
Chow-Chow Egg Salad
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped celery with its leaves
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp Chow-Chow
salt and pepper to taste
Place the eggs in a large saucepan and cover with 1 inch of cool water. Slowly bring the water to a boil over medium heat. When the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let 12 for 12 minutes.
Transfer eggs to a colander. Rinse with cool water immediately to stop cooking. Peel cooled eggs and roughly chop them.
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste and serve as sandwiches or with crackers.
Recipe by Seed Life Skills
Photographs by Amanda Greene