I used up 3 half-empty jars of bbq sauce in some ribs last week. 2 almost-empty jars of salad dressing, leftover from a late summer bbq, went into a chicken breast marinade. A jar of pear honey and a half jar of apple butter, made a nice glaze for pork tenderloin.

It feels good to have some room again.

Now I'm eyeballing a jar of capers, and a huge container of French's mustard (don't know where it came from!) and a package of miso. And I am stumped at how I should tackle these. Any ideas?

As each day passes, I fear I am becoming more like my DM. As kids, my older brothers and I used to joke that whenever mother made chili, we knew she had cleaned out the fridge. She threw *everything* into chili.

Here is one of our favourite pasta dishes that uses lots of capers. The anchovies can be omitted but they really add a nice depth of flavour.

Pasta Puttanesca

1 Lb spaghetti linguine or other thin pasta
2 Cans best grade Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 Cup best quality olive oil
1 Tsp oregano
1/8 Tsp red pepper flakes (or to
1/2 Cup black olives Sliced
1/4 Cup capers drained
4 garlic cloves minced
8 anchovy fillets chopped coarsely (or less)
1/2 Cup Italian parsley chopped

Drain the tomatoes and cut in half. Combine the tomatoes and olive oil in a skillet and bring to a boil. Keep the sauce at a boil and add all remaining ingredients except pasta, stirring as you add. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reached a consistency you like.

Meanwhile bring 4 quarts salted water to the boil. Cook pasta until tender but still firm. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with fresh grated Parmesan.

Here is a recipe from Stacy that we really enjoy.

Pork Medallions With Olive Caper Sauce Stacy

1 Lb pork tenderloin trimmed
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbl olive oil divided
1/2 Cup dry white wine
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Cup coarsely chopped, pitted kalamata olives (or sometimes I just use green stuffed)
2 Tbl capers
2 Tbl fresh flat leaf
Chopped parsley

Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to ¼ inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge pork in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour.
Heat 1 ½ tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add half of pork, and cook for 2 min on each side or until pork is done. Remove pork from pan and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining olive oil and pork.
Return pork to pan. Add wine and broth, bring to a boil. Stir in olives and capers; cook 4 min. Sprinkle with parsley. 4 servings (2 pork medallions and 2 tbsp sauce each)

-Robin

Ellen, stir that little bit into vegetable soup or chili, or make pumpkin pancakes or use it in place of some fat in muffins or cookies.

Annie

Ingredients:

* 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon cayenne

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. If your making this sauce for a whole hog multiple the ingredients by about 8.
User Reviews Write Review
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Best Mustard BBQ Sauce EVER!, September 18, 2009
By spowell01

"This sauce is awesome! I live in the Texas and know my BBQ and this is now in my favorites! Just the right balance of sweet, savory, spice - the afterburn is perfect!"

6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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I'm actually wondering about maybe doing a couple pints of jardinaire. Would be pricey to buy the veggies out of season, but would make OK Christmas gifts. I dunno, I guess the vinegar will get a temporary reprieve.

I just finished my inventory, and I have:
2 bottles chocolate sauce, both half full. One is "light" one is "special dark." Not sure what to do with those, because I do not eat ice cream in the cold months.
1/2 jar pickle relish - anyone have a good potato salad recipe with pickle relish?
Ketchup which is going into sweet and sour tofu sauce
Crystalizing hot pepper jelly plus some apricot chutney which I think I can combine in the crockpot with chicken.
Pickled yellow pepper strips - those have me really stumped. Not sure even why I bought them. Maybe I need to make some nachos.
Too many half jars of jam - I need to buy english muffins
Some vegetarian fake parmesean which was awful. I hate to toss, but that might be its fate.
Poppyseed dressing that only needs cabbage to become coleslaw.
And I need to get my pears, crystalized ginger and booze all together in a jar and start them marinating.
And a little bit of whipped cream in a spray can. I think I need to make pear upside down cake to finish off the pears and the whipped cream. But I dunno, I have to be gone to a work thing most of this weekend.

The Puttanesca is a great idea for the capers. I'll have to try it. And a bbq sauce from the mustard definitely has my interest. Thanks for the ideas.

Maybe you guys need a greater challenge?

Inch of salsa in a jar? Roast beef, salsa, jack, mayo & lettuce on rye. A couple of dabs of corn relish? Tuna salad on a hoagie roll with corn relish and cheddar. Leftover apple and cranberry chutney? Oh, grace the ham and Swiss on sourdough with that.

A few mustards of this sort or that, mix 'em together. Same with salad dressings. Blue cheese dressing mixed with vinaigrette is one of our favorites.

Is it a Fall cleaning fever??? I've been sorting through such back-of-the-fridge things too!!