Slow Summer (Recipe: Small Batch Blueberry Lime Jam)

Ranch land near Brenham, TX

A few weeks ago I couldn't help but to admire the sky as we were driving home from Houston.  Cottonball clouds were perfectly hoisted in the air and as we passed by pastures and ranch land I briefly (and yet again) fell in love with green and blue.  The colors blurred with such contrast as we zoomed down the highway, yet they were so complimentary; no wonder why God chose these colors to represent our Earth.  They are magnificent.

A healing Earth, Bastrop, TX

The sun was setting as we passed through the battled and scarred land in Bastrop.  Burned from a forest fire two years this fall, the trees were charred sticks standing at attention.  I quickly reminded myself that the land would heal itself, that the scorched earth would once again be enriched and green again.  A proud green reaching for the blue sky.

Skies over Houston

There is something so great about summer drives.  The days seem slower and I feel a release.  There is no rush.  There are slow sunsets.  There are rivers and lakes.  Bridges to cross.  Canoes and kayaks.  Farmstands and markets.  Music.  We are in the midst of summer.  Lets keep it slow.

Now on to a slow summer recipe....

Blueberry Lime Jam

Blueberry Lime Jam (small batch)
yield:  approximately 2 cups (I processed 1-1/2 pint and 1-4oz jar and stored the remainder (scant 4oz.) in the frig)

Dusky sweet blueberries and bright, tart lime make a delicious, glistening, indigo summer jam.  I make jam the old fashion way, no pectin, just fruit, sugar and flavorings, heat and time.  I macerate the fruit for a few hours, mash the fruit up really well and gently boil it until it has thickened to my preferred jam consistency.  The flavors are pure and clean and this method of jam making is perfect for a slow summer day.

This recipe is for a small batch of jam but you can absolutely double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe.  I loosely use a jam formula of 2:2:2 (2 lbs fruit to 2 cups sugar to 2 Tablespoon lemon juice), in this case though, I used what I had in the frig. which was 20 oz.  You can always add flavorings, herbs, etc. and fiddle with the consistency to your preference.  I am a firm believer of the freezer/gel test and if you have any questions regarding canning go here or here.  Or you can read my little blurb about canning here.

20 oz. blueberries
1 1/4 cup sugar
Zest of two limes
Juice of one lime (a little over 1 tablespoon)

1. Combine blueberries, sugar and lime juice and zest together and let it sit out at room temperature for 2 hours.  Alternatively, you may store the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Stir occasionally
2. Wash and sterilize jars. Boil the flat parts of the lids in a small pot and keep at a low simmer (I toss in the bands too).
3. Mash the blueberries with a potato masher and place in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
4. Place on a burner over medium high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Stir and boil for 1 min.
5. Lower heat and gently boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally at first then more frequently toward the end.  Perform the gel test to see if jam is ready to be processed.
6. Ladle jam into hot jars, then place the lids on jars, and add screw rings.
7. Immerse jars in hot water bath, and boil rapidly for 10 minutes, covered. Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes, uncovered.  Remove from bath and place on a towel on the counter to cool.

Grapefruit Cups In Wine Syrup

This is a very festive way to serve grapefruit during Christmas breakfast.  Segmented grapefruit are placed in hollowed out grapefruit halves and drizzled with a sweet red wine syrup.  There is always a grapefruit lover sitting at the breakfast table and this recipe just makes it a little more special.  The syrup and grapefruit segments can be prepared a day before and stored in the refrigerator and the cup can be assembled before service.  It is a great dish for our Christmas Breakfast Menu!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Breakfast
Eggnog French Toast
Maple Glazed Sausage
Holiday Fruit Salad
Grapefruit Cups in Wine Syrup
Mocha Chocolate
Coconut Swirls

Grapefruit Cups in Red Wine Syrup
serves: 8
Bon Appetit, December 2001

• 10 red grapefruit
• 3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon
• 3/4 cup sugar 

1. Cut peel and white pith from 6 grapefruit. Working over bowl, cut between membranes to release segments. Cover and chill segments at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
2. Cut remaining 4 grapefruit in half. Using juicer, juice grapefruit. Pour 3/4 cup juice into heavy medium saucepan. (Reserve any remaining juice for another use.) 
3. Using spoon, scoop out membranes from grapefruit halves and discard, reserving grapefruit cups. 
4. Add wine and sugar to juice in saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Cool wine syrup to room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover grapefruit halves and wine syrup separately and refrigerate. Bring wine syrup to room temperature before using.)
5. Arrange grapefruit cups on large platter. Divide segments among cups. Drizzle each grapefruit cup with wine syrup and serve.

Welcoming the rain (Freezer Friendly Crisp Topping)

As I walked out from under our porch, I felt tiny drops of rain fall onto my shoulders.  Could it be?  Oh, my long lost friend how I've missed you!  Even if you are here for a little while, I will welcome you with open arms!  I paused for a moment listening to church bells in the distance.  Could their sweet song be a hymn of rejoice solely because of the rain?  I'd like to think so.

During the transition from summer to the much anticipated autumn I find myself longing to bake with apples, pears and warm spices and prematurely pushing summer out the door with a peach-berry crisp.

 

I make crisp topping and store it in the freezer to ease my cravings for last minute desserts.  I toss fruit with a sprinkling of flour, sugar, cinnamon and let it sit for 30 minutes to macerate.  Then top the fruit with the crisp mixture and bake.  The house smells so delicious!

 

Crisp Topping

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

1. Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Store in the freezer for up to one month or sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.  
2. Bake 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, or when fruit juices are bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Jam Session Part Deux: Peach Jam

I had a pretty good weekend.  I guess you could say it was down right peachy (yes, I feel nerdy typing that).  Thanks to my neighbor, her daughter, and the peach tree on the corner of our street, I was the lucky recipient of seven pounds of freshly picked peaches.  My neighbor made a small request for jam and I had no hesitation following through.  This morning as I was sitting in my kitchen listening to the pot sputtering away, I quickly remembered the first time I had ever made jam.

Eight years ago I went a little overboard and purchased a myriad of strawberries from our produce market.  Standing in my tiny kitchen, the abundance of beautiful red berries over shadowed the outdated harvest gold appliances and sent my mind in a quandary.  With the ridiculous amount of berries standing before me, my husband and I would be eating shortcake for weeks!  What else was I going to do with those tiny, sweet, red jewels?  As I rifled through cookbook after cookbook I came upon a recipe for Ponchatoula Strawberry Jam (Ponchatoula is the strawberry capital of Louisiana-errrr, or the world if you are from there-you can thank me for the history lesson later).  I had never made jam and was very hesitant to do so.

Wasn't special equipment needed?  Did I have to go out and buy a ginormous canning pot?  A jar lifter?  As a lowly paid pastry cook and new wife of a grad student (which meant we still lived like college students), I could not justify buying all of this equipment for a few jars of strawberry jam.  Guess what...I didn't have to buy all of that stuff after all.

The Monkey, A Toddler Story; Recipe: Boardwalk Bananas

from our family blog, July 9, 2011

Linkletter and Cosby had it right, kids say the darndest things.  Baking Toddler has been in speech therapy for almost a year and has improved greatly; and for that I am very grateful and pleased with all the work we have done.  Grateful yes, but today however was a different story.

As I was rifling through honeydew at our local grocery store, Baking Toddler became VERY excited and started to yell, "A MONKEY, A MONKEY!!!!"  I responded, "Really, where do you see a monkey?"  Following his tiny excited index finger, I turn around looking for a banner, sign, stuffed animal, picture on a shirt, and finally my eyes fell upon an older woman not more than 4'5" tall.  Her facial structure resembled that of a Neanderthal and she had wild, black, long hair.

A little tickled and a bit embarrassed, I strolled him a few feet over and quietly told him that his "monkey" was actually a lady.  He just sat there and looked at me for a minute, processing what I had said.  I pulled around the corner and the little old lady happened to be standing 15 yards from us.  Baking Toddler turned to her and chirped, "OOH OOH AHH AHH!"

Oh the things little ones will say, especially when they are just breaking out of their shell to talk.  This just so happened to occur a few days after Baking Toddler had a meltdown at school because his chocolate fell off of his frozen banana.  Therefore, this post is for my silly, sweet, happy boy who just so happens to love chocolate covered bananas and uhhhh....monkeys....

Boardwalk Bananas

makes 18 to 24 banana pops
adapted from Chocolate Holidays, Alice Medrich

6 to 8 firm ripe bananas
3/4 stick butter
10 oz. semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped nuts, jimmies, sprinkles for toppings

2 dozen disposable wooden dowels (used for caramel apples) or Popsicle sticks
Tall Skinny Glass or container (I used a 6oz. pilzner)

1. To prepare the bananas, cut the ends off of the bananas and into thirds, leaving the peel intact.  Push Popsicle sticks 1 inch or more into the flesh of the banana.  Peel the bananas and place in the freezer.  If not dipping right away, transfer them to an airtight container or Ziploc bag and return to the freezer.
2. Clarify the butter.  Cut butter into small pieces and put it in a 1 cup glass measure or a small glass jar.  Set the glass in a pan of simmering water and heat without stirring, until the butter is melted and hot and has separated into three layers:  foamy milk solids on top, golden butter oil in the center, and a watery substance on the bottom.  Skim and discard white foam, spoon out the golden oil (clarified butter) and discard the rest.  ***Alternatively you can ditch the glass container and heat the butter straight in a pan until it separates; skim the foam off, save the clarified butter and discard the rest.  If you have never clarified butter however, watch it closely because your butter can burn easily this way.
3. In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and 4 tablespoons of clarified butter.  Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the glass.  Line a shallow pan with wax or parchment paper.  Have the toppings ready.  Remove the bananas from the freezer.  Holding the stick, dip the banana quickly and completely in and out of the chocolate.  Hold it over the lined pan and sprinkle all sides with nuts or sprinkles before the chocolate sets, which will begin to harden immediately.  Set banana on the lined the pan.  Repeat with the remaining bananas.  Transfer the bananas to the freezer to harden completely, then to an airtight container or freezer bag.  Keep frozen until ready to serve.

Leftover coating may be frozen and used again.

A Summer Breakfast Series (Recipe: Raspberry Vanilla Smoothies)

photo credit:  www.raspberry.us

All I can say right now is that it is hot.  Dang HOT! I couldn't believe my eyes when I checked the weather around 6:00 pm today, 101 degrees F.  Too hot to go outside.  Too hot to eat lunch or dinner al fresco.  Just too dang hot.  What really stinks is that it is mid-June and technically not even summer yet.  I am back to the days of hitting the park by 8am because when 9:15 rolls around the sun sizzles down upon us and it is time to take that steamy, hot walk home.  It stinks.

On the up side (if there is one), the heat brings cooler food to the table (literally and figuratively).  I have found myself eating more salads and slaws, enjoying juicy peaches (Baking Toddler ate TWO today), and sipping on icy cold lemonade and sweet tea (I'm a southern girl-go figure).  So in those early summer hours when the temperature is hovering around 80 degrees F, you can find me eating breakfast al fresco and definitely sipping on one of these smoothies.

This Raspberry Vanilla Smoothie is part of the Summer Breakfast Series in which our menu includes:

• Potato Basil Frittata
• Ricotta Doughnuts with Blueberry Compote
• Sliced Fruit or a Summer Salad
• Raspberry Vanilla Smoothies
• Coffee & Orange Juice

Oh yeah, totally unrelated to this post or the Summer Breakfast Series but the Smoky Maple Glazed Salmon was featured on StumbleUpon.  I am not a member but apparently one of their members seemed to like the recipe and shared it with the search engine.  I had almost 800 views for that recipe alone last Monday.  It freaked me out because I was afraid I had a creeper on my hands.  Thanks for the props, whoever you are!  Hope you are not a creeper.

Raspberry Vanilla Smoothies
serves 6
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups plain Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
3/4 cup cranberry juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups ice

1. Combine sugar and water in small saucepan and cook over medium low heat until sugar has dissolved.  Set aside and cool.
2. Pour cooled sugar syrup into a blender and add yogurt, berries, juice, vanilla and ice.  Blend until thick and smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve.

Simple. Fresh. Dessert.

Are you ready for a fast, fresh, simple and delicious dessert? Well, here is my go-to dessert for the summertime. Fresh fruit, drenched in sweetened wine and specked with mint is as colorful as it is refreshing. Add your favorite summertime fruit, or whatever fruit you have on hand in the refrigerator. It's the perfect alfresco dessert.

Cantaloupe, Strawberries, and Grapes with White Wine and Mint
source: Everyday Italian; Giada DeLaurentiis servings: 4

1 ¼ cups dry white wine
1/3 cup sugar
1 T. chopped fresh mint
½ ripe cantaloupe, halved, seeded, and cut into ¾ in. cubes (about 3 cups)
1 (8oz.) basket of strawberries, quartered
1 cup seedless grapes, halved lengthwise

1. In a small saucepan, bring wine and sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mint.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cantaloupe, strawberries, and grapes. Pour the warm wine mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until cold, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
3. Transfer the fruit mixture to serving bowls and serve chilled.