There are those who are enchanted by the notion of a bridal bouquet fashioned from a head of organic cauliflower. For some, doling dulse into their quinoa is considered an indulgence. Yes, there's much is to be said about the simple joys in life, the charm of the unadorned and the modest. But you won't read about that here. At least not today. Opulence is the theme of … [Read more...]
CHRISTMAS RELISH: PEAR, POMEGRANATE, PEPPERS AND CRANBERRIES
Embarking on the creation of the ruby red Christmas relish I must confess the red food coloring wasn't out of reach. (Making icings for the holidays.) But lo and behold, this rubicund relish needed no supplement coloring agents. The recipe calls for red pears, red onions, red pepper (fresh and dried), cranberries, pomegranates and a mix of dried dried cherries and … [Read more...]
SOUR CHERRY BEACH PLUM JAM
The abundance of this year's beach plum harvest filled nearly a whole shelf with jelly jars. This bounty is providing an opportunity to incorporate the piquant plummy flavors of beach plums into jams and jellies of other fruits. It turns out that sour cherries and beach plums are a match made in heaven. Luckily there was a pound and a half of sour cherries resting … [Read more...]
HOT BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
Some like it hot. So good old Sally Stott's bread and butter pickle recipe gets a spicy upgrade here with sliced jalapeños added to the 'cukes and onions. There's enough sugar and spice in these babies to disguise the heat... at first. But the thermostat does creep up slowly and surely. Don't worry, it's nothing incendiary enough to kill grandma or emotionally scar … [Read more...]
GIARDINIERA FANTASIA
You know those big jars of vegetables you see in Italian markets and gourmet stores? With the onions, carrots, peppers and other gifts of the gardens tightly packed and neatly layered? That pretty relish they call Giardiniera, or verdura sotto aceti? So simple, mixed pickled vegetables packed into jars -- how hard can that be? Far harder than one might imagine. So … [Read more...]
RASPBERRY PEAR JAM
Pears and raspberries play nicely in this hot-buttered-toast-ready jam. The sweet fruity flavor is reminiscent of Hawaiian Punch in the best possible sense. Don't have a moment's worry about using frozen raspberries. Whether fresh or frozen, all raspberries subjected to this jam-making treatment turn out exactly the same: delicious! These blue jars (click to buy) are … [Read more...]
TANGO PEACH JAM
Ah the power of marketing. Over at Balsam Farms, snuggled up next to the deliciously sweet flying saucer-shaped donut peaches were these little lookalikes, tagged TangO peaches. The only discernible difference was the golden skin of the TangOs, which actually made them a mite less appealing than the flushed pink and orange fuzzed donut peaches. What's the difference … [Read more...]
Strawberry Longcake
Stawberry Longcake? Nothing simpler. Think of it as shortcake on steroids. Start with a double batch of the shortcake recipe on the Bisquick box. Spread it into a long log on a baking sheet. Use a spatula to make it as even as possible. Smooth out spikes in the dough. Sprinkle the top with course or raw sugar. In the Bisquick box recipe the cakes are baked for … [Read more...]
Beach Plum Jelly – Reduced Sugar Recipe
It's been a banner year for wild beach plums. We returned to Maidstone Beach up in Springs where the pickin' was easy, more so than ever. In this case foraging seems too austere a word to call harvesting nature's wild bounty. The bushes were laden with plump plums. Clear sky, gentle breeze, boats on the bay, perfect. We gathered twice the amount of beach plums in half the time … [Read more...]
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
The wonderful tasting, wonderfully named chimichurri sauce is another fabulous Argentinean import, right up there with dulce de leche and provoletta. A fantastic topper for hot-off-the-grill steaks, chimichurri's charm lies in the freshness of an array of summer herbs spiked with vinegar and lemon juice. The basic idea is simple enough. Armed with the concept and the core … [Read more...]