Blueberry Jam

I took a trip down to Adams Berry Farm a few weeks ago, and the blueberries were in full swing. Jam time! This is another easy jam recipe. Again, no pectin, but this time I got a nice set - it isn't runny at all. The recipe is from the Joy of Cooking (Rombauer et al).

Start with 2 lb fresh blueberries. Wash them, drain them and put them into a large pot. Crush some of the berries roughly. Heat the pan until the berries simmer, and then continue to simmer until they just soften (this will not take very long).

Add 5 cups of sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to boil hard, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches the gelling point (221 F at sea level). When this happens, remove from the heat, skim off any foam and fill 5 sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Close lids (also sterilized) tightly. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, and check to see that they sealed correctly.

Note 1 - Make sure that you know what you are doing before attempting canning, as mistakes could lead to serious contamination and potentially death. If you need instructions, consult the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 2 lb = 900g; 5 cups = 1.2 l; 221 F = 105 C.

Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau

This I made for dessert last weekend. It is very easy to make, but is much more convenient if you have a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, as there is a lot of beating to be done.

Start by melting 1/2 oz butter with 3.5 oz good-quality dark chocolate in a double boiler. If you do not have an actual double boiler, you can make one with a metal bowl and a small saucepan. Put about an inch of water in the pan and set the bowl on top with the chocolate and butter in it. Bring the water almost to a simmer and stir the mixture until it melts and blends together. Once you reach this point, carefully remove the bowl from the pan (it will be hot) and set it aside to cool slightly.

Next, separate 2 eggs. Measure out 2 oz sugar. Put the 2 yolks in the bowl of your mixer. Pour in most of the sugar (reserve a small amount for the whites) and add a splash of Cointreau. Beat with the whisk attachment until light and creamy. Remove to another bowl; clean your mixer bowl and beaters. Add the melted chocolate mixture slowly to your yolks, folding it in with a spatula.

Put your 2 whites in the clean mixer bowl. Beat until they start to firm up, then stream in the remaining sugar and continue to beat until you see stiff peaks. Pour a little of the chocolate mixture onto the whites, folding it in. Next, fold the whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture. Clean your mixer bowl and beaters.

Put 1/2 cup cold heavy or whipping cream into your mixer bowl. Beat until thickened (but do not go too far or you will make butter!). Fold the cream into the egg-chocolate mix. Pour into small glasses or bowls and chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours until set. Enjoy! Serves 2.

Note 1 - This is a raw egg product. Use the best freshest eggs you can get your hands on and keep them clean. The very young, the elderly and the immunocompromised should avoid this.

Note 2 - Grand Marnier or Triple Sec can be substituted for Cointreau.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 1/2 oz = 14g; 3.5 oz = 100g; 2 oz = 55g; 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Gazpacho

Last weekend I made dinner for my partner, who had just come back from a trip away. The weather was still pretty warm, and I had been to the Burlington Farmers Market a couple of days before and picked up some nice veggies (in addition to the ones from our Full Moon Farm CSA share), so gazpacho was on the cards...

Start by chopping 1/4 onion. Put it into your blender or food processor bowl. Add 1/2 clove garlic, crushed, and 1/2 green pepper, deseeded and chopped. Add 1 large tomato, deseeded and chopped, and 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped. Blend until pureed.

Strain your puree through a medium-hole strainer, into a bowl. Using a whisk, stir in 2 tbsp sherry vinegar, a splash of lemon juice, a little cold water (start with 1/4 cup, and add more if you feel the soup is too thick) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lastly, whisk in 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Pour into cocktail glasses or small bowls. Garnish with a little finely diced cucumber and some chopped dill. Serves 2.

Note 1 - Any color pepper can be substituted for green, if desired.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 1/4 cup = 60 ml.

Zucchini Bread

We had a few zucchini sitting in our fridge from our Full Moon Farm CSA share. I haven't been cooking much, with the extreme heat and all, but it let up a little yesterday, so I finally fired up the oven at night. I had eaten zucchini bread before but had never made it. The recipe is based on one in the Joy of Cooking (Rombauer et al).

Start by measuring out 1.5 cups of flour into a bowl. To the flour, add 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (or allspice, if you don't care much for cinnamon like me) and 1/2 tsp salt.

In another bowl, crack and beat 2 eggs. Add 1/2 cup canola oil (or other mild-flavored oil), 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well.

Next, grate 2 cups of zucchini. Remove the ends, but you do not have to peel them. You should be able to get this much yield from 1 medium zucchini. Squeeze the result to get rid of excess water. You can use a grater for this, or a mandoline (with a julienne attachment), or a food processor with a grating blade - easily the fastest.

Last prep item is 1.5 cups of ground walnuts. You will probably have to grind them yourself - use a food processor with the blade or a blender. If you don't have either of these appliances, you could put them in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin. I wound up with a little less than 1.5 cups - the quantity does not have to be exact on the nuts. You could also use pecans if you like.

Take the bowl with the egg mixture, and stir into it the flour mix. Just mix it until it comes together. Then add the grated zucchini and ground nuts, and fold them in so that they are mixed through. Don't over-mix.

Pour your batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake in a 350 F oven for 40-45 minutes - until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for a few minutes, then remove from the pan and leave on the rack until cool.

Note 1 - (For English readers) Zucchini = Courgettes

Note 2 - I made this recipe again but with a couple of small changes. I used cinnamon instead of allspice, and ground hazelnuts instead of walnuts. It was even better.

Note 3 - Discovered today that this bread is really good with a little butter and some cheddar cheese...

Note 4 - Made chocolate zucchini bread by substituting 1/4 cup of flour for cocoa powder. It was good!

Note 5 - Metric Info: 1.5 cups = 350 ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 1/2 cup = 120 ml; 3/4 cup = 180 ml; 2 cups = 475 ml; 9 in = 23 cm; 5 in = 12.5 cm; 350 F = 175 C.

Cucumber Apple Soup

Garnished with home-made yogurt and fresh dill

Yes, it's another chilled soup, made with a delicious cucumber from our Full Moon Farm CSA share. The recipe is courtesy of Chef Brian Tomlinson, for whom I used to work. He likes to make soup, and this one came up a lot. It's a good one!

Start by peeling 1-2 cucumbers (if very big, 1; if small, 2). Cut in half, scoop out the seeds (discard) with a spoon, and chop roughly into chunks. Put into your blender or food processor. Take a small chunk of white onion (about 1/8 onion), chop roughly and add to the cukes. Peel a Granny Smith apple, remove the core and chop into rough chunks. Add to the mix. Add 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp vinegar (Chef T likes to use cider vinegar, but I used white), 1/2 cup water, 3 tbsp honey, 1/8 tsp ground cumin, 1/8 tsp ground coriander seed and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Check the seasoning - add more salt if desired. Chill in refrigerator until cold. Enjoy on a hot day!

Makes about 3 servings.

Note 1 - Use any kind of eating cucumber for this soup. The kind of apple could be varied too, although the Granny Smith gives the soup a nice tartness, so if you use a sweeter apple, increase the amount of vinegar slightly, to taste.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

I have been really enjoying making cold food recently. Maybe it's the 90+ degree weather?! Anyway, this is not an original ice cream flavor, but the inspiration came to me at City Market in the tea section. I had already decided to do green tea ice cream, but I felt like making another flavor too, and, next to the loose teas was a tub of dried lavender flowers. And across the aisle was honey.

Start by bringing 1 tbsp dried lavender flowers and 2 cups half-and-half to just below a boil in a saucepan. Switch off the heat, cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the flowers and bring the half-and-half back to the boil. While it is heating, whisk 5 egg yolks with 2.5 oz sugar until light and creamy. Set up a metal bowl on ice (or in ice water) with a strainer in it. When the half-and-half is about to boil, pour a little onto your yolks. Mix quickly, and tip back into the saucepan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon (a line drawn with your finger does not fill back in). Immediately pour through the strainer into the cold metal bowl, and stir in 4 oz honey. Continue stirring to dissolve the honey and help the mixture cool. Once cooled, transfer the base to the fridge to chill.

Once your base is cold, remove from the fridge and churn in an ice cream machine (make sure to get all of the honey out of the bowl and into the machine). Freeze. Enjoy! This is my favorite ice cream that I have made so far.

Note 1 - For those outside North America, half-and-half is half milk, half cream.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 2 cups = 480 ml; 2.5 oz = 70g; 4 oz = 110g.

Green Tea Ice Cream

I have been wanting to make this ice cream for quite some time now, having eaten it at a Chinese restaurant (A Single Pebble, in Burlington, VT) and loved it. However, most of the recipes I found required the use of green tea powder (matcha), which I couldn't find for the longest time. Until my girlfriend took me to New York's Chinatown. So, I finally got to make it:

Pour 2 cups half-and-half into a saucepan, and bring it almost to a boil over medium heat. Keep an eye on it - do not let it boil over! Meanwhile, whisk 5 egg yolks, 7 oz sugar and 1.5 tbsp green tea powder together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Set up a metal bowl on ice with a strainer in it.

As soon as you see bubbles forming around the edges of the pan of half-and-half, pour a little of the hot liquid into the bowl with the yolks. Whisk it into the yolk mixture and then dump everything back into the saucepan. Continue to heat the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it coats the back of the spoon (a line drawn in the back of the spoon with your finger does not fill in). At this point, remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents through the strainer into the metal bowl. Stir to help it cool down and stop cooking. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan and then transfer to the fridge to chill.

Once chilled, churn in an ice cream maker until frozen. Store in the freezer. Enjoy!

Note 1 - If you cannot find matcha, you could try steeping green tea leaves in the half-and-half. I would suggest 4 tsp green tea, added to the 2 cups half-and-half and brought to just below the boil, removed from the heat, covered and let sit for 30 minutes. After that time, strain out the leaves, bring the half-and-half up to just below a boil again and proceed as above, omitting the green tea powder. I have not tried this yet, so if you do, let me know how it works out.

Note 2 - For those outside North America, half-and-half is half cream, half milk.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 2 cups = 480ml; 7 oz = 200g.

House Special Fried Rice

We have been receiving a lot of fresh vegetables lately from our CSA share, so we've been making a lot of stir-fries. My significant other has been cooking a lot of rice for these. The last time I made one, I fried the rice and it was much better than the rest of the stir-fry. So I decided to make fried rice the main event.

Start by preparing all of your ingredients ahead of time. This is a great habit to get into with all cooking, but with a stir-fry, which is hot and fast, it is essential.

Dice 1/4 red pepper. Dice 1/4 onion. Dice a smallish piece of tempeh. Get together 1/4 cup of peas, fresh or frozen (if frozen, allow them to thaw most of the way). Mince 1 clove of garlic. Mince a 1/2 inch piece of ginger. Crack 1 egg, add a small pinch of salt and stir it with a fork. Have a bottle of soy sauce on hand. And of course, you will need about a cup of cooked rice (day old is best).

Start by heating your wok on high. Once it is hot, add a little peanut (or other mild-flavored) oil and swirl it around. Pour in the egg. As soon as the bottom side is cooked (this will take less than 30 seconds), flip it, leave it in the pan for another 10 seconds and remove. Set aside. Add more oil to the wok if needed. Throw in the peppers and onions, and fry for a minute or so. Add the peas, tempeh, garlic and ginger and continue to cook, moving everything around, for a further minute. Tear up the cooked egg into pieces and throw it in. Next, add the rice and another glug of oil. Keep it moving. Once it has heated through (another minute or so), add a good splash of soy sauce. Keep stirring. Taste a little and check for seasoning. If it needs salt, add more soy sauce. Switch off the heat and pour onto a plate. Enjoy!

Note 1 - Tempeh is not for everyone. I like it though. It is an Indonesian fermented soybean cake. If you prefer, you could use another protein - just make sure it is cooked through. Pork is very good in fried rice.

Note 2 - To make this dish vegan, just omit the egg.

Note 3 - Feel free to vary any of the ingredients (except the rice) to make it your own...

Note 4 - Metric Info: 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 1/2 inch = 1 cm; 1 cup = 240 ml.

Chilled Beet Soup

Garnished with home-made sour cream and dill

Another cold soup, this one inspired by the newspaper column of a British  chef I admire, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and using the beets I picked up at the Burlington Farmers' Market on Saturday. It's like a simple cold borscht. And I think it may be the best soup I have made. It is delicious!

Peel and dice (1/4 inch) 13 oz red beets. Put them in a saucepan with a little canola oil and a good pinch of salt and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 onion, diced, and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Add 1/2 carrot, diced, and cook 5 minutes more. Add 1/2 clove garlic, minced. Stir and cook for 1 minute longer, then add 20 floz beef broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Check that the beets are fully cooked. If they are not, continue simmering until the cook through. Once the beets are done, remove the pan from the heat and allow the soup to cool a little.

Once cooled slightly, carefully blend the soup, using a stick blender or in batches in a stand blender. If using the latter, take extra care - use very small batches and blend slowly to avoid an explosion out the top. Once smooth, pass it through a strainer, add some ground black pepper, thin if desired (I probably added at least a cup of water as it was too thick), add 1/4 cup vinegar (white or red wine vinegar would be preferable, but I used distilled white and it worked out fine), check the seasoning (add more salt if needed) and chill in the refrigerator until very cold.

Serve garnished with dill and sour cream. Enjoy!

Note 1 - This soup can be made vegan by substituting vegetable stock for beef broth.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 13 oz = 380g; 20 floz = 600ml; 1/4 cup = 60ml; 1 cup = 240ml.

Home-made Yogurt

OK, so it may seem a little disingenuous to suggest making a product at home when one of the ingredients is the store-bought version of the same product, but, if done properly, it is self-perpetuating and will not require any more store-bought yogurt. So bear with me...

Heat 1.5 cups milk to just below a boil (this is called scalding). Switch off the heat and allow it to cool to between 105 and 110 F (you will need an instant-read thermometer). Pour into a sterilized thermos, and stir in 2 tbsp room temperature plain yogurt (make sure to buy one with live cultures in it). Close the lid of the thermos and allow to sit for 3-4 hrs. After 3 hrs, check the consistency of the contents - they should have thickened considerably. Taste - it should taste like yogurt! If it tastes right and has thickened, you can remove it from the thermos and store in the fridge. It should last for a week, but it will only be viable as a starter for another batch of yogurt for 5 days. So be sure to save a few tablespoons to start the next batch.

Recipe based on one from the Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer et al.

Note 1 - I have a pretty small thermos, which is why I only used 1.5 cups of milk. If you have a larger one, measure the volume (fill with water and pour into a measuring cup) and scale up your ingredients.

Note 2 - If you do not have a thermos, you can use sterilized glass jars. Pour the mix in, close the lids and place in a 100 F oven or an insulated cooler. Check after 3 hrs, and proceed as above.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 1.5 cups = 350 ml; 105 F = 41 C; 110 F = 43 C; 100 F = 38 C.

Chilled Peach Soup

As I mentioned before, I love making soup. I haven't made many cold soups, but the temperatures are high (around 90 F) and I don't feel like getting hotter.

The recipe is based on this one, credited to Chef Bill Luker, which I found, and thought looked interesting.

You can use a stand blender or a food processor to make this soup. If you have both, I would suggest the blender.

Start by thawing 2 cups (10 oz) frozen peaches. Place them in your blender with 2 tsp Cointreau, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp almond extract and a pinch of salt. Process or blend until smooth. Add 2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream and 2 tbsp honey. Blend again until combined. Taste and adjust flavors if needed. Chill in refrigerator until cold.

Serve garnished with a little yogurt or sour cream and some mint leaves, as an appetizer or dessert. Makes two generous servings.

Note 1 - If you have fresh peaches, remove the skin and pits, chop coarsely and measure out 2 cups-worth or scale the recipe accordingly.

Note 2 - If you don't have Cointreau, you can substitute Triple Sec or Grand Marnier.

Note 3 - The original recipe called for more almond extract, but I found it to be overpowering, so I scaled it back a little.

If you feel like making your own yogurt for this soup, click here.

Note 5 - Metric info: 2 cups = 480 ml; 10 oz = 280g; 2/3 cup = 160 ml.

Liver and Onions

OK, I know this is not going to be everyone's favorite dish, but I like it, so I figured I'd write about it.

I used duck livers (3 of them) because that's what I had, but you can use calf, chicken or even rabbit (my favorite) livers if you prefer. Just scale according to size - you will obviously need fewer livers if they are bigger. Also bear in mind that bigger livers will take longer to cook...

Start by heating 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat in a medium frying pan. Once it is sizzling, add 2 slices of good bread (I used ciabatta - click here for a recipe) and fry on both sides. Remove the bread. Season your livers with a little salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Saute them on the first side until nicely browned, then flip over and repeat on the second side. Do not overcook - you want them to be pink in the middle or they will be very dry. Keep an eye on them and remove them from the pan before they become firm.

Add 1/4 onion, sliced and a little more butter to the pan. Saute until they color, stirring up the brown bits as you go. Add a splash of brandy and let it simmer away. Put the bread on a plate, top with the livers and then finish with the onions. Serve with good mustard on the side. Enjoy!

This recipe makes one large plate. You can scale it up for more. Just use a large pan.

Strawberry Jam

I had never made jam before, but I just started getting into canning this year, and strawberry season was coming to an end, so I decided to get started.

There are many different recipes for jam making. This one does not involve the use of prepared pectin. The resulting jam was not fully set, but was thick enough to spread well without running much (at fridge temperature, which is where I am storing it). The recipe is from 'Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It' by Karen Solomon.

Take 1.5 lb of strawberries. Wash them in cold water. Allow them to dry, then remove the green tops and cut into slices or chunks (however you would like them to be in the finished jam). Place in a large bowl. Add 2 lb sugar. Juice 2 lemons, saving the seeds and hulls. The seeds should be wrapped up in a cheesecloth bag and tied. Add the juice to the strawberries. Mix everything together gently and let it sit for at least 4 hours. You can put it in the fridge and leave it there for a while if you like - mine sat for at least 2 days.

Once the strawberries have macerated (which is what mixing them with the sugar and letting them sit is called), transfer the entire contents of the bowl into your largest pot (preferably a stockpot). Add the lemon hulls and bagged seeds. Bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to simmer until the temperature of the liquid reaches 221 F. This will take a little while - maybe 30 minutes. It will produce foam as it boils - you can remove and discard it. You should also remove the bag of seeds and the hulls at the end.

Once the jam reaches the target temperature (the gelling point), ladle it carefully (it is hot) through a funnel into sterilized jars. It should fill about five half-pint jars. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 months. If you want it to last longer, you can process it in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let the jars sit for a few hours (I leave them overnight) and check that they are sealed. If so, the jam should keep for a year.

Note 1 - If you are going to can the jam and have not already done so, you should read the USDA guide to home canning. There are considerable risks to doing it the wrong way, so this guide is highly recommended.

Note 2 - The finished jam was a little lemony. You could reduce the amount of lemon juice used slightly if you wish, but the hulls and seeds should not be omitted as they are a source of natural pectin.

Note 3 - 221 F is the gelling temperature for jam at sea level. If you are not at sea level, the gelling point will be different (it is lower at higher altitudes).

Note 4 - 1.5 lb = 680g; 2 lb = 910g; 221 F = 105 C.