Home-made Barbecue Sauce

It's finally grilling season. We've grilled already this year, but now the weather is more consistently suited to it. This is the second time I made this sauce, which I found on the internet, and which is described as 'Carolina style', meaning that it is mustard and vinegar based. We had it on pork ribs first, and then on chicken breasts and legs. It was good on the ribs, but even better with the chicken.

It's a very simple sauce to make. Start by putting in a medium saucepan: 1 cup yellow mustard, 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground white pepper, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne powder. Mix and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes.

Once the mixture has simmered for 30 minutes, add 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp (1oz) butter and 1 tbsp water. Stir well and simmer 10 minutes more. Your sauce is now ready to use.

To use it on grilled chicken, season your chicken legs and/or breasts with salt and pepper. Place on the hot part of the grill until you get a nice sear (good browning) on the underside, then flip and repeat on the second side. Flip again and brush generously with barbecue sauce. Grill for a few minutes, then flip and brush again. Continue until the chicken is just cooked through (check at the bone with bone-in meat) - white, opaque, and with clear juices. I always cut into the thickest section and check that it is completely done. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before eating.

Metric Info: 1 cup = 240ml; 1/2 cup = 120ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 3/4 cup = 175ml; 1 oz = 28g.

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.

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.

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.