Summer is Jam Making Time

I believe homemade is the best!
We had several fruit trees in our backyard while I was growing up, my grandpa and my dad planted them soon after Mom and Dad bought our house which was a couple of years before I was born.
The suburban land there was fertile, located in what was once called "The Valley of the Hearts Delight" in Santa Clara County, California.
Known then for its prolific fruit orchards and farmland, it is known as the (original) Silicon Valley today.
The Valley of the Hearts Delight  ~ the name sounds so much sweeter to my ear than 'Silicon Valley' (and those days were sweeter, as well.)
My parents also nurtured our vegetable garden, plus chickens and rabbits in our backyard plot. But that is another story for another time...
The crops were incredibly abundant from just those few  backyard trees, and what fruit we didn't eat fresh my folks either canned or made into into jam.
Apricot, Plum, Peach and Strawberry were my favorites. My parents canned the jam in 16 ounce jars.
These days I use the  8-ounce capacity jars ~ more manageable for smaller households.



We enjoyed that delicious jam throughout the year, on toast, pancakes and waffles from the good old waffle maker. I think one of my favorite meals was having 'breakfast for dinner' ~ what a treat, especially for my sister, brother and me.



When I married and we began our own household, I continued the tradition nearly each summer since then.
 I can probably count  --on one hand-- the number of  summers that I have missed making jam for one reason or another  through the years.  And during those years I was always  thankful when my family would share what  they had "put up" with us.



I usually always made traditional jam, but then sometime in the late 1960's to early 1970's the innovative idea of making Freezer Jam and Refrigerator Jam became popular.  Made with less sugar and with a shorter cooking time it brought jam to a new level ~ fresher tasting and not cloyingly sweet. I love it!



That was when we lived in the "city".
I still enjoy the freezer/refrigerator jam, but these days I usually make only a couple of jars of that kind for just two of us.  
Living out in the country-side we  occasionally frequently face power-outages at any time of the year. It's risky to invest all of the jam to the freezer  or refrigerator; so I find it safer to can most of it in the  traditional way (hot water bath) so it is shelf stable.  


Most recently I made red raspberry jam ~ which I dearly love for its intense color, flavor and deep, delightful perfume.  However, some that I cook for cannot tolerate the seeds so for the past couple of years I began straining the seeds out ~ it takes a little more time, but the results are so worth it. Pure raspberry goodness.



You can just press the slightly cooked berries through a medium-fine mesh sieve by pushing through with the back of a wooden spoon, or use a food mill, then proceed with your favorite jam recipe.  
I always trust the recipes that come in the pectin packages.  You can find pectin in most well stocked grocery stores.  (Pectin is a natural ingredient to thicken jams, jellies, made from apples.)

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For a good tutorial on traditional jams, low sugar, lower sugar and no-sugar jams, click here.
Please note: The only thing I disagree with is -- I would advise against is using a "non-stick" coated pot for cooking the jam.  
Cooking surfaces such as  stainless steel, porcelain coated cast iron, or  natural copper are my cooking vessels  of choice for jams, jellies, preserves, etc.

You probably know, if you have made jam, there might be a little left over when making a batch.    Cook's Treat!  
I love to have it on warm toasted bread (butter is optional for some, but not for me!) A length of warm, toasted baguette is superb... (it must be the French in my blood...)

It's soo good and the aroma of jam simmering on the stove takes me right back to my  childhood summers. The little bit of left over from the jam making process has the same effect.
:o)
The wild blackberries which grow on the property have been picked and I'll be making seedless Blackberry Jam next. Photos to follow if I have a chance.


It's wonderful of you to have stopped by, please say 'Hi!'
I love to read your comments and enjoy hearing your thoughts.
xo~ mari

Lavender Week Wrap-Up with the Novel Bakers

For the final day of Lavender Week with the Novel Bakers

I'm going to take you from Breakfast/Tea, then skip to the

evening meal, and throw in a few options for dessert

at the end. 

I hope you enjoy!

I made quick, Strawberry-Blueberry and 

Lavender Infused refrigerator jam as an accompaniment

to the warm homemade biscuits

for our tea . . .

The jam is fresh, made with strawberries and blueberries

from the garden, I like that you can control the amount

of sweetener. We prefer ours not too sweet ~

and it cooks up in just a few minutes.

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And for dinner, I just had to make this luscious

Grilled Chicken Breast with a lovely and different

Lavender-Honey Marinade, which my friend Monique 
recently posted on her blog.
(Click to Link.)

Oh my. 
Do yourself a favor. Make THIS!

It's a winner. I followed Monique's variation on

the original recipe exactly and I wouldn't change

a thing about it. It's heavenly.

The light sauce goes really well with the tiny potatoes,

as Monique served it. And because the garden is

prolific with cucumbers right now, I sliced a few and

anointed them with a drizzle of the vinaigrette style

sauce as well. Borage blossoms compliment cucumbers

very nicely, as they have a very mild cuke-like taste.

Yummy! A keeper that I'll definitely make again.

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On to the dessert (or two...)

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream, infused with Lavender

essence.

It is one of the EASIEST ice cream recipes I know of.

 Condensed milk, heavy cream (warmed with

a bit of lavender, then strained and chilled.)

Put that mix in your ice cream maker to begin the freezing process, 
then about 10 to 15 minutes before the ice cream is

solidified, add the chunks of fresh strawberries

along with a splash of vanilla, and continue with

the freezing process.

I like to offer a drizzle of Lavender Syrup at the table so

anyone who wants it can add a bit to bump up the

lavender flavor.

I happen to like it just as it is. 

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If you don't want to serve the Lavender Palmiers (pictured above

with the ice cream), you might like to substitute these

lavender cookies:

Delicate, and gently flavored with lavender ~

I think it's best to make these when the lavender blossoms

are at their peak.

Fresh blossoms are milder, and texturally more appealing than

dried flowers in this recipe.

If you look closely, maybe you can see . . .

~ the tiny specks of green in the cookies ~ this recipe

includes a small amount of minced lavender leaves to

the cookie dough.

Not overwhelming at all, just a faint nuance of

lavender ~ I think these would be so pretty served

at a summer tea or bridal or baby shower.


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I had much fun with the topic of lavender, it pushed

me to try recipes I probably would not have otherwise,

and we were pleasantly surprised at my house at what

a versatile herb lavender is.

Sending out a big THANK YOU to our organizer, Jain @ a quiet life blog,

and my companion Novel Bakers, Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is.

Michael @ Rattlebridge Farm and our special guest this week ~

Pam @ Sidewalk Shoes, it was fun having you join in Pam!

And a big thank you to my followers, whether

you comment or not ~ I appreciate the time you take

to come see what's going on here on my blog.


xo ~mari

Individual Garden Veggie Frittatas

We always have lots of chicken eggs on hand, thanks to our flock of chickens ~ so there is always a place for eggs on the menu for any meal.  Here's one way I like to use them . . .

I love making these individual frittatas, they are delicious, budget friendly (great for using up odds and ends from the refrigerator).  Plus you can assemble them ahead, cover with cling film, place on a tray in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight), then just uncover and place them, still on the baking tray in a 325º(F) oven until cooked through, but still a little jiggly in the center; they'll continue cooking a bit when you take them from the oven.


(I didn't include the cream/milk, or salt or pepper in the photo.)


As far as ingredients, almost anything goes. Good time to use up bits and pieces!
These are the ingredients I used this time ~ Rainbow Chard, sliced/chopped into smallish pieces Broccoli, cut into small pieces  Zucchini, quartered and thinly slices Bell Pepper, small dice Chopped Scallions (white & green parts) Julienned sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil A little grated Jarlsberg cheese Some grated Parmesan cheese
Eggs, (about 2 to 3 eggs per person depending upon the size of your ramekins) milk or cream, salt and pepper Optional: Herb/s of your choice.
Just a method! No recipe needed:
Butter ramekins Heat a little olive oil or butter in a small frying pan Add zucchini saute for a minute or two, add small broccoli pieces, stir for another minute or two. Then toss in the chopped Swiss Chard, stir for a moment then cover pan and allow Chard to wilt a bit.
Remove pan from heat, and allow to cool a bit. In a bowl beat the eggs, whisk some whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream. Stir in the cooled, par-cooked veggies, then add the chopped scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, the grated cheeses, fresh or dried herb(s) of your  choice, a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine ingredients, then ladle or pour into the buttered ramekins, filling about 3/4 full.
May cover and refrigerate at this point until you're  ready to bake them off.
To finish ~
Bake on a shallow rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 325º(F)  oven until egg mixture is set around the edges, but remove from the oven while centers are still slightly soft set to avoid a tough frittata.  Serve with salsa or fresh chopped herbs  if desired.



Good hot, or served at room temperature. They are great for breakfast/brunch, lunch or dinner.

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Just a note:
We've switched to uncured bacon. I really like Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked, it's my favorite so far.
(No compensation from the Niman Ranch folks... just my honest opinion.)

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Question!

Along with fresh thyme, the little flowers I used to garnish the plates are from volunteer plants.



They popped up inside of the little heart-shaped garden bed a few years ago. I love them, but I cannot decide if they are Camomile (perhaps Roman?) or Feverfew?
Does anyone have a clue? I would love to know. Thank you in advance if you can help me solve the mystery! 


Thank you for coming by today friends, I hope you are doing well.   xo ~mari

Baked Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Syrup

Perfect for Mother's Day Brunch!

Everybody I've served this to loves this recipe.
If you like blueberries, this is the one for you ~
it is similar to stuffed french toast as little cream cheese cubes and fresh berries are layered between the cubes of  French bread then the egg-milk custard mixture is poured over all.



It's assembled the night or day before you intend to serve it then refrigerated overnight  and baked the next morning when you're ready.

You can make the Blueberry Syrup a few days ahead if desired, or serve with your favorite syrup.
You'll find the printable recipe over on my recipe blog ... Click HERE.
Please join us for FOODIE FRIDAY (click) where you'll find dozens of fabulous recipes each week!

Happy Mother's Day weekend everyone!

xo~m.

Chocolate Chip Scones with Strawberries

When the first of the season organic strawberries arrived in the market a couple of weeks ago I just had to bring some home.
Bright red and surprisingly sweet for early season strawberries, they needed very little sugar when I sliced and macerated them in their own juice.
After eating our fair share of the ruby beauties right out of the carton, I put some aside to serve on split Chocolate Chip Scones with a little dollop of slightly sweetened vanilla-sugar whipped cream.
The chocolate Chip Scones are also divine served warm, either plain or with a pat of butter or a dollop of thickened cream.
This recipe is a very good one if you decide to give  them a try.  I hope you enjoy.
Have a beautiful day everyone!
Come join us at Foodie Friday!! 
Click Here.


xo~m.

Scones: Butternut Squash with Cinnamon Icing (Sage is optional)

Whenever possible I love to incorporate the herbs  from my garden into the food I make, so when I came across this recipe for Butternut Squash with Sage from "Food 52"  I knew I wanted to try it.
Because they are not overly sweet they make a good addition to holiday dinners  alongside roast turkey, or ham... (You can omit the cinnamon icing  and just brush with  cream & garnish the top of each scone with a sage leaf.)
The great thing is, these scones are actually better if you mix and shape them in advance and freeze them, then bake from frozen ~ so they are ready at a moments notice if needed.




I've made them both with the sage, and without ~ Predictably, those who aren't fond of sage or those who are not fond of  somewhat unconventional flavor combinations  prefer the scones without the sage.  I happen to love the flavor of sage, and I liked them both ways.




The addition of the butternut squash puree helped keep these scones more moist, and a little more cake-like than traditional all-butter scones. As with most scones they the texture and flavor is best while still warm from the  oven.   However, I never let a cold or day-old scone go to waste . . .  Although they are too fragile to stand-up to toasting  in a traditional electric pop-up toaster, you can just split them  as you would an English Muffin and toast or broil in an oven,  or toaster oven... and little pat of butter doesn't hurt, either. ;)

If you give them a try, I hope you like them!
Thanks for stopping by for a visit today. :)


Blessings, ~mari xo

Crepes with Berries and Ricotta-Mascarpone Cream

I love the versatility of crepes, served plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar, or filled with savory or sweet fillings, they are always popular at my house.
And the good news is that you can make the crepes ahead, stack them and seal in an airtight container (I use resealable freezer bags) then store them in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze for longer storage. (Thaw in the refrigerator and they are ready to assemble with your filling of choice.)
I have used Julia Child's master recipe for crepes for years, it's my favorite and it's foolproof. The number of crepes the recipe will yield depends upon the diameter of the pan you choose. You don't need a fancy crepe maker, a traditional (well seasoned) crepe pan will do, or a non-stick shallow pan (8 to 10-inch diameter) is the easiest size to work with.




This time for the filling I simply blended ricotta cheese  (or cottage cheese), some mascarpone and a  little drizzle of pure vanilla extract in the food processor.  Then thinned it with a little cream (about a tablespoon or two) to make the mixture silky smooth.
You can sweeten the mixture with a little sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup if you like
I simply piled the fresh berries around the filled crepes, then added a drizzle of seedless raspberry sauce* over the crepes, then sifted confectioner's (powdered) sugar over.
*Shortcut Raspberry Sauce:  A little raspberry jam thinned with some Orange Liqueur (or orange or apple juice) heated in a small pan on the stove top, stirring for a few minutes until the mixture reaches drizzling consistency.  You can add a little water to thin if the sauce seems too tight.
If you try these, I hope you enjoy them.

For a printable copy of Julia Child's Master Crepe recipe, please click here.
Thanks for stopping by today friends!
Blessings to each of you! ~ Mari xo