quince jam

I could only get the ornamental quince, but I'm sure this is still lovely.  Cooking now.  From a variety of sources.

- 2# of prepared quince (cleaned, seeded, cored, sliced)

- 4 cups water

- 1 lemon, juiced (2 T bottled)

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

Heat water and sugar until sugar dissolves.  Add prepared fruit and simmer for about two hours.  

Put into sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes if storing long-term. 

plum torte

 From NYT.

Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

• ¾ to 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1cup unbleached flour, sifted
• 1teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 24 halves pitted purple plums
• Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

• Preparation

  1. Step 1

     Heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Step 2

     Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.

  3. Step 3

     Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.

  4. Step 4

     Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

  Tip

  • To freeze, double-wrap the torte in foil, place in a plastic bag and seal.
   

damson plum jam

 It looks like my new house has heaps of damson plums - or to be more accurate from a landscaper who came by, some sort of hybrid on-nongrafted stock that likely developed right here. They're in large clusters so heavy as to pull down the thin branches. Everyone says the tree needs trimming back and I warn them to wait until after harvest.  I'm quite excited about these plums.

I made my first batch of jam and it seems very tasty though I have to let it cool first for maximum effect.  

Damson Hybrid Plum Jam 

Ingredients:  

• 1.5 kilogram of damson plums.  It seems fine to pick when slightly underripe and there's more pectin in there
• 2 cups water
• 750 g sugar (is what I used and I want to try even less sugar)

Directions

Pick and clean the plums. Clean jars and lids; put lids in hot water to prep and sterilize jars. 

If more than 1.5 kilograms, make in batches.  

Put the plums in a big pot with 2 cups of water.  Turn on low-medium to let the plums cook a bit to soften, like 5-10 minutes.  Let cool enough.  Pour into a colander on a bowl and pick out the pits.  Then return the pulp and juice to the pan.

Warm again and add sugar, stirring well.  

Keep stirring as turning up the heat.  Once it gets to boiling, stir very well and let it boil for ten minutes. 

Pour into clean jars and lids.*  Process if you wish**

 

*Re jars & lids: I reuse.  Not just mason jars, but jam jars.  I especially like the Bonne Maman jars, they're a great size.  I've reused the lids numerous times without issue, and I like that I can give them away and if they're recycled instead of returned to me it's no big deal. 

**Re processing: I grew up with homemade jam poured into sterlized jars and letting them seal on the countertop.  Since I've learned they're supposed to be water bathed for 10 minutes.  Shrug.  Either way.  If I water bath, I"m a little less fanatical about everything fully sterilized, and just clean is good enough.  

freeze snow peas

 My snow peas hit hard, finally.  Lots of fresh eating and sharing, and I wanted to freeze some for later.  For deep in dark winter when I want to remember what spring tastes like.  

Because I want to store them for awhile, I blanched first (which I don't always do).  Recording here so I remember times. 

- Clean and remove blossom end

- Blanch 1.5 minutes  

- put into ice water for 2 minutes

- lay out to dry

- pop into freezer bags, label with date

- into freezer they go!

potato leek soup

 Taken from several sources, inspired by my friend's backyard overrun by leeks.

Ingredients

• 3 T butter (or less, or oil)
• 4-5 cups leeks (white and light green parts only, well-cleaned) (from 2-4 leeks)
• (onion if short on leeks)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
• 2 bay leaves
• sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream or 1 cup)
  

Melt butter in pan, add leeks and garlic (and onion).  Cook until soft and wilted but not browned.

Add potatoes, broth, and seasoning.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer about 15 minutes.  Remove bay leaves and thyme (if using fresh).  

Add cream and bring to simmer.  Taste to check seasoning.

Use an immersion blender to smoothen soup if desired.  

 

creamed greens potpie

 I got this recipe for creamed greens potpie from the New York Times, and it's really good - like you can get in a restaurant.  Very few modifications made and it was tasty, like deconstructed spanakopita.  It was about four servings for us because we were hungry.  The puff pastry wasn't cheap so I'd like to figure out another option for the top - maybe just a pie crust, that's easy.

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2½ pounds mixed hearty greens (like kale, spinach, mustard greens or collard greens), stems removed and leaves torn into large pieces (this was about 5 bunches of greens)
  
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 2 cups half and half or cream (note: I'll try to sub in evaporated milk next time because it was too rich for my delicate stomach)
  
• 1teaspoon hot sauce
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, beaten

1. In a medium (10-inch) oven-proof skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic, shallot and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add a handful of the greens and season lightly with salt and pepper. Using tongs, toss the greens in the butter until wilted. Repeat, making sure to season each batch, until all the greens are added and wilted.
    
3. Stir in the flour until it disappears into the greens, then add the cream and hot sauce and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. On a lightly floured work surface or the bottom of another baking sheet, use a lightly floured rolling pin, roll and trim the puff pastry into a 12-inch circle. If you find the pastry contracts when you roll it, give it a few minutes between each roll to relax a little.

5. Transfer the skillet to the lined baking sheet. Drape the puff pastry over the skillet so that there is about ½-inch hang over on all sides. (Trim any sides that have more than an inch.) Brush the beaten egg onto the puff pastry, then cut four large slits into the pastry. Bake until the puff pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the pastry is cooked through and the filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. (If the pastry is getting too dark, cover with foil.) Let sit for a few minutes before diving in.
   

 

  

strata

 I had a nice baguette left over and they're always best fresh, so I cut it up and made strata which turned out very good.  I just used what was in the refrigerator, and it's a great recipe for that.  All the proportions can be adjusted.

• 1/2 baguette - chopped or ripped up; if it's too fresh let it dry out (I left it a day in a pan with cover), 

Then whisk together:

• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• cheese (parmesan, extra sharp cheddar)
  
• salt, pepper 

Mix the egg mixture into the bread and leave it to soak overnight or all day. 

Chop and saute:

• onion (or green onion)
• garlic (I used 4 cloves)
• greens 
• other vegetables, meat, etc. needing to be used up (had some cooked ground turkey I tossed in)

Stir vegetables into the egg/bread mixture.

Bake at 325 degrees for 70-80 minutes.