Vanilla Bean Plum Pear Jam

There is one thing that can occasionally be really difficult about a CSA box... eating all of it before something spoils!  When there are only two of you and a work is a little crazy and you are going away for the weekend, well those are the times that it can be a challenge to make sure that something out of that awesome CSA box doesn't go to waste.  A few weeks ago I found myself staring at a container of ripe plums and pears on the eve of heading out of town for a little getaway.  I just couldn't toss them!

So it was time to make a batch of jam.  I turned up the Rolling Stones station on Pandora and set to work. 

It might sound like an odd combination, plum and pear, but it is so good!  The purple from the plum makes it a really pretty color.  And I tend to love that little something extra that comes with a vanilla bean scraped in with the fruit... so in it went.  This jam is destined to be a holiday gift.

My Generation by The Who is a pretty excellent soundtrack to making jam.

Vanilla Bean Plum Pear Jam

2.2 pounds of fruit (I had about 2/3rds of it as pear)

1 pound of sugar

1/2 vanilla bean

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Peel and dice the fruit, mix it with the sugar and vanilla bean (split and scraped) in a medium bowl and let sit for an hour.

Bring fruit mixture to a boil in a large pot, stirring often.

Cook, stirring often, until bubbles slow, foam subsides, fruit rises to the top, and jam sticks to a wooden or metal spoon when lifted from mixture, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Can to make shelf stable.  Or for more immediate use, let cool for 1 hour and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Jam

It started innocently enough.  We had some rhubarb that was threatening to go bad if we didn't enjoy it immediately.  And while purusing the internet I came across a recipe for rhubarb jam.  So I made a batch and marveled at how easy it was and how awesome it would be have this winter.  Before I knew it I had filled one of our cupboards with eight batches of jam.

I had never considered rhubarb jam before but oh my is it good.  Jars of this stuff don't last long in our fridge.  I made three varieties this summer- Vanilla Bean Rhubarb, Rosemary Rhubarb, and Rhubarb Orange.  Yummy.

Rhubarb Jam

Source: Martha Stewart

• 2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise, 1/2 inch thick (6 1/2 cups)
• 1 pound sugar (2 1/4 cups)
• Salt
• Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Bring rhubarb, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot, stirring often.

Cook, stirring often, until bubbles slow, foam subsides, fruit rises to the top, and jam sticks to a wooden or metal spoon when lifted from mixture, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Can to make shelf stable.  Or for more immediate use, let cool for 1 hour and refrigerate.

To make Vanilla Bean Rhubarb

Stir 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) into a bowl with the sugar and let it sit for at least an hour.  As the jam begins to thicken remove the bean.

To make Rosemary Rhubarb

Stir 1 decent sized rosemary strand into a bowl with the sugar and let it sit for at least an hour.  As the jam begins to thicken remove the rosemary strand.

To make Rhubarb Orange

• 2 navel oranges, segmented (removing the membranes and seeds)
• zest from oranges
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 lbs rhubarb
• 2 cups sugar

Refrigerator Pickles

I love pickles.  Seriously love them and can snack on them at any time.  Last summer I was so excited to grow cucumbers in our small urban garden for the purpose of homemade pickles but then our cucumber plant up and died on me. Boo!  This summer we have been getting a steady supply of cucumbers in our CSA box so cucumber making is on.

Refrigerator pickles are quickly becoming a favorite.  They are super easy, low time commitment to prepare, quick to be ready to enjoy, and easy to make in small batches - all good things for experimenting with different flavoring.  The small batch part is great if you have only a couple of cucumbers on hand and a small family. Usually I favor a dill pickle but I am rather enjoying a blend of spices.

Something that I am working on is having stuff on hand for hostess gifts.  I am a 'just-in-time' kind of shopping gal so often find myself empty handed and thus running out last minute in search of something to take as a little thank you for hosts.  This summer I have been stocking my shelves with homemade  jam and refrigerator pickles for gift giving and it makes it so effortless.  Dan thought the refrigerator pickles might be kind of an odd thing to give someone but I would like to receive them so they have found their way into being a hostess gift.

Whether giving or just eating them with the fridge door open - these pickles are in heavy rotation right now.

Refrigerator Pickles

Adapted from various sources
makes two pints

1 quart cucumbers - approximately 1 1/2 pounds (kirby cucumbers are ideal but other varieties work just fine for these)

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup filtered water
2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tsp mustard seeds, black and yellow mix
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
scant 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 spring onions (whites only), chopped - OR thinly sliced red onion

Wash and dry cucumbers. Slice at desired thickness, a mandolin is helpful in getting even slices.

Divide the spices, onion and garlic between the two jars. Pack the cucumber slices into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them.  If planning on giving this jar as a gift you can use a few slices to line along the side of the jar, the stack in the center will hold them in place.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put lids on the jars and let them cool before putting in the refrigerator. Let cure for at least a day before eating. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Brioche

Brioche is so so good and such a treat.  When we were in France last fall we bought a loaf of brioche for simple breakfasts and lunches... recently I was working on our album from that trip I decided that I need to try to made this delicious bread. 

If you have made bread before then brioche is pretty easy, even if the process is quite different (raising in the fridge- what!?).  My primary source was the recipe in our trusty Joy of Cooking but I referenced the Craft of Baking as I really love how the recipes are written in that book. 

The main thing I did differently from the Joy of Cooking is that I used the mixer for all of the kneading.  I had zero interest in trying to knead the sticky dough by hand.  I love kneading when the dough is soft but not so much when it is sticky.  And brioche dough is so very different from your basic bread dough given all of that butter!

We enjoyed a most excellent fried egg sandwich and then a very yummy bread pudding from this loaf, in addition to snacking on slices here and there.  This bread is definitely worth the time.

Brioche

from the Joy of Cooking

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup whole milk, warmed to 105 to 115 degrees F
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups bread flour
• 12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened

Combine in a the bowl of your stand mixer the yeast and warm milk.  Let stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Add the AP flour, eggs. sugar, milk, salt.  Mix by hand or on low speed.  Gradually stir in the bread flour.

Mix for about 5 minutes until all the ingredients are blended.  Knead, using the dough hook on low to medium speed for 7-10 minutes until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.

Add the softened butter and vigorously knead until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.  Place the dough in a buttered large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough, knead briefly.  Refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 12 hours.  If the dough has doubled, punch down and shape it.  If it has not yet doubled let it finish rising in a warm place, punch down and refrigerate for 30 minute and then shape it.

Divide the dough into quarters and roll each quarter into a round. Nestle the rounds together in a buttered loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.  Whisk an egg with a pinch of salt, brush over the the top of the dough. 

Cover the pan loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough is doubled and fills the pan.  About an hour.

Preheat pan to 375 degrees F.  Brush the loaf again with the egg wash.  Bake until golden brown and a knife, inserted in the center, comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Unmold onto a rack and let cool.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Homemade Yogurt

One of my favorite breakfasts is yogurt and granola.  Most of the week, this is the breakfast that starts off our day.  And lately, yogurt is one of my favorite things to make.

Homemade yogurt is pretty simple, it is all in getting to a process that works for you.  And giving it time.  This isn't something that is rushed, thought it isn't necessarily hands-on time.  It is also very tasty.  I found that I prefer the taste of plain homemade yogurt to any that we have purchased, it has a smoothness that is just so good.

Basically all that is involved is heating up your milk, keeping it warm for a long time, straining to your desired consistency and then chill.  The keeping it consistently warm and how long to strain is the part that can be tricky and where you have to figure out what works best for you. 

There are a couple of options out there for how to keep the yogurt warm for 8 to 12 hours... I tried the hot water in a cooler method and that was a fail.  The water cools and you have to remember to change it, kind of a pain if you are trying to do other things.  The idea of a hot pad wasn't an option since ours auto shuts off.  The winner for me was the oven.  I heat it up to 130 degrees or so and turn on the light.  This keeps it at 100 degrees.  Every now and then (maybe every three hours or so) I turn the oven on and heat it up just a tad to make sure it is warm in there.

We like our yogurt quite thick so I have modified the process for a thick, creamy yogurt.  You can use between two to four tablespoons starter yogurt per quart of milk, I use three.  You don't necessarily have to strain the yogurt, but it helps to make it closer to a Greek yogurt consistency if you let it strain for several hours.

And that is it.  I use 2 quarts of milk and it gets us through a week.  Sometimes I add some strawberry jam or a drizzle of honey to accompany the homemade granola that is sprinkled on top.  I can't wait for berry season as fresh fruit in there is my absolute favorite.  Yum.

Homemade Fresh Yogurt

• 2 quarts of milk (I like 2%)
• 6 to 7 tablespoons of plain yogurt with active cultures (make sure that it has those active cultures!)
• vanilla bean seeds (optional)

Heat milk on the stove to 180 degrees F.  Let milk cool to 110 degrees F.

Add the plain yogurt to a large jar or a bowl; laddle in a few spoonfuls of the milk and stir.  Add the rest of the milk and give it a stir.

Keep the jar warm, at about 100-115 degrees F for eight to ten hours.  A couple of options to keep it warm:

• put the jar inside the oven with the light on and once in a while turn it on for a few minutes
• use a heating pad and wine bucket
• use a cooler filled with warm water
• buy a yogurt maker

After the yogurt has thickened, strain with a cheese cloth if desired.  Cool yogurt in the fridge.

It will last in the fridge about 7-10 days.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Homemade Tomatillo Salsa

Pasta sauce, hummus, pesto, and now salsa...why buy a processed version?  No matter what brand you buy, the homemade stuff is just so much tastier...not to mention the control over the ingredients.  In our quest to reduce our consumption of processed foods we have started making our own salsa.  The recipe I'm sharing can easily be modified if you want to make a smaller batch or to taste if you want it hotter or sweeter. 

Over the past couple of months of experimenting I've discovered the key to making the tastiest salsa is to roast the ingredients.  Which is pretty simple... cleaning and cutting in half the tomatillos then roasting under the broiler till a nice charred skin develops.  Taking the garlic and jalapeno peppers and roasting on a skillet for 20 min brings out so much flavor (not to mention makes peeling the garlic easier). 

NOTE:  Use Latex Gloves when working with Jalapeno peppers, the oil inside them is harsh on the skin, and eyes...trust me.

Tomatillo Salsa

3-4 lbs Tomatillos (unpeeled)
1 white onion
5 cloves garlic
2 Jalapeno Peppers
4 Tsb Fresh Lime Juice (to taste)
2 Tsb Sugar
2 Tsb Kosher Salt
Cilantro, approximately 1/4 cup (to taste)

Unpeel, half and roast the tomatillos under the broiler on high for about 15 min, until there is a nice char on the tops.  Set them aside to cool in a bowl.  Peel and rinse the onion, rinsing reduces the potency but keeps the flavor and quarter, no need to chop.  Place the garlic and peppers in a skillet and roast on high for 15 min or so, they will make popping sounds so don't be alarmed.  When the garlic is cool peel and add to the tomatillo bowl.

In a food processor place all the ingredients and pulse 15 or so times until you get the texture you want.  If you want it smoother pulse a few more times. 

If you want it to be less hot: Remove the seeds from the peppers before roasting.
If you want more heat: Add another pepper and some regular chili powder to taste.

You can play with this recipe to work with what you like.  Just substitute the tomatillos for tomatoes and it's an entirely different salsa. 

Enjoy!

-Dan

Simply Pesto

Pesto is a great addition to many meals.  Adding it to chicken, steak, or plain pasta can turn a regular dish into something a little more special.  However the price of a small container of pesto at the store can be pretty pricey considering that you can get a plant of basil for less.  We planted two basil plants this year and they have produced a ton of basil, so much that we were having a hard time eating enough to keep up with it.  I decided to freeze a bunch of pesto so that we will have a little taste of summer in our freezer for winter days. 

With the new food processor unplugged, I added 8 cups of basil, 4 Tbsp of pine nuts, 1/4 cup of parmesean cheese and 2 tsp of kosher salt.  I also measured out 1/2 cup of oil but didn't add it till the processor was running.  Slowly add the oil while the mixture is being worked in the processor.  I had to stop the machine and scrap the sides once to make sure everything was mixed up.

In order to freeze it properly I don't add the cheese, only add the cheese to the portion you are going to use within a week.  It can be frozen easily in ice cube trays then transfered to a ziploc bag and kept for a year or so.

A very simple, yet tasty addition to the cooking rotation that once frozen can be enjoyed all year round, and best of all, it's homemade.

~ Dan

Homemade Goat Cheese

Not too long ago I would have wrinkled up my nose at the mention of goat cheese.  That response would have been triggered by the name included the animal, the association to milking a goat would gross me out.  But somewhere along the way of reaching my thirties I became a wee bit more open minded and gave goat cheese a try.  Now it is among my favorites.  I love it with crusty bread or good crackers to nibble on while we make dinner.

Making goat cheese has been on my list of things to try for a long time.  I have been on this kick of wanting to try my hand at making basic staples and goat cheese looked simple enough.  And it was simple.  Yet so satisfying to make. 

And good... so good that next time we will clearly need to separate his and her portions so that both get their share.  Dear husband was sneaky this time and finished it off while I was at a photography class.

This simple recipe lends itself well to being adapted per taste.  I really like goat cheese with herbs so decided to add fresh basil, parsley, and marjoram (all from our garden!) but it would be just as good without the herbs or some other combination. 

Homemade Goat Cheese

Source Kiss My Spatula

• 1 quart pasteurized goat’s milk (avoid ‘ultra’-pasteurized)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 clove freshly grated garlic
• freshly chopped herbs (basil, marjoram, and parsley work well together)
• coarse salt, to taste

In a medium saucepan, slowly heat milk until it reaches 180 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Let stand until milk starts to curdle, about 15-20 seconds. If milk does not curdle, add a little more lemon juice (but note that adding too much here will add a distinct lemon flavor to the cheese).

Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl.  Ladle milk into colander.  Pull up and tie the four corners of cheesecloth together and hang on the handle of a wooden spoon, set over a stockpot or very deep bowl.  Allow to drain until the consistency of slightly dry cottage cheese is reached, about 1-1.5 hours.  Transfer to a bowl and fold in salt, herbs and garlic.  Serve immediately atop warm crusty bread. 

Can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Homemade Granola Bars

Slowly but surely, we have been minimizing our processed food consumption.  In general, I would consider us to be fairly contentious with what we eat but lately we have been on a kick to make a few incremental changes on account of living our best life.  Neither of us grew up in homes where packaged food and snacks reigned so we tend to easily avoid the obvious processed foods.  But there is always room for improvement.

Afternoon snacks have been presenting a challenge for us.  We are in the midst of training for our first marathon so our usual light lunch left us starving by the time we would get home and have time to make dinner.   Fruit is ideal but is not always the easiest to tote around.  I personally strongly dislike the slew of "vitamin enriched energy bars" that are out there.  Packaged granola bars are just that - prepackaged, processed snack food... and Dan tends to still be hungry after these snacks. 

So we decided to give homemade granola bars a try.  Oh my goodness.  They are awesome.  No crummy "fortified" or fake flavor here.  They taste fantastic, are perfectly filling, and are easily portable.

They are also extremely easy to make.  The tricks come down to avoiding the temptation to add extra dried fruit or nuts midway through (as you will throw off the balance/ratios) and using the right sized pan so that they meet your desired chewy or hard preference.  I like mine to be a little thinner (easier for nibbling) and more chewy than Alton's original recipe so use a bigger pan and cut the cooking time by 5 minutes. I also add a bit of unsweetened coconut flakes and a handful of bittersweet chocolate chips; the trick for incorporating these is to add them after you have put the mixture in the pan and as you are pressing it all down. 

It has become part of our routine to make these almost weekly.  I make them as I multi-task with cleaning the house.

Granola Bars

Adapted from Alton Brown

• 8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
• 1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
• 3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup(I like to do a combo of almonds and chopped walnuts)
• 3/4 ounces wheat germ
• 3/4 ounces flax seed
• 1/2 ounce unsweetened coconut flakes
• 6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
• 1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
• 1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries (I like raisins and dried cherries; blueberries don't add a whole lotta flavor)

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, unsweetened coconut flakes, wheat germ, and flax seed onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with a handful of bittersweet chocolate chips and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.