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 with the Novel Bakers

There are hundreds of delicious, savory recipes using culinary  lavender which tempted me this week ~
But because they are at their peak now I gravitated towards recipes using berries . . .
such as this one, which I slightly adapted from one of the Trader Joe's cookbooks.





These are very easy to make; the method is to roll puff pastry  out with a rolling pin (the work surface and the top of the raw pastry is  sprinkled generously with Turbinado sugar prior to rolling.)





The pastry is cut into squares, (or whatever shape you like) and baked off in a hot oven.   After cooling on a rack the squares are  sliced in half horizontally. 
You can use a variety of fillings ~ pudding, whipped cream, lemon curd, mascarpone, etc.  I used a creamy plain yogurt, blended  with a little raspberry jam and lavender honey to sweeten the mix.


Arrange berries, or any fruit that you like on the  filling, then top with the remaining puff pastry half and enjoy!
So good!

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And, as I mentioned, MORE berries . . .

This recipe is inspired from one I found on the internet and served at a lavender farm in the UK.
It is called a fruit cup but I think we, on this side of the pond, would consider it a really refreshing drink with a lot of fruit in it. :)




No matter the name it is really delicious, not too sweet and doesn't contain much of  an alcohol kick. The strawberries from the garden are slowing in production now, but I found just enough to make the recipe. 
I believe other fruit would work equally well (I'm thinking another kind of berry, sliced peaches, nectarines, plums, or pitted cherries.)




I would describe it as a twist on Sangria ~ delightful! I serve it with a spoon to get every piece of fruit ~ a straw would make it easier to sip the liquid, too.


  (Please note: I'm not endorsing any particular brand of ginger ale --  I attempted to block the logo, but it looked like a train wreck. And I love my good neighbors to the north in Canada!)

These are the ingredients: 
Fresh orange juice, lemon juice, ginger ale and a splash of dry vermouth. Lots of sliced strawberries. Muddled lavender. For garnish: lemon balm (or lemon verbena) and a stem or two of  lavender. Serve well chilled!




I'll have the recipes and links to them up on Friday.



Thank you for coming by for a visit ~ I appreciate your comments if you care to leave one!






I know you'll enjoy stopping by each of the Novel Bakers blogs to see their magical creations today ~
(To visit click on the links below.)

Home is Where the Boat Is 

Rattlebridge Farm

Sidewalk Shoes

a quiet life blog

Fresh Lemon Cake with Berry Glaze

A redux post from a couple of years ago . . . It was a special tea party.
I decided to share it again as it is a favorite dessert around here, and I am making this same cake today. 


You can choose almost any fruit topping, (or leave it off entirely), I like the combination of the lemon cake with strawberry topping and that's the way I usually make it.



My mom began making it back in the 1970's, when it was originally called "French Lemon Cake" ~ I'm not sure why "French"... perhaps because it is only one layer?



It's one of those that you can put together VERY quickly as it is mixed in the food processor.



After it is baked sweetened lemon juice is drizzled over the top, intensifying the luscious lemon flavor.



It can be served plain, and it's very good that way ~ but I usually dress it up a bit by adding a thick Strawberry glaze, made with melted Strawberry jam, and then I pipe on, or serve the cake slices with slightly sweetened whipped cream.



So simple to make, but so good!






If you'd like the recipe, a printable copy is available  HERE on my recipe blog.



Click the link below to see all the wonderful recipes for this weeks Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm!

Click HERE.


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Thank you for stopping by for a visit today.
xo~mari

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

Cannoli ~ Deconstructed Plus Winners Announced :)

If you ever get a craving for the fabulous Sicilian treat . . .

Photo credit: Paolo Piscolla

Cannoli! :)

But you either don't have the time to  make them yourself, or you don't happen to live near a wonderful Italian bakery.  You may want to keep this recipe in mind.




All of your favorite flavors as in a traditional Cannoli but very easy to assemble. We can't really call this dessert Cannoli, because Cannoli means "little tubes", but if you don't mind bending the rules a little bit ~ it's a very satisfying dessert.





In this version lightly fried wonton triangles stand in for the pastry "tubes" but the filling and some of the accompaniments remain true to the original. The fun part is you can add "extras" if you wish ~ I had a basket of raspberries (which I prefer over the Maraschino Cherries) so I added them as well.  Later I remembered I had put up some Bing Cherries in Cognac earlier this past summer and could have offered  those instead. Oh well . . . next time!
Mini Chocolate Chips work in place of grated  chocolate and I added some chopped pistachios, as I have had in some versions. But actually, since we're already taking liberties with the authentic recipe, almost anything goes. 
And the good news is ~ it all can be made ahead; fry the wonton triangles and keep them in an airtight container. (You can fry the wonton triangles a couple of days ahead.) To fry: heat a couple of inches of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan or pot, drop  the triangles into the hot oil, a few at a time.



  They only take a few moments to turn golden brown; remove with a slotted spoon (or spider) and place them on paper towels to help drain any excess oil. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. You can mix up the dip hours  ahead and keep it covered and refrigerated.
When it comes time to serve just put the filling in a bowl, garnish, arrange the crisp wontons around and dust the triangles  with confectioner's (powdered) sugar and enjoy.
If you would like a recipe for the cannoli filling,  there is a good one HERE.
I hope you enjoy!
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And NOW the two winners of the Ariosto Natural Herb Seasoning Blends Library  ~  from the Ariosto Spa Buccinasco company in Italy!!

Congratulations to:

Kathy from "Sweet Up-North Mornings"

Melanie Montgomery from "Oh Slow Down ~ Life as a Newlywed"

Ladies, if you'll be so kind as to email me your shipping addresses, I'll pass the information along to the Ariosto Spa Buccinasco company so they can mail your winnings to you.
onceuponaplate (at) gmail  [DOT] com

Thank you everyone for participating in this  drawing ~ please check back often, as we'll have another giveaway coming up soon.

Blessings,  Mari xo

Quick and Easy Italian Plum Cake (You can use other fruit, too.)

This just proves, once again that delicious recipes need not be complicated! I believe the original recipe may have been from Martha Stewart but I found this one, said to be an adaptation by a reader, on chowhound.chow.com  where it was first published in 2005, and has been  popular ever since.

;
No need to arrange the fruit, unless you want to. :) The sugar sprinkle adds a pretty sparkle and a delicate  crispy crunch.
You mix the simple batter in one bowl with a spatula, pour into a greased & floured cake pan, press the fruit slightly into the batter, sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and bake.


We just harvested the last of the Italian Plums from our tree, so that was my fruit of choice. The good news is that you can use other fruits too:
Plums, Apricots, Berries, Peaches, Nectarines, Pears,  Cherries, or a combination would all work in this recipe. You can use frozen berries as well, don't thaw.
The sugar sprinkle adds a pretty sparkle and a delicate  crispy crunch.
We've eaten it for breakfast, as a snack, and dessert ~ it doesn't last long around here!


So easy to put together that I made two one afternoon one to keep and one to give.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, it's over on my recipe blog ~ click here.

Thank you for stopping by!  Blessings ~ mari