The Charmed Kitchen

Blueberry Vanilla Jam

I make a lot of jams, jellies and preserves in the summer when berries are abundant. That way I can enjoy them throughout the year. They also make such nice gifts. I have posted this recipe before, but had a request from  somebody for it- so here it is. I used the basic berry jam recipe from the Ball Blue Book, but I added some vanilla and a little lemon juice for extra flavor. Looks like I’ll get a decent blueberry harvest this year- assuming I get there before the birds, squirrels and chipmunks. Enjoy.

Blueberry Vanilla Jam

9 c. crushed fruit

6 c. sugar

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 T. vanilla

Pick over berries getting any stems. Rinse , drain and crush. Place berries, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a large saucepan and heat slowly until sugar has melted. Bring up heat and cook over high heat, stirring often. Stir more as mixture thickens. It will take 20-30 minutes to get to the gel stage. To check for gel stage dip a metal spoon in blueberry mixture and hold it up sideways. Allow mixture to drip off and when two drops come together to form one larger drop- you are at gel stage. You can also use a candy thermometer. When the jam reaches 220 degrees- or 8 degrees over the temp of boiling water- you are at gel stage. Ladle hot jam into clean, hot jelly jars. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims and place on lids prepared according to directions on box. Screw lids comfortably tight. Place jars in boiling water bath with water at least 1-2 inches over the tops of the jars. Cover pot and start timing when water returns to the boil. Process 15 minutes. Remove jars to towel, cutting board or cooling rack in a draft-free location. Check seals once jars are cooled. Makes 8-10 jelly jars.

Source: Adapted from Ball Blue Book

Carrot Pasta Sauce

This pasta sauce is one of my favorites. Most people don’t think of carrots when they think of pasta sauce, but maybe they should. It’s a simple sauce that packs a lot of flavor. The process is easy, just cook carrots and few other ingredients in stock until the carrots are really tender and most of the liquid is cooked off. Puree, then toss the sauce with pasta, over rice or even with veggies or meats. It is a pretty color, too. You might even get kids to eat carrots, this way.  Here is the recipe.

Carrot Pasta Sauce

1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
2 c. chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. cream, half and half or evaporated milk
1T. fresh dill or 1 t. dried

Hot cooked pasta

Sauté onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, carrots and stack and cook until carrots are very tender. Much of the liquid should have evaporated by then. Place mixture in blender and add cream or milk, mixing until smooth. Add dill and adjust seasonings, tossing over hot pasta to serve. I sometimes top with some shredded Parmesan cheese, too.
Variations: Use sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash or even peas for different tastes.

Fresh Strawberry Wontons

I needed a dessert and decided a spin on strawberry pie might be fun. I had some wonton wrappers in the fridge, left over from something else. I decided to make strawberry-filled wontons.

I started with a pound of strawberries. I used about a cup of berries, sliced,  to make the glaze. Just placed the berries in a small saucepan with about 1/2 cup of water and brought to a boil. Simmered for 10 minutes or so- until the berries lost color and the liquid turned a pretty red color. I strained out the liquid and discarded the berries.  I put the berry liquid back on the stove, sweetened with sugar to taste- about 1/4 cup, maybe a bit more. I also made a slurry of water and tapioca starch to thicken it. I could have used corn starch but tapioca starch holds up better to reheating. I used about a tablespoon of tapioca starch and a couple of tablespoons of cold water and poured this into the simmering strawberry liquid until it got to the thickness I wanted. I removed the glaze from the stove and let it cool down. Once cooled I added about 2 cups of finely chopped strawberries. Now my filling was ready to go.

To make the little strawberry-wontons I just put a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of a wonton. I moistened the edges of the wrapper with water and folded it in half. I also folded some up like little eggs rolls. In small pan I heated the oil to 350 degrees. I had about half an inch of oil in the pan. Pan fried until crisp- about 30-60 seconds per side. Drained on paper towels and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Strawberry Shortcake “Sliders”

While we were enjoying these at dinner the other night, one of my friends said they looked like sliders and the name stuck. I made the shortcake base with a scone recipe and used an ice cream scoop to put the batter on the baking sheet. They ended up looking like little sandwich buns. Split and filled with sweetened strawberries, I replaced the top and added chocolate ganache and whipping cream to finish them off. They were a big hit. The scone was tender and not too sweet. Satisfying and light at the same time.

Strawberry Shortcake “Sliders”

The shortcakes
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 1/4  c. heavy cream or 1 cup half and half
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add cream to form soft dough. Stir mixture until it just holds together. Using an ice cream scoop place batter on baking sheet a couple of inches apart. You should get about a dozen. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes about 12. Cool on rack until ready to use.

The berries

2 lbs. strawberries, sliced thin

1/2 c. sugar, or to taste

Combine berries and sugar in medium bowl and place in fridge until ready to use. Berries should be in the sugar for at least a couple of hours and can even be prepped a day ahead to allow the juices to come out of the berries.

The ganache

1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips or 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream.

Combine both in double boiler or in microwave and heat until mixture is just warm enough to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth.

The whipped cream – use whipped cream, sweetened or unsweetened according to your taste.

Assembly: Slice the caps off the tops of the shortcakes. Place a generous spoonful of the sliced berries on the bottoms of the shortcakes and spoon some of the strawberry liquid over them as well. Place the tops of the shortcakes back on and spoon on a dollop of the chocolate ganache. I let me get to room temperature so it didn’t drip down exactly as I had planned. Top with some whipped cream and serve. Makes about 12.

Fresh Raspberry Bread

This simple bread is studded with fresh raspberries and the flavor is so good. It can be eaten plain or served up with fruit topping or maybe some whipped cream.  I have used it as the base for a pretty good shortcake. I topped slices of the raspberry bread with ice cream, more berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Like most quick breads it is better if you wrap it up in plastic or foil, once cooled, and eat it the next day, if you can wait that long!!

Fresh Raspberry Bread

1 ¾ c. flour
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
½ c. butter, at room temperature
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ c. sour cream, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1 c. fresh raspberries
¾ c. chopped nuts, optional

Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In small bowl beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat 1 minute. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in berries and nuts and place batter in prepared pan. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf. Freezes well.

Pulled Pork with Plum and Pomegranate Sauce

I had plums and wanted to use them with some pork I was cooking. I like pairing fruits with meats and other savory ingredients. I pureed the plums, then used them as the base for a sauce I needed for pulled pork. One of the dinner guests was not a big fan of more tomato based barbecue sauces, so I  figured plum sauce might be a better option. I added pomegranate syrup for more tang- and for its pretty color, along with a handful of other ingredients. I let it simmer down until nice and thick, then stirred it into my pulled pork. Even the guest who said she is not normally a fan of pulled pork liked it with this sauce. It would also go well with poultry and lamb.

Plum and Pomegranate Sauce

3 T. oil- you could use butter or bacon fat, if you like
1 medium onion, minced
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 c. plum puree*
½ c. pomegranate molasses**
½ c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. honey- or a little more to taste
2 t. hot sauce- or to taste
1 t. grated ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in pan and cook onions until very tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add remaining ingredients and cook until sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. I simmer the sauce and stir more often as it reduces to avoid scorching. You should cook it down to around 2 cups. Adjust seasonings once it is cooked down. Use with pulled pork, on chicken or as a glaze for duck or even lamb.
* To make the plum puree- dip plums in boiling water for 30 -60 seconds. Remove them to a bowl with ice water to cool. Slip off skins and discard. Remove pits and discard them, too. Place plums in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. You’ll need about 1½ pounds of plums for 2 cups of puree.
** Pomegranate molasses can be found in some grocery stores and in specialty stores. It is pomegranate juice that is boiled down until it becomes thick and syrupy.

Raspberry Crumb Cake

When I was a kid we had a patch of raspberries in the back of the yard. It was always a special treat to go out on a summer day and harvest the raspberries, warm from the sun. We did lose berries to birds and squirrels and it became my Father’s mission to save as many berries as he could. When we got a new dog, my Dad was sure berry theft would go down. But we seemed to be getting even fewer berries. One day, my Mom caught the dog eating raspberries right off the plants. Mystery solved. I love using fresh raspberries to make this crumb cake, but frozen will work, too. This is a great summer dessert- eaten just the way it is. You can also serve it topped with additional berries, ice cream or whipped cream.

Raspberry Crumb Cake

For cake batter:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ stick (¼ cup) butter, softened
¾ c. sugar
1 egg
½ c. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
2 cups raspberries – I like fresh but frozen work
For topping:
½ c. sugar
¼ c. flour
½ t. cinnamon
½ stick (¼ c. butter, chilled and cut into bits)

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla. Add flour mixture gradually until just mixed in. Fold in raspberries. Grease and flour an 8 or 9-inch pan and add prepared batter. Combine topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in pan and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use toothpick to test.

Gluten-Free Brownies

These brownies are everything you want in a brownie. Sweet, moist and very tender. The fact they are also flour and gluten-free is a nice bonus for those who can’t have gluten. You might think, when you read the ingredients, that I left something out. I didn’t. They baked up beautifully and had a wonderful texture. I made them for a dinner with friends and everyone liked them, a lot.  I think the next time I make them, I might also add some chopped nuts.

Gluten-Free Brownies

1½ c. shredded zucchini
1 c. almond butter- but you could use peanut butter instead
1 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. honey – but you can use 1/2 cup if you want a sweeter brownie
¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. allspice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 inch pan, set aside. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until well blended. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool before cutting. Makes 16.