Homemade Strawberry Jam

Ingredients: organic strawberries, organic unbleached cane sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest

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Spent the weekend jammin! Who knew it was so easy to make your own jam. I took advantage of all the luscious strawberries at the farmer's markets and thought I'd experiment with developing my own jam recipe, based on Ina Garten's. I was undecided on whether or not to use pectin - a natural preservative, thickening/gelling agent, and color enhancer. Many jams, and particularly preserves, rely on pectin to get that perfect jam consistency, but realized that for a more homemade flavor and less work, you don't need pectin at all. 

The trick is that you need the exact proportion of acid and sugar in order for your mixture to gel properly and yield the perfect jam (not a runny strawberry sauce). I used the juice of one whole lemon (medium size) and its zest. Then I combined 2 C sugar (since I used 2 pints of strawberries) to all the lemon in a saucepan and started cooking it over very very low heat, for about 10 minutes until it melted slightly. Be careful not to caramelize this sugar! 

I chopped up 2 pints of strawberries and added them to the sugar mixture. Again, the proportion here is very important - in this case, the proportion of fruit:sugar = 1:1. I kept it simmering on very low heat for about 1 1/2-2 hours, checking and stirring every 20 minutes. 

In order to tell whether or not the jam is ready, you need to test its consistency on a cold plate (Ina's trick is to keep a plate in the freezer). Drop a bit of the liquid onto the cold plate and you can do both a taste and a consistency test. You will also be able to tell that it's ready as the strawberry mixture darkens significantly, and the bubbles start gurgling like lava. 

Read Ina's tips on sterilizing your jam jars (either in boiling water or dry, in the oven). I did not venture into attempting to preserving the jam as that is a whole other process in itself; I simply cooled the jam to room temperature and spooned them into my sterilized jars and refrigerated immediately. 

Because I used incredibly fresh strawberries, you will be able to taste the intensity of flavor immediately. It is surprisingly not at all sugary, but perfectly tart and balanced. This was so fun and easy and encourage you all to try - definitely worth it! Would love to start experimenting with an apricot jam next. Stay tuned... 

From the Market: Early Summer Goodies

Just some quick snapshots of the goodies at the Grand Lake Farmer's Market yesterday. It's the perfect time of year when the most colorful produce and flowers are at their biggest and brightest. Summer peaches of all varieties are beginning to rear their heads as are some young types of summer squash. Stay tuned...

From the Market: Oregano

The versatility of oregano is incredible - you can put it in just about any dish (savory or sweet) and it will enhance it enormously. Fresh oregano grows along delicate, green stalks and I usually just pull off all the leaves and discard the stalk part. [You can use whole oregano stalks along with other herbs in a bouquet garni if you choose to flavor stocks and broths.] 

I use fresh leaves in an endless variety of marinades. Any citrus combination will go perfectly with chopped fresh oregano; orange, lemon, or lime juice balances well with the delicate, earthy flavor. Chicken is the first meat to come to mind that goes the best with oregano, along with some hearty white fish varieties like halibut or cod. Sometimes I just mix some of the leaves (chopped or whole) with a bit of fresh chopped garlic and olive oil and toss some fingerling or red potatoes with the whole bit - roast it all together in the oven and you're good to go.

Dried oregano is almost a completely different herb to me. It's a woodsy, stronger flavor that is much more distinct the longer you keep it over the heat (whereas cooking the fresh oregano has the opposite effect). Because of this, dried oregano is amazing in homemade chicken noodle soup and pasta and pizza sauces - keep this on a low simmer with a great Italian sauce and you're in biz. Another trick I love to do with the dried version is to sprinkle a bit in some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and use the concoction as a nice dipping sauce for some French bread.

Just in case you get lost...

Brussel Sprouts w/ Crispy Pancetta

Ingredients: Brussel sprouts, pancetta, olive oil, kosher salt, cracked pepper, salted butter

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Before you wrinkle your nose at the thought of eating brussel sprouts, try caramelizing them first in a bit of olive oil! The flavor changes enormously - quite different from either steaming or boiling them. They are crispy, crunchy, and slightly sweeter. The key to caramelizing them is to start with a hot saucepan with a bit of olive oil, placing the halved sprouts face down in a single layer, and not stirring or touching them for about 3 mins, on medium-high heat.

Once you see them brown a bit, you can add a bit of butter for flavor, salt and pepper, toss them around and decrease the heat to low. Cover them with a lid and let the sprouts cook through for another 5-7 mins. 

I took a spin on the classic bacon/brussel sprout combo and browned some chopped pancetta in the pan prior to cooking the sprouts. I allowed the pancetta fat to render off, making way for some crunchy, gourmet bacon bits. I then removed the pancetta and added the brussel sprouts to cook in the same pan, tossed with yummy pancetta grease (much lighter than normal bacon fat). Once they were done, I tossed the crunchy pancetta in with the sprouts right before serving.

From the Market: Curly Kale

 

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Curly kale is probably my favorite vegetable at the moment. The Serendipity Farms stand at the Temescal Farmer's Market last weekend was overflowing with gorgeous curly kale from the Carmel Valley. You used to only see this type of kale as a garnish on your plate at restaurants, but it's an incredibly versatile and flavorful vegetable that you'll love, I promise. 

The important thing to do for prepping the kale is to remove the stalk - no knife needed, just grab the base of the stem in one hand, and with the other, run your fingers up the stem in the opposite direction, pulling the leafy bits off as you go. I usually blanch the kale leaves first in order to cook it, boiling them in a salted pot of water for about 1 1/2 - 2 mins and then immediately straining it and run under cold water. The blanching process will turn the kale from a muted olive green color to a gorgeous emerald (see above). 

You can then chop it up and use it as if you would spinach - in pastas, chilled salads, or even with quinoa or couscous. The flavor of curly kale is surprisingly sweet and earthy with a hint of a natural saltiness; not at all bitter. It's also packed full with Vitamin A, Vitamin C (throw out those Emergen-C packets!!), and Potassium.

From the Market: Hooray for Strawberries!

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Can't escape all the beautiful strawberries cropping up at farmers' markets lately. The season is in full swing, which means I've got strawberry tarts, strawberry sorbets, strawberry pies, and strawberry salads on the brain. One important thing to remember is that strawberries are one of the most common fruits to be susceptible to several pesticides and growth hormones. Strawberries (along with spinach and eggs) are the one thing to invest in buying organic. You'll be surprised, even though some of the organic strawberries you see are not as large as those in stores, they are much sweeter and brighter. 

And look what else is rearing its head: cherries! It's still a bit early for cherry season, but these were harvested from a farm down in Bakersfield where it's much warmer and sunnier right now than in the Bay Area. Stay tuned for more cherries in late June / July...

Rib Eye Steak Salad w/ Crispy Shallots

 Ingredients: Rib Eye steak (100% grass-fed beef), spinach, shallots, garlic, balsamic vinaigrette

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The key to sear or grill a nice steak is to get it down to room temperature first before cooking it; this ensures that the meat cooks evenly throughout (as opposed to throwing it on the fire directly from the fridge). 6-7 mins on one side; the key is not to touch it, check it, or move the steak while is cooking on that first side.  Flip it over and leave it for about 3-4 mins for a rare steak and 5-6 for medium rare. And well-done should be illegal. 

I used a rib-eye for this salad but any steak would do, really - I actually think a sirloin filet would've been a better option. A simple coat of kosher salt and cracked pepper is all I added for seasoning before I threw it on a hot grill pan with some olive oil.

Adding some steak over a bed of spinach is a great way to lighten up a huge cut of meat and not commit to a heavy meal. Balsamic vinegar is always a great pairing; you could also try some balsamics that are infused with various fruits and herbs - really yummy over the spinach. 

The shallots and garlic add some texture and crunch to the salad. I chopped these up really finely and simmered them in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil over very very low heat (make sure not to burn these!)

Tuna Salad w/ Green Apple + Celery

Ingredients: White Albacore tuna, green apple, celery, organic mayonnaise, paprika, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, cracked pepper

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This is a really great, refreshing tuna recipe that you could eat in a salad, a sandwich (add some cheese for a tuna melt!), or as a little appetizer atop some endive leaves. I always preferred tuna salad on the dry side, adding very little mayonnaise just to combine everything together (I tried vegannaise once... not recommended!) - plus I hate it when it is really mushy. I love tuna with a lot of texture also, so I added some green apples for some tart, sweet flavors and of course, celery to add that refreshing crunch. Paprika and lemon juice really help subdue the fishiness that canned tuna is known for and help round out the overall flavor. 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 Ingredients: 3-seed sourdough bread, Pepper Jack cheese, yellow onion

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I'm a day late in celebrating the month-long grilled cheese month (April), but here's my May Day grilled cheese to make up for it. Using a stove-top grill pan to toast bread is the best thing ever - you'll never have regular toast again. It adds a richer, earthier flavor to the bread that you could never get from those bright orange coils in a toaster.  

I sautéed about 1/8 of a yellow onion quickly in olive oil just to add a bit of texture to the sandwich. You could add anything you want, really; the yellow onions get really sweet and caramelized after sautéeing them and balance nicely with the saltiness of the cheese.  And nothing fancy with the cheese either; just simple Pepper Jack slices from Trader Joe's.

The key is to get a grill press to add some weight on top of the sandwich as the cheese melts and all the flavors come together. I didn't need to add any salt and pepper either! Serve with a simple spinach salad with a squeeze of lemon and olive oil and you got yourself a simple Sunday night dinner.

From the Pantry // Pasta!

From left: Gnocchi Pasta, Fettuccini, Perciatelli

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I was always convinced that the only difference in types of pasta were really the shape; they didn't affect the flavor at all. It's all made from the same ingredients, after all, right? It wasn't until I experimented with the pasta version of Gnocchi (above) a couple months ago that I finally realized that the shape of the pasta has absolutely everything to do with the flavor of the dish.

Gnocchi Pasta is not made from the same potato-based ingredients as the tradition gnocchi. This pasta just shares the name due to its shape.  But since they are hollowed out and are like little wells, they capture the sauce so incredibly well that they really maximize the flavor. This pasta is great with any tomato sauce (bolognese, arrabiata, marinara) and even as the noodles for Chicken Noodle Soup. 

The Fettuccini pictured above is an egg-based Fettuccini that retains this beautiful golden yellow color both raw and cooked. Everyone knows Fettuccini, but the ones pictured above were packaged in these nice little "nests" that are perfect portion sizes. 

Perciatelli was a great find for me since I love any type of long, Spaghetti-shaped pasta. At first glance it just looks like your regular old Spaghetti, but the noodles are actually hollowed out - long cylinders that absorb the pasta sauce that you drench on top of it. This pasta is incredible with particularly saucy pasta dishes.