"Wild" Blackberry & Rosewater Jam

To those of you who aren't familiar with Oakland, you might be surprised to know that there are wild blackberry brambles in several parts of the city (we also have a serious deer problem, which I may or may not have told you about... more on that later).  

On one of our walks recently, D and I noticed a very prolific patch of them and made a mental note to return when they ripen. So yesterday, we marched right down there with our bucket (and ladder, maybe) and got to pickin'.  In half an hour, we picked about seven cups of beautifully wild blackberries!  (I think the movement is called "foraging," and while very trendy a term, it still sounds like "scrounging" to me...so I say "wild")

 These guys were a little fuzzier than regular blackberries, but after a good soaking, the fuzzies came right off. 

 

For a little added interest, I put about one teaspoon of rosewater in the jam.  You can find rosewater among the Middle Eastern or Indian products in specialty/ethnic stores.  It's not expensive, but it is potent.  A little goes a long way! D was worried that even the little tiny teaspoon I did add was too much, but it's actually just right.

 

Look how gorgeous and deep the color is!

And now it's officially summer, now that we've canned something.  Sidenote: This is my all-time favorite size/shape/brand of jar, in case anyone cares. Simple design (no cornucopias embossed on the other side), not too big, not too little, nice and wide, easy to pour into, easy to get jam out.

Oh, yeah. Fruits of our labor. 

Wild/Foraged/Scrounged/Organic Oakland Blackberry and Rosewater Jam

Every Herb Pesto

Oh, yeah.  You're gonna like this one.

This is some good stuff. 

Here we have my adaptation of this pesto recipe (p.s. She's my new favorite. Also, when I say "adaptation" it mostly means I forgot something or I tinkered with the instructions. But I'm a glass-half-full kinda gal, so I use words like "adaptation" to make it seem like I did it on purpose and from a place of creativity when mostly it came from a place of haste or lack-of-planning), made with basil, parsley, cilantro, and spinach. I used pine nuts, because I didn't have almonds, but I think it tastes more decadent that way. Also, I forgot to add lemon, but I like it just way it is.  Next time I'll actually follow the recipe (something I'm notorious for NOT doing).

 
Anyhow, I was totally excited to make this for dinner and tell you all about it, but something even better happened - we just got invited for Persian food at the neighbors!  And I do not pass up Persian food with the neighbors.  So, the pesto will have to wait another night, but I can tell you that it was delicious right off the spatula.  Late for dinner - see ya!

Harissa

 
Have you heard of Harissa?  It's a hot, North African chili paste and it's my new favorite condiment. It's salty and spicy and garlicky and awesome...if you're into that kind of thing.  I first tried harissa in a breakfast sandwich from Vesta Flatbread food truck at the Oakland Farmer's Market. Hooked!  Immediately!

Now, I'm no taste bud adrenaline-seeker, but this stuff is good (And pretty spicy! A little goes a long way) - and you can make it at home fairly easily!  This is the second jar I've made. I use a recipe similar to this one.  Instead, I only add a little cumin in place of the caraway and coriander seeds.  I suppose the spices used depend on which region's recipe you're following (Tunisia vs. Morocco vs. Algeria, etc.)  Also, I used only arbol chilies, which are fairly small and hot, even though I did seed them.

Ok, so how to use this stuff? Probably any way you like! I primarily eat my harissa with eggs and avocado for breakfast. The avocado cuts the heat a little.  Honestly, I eat this almost every single morning - it's so good!  Vesta uses it with chicken and even on top of potatoes, but you could use it whenever you need a little heat.

I dare you to try it. I'll bet you get hooked too.

I'm Back with Some Bread. Forgive?

Well, if I haven't completely let you down, maybe there's still an ounce of forgiveness inside of you for my lack-of-bloggingness.  It's not that I don't have things to blog about, au contraire (I studied Spanish, not French), I've just been so busy lazy about uploading photos.  Let's see if this new summer schedule will help me turn over a new leaf...again.

We'll start with something simple... a little loaf.  Now, I know you've seen my loaves before, so it's nothing new.  Still using my very favorite, easiest bread recipe with a few tweaks. This one has some rye flour (trying to clean out the cabinets) and caraway seeds (ditto), and I always add a bunch more salt.  But I swear, this method never lets me down.  Try it, you'll impress all your friends.  Or if not, impress yourself.

Thank you for your forgiveness. Everyone (my sister) was sick of looking at those lemons. Monica, you're welcome.

Caution: Cuteness Overload

Oh my goodness, I am so mad!! 

Why? I am so mad that I can't take credit for the following adorablosity!  (but I will take credit for that new word, thank you)  Mud & Twig on Etsy is the genius behind this genius.

Check. These. Out.

Hand-sewn labels for your home-canned goodies!

Marmalade!

Honey?! Get me a hive, STAT!

Pickles!? Too much cute!  Look at those things!

And this, right here, would be the reason I would spend all day in a steamy kitchen canning tomatoes.  Just so I could put this label atop.  But then I would be so in love that I simply couldn't part with or open them.  It might be a problem.

You probably won't believe this, but there are even more labels in her Etsy shop, like marshmallows, lemons, pears... I know, it's ridiculous. 

I think you need to buy these.  I think I need to buy them too.  Also, I need a drink, because that was way too cute for me.

Please Tell Me You Know About Kale Chips...

I'm probably the last to know about (or try) kale chips, but I have to evangelize here a second. They are amazingly light and crispy and so un-kaley! Even my nephew who shuns all things green was begging for these little guys.

Here's how you make them:

• Wash and dry your kale (I've used the darker, flatter Tuscan kale as well as rufflier traditional kale, both are great - use whatever's available)
  
• Cut out the center rib of your kale and chop into pieces (3 to 5 per leaf)
• Toss with a little olive oil and salt (use salt sparingly, these guys shrink up!)
• Lay pieces in a single layer on a parchment-covered baking sheet (crowding them too much will cause them to steam instead)
  
• Roast at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy & still green (don't let them get brown! Brown = bitter)
  
• Enjoy!
• Check your teeth for kale bits before leaving the house
  

And get used to the phrase, "I want more kale!" because it's gonna happen.

Crafting for Haiti

Well, I'm headed for Haiti this April with a group of doctors and nurses from work. I still can't believe it! I'm feeling a mixture of excitement and hesitation, but I have wanted to do something like this for a long time.

Anyhow, since we must pay our own way to Haiti, what do we nurses do to raise money? We bake! I throw a little crafting in there as well :)

I made a double-batch of my all-time favorite, fool-proof granola recipe and packaged it up! I used those cute little Paper Source labels and my favorite font.


I had some lip balm ingredients left over from some Christmas gifts I made. So I just melted them down, added a bit more peppermint oil, and put it in jars. This lip balm recipe ROCKS, by the way.


And that's really all that's in this lip balm - see? It rocks!

Here's hoping for a successful bake sale (and mission!)!

*If you wish to make a monetary contribution to our mission, drop me a line and I'll let you know how.

Tiny Pies

Look what I made today! Tiny hand pies!


We're having a potluck at work tomorrow, and since I had the day off, I made these tiny hand pies. And since I used Trader Joe's piecrusts and Trader Joe's cranberry apple pie filling (in a jar, such a cheater), they were super easy. A bit time consuming, but easy.

I wasted some of the dough making these crappy ones, which are too big and fell apart when I picked them up. We'll just have to "confiscate" these.


p.s. I also made this today for lunch - so good & so easy!

Hold Everything & Roast Tomatoes

This year hasn't been so good for tomatoes in California, but my mom had a nice little backyard crop. And thankfully, they're still plentiful in the farmers markets.... because you must make these immediately!


It will take you all of 4 minutes to prepare. You do have to roast for 3 to 4 hours, but when these puppies come out of the oven, you will thank me. You will, I'm telling you.

Juicy, sweet (I mean, like candy sweet), and healthy (did that kill the appeal?)! They're better cold, but I am totally not discriminating.

Here's how you do it:

• Preheat your oven to 275F
• Cut your medium-sized tomatoes in half (cut top to bottom)
  
• Toss them with a little olive oil
• Put them on a cookie sheet, cut side UP
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Roast them in the oven for 3 to 4 hours
  
• Take them out when they're wrinkly and a little syrup-y
• Send Sara a thank you note

So easy. So delicious.

Blueberry Jam

We needed more jam like a hole in the head, but I had a bee in my bonnet, and you know how this story ends.

The recipe was found in this most awesome book. It took about an hour to make and yielded only 4 jars of jam, but I'm fine with that. It's so delicious and thick and pretty!

Marshmallows, First Draft

Canceled from work again, I have to find ways to keep myself busy.

What better way than to try my hand at marshmallow-making?


I used this* recipe and Tahitian vanilla from our honeymoon. What I loved about this recipe is that it required no candy thermometer. Next time, I'll mix it up with some different flavors. But for now, I have about one million marshmallows to finish up first.

And yes, of course I tried them in s'more form. They browned and melted quickly, but they made for a pretty decent s'more....and I know my s'mores.

*a couple notes on this recipe.

1. I know it sounds weird, but the gelatin smelled kinda funky (it was brand new from the store). The funk was enhanced by the heat of the sugar mixture, but did go away once the marshmallows cooled. I still think I smell it a little (could be in my head), and for this reason will probably add a stronger flavor in the future.
2. These set up quickly! You won't be able to make two flavors at once unless you separate out the ingredients at the beginning. And BTW, I needed a 9x13 pan to fit all the fluff.
3. Do yourself a favor and lightly dust the plastic wrap with powdered sugar after putting it in the dish, and before dumping in your fluff. I had a sticking situation yesterday, but fared OK in the end.
   

5 Minute Ice Cream

Thinking in my car is usually a pretty dangerous thing... not dangerous for drivers, but you can be sure I'm brewing a plan in my head that must be executed immediately upon my arrival home. Naturally, I threw down my bags, fired up the double-boiler, and went straight to work. In 5 minutes, I was done.

Yesterday's drive home inspired this: Machine-Free Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream (Marilyn, this one's for you)


Which literally took me 5 minutes to make. I had made this Banana Chocolate ice cream a couple days ago, and I was pretty pleased. I substituted Kahlua for the Bailey's, which didn't freeze so well because Kahlua has a higher alcohol content than Bailey's. And so I simply ended up adding more milk, which helped it better solidify. But the taste of alcohol was quite pungent. Drunky Monkey Ice Cream, we'll call it.

On this second go-around with the raspberries, I used Frambois, which has similar alcohol content to Bailey's. The taste of alcohol is much more subtle, and since I was too lazy to blend up the frozen raspberries, there are little chunkies, which I prefer.

As far as ice creams go, this one is fairly low-fat (if you worry about that sort of thing). Only 2 oz chocolate chips and regular milk will do. The rest is just alcohol and fruit. And the great thing is, since there's no machine involved, you don't need to pre-freeze your ice cream-maker bowl! So, it's total instant gratification - that is, if you can wait the 4 hours for it to freeze. Do yourself a favor, make it before you go to bed, and then it will be ready first thing in the morning. I like to call that multitasking!

The yield is smallish, so if you don't like it, no worries! But if you love it, you can experiment with lots of flavors without all that commitment. :) Enjoy!

The Greatest Idea of All Time

I saw this in this month's Everyday Food magazine and had to make it immediately.

You could probably cut your bell pepper ring a little thicker and add cheese or veggies or another egg. And it fits perfectly on an English muffin or toast!

*high kick* Awesome idea....now, why didn't I think of this?

Oh, Yes I Did Just Make Crackers

I've been having a streak of bees in my bonnet. Every day it's been something different.

Today's bee: making crackers (of all things). Took ~20 minutes start-to-finish and I was able to make it in my tiny Cuisinart food processor. Bonus!



I made them with Parmesan, but maybe bleu or Gorgonzola would be good too!

If you're on a diet, don't make these. Yes, I'm on a wedding-dress diet, but I'm putting them away RIGHT NOW. Promise!

Recipe found here. Enjoy!

The Greatest Idea of All Time

OMG
(I don't think I've ever said that, but I feel it appropriate at this moment.)

Look. At. This. (found here)

Is this not the greatest baby shower favor you have ever seen in your entire life? How up my alley is this? Blog-readers (all 11 of you), next baby shower I throw, I'm using this idea. So please act surprised.

Should you decide to run with this idea too, here is my go-to/fail-proof/easy-peasy recipe (I omit the sugar).

*high kicks* ALL DAY for this idea. I love it!!

Giada is My New BFF

I received Giada's new cookbook as a shower gift, and I was instantly obsessed (Aunt Celeste, you know us too well).

The first thing I made was the Pasta Ponza, which was SO GOOD and so easy (or, as my dad would say, "really terriffic")! I recommend you make this for dinner tonight!

And I made these Pea Pesto Crostini for a mid-day snack. So fancy, right? Also, delicious & beautiful & easy.

...I might have just had one for breakfast...

Limoncello Update

The limoncello was done after 4 days and resulted in a smooth, refreshing bevvy.

The verdict is still out on the orange/almond liqueur. Too sweet, I think? Maybe a week or two in the fridge will do it right.

All in all, a good little housewarming or holiday gift. Now, if someone has a new home, I have about half a jar left... :)

"Folksy Crack"

I've had a problem the last couple weeks... It looks a little something like this:


My friend called it "folksy crack," and that's exactly what it is. I made 3 batches last week, and probably ate 1.5 batches myself. The other 1.5, I had to give away, for the sake of my weight-loss efforts.

Got the recipe here, and so should you...if you can afford to have a vice.

Butternut Squash (Love) Soup

I've got a sick one here at home. I made this soup especially for him. It's the Butternut Squash Parmesan soup from one of my ultimate favorite cookbook, The Daily Soup Cookbook.

I've been on a bad cooking streak, so I think I redeemed myself a little with this soup. Plus, a cream heart on top is worth a couple points.

p.s. except for the cream heart, this soup is really low fat! If you're trying to stay slender through the holidays, this is a good soup to try. And you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

To Market To Market

Today begins the Eat Real Fest in Oakland. D and I are going on a special date to the Foraging and Canning Exchange where I will be trading off these jars of peach jam for (hopefully) something a little more exotic....or something savory. We have enough jam in this house to last us a decade or more!


I used the Perfect Peach Jam recipe in the Ferry Plaza Cookbook. And the recipe says it will take about 1 hour, but it took me about 3. So, I will probably just stick to the Certo recipes from now on (wham, bam, throw in some pectin and boil, thank you mam!). The jam I made is quite delicious, but if you gotta life to lead, maybe this isn't the recipe for you....lucky for me...

There is also an ice cream social tonight (which I wouldn't miss for the world, especially on this particularly hot day). And over the weekend there seems to be tons of cool stuff going on. Depending on how tonight goes, I may try to go for a few hours before work tomorrow.

See you there? Toodles!