Fresh with Jamie Oliver

It's strawberry season! And over at I Heart Cooking Clubs they are getting fresh with Jamie Oliver this week. Not just berries, anything that is summer fresh! Except my berries weren't exactly fresh but they were perfect for joining in. It was buy one get one at the grocery store, and these were sitting in the frig a little too long. I looked for something I could use with the berries and found Jamie Oliver's Creamiest Rice Pudding with the Quickest Strawberry Jam. That was be perfect. I had everything the recipe need. Almost. I guess that's why it's called adapted!

Yeah, well, the recipe said meringue cookies. Since I wasn't running to the store on a Saturday morning with the other hundreds of people who forget one thing, I made do with amaretti cookies leftover from the Tortoni's!  It was actually a great sub, and to keep it going with the almond flavor, I used almond extract instead of the vanilla sugar and topped it with slivered almonds.

To hull the berries I used a very cute, very cool gadget!  And even better, it really works. The claw scoops out the leaf and the hull of the berry with just a twist and a pull. Reminds me of a B movie. THE CLAW! And to think I was skeptical. Love this gadget. Says it will core tomatoes, too! I'll let ya know.

Creamy Rice Pudding with Quick Strawberry Jam
Source: original recipe from “Jamie at Home” by Jamie Oliver and the Food Network
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

For the jam:
2 pounds strawberries, hulled, washed and drained
1/2 cup sugar

For the rice pudding:
5 cups whole milk (I used 4 cups 1% and 1 cup heavy cream)
7 ounces medium-grain rice (I used carnaroli rice)
3 tablespoons sugar, more or less depends on your taste
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 ounces amaretti cookies, crumbled
a few wild strawberries and some slivered almonds, to garnish (optional)

Place the strawberries in a wide, stainless steel pan and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Scrunch the strawberries up with your hands or a masher. You want all the sugar to dissolve in the strawberry juice before you put the pan on the heat and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes on a medium heat, and every 5 minutes or so come back to your jam to skim off the foam. It should be thickened, but don't worry if it's still a bit liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and put aside.

Meanwhile, place the milk, rice, sugar and almond extract in a deep saucepan. Bring to a medium simmer and put on the lid. Cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the rice pudding is thick and creamy. If it ends up being a bit too thick, you can thin it down by adding a little more milk.

To serve, divide the rice pudding between your bowls. Spoon over a big dollop of the strawberry jam, then slowly swirl it in so it ripples through the rice pudding. Sprinkle over the amaretti pieces and scatter with a few strawberries and some almonds, if you like.

Joining

 I Heart Cooking Clubs to celebrate Getting Fresh with Jamie Oliver!

and

  The Little Red House for Mosaic Monday! 

and I am usually off season, but finally I have something seasonal, so I am joining The Tablescaper with Seasonal Sundays!

and
  Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter

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Mosaic Monday: Jammin'

I'm joining Mary at Little Red House for another fun Mosaic Monday. Please stop by Mary's house for some really fabulous mosaics!


I haven't made homemade preserves in some time but it's definitely time to start again. One of my favorites is Bing Cherry Jam. Almost hot cereal weather here and my favorite is a bowl of steaming Irish Oatmeal with a tablespoon or two of Bing Cherry Jam!







I've never used pectin or sure-jell, I prefer just the fruit. I cook it down a little longer and it usually gels and when it doesn't, it becomes a sauce! The vanilla extract is really easy to make and if you keep topping it off you have it for some time. I have mine a few years already and I just keep adding vodka and vanilla beans. You can use the beans as well, they don't dry out this way!


Cherry Jam
adapted from a SURE-Jell recipe
Printable Recipe

Yields about 6 (1-cup) jars

4 cups prepared fruit (about 3 lb. fully ripe sweet cherries)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.

Stem and pit the cherries. Or do what I do and use pitted frozen ones! Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure 4 cups of the prepared cherries into 6- or 8-qt. pot. Stir in the lemon juice.

Bring to a boil, cook, uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 221F, stirring often. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)


Raspberry, Peach and Frangelico Jam
Source: Annie and LPinkmountain @ Harvest Forum, CF
Printable Recipe

2 cups raspberries (original recipe had blueberries)
1 cup sugar
2 peaches, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons Frangelico

Put all ingredients in a pan except Frangelico. Cook on high until it boils, then simmer 25 minutes or until thick. Add Frangelico, cook 5 more minutes, ladle into jars, leave 1/4 inch headspace in jars. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes to seal.


Homemade Vanilla Extract
source: Martha Stewart.com
Printable Recipe

Makes 1 cup

2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1 cup unflavored vodka

Place vanilla beans in a clean jar with lid. Pour vodka over beans, and place lid on jar. Allow to sit in a cool dark place for 3 to 5 months, shaking jar occasionally. Keep topping off the jar with more vodka and add more beans to have a continued supply.

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Better late than never flashback...

Missed Flashback Friday with Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet yesterday, but that's ok, she did, too, LOL! but this one is such a good one I'll post the flashback anyway. Definitely worth repeating, especially if you like bread puddings. This one is from Food & Wine magazine. I made it a while ago and I definitely have this one on the list to make again. It was good, I wouldn't change a thing, maybe a little less heavy on the filling.

Jam and Bread Pudding
source: Food & Wine magazine, recipe by Grace Parisi
Printable Recipe

One 1-pound loaf challah bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon whole milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of the challah in the dish; tear the slices to fit. Spread 3/4 cup of the jam on top; cover with the remaining challah.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, 2 1/2 cups of the milk and the vanilla and pour over the challah; press to soak and brush with 4 tablespoons of the butter. Cover with foil and bake for 24 minutes, removing the foil halfway through, until the pudding is set; remove from the oven.

Preheat the broiler. Blend the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk with the confectioners' sugar. Add the remaining butter and jam and stir until the glaze is smooth. Spread all but 1/4 cup of the glaze over the pudding and broil until the glaze is golden. Drizzle the bread pudding with the remaining glaze and serve.

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Flashback Friday - Peach Jam, Cold Mornings

Joining Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet for another fun Flashback Friday! Check out the flashbacks at Suzy's! It's been a busy summer and it sure has flown by quickly. It's already starting to get cooler in the mornings here. Even with hot flashes, so maybe this should be called a "hotflashback," but I can definitely tell it's going to be Autumn soon enough! I love the cooler weather! and I love sweet-hot jams.

So this time I'm flashing back to when I learned how to can fruit. and a perfect preserve for the cooler weather. Peach Jam for a Cold Morning. Only I cheated and used frozen fruit. Of course I never did anything as written and with canning the first time I was a little nervous that I could not only make someone sick, I could kill them. Well, not with fruit according to my canning guru from the Cooking Forum, Michigan Annie (not Woodie Annie, I think she buys hers!) it seems all the sugar is a good thing in this case. Not botulism, maybe some mold, and that you can see, so I couldn't possibly poison anyone.

So I tried it. and I didn't make anyone sick. By the time I was done with my canning addiction, they may have been sick of preserves, but not sick to their stomachs! At least no one admitted it to me. There is a definitely a HUGE difference here between homemade and store-bought. HUGE! And if you have no patience to cook it down until it gels, which believe me can be excruciatingly long sometimes, well, you can always use it for a sauce for ice cream or pancakes!

These are two of my favorites.


Peach Preserves for Cold Mornings
source: Doris (Ruddmd) - Cooking Forum
Printable recipe

3 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and quartered
l/2 medium-size orange, quartered and seeded
2 habaneros, (seeds and all)
4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup honey (the lightest, mildest you can find)

Combine peaches, sugar, and honey in a Dutch oven; stir well. Cover and let stand 45 minutes. Place knife blade attachment in food processor bowl; add orange quarters and habanero chiles. Process until finely chopped, stopping once to scrape down sides.

Place orange, habanero chiles, and an equal amount of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until orange rind is tender.

Bring peach mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes, stirring often. Add orange mixture. Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until candy thermometer registers 221, stirring often. Remove from heat; stir in almond extract. Skim off foam with a metal spoon.
Quickly pour hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process jars in boiling-water bath 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 half-pints.


It's just perfect on a toasted bagel on a nice, brisk autumn morning!













and this one from epicurious. Meyer Lemon season will be here before you know it...

Meyer Lemon Marmalade
Source: Gourmet- December 1999
Printable recipe

6 Meyer lemons (1 1/2 lb)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
Cheesecloth
Kitchen string
6 (1/2-pint) Mason-type jars, sterilized

Halve lemons crosswise and remove seeds. Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Quarter each lemon half and thinly slice. Combine with bag of seeds and water in a 5-quart nonreactive heavy pot and let mixture stand, covered, at room temperature 24 hours.

Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups, about 45 minutes. Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until a teaspoon of mixture dropped on a cold plate gels, about 15 minutes.

Ladle hot marmalade into jars, filling to within 1/4-inch of top. Wipe rims with dampened cloth and seal jars with lids.

Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot. Add enough hot water to cover jars by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Boil jars, covered, 5 minutes and transfer with tongs to a rack. Cool jars completely.

Cooks' note:
• Marmalade keeps, stored in a cool, dark place, up to 1 year.

Makes 6 (1/2-pint) jars

So you must know me by now, I didn't EXACTLY follow the directions. I didn't leave it overnight a few times, and I didn't use a cheesecloth at all. I picked the seeds out before I poured into the jars. hey, works for me!

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