Making Strawberry Jam

Posted on | June 28, 2010 | 25 Comments

We had a temporary reprieve from the heat over the weekend. The heat has been so intense the strawberries I picked a few weeks ago quickly turned moldy within a few days. I know, I know, I should have chopped them up and froze them as soon as I got home. I screwed up. I cheated and bought four quarts of fresh strawberries from the farmer’s market on Saturday. But hey, they’re still fresh, local, and organic so I’m only slightly lazy.

Strawberry season is coming to a close in southern New England but the berries were still perfectly sweet. I chopped up about 8 cups and added 6 cups of sugar to a large pot. (holy crap sugar!) This was my first attempt at jamming without pectin. I boiled the berries down till they reach a temperature of 220 degrees aka gel stage. While the berries were cooking I sterilized my jars and lids.

Buying the proper tools made a huge difference. No burning or balancing acts of hot glass jars. Above a shot of my tools and lids ready and waiting. The funnel made for a quick easy pour into the hot jars. I got twelve four ounce cans out of one batch. I decided to go with the smaller jars because I’m hoping to make raspberry and blueberry jam, pickles, and tomato sauce for family Christmas presents this year. Yes, mom you’ll have to wait till December to try my jam. I promise it will be worth the wait. The soft pink strawberry foam I skimmed off the top of the finished jam made for an excellent ice cream topping, total heaven.

p.s. I used this book and this book for reference when making my jam. Also, I tried the jam today after letting it set up for a few days, it’s unbelievable!

Category: recipes

Recipe: Edamame Salad

Posted on | June 25, 2010 | 14 Comments

In a sea of mayo-filled summer salads my edamame version is a standout. Goes great with fish, burgers, and even BBQ. It’s my go to side for summer potlucks. Friends always ask me for the recipe. As I type I am munching on a bowl for lunch. Perfect for hot days when you want something fresh but don’t feel like cooking. Happy Weekend!

1 bag of frozen shelled Edamame
½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 T. canola oil
1 T. sugar
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
Salt and Pepper to Taste
8 ounce bag of radishes (sliced)
3-4 medium sized carrots (I buy the pre-sliced guys in a bag)
½ c sliced almond (toast in a small skillet)
1 cup of cilantro (chopped)

Rinse edamame with cool water till the ice comes off the shells. In my experience cooking the edamame makes it mushy. You want to keep the crunch—no need to cook. Put in a bowl with sliced radishes, carrots, and toasted almonds. Whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, and S+P, and lime. Pour over vegetables and stir till well combined. Stir in cilantro and place in the fridge for about a 1/2 hour. Can be made the night before. Totally fine serving at room temperature for a potluck buffet.

Category: recipes

Stuck In Garden

Posted on | June 23, 2010 | 18 Comments

So what’s happening in the garden? It’s kinda stalled. I wanted to put in a patio this summer but I don’t think it’s going to happen. What I want the driveway to be is something that’s going to take a little more then peagravel. The house still needs major work that will require heavy equipment. So why am I being so silly making a garden when I should be focusing on the larger problems? Like the rotted wall and sill.

And once the house is done I might want something different out back? I really like how my neighbors split up there driveway with a fence and a garden in the middle. The con of this idea is that we would only be left with one parking spot. But we only have one car. In terms of resale I know I am going to hear the complaint that the house doesn’t have a yard but then they will complain about the lack of parking. In the end I think I would enjoy a more private space outback.

So here I am stuck. Trying to figure out where to dump the pile of rocks, bricks, and dirt that have piled up on the back side of my driveway—all found in the gardens when we cleaned them up! I know my neighbors would appreciate it me cleaning up the space. But getting rid of rocks is harder then you think—our dump has no “No Rocks” signs everywhere. So how do you get rid of the sh*t without illegally dumping the stuff in a field. Do I really have to pay someone to take away rocks? And if so what do they do with them? Probably sell them…

Below views of the garden and me in my new sun hat. I got really burnt on a friend’s boat over the weekend. I’ve learned my lesson once and for all. I am not a sun girl but I am surprised how tan I look in that photo! Oh and a photo of Mr. Jack my faithful companion watching me plant delphiniums on Monday night. Um, yes that is a stove behind Jack. Greg bought it back when he thought he was going to turn the first floor into an apartment.

Category: garden

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