Posted by Adrienne on August 30, 2012 – 9:30 PM
Making jam is something I look forward to each summer. This year, I’ve been busier than usual. The jam I had made earlier in the season is long gone, and it was looking like I wasn’t going to have an opportunity to get my hands dirty again before summer was over.
I hear from folks all the time how they love homemade jam, but they don’t know how to do it, or that it seems too hard to do on your own. When I heard my friends Dawn and Roxanne express interest in learning the process, I jumped at the chance to teach them.
And I jumped at the chance to get a new cookbook, The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook. Oh, it’s a beauty. Really. Page after page is filled with gorgeous photographs and interesting jam recipes with unusual flavor combinations, as well as old favorites.
Since strawberries are a great price right now, we settled on the Grown-Up Strawberry jam recipe, which features Drambuie. Right before they came over, though, Dawn realized that Drambuie has honey in it. Since she is vegan, that wasn’t going to work. Luckily, there were plenty of other fabulous choices. The Strawberry Jam with Aged Balsamic and Black Pepper stood out to me. I already had some lovely aged balsamic, so why not?
Not only was this a jam class for Roxanne and Dawn, but I was learning something new as well. I had never made jam before without the addition of commercial pectin. I realized the recipes in the Blue Chair Jam Cookbook don’t call for pectin. Uh oh. What to do? Read More »
Posted by Adrienne on June 23, 2012 – 2:39 PM
Summer has officially begun. Well, by the calendar, that is. Last week held the first day of summer. Looking outside today in the Pacific Northwest is another story. It’s cold. It’s raining.
Boo.
While the weather might not get the message, summer foods are in full swing. I’m eating all the Rainier cherries, asparagus, watermelon and peaches I can get my hands on.
My Opa brought over some home-grown strawberries earlier this week, and I even got the chance to make strawberry jam. Look for that post later.
If you’ve never had homemade strawberry jam, you’ve not lived. It tastes so…strawberry-y. It’s so strawberry-y, you’ll feel like you’re tasting them for the first time. Summer in a jar.
Recently while at Mayfield Lake with my family, I went on a cooking marathon and came up with this Roasted Tomato, Asparagus and Zucchini Couscous with Lemon Basil Dressing.
It is easily my favorite thing I’ve made in a while. So simple. So freaking full of flavor and goodness. Read More »
Posted by Adrienne on January 15, 2012 – 10:46 PM
It’s a snow day. We don’t get much snow here in the Pacific Northwest, but when we do, it incites a mixture of widespread panic and delight.
Put me in the delight column. I love snow. It immediately puts me in a better mood, a more relaxed one. When it snows, I’ll be more likely to make you a cup of cocoa and go for a walk in the snow than be in my normal state of frantic espresso-drinking while huddled over my computer, working.
It’s also a Sunday, which is my main cooking day of the week. Typically, I make a couple of large meals like a big pot of soup or a roast to last us through the week without having to cook on weeknights. Tonight, I’m making meatloaf, a favorite meal of Casey’s.
While checking the cabinets and fridge for all the ingredients, I had a minor spat of panic, even in my snow-lulled state.
We have no ketchup. Read More »
Posted by Adrienne on October 19, 2011 – 10:24 PM
When you have gorgeous fresh vegetables, you don’t need to do much to them to make them amazing. It’s not hard to make their natural beauty shine through. This is the best thing about using local, farm fresh, organic produce.
Contrary to woody, giant, tasteless conventional grocery store carrots, these little beauties that came in my farm box this week don’t even need to be peeled to be enjoyed. Simply rinse, trim the tops, leaving a little mohawk of green, and slice lengthwise. Then you’re ready to go. That’s it. Really. Read More »
