Category Archives: Fruits: Preparing and Preserving

Rose and Raspberry Float

Posted on by February 12, 2015

Summer, Summer, Summer, wherefore art thou… Fall? Really? It’s Labor Day weekend already? But it’s not here just yet, so I’m going to squeak in a few more truly Summer recipes, like this Rose and Raspberry Float complete with fresh raspberries and a gorgeous pink color. Added bonus, it looks super fancy and elegant, but all you need is a blender and no one will ever know the ice cream is only sorta homemade. Can you just buy raspberry ice cream pre-made for this Rose and Raspberry Float? Maybe. I set out to buy some and discovered three and a half stores later that I was making it myself… and way too late in the game to start from scratch. But it was a good lesson in impressing your guests with ease. Start with a really good vanilla and add your own special twist, and voila! homemade ice cream. Go nuts with wacky flavors, or pick something that will pair with a special soda like my Rose and Raspberry Float. Check out these gorgeous double pink roses I found for the occasion. I can’t help but think this would be a lovely dessert for a tea party. Sometimes monochromatic flowers … Continue reading →

Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake

Posted on by February 12, 2015

I promised some sour cherry recipes from my Cherry Picking in Philly post, and voila! a Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake. You’ve probably noticed that chocolate desserts aren’t really my vice. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say I don’t like chocolate. I do. But I’m kind of a purist about it. As in straight up, deep dark chocolate – chocolate. Maybe a Deep Dark Salted Caramel Truffle now and then, but chocolate cake? Not so much. But, when I set out to make yet another almond cake dessert, I got nervous that I might bore you too much. And that’s when I decided that perhaps a touch, or rather a half pound of deep dark chocolate might not be so bad in a cake, as long as it was a dense almond cake studded with sour cherries. And don’t worry, I was right, the Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake wasn’t bad in the least. In fact, it was down right delicious. Best of all? Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake is a great year round cake because it works well with frozen cherries. And I can assure you, it would be great with raspberries or blackberries too. Just imagine little pockets of … Continue reading →

Peach Jam with Jack Crane

Posted on by October 25, 2014

My friend Jack Crane wanted to make Peach Jam as a thank you gift for his teachers, and he wanted some help. Thoughtful last day of school gift, right? I planned a little field trip of my own to help Jack learn how to make Peach Jam, but I may have been more harm than help. Things didn’t go quite as we’d planned, but the day was both a lot of fun, as well as a good lesson in how to roll with it and have fun in the kitchen. We ended up making shelf stable peach compote, rather than jam, but it was truly delicious, and we had a ball. We also learned a lot about how to prep for our next canning adventure. I have to say that making Peach Jam with Jack Crane was one of my favorite days in the kitchen to date. We wanted to make low sugar jam with local peaches, so we used the recipe on the Ball low-sugar pectin. They were so beautiful and delicious that we had to sample some of them. Here’s the website: http://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/pectin-calculator# It turned out that we cut the sugar too much, didn’t cook the jam down … Continue reading →

Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative

Posted on by May 9, 2016

Summer is in full swing and tomatoes are coming in by the bushel, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen conjuring weird and wonderful uses for said tomatoes. It’s hot; so hot that hot is out and ice is in. With my mind focused in on tomatoes and ice it was only a matter of time before I set my sights upon re-envisioning the classic Bloody Mary. Let me present, Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative. I’ve been experimenting with tomato water lately and learning of its many virtues: light, luscious, packed-with-summer flavor, once I tasted it, I knew I had to make a lightened up, let-the-tomato-steal-the-show version of a Bloody Mary with tomato water. Pair that notion with a box of gorgeous yellow Roma tomatoes and the Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative was a done deal. Tomato water is delicate in flavor and body so it makes for a very elegant brunch cocktail. In the days of “add a fried chicken to it” Bloody Marys (thanks for that Wisconsin), the Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative is the exact opposite. Its flavor is intense yet subtle all at the same time. It begged for a fresh, crisp, raw … Continue reading →

Sour Cherry Picking in Philly

Posted on by October 25, 2014

My dear friend Tracey belongs to one of Philly’s lovely community gardens. I count on her for mint and other lovely things from her plot, but best of all are the sour cherries from the community tree. Not only is Tracey delightful company with access to sour cherries, but it turns out she’s a ringer when it comes to cherry picking, you see, Tracey is a gifted tree climber. I spent a few hot mornings in July picking cherries, telling stories and getting to know her recently-located-to-Philly mother, and brand new daughter. I picked, pitted and froze about 15 quarts of cherries, so I assure you there will be lots of sour cherry recipes headed your way in the next few months, so fill your freezer now! And sign up for a community garden plot for 2015. I used the ladder. Here’s Tracey in the tree. I can tell she’s thinking about sour cherry pie. … Continue reading →

Urban(ish) Foraging: Sumac Lemonade

Posted on by January 13, 2015

One of life’s supreme joys is pretending you’re capable of living off the land. As a city dweller, we have to take our opportunities to experience that joy (delusional though it may be) as it comes. I’d been meaning to make Sumac Lemonade, or Sumac tea for years, but I’ve done a terribly poor job of scheduling visits to my parents when the sumac drupes were ready for harvesting. Imagine my surprise when I was hanging out with friends in Jersey City last weekend and we happened upon a huge sumac grove while we were walking the dogs. Of course I started snapping the huge red flowery cones right off the trees and stuffing them in leftover plastic sacks. Plans for Sumac Lemonade, I had. You see, I read an article a few years ago that dubbed the Sumac the Lemonade Tree because the tea is a tart, fruity, citrusy tasting drink that goes down like lemonade, but without all the sugar. And that was enough to make me obsessed with checking it out. I mean, a lemonade tree that doesn’t require living in California anymore? Sign me up. And the Sumac Lemonade delivered on the promises. It was really … Continue reading →

Watermelon Saffron Cooler

Posted on by January 20, 2015

I have to admit, this Watermelon Saffron Cooler is about one year in the making. It started with some saffron simple syrup and a need for a sort of sweet and savory cocktail with saffron. And I nailed it. Finally. But finding the right blend that would accentuate the saffron without masking it took awhile. And a lot of ingredients. At one point there was a yellow tomato puree that you’re going to see in a very cool Bloody Mary; I tried out Crème De Violette, and rum, and tonic water… the list goes on. But I’m pleased to report that the Watermelon Saffron Cooler is ready, and well worth the wait. You’d do well to make the watermelon juice and saffron simple syrup ahead of time, while neither is time consuming, it’s nice to have everything ready to go and well-chilled before you’re ready to make the cocktails. And once you make your first batch of watermelon juice, you’re going to want to have it around all Summer long. I buy whole watermelons and juice one half right away. Just about a ¼ cup of the juice is the perfect addition to a glass of ice water. But even … Continue reading →

Lavender Lemonade

Posted on by July 21, 2015

There’s nothing like lemonade on a hot day. And if you want to make it extra special, a little lavender simple syrup goes a long way in creating this herbal, floral treat of Lavender Lemonade. Best of all, it’s a snap. Last week, we were in Door County, Wisconsin and I wanted to do something a little special for our big group of friends as well as create some great photo opps for Dirty Laundry Kitchen. I decided to throw an old-fashioned croquet party, and while I wanted it to be elegant, I didn’t want to spend a whole day of my vacation stuck in the kitchen while my friends and family were off playing without me. I centered the menu around quick and simple store-bought products that leave plenty of room to gussy them up. The menu was slightly French country, and very simple, and in two hours, I’d made all the food, fixed the lemonade, set a gorgeous table (with a little help from my mom) and slipped into my croquet whites. We had a hilarious afternoon knocking the croquet balls into the woods and trying our best to be the first back to the wicket. And with … Continue reading →

Blackberry Sage Refrigerator Jam

Posted on by January 22, 2015

I love preserving, but when it comes to jam, I tend to make refrigerator jam for a variety of reasons. This week, my Blackberry Sage Refrigerator Jam was made with a very specific recipe in mind. Having a specific recipe in mind is a huge part of why I make refrigerator jam instead of true preserves. See, I like lots of flavors. I like to pair jam to my season and my breakfast. Another great reason to make refrigerator jam? I often have fruits I want to use up. Those tangerines that are going bad in the winter? That looks like orange marmalade to me. The raspberries and peaches that you bought for a dollar from the farmers market? That looks like refrigerator jam perfect for topping french toast. Serving Spanish blue cheese and manchego? Why not make your own quince jam? See what I mean? Finally, I don’t have a lot of storage space for lots of back stock jams, so I tend to only make one or two jars worth at a time. And this week, I was making a champagne, breakfast for dinner, bon voyage party meal (Blue Ridge Mountain Benedicts) that called for Blackberry Sage Refrigerator … Continue reading →

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd

Posted on by February 12, 2015

My Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd all started with two quarts of gorgeous little local fresh strawberries. You know the ones. They’re really small. And sometimes oddly shaped. And deep dark red. They were at the market, and it was time for a fresh strawberry pie. But I didn’t have the heart to make a Jello-ed, jellied pie with those perfect berries. Even the homemade strawberry puree plus cornstarch versions you see this time of year didn’t seem worthy of those berries. So I started thinking about what else has a consistency that would help fresh strawberries bind together in a pie-like way. Which got me on to lemon curd. Which made me think of the tart neighbor, passion fruit curd, which we had all over our breakfast, all over Australia. Which got me thinking about other fruits that would be a welcome addition to curd. I could reinforce the strawberry, kind of like the original complete with strawberry Jell-o, but after thinking of lemon, tart sounded right to me. And of course, rhubarb and strawberry are such friendly ingredients, and I still had a bag frozen that was calling to me like a siren. So next thing you … Continue reading →

Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots

Posted on by January 23, 2015

Summer calls for lots of quick and light snacks like my Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots. And a Big Southern Supper especially needs hors d’oeuvres that won’t overwhelm your guests, but rather whet their appetites. These unexpected Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots accomplish just that. After all, you want to make sure everyone is not only up for truly enjoying the decadence of Seriously Good Extra Crispy Fried Chicken, but that they have room for the gorgeous Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd. These Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans are just the dish to get things started and added bonus? They’re cheap and easy to make too. I’m pretty sure this brine would be great with golden beets and watermelon radishes too, so let your creative juices flow after you try my Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots. … Continue reading →

Rhubarb Mint Juleps

Posted on by April 30, 2015

Rhubarb Mint Juleps are just the ticket to take advantage of the fresh rhubarb that’s in abundance during the spring as well as take cocktail hour to the next level at the Kentucky Derby Party. I have to admit, there’s absolutely nothing traditional about this combination, and rhubarb is not a southern thing at all, so the combo might seem a bit odd, but I am a combination of a Southerner and a Northerner and I reserve the right to mix and match as I so choose. And I love rhubarb in the spring and think it pairs really well with bourbon because rhubarb is really tart, so it pairs well with things that taste naturally sweet. Mint juleps are all about the sweet, so rhubarb provides a nice balance. Note: I came upon a new technique that makes these rhubarb juleps even better, so if you looked at this recipe, or printed it prior to 4/22/15, take another look. It all came about when I was making my Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd. I made too much of the rhubarb puree and began whisking it into cocktails. Turns out that rhubarb puree preserved the flavor of rhubarb WAY … Continue reading →