Tom Tom Jam / Tom Tom Club

Mixed Tomato Jam w/ Gypsy Peppers
Adapted from Food in Jars

1# Romas 2# Heirlooms (from my box), 1.5# heirlooms Gypsy Peppers (from my garden), lime juice, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, red chile flakes

Surprisingly different in flavor than the last batch I made, although recipe tweaks are minor. Way more tomato-y. Now all I need is a hunka cheese.

Listening
Tom Tom Club - Close to the Bone

Apricot Liqueur / Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Apricot Liqueur

Leftover part of flat of Apricots from a friend, after making Apricot Jam ~ two bottles Everclear ~ simple syrup

Soaked the apricots in spirits for six months. Added syrup and soaked for another four months. Strained in the Chemex. Pretty and tasty. Made a LOT.

Listening

Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Blueberry Mango Pavlova / Strange Times

Ah, Easter. Such a Spring-y, happy pretty occasion. My brother and I got to spend it with our fantastic aunt and uncle in Davis. Cynthia made an amazing brown rice with mushrooms and almonds dish ("seconds, please"), carrots, fresh snow peas from the garden. Jay grilled up a perfect cut of lamb. Family favorite mint jelly (note to self: make this). And I made dessert:

 

Blueberry Mango Pavlova

6 egg whites (room temperature)

1/2 t Cream of Tartar

pinch of salt

1.5 c sugar

1.5 T cornstarch

1.25 t vanilla

4 mangoes, cut up

1.25 c blueberries

whipped cream

Oven to 300°. My oven is a bit wonky and kept creeping up, so the end product wasn't perfect. And I am now likely to make a series of Pavlovas until I master that, so be warned. I based my recipe on Shuna's Pavlova (courtesy of Elise), so for technique, go there. But I didn't want to make individual ones, I wanted to make a big one. So I traced a 9" circle on parchment paper and filled that with a base for the meringue, then did big glops around the edge to make a 'bowl'. Like I said, it cooked too quickly due to my oven, so wasn't as pretty as I wanted it to be ... and was more crumbly too. Just before serving, fill the 'bowl' with whipped cream and top with mangoes and blueberries. Even the not-pretty meringue, once topped, cleans up good. This first attempt was simple, but I'm already thinking of ways to top it.

Listening

The Chameleons / Strange Times

Blueberry Banana Soft Serve / Sentimental Lady

Home with a funny tummy; wanted something simple and comforting.

Blueberry Banana Soft Serve

Cut up a ripe banana into 3/4" chunks and freeze for a couple of hours (or more). In vitamix or food processor: 1/3 bag frozen blueberries, frozen banana chunks, half a small thing of plain yogurt (I had a thing of Voskos in the fridge. I'm a Fage girl, but was trying this out on recommendation from a friend. Tart, tasty, recommend!)

Yeah, so blend it all. If using vitamix, use the pusher wand to get it blended. This should work in a food processor, but I didn't try that, so let me know if it does.

I added a touch of nonfat milk, but don't think it needs it. Alternatively, could add ice. Again, not necessarily necessary.

Soundtrack

Bob Welch / Sentimental Lady

Turnip Soup with Egg / Pressure Drop

I've been reading a lot about the benefits of bone broth, so the other day I started my first crock pot batch of broth. First batch (I'll be making as many as I can) was just beef knuckle bones. I used that as the stock in this soup.

Turnip Soup with beef broth, beets and Tabitha's egg
Sauté fresh spring onion, carrot, celery in olive oil. Add dried cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Add chopped turnips and chopped beet. Season. Cover in fresh beef bone broth. Add a little water if necessary. Simmer 20 minutes or so. Add chopped up turnip greens and the juice of 1-2 lemons. Adjust seasoning. Top with sliced fresh hard or soft boiled egg and fresh cracked pepper.

Robert Palmer - Pressure Drop

Boozey Cherries / End of Mesclun Mix

The Boozey Cherries
Inspired by this recipe, Diane and I embarked on a flat of cherries. Recipe calls for one pound for a jar. I didn't weigh the flat, but we pooped out at 7 jars and there's a bunch left over for some jamming. 2011 may prove to be the summer of cherries, as I was hopelessly charmed by the gentleman by the side of the road from whom I procured my flat ("A whole box?!"). His grandson, who must have been about 4 or 5, was in charge of picking out my flat, with his little hands and elbows trying to move the flats around—so heavy!—he managed to scoot a box over just enough for his grandfather to reach it as his mom looked on, smiling and quiet.

Our first two jars were true to the original recipe. Next two were inspired by Travis' brandied cherries at Bar 355, which are laced with spice, so we replaced the vanilla with cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Next two jars, back to vanilla. Last jar: lemon peel!

Our flow chart:
Rinse cherries - pick through and dump blemished fruit - prick with sterilized needle - put in jar, pits and stems included - make simple syrup using 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water for each jar - pour syrup over cherries - add spice(s) - fill the rest with brandy - cap and be patient.

Playlist
The Ballad of El Goodo - Big Star
Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones
End of the Street - The Bees
F-Hole - Squeeze
Green Gloves - The National
The Hair Song - Black Mountain
Hanging from a Hit - Okkervil River
Rabbit Heart - Florence and the Machine
Reckoner - Radiohead
Slaveship - Josh Rouse
Stop Me - Mark Ronson featuring Ole Dirty Bastard
Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Take a Minute - K'naan
This is Why We Fight - The Decemberists
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
The High Road - Broken Bells

God's Eye / Fisherman's Blues

God's Eye / Ojo de Dios / Sikuli
A ritual tool, magical object, and cultural symbol—symbolic of the power of seeing and understanding that which is unknown and unknowable. The Mystery. The four points represent air, earth, fire, and water. The design of the eye has the power to heal and to protect. The act of weaving, spiritual with intention, spirit with intent.

Soundtrack

Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys