Plum-Rosemary Jam and Spiced Chutney
One neighbor's discarded plums are another's treasure.
Preserves are a great way to preserve!
There are times that I especially appreciate how fortunate I am to live in California. Plum season is one of those times. During the months of June, July, and sometimes August, many neighborhoods in the Bay Area are literally dripping with plums. These plums are often there for anyone willing to put in the effort, as many plum tree owners can't seem to keep up with the production. While the small and tart wild plums that you can find in many parks and urban environments are lovely (especially for California wild plum umeboshi, recipe coming soon!), the Santa Rosa plums that are much-loved cultivated variety in the area are pretty ethereal. They are sweeter, but not cloyingly so, with beautiful flesh and an almost rose-like scent. When my neighbors told me that they had more of these plums than they could handle and told me to take as many as I could I knew I hit the plum jackpot. Low hanging fruit for sure!
I gotta lotta neighbors with a lotta unused plums.
There are many ways to enjoy plums like use them in place of apricots in this ginger almond galette or simply eat them fresh and let the juices run down your chin, but if you're in need of putting up (isn't that a great phrase?) a lot of them for later use, preserves (hence the name) are a classic way to go. When I have a bunch of fruit, I like to make both jams and chutneys because it's nice to have a classic jam for topping toasts and yogurt, filling pastries, and making cocktails, but chutney is great to have around for savory applications. Serve it with blistered green beans or roast chicken eh, voilà! All of a sudden that ho-hum dish is exciting. The jam uses store-bought pectin - I used to only make my own pectin from citrus pith, but (although fun) it can be quite time consuming and the Pomona pectin is a faster way to success. The quantities and spices in both the jam and the chutney are adaptable to availability and preferences!
Plum-Rosemary Jam
Makes about twelve, 8-ounce jars. Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.
Glorious Santa Rosa plums.
6 pounds plums, pitted and chopped
2.25 pounds granulated sugar
1.5 Tbs Pomona's Universal pectin or other low-sugar pectin
2 Tbs calcium water (comes in pectin package)
2.25 ounces lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 sprigs rosemary
Toss plums with sugar and pectin in large bowl. Cover, refrigerate overnight (optional - this may be helpful if you don't have time to make jam after picking fruit and want to save it until the next day).
Put two spoons in the freezer.
Heat in large pot on medium with calcium water, lemon juice, and rosemary sprigs, stirring frequently. Cook for 30 min - 1 hour, skimming off foam* and smashing to desired texture. An immersion blender can also be used to break down fruit, but rosemary sprigs should be removed before blending.
Check for doneness by putting jam on spoon and putting back in freezer for 2 minutes. When you run your finger through the jam on the spoon, it should leave a track and jam should cling to the spoon (rather than running off). The jam in the pot will also be a lot glossier/smooth.
While jam is cooking, wash and sterilize jars and rings by submerging under water and boiling for 10 minutes. Throw in the lids once they’ve boiled for 10min and turn off water.
Remove rosemary sprigs and fill jars, leaving 1/2 -inch headspace. Screw on rings loosely, submerge again in water for another 10 minutes to seal.
Store at room temperature. Jam is good for up to 1 year.
*The foam is tasty and has a cool texture, kind of like meringue! Next time I do this, I want to blend into egg white foam and see if it will set up into a cookie, but is great and fun on desserts regardless.
The flesh is yellow in color and the taste tart-sweet. Cut around the pit, as it does not fall out willingly.
Spiced Plum Chutney
Makes about four, 8-ounce jars. Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver (with a lot more kick added!)
2.2 pounds plums, pitted and chopped
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon neutral oil (grapeseed or vegetable)
3 fresh bay leaves
7 cloves
9 allspice seeds
1 tablespoon black or yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional - this amount is pretty spicy)
1-3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons grated ginger
Zest from 1 large orange
Juice from 1 large orange
300ml cider vinegar or 200ml red wine + 100ml water
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
Cook shallots in oil on low until golden.
Add bay leaves and all spices except for ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
Stir in plums. Add sugar, ginger, and orange zest. Squeeze juice from orange into measuring cup, top off with cider vinegar or vinegar/water combination until it reaches 450ml. Add this to plums and bring to a boil. Simmer until thick about 30 minutes - 1 hour. Salt to taste.
While chutney is cooking, wash and sterilize jars and rings by submerging under water and boiling for 10 minutes. Throw in the lids once they’ve boiled for 10min and turn off water.
Remove bay leaves and as many allspice seeds as you can and fill jars, leaving 1/2 -inch headspace. Screw on rings loosely, submerge again in water for another 10 minutes to seal.
Store at room temperature. Chutney is good for up to 1 year.
To label jam, I use old paper grocery bags - just trace the outside of a ring, cut out a circle slightly smaller than the outer edge, and then screw on top of the lid.
Phases of plum.
Cherry and Wild Fennel Clafoutis
The easy dessert that doubles as breakfast!
Sometimes, a word for a dish or a food preparation method I have never used will come to me and I will not rest until I have experienced it. That is what happened with "clafoutis" - I have no idea where I was introduced to the word, but after we picked up some cherries on our way back from a wedding in beautiful Los Olivos, all I could think about was making a cherry clafoutis, while at the same time asking myself, "cherry clafoutis is a thing, right?" This is where the internet came in, helpfully proving that cherry clafoutis is, indeed, a thing and although I don't necessary need a reason to make special desserts, my mother was serendipitously visiting for Mother's Day. Using a recipe from Saveur as a base, I decided to decrease the egg because some comments complained of eggy-ness and I tend to shy away from really eggy desserts and include wild fennel (more on wild fennel including foraging here), as cherry and fennel go together in a delightful way.
There are a few great things about this dessert. The first is that it's easy - really easy. It's also visually impressive in the cast-iron pan and versatile in ingredient options (apricot + almond? pear + bergamot?) and, because it's not super sweet, it's also versatile in potential eating occasion. We enjoyed it with fennel whipped cream as dessert and again the next day with coffee for brunch and I'm pretty sure no one would turn their nose up to a clafoutis at tea time. So, now you have no excuse - get out there, forage some fennel (which is all over the bay area), buy some cherries, and make this deliciously easy puffed crepe-like cake! Recipe below serves 8.
“Cherries can also be unpitted, which provides a more rustic flavor and texture, but I did not this time, as I knew my mom wouldn’t like it!”
1 cup chopped wild fennel fronds, plus a few fronds for garnish
1/2-1 cup whipping cream, depending on how much your group likes whipped cream (optional)
7-8 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1/2 tablespoon butter
1-1/4 cups whole milk (can be substituted for a combination of 3 parts reduced fat and 1 part whipping cream, if you happen to have these around like I did)
2 tablespoons kirsch or Luxardo (I had Luxardo, but think it would be better with kirsch)
5 eggs
1/2 teaspoon medium coarse Kosher salt, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups black or sour cherries, pitted (see post on how to pit cherries like a boss)
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Infuse whipped cream with wild fennel by allowing whipping cream to impart fennel flavor overnight.
To make fennel whipped cream: Place 1/2 cup chopped fennel in a mason jar, pour whipped cream over top, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Remove fennel then beat cream until whipped, adding 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla toward the end of beating. Refrigerate until used.
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9'' cast-iron skillet and set aside. Whisk milk, sugar, kirsch or Luxardo, vanilla, eggs, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Add flour and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Pour batter into buttered skillet, then distribute cherries evenly over top. Bake until a skewer inserted into batter comes out clean and a golden brown crust has formed on top and bottom of clafoutis, about 25 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with a dollop of fennel whipped cream, if desired.
Spring Frittata with Asparagus, Leeks, and Chèvre
Spring sprung into a cast iron pan.
Celebrate spring by including asparagus and the bright flavors of goat cheese and tarragon in this elegant and satisfying meal. Frittata is a very easy way to whip up a stylish breakfast that’s also very durable and adaptable to a variety of dietary needs (well, apart from vegan that is, as eggs are necessary). This will solve your weekend brunch needs - don't worry, next weekend is just around the corner! Serves 6.
10 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium leek, trimmed and thinly sliced (use whites and greens)
16 asparagus spears, ends trimmed and chopped into 1.5-inch pieces
4-6 ounces chèvre (fresh goat cheese), crumbled
Preheat the broiler to high. Whisk eggs with thyme, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Heat butter and oil in a large oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Mix in asparagus and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes until asparagus is slightly softened but still bright green.
Pour egg mixture over asparagus, stir once just to ensure even distribution of ingredients, and cook about 2 minutes, until almost set. Sprinkle with crumbled chèvre and broil frittata in the pan until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes (check and rotate if one side is cooking faster). Remove from oven and serve from pan or slide frittata onto a plate.