Jammin'

I haven't been making salads lately because until yesterday it was cool and even rainy. Also because I've been making Jam!!!
I started with my favorite - plum jam. Other than scorching the bottom of the pan (thus making it into "Carmel Plum Jam") it went well. I've never canned solo and it was intense.
Next was tomato jam. Andrew was standing by, but this came off without a hitch. It is has a unique taste and may be coming to a Christmas stocking near you...you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout...
I made Serrano jelly next using the Red Plaid's recipe for jalapeno jelly. It came out tasty but not spicy enough for my taste. It was fun to try liquid pectin. I also planned to distribute these during the holiday season, but my second batch tastes odd. I used more serranos, but I think the real culprit is using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar. It is more vinegary and less tasty. I also 1 1/2 the recipe and didn't have a big enough pot. Now I am trying to figure out how to get blackened char off the burner. At least the jelly didn't burn!
Next came Apricot Conserves. I made them today too. I got the recipe from Jeffery Steingarten's book, It must have been something I ate. The day after reading his story about the conserves, I came across a bounty of perfectly ripe apricots for 79 cents a lb. at a local produce store. This was a great experience because the recipe doesn't call for pectin. Let me just say that the result was extraordinary and delicious. I don't like apricots, but I love apricot jam. The conserves were the very best of the best apricot jam I've ever had. Imagine a mix of jam like hunks, whole softened halves and golden liquid apricot syrup.
This is definitely Christmas gift worthy, but we only have 5 jars - probably won't last a month! Tonight after yoga, I went back to the store to get some more apricots, but there wasn't an apricot in the place! Was it just a mirage...
Next up - more tomato jam...and if I can get my hands on some apricots, more conserve!

Maple Chocolate Walnut Scones

I'm really tempted to call these something like, "Hot Diggitty Dog Off the Hook Out of Control Wonder Scones" but I'm afraid I'm a bit of a Diana Berry when it comes to creative names, and even that kooky name doesn't do these justice.
These were inspired by a recipe I read on Bakerella for Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. The scone recipe was inspired by the Red Plaid Wunder Cook Book.
Dough:
2 C AP Flour
2 T Sugar
2 t Baking Powder
1/4 t Baking Soda
1/3 C Butter or Pressed Palm Oil
1 Egg
1/2 C buttermilk or sour milk/coconut milk (1/2 C milk plus large splash of lemon juice)

Filling:
Toasted chopped walnuts
Chocolate Chips / Chopped Chocolate Bar

Glaze: ()
1/4 C? Maple Syrup (I suppose for a stronger flavor you could add a bit of mapeline)
A few T Hot Strong Coffee
Powdered Sugar
Tiny bit of vanilla

Preheat Oven to 400
Combine dry ingredients well and cut in butter / shortening until crumbly
Beat egg and add butter / sour milk
Stir in wet ingredients until just combined.
Turn out dough on floured surface and knead 12 times.
Divide in equal halves and roll or pat each into 8 inch circles.
Place one circle on the parchment & sprinkle with walnuts and chocolate
Cover with 2nd round of dough and seal edges by pressing gently together
Cut into 12 scones with a floured dough scraper. It is not necessary to seal the sides of each slice
Push pieces apart about 1/2 an inch or less
Bake approximately 15 minute or until golden in 400 Farenheit on a light aluminum pan with parchment paper.

While dough is baking heat maple syrup (1/4 C?) in a sauce pan. Add a few tablespoons of hot very strong coffee and stir in powdered sugar. Add each of these ingredients as needed while heating to create a thin glaze. Simmer down until glaze will harden when cooled. (Don't you love home made recipes - Where's Julia's cookbookery when you need it?)

When the scones are done place them on a plate, brush glaze on each scone and pour the remaining glaze over the scones (the scones will absorb the glaze on the bottom creating a slightly crunchy crazy yummy deliciousness).

Dunk in coffee!

Carmelized Onion & Mushroom Za

The term Za annoys me to the max...I just couldn't resist.
Since meeting and marrying Andrew I have slowly but steadily been implementing a systematic desensitization program to mushrooms and onions.
I can say that I've been completely successful with onions. While he won't order french onion soup, he'd probably eat it if I made it, and he eats onions in any form with impunity. Mushrooms have been less successful, in part because while I enjoy mushrooms, I rarely cook with them.
Last night the tide has turned. I made this dish...persuaded Andrew to try it with the mushrooms (I chopped them big so he had the option of taking them off) and he said, "I'm glad you convinced me to leave the mushrooms on." He didn't bat an eye at the slurry of onion that coated the pizza - like I said, onions have been conquered.

Here's the recipe:
One recipe for thin crust pizza dough from Red Plaid or Bittman (same recipe, I think) with 2 Tbs sugar added.
Follow recipe for thin crust - Red Plaid is quicker b/c it has less rising time, but if you have time, rising improves dough. Bittman has loads of pizza info
Rub crust with olive oil, bake crust half way, and then add:
- 1 Recipe of Bittman's Caramelized Onion
(caramelized as long as possible to make Onion Jam - one very large red onion worked great and I added a splash of apple cider vinegar and 1 tbs brown sugar 1/2 way through cooking)
- 1 recipe of Bittman's sauteed shitake mushrooms (sauteed with olive oil, garlic and parsley)
- 1 package of hot cooked Capicolla (prosciutto would work just fine)

Bake for remaining time, keeping an eye on things. Meat should start to crisp, but nothing should burn.
Once out of the oven, immediately shave large (quarter size) pieces of Parmesan cheese over pizza with a carrot peeler. (For really melted cheese you can do this when you add everything else.)
Serve up and enjoy!