Marisa McClellan's Blog, page 88

CSA Cooking: Ramp-infused Vinegar

It’s time to wrap up the first month of my Philly Foodworks blog posts. That first box included kale rapini, stinging nettles, a head of butter lettuce, 3/4 pound of fat asparagus spears, Swiss chard, a bundle of arugula, a slender bunch of ramps, and a pound of red potatoes.

I turned the kale into a garlicky spread. The nettles went into a batch of pesto. The lettuce we just ate (there’s not a lot you can do to preserve lettuce). I roasted the asparagus spears and made a batch of this salad using farro in place of the quinoa.

The Swiss chard became meatloaf and pickles. I ate the arugula chopped up and topped with a soft boiled egg (much like this). Which leaves us with the ramps.

I struggle with ramps. The hype around them is so great that I feel intense amount of pressure to do them justice when I have some in my possession. Which sometimes leads to paralyzing inaction.

This time, I decided to divide and conquer. I sautéed the leaves of the ramps with a little butter and ate them on toast (delicious!). And I took the slender stems and plunged them in a jar of vinegar. They pickle themselves in the process, but the real product is the flavored vinegar. It takes on pungent funk of the ramps and is fabulous in salad dressings and homemade mayonnaise.

Related Posts:

CSA Cooking: Turkey Meatloaf and Quick Pickled Chard Stems
CSA Cooking: Kale Rapini Spread
Philly Foodworks Partnership + Stinging Nettle Pesto

Giveaway: Candy in a Jar eBooks

One of the things I most appreciate about technology is the fact that it gives people the opportunity to share their creative works with larger audiences without having to go through the traditional channels. Musicians can get their music out to appreciate ears, photographers have unlimited methods for disseminating their work, and writers can sidestep the publishing industry with ease.

One such writer who has taken great advantage of ready online distribution is Jennifer Kitchens. She is the author of a quartet of ebooks dedicated to sweet spreads and preserves. They are called Candy in a Jar, More Candy in a Jar, Candy in a Jar: Tastes of Summer, and Candy in a Jar: Fall Flavors (you can also buy all four in a single edition, if you prefer).

Jennifer took the time to answer a few questions about herself. Read more about her and her work after the jump!

For this week’s giveaway, I have three copies of Jennifer’s books to share. The winners will get to choose which they’d like to have and cook from. Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment on this post and tell us about your favorite sweet preserve.
Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, May 30, 2015. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog soon thereafter.
Giveaway open to all. Void where prohibited.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a 30-odd-year-old stay-at-home mom with three adorable kids, a wonderful husband, and writing business on the side. I grew up in California and have since moved to the Midwest. I love being a mom, writing books, reviewing books, and, of course, making jam!

2. How did your interest in canning start?

Canning, especially jams and jellies, didn’t start out as an interest for me. It was simply what was done. Every summer my mom and my aunt and my grandma would all order big flats of berries from whatever mysterious source my grandmother had for cheap berries. We’d get a few flats of raspberries and blackberries and then the jam-making would begin. We’d make several batches and hope it lasted all year. As a kid, I just thought that this was normal. I never even tasted store-bought jam until I was in college – an experience I quickly learned that I never wanted to repeat.

It wasn’t until years later that I really decided to experiment with different recipes. I mean, homemade jam is delicious, but what if you could make that peach jam taste like peach cobbler? Or what if that strawberry jam had chocolate in it? Once I started playing with whatever fruits I could get my hands on, it just took off from there. And, yes, my hubby and kids have always been very willing taste-testers.

3. I can see from your books that you focus on sweet preserves. Any future plans to branch out into the world of pickles or chutneys?

I’m not sure. I’ve always made a lot of jam, but I have had thoughts lately of more savory canned goods. I make a pretty good homemade barbeque sauce and my husband makes a killer homemade marinara. I’ve considered perhaps doing a set of sauces, rubs, and the like. Pickles and chutneys aren’t big in my house, and if I don’t have taste-testers, then, well, it doesn’t really work.

Links: Jam, Doughnuts, and Winners

We spent the holiday weekend in Northampton visiting friends. We had a lovely time and I’m back feeling refreshed and ready for the summer to start picking up speed (this time of year flies by faster than any other for me). Now, links!

Lemon, chive, and rhubarb jam. Loving the savory twist!
Jam filled doughnuts!
David Lebovitz makes strawberry jam as only he can.
Pistachio pavlova.
Red, white, and blue parfaits layered up in half pint jars.
Photos from a Parisian jam shop.
Sometimes you don’t need a story, just a good, solid recipe.

The winners in last week’s OmniMount giveaway are #3/Vin and #86/Juliann Goldman. I’ll be in touch with the winners shortly!

Related Posts:

Links: Ramps, Water-saving Canning, and Winners
Links: Ramps, Rhubarb, and Winners
Links: Granola Bars, Roasted Cauliflower Leaves & a Winner

Cookbooks: Seven Spoons

If you follow the food blog scene, you may have heard that long-time blogger Tara O’Brady recently released her first cookbook, Seven Spoons. I have seen this beautiful book everywhere lately, coupled with glowing praise and pictures of delectable food.

Tara’s book landed in my mailbox during that crazy phase when I was finishing my own book draft and while I took a cursory glance, I didn’t pay it the attention it merited. However, since turning in that document, I’ve been clearing out the piles and turning my focus to the neglected pile of review copies that gathered in an unwieldy stack next to my desk.

Friends, this book deserves all the love it has received of late. I’ve spent many an hour falling into these glorious pages and my copy is now riddled with hopeful Post-Its. It has that perfect balance of inviting story telling, appealing recipes, and spare, beautiful photography.

I also love that in a world where cookbooks seem to require increasingly narrow lenses to be salable, this one simply features Tara’s favorite recipes. This means that you’ve got recipes for seeded bread alongside braised beef. I so appreciate the diversity and inspiration these pages deliver.

In addition to the recipes I’ve pictured here (which I very much want to try), I’m also hoping to make the Fennel and Chard Puff (page 95), the Pickled Strawberry Preserves (page 111), and the Rhubarb Raspberry Rye Crumble (page 219) as soon as is reasonable.

What cookbooks have been delighting you of late?

Related Posts:

Cookbooks: Fika
Cookbooks: Better on Toast
Cookbooks: Dessert for Two

Urban Preserving: Small Batch Vanilla Rhubarb Jam

I’ve been keeping this blog long enough that I’m starting to repeat myself. This rhubarb jam, for instances, is nothing more than a simplified, scaled down version of the one I posted in the first year I was writing here (there’s also a very similar recipe in my first cookbook).

The honest truth of it is that I can as much for myself as I do to create content for this site, and I very much love this easy little preserve. And so I make it every year or two, each time tweaked slightly. I thought you’d like to see how I do it when I’m only making a little bit.

You could also use this recipe as a starting place for a strawberry rhubarb jam. Either swap in berries for half the rhubarb, or double it (I know that I typically discourage people from doubling small batch recipes, but because this one has a touch of pectin, it scales up nicely).

PrintSmall Batch Vanilla Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds rhubarb, diced
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon powdered fruit pectin (I use Ball's Flex Pectin)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

Prepare a small boiling water bath canner and 2 half pint jars.
Place the chopped rhubarb in a low, wide non-reactive pan. Whisk the pectin and vanilla bean seeds into the sugar and add it to the fruit. Drop the split vanilla bean into the pan and add the lemon juice.
Stir well and let it sit until the sugar looks damp.
Set the pan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. If the sugar begins to caramelize, reduce the heat.
Cook, stirring regularly, until the rhubarb breaks down and the liquid looks thick and jammy.
Remove the pan from the heat and divide the jam between the two prepared jars (depending on how much water the rhubarb contained, you may have a couple tablespoons leftover. I recommend stirring the leftover into some plain yogurt).
Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the jars from canner and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool and seal. 3.1http://foodinjars.com/2015/05/urban-preserving-small-batch-vanilla-rhubarb-jam/

Related Posts:

Urban Preserving: Pear Vanilla Drizzle
Urban Preserving: Strawberry Kiwi Jam
Urban Preserving: Pickled Fairy Tale Eggplant

CSA Cooking: Turkey Meatloaf and Quick Pickled Chard Stems

One of the items in my Philly Foodworks box a couple of weeks ago was a big bundle of chard. Chard is a fairly regular player in my kitchen and most of the time when I’m possession of a bunch, I work it into a pot of soup or turkey chili.

However, with the weather warming up, I didn’t feel moved to make soup or chili. And when I try to serve my husband a side dish of garlicky sauteed greens, he balks. So I split apart the stems and leaves and used them separately.

I cut the leaves into ribbons, sauteed them with a chopped leek and stirred that delicious mess into a batch of turkey meatloaf (that is the recipe at the bottom of this post). I know that meatloaf is singularly unsexy, but it’s one of my favorite week night dinners. I love that it can contain a world of vegetables, is easy to throw together, and makes the very best leftovers (meatloaf sandwiches are my jam).

The leaves taken care of, I chopped the stems into small bits and funneled them into a pint jar. Then, I combined 1 cup of rice wine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a glass measuring cup and microwaved it until the salt and honey dissolved. I poured the warm brine into the jar, put a lid on, let it cool until room temperature and popped the jar into the fridge.

The meatloaf was good, but those pickles are the true winner here. They remain intensely crunchy and have just the right amount of pucker. I’ve been eating them spooned onto salads for the last week and am nearly down to the end of the jar. As soon as another bundle of chard appears in my life, I plan on making another batch.

PrintTurkey Meatloaf with Leeks and Chard

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, cleaned and sliced
1 bundle chard leaves, cut into ribbons
2 pounds ground dark meat turkey
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or cooked rice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (or thereabouts) ketchup
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add leeks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the chard leaves and continue to cook until wilted. Once the chard has cooked down, remove the pan from the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, eggs, crumbs/rice, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Using a fork, combine the ingredients.
Add the cooked leeks and chard and stir until just combined.
Turn the meat mixture into a loaf pan and even out the surface. Spread the ketchup on the surface of the meat and evenly sprinkle the onions on top.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the meatloaf is fully cooked. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should read 165 degrees F when the meatloaf is done.
Once it is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a couple minutes. Eat and be happy.

Notes

I learned the trick of arranging the sliced onions on the top of meatloaf from Trisha Yearwood when I was writing a column for the Food Network's blog and regularly made recipes from their TV personalities.

3.1http://foodinjars.com/2015/05/csa-cooking-turkey-meatloaf-and-quick-pickled-chard-stems/

Related Posts:

CSA Cooking: Kale Rapini Spread
Philly Foodworks Partnership + Stinging Nettle Pesto

Small Batch Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Tonight’s live online class was terrific. A small group of diehard canners showed up and interacted with me as I made a small batch of strawberry balsamic jam in my tiny kitchen.

The recipe I made is a slightly lower sugar riff on this strawberry vanilla version. The balsamic and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper give it depth and just a little edge that goes really well with cheese or as a glaze for meat.

PrintSmall Batch Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds strawberries (about 4 cups chopped berries)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare a boiling water bath canner and 3 half pint jars.
Chop the strawberries. Place them in a non-reactive 12 inch skillet and add the sugar. Stir to combine and let the berries sit until the sugar looks damp the fruit has started to weep liquid.
Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring regularly, until the berries soften and the liquid bubbles and thickens. It should take between 15 and 20 minutes of cooking.
Towards the end of cooking, stir in the balsamic vinegar.
The jam is done when you can pull a spatula through it and it doesn't rush as quickly to fill the space.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the black pepper.
Funnel the finished jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process them in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. 3.1http://foodinjars.com/2015/05/small-batch-strawberry-balsamic-jam/

Related Posts:

Urban Preserving: Small Batch Vanilla Rhubarb Jam
Urban Preserving: Pear Vanilla Drizzle
Urban Preserving: Strawberry Kiwi Jam

Giveaway: OmniMount iPad Case and Adjustable Stand

For the last couple years, my husband and I have had an iPad that lived in our kitchen. It was a first generation device and it had a number of our favorite recipes bookmarked for easy access. However, one day I had it wedged between a bottle of olive oil and a jar of mustard when I knocked into the counter hard enough to upset my make-do stand and it fell to the floor. No more kitchen iPad.

Since then, I’ve been bringing my real iPad into the kitchen with me when I needed to access online recipes. I’ve been incredibly careful to ensure that it doesn’t meet the same fate as that other much-missed tablet, but I’m always a little nervous that something is going to happen to it.

Knowing all this, you’re sure to understand that when a rep from OmniMount got in touch, asking if I might like to try out one of their iPad mounts, I said yes. What’s so cool about theses products is that they can either be freestanding holders or you can mount them to a wall or underneath a cabinet.

I’ve been using the OmniMount as a stand for my iPad Air for at least six weeks and I love it. It keeps the iPad securely at an accessible and readable angle, while ensuring that it stays out of the puddle of water that collects next to the sink.

We were going to mount it on the wall next to the primary work surface in our kitchen, but we’ve been doing some tentative house hunting and so decided that it was best to hold off on installation until we have a better idea as to how life will unfold.

Here’s the fun part for you guys. I have two of these OmniMounts to give away. One holds an iPad Air and the other holds an iPad Mini. So, here’s how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post and tell me about your kitchen technology habits. Do you use an iPad or other tablet while cooking? Do you stick with your phone? Or do you print recipes you find online?
Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, May 24, 2015. Winners will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog soon thereafter.
Giveaway open to United States and Canadian residents. Void where prohibited.
One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.

Disclosure: OmniMount sent me one of their iPad mounts for photography and review purposes. They are also providing the units for this giveaway. All opinions remain entirely my own. 

Related Posts:

Giveaway: The Complete Cuppow Glass Travel Mug
Giveaway: Orchard Road Decorative Series One-Piece Lids
Giveaway: Sustainable Picnic Gear from Mighty Nest

Live Online Canning Class on May 19 at 7 pm!

A reminder that my my first-ever live online class is t0morrow! Join me at 7 pm eastern time as I make a small batch of strawberry balsamic jam. We’ll talk about canning safety, boiling water baths, and how to safely make a recipe your own. I will also be answering questions, so come prepared with your queries.

The class costs $20 and is being hosting by a service called Concert Window. If you want to participate, create an account on the site now and follow the event. I’ll start broadcasting promptly at 7 pm! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Related Posts:

Upcoming Classes: Morris Arboretum and Online!

Links: Ramps, Water-saving Canning, and Winners

I did two big things last week. The first was that I co-hosted five canning videos with Nicki Sizemore for the Taste of Home Online Cooking School (I was initially super nervous but it ended up going incredibly well). The second was that I turned 36, which after the fanfare of 35 felt like a singularly anti-climactic birthday. Now I’m back to work and doing my best to make good things to share with you guys. Now, links!

This tart shell is genius!
Pickled ramps from Kevin West. And speaking of ramps, this pizza with ramp green pesto sounds absolutely dreamy.
Pickled cauliflower, Italian style.
Sweet mustard pawpaw pickles.
, filled with jam.
Blueberry meyer lemon cake.
Tips for canning during a drought.

I’ve got winners to announce in both the Cuppow giveaway from last week and the Orchard Road one from the week before! First, the winners in the Cuppow giveaway are: #30/Paula, #33/Carol, #164/Brittany Williamson, #195/Terri, and #207/Christi Michaels.

The winners of the Orchard Road giveaway are: #12/Kelly E., #287/Millie, and #289/Rachael.

Thanks to all who took the time to enter!

Related Posts:

Links: Fig Syrup, Blackberry Butter, and Winners
Links: Rose Petal Preserves, Garlic Scape Vinegar, and Winners
Links: Ramps, Rhubarb, and Winners