fudge ripple

name change and relaunch

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 11:30:00 +0000

you may have noticed that i have been

less than loyal

to this blog

of late

i am constantly thinking about what i want to post

and then

the day moves on

and i don't have good photos

or a good recipe to post

more than likely

i am beat

and choose a few hours sleep

a few hours of blogging

i've come to realize that i have a lot of things to share

but

they are all not food related

which keeps me from posting them

every day,

i have stories to tell

about

the ranch

traveling

eating out

staying in

births and hatchings

the garden and orchard

AND

good food

i am changing it up

i am moving all my content/my facebook/twitter/pinterest

to a new blog

called

and soon will be found

sixtyacrebaker.com

Soon

but not right this minute

i will be migrating and redirecting

Soon

it should be relatively seamless to you

that is the plan

thank you for hanging in there with me....

all my best
and
see you
Soon

christy

plums

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 16:07:00 +0000

the weather is turning

this morning we picked the

almost last

bit of plums

scout is a good early morning companion

she loves fruit as a treat

and

the bright little orbs

appear to her

to be a bucket of balls

she is very attentive

her inspection flawless

message in a bottle

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 03:40:00 +0000

spring arrives and we run in full sprint

preparing and tending

summer has us watching, patient-waiting

fall arrives with a prize

fruit grown

the bottle

almost complete

almost

large jars of ripe pears

bathing in brandy

infuse for months

monitored

sip after sip after sip

when the time comes

the brandy pours

briefly veiling

the pear

bottles

corked

ready

for night capping

and

mood enhancing

hold secrets of the garden

and

whispers of the trees

brandied apricots

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 18:37:00 +0000

last you heard from me was spring

and now we are in summer

full stop

hmmm...

been busy on the farm

baby

chicks

ducks

geese

goats

enough to keep us very busy

i have been cooking and crafting and lots of other things

but not much blogging

my late nights are taken up by

deep and heavy sleep!

we picked a bucket load of apricots the other day

and i have been working to preserve them for our

winter larder

this year

i have decided to brandy some

which is a fancy way of saying

infusing with brandy

i've loaded my jars with

freshly washed fruit

(sliced in half and pitted)

a sprinkle of sugar

(about a tablespoon per jar)

and

poured on the brandy

in some

i added a few extra bits

rosemary in one

cinnamon stick in another

vanilla bean in a third

there are so many lovely combinations to try

i am popping these onto a shelf, in a cool pantry

but the fridge would be a great place too

(if only i had room in the fridge)

Brandied Apricots

sweet eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 May 2014 18:11:00 +0000

come spring

we bring it outside

entertaining is a bit more relaxed

food becomes

a bit less fussy

perhaps a tad more whimsical

certainly

more seasonally driven

we keep chickens, ducks and geese

which means we have a generous supply of eggs

when putting together a weekend brunch

i love to serve

sweet eggs

very simple and darling on display

these eggs are filled with vanilla yogurt and lemon curd

sweet eggs

emptied and cleaned goose, duck or extra large chicken eggs

plain or vanilla yogurt

vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)-optional

brown or granulated sugar (if using plain yogurt)-optional

your favorite lemon curd recipe

-martha has a nice one HERE

using an egg topper such as this one

is by far the easiest way to get those perfect edges.

-while the eggs are uncooked, take the top off. separate the whites and the yolks as you empty the shell. use the yolks for your curd, the whites for another delicious recipe.

-you must be gentle when washing the shells, but you must be very thorough in the washing. there may be a layer of membrane attached to the interior of the shell. make sure you get that completely out. it comes out easier when you run water through it. once the membrane is cleared, use a good soap and hot water to get it completely cleaned out. let them air dry with good air-flow.

-you can either set the eggs in egg cups, or use the top inverted and glued to the bottom of the egg to create a stand. you may also just want to place in a small bowl, or in a large bowl on top of artificial grass (or if you have access, hay or straw)

if you are using plain yogurt and wish to sweeten it up a bit (i recommend doing so, particularly if you have a nice tart lemon curd), add just a touch of sweetness with your sweetener of choice. i like brown sugar because it takes very little and adds a bit of a caramel flavor to the yogurt. start with 1 tsp per 2 cups and add more to taste. the same with the vanilla.

make the lemon curd as directed and let cool completely

to assemble...place the yogurt and lemon curd in separate decorating bags (alternatively you can use a small spoon). layer directly into the shell starting with the yogurt. fill the shell approximately 1/3 full with the yogurt. add a thin (max 1/4") layer of lemon curd. add more yogurt to almost reach the top of the shell, and top with more curd, placed to resemble an egg yolk.

serve with demi-tasse spoons.

you may also add gingersnap crumbles or graham cracker crumbles to the bottom for additional flavor and a bit of crunch. serving with a bit of granola is a nice compliment. for something really fun, fashion sugar cookies into "toast soldiers" and pop them right in to look like a soft boiled egg and toast.

while the eggs can be washed and prepped in advance, and the yogurt and curd can be made ahead as well, i do not recommend assembling until just prior to serving

*i do not recommend reusing the egg shells

enjoying the local flavor

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 21:52:00 +0000

this afternoon

our lunch was the flavors of the season

and

terroir of where we live

yesterday was warm and bright and a perfect day for our local farmer's market

we picked up some zucchini flowers which seem to be on my menus from spring to autumn every year

we love them

it seems

i am continually posting recipes of them on this blog

zucchini flowers

many of you may know we are in the process of starting a little dairy on our property

the process is long and costly

we are not there yet

luckily

we live among dairies and cheesemakers

one of which sells a beautiful cow's milk crescenza

briny and soft, it is perfect for

stuffing fiori, melting on toast, or paired with just picked tomatoes

get yours here

to round out the flavor

{i love salty-sweet}

i used a bit of my homemade membrillo

i packed it away this winter

our nearest neighbor has a large u-pick orchard

this year she gave me baskets of quince which i quickly turned into sweet treats

i am mesmerized how the hard, cream colored fruit transforms itself into a gooey treat of crimson

pistachio-strawberry swirl ice cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 05:15:00 +0000

a warm winter makes way for an early harvest of strawberries

meandering down a country road this weekend passed

i happened across a roadside stand

loaded with berries and heaps of pistachios

locally grown

to keep up with our highly productive flock

i find myself

dreaming up custards

frozen custards

frozen custards made from

backyard eggs

fresh milk

and

farmstand goodies

pistachio-strawberry swirl ice cream

1 cup unsalted (roasted and shelled) pistachios

1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
7 large eggs yolks
pinch salt (sea or kosher)
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup chopped pistachios (optional)
whisk the egg yolks, salt and 3/4 cup sugar. place milk and the pistachios in a blender and puree until the nuts are completely liquid and smooth. add 3/4 cup sugar and place over low heat and warm to a simmer. remove from heat and whisk into the eggs and sugar mixture. tip back into the saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring continually with a rubber spatula. do not allow to boil, and cook until it just begins to thicken to nappe. remove from heat and pour through a sieve into a clean bowl. stir in vanilla and heavy cream. refrigerate 6 hours to overnight. freeze according to ice cream manufacturers instructions.
once the custard is frozen, transfer it to a freezer safe container. swirl in the strawberry preserves and the chopped pistachios (if using)

*if you choose to make your own strawberry preserves, simply place 2 cups of roughly chopped strawberries in a saucepan. taste for sweetness. squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon. add sugar according to sweetness. add up to 1 1/2 cups of sugar (less if sweet strawberries, more if not sweet). cook at a simmer until strawberries break down and soften and they sit in a thick glaze. refrigerate until needed

and goes another year....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 11:30:00 +0000

three birthdays ago

i wrote from a small desk

in a cozy room on a sheep farm

i awoke with the sun to find newly birthed lambs

ready for a warm bottle

i was charged to provide

that day

was life changing

literally

today

(my birthday 3 years hence)

i write

from a small desk

in a roomy greenhouse

on my own farm

where:

i awake with the sun

.. the rooster

...the bleating goats

..hungry pigs

... herd of sheep

..and a wee little lamb

of my own

jammy almond crumb bars

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 19:10:00 +0000

we live

in the country

not the county of estates and tag sales

but the country

pastures and dairy sheep

so when

someone stops by

we wave them in

take their coat

and

sit them down with a

hot cup of coffee and a sweet

these bars are a twist on the common crumble bar

i use whatever jam i have on hand

{usually something not too sweet loaded with bits of fruit}

the twist comes in the form of almond paste

it finds its way into these cookies

at every bite

jammy almond crumb bars

(printable recipe)

2 sticks unsalted butter--room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

7 oz almond paste (divided)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup high quality-not too sweet jam (ollalaberry, raspberry, blackberry, fruits of the forest, etc)

1/4 cup toasted pistachio nuts

place sugar, flour and 1/3 of the almond paste in a bowl. by hand, work in the almond paste so that it is in small bits throughout the flour. Add the butter and work by hand until you get a crumble that will stick when pressed together.

press about 2/3 of the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9"x9" fluted tart pan*. take remaining almond paste and lightly press a thin layer on top of the crust. you may not use all of the paste. spread evenly with jam.

Mix the pistachio nuts in with remaining dough. Evenly distribute remaining dough by crumbling on top of jam. (i like a thick layer of topping)

Bake at 350 for approximately 40-45 minutes. you want the crust and crumble to be slightly colored, but not over-browned.

*if you do not have a fluted tart pan, this works fine in a standard 9x9 cake pan, just be sure to bring the crust 1/4-1/2" up the sides.

gingerbread bundt with espresso glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 01:55:00 +0000

resolutions are not for me

i am all out of resolve

by the time the new year rings its bell

reflect?

recharge?

yes

resolve?

no way

give me until spring

meanwhile

i will sit by the fire

mug in hand

fork in mouth

i made this cake as part of a full buffet for a wedding

full and heady with spice

it sticks to your ribs

in a good way

{this recipe comes from Gramercy Tavern...and developed by Claudia Fleming. I have made this recipe and the recipe in her book "The Last Course". I prefer this one. I have made a couple very minor adjustments to the recipe, which I will announce so you may or may not choose to do the same}

Gingerbread Bundt

{Gramercy Tavern}

1 cup oatmeal or guiness stout {i used anchor steam pale ale}

1 cup dark (not blackstrap) molasses

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbs ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

pinch ground cardamom

generous pinch kosher salt {my addition--optional}

3 large eggs

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbs Trablit coffee extract *or 1 Tbs espresso powder {my addition-optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Use shortening to grease pan (trust me on this...pan spray will not work, butter works better, but shortening works the best) and then dust with flour. Set aside.

Boil stout (or other beer if using) with molasses. Take off heat and then whisk in baking soda. The mixture will bubble up, so make sure your pan has plenty of room, so the mixture does not overflow. Allow to cool to room temperature. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt (if using), ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom {if using espresso powder, sift with flour. If using coffee extract, whisk in with eggs and sugar} Whisk together eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until completely incorporated. Whisk in oil and then molasses mixture. Add flour in single addition and whisk until it is just combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan on rack for about 5 minutes, then turn onto rack, and allow to cool completely.

Espresso Buttermilk Glaze

{this is entirely my addition and is optional}

1 lb confectioner's sugar

1 oz strong espresso

1 Tbs Trablit coffee extract or 1 Tbs espresso powder

buttermilk

Place the confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Mix the trablit or espresso powder into the espresso. Pour the espresso bit by bit careful not to thin out the confectioner's sugar too much. If the confectioner's sugar is still too thick to pour, add buttermilk until you get a pouring consistency. NOTE: this uses such a small amount of buttermilk, if you don't have it on hand, you can easily substitute cream, half and half or milk.

Generously pour over cooled cake and allow to harden.

*Trablit is a very strong and specific coffee extract. It cannot be substituted with clear extract or candy oil. If you can't find it (or it is cost prohibitive) please use espresso powder.

tomato pomegranate salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 16:09:00 +0000

i put this salad together

for a fall brunch

using what i had on hand

starting with the beautiful yellow tomato

adding ingredients for contrast

flavor, color and texture

creates a delicious and beautiful salad

tomato pomegranate salad

heirloom (or other flavorful tomato)

fresh chevre or fresh ricotta

pomegranate seeds

toasted and coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

chopped chives

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

arrange the tomato wedges--cut into one bite pieces, on platter. drop chevre or ricotta evenly over the tomatoes. sprinkle pomegranate seeds, chives and pistachio nuts. the idea is that each bite will have a bit of each element, but not an overwhelming amount of each. so be mindful of the proportion. add a bit of sea salt and black pepper to taste and lightly drizzle a "finishing" olive oil on top

serve room temperature. if you prepare in advance, allow to come to room temperature before serving

greenhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 21:18:00 +0000

to be honest

i mistakenly posted this photo

but now that i did

this is our new greenhouse

dressed for a luncheon we are hosting tomorrow

we are still laying the stone

and have yet to lay sod

but

i love it so much!

reunion

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 02:06:00 +0000

these are the spires

of the church

which sits

on the campus of my alma mater

this weekend past

i attended my 25th reunion

it is hard to believe

that many days have expired

and yet

it seemed as if only minutes ticked

as we were able to pick up where we had last left

we laughed until we cried

poured through photos and stories and wine

good wine

now that we can afford to

and

know the difference

as we sat around a small table

in those hours that are really not meant for those our age

we debated

everything

from

tartar sauce and french fries

the legacy we will leave

the spouse of a good friend

a stranger just days before

stopped us all with the sincerest of compliment

"around this table" she said "are some high quality people"

i couldn't agree more

honey harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 20:55:00 +0000

a piece of comb

reserved

by us

for us

hungarian goulash

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 16:39:00 +0000

the first signs of autumn

has meandered on to our ranch

cool evenings

transitioning to near frosty nights

just the kind of weather

that gets me back into the mood

for hearty stews

and

slow cooked meats

hungarian goulash

(printable recipe)

2 1/2 lbs stew meat (beef or venison)-- cut into cubes {at least 1"}

1/2 cup (about) all purpose flour for dredging

olive oil

1 large onion--cut in half then thinly sliced in have moons

10-12 crimini mushrooms--sliced

4 cloves of garlic--smashed and kept whole or near whole

1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds

14 ounce diced tomatoes-with juice

1/2 cup water

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each)

1/3 cup sour cream

1 Tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped parsley

heat oil in bottom of a dutch oven (just enough to coat the bottom). dredge the meat cubes in flour and shake of excess. toss into the hot oil and sear meat on all sides. do not crowd the pan, work in batches if necessary. once the meat is seared add it back to the pan with juices (if working in batches) and add onion, mushrooms and garlic. add a bit more olive oil if needed. allow to cook down for a few minutes. add the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, hot paprika and caraway seeds and give it a good stir, so the spices are evenly distributed. this will also toast the spices a bit. add the tomatoes and water and use a wooden spoon to scrape all the bits off the bottom of the pan. add beef broth and cover. place in a 350 preheated oven and allow to cook for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender.

remove from oven and add lemon juice. add salt and pepper to taste. allow to sit for a few minutes, then taste again for salt. stir in sour cream and parsley (check one more time for salt). serve over buttered wide-noodles or dumplings

V is for Vicarious

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 20:16:00 +0000

Scout and Indiana Jones at cheer practice

adventures in goat milk

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 20:07:00 +0000

we have goats

dairy goats

darling sweet girls

that will provide us with lots of milk

in the years to come

but for now

they are still growing

little doelings

while we wait

i have been practicing my recipes

with

goat milk from a local dairy

today

i am trying out my cream separator for the first time

goat's milk is naturally homogenized

which means the cream does not automatically rise to the top

you have to spin it out

this is how you do it

i ran a half-gallon of fresh goat milk through

yielding about 1/2 cup of heavy cream

in order to get the best results

the milk needs to be warm as it goes through the separator

what to do with all that delicious warm frothy milk?

make delicious coffee drinks

of course

honestly

fresh goat milk is delicious

it has a mild and sweet taste

virtually indistinguishable

from

fresh cow's milk

delicious

best of all

it can be used to make

this

Simple Roasted Banana Peppers {in the savory kitchen}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 02:20:00 +0000

sometimes

my garden overproduces

the most opportune time

recently guests came up to the ranch for a visit

at an hour

which isn't quite lunch

while being

too early for dinner

the time of day where one begins to feel peckish

what to do?

i went a bit spanish

using

the abundance of banana peppers

create a delicious and simple

addition to afternoon tapas

roasted banana peppers

as many banana peppers and other fresh (smallish) peppers you can gather

olive oil

sea salt

sherry vinegar

preheat oven to 400F. place peppers in large shallow pan. lightly coat in olive oil. roast until the peppers begin to blister and soften. remove from oven and immediately splash with sherry vinegar. sprinkle with sea salt.

serve warm or room temperature

simple

delicious

browned butter berry bars {in the sweet kitchen}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 23:16:00 +0000

this weekend past

we took a long drive

with no real agenda

except to explore

as we drove north

i began to obsess

a cookbook was given to me about a year ago

called

big sur bakery

while getting lost in its pages

i fell in love with the place

and began imagining each bite

while big sur is coastal

and

we were on an inland route

a little jot west, wasn't too far off course

{it wasn't like we had anywhere to be}

an hour, and ten white knuckles later

we arrived in big sur

unfortunately

the bakery was hosting a wedding

which meant

it was closed

double dip dang-nabbit ugh

instead

we stopped at a half bad restaurant

for nourishment

not enjoyment

planning our return

and

when we got home

promptly made these

which are a variation of the brown butter rhubarb bars

from

the big sur bakery cookbook

using

berries we picked that morning

brown butter berry bars

(adapted from the big sur bakery cookbook)

jam

2 cups blackberries and mulberries {or berries of your choice}

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup sugar

place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. cook on low heat until it begins to bubble and thicken. watch closely and cook until it is thick and jammy. set aside to cool

crust

1 cup unsalted butter--melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups flour{whole wheat or all-purpose}

whisk together the flour, powdered sugar and salt. stir in butter. press into a 9"x 13" pan. bake in a 375^ oven until it just begins to brown(15-18 minutes). remove from oven and allow to cool.

brown butter filling

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup + 2 Tbs unsalted butter

3/4 cup + 2 Tbs flour {whole wheat or all purpose}

1 teaspoon vanilla

place the butter in a saucepan and cook on low heat until it becomes brown and nutty, careful not to burn. whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour and vanilla. carefully stir in the browned butter.

to assemble

spread about half of the browned butter mixture on the prepared crust. dollop about 3/4 of the jam on top. spread the remaining browned butter filling and then dollop the remaining jam. bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn brown. do not overbake, (allowing the filling to souffle). allow to cool before cutting into bars.

delicious room temperature or directly from refrigerator.

eggplant! {in the garden}

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 19:16:00 +0000

our garden got a bit of a late start

and is just starting to throw off

eggplant

i've gathered some recipes

that are both

beautiful

and

delicious

ratatouille

(recipe here)

eggplant parmesan

(recipe here)

eggplant involtini

(recipe here)

eggplant verde

(recipe here)

...and now a question (or two) for you....

do you have eggplant in your garden?

what is your favorite way to enjoy it?

tomatoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 19:20:00 +0000

in the dog days of summer

gardens overflow with tomatoes

i find myself

with

stores of the fruit

and

preservation on my mind

here are a few

ways to preserve the bounty

to enjoy

when days are not so long

Sun Dried Tomatoes

(recipe here)

Tomato Chutney

(recipe here)

Tomato Vodka

this is really simple. peel tomatoes and cram into a jar, use a skewer to secure tomatoes if they start to float to the top. fill the jar with vodka and store in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. i make several jars because i like to use the tomatoes and the vodka for pasta alla vodka sauce. leftover vodka is really great for a bloody mary pick me up.

huckleberry ice cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:05:00 +0000

huckleberries are hard to come by

competing with bears after a long hilly hike

just ain't my thing

luckily

those whom are

"into it"

are willing to share

with one little caveat

my dealer

is 1200 miles away

traveling for a case of berries

now that is

my thing

huckleberries are a bit like blueberries

with more punch of flavor

sweet with a tinge of sour

no pucker

just enough to

wet your whistle

this gorgeous purple berry

cuts rich vanilla ice cream

perfectly

Huckleberry Ice Cream

(vanilla base recipe adapted from David Lebovitz)

vanilla custard

1 cup whole milk

generous pinch kosher salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream

7 large egg yolks

4 tsp good vanilla extract

huckleberry swirl

1 1/2 cups huckleberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs lemon juice

heat whole milk with 1/2 cup of sugar, and kosher salt. meanwhile whisk egg yolks with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. once milk comes to a simmer, slowly pour into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. quickly rinse the milk saucepan to remove any dried or burnt milk. transfer warm egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, constantly stirring with a spatula. watch carefully, as to not overcook the eggs. cook and stir just until the mixture coats the spatula (consistency of a light crepe batter). remove from heat and run through a sieve into a clean bowl. stir in heavy cream and vanilla. place entire bowl into another bowl filled with ice and cool water. stir until it is cooled to room temperature. pour mixture into a covered container and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

make huckleberry swirl

in a small saucepan, place berries, sugar and lemon juice. cook until the berries throw off juice and all of the sugar has melted, then cook for about 10 minutes more..keep the heat low, you don't want to burn the sugars. mash the berries slightly (you will want some whole, some mashed). allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to freeze the ice cream.

when ready to freeze

place vanilla base into the bowl of your freezer. freeze according to manufacturer's directions. when your ice cream is finished...remove into your freezer container. as you scoop into your freezer container, layer with your huckleberry swirl. this will allow you to have a true swirl. if you put the huckleberry swirl into the mixer, it will completely mix in. continue to layer adding as much huckleberries and juice as you wish.

Happy 4th

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 15:06:00 +0000

blueberry-rhubarb margarita jam

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:53:00 +0000

weekly

i drive past a blueberry farm

most days

wishing for the season

some days

mourning the end of summer

the day the

open sign pops up

on our little stretch of highway

i stop in

continuing my routine

each week

until blueberries are no more

i hoard

more berries than our small family can eat, out of hand

but not more than we can eat, prepared

i love to pair sweet blueberries with rhubarb from our garden

for this delicious

not too sweet

jam

blueberry rhubarb margarita jam

3 pints blueberries

8 oz rhubarb--chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

juice of 10 key limes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ginger

juice of 1/2 grapefruit (plus/minus)

1 oz tequila (can add up to 2 oz)

dump blueberries rhubarb, sugar, key lime juice, salt and ginger into your jam pot. Cook on med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until you have a nice jam consistency (about 25-30 minutes). taste for sweetness. add at least 1/4 grapefruit juice to both adjust sweetness and for flavor. cook for 5 more minutes and check again for sweetness. add more grapefruit if desired. pour in tequila and cook at least 5 minutes more.

test jam for firmness on a frozen plate. **i like my jam to be a bit runny. you do not need pectin for this jam to firm up. you can cook it to come out firmer, but be careful not to caramelize it.

place in sterilized jars and refrigerate or if you are a seasoned canner, process for longer storage.

strawberry crumb cake

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 May 2013 06:54:00 +0000

strawberries are ripe, ripe, ripe

in my neck of the woods

every farm stand along my tuesday evening route

touts the sweetest and freshest

organic berries

i can't resist

particularly because i make a really great strawberry-rhubarb jam

that disappears faster than anything else in the pantry

i grab loads of the juicy red fruit

whenever i find it

which now

is a lot

being as we spend most days at the ranch now

finding ourselves at days end

counting idle minutes on one hand

it feels less guilty to indulge in a bit of sweet

at day's close

when i have a moment

i bake a cake

like this one

a simple twist on a classic crumb cake

using the sweet ripe fruit of the season

in its crumb

strawberry crumb cake

cake

1 1/4 cup cake flour (sifted, then measured)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature--cut into cubes)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup buttermilk

4 tsp of your favorite strawberry (or strawberry-rhubarb) jam

place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. quickly give it a few turns to incorporate everything together. add the butter. *the butter should be softened, but not warm and creamy. you want it to mix into the flour mixture making more of a clumpy sand consistency, then a creamed. mix the ingredients until the butter is finely incorporated into the flour mixture. meanwhile, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. add the whole egg and the egg yolk to the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to ensure there are no dry spots. with the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk/vanilla mixture and mix until just incorporated. do not over mix pour into a 8x8 buttered square cake pan. strategically plop the 4 tsp of jam (you can add a bit more if you like) in the batter. run the back of a butter knife through the cake batter to swirl the jam through evenly. set aside while you prepare the crumble.

crumble

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 cups all purpose flour

10 Tbs unsalted butter--fairly cold--cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup fresh ripe strawberries--cut into 1/4" dice

mix together the sugar, salt and flour by hand in a large bowl. drop in butter and either work in by hand, or use pastry knives/fork/blender to make fairly large crumble. tip in the strawberries and work in by hand, using a bit of a firm hand, to get them mixed up well in the flour mixture. don't squeeze and knead, you do not want to warm the butter, but allow the strawberries to fully incorporate into the crumb. gently pile on top of the cake. *some of the crumbs will sink into the cake as it bakes, which is why i make SO MUCH CRUMB!

bake in a 375F oven for about 35-45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and keep an eye on it. the cake is moist, so it can tolerate a bit of over baking, but don't forget to keep an eye on it. check by using a toothpick or wooden skewer to see if it is done baking. allow to cool completely before eating