Recipe of the Month (May)

Almost forgot to post one this month! D'oh!

Anyway, I've decided to post one for Blackberry jam. The blackberry bushes on my property have for the most part dropped their blooms and the berries are starting to form, so it got me thinking about jam like my family traditionally makes...

Here's a basic recipe, mostly taken from Ball's Blue Book but also with some tips from various websites.

What you'll need:

- blackberries (fresh picked is best, but if unavailable, frozen will work)
- pectin
- organic sugar
- canning equipment (jars, lids, rings, etc.)

Jam can only be made in small batches (about six cups) at one time so the jam will "set" properly. It takes about eight cups of berries per batch.

Steps:

1. Wash jars, lids, rings, etc. so they'll be ready when you need them
2. Wash the berries
3. Crush the berries (and/or mill them if you want less seeds and less chunks in the jam) and put them in a large/suitable pot
4. Add the pectin (mix about 1/4 cup of sugar with it for easier mixing) into the berries
5. Cook on medium-to-high heat, stirring often enough so it doesn't burn (It should take about five to 10 minutes to get to a full boil)
6. Add the sugar; the recipe calls for four cups (!), but I use between two and three usually. (And don't forget you added 1/4 cup already with the pectin!)
7. Continue boiling for about one minute
8. Sterilize the canning jar lids and rings (again, so they'll be ready when you need them)
9. Skim the foam off the top of the pot (it's harmless, btw, but skim it off anyway)
10. Remove from heat
11. Test for jelling; use a cool spoon (one kept in a glass of ice water works), and scoop some of the jam out and see how long it takes to jell. If it isn't as thick as you like, add some more pectin and boil it again for about one minute
12. Let stand for five minutes, and stir (this step is optional)
13. Add to canning jars, put on lids and rings, and process (water bath) for five-to-ten minutes. Some people add a small squirt of lemon juice per jar at this point to raise acidity
14. Let cool. Listen for the lid pops!

Mmmm... can't wait for the blackberries to be pickable (mid-June or so in my area).

Recipe of the month

No-knead Bread

I came across this recipe in a New York Times article: The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work.

Ingredients:
- 3 cups bread flour (but all-purpose flour is ok to use), plus extra for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon (instant) yeast
- 1 & ¼ teaspoons salt
- Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 & 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 18 hours at a warm (about 70 degrees) room temperature.

- Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface [I like wood, but granite or marble work well] and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

- Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth; a flour sack-type dish towel is perfect) with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran, or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about two hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

- At least a half-hour before the dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enameled, glassware, or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, remove pot from oven (don't forget it's hot!). Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake an additional 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is browned. Cool on a rack.

Yields one 1½-pound loaf.

Recipe of the month

I've decided to start a "recipe of the month" for this blog; basically, I discover a recipe that interests me very much and I post it here after trying it out.

This month's recipe is for Finadene Sauce. Finadene sauce, according to Wikipedia, is "a salty, spicy, sour all-purpose condiment used in Chamorro cuisine." Chamorro refers to the culture of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, by the way.

Here it is:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white vinegar (you can also use lemon juice, but I used vinegar and added a "dash" of lemon juice)
1/2 cup soy sauce 2 green onions , thinly sliced (1 small white onion, finely chopped, can be substituted)
3-5 small minced hot peppers (apparently, boonie peppers are the best to use; I used a serrano; tabasco peppers are more similar to a boonie, however)

Preparation:
Mix vinegar and soy sauce together
Add onions and peppers
Shake well
(Keep refrigerated)

For good recipes to use it on, try searching around the Internet for recipes from Guam (chicken and grilled fish seem appropriate).

So, try it out!