A Couple of Recipes

I've had a couple of requests to share the recipe for that (EPIC) jam - as in, I had four jars last week, I think there's 1.5 left... must.make.more.

I found the Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam recipe in this book. I really like it - the chapters are organized by season, with recipes for fruits and vegetables for each. In addition to canning recipes, there are also ways to use the canned goods, and other food preservation ideas. Worth the money, in my humble opinion.

I did up the sugar amount slightly to taste - here's my version:

• Combine 6 cups (approx 2 lbs) diced rhubarb, 3 cups (about a quart) diced strawberries, 2.5 cups sugar, and a half-cup water in my big dutch oven, and cooked over medium heat until the juices just covered the fruit. Stir occasionally.
• Strained the juice from the fruit pulp, stirring the pulp to get as much juice as possible. Return the juice to the stove, boiling until the juice reduced by more than half.
• Add the pulp to the reduced juice, with the juice of two lemons. Cook over medium-low until thickened, and beginning to jell on a cold plate.
• Ladle into hot half-pint jars, and process in a boiling water canner for 5 minutes. Remove, and allow to sit for 12-24 hours before checking seal.

The recipe I followed said it would yield 5 half-pints, I got 4 with some to scrape off the ladle and stirring spoon, for consumption while dancing around my kitchen in mouth-ecstasy, waiting for the jars to process.

The other recipe I thought I'd share is my favorite preparation for salad turnips. If you've never had these, RUN, don't walk, to your farmer's market and look for white radish looking things. They are in season spring and fall. They taste like a mild radish raw, but cooked they are an entirely different creature. Divine. Love love love them. I use the greens in pasta.

Glazed Salad Turnips

Trim the tops and tails off one bunch of turnips, scrub them well, then slice thinly into disks - about a quarter inch thick. Heat 1-2 tbsp butter or olive oil, or both, in a large saute pan (enough to generously coat the pan), add the turnips, season with salt & pepper, and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften. Add a generous splash of apple-cider vinegar, and a large drizzle of honey, and cook until the resulting liquid thickens and glazes the turnips. Taste, add more vinegar and honey as you like, and serve. Yum yum, good lordie, yum. Guess what I'm having for lunch?

So I ordered a flat of strawberries for tomorrow's pick-up. If it comes in, I'll be freezing, jamming, and trying out my new dehydrator with fruit leather the intended product. Happy tummy dance!