Vanilla sugar, the ripest peaches and nectarines.
Cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks.
Lemon juice.
Candied ginger.
Pure gold in a jar for cold, gray and snowy day to come.
Spiced Peach and Nectarine Jam with Candied Ginger
Adapted from Ball Blue Book of Preserving
1 quart peeled, pitted and chopped peaches and nectarines (about 8)
7 cups vanilla sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 large cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice
1 pouch liquid pectin
½ cup candied ginger
Put fruit, sugar and lemon juice with spices in a large, deep saucepan over bringing slowly to a boil until sugar melts. Add liquid pectin and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam. Add the ginger.
Ladle into hot pint jars and put tops and rims on the jars. Process in hot boiling water for 15 minutes.
Remove from water bath and let cool. When tops pop, tighten lids and store.
This batch made 5 pints.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Spiced Peach and Nectarine Jam with Candied Ginger
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Nectarines with Fresh Thyme and Cream Sherry
I am not sure that many people start out writing about salad and end up writing about dessert, but that’s exactly what has happened to me.
I was so inspired by Marie's Nectarine and Fresh Basil Salad last week, I decided to do a version of same and take to a dinner party which I knew was leaning towards the fried chicken, devilled egg arena. And there is nothing wrong with that arena at all…I just didn’t want to do the normal potato salad or coleslaw and these eaters were sophisticated enough to get what I was doing with the Nectarine Salad.
I decided to use fresh thyme instead of basil . I didn’t have decent sherry vinegar so I substituted Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry. A little extra virgin olive oil, a little vanilla sugar, a squeeze of fresh lime, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste…this was spectacular.
Of course I didn’t take a picture.
C'est la vie.
It was a hit. The Harvey’s brought out the sweetness of the nectarines, the lime balanced that out.
It was just superb.
.
I woke up the next morning thinking about the leftovers.
I couldn’t wait to have them for breakfast. But then I started thinking about ice cream.
At six in the morning.
Nectarine ice cream.
With thyme in it.
And a bit more Harvey’s.
It really doesn‘t matter what time you make ice cream, does it?
The left over nectarine salad was smushed with vanilla sugar and another splash of Harvey’s and a splash of vanilla extract, thrown into the ice cream maker.
I took a picture this time.
Nectarines with Fresh Thyme and Cream Sherry
This is your eyeball recipe.
As many nectarines for as many people as you are serving, sliced
A good splash of Harvey’s Bristol Cream
A good pinch of vanilla sugar
A good swirl of extra virgin olive oil
A big pinch of fresh thyme leaves, crushed
A good squeeze of fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine and serve as a salad course or as an accompaniment to grilled pork chops.
Click here for a printable recipe!
Nectarine Ice Cream with Fresh Thyme and Cream Sherry
2 cups vanilla soy milk, or half and half, or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup half and half
¼ cup vanilla sugar
a squeeze of fresh lime juice
4 nectarines, sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Good splash Harvey’s Bristol cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Smush the nectarines with the sugar, add the thyme, sherry, lime juice, vanilla extract. Stir in the vanilla soy milk and pour mixture into electric ice cream maker. Freeze according to directions on your machine.
When done, remove to a plastic container with airtight lid and freeze.
If you have made the above salad, mash the leftovers with the ¼ cup vanilla sugar and thyme and add the sherry. Continue with the above directions.
Serves 4.
Click here for a printable recipe!
One Year Ago on Feeding Groom
