I thought it would be so fun to walk in Megan’s shoes for a while, and she agreed to a guest post.  Her father Ed and I quickly decided to make blackberry jelly.  We had made strawberry jam several times together and managed to stay married, so we thought we were up for the challenge.  The difference between jelly and jam is that jelly does not contain seeds.  No big deal, right?

We picked our blackberries along a secret dirt road in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  I’d tell you where the secret road is but I wasn’t paying attention as we bounced along.  We wore jeans and heavy shirts despite the hot weather – protection from the vicious thorns attached to blackberry brambles.  The blackberries in Raphaelle Peale’s still life look misleadingly innocent draped over the silver platter, so unlike their counterparts in the wild.  We were scratched, poked, and tripped by thorny stalks that attacked us as we waded through the thicket.  But we were successful!  After nearly an hour, Ed and I picked about three cups of luscious berries.   One cup I devoured immediately; the last two made it into our bucket.

Raphaelle Peale, Blackberries, c.1813
oil on wood panel, 18.4 x 26 cm, de Young Fine Art Museum

We needed 12 cups of blackberries to make our jelly.  Thank goodness my brother Bruce donated a gallon ice cream tub full of berries that he had picked.  What can I say – my berry-picking skills had gotten rusty.  Ed had never picked blackberries before, and his first handful of berries was full of red clusters.  I explained that the pure black ones were sweeter, and then noticed that he was wearing his sunglasses!  His berry picking skills improved significantly without his tinted Ray-Bans.

To make our jelly, Ed and I pureed and strained twelve cups of berries into 3 ½ cups of juice.  It was hard work, and I managed to drop seeds into our juice on more than one occasion.  After a second straining, Ed was happy with the product, but by then we were no longer speaking and communicated via hand gestures.  Once we actually started cooking the jelly, though, we were back on good terms.  The secret ingredients Ed added smelled so good that we were all smiling and inhaling deeply – and I’m not ashamed to admit that.

{Wild Blackberry Jelly}

12 cups blackberries, juiced then strained to make 3 ½ cups juice
1/3 cup triple sec
¾ cup water
½ lemon, juiced
1 pkg. No Sugar Sure Jell (pectin)
3 cups sugar

Prepare jelly jars and screw bands of 2-part lids by washing them in hot, soapy water.  Let dry.  Prepare flat lids (with rubber seal) by placing them in very hot (not boiling) water.  We used 1-12 oz. jar and 3-8 oz. jars.

Rinse berries in cold water.  We used a blender to puree our berries in small batches.  Strain pureed berries to remove all the seeds and pulp.  Pour blackberry juice, triple sec, lemon juice, and water into large pot.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.  Mix ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl with the pectin.  Stir sugar-pectin mixture into the juice.  Bring mixture to a full roiling boil on high heat.  Stir constantly.  Add remaining sugar and stir.  Return to a full roiling bowl and boil for exactly one minute, again stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and skim off foam.

Ladle into jars at once, before jelly sets up.  Fill to within 1/8 inch of jar top.  Clean jar edges, then cover with 2-part lids, screwing bands tightly.  Turn jars upside-down on a heat-resistant surface for 5 minutes.  Invert jars; as they cool they will seal and give off a distinctive ping.

To determine if jelly has cooked long enough, pour a small amount onto a spoon that has been in the freezer.  If the jelly solidifies on the spoon, it is ready to be ladled into jars.  If it does not solidify, add more pectin and boil for another minute or two.  Repeat test.

This is the second part in a two part series featuring wild blackberries and Raphaelle Peale.

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1 Year Ago: Louis Meléndez – Baby Octopus in Sofregit Sauce

Visit Dana’s blog Real Food Rehab for a rustic apple tart recipe.

Henri Matisse, Apples, 1916, Oil on canvas, 116.9 x 88.9 cm, Art Institute of Chicago
© 2010 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

This Matisse painting is from the current exhibition, Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917, at the Art Institute of Chicago. On view from the 20th of March until the 20th of June, the collection of paintings explores the body of work produced upon his return to Paris from Morocco. The art of this period is thought of as a turning point, the figures and forms became more abstracted and devoid of detail. The painting A Vase with Oranges that was featured on this site in June 2009 was painted in the same year as Apples. There are many similarities between the two canvases including composition and subject. The round fruits sit on/in a round form with a linear support cutting the canvas in half. The brushstrokes in Apples swirl upon the tabletop mimicking the shape of the fruits with the characteristic black outlines of this period containing the blocks of colour.

Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917 is on view at the Art Institute of Chicago until the 20th of June. Entry is free with the purchase of museum admission.

{Apple & Shallot Croquettes}

adapted from Gourmet

1 c leftover mashed potatoes
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 c dried apple, chopped
1/2 c Béchamel sauce (recipe below)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TB lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
2 c breadcrumbs
1 TB dried parsley
vegetable oil for deep frying

Mix the mashed potatoes, shallot, dried apple, ground cumin, lemon juice, béchamel sauce, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and chill the mixture for 30 minutes.

After chilling, form the mixture into small 1-inch balls. Dip in the raw beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray covered with wax paper and chill for an additional 30 minutes.  In a saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers. Gently drop 4-6 croquettes into the oil  at a time. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes turning until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Serve warm with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

{Béchamel Sauce}

adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

1/2 TB butter
2 1/2 tsp flour
1/2 c milk
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, using a wooden spoon, blend the flour into the butter stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Keep from colouring to make a white roux.

Meanwhile, warm the milk and once the roux is ready, add it to the saucepan. Turn up the heat to medium and begin whisking vigorously until all of the lumps are removed and the sauce thickens. Let boil for 1 minute while stirring and remove from heat. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

Visit Ozoz’s blog Kitchen Butterfly for a recipe for Pumpkin Ice Cream & Lemonettes.

Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Chinese Tureen, 1662
Oil on canvas, 64 x 53cm, Staatliche Museen, Berlin

Willem Kalf was a still life painter from the Golden Age of Dutch art. His work usually features the same subjects, a Chinese bowl (the painting above bears the title of this oft replicated object), damask tapestry, and silverware. The paintings contain a very dark background, isolating the objects on the edge of the table. In the Still Life with a Chinese Tureen the outline of the glass is barely visible, a characteristic of Kalf’s work. Later in his life the artist turned to dealing in art rather than painting. It seemed he always had a business mind because if a composition proved successful he would make multiple versions for clients – perhaps why his body of work is considered to be limited in terms of subject matter.

According to Dutch Culinary Art, Parrot Tongues are “a typical Dutch joke. Actually just leftovers, but presented in a very nice way. The name, of course, brings memories of Roman times when people feasted on tongues of nightingales and larks.” These little ‘tongues’ make for a very delicious appetizer. The sweet pork meat is paired with the sweet flesh of a pumpkin and livened up with fresh lemon juice and vinegary seeded mustard.

{Papegaaientongetjes (Parrot Tongues)}

adapted from Dutch Culinary Art

2 TB softened butter
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/2 c plain flour
1/4 c pureed roasted pumpkin
1 TB chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt

4 cooked pork scotch fillets, cut into triangles
1/2 c canola oil

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and beat in the egg and milk. Slowly add the pureed pumpkin and flour until a smooth and thick batter forms. Add the nutmeg, parsley and salt to season.

Heat the canola oil in a deep skillet. Once the oil shimmers, dip the pork triangles in the batter and drop into the oil. Because the pork is already cooked the Papegaaientongetjes fry very quickly, 20-30 seconds. Flip and cook the other side golden brown and remove from the oil and dry on kitchen paper.

Serve immediately with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a scattering of chopped parsley.
 

Don’t forget to submit your entry to the recipe contest, only 32 more days until the deadline. The first recipe has been submitted – get in early to get the best spots in the photo gallery!

Visit Alyson’s blog, Unruly Things, for the recipe for Pear Almond Sticky Buns.

Johann Christian Berndt, Plate 21, 1809-1812,
Colour plate of pear varieties from Johann Ludwig Christ’s book, Vollständige pomologie, Royal Horticultural Society

Johann Christian Berndt was a German copper engraver who worked in Frankfurt in the late 18th and early 19th century. He contributed to the botanical book Vollständige pomologie (Complete Pomology) by Johann Ludwig Christ. Pomology refers to the study and classification of fruit (the word poma from the Latin root meaning tree fruit). Pomologic writings date back to the 18th century but it was not until the 19th century that a real interest in breeding new varieties and producing richly illustrated books developed. The plate of pear illustrations by Berndt depicts 15 different varieties of fruit with one revealing a cross section and exposing the pitt. The variations between each fruit are meticulously detailed and demonstrate the way in which the botanical art of this period was an aesthetic climax – the scientific and artistic enthusiasm evident in natura sospensa paintings from the Renaissance manifested in the botanical books of the 19th century.

{Pear, Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Pizza}

2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 TB olive oil
black pepper
sea salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 TB balsamic vinegar

lemon-rosemary pizza crust, divided into three balls
goat cheese
pear, thinly sliced
prosciutto, torn into small pieces

Slice the onions and place in a small pot with the oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Sweat the onions until they are soft and add the balsamic vinegar. Cook on a very low heat with the lid on the pot for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pizza dough and top first with the onion and thin slices of pear. Add half of the goat cheese and bake until toasted, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining goat cheese and torn pieces of prosciutto.

{Lemon-Rosemary Pizza Crust}

2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TB olive oil
3/4 c + 1TB warm water
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp rosemary

Pour all of the dry ingredients onto a large countertop. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the olive oil and warm water. Begin incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet and continue handling and kneading the dough until it is quite elastic. Cover with a towel and let sit for 1 hour.

Punch out the air from the dough and separate into three portions. Roll out on a floured surface with a floured pin and place on an oiled baking sheet. Top with ingredients and bake in a 180C oven for about 20 minutes until golden and toasted. Slice and serve.

Be sure to visit Liz’s blog for the recipe for Scarlet Poached Pears and Ginger Pumpkin Bread.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, Pumpkin and Beets window, c.1899-1900
Leaded Favrile glass, 114 x 142.9 cm, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

Louis Comfort Tiffany was originally trained as a painter before pursuing the art of glassmaking in the late nineteenth century. He is linked with the Art Nouveau movement which embodies floral motifs with flowing and stylized curves (1). Tiffany preferred to work with glass that contained mineral impurities and often composed his decorative arts with a variety of colours and textures of opalescent glass. The natural jewel-like hues of pumpkin and beetroot are a fitting subject for an art work focused on saturated colour and light. Tiffany’s painterly background is evident with tonal variation used to denote the shape and the form of the organic shapes of the vegetables and the foliage.

As a staple dessert at any Thanksgiving Day celebration, Pumpkin Pie is firmly rooted in autumnal tradition. The New York Times recounts the pie’s history,

“First introduced to Tudor England by the French, the flesh of the “pompion” was quickly accepted as a pie filler. However, while pumpkin pie sailed with the Pilgrims back to the birthplace of its main ingredient — where it survived in more or less its original form — it all but disappeared in its country of origin.” (2)

Traditionally spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, my addition of chipotle chili gives the pie a savory bend and an additional dimension of smoky heat. Although Pumpkin Pie is generally more palatable for Americans, all of the Australians I tested this recipe on gobbled it up in an instant (and yes I chose the verb gobble to reference the other Thanksgiving staple – Turkey!)

{Pumpkin Chipotle Tartelette with Beetroot Jam & Chevre}

1 kilogram pumpkin
3 TB maple syrup
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried chipotle chili
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp butter
pinch of salt
2 TB buttermilk
2 eggs

frozen shortcrust pastry
beetroot jam
chevre

De-seed the pumpkin and cut it into cubes (about half the size of your thumb). Place on greased baking tray and drizzle with the maple syrup. Toss with your hands to evenly coat the pumpkin and bake in a 180C oven for about 40 minutes until soft.

Puree the baked pumpkin in a large bowl with a hand blender. Add the butter, brown sugar, chipotle, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Meanwhile butter the tatelette trays (or muffin tins) and line them with the shortcrust pastry. Once the pumpkin puree has cooled add the two eggs and buttermilk and mix well. Fill the pastry bases and slide into the 180C oven for about 40 minutes. Carefully watch the tartelettes to keep them from burning.

Top the tartelettes with a spoon of beetroot jam and chevre.

**A special thanks to my friend and colleague Lindsay for helping me develop this recipe!

{Beetroot Jam}

2 beetroots, grated
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 dried chili
1 tsp thyme
1 TB butter
1 TB olive oil
1 TB brown sugar
2 TB balsamic vinegar

Heat the butter and the oil in a large pot and sweat the red onion. Once soft add the beetroot, thyme, and dried chili and cook for 1 hour. With 20 minutes remaining add the sugar and vinegar and continue to stir to keep the jam from burning. If the jam becomes too thick then add a bit of water to loosen it.

This is the second recipe in a four part series for a smoky & spicy Thanksgiving. If you enjoyed this recipe please vote for it at the Bon Appetit Blog Envy Bake-Off (it is on the 4th page of entries in the pie category.)

Edvard Munch, The Scream (Skrik), 1893
Oil, tempera, and pastel on cardboard, 91 x 73.5 cm, National Gallery, Oslo

Edvard Munch is best known for his painting The Scream that is part of the series titled The Frieze of Life. The entire series of works embodied themes of life and death, love and fear as well as melancholy. Painted in an expressionist style, the painting depicts a figure in agony against a foreboding sky and the landscape of Oslofjord. The original title of the painting was the German phrase Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature). According to the writing of Munch,

“I was walking down the road with two friends when the sun set; suddenly, the sky turned as red as blood. I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired. Tongues of fire and blood stretched over the bluish black fjord. My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature.” (1)

If you like baking and vintage aprons then you will love Siri’s blog, The Transplanted Baker. She has been posting a collection of bun recipes that range from Norwegian classics like Skolleboller to American favorites like Buttermilk Biscuits Spiked with Jalapeño and Cheddar in celebration of her own little bun in the oven. In addition to a vast assortment of recipes of anything and everything baking-related, Siri includes photographs of breathtaking Norwegian landscapes. I especially like her series of Yellow August photographs and those from her cherry picking adventure in Hardanger. If you ever dreamed of living in a place with idyllic mountain vistas and a creamy brown goat’s milk cheese called Geitost then I highly suggest living vicariously through Siri on her blog The Transplanted Baker.

{Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream}
Adapted from A Homemade Life

1 c whole milk
2 c double cream
3/4 c vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp ground pink peppercorns

Combine the milk, 1 c of cream, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until hot but be sure to keep the mixture from boiling.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium size bowl and place it in an ice bath (a larger bowl with 1 c of water and several ice cubes). Remove the hot milk mixture from the heat and let it cool for about 30 seconds before slowly pouring half of the mixture into the egg yolks while continuously whisking. Pour the warm egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce begins to thicken and it will coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 5 minutes). Pour the remaining cream in a large bowl and place a strainer over it. Strain the milk/egg mixture into the cream and place into the ice bath. Let cool in the ice bath before stirring in the vanilla and pink peppercorns. Spoon into an airtight container and place in the freezer.

Check the ice cream after 45 minutes. Once it begins to freeze around the edges, remove it from the freezer and beat with a hand-held mixer. This will break up the crystals and yield a smoother ice cream. Once mixed, return to the freezer and repeat the process every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours until the ice cream is frozen. The ice cream is best enjoyed immediately.

{Bittersweet Chocolate Chips with Heather Salt}
Adapted from the NY Times

2 c minus 2 TB cake flour
1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c butter
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 c + 1 TB sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
500 g 60% cacao content bittersweet chocolate
heather salt

Sift flour, baking powder and soda, and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes until light. Add eggs, mixing between each addition and then the vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients on a a low speed until just combined. Carefully mix in the chocolate pieces, wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for 36 hours (up to 72).

Preheat the oven to 180C and line the baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop six golf-ball size balls of dough and place on tray. Sprinkle with the heather salt and bake about 18 minutes until golden brown but still soft. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.