The Kind That Doesn't Come From Cows

This time of year is a perfect window of opportunity in the canning world.  The last of the peaches are straggling in, and both apples and pears are starting up.  All three of those make for wonderful fruit butters!  Making your own fruit butter is incredibly easy, as well.

Photo via MyRecipes

The following process works for any fruit (or veggie) that you'd like to turn into butter:

1. Cut up the fruit into small-ish cubes.  Soft, over-ripe or bruised fruit works great in this case; moldy fruit doesn't.  Cut off any suspect-looking spots.  There is no need to peel any fruit, and I use whole apples and pears, meaning seeds, cores and all.  For peaches, you will need to remove the pit.  Add them to a pot that has about half an inch of water on the bottom.
2. Boil, covered, for about 45 minutes.  The fruit should be really soft and have given up a lot of juices by then.
3. Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to turn the fruit into mush.  Be careful with the immersion blender, it's easy to liquify the fruit too much.  This is fruit butter, and it should still have some solid texture.  For apples and pears, you will want to use a food mill to catch the seeds still in the fruit.
4. Measure how much fruit mush you have.  For each cup of mash, add either 1/2 cup of sugar or 1/3 cup of honey.  If you'd like lower sugar content, you can substitute up to half the sugar with Stevia.  You want to add the sugar or honey off heat, and stir really well before you go any further.
5. This is a great trick that I recently learned.  Put the mush/sugar blend into your slow cooker and prop the lid slightly off the surface.  Here, I'm using a wooden spoon and spatula to do so:





6. Let it cook down on low until it's the thick consistency of fruit butter.  This will take a few (or more than a few) hours.  Stir every couple of hours.  If you need to let it sit overnight, close the lid all the way and unplug the slow cooker.  In the morning, just re-start the heating and prop the lid up.
7. Once the fruit butter is the right consistency, it's time to spice it.  Never add any flavoring until it's the right consistency.  (The flavor will concentrate, and you'll have seriously over-done it.)  You can add a variety of spices, and even spirits.  Always do a little at a time, as it's way easier to add more than to take some away.  If using spirits, don't mix it into the large batch of butter.  Put 1/2 to 1 teaspoon in the bottom of each sterilized pint jar, and stir in after filling the jar.  Here are some things I've found that work well:

Fruit	Spices	Spirits
Peach	Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom	Bourbon (oh, yeah!), brandy
Pear	Cinnamon, star anise, allspice (those three together ROCK!)	Brandy, red wine, cinnamon schnapps
Apple	Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice	Brandy, cinnamon schnapps



8. Fill your jars, leaving a quarter inch at the top.  Put the lids on and process in a boiling water bath for 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool slowly, then test the seals.  Ta da!

Photo via SVkitchen

The above method can work for lots of things not discussed:  plums, winter squash (particularly pumpkin and butternut), apricots...  If you find other spices or spirits that work well, please include them in the comments!

A Whole New Meaning for, "Fruit Cocktail"

I apologize to my friends on the Nall's staff.  We've been chattering about doing this post for a few weeks now, and they've been anxious to see what I could do.  Okay, here goes...

Don't think that you need to eat all of the contents of your crop share box.  You know, you can actually drink them as well!  And no, I'm not referring to juicing, either.  Let's talk adult beverages.  The quality and freshness of the contents of your box will really shine forth in cocktails.  Trust me, I've most certainly tried!

Mint
This discussion started when the big bunch of mint came out in the crop shares a couple of weeks ago.  We were talking about what to do with it, beyond making lamb, when the obvious answer came forth:

Photo via liquor.com

Mojitos!  It's really simplicity itself.  Lime wedges, muddled with simple syrup (one part water, one part sugar) and mint leaves.  Use about 3 lime wedges and half a dozen fresh mint leaves.  Add equal parts light rum and club soda, and half as much fresh-squeezed lime juice.  Such a summer classic!  But in my book, there's a better mint option:

Photo via liquor.com

Yes, that's a mint julep.  We think of those more in the spring, particularly during Kentucky Derby weekend.  For me, they're a reminder of trips to New Orleans and the all-night revelry those excursions entail.  (Not to mention watching sunrises in Cafe du Monde, burning my fingers on hot Beignet and my mouth on hot chicory coffee.  Ah, what an end to an evening...)  The mint julep is simply mint leaves muddled with just a little simple syrup, add bourbon (don't be stingy) and ice.  Some like a splash of bitters as well, but I'm more of a purist.

Peaches
The rightful place for peaches behind the bar would be in a bellini, which is simply puréed peaches topped with Prosecco or another dry, sparkling wine.

Photo via liquor.com

Another option I've stumbled across was this take on an Old Fashioned, "garden style."  I'm definitely putting that one on the list.

Those, plus everything else
Then again, the simplest answer is usually the best.  Any fruit you have, any time of year, can make a great sangria.  Sangria is just wine, chopped fruit, and a touch of brandy.  Start with a bottle of your preferred variety of wine.

Photo via Conde Nast

Yes, white wines work extremely well too.

Photo via Rachel Ray

Add in about 4 oz of brandy (again, don't use cheap stuff, but don't waste the Louis XIII either).  Chop fruit into small cubes and let it all marry together in the fridge overnight.  Serve over ice.  Mmmm...

The great part about sangria is that experimentation is heartily encouraged.  Traditionally, some sort of citrus was one of the fruit ingredients.  Of course, you can use anything you can think of.  For me, it's a great way to use up fruit that gets soft.  Based on what fruit you use, you can also switch out brandy for something else, such as Grand Marnier, dark rum, amaretto, limoncello, Chambord... you get the idea.

Photo via mein-schoener-garten.de

One last little option I'd like to show to you.  Rumtopf (literally, "rum pot") is a very old-school German tradition.  It involves a ceramic pot (or you can use glass jars), and over the summer any excess fruit gets cut into pieces and added to the container.  In addition, add sugar equal to the weight of the fruit, then completely cover the fruit with rum.  As summer wears on, the jug gets filled.  Once summer fruit comes to an end, the jug is stored in a cool, dark place until around Christmas time.  The flavors of the fruit plus the extra fermentation creates a wonderful cordial.  Be careful, it will be very delicious and hardly taste of alcohol at all, but the contents are at least the same proof as the rum you used, if not a little more.  I take half of mine and put it in small, decorative bottles for gifts.  The rest, well, Frohe Weinachten!

Just the Tools at Hand

Today is the first time I've been camping in a long, long, long time.  It's my little guy's first experience.  His enthusiasm was... effervescent.  Of course, this involved campfire cooking.  Other than forgetting how long everything takes (coffee might be done by lunch), it went well.

My Boy Scout days taught me the utility of cooking in foil.  But let's just say that my palate has progressed past a hunk of ground beef with onion and potato slices.  The art form, however, can still be beautiful.

You also don't have to wait for a camp out to do this.  The coals in the barbecue grill work just fine too.

Campfire potatoes are simply sliced Yukon golds, fresh rosemary and thyme, generous salt & pepper, and some fat (olive oil works, and so does leftover duck fat).

Dessert (well, pre-s'mores anyway) was this delicious stone fruit concoction.  Ginger snaps, sliced fruit, lime zest and juice, and I substituted dark rum for brandy and maple syrup for sugar, and WOW.

The true stroke of genius, though, was using leftover ginger snaps for the s'mores.  OH YEAH.

It's Not Just For Baking Anymore

Whenever someone brings fruit into the kitchen, the first thought is always towards the oven and baking it.  Why?  It's summer, right?  You're going to light the grill to make dinner anyway, right?  And the oven's just going to make the house uncomfortably warm, so leave it off.

See all these beautiful melons?

Any of them, any at all, would be quite comfortable on the grill.  Think about it this way.  When you heat some butter and sugar, what's it turn into?  That's right, caramel.  Lovely, sweet, delicious caramel.  Sugar caramelizes with heat.  Like on the grill.  So take some fruit, any fruit, and slice it.  Dab with just a little olive oil (a little), put it on the grill over direct heat, and leave it until you see nice brown (not black) grill marks.  Flip, repeat.  Ta da!  Beautiful!

Photo via Brooklyn Supper

I tried a recipe yesterday that included donut peaches, watermelon, along with some grilled onions and balsamic reduction.  Trust me, there's nothing on this planet that's not delicious with balsamic reduction.  Try me in the comments section.  lol

I'll admit it, I'm kind of a food TV fanatic.  These grilled peaches make for a great dessert.  Or peaches can be a great side to a steak, or a glaze for chicken.  Want more than peaches?  Any stone fruits are awesome grilled.  One of my absolute favorite desserts involves grilled fruit.  I'm going camping next weekend, which means cooking in foil.  And it doesn't have to suck!

So pick up a melon and some peaches, light the grill, and bon appetit!

How about having summer all winter long?

Oh, that's a beautiful sight now, isn't it?  Fresh, local peaches.  Guess what?  The peaches are starting to be freestone.  This means that when you slice the fruit in half, the stone comes out easily.  In other words, it's a lot easier to cook with them.  As the peaches start to come in, you should save as many as you can.  That way, you can taste summer peaches when we're huddled up in January and February.  There's lots of ways to do this, so let's go over a couple of them.

Photo via canningbasics.com

The easiest thing to do is can halved peaches.  Come winter, we'll use them to make a classic peach pie.  But first, you'll need to skin the fruit.  This is pretty simple.  Get a pot of water boiling, and fill a large bowl with ice water.  On each fruit, make a very shallow "X" on the bottom of the fruit.  Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 90-120 seconds, then promptly move to the ice bath.  When it's cool enough to handle, the skin will easily slip off.  Cut them in halves and/or quarters, removing the stones.

Photo via yearroundharvest.com

In a previous post, we went over how to prepare jars for canning.  Once you've done that, simply arrange the peach sections in the jars.  Peaches are generally preserved in syrup.  The heavier the syrup, the sweeter the peaches will be.  A light syrup would be 1/2 cup of sugar per 2 cups water.  At the heavy end, you could use as much as a cup and a half of sugar.  (To get that much sugar to dissolve, you'll likely have to boil the water.)  Feel free to spice the syrup if you'd like.  Cinnamon, anise, and nutmeg all are great options for peaches.  Simply pour the syrup into the jars over the peaches, making sure they're all submerged.  Leave about half an inch of air space at the top of the jar.  Make sure there are no air bubbles by tapping the jars on the counter.  Seal the lids on the jars, and immerse them in boiling water for 25 minutes.  They need to cool gradually.  The easiest thing is just turn off the burner and let them sit in the water overnight.

Peach butter is another great thing to have over the winter.  In some of your jars, try adding a teaspoon of bourbon or amaretto per pint.  You'll be glad you did!

Stone fruit season has begun!

That's a scene that just warms my heart. We'll get to see it for the next couple of months.  Large baskets filled with a cornucopia of peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines.  I almost want to dive into the display, head first, mouth open.  I'm about to tell you what you can do with them, but nothing I'll tell you can top this one tip:  eat them.  Eat them whole, just as Mother Nature intended.  Chefs and bakers the world over try every day to take these gems and improve on them. While they make wonderful things for us, no one yet has made something better than eating the fruit itself.

Photo via Davison Orchards

That's not to say we can't make wonderful things.  What I'll advise you, though, is that the less you do to the fruit, the better your dish will be. For example, this recipe for grilled peaches does nothing to the fruit itself other than slightly grilling them.  And it's a wonderful dessert.  My 5-year-old is a huge fan of helping me put nectarines and berries in the food processor, pushing the pulp through a strainer into Popsicle forms, and having a cool summer treat.

Photo via VegKitchen

Over the summer you'll see about an article a week about various stone fruits and ideas for them.  Of course we'll talk about baking, but there will be articles about preserving, cocktails, savory dishes and more.  The next fruit article will be about a dessert tradition in my family this time of year, Pflaumkuchen.

I'm looking forward to a fruit-filled summer.  How about you?

Baked Peach Melba

Last spring I got to test some recipes for a cookbook the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce in Maine was putting together.  And this one was by far one of the highlights of the 8 or so recipes I tested.  A super quick and easy dessert to make, and there is ZERO added sugar.  The sweetness of the fruit and the honey takes care of that in spades.  So for those of you watching your sugar intake, this is a wonderful dessert.  Plus you get an added protein boost from the walnuts and all that lovely fiber from the oats.  A dessert that eats like a health food but tastes like something sinful?  Count me in!

Baked Peach Melba

Ingredients:

6 to 8 slightly firm peaches (still have peaches leftover from last week, here's your chance to use them up while we give you even more, muahahahaha!)
1 cup fresh or frozen, yet thawed, raspberries
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (use Earth Balance margarine for dairy-free)
1 cup old fashioned oats (I use Bob's Red Mill oats for gluten-free)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp local honey


Preheat oven to 375.

Halve and put unpeeled peaches.  Slice each half into wedges.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish, and sprinkle with the raspberries.

In a separate bowl, mix together oats, walnuts and honey.  Melt butter and pour over oats and walnut mixture, stirring well to fully combine.  Sprinkle topping over the fruit and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is lightly browned.

Guest Post: Peachy Kale & Barley from Nicole Wood & 6 Kale Fun Facts via HuffPo

I'm an avowed kale fanatic.  There was a good month-long period last fall where I'm fairly certain I ate my weight in kale chips.  But I understand that kale is not for everyone, and that last week many of you may have been thinking, "Ugh, kale, what am I going to do with ALL of this?!"  Well should you still have kale left over and it's still in good shape, I dare you not to drool over this recipe from Crop Share member, Nicole Wood.  So drool away and then check out 6 fun facts on kale from the HuffPo (I'm clearly too cool to use the publication's full name)...

Peachy Kale & Barley via Nicole Wood

1 bag Trader Joe’s 10 minute barley or other quick barley

2 cans of premade stock/broth or bouillon to make 2 ½ cups of stock

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 small or ½ medium onion chopped

1 lb kale bunch roughly chopped

1 T olive oil

1 T toasted sesame seed oil

½ cup diced peaches (room temperature)

Cook barley according to sauté instructions on bag with stock not water. I used half a bag.

While that is cooking (approx. 10 minutes) sauté your onions in the olive and sesame oil until they start to look clear on medium/high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 cup of stock and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes but don’t let garlic brown. Add rinsed kale, toss to coat kale with mixture and cover. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until kale is soft.

Mix kale and barley in large mixing bowl and add fruit to garnish. Salt and pepper to taste.

**If you have kids, pull some of the barley out before mixing with the kale and give to them as a pasta/grain.

While you let that kale saute for 10 minutes, get your education on with this article...

Click here to view a HuffPo article on 6 Things You Don't Know About Kale...

Blackberry Cobbler via The Pioneer Woman

This blackberry cobbler from The Pioneer Woman is a HUGE hit around here.  So if you can somehow resist the urge to eat all of the blackberries in this weeks share before you even get out of the parking lot, then we highly suggest giving this recipe a try.  To really knock it out of the park, consider adding in sliced peaches to turn this into a blackberry & peach cobbler.  With the local peaches we have in store right now, we really can't think of a better way to celebrate Eat Local First Week in DC than with this cobbler chock full of local goodness!

Blackberry Cobbler via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup milk

2 cups blackberries (or 1 cup blackberries & 1 cup sliced peaches)

Click through to view the rest of the recipe...

Sip Away Wednesday: The Peachy Keen!

So you know that spinach we promised you last week?  Well, as with anything in life, Crop Share ingredients are always subject to change.  When the spinach arrived on site, it just wasn't up to our standards, so we substituted in some peaches to help make up for the lack of spinach.  So what do you do when Crop Share takes away your spinach and hands you peaches?  You make drinks!  Ha!  This refreshing, slushie style drink is the perfect way to cool down this week as the temps keep climbing.  Plus, you can hold out the gin and add a few more ounces of the sparkling cider or substitute in 4 oz  of club soda, to make this a drink for the whole family.  If you've yet to try the Sparkling Alternative ciders in our drink cooler, you are missing out.  The Apple and the Apple-Peach are incredible, but the Apple Cinnamon tastes just like apple pie in a bottle!  Made with apples sourced from the Shenandoah Valley, the Sparkling Alternatives are 100 % juice, Kosher and gluten-free.  And did I mention that part about apple pie in a bottle??

So enjoy this Sip Away Wednesday and make it...Peachy Keen!

Peachy Keen

Ingredients:

2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
12 oz Sparkling Alternatives Apple Cider (in store in our drink cooler, use the Sparkling Alternatives Apple-Peach Cider for powerful punch of peach!)
4 oz gin
2 cocktail shakers full of ice (about 20 cubes)

Add peach slices to your blender and blend until smooth.  Add in sparkling cider and gin, and blend for a few seconds to incorporate.  Add in ice and blend until slushie consistency.  Serve immediately to beat this crazy DC area heat!

Makes 2 generous drinks.

See What's New At Nalls!

As you're gearing up for Memorial Day weekend, so are we, with lots of new items in our Produce & Garden Centers to help make your weekend a success.  Whether you'll be relaxing at a picnic or using the long weekend to get all of your planting finished, we'll be here all weekend for whatever you may need.

New in our Produce Center this week is our huge collection of jams, jellies, salsas and pie fillings made especially for Nalls Produce by Troyer Cheese.  We've been waiting with eager anticipation for this shipment for the past two weeks, and when it finally arrived yesterday it was like Christmas at Nalls.  Naturally, some quality control had to be done, I mean we had to make sure these delicious items were indeed delicious.  The first jar we popped open was the Tropical Salsa, and oh my mangos, it is goooooood!!!

Made with mango, papaya, pineapple, tomato and jalepeno, this is a sweeter salsa, almost like a chutney, and you barely get any heat from the jalepeno, just the wonderful flavor.  We may just be putting this on everything, but it would be perfect with grilled fish or chicken.

Another big hit was the ironically named...Traffic Jam!  Hey if you've got to get stuck in a DC area traffic jam, might as well make it a good one.

Peaches, red raspberries, strawberries, cherries and cranberries are all crammed in like rush hour on the Beltway...delicious, delicious rush hour.  Use this in your homemade jelly rolls or tarts, or heat it up to make it melty and drizzle that awesomeness on some pancakes!  Or you know, just eat spoonfulls of it right out of the jar.  What?  No.  Of course, I'd never do something like that.  No, that's not jam on my chin, it's um a rejuvenating face cream.

If you'll excuse me, I should get back to my "beauty regimen."  Now where'd I put my spoon?

Summer Peach Cake

With peach season rapidly coming to an end, it makes sense to make something beautiful and delicious to celebrate the fuzzy fruit. For those of you celebrating back-to-school, this would make the perfect addition to your celebration!

Ingredients:
2 1/2pounds peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch-thick wedges
5 tablespoons peach schnapps
4 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/4teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs, finely crushed

To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=29695&Extcode=L2HN1AA00

Grilled Brown-Sugar Peaches with White Chocolate

This decadent dessert will make you appreciate a good peach even more. It's easy to make, but very impressive.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 unpeeled peaches, halved, pitted
1/3 cup finely chopped white chocolate
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted salted pistachios

Click through to view the rest of this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Grilled-Brown-Sugar-Peaches-with-White-Chocolate-235168

Peach Tea Sparkler

This refreshing beverage is perfect for a HOT day like today! Make a big pitcher of it to keep in the fridge, you'll find yourself going back to refill a lot. Pour it into your reusable bottles so you can sip by the pool. You can also add some raspberry to it to give it even more color, get creative!

Ingredients:
3 black tea bags (or tea of your choice)
2 c. water
2 fresh peaches, sliced
2 T. agave nectar
4 c. sparkling water

To view the rest of this recipe: http://theimprovkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/06/peachy-keen.html

Peach Crisp

I can't get enough peaches! They're great on their own, with ice cream, baked... I can go on. This recipe would make a great item to serve for dessert or for brunch with plain yogurt.

Ingredients:
4 ripe peaches, halved
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup granola
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
1 pint vanilla ice cream (optional)

To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/peach-crisp-10000001202669/index.html

Peaches and Cream Whoopie Pies

I am a HUGE fan of whoopie pies... especially when the filling is cream cheese frosting! They are always fun to make and they are even more delicious when fresh ingredients are involved. This is a great way to kick off the summer!


Ingredients:
1 cup (5 ounces) peeled and quartered peaches (ripe but firm)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups light brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 large eggs

For the peach cream cheese frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons peach schnapps (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped peaches (ripe but firm)

To view the rest of this recipe, please visit: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/08/03/peaches-and-cream-whoopie-pies/