Spreading the Local Jam Love

I started this blog to share recipes from my kitchen and mostly that is what I will still be doing here. Once in a while I will share news about my little jam company, Doves and Figs and perhaps a few other places and products that I love. Our website is www.dovesandfigs.com and I would love to have you visit anytime but it will be even more exciting in a month or so when we add our online shop! We have been getting wonderful notices in the press most recently from the Arlington Advocate and the Improper Bostonian. In the meantime, you can order jam by emailing or calling us and check out our Jam Nest for prices, flavors, and contact info.

This June we will be exhibiting at the Fancy Food Show in NYC for the first time. I attended this huge food business show last year and so I know what we are in for and will be bringing plenty of delicious jams for buyers to sample.

In July it will be just two years since we sold our first jar of jam at the Winchester Farmers Market. I made a big  stack of 12-jar cases (much more jam then I had ever made at one time before) and hoped to sell them over the course of the summer at Winchester and Arlington markets. I remember saying to my hubby that I hoped to sell a least 6 jars at that first market. He advised me to bring every single jar I had made; I advised him that he was nuts.  We did not bring any jars home!

A great market season led to getting a wholesale license and selling in wonderful stores from cheese and gourmet shops to produce shops to boutiques and gift stores with more exciting places coming on all the time.

I would love to know any ideas you have for places that should carry our jam, flavors that we should make, or recipes you have made with our jam that you would like to share. Please leave us a comment here or on Twitter @dovesandfigs or on our facebook page. Thanks and keeping on spreading the local jam love!

We now return to our regularly scheduled blogging from my kitchen for more recipes…

Cold Summer Pudding

I love deserts that are simple to make but look wonderful and are layered with delightful surprises; ice cream bombs, trifles, parfaits, etc.  When I heard  Linda Wertheimer interview cookbook author Sophie Grigson on WBUR link here  there was much discussion about the delights of English Summer Pudding.  This was my kind of dessert and all that is needed to make it is bread, summer berries, and a bit of sugar.
I ran out and bought a big loaf of farmhouse style bread and, well, if you know me or read my blog you will know there is never a shortage of fruit around here.  Instead of making one big pudding, I decided to make little ones in custard cups.  I added a bit of Cointreau and a layer of jam to the basic recipe but these are optional. The tiny puddings were so easy and delicious and light that this recipe will become a summer favorite in my house.

To make Summer Pudding:
Chop up about a pound of  berries-strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. (I used a quart of fall strawberries and a handful of black raspberries and red currants from my garden.
Put all the fruit and a  1/3 cup sugar and a splash of Cointreau in a big skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the juices run freely and the fruit begins to soften.  Strain some of the juice off into a shallow bowl. Let cool slightly.
Cut 5 rounds of bread (about 1 inch thick) to fit tightly in the bottom each of the custard cups and another 5 rounds to fit the bottom.
Dip the top round in the fruit juice and place in the custard cup juice side down.
Spread a layer of raspberry jam on the bread and then spoon in about a heaping tablespoon of cooked fruit.
Dip the bottom layer in fruit juice and place in the cup juice side up this time.
Cover with plastic wrap and weight down with a can or heavy jar.  Place in the refrigerator overnight.
To unmold, run a knife gently around the edge of the pudding.  Invert onto a plate or shallow bowl and lift the custard cup.
Serve with whipped cream and fresh sliced berries or just plain.

Brews & Ewes-Boston Lamb Jam 2012

I  admit that I am completely addicted to food television; every chef contest from honoring the best to teaching (and laughing at) the worst captures my attention.  I watch as chefs and foodies discover and judge the greatest dishes, drinks, food trucks, and hidden dining treasures.   Lest you think I am only a competition spectator, a few months back I entered the American Lamb Pro-Am and teamed up with Chef Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern to win first prize!

Imagine how excited I was when the The American Lamb Board and BostonChefs.com invited me to be a judge for the Boston “leg” of the Lamb Jam tour.  The contest was held February 19, 2012 at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA. Eighteen chefs competed and the judging panel tasted all eighteen dishes comparing factors such as flavor, presentation,  and originality.  We also sipped some wine, beer, snapped photos, laughed, and argued over mystery spices and the perfect level of salt in a dish.  There was a lot of food and it was interesting how some of the judges deconstructed each morsel and others just ate it all.
In the end we pushed through some hot debates and winners were chosen.  In addition to the winning dishes which I will detail in a moment there were two stellar bites for me; a lamb and pasta dish and a lamb donut!

Chef Tyson Podolski of Summer Winter Burlington, MA brought a Chiang Mia Braised Lamb with Winter Squash Cavatelli, Mint & Cilantro and their table was decorated with a flat of greens from their on-site greenhouse.  The lamb in the dish was tender and well seasoned but the cavatelli was the main attraction.  Perfectly cooked with a hint of sweetness and a sauce that was creamy but with light lemony and green notes.  I hope this cavatelli will show up on their menu this spring.

The other standout dish for me was the Smoked Bone Marrow Beignet made by Toby Hill of Pain D’Avingnon the charming bakery and bistro on Cape Cod. This donut had a perfect light cake crumb and managed to be both airy and very rich.  The beignet was filled with melting soft lamb shank and a blood orange mostarda along with Vermont Shepard cheese.  Some of the judges found the orange filling too sweet but I loved the way this dish could almost be called a lamb dessert while remaining balanced and focused on the flavor of the meat.

And now for the winners!
There were several meatball dishes in the competition but Brian Alberg of the Red Lion Inn combined kale with the lamb shoulder to make the most delicate and satisfying little bite.  He surrounded it with a swirl of smoked tomato puree and finished the dish with crispy parmesan crustade.  By the time this dish came out, served in a cute mini covered cassarole dish, we were well into the tasting.  Our judging panel had eaten quite a bit of food.  It was all many of us could do not to eat every scrap of this dish rather than just taste (a few could not resist).  I am hoping this will be on their menu which by itself would make it well worth a visit to this historic inn.
Each category had a winner as well.  Chef Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern was the shank category winner with a small bite that nearly exploded with flavor.  The braised lamb shank terrine was served on a round of caraway brioche with horseradish and lamb bacon.
The winner of the leg category was Chef Brian Reyelt of Citizen with a lamb leg and bone marrow polpettone with bourbon cherries served in a bone.  This dish was fun to eat and generated an amazing amount of buzz for looks alone but the rich and sophisticated taste showed more than just clever packaging.
Chef Matt Jennings of La Laiterie won the loin category with a Korean Lamb Reuben with red miso cured lamb served on a semolina and lamb fat roll.  I could have eaten a whole plate of that lamb and the bun was fluffy and filled with flavor.
Finally the people’s choice award went to Chef Cassie Piuma of Oleana for her Lebanese Style Lamb Crepe with harra sauce, crushed walnuts, cucumber, and pomegranate.  This was a beautiful dish that blended fresh and exotic flavors folded into a delicate crepe.
The event also featured craft beers from local breweries, wine from J. Lohr vineyars cheese from Cabot, and adorable cartoon-like lamb cookies from Harvard Sweet Boutique.  These were so cute I could hardly bring myself to eat one.  Luckily they also had delicious caramels to munch on too and yes I ate some even after sampling 18 amazing lamb dishes.  Hey, I am always ready to take one for the team-as long as it is tasty!

Sunshine for Supper

Last weekend was the opening day for the winter market at Mahoney’s Garden Center in Winchester.  Our Doves and Figs booth was set between some sweeping potted palms and a large display of citrus trees. I remember vacationing in Florida as a child and driving through orange groves.  The heavenly scent of white blossoms and the cheery round orange fruit.  It was a great day with lots of people tasting and buying jam and local friends stopping in to shop and say hello.  When I got home I could not stop thinking about oranges.  I planned several new citrus jam and marmalade recipes and then I bought a big bag of navel oranges and brought my orange obsession to dinner.

I roasted some carrots, turnips, and beets that I bought at the market.  When the vegetables were tender, I let them cool slightly and then splashed them with a mix of fresh orange juice, a bit of orange zest, some fig jam, white balsamic vinegar, and a dash of black pepper.   

The main course was orange sesame salmon. I dusted the salmon fillets with flour and paprika.  The fish was then seared on both sides in a hot pan lightly coated with olive oil.  I added a blend of orange juice, rice wine, minced garlic, minced ginger, and a drop of sesame oil to the pan.  As the salmon cooked the sauce reduced and thickened almost to a glaze.  Just before serving, I sprinkled the fish with toasted white and black sesame seeds. 

I served the sesame salmon and the roasted root vegetables with a simple green salad, and jasmine rice into which I mixed caramelized onions. It was a sunny supper for a winter night.

     

Autumn American Lamb Supper

UPDATE-We won! Teamed up with Chef Michael Scelfo of Russell House Tavern, my lamb roast was transformed into a roulade of lamb belly stuffed with lamb sausage and sous vide overnide until it was meltingly tender.  It was served with a dollop of Doves and Figs Winter Carnival conserve, a brush of cranberry mustard and a sprinkle of micro greens.

A number of years ago at Passover, I arrived at my parent’s new home in Florida to find out some terrible news.  My mom had decided that since it was a much smaller holiday crowd then in the past, she would just make a nice roast chicken or
perhaps a small brisket.  “No lamb?” I asked, concern rising in my voice.  As my  mother explained how she was simplifying many things now, tears started to run down my face.  My feelings were sparked in part by longing for my favorite dish, by losing a holiday tradition, and perhaps mostly by the realization that my parents and I were growing older.   Five minutes later Mom and I  were in the car heading to the store to buy a leg of lamb and a big head of garlic and the holiday was restored for me.  The miracles of parting the sea and freeing the slaves from Egypt paled in comparison to the wonders of that lamb dinner.

When I was invited by Boston Chefs, to participate in the American Lamb ProAm, (information and a chance to vote for this recipe) I jumped at the chance.  My first thought was to make the typical spring lamb dinner that I enjoyed so much as a child.  The beautiful crimson-tipped trees and the bounty of fall fruits and vegetables at the farmers market convinced me instead to give my lamb a local autumn flavor.  I have also been following the adventures of  a group learning blog founded by Cathy Barrow called Charcutepalooza which inspired me (and provided excellent help technical advice) to make sausage as part of my dish.

With the exception of salt, sugar, and a few spices, I used all New England local and farm-grown ingredients in my dish.  The lamb that was generously supplied by the American Lamb folks came from Superior Farms.  I was pleased to read that they are  committed to sustainable farming and their website states that “All lamb livestock are raised outdoors with healthy diets of natural grasses, crops and grains.”

The local ingredients featured in my dish include:
Corn meal grown and ground by Mainstone Farm, Wayland MA
Roxbury and Cortland apples, Bosc Pears-Kimball Fruit Farm, Pepperell MA
Eggs-Golden Egg Farm, Hardwick MA
Cranberries-PJs Cranberries, Sandwich MA
Brussells Sprouts-Grateful Farm, Franklin, MA
White Wine-Hardwick Winery in Hardwick MA
Harpoon Hard Apple Cider from Boston, MA and Vermont
Cabot Sharp Cheddar from Vermont
Kate’s Buttermilk from Maine
King Arthur Flour from Vermont

I hope you will enjoy this delicious fall lamb supper and please vote for my dish starting on Monday at www.bostonchefs.com and show your love of lamb and local farm-grown food!

Autumn American Lamb Roast Stuffed with Lamb Apple Sausage Boneless leg of  lamb
Lamb Apple sausage (recipe below) or store-bought lamb sausage
Cape Cod Cranberry Marinade (recipe below)

Prepare the marinade
Place the boneless lamb leg in a large plastic bag and pour in marinade
Refrigerate the lamb for two hours, turning several times to make sure the marinade covers the meat fully
After two hours remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade
Roll open the leg of lamb gently
Cut part way through meat from the inside, if needed, to
make the roast lay as flat as possible-be careful to not cut too deeply
Spread the sausage mixture over the inside of the lamb leg
leaving a small border around the edges
Roll the roast from the short end like a jelly roll
Truss the roll with butcher’s twine
Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then at 325 degrees until meat reaches desired doneness.
For a medium rare roast, cook about 25 minutes per pound to 145 degrees.
Let roast rest for about ten minutes before slicing

Lamb Apple Sausage
1 ¾ lb pounds of lamb meat (leg or shoulder)
1/3 lb lamb fat
2 cups peeled, cored, chopped firm baking apples
½ cup fine ground cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tsp black pepper
2 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Equipment needed-food processor or meat grinder and large bowl
of ice

Cut meat and fat into cubes and place in freezer for 30 minutes
Meanwhile peel, core, and chop apples finely in food
processor or with a knife and set aside
After the meat has chilled, grind in three batches in food
processor fitted with steel blade or run through meat grinder
Place the ground meat in a bowl over the ice bowl to keep it
chilled through the process
When all the meat has been ground, mix the cornmeal, spices
and apples into the meat with your clean hands, blending well
The stuffed lamb roast will need about half of the sausage, you can shape the remaining sausage into patties to freeze and cook later.

Cape Cod Cranberry Marinade
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup cranberries (chopped in food processor)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cracked brown mustard seed (whole seeds can
be cracked in a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 garlic cloves crushed
1 sprig of fresh rosemary

Place all  ingredients in a large bowl
Stir well to combine

Side Dishes

Apple Pear Cranberry Conserve
6 cups apples (measure after peeling, coring, and cutting into ½ inch chunks)
2 cups of pears (measure after peeling, coring, and cutting into ½ inch chunks)
3 cups cranberries
3 1/2 cups water
5 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Cook cranberries in sugar, water, and spices until cranberries begin to soften
slightly and pop (about 10 minutes)
Add apples and pears
Cook gently until apples and pears soften and mixture begins to thicken
Boil until mixture gels (will be a softer spread than a traditional jam)
Remove cinnamon sticks and refrigerate, can, or freeze

Cheddar Lamb Fat Cornbread
1 cup stone-ground corn meal
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons lamb fat saved from roasting pan and chilled
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2/3 cup cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon baking powder

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Mix together flour, corn meal, and baking powder in a bowl
Stir in cold lamb fat
Whisk buttermilk and egg together
Blend buttermilk and egg into flour mixture
Stir in cheese gently
Grease  9″ cast iron pan or muffin tin
Place in oven to heat for about 5 minutes
Scoop batter into hot pan
Bake 20 minutes for pan and 15 minutes for muffin tin

Brussels Sprouts  Braised in Hard Cider
Clean sprouts and trim stems as needed
Pan sear sprouts in a small amount of olive oil
Add a generous amount of salt and pepper and cover part way
with hard apple cider
Cook on medium heat until sprouts become just tender

Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen Ticket Contest

ANNOUNCEMENT–the winner of the free ticket to Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen is…a little Klezmer music please…Renee of http://www.eatliveblog.com.  After bemoaning the lack of really good deli in Boston (I am with you on that sister), I hope you get your Jewish food joy on Jan 30.  Thanks to everyone who participated and there are still some tickets available for purchase  Ticket info

Imagine biting into a perfect little momo dumpling, or a potsticker, or a tamale and finding a meltingly tender mouthful of brisket inside.  Last year I attended an event from The New Center for Arts and Culture called Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen where some of the best chefs in the Boston area were challenged with updating Jewish holiday cuisine.  The result was dishes that mixed cultures and went beyond simple updates of recipes to sparking ideas that will become new traditions in young Jewish households.

Well, they are doing it again on Sunday, January 30, 2011!  This time my Jewish food idol, Joan Nathan will be at Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen to give a talk and there will be an expanded menu of foods from soup to dessert.  So nu, do you have your ticket already?
Does  tasting Michael Scelfo’s (Russell House Tavern) take on bagels and lox with hot smoked arctic char tempt you?
Maybe Steven Brand from Upstairs on the Square could entice you with his braise lamb knishes?
How about Craigie on Main’s Tony Maws giving his take on kasha varnishkas ?
Maybe a bissel wine to wash it down?  Central Bottle, Urban Grape and
Narragansett Beer will be sampling beer, wine, and even Kosher scotch.
Full Menu/Participating Chefs and Ticket info
HOW ABOUT WINNING A FREE TICKET TO ENJOY IT ALL!!
I have the pleasure of awarding one ticket to this event courtesy of the nice folks at The New Center for Arts and Culture.   Oy, such menschs!

RULES: To participate in the contest, please leave one comment on this post and tell us what traditional Jewish food you would like to see updated and why.
 New Deadline-You must post your comment by Monday, January 17, 2011 by 11:00 pm est to be eligible to win.
New Announcement Date-A winner will be selected at random and announced on this blog on Tuesday, January 18, 2011.
You must be 18 year old or older to participate
Note: Any postings that are considered not appropriate to this blog will not be displayed  but you would never shame your Bubbie that way so we are not worried!
Disclosures: I will be attending this event as a guest of The New Center for Arts and Culture and my bubbie was a terrible cook (except for one miraculous dish of stuffed cabbage) but she played a mean game of Mahjong.

An Evening of American Food and Song

On Wednesday night we threw a party that combined my love of food and food history with my husband’s love of music and singing.  We invited a group of my fellow food blogger friends and the members of the Sounds of Concord Barbershop Chorus (where Mark sings Bass) to an Evening of American Food and Song.  

The foodies selected and prepared dishes that reflected their vision of the  American spirit and the Barbershop guys sang their hearts out for us including a rousing version of the Star Spangled Banner .  Despite the showers we gathered in the house for cocktails and dinner but when the rain let up the boys filed out to the patio to fill the summer night with their harmonies. 

It was a magical evening of friendship, fun, and fantastic food.  I will try to give you a flavor of some of the festivities and dishes but honestly I was having too good a time schmoozing and listening to the music to snap a ton of pictures.  I think we may just have to make this an annual event!

 Some of the dishes we made and our clever and talented friends brought included:

Ham Fancies, Homemade Pimento Cheese,  Daisy Sandwiches, Picnic Pickles
I adapted these appetizers from the 1917 American cookbook, ”1000 Ways to Please A Husband”  Mark was not convinced that cutting pimento sandwiches into cute little shapes is the way to a man’s heart but he did enjoy the homemade picnic pickles

Red, White, & Blue Grass-Fed Beef Sliders
Jon Ross-Wiley from www.localinseason.com grilled up baby burgers topped with blue cheese and tomatoes that were delicious and fit the theme perfectly.  He shared with me that our friends at CityFeed in JP donated ingredients when they heard about our party.  Thanks guys!!

Summer Succatash
Anita Freed made as American a dish as you can get featuring foods that reminded her of pre-Colonial Thanksgiving feasts.  In more modern times, ingredients arrive in a CSA box. You can get the recipe for this tasty dish and other local food recipes from her blog, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Swiss Chard

Wild Rice Salad
Lara Zelman, a.k.a Good Cook Doris also brought us a dish filled with native foods and Colonial transplants from the earliest days of our nation.  Wild rice and cranberries already grew here and parsley and celery (often Lovage or cutting celery)  were frequently grown in Colonial gardens.  This dish was delightfully cool and light; perfect for a hot summer night.

Sue McCrory who brings us many delicious stories and events in the Public Radio Kitchen brought her family’s favorite baked beans.  “Pat Riley’s (Vegetarian) Baked Beans”  were so rich and full of baked in sweetness that I just wanted to heap them on a plate with a chunk of cornbread and eat huddled in a corner, growling like a hound if anyone came near.  Luckily, she made a huge pot so there was plenty to share.

Another hearty dish was brought by Mike and Laura Angotti.  I am not typically a huge chili fan, but this cowboy style recipe full of meat and beans in a thick flavorful sauce won me over.  They also supplied blue corn chips and shredded cheese to finish it off right.

 Corn and blueberries, as native American foods, played a big part in the menu and were featured in a corn casserole from Brian (a Barbershopper), a blueberry/strawberry cornbread, and some petite blueberry muffins bursting with berries made by Margie Gordon Hurwitz.  The muffins came nestled in linens in a vintage  basket with a little tag that read ”House of Hurwitz”.

Blueberries were also used in a drink we called a Yankee Doodle, which contained gin, homemade blueberry syrup, tonic water, and a squeeze of lime. There were homemade maraschino cherries and blueberries to add that packed a punch!  The other drink pictured was a moscato based sangria with summer fruits.   Of course we also enjoyed a selection of good old American beers.

Alan Bone, another of the Barbershop singers, brought a Southern Macaroni Pie and brought home an empty dish-yum! 

AND THEN CAME THE DESSERTS

Mark insisted that an Americana party had to have a watermelon basket and so he carved up this number just shortly before the party began.  It was filled with melon and berries and went well with the fresh cherries one of the guests brought.

There was also more fruit for dessert in the luscious blueberry cobbler made by Laura and Rob Ciampa who mostly blog about great restaurants and travel in New England but clearly some terrific things come out their own kitchen!  There was a blueberry pie from the charming Noj and Lily Zachariah as well of some fine singing from Noj. 

And I made some fruit tarts if only to justify owning 19 tart pans. Blueberry with cornmeal crust, sour cherry with almond crust, and peach spice with shortbread crust.

And throughout the evening lots of singing and chatting and smiles:

Click here  for more pictures!

Sounds of Concord is always looking for men who like to sing to join them.  Check the website for details and rehersal times.

Prize Winning Pickles

My Peculiar Pickles won first prize at the Topsfield Fair this past weekend!  They were a combination of home grown cucumbers and those purchased at the Arlington Farmers Market and Heirloom tomatoes.  The big hit (and curiosity) of these pickles every time I serve them is the spiny little Maxixe which I purchase from the Hmong Farms stall at the farmers’ market.  Oddly enough, I had a visit schedule to tour the farm today and take some photos  for my book.  I guess I owe the farmers a big thank you when I get there for growing these glorious vegetables!  And thanks too for my wonderful friends at Kimball Fruit Farms for their outstanding tomatoes even in a tough tomato year.

Prize Winning Pickles
2 pints Lemon Cucumbers pickled in brine
2 pints Heirloom Tomatoes pickled in brine
2 pints Maxixe pickled in brine

Brine Recipe
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 quart water
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup salt
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp each brown and yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
5 dill fronds*

Wash cucumbers and slice in large chunks
Wash tomatoes and slice in large chunks
Combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan
Place spices in cheesecloth and add to vinegar mixture
Simmer for 15 minutes
Clean and heat 6 pint jars and lids
One at a time:
Pack cucumbers or tomatoes into hot jar leaving ¼ inch headspace
Ladle hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers or tomatoes
Remove air bubbles
Seal jar with two piece cap
When all jars are filled, process for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner
Rest jars for 24 hours and then check seals
Store in a cool dry place