Two Black Prince & Three Black Cherry Tomatoes
The first of each are real beauties. I hope this is a good sign for the garden. The larger of the two Black Prince tomatoes has a gorgeous deep burgundy color surrounding the stem end. The other is a bit under-ripe. But, it was splitting. Growing too fast, maybe?
I’m already wishing we’d planted more than one of each plant.
Black Cherry Cluster
Black Krim
…our love continues to grow.
Two Bush Golliath
Big plant, but, it only has a few tomatoes.
My Darling Juliet
You are destined for the pot.
Black Cherries On The Vine
Fruity and spicy, I love these peppers.
Manzano Pepper Hot Sauce
makes 1 big bottle
4-5 manzano peppers, washed and seeded
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 – 1 cup vegetable stock
Saute peppers and onion in butter until onion barely turns golden at the edges. Season with sugar, salt, pepper and oregano. Add vegetable stock and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add vinegar. Let cool. Puree in a blender and bottle. Use immediately or refrigerate.
Brush on chicken at the end of grilling for a light, fiery hot glaze.
(Or, use it as you would any hot sauce.)
Chinese chives with their deep, dark green color are as beautiful as they are delicious. They’re like a cross between a leek, a chive and a baby ramp. The only negative? The older stalks can be a bit tough near the tip. If you get a tough batch, just trim off those tips.
Fried Rice With Chinese Chives
Serves 2 generously
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 heaping cup of day old rice
1 bunch of Chinese chives
splash of soy
a generous squirt of Sriracha
1 teaspoon hoisin
black pepper, freshly ground
fine sea salt, if needed
In a wok, stir fry onion and garlic in oils. Add beaten egg and a splash of soy sauce, if you choose to. Toss quickly and chop into a chunky pieces with metal spatula. Set aside. Add another tiny drizzle of peanut oil and sesame oil (or hot sesame oil) and add rice. Stir fry about 1 minute, or until well-heated. Add chives, soy, Sriracha, and hoisin. Stir fry, tossing frequently. Taste rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate when chives are just starting to wilt from the heat.
Top with a gently fried egg to make this a meal.
That’s it.
What you see represents the last of our home grown blackberries. It was about 1 small bowl. There might be one or two to nibble here and there straight off the vine. But, there will be no blackberry jam this year. Each little batch of blackberries came in tiny bowl fulls.
Blackberry Cake
Makes 1 8×8 inch baking dish
1 cup butter, soft
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, jumbo
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1 scant cup ripe blackberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter 8×8 inch baking dish.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Whip until light and fluffy. Set aside.
In a small bowl, add all dry ingredients. Stir with a fork vigorously. Add to creamed ingredients and mix ingredients until just barely combined. Pour into baking dish. Spread gently with a spatula and top with blackberries. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 38-45 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes. Then, glaze
Lemon Glaze
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup 10x sugar
Whisk until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over warm cake.
(If you want a skimpy zig-zag drizzle, cut the glaze recipe in half.)
Very sweet and rich, I suggested cutting some sugar and butter next time. But, no.
“Don’t you dare.”, I was told.
So…
We bought a container of chocolate covered goji berries at Whole Foods. And, they’re just “ok”. They sat on the counter, lonely and ignored. Then, it hit me. They’re perfect for a high end trail mix. This might be a high calorie blend. But, it works. The richness of the nuts keeps you satisfied after even the smallest handful. Is it a snack or a quick & easy dessert? You decide.
I only wish I had some mini pretzels to throw in the mix, too.
My Uptown Trail Mix
Chocolate Covered Goji Berries
Macadamia Nuts
Roasted Pecans
Toasted Pine Nuts
Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
You choose the proportions.
Combine all in a large bowl. Toss and store in a jar on the kitchen counter.
A weekday cocktail is a rare splurge in our house. But, we both recently fell in love with these jalapeño stuffed green olives from Trader Joe’s. This cocktail makes perfect use of them.
Bloody Mary
makes 2
2 cups tomato juice (or spicy V-8)
4 ounces vodka (or Pisco makes a nice substitute)
juice of one lemon or lime
freshly ground black pepper
generous shake or two of Tabasco
pinch of brown sugar
green olive skewers
celery stalks, if desired
Combine all in a shaker with ice. Stir vigorously. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Stir again. Strain over fresh ice. Garnish with olive skewers and celery stalks.
Cheers!
How do you know when blackberries are ripe?
Each delicate little bubble full of deep purple juice falls into your hand with the lightest touch.
That’s how.
No, I didn’t take a nibble. Squirrels beat us to the punch every time. But, the sweet scent of peach nectar will keep us fighting the good fight… for years to come. I’m sure of it.
Peach Clusters
So Close
They’re almost begging to be eaten. But, they’re not ready yet.
Heavy with Peaches
This top tree branch is so heavy with peaches it’s nearly horizontal to the ground. But, we’ll be lucky to get a single ripe peach this year. Those devious squirrels are pure evil to the core.
Black Mission Fig
It might be close to doubling it’s size this year.
Sweet ‘n Neat
The first tomato of the year is a beautiful little Sweet ‘n Neat cherry.
Juliet Tomatoes
We can’t wait to taste these little beauties.
Slow & Steady Wins The Race
Patience will be rewarded.
…We hope.
My Pretty
Honey Wheat Bread
Makes 1 loaf
1 1/2 cups warm milk
3 TBSP butter, soft
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon molasses
3 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached bread flour, and as needed to knead
2 cups King Arthur Whole Wheat flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
Nuke milk, butter, honey and molasses in a glass measuring cup for 10-20 seconds, or, until the milk is barely warm to the touch. Set aside for 5 minutes. Then, add yeast.
Combine flours, cocoa, espresso powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Then, add milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are blended together. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Then, knead on the number 2 setting of a Kitchen Aid (or any other stand mixer that is durable enough to handle bread dough) to combine. Knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough should be a wet, but easy to handle dough. Turn onto a countertop to finish kneading. Shape dough and place into a buttered 9×5″ loaf pan. Cover with buttered Saran wrap and let rise in a warm spot for at least one hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan and let cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Practice makes perfect. Ok, maybe not perfect, but, pretty amazing!
Wanna lounge around on a sunny weekend day? Or, indulge in a brunch cocktail in the comfort of your own home, maybe? This tasty bitter orange soda needs no embellishment. But, if you’re in the mood for a cocktail, this one makes a refreshing adult beverage on a warm and sunny day.
What’s that? It’s raining? Whip up a cocktail and watch the rain fall.
This is sure way to brighten up the weekend.
Chinotto Cocktail
makes 2
2 ounces of your favorite vodka
1 – 2 Tablespoons basil syrup
1 200ml bottle chinotto
basil leaf or sprig, to garnish
ice, to fill
Fill two tall glass with ice. Pour 2 ounces vodka and 1 Tablesoon basil syrup over the ice. Top with chin otto. Stir gently and give it a taste. Then, if you want to add a bit more sweetness add another tablespoon of syrup.
Garnish each glass with a basil leaf.
Cheers!
Basil Syrup
Makes 1 over cup
1 cup water
1 cup basil, roughly chopped
1 cup sugar
Bring water to a boil. Add basil leaves and sugar. Stir and remove from the heat. Cover and let sit until cool. Pour into a glass measuring cup and refrigerate overnight. Then, strain into a small pourable bottle. Use as needed and keep refrigerated.
This delightful pop recipe comes just in time for Blackberry Season.
Kim Crawford Pinot Blackberry Pops
Makes 10 pops
4 ounces dark organic cane sugar
4 fluid ounces water
1 1/2 pounds fresh, ripe blackberries (about 5 cups), rinsed and dried
6 to 8 ounces 2010 Kim Crawford Pinot Noir
To make a simple syrup, combine sugar and water in saucepan.
Gently heat while stirring just until sugar dissolves. Cool completely.
Puree the blackberries with a blender. Then, strain. This should produce 16 ounces of puree.
Add 6 ounces of cooled simple syrup.
If stronger Pinot Noir flavor is desired, add remaining 2 ounces.
Pour into molds, add sticks and freeze until solid (about 4 to 6 hours).
Unmold and serve immediately.
These are best eaten outside on a warm and sunny day.
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