Thursday, July 23, 2009

First Harvest and other Jams




The other day I picked my first little harvest: heirloom beans ready to dry (or are they?) and tiny tomatoes, a few fat little peppers...maybe enough for one bowl of soup, a miniature bowl of salsa? Who cares, they look so dainty in my gleena plates and bowls.


And then, Jim came home with our favorite once-a-year treat: zucchini blossoms. We really do only do this once a year and we only ever make fritters from them but the zucchini blossoms! They seem so abundant in the market, I might try to stuff them with something...frying is just so...decadent (but insanely delicious-screw it). (Marcella Hazan's recipe here.)


Jim took some action shots. He and Maxine must have been kind of bored while I was frantically hopping back and forth from batter to hot splattering oil, (getting splattered), yelling, "CAN YOU GET SOME PAPER TOWELS PLEASE?! (ouch!) OR BROWN PAPER BAGS! (shit!) WE"VE GOT TO SOP THAT GREASE UP! (owwww!).


And then...
red currants
red currants in water
red currants cooking and covered with sugar

And then yesterday, I met an amazing old friend who I'll tell you about tomorrow and we chattered our way through the Union Square Farmer's Market in which we found some lovely red currants.

I didn't buy enough to really get down into something big but when I got them home, I told Jim he had two choices (he was napping at the time): I was either going to make one of two recipes from my most prized new addiction 66 Square Feet (come on; Marie has a badass black cat with a much better inner voice than Maxine, is an incredible and passionate cook and is a freaking garden designer: hello? it's love): would it be her Bachelor Jam (aka IT) or her red currant jam...he rolled over and said, "jam".

I looked at the paltry amount of currants I had bought and said, the stuff with the vodka next week when I get a ton more.



This morning Jim asked me when I had made the jam. It's very very good.

13 comments:

onesilentwinter said...

we are coming over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

Asya said...

You are amazing! I love this post, and wish I lived next door to you so I could sample some of your red currant jam. Yum! Thank you for using my dishes, they look happy...

cindy* said...

it's a jam-boree!

i love your little harvest all set up in your sweet gleena bowls :)and i'm glad you made it through the dangers of frying...

Simply Mel {Reverie} said...

Don't you just love this time of year...everything is so vibrant, beautiful and delicious!

Cindy said...

yum ... i really love zucchini flower fritters! they are such special treats!

Marie said...

Beautiful zucchini frittering pics...:-)

Thank you Deb!...and I think Don Es has the smallest crush on Maxine.

heidi said...

I can see currant bonbons for fall 09....
YUM! xoh

Amy@Old Sweet Song said...

So fun to see all of your culinary adventures, friend. Keep on rocking!

Maggie May said...

beautiful images and lovely care put into your food

nichole said...

OMG .. zucchini blossoms. I am seriously craving them now. I'll be over.

Elizabeth said...

My gosh, your first harvest is so impressive! Congratulations!

Clarity said...

Love this! I have red currants growing wild and need a good recipe. If only there could be a sugar free one...

I adore the produce, try plums and blue cheese in a recipe, you may be surprised.

Lastly those decadent leaves look so lush, like a gown soaked in golden oil... well, ish :) Never tried them before.

erin said...

yum!