Lentils with Duck Sausage and Homemade Peach Mostarda

The sausage came from Cafe Rouge, and I made the mostarda following the River Cafe recipe for Pears in Mustard Syrup, using peaches instead of pears and mustard seeds and powder instead of "mustard essence," which I couldn't find. I also added some thyme from the garden.

Nocino

For the first time this year we had a bunch of green walnuts on the tree, and I wanted to do something with them before the squirrels got them. I used David Lebovitz's recipe for nocino, and I can't wait to see how it turns out! I'll post again when it's all done...

Sour Cherry Preserves

Blood Orange Marmalade

I didn't measure anything for this, so you're just going to have to use your judgement when it comes to amounts. I had some blood orange segments and zest frozen from last winter, so I can't even tell you how many oranges I used... sorry!

Start by zesting the blood oranges in large strips. Slice the zest very fine, and place in a pot with sugar and enough water to cover it. Let it boil until softened, and translucent. Meanwhile, remove the pith from the oranges, and slice up the flesh into rounds (or you can supreme them). Add the orange pieces to the pot and continue to simmer until thickened, adding more sugar if necessary to taste. When the marmalade is reduced enough to pass a jell test (put a spoonful on a plate, stick the plate in the freezer for 10 min, and when you slant the plate, the jelly shouldn't spill), spoon it into jars and seal.

Kumquat-Lime Marmalade

This recipe is adapted from "The Produce Bible." The original calls for either limes or kumquats, but I decided to use a combination of kumquats, mandarinquats, and key limes. Yum!

2 lbs fruit (limes, kumquats, or a combination)
5-8 C water
6-10 C sugar
Cheesecloth


Start by halving all the fruit and then slicing it very thin.
Remove the seeds and place them in the cheesecloth to make a little bundle. Put the fruit, seed bundle, and water in a large, non-metallic bowl and leave overnight, covered.


Transfer the contents of the bowl into a large pot. If you are using just kumquats, add 1/4 C lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 20 minutes before reducing to a simmer. Let cook for 30-45 minutes and then add the sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring often, for another 20 minutes. Once the mixture acheives the desired consistency, transfer to jars and seal.

Lemon Curd

This recipe is from Alton Brown. I used the wonderful Meyer lemons that are in season right now, and I was really happy with the result. I recommend spreading a little on a warm, homemade scone- delicious!

4 lemons, zested and juiced (1/3 C juice)
1 C sugar
5 egg yolks
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pats


Fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a simmer. In a medium metal bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, and then add the lemon zest and juice. Whisk until well combined, and place the bowl over the pot on the stove to create a double boiler. Reduce the heat to low and make sure that the bottom of the bowl sits above the water, not in it. Continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens and becomes pale yellow, about 8 minutes- it should coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one pat at a time until they melt. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate. You can preserve the curd in jars processed in a steam canner for 15 minutes, or keep it in the refrigerator for a few days.

Makes one pint.

"Peppadew" Peppers

These are sweet, spicy peppers that I like to use in pasta, on sandwiches, in salads, cocktails (see below), or just to snack on. Don't discard the brine when you open a jar- it's great for dressings!


4 C small red peppers
3 C cider vinegar
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbs olive oil

Remove the tops from the peppers and scrape out the seeds. In a frying pan over high heat, "blister" the skin of the peppers. Allow to cool and then remove the skin. In a large pot, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil, then add the peppers and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch at the top of the jar. Top with 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil and seal in a canner.

For a cocktail recipe using these peppers, click here.

Wild Plum and Nectarine Jam

I made this recipe up, and I am so pleased with the way it turned out!! The nectarines add just a little extra something to the plums, and the vanilla bean just highlights the flavors. Best of all, it comes out the most beautiful color...

3-4 quarts of small wild plums, pitted
2 large nectarines, pitted and coarsely chopped
Juice of one large lemon
1 vanilla bean, sliced in half length-wise
Lots of sugar, to taste
12 half-pint jelly jars

Combine all the ingredients in a big pot and bring to a boil, while mashing the fruit with a potato masher. As the mixture boils, a foam should form on the top of the pot. Skim this off, being careful not to mix it into the fruit. After you've removed the foam, continue to boil for about an hour, stirring occasionally. To see if it's done, dip a spoon in the jam and place it on a plate in the freezer for a few minutes. When you take the spoon out of the freezer, run a fingertip down the back of the spoon. If it leaves a trail, the jam is firm enough. When in doubt, let it boil a little longer. Remove the vanilla bean and pour into jars.

Now for canning: I have a great steam canning pot that my father gave me, and it makes my job MUCH easier. These are pretty easy to find, and I think they're a worthwhile investment if you are planning to can a lot (and once you see how easy it is, you probably will!). However, it is also pretty easy to just use a big stock pot and boil the jars.

The most important things to remember are to make sure you wipe the rims of the jars after you fill them, and to not tighten the lids too much. Once you have the jam in the jars and the lids on, place them in your canning pot, or in a large stock pot with a wire rack in the bottom and cover with water. Make sure the jars are spaced at least an inch apart. Bring the water to a boil. If using a steam canner, wait until the steam comes out in long columns. Boil/ steam for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the jars from the pot with canning tongs (SO useful if you don't want to burn your arms), and place on a towel to cool.

Cherry Preserves

Two weeks ago, my friend Jane and I went cherry picking, as is our annual tradition, and picked about 25 pounds of cherries. Unfortunately, by the time I decided to start canning everything, I had eaten my portion of the haul. Lucky for me, the market had some very inexpensive Bings, and I happily bought them up yesterday to make cherry jam. This recipe is from Martha Stewart and makes 4 half-pints. I'm not going to include canning instructions, just the actual jam-making ones, but you can easily look that up on her website, or just follow the directions that come with your canning jars.

4 pounds ripe cherries, pitted
2 C plus 6 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs lemon juice

Place a small plate in the freezer.

Over medium heat, combine the cherries with about 1/4 C of the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Add about 1/3 of the remaining sugar and stir until dissolved. Repeat with two more batches of sugar. Place a candy thermometer in the mixture and bring to a boil.

Stirring frequently, cook until the jam reaches 220 degrees, about 30-40 minutes. To see if it's ready, try a "gel test": put a spoonful of jam on the plate in the freezer, leave for one minute. When you take the plate out, give the jam a little nudge with your finger. If it's ready, there will be a film over the top that will wrinkle a bit. If it's not, the jam will be too thin to form a film. If so, cook for a few more minutes and do another test.

Proceed with canning, according to the instructions that come with your jars.

Sweet Pickles

This recipe is from Martha Stewart Living. I would suggest using Japanese or English cucumbers because they are extra crunchy. They also suggest using yellow summer squashes.

2 pounds cucumbers, cut into 1/8 inch slices (about 6.5 Cups)
2 heaping Tbs coarse salt
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 C ice cubes
3 C cider vinegar
2 1/4 C sugar
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
3/4 tsp celery seeds
3/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp crushed chili pepper flakes (I used three small, dried hot chilis- one for each jar)

Toss cucumbers and onions with salt and ice cubes in a large colander. Place over a bowl and refrigerate for three hours, or overnight, tossing occasionally. Drain, and rinse.

Bring vinegar and all other ingredients to a boil in a large pot. Add the cucumbers and onions, and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and ladle into three sterilized, hot pint jars. If you are planning to keep these for more than a month, you should can them according to the directions that come with your canning jars. If not, refrigerate and serve!