sprinklefingers

did you survive yesterday’s strawberry preserves post? i seriously can’t wait for you to get some strawberries and try the recipe. because after you do that then you’ll realize why i’ve really only eaten preserves since sunday. okay, sure, yesterday i ate quinoa, but most of my other meals have involved preserves.

here are some photos of the ways i’ve been enjoying the sweet strawberry deliciousness:

tried-and-true pb & j sandwich. delicious!

whole milk yogurt. with preserves. and a little thing i call double crunch granola (a recipe i developed for our new store.)

banana bread. with peanut butter. and strawberry preserves. oh, yum.

and right now it’s breakfast time. i’m heading to wake the kid up and have some toast…with jam!

oregon berry season is right around the corner. while i feel like i’ve been waiting forever, it also seems like just yesterday (or was it last summer?) i was washing and hulling strawberries to stock the freezer for winter.

speaking of stocking the freezer: i just took the last of my last summer’s strawberries out of the freezer and embarked on a preserves journey with them. and because this treasure trove of last summer’s sweetness is so special, i decided to preserve them using a method completely new to me. so. exciting. (if you like watching paint dry.)

usually i cook my preserved fruits with sugar and lemon juice until they reach the desired jammy stage. but this new process involves a lot of waiting time. you mix the berries with sugar and lemon juice. you let them sit. you boil the mixture. you let it sit. and, sometime during all the sitting, you magically make the most authentic tasting preserved fruits, ever.

actually, it’s not magic that does it. it’s the waiting time. allowing the berries to sit in sugar draws moisture out of them. that moisture evaporates during the short cooking time. the results: you cook the fruit less, so it retains more texture, flavor and color. honestly, this is my new favorite way to preserve - i’m seriously looking forward to a summer full of it.

now, the following recipe should not be doubled. actually, it’s already quite large in terms of preserving and if you make it any bigger, you’ll end up ruining the fruit before you ever get it to a high enough boil to thicken it properly. and speaking of thick - i prefer my jams and preserves to be spoonable. loose yet full of fruit - with no need to reach for a knife to cut a wedge of jam out of the jar. besides, it’s much easier to eat a bowl of strawberry preserves using a spoon. [oh, wait, did i just admit that?] because i prefer my preserves loose, this recipe will yield exactly that: perfectly spoonable preserves. (oh, one more note: i call jam preserves and preserves jam all the time. of course, preserves have larger pieces of fruit and jams don’t. but we spread both/either/any on sandwiches, mix them into yogurt, plop them over ice cream and scoop them up into our mouths with spoons. jam? preserves? yes, please.)

another note: this preserves journey takes 3 days. you’ll basically start it friday night and then actually can the preserves on sunday. the actual work time is so short though - most of the time the berry mixture is just hanging out on your countertop.

in addition, as you will see below, i drew on a host of references to sort out my recipe for preserves. all are listed, all contributed some tip or idea that resulted in my recipe for true strawberry deliciousness. (if you buy just one of these books, make it christine ferber’s. i have such an enormous crush on her.)

practically no work strawberry preserves
yields 6 pints

references used:

• mes confitures (all hail christine ferber!)
• the complete book of small-batch preserving
• the joy of jams, jellies and other sweet preserves
• the river cottage preserves handbook
• the farmer’s wife canning & preserving cookbook

prepare to preserve:

1. gather your sterilized pint jars, lids and jar bands.
2. gather your canning tools - canning pot, rack, funnel, jar lifers, etc. refresh your canning memory here.
3. find your largest non-reactive pot. make sure it’s clean.
4. now, let’s jam!

you need:

• 5 1/2 - 6 lbs washed & hulled strawberries, left whole if small, halved if large
• 2 1/2 lbs granulated sugar (if you have vanilla sugar around, even better!)
• 4 oz bottled lemon juice (i always use bottled lemon juice to be sure the acidity is consistent.)

start your preserves journey:

1. in the non-reactive pot, layer the strawberries, topped by the sugar, with the lemon juice poured over the top.
2. put a lid on the pot and let it sit for 8-10 hours or overnight.
3. remove the lid from the pot and put it on the stove over medium heat. as soon as the sugar has melted, raise the heat to medium-high and bring the entire mixture to a boil. boil 3-5 minutes.
4. remove the pot from the heat, place a lint-free kitchen towel over the top and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
5. remove the towel and put the pot back on the stove top over medium heat. press a few spoonfuls of strawberries up against the sides of the pot to mash them slightly. (don’t mash all of the berries, just a 2-3 spoonfuls.)
6. once the berries have warmed up, increase the heat and boil the mixture hard (a boil that cannot be stirred away) for 3-5 minutes. 
7. ladle your preserves into your sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes. (remember, complete canning instructions here.)

see? your actual cooking time is really only 6-10 minutes total. you so totally can do this. pun completely intended.

and now, preserves in photos:

strawberries, sugar, lemon juice:



berries after sitting overnight:

berries after first boil and sitting 24 hours:



bottom of the pot - thick & sticky:



all canned up:



tomorrow i’ll be back to show you the sad truth of just how much of these preserves i’ve eaten this week. wait. wait. it’s not sad, it’s glorious.

well, the whole salad for dinner thing was going really well until two things happened: my in-laws came to town and we took them out for dinner. and then i had a owning-your-own-business-is-too-much day at work. and so, i turned to food.

first up, the dinner out. we went to grüner. i’ve been several times, and i’m happy to report that it gets better with each visit. our server was probably the best i’ve ever had in portland, and the food was perfection. my favorite bite of the night: their house-made sauerkraut with a bit of house-made bratwurst and a gilding of mustard. followed by a sip of champagne. seriously good. and not very girly.

and then i had this grumpy day at work and a salad just wasn’t going to cut it for dinner. so i made a sandwich:

smoked mozzarella, salami and farm egg sandwiches

you need:

• unsalted butter (the better the butter the better the flavor)
• 2 slices of bread per person (you can use fancy bread. you can use sandwich bread. whatever you like.)
• a good amount of smoked mozzarella per person
• 6-8 thin slices of salami per person
• 1 farm egg per person

make the sandwiches:

1. heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a hunk of butter. when the butter is bubbly but isn’t brown, slide one side of each slice of bread through it so the bread is nice and buttery. need more butter to finish the job? simply add more to the pan and let it melt.
2. reduce the heat to medium-low and place as many slices of bread into the skillet as possible, buttered side down. add the cheese to your first slice of bread, then add the salami. place the second slice of bread on top (buttered side up) and cook until golden, flipping as necessary.
3. while the sandwiches are cooking, fry your eggs: using a small skillet set over medium heat, melt a bit of butter. crack your eggs into the skillet and fry until they reach your desired stage - I like mine soft-fried where the whites are just set and the yolk is plenty gooey.
4. once your eggs are fried and your sandwich is golden, carefully lift one slice of bread off your sandwich and slide the egg on top of the mozz and salami. replace the top slice of bread and enjoy. which you seriously will.

i swear it’s back to salads for us. i swear!

it’s an easter miracle. we went to church and my four year old (hopped up on jelly beans and the ears of a chocolate bunny) lasted the TWO HOUR service without having a complete freakout. i feel rather accomplished.

after the service we rushed home and i set about making brunch for a few close friends. on the menu: french toast, bacon, sausages, fruit salad and (hello!) mimosas. [as an appetizer we had about 45 chocolate easter eggs. apiece.]

generally when i have people ‘round for brunch i’ll plan a menu that’s as do-ahead friendly as possible. but not this time. i had two loaves of cinnamon bread in the freezer that were just screaming to be made into french toast, so i was determined to make it work - even if our lovely guests had to wait for me to griddle the toast.

delivering french toast to the table hot is made easier by an electric griddle. i’m not one for excessive amounts of kitchen equipment, but i would be lost without my electric griddle. i use it for breakfast (pancakes! french toast! bacon! eggs!), lunch (grilled cheese! quesadillas!) and dinner (veggie burgers!) - because it’s so much larger than a frying pan, an electric griddle allows you to, basically, griddle up the first round of french toast for the table and then (as you’re enjoying the first round with your guests) the second round can be frying up all golden brown. genius!

the other trick to getting this french toast on the table in a timely manner is that the bread is not soaked in the custard. while the custard is whipped together the night before, the bread is simply dipped in the custard before it goes on the hot (and buttery) griddle. really quite easy, even when cooking for a crowd.

orange & vanilla bean-infused french toast
serves 6 big eaters or 8 wimpy eaters

you need:

• 2 loaves cinnamon bread 
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 cup whole milk
• 9 eggs
• 6 T light brown sugar
• 3/4 t kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• zest of one orange

to make the custard:

1. crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. add the half & half, milk, brown sugar, salt, vanilla bean pod & seeds and the orange zest to the eggs whisking until frothy.
3. cover the custard bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. leaving the custard to sit overnight allows the flavors of the orange & vanilla to fully infuse the custard…the results are delicious.

make the french toast:

1. cut the ends off each loaf and then slice the loaves into slabs approximately 1 1/4 ” thick.  
2. heat the griddle to medium-high heat and add a few tablespoons of unsalted butter. 
3. pour the custard into a 9x13” pan and remove the vanilla bean pod. working with three slabs of bread at a time, plop the slabs into the custard and then press down lightly on them so that they’ll absorb some of the custard. flip the slices and press them down again. lift them out of the custard and wiggle them a bit to shake off the excess, then transfer them to the hot, buttered griddle.
4. repeat the soaking of slabs in custard and placing them on the griddle until your griddle is full.
5. cook the slabs until golden, approximately five minutes per side. 
6. repeat this process until your bread has all been dipped & griddled.

serve the french toast with butter and warm maple syrup. and maybe some bacon. and sausage. and probably some champagne and orange juice. and perhaps even a few chocolate eggs.

i’m still trying to figure out how i thought it was possible for the three of us to eat three loaves of brioche in less than one week.

yes, while packing food for our mini-break, i did indeed pack three (entire) loaves of brioche. now, don’t get me wrong, i love me some brioche…but three loaves of the stuff? even i realize that’s a bit excessive…unless, of course, i was planning to turn them into beach toys of some sort.

with our time away drawing to a close, and with that final loaf of brioche getting ever-staler, i had to figure something out. and then it hit me: french toast! the only problem: i’m at the beach, using someone else’s kitchen. a kitchen containing one tiny 8-inch fry pan and one non-heatproof spatula that has seen quite a bit of heat in it’s day. not exactly the kitchen arsenal i’m used to. and certainly not an arsenal that makes me want to whip up a batch of french toast.

then it hit me. sitting in my car, just waiting for the perfect emergency: a metal 9x13 pan! do i have a pen or a flashlight or a blanket in my car? hell no! but i do travel with emergency bakeware. priorities, priorities.

after a quick trip to the mini-mart (a mini-mart that carries real maple syrup,) i was ready to make breakfast:

baked brioche french toast
or
breakfast brioche bread pudding

this recipe can be called either of the above. or both of the above. i just couldn’t decide what to name it because the top layer of brioche gains a delightful crunch in the oven while the bottom layer can only be described as bread puddingy. oh, wait. that’s a lie. it can also be described as totally delicious.

you need:

• brioche loaf - one that weighs somewhere between 20-24 ounces
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 c pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 2 cups whole milk

make the french toast/bread pudding:

1. preheat the oven to 375.
2. liberally butter a 9x13” pan.
3. slice the bread in approximately 3/4” thick slabs. if your loaf has a particularly rounded top, trim the slabs so that they are nice squares. arrange the slabs evenly in a single layer in the pan.
4. once you have built the first layer, slice the remaining slabs of brioche into two ‘sticks’. arrange the sticks over the first layer of bread, slightly overlapping them as you go.
5. in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs.
6. add the maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and milk. whisk and whisk until everything is completely combined.
7. pour the custard mixture over the bread.
8. let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then gently press down on the top layer of bread with a fork, forcing it to soak up a bit more custard from the layers underneath.
9. pop the entire pan into the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until beautifully browned and puffed.
10. serve with plenty of soft butter and warm maple syrup.

i’ll be back tomorrow with some delicious variations for this already delicious dish.
___

look. photographic proof!

brioche sliced and ready for custard:



delicious final product:

it’s friday. tomorrow’s saturday. what does that mean? well, for starters, if you have the weekend off, it means you have plenty of time to try your first batch of brioche.

now, for the sake of this post, let’s pretend you did bake brioche. and that you’re not mad at me for assuming you have weekends off.  magically, you now have two loaves of the stuff. what are you going to do with it?

to begin, unless you’re having company, i suggest you freeze one of the loaves. double-wrap it in foil and label it and freeze it. preferably while it’s still a bit warm. and with the remaining loaf, do this:

thomas keller-style brioche grilled cheese:

• preheat your oven to 350.
• using your best bread knife, slice off enough slabs of brioche to get two 1/3” thick slices per serving.
• slice up a chunk of gruyere cheese - you want medium-thin slices, enough to completely cover one slice of brioche.
• heat up your frying pan or griddle. medium is best.
• slide a hunk of butter into the warm pan. when it is melted and bubbly (and maybe browning a bit,) place the bottom slice of brioche in the pan, top with the cheese and then top with the remaining slice of brioche. (repeat for all sandwiches that will fit in the pan, duh.)
• cook the sandwich until golden on both sides. this won’t take long, so watch that they don’t burn.
• remove the sandwiches from the frying pan and place them on a baking sheet. spread 1 teaspoon of butter on the top of each sandwich and then slide the sheet tray into the oven. bake until the cheese is completely melted and the sandwiches are toasted.

these sandwiches are best served with a simple tomato soup or a veggie-filled salad.

egg in a brioche basket:

• for each serving, slice one 1/2” slab of brioche from the loaf.
• set a frying pan over medium heat and add a hunk of butter to the pan.
• while the butter is melting, place one slice of brioche on a cutting surface and use a biscuit cutter or a juice glass that’s smaller than the slice of bread itself to cut a small hole out of the center of the bread. (save that circle! or stuff it in your mouth right now like i do!) repeat this step for all servings.
• place the bread-with-the-hole-in-the-middle in the pan and let it cook until the bottom is golden.
• flip the bread over and crack an egg into the center hole of each slice.
• cook until the egg is finished and the bottom of the brioche is golden.
• remove from the pan and serve.

i like eggs in brioche baskets with a side of bacon.

brioche french toast:

breakfast is made perfect with brioche french toast, trust me.
i posted a recipe just a few days ago, and you can find it here.

brioche toasts with bacon drippings:

i like to serve these brioche toasts when my dinner menu features something light - like a salad.

• preheat the oven to 350.
• slice the brioche into 1/2” thick slabs.
• brush each slab generously with reserved bacon drippings (you have these in your fridge, right? just heat them up until liquidy then brush on the bread!)
• place the brioche slabs onto a sheet tray and bake until golden.
• slice the slabs diagonally and serve alongside the salad. alternatively you could slice the toasted brioche into 1” chunks and sprinkle them on a salad or soup - best crouton, ever.

——

i’ll be back tomorrow with some ideas for your brioche dough...we’ll discuss the world of non-loaf options! think sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, tarts, doughnuts and more…

whoa is me. it’s been a rainy month here in good ol’ oregon.
i heard the other day that we’re just a few inches shy of this march going down in history as the rainiest march in years. although, i could be wrong. i (over)heard this information at the end of a rather tough spin class and sometimes my brain is too overcome by my legs complaining that they can’t feel themselves to pay any real attention to what people are actually saying. so, to sum it all up: it’s been extremely rainy. this rain may or may not be record-breaking. and, i really go for it at spin class.

speaking of rain and spring and spinning, i’m really hoping all the asparagus popping up at the market means spring really is on the way…please? spring? come on! we’re waiting for you! and speaking of asparagus, you should buy some. and then make this:

roasted spring asparagus with poached eggs & grits
serves 4 light eaters (or two eaters if you eat like me & my husband)

this is delicious and would be perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner. a bed of cheddar grits topped with a poached egg accompanied by a side of roasted asparagus? yes please.

this feast requires a bit of multitasking, but i know you can do it. i suggest you prep everything ahead, then first roast the asparagus. while it’s in the oven, heat the milk/water mixture for the grits at the same time as the water for the eggs. you’ll get the grits in the pan and - while stirring occasionally - focus on the eggs. doing things this way should find all three components finishing up at around the same time. alternatively, you could roast the asparagus ahead and enjoy it at room temp (which is actually how i prefer it) alongside the eggs & grits.

for the asparagus:

you need:

• 1 bunch asparagus - not the thinnest of the lot and not the thickest of the lot
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• pepper

roast the asparagus:

1. preheat the oven to 425.
2. wash & pat the asparagus dry.
3. holding one stalk in your hands, bend it in on itself. see how the end snapped off? now trim all the other stalks just below that same place.
4. arrange the trimmed stalks on a sheet tray in a single layer.
5. drizzle the stalks with olive oil.
6. season with salt and pepper.
7. slide the tray into the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes or until roasted but not darkening too much. (be sure to shake the pan a few times while roasting.)

for the grits:

you need:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup corn grits
• a hefty pinch of kosher salt
• a hefty grind of black pepper
• 6 oz vintage white cheddar, shredded

make the grits:

1. combine the milk and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. once the mixture starts to simmer, add the salt, pepper and grits.
2. adjust the heat so that the grits remain at a simmer.
3. simmer the grits for 5 minutes - the mixture will bubble & burst - stirring all the while.
4. after 5 minutes, check the grits…are they as thick as you’d like them to be? if not, let them cook a little while longer, taking care to watch that they aren’t burning in the bottom of the pan.
5. once the grits have reached your desired doneness, remove the pan from the heat and add all but 2 oz of cheese to the pan. stir until the cheese melts into the grits.
6. put a lid on the pot and set aside until your eggs are ready.

for the poached eggs:

you need:

• 4 farm fresh eggs, each cracked into a ramekin
• 2 t white vinegar

poach the eggs:

1. bring a saucepan of water to a simmer (note: i did NOT say boil. one way to ensure that your water is hot enough but not too hot is to first bring it to a full boil, then reduce the heat and let the water settle to a simmer - this is the water you should poach your egg in.]
2. add the vinegar to the water.
3. carefully slide each egg out of its ramekin down into the water. (if your saucepan isn’t large, poach only two eggs at a time.)
4. simmer each egg for 3-4 minutes, then remove them from the water using a slotted spoon.
5. set the poached eggs on a lint-free towel to dry off a bit.

finish the dish:

1. quickly & neatly plop a scoop of the grits onto a dinner plate. sprinkle 1/2 oz of cheddar on top and then carefully top with a poached egg. line a few stalks of asparagus alongside the grits. sprinkle with a bit of salt & pepper to taste.
2. repeat Step 1 for your dinner partner.
3. enjoy.
4. make it stop raining.
5. please.

ps: a delicious twist to this meal would be to use SMOKED cheddar instead of the vintage cheddar in the grits. actually, you could make it both ways and decide which you like best. start now!