Rhubarb-Strawberry Jam

Growing up, rhubarb grew every summer in our backyard. So basically for me rhubarb tastes a lot like nostalgia.

That backyard was a magical place full of make believe. The swings, the apple tree, the row of lilac bushes, the wood pile, the a-frame, the gravel pile, the cool muddy bit underneath the deck, the willow tree (later only a stump) & catnip.

My mother would often make the rhubarb into a delicious cobbler. I did that as well last year. But this year I decided to make another one of my favorite rhubarb treats.

I looked hopefully into every stand at the farmer's market week to week, until finally I found one stand selling this prized plant. I wish I remembered which farm they were from; they gave us the rhubarb in a brown paper sack with an adorable stamp (pictured above).

We have Princeton Produce to thank for the strawberries. And straight out of a fairy tale these berries are. Dainty & fragrant & the sweetest-strawberriest little morsels you ever did have the pleasure of eating.

To make the jam you start with about one pound of rhubarb diced & one cup of strawberries mashed. Then you bring them to a boil. Add a little over one cup of sugar & boil for twenty minutes.

You do have to stir pretty much constantly, but those minutes flew by for me. The smell of rhubarb & strawberry & strawberry-rhubarb & rhubarb-strawberry & the quiet bubbling were enchanting. And I enjoyed watching the fruits slowly blend together & deepen in colour.

Standing over a hot stove on a cool day making something sweet is my idea of contentment. If it isn't for you, then this may not be the recipe for you. But if you don't try it, you're truly missing out.

The finished product is my favorite version of my favorite jam ever. & there is no small matter of pride & feeling of accomplishment involved.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Penguin Cafe Orchestra- Perpetuum Mobile

Strawberry Ice Cream

1) Chill all ingredients: three cups mashed strawberries, 2 cups whipped cream, one can sweetened condensed milk, 3 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, & salt.

2) Beat all ingredients together.

3) Pour into 9x13 pan & freeze until mushy, 3-4 hours.

4) Pour back into mixing bowl & beat until smooth but not melted.

5) Return to pan & freeze for another 3 hours.

This ice cream is rich & creamy. So many strawberries! For the same cost of the store-bought versions, plus a little bit of time, you get about twice as much.

I can't wait to try it again with peaches later this summer.

It was the perfect ending to an evening spent with my husband celebrating our second wedding anniversary.

He gave me two handmade marbles, blue & white, in a little cotton bag. He offered them up with such humbleness, but I truly find them amazing.

Also, check out that lovely cloth under the cup of ice cream. A present from my sweet parents!

Thank you to everyone who thought of us & sent gifts &/or love!

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Angus & Julia Stone- Bella

Strawberry Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

If I were to change anything about this recipe, from Simply in Season, it would be to half the strawberries rather than putting them in whole as the last step. & that probably depends on the size of the berries.

Other than that it was superb. A bit sweet & the right emphasis on tart. & Strawberries are just the thing round-abouts now!

1) Blend in a saucepan 1 cup of sugar & 3 tbsp cornstarch.

2) Add one cup mashed strawberries & 1/2 cup orange juice. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture boils. Stir for one minute then remove from the heat & stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice. Allow to cool.

3) Fold in 4-6 cups strawberries & pour into a baked Graham Cracker Crust. Chill for at least three hours.

The Graham Cracker crust is even more simple: Combine one and one half cup crushed graham crackers, 1 cup sugar, & 1/3 cup melted butter. Press into the pan & bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Favorite Song for today (led to in a more or less direct way by my favorite radio station):

Julie Doiron- Glad to be Alive

Strawberry Smoothie

And for a late afternoon snack a recipe from Simply in Season.

Basically just strawberries, plain yogurt, & milk sent for a whirl in the food processor.

The recipe called for honey, which I would have preferred. But since we were out of honey, I used a few tbsp of sugar.

Airy, sweet, fruity.

Favorite Song (first heard on my favorite radio station):

Villagers- Set the Tigers Free

Post Pi(e) Day

It was Pi day yesterday, a holiday which my husband favors. We celebrated by giving pieces of pie to his coworkers, & having my parents over for some pie. And also, of course, having pie ourselves including most of a little one still sitting on our counter today.

Since strawberries are plentiful right now, & on a whim, I decided to bake strawberry-blueberry pies. When I was a kid I would often make blueberry pies out of clay, fastidiously rolling each tiny blueberry. But I've never actually baked any berry pies until yesterday. And I mostly winged it.

I did use a recipe for the crust, curious to see what Simply in Season pie crust was like. It was delightful. Flaky with a hint of crisp. It was my kind of crust. And I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar on top before baking the last few pies, which sent it over the top for me.

Other than the crust, I roughly chopped the strawberries, poured in some blueberries, tossed them in a few tbsp sugar/cinnamon/nutmeg mix.

Then I baked the whole thing at 375 for about an hour.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Emily And the Woods- Nietzsche

Strawberry Bread

You've got to try this! The crust is crisp & the rest is fluffy & it all truly melts in the mouth. The sweet acidity of the strawberries is not overpowered by sugar & pairs well with cinnamon.

This bread also goes well with one of my favourite beverages, chai tea.

These beautiful plates were a Valentine from my sweet husband. They each have two unique birds on them. (I am a bird watcher.)

I've been waiting for a good day to feature them on here. And today we are in for a treat, because I found strawberries for rather cheap! Some rather nice looking ones. And here's hoping that means Spring isn't too far around the corner.

This is the first recipe I've tried from Simply in Season's Spring section...

1. Combine one and one half cup of flour, two tsp ground cinnamon, one half tsp salt, & one half tsp baking soda.

2. Combine in large bowl two eggs, one and one quarter cup mashed strawberries, two thirds cup of oil, & three quarter cup of sugar.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

4. Bake in greased pan at 350 for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time):

J Tillman- No Occasion