Strawberry & Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam

It's strawberry season and rhubarb is just finishing off. It's no coincidence that these fruits (well okay fruit and vegetable) go magnificently well together. So make the most of both and either get crumbling or make jam.

I bought a 4kg box of jam strawberries from a grower just outside Gorey, Co. Wexford - Green's Berry Farm. If you are lucky enough to have access to a grower, this is the way to go. The strawberries are perfect but all shapes and sizes and not as cosmetic as supermarkets demand. (Why?)

My rhubarb is just about finished and this year I got three good crops from two plants. These last stems are slightly thin and a bit straggly but perfect for jam making or indeed crumble.

Strawberry Jam
I hate jam that is too sweet so I read a few recipes and then used considerably less sugar than any advised, including Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Darina Allen. Although it is low sugar and strawberries don't contain a lot of pectin it set easily. (Always use a combination of under ripe and ripe berries if possible).

1kg of strawberries hulled and lightly crushed
400g Sure Set sugar (jam sugar)
Juice of a lemon

Put the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large heavy based pan. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil. Keep it at a rolling boil.
Put a couple of small plates into the fridge. Using a jam thermometer *test for a set as soon as the temperature gets close to "jam set" point marked on the thermometer. If you don't have a thermometer (and it is really worthwhile to buy one) this takes about 15-20 minutes. You do not want to boil the bejaysus out of it as the colour will go from that nice red pictured to a brown.

Meanwhile sterilise jam jars by putting some water into each jar and zapping in a microwave for three minutes. You can also do this in the oven. (no need to add water in oven).

Allow the jam to stand for about 15 minutes and then pour carefully using a pyrex jug into your hot, sterilised jars. Cool and cap.

This recipe made a litre of jam.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam

500g rhubarb washed and chopped into small pieces
500g hulled strawberries
350g sugar
150g Sure Set sugar

Put the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar in a pan. Use method above. It may take slightly longer to soften the rhubarb and allow this in the time before bringing to a rolling boil. It reaches setting point faster however.

This quantity made just under 1.5 litres of jam.








*To test for a set - put a blob of jam on a cold plate and pop back in fridge for a few minutes. Run your finger through the blob and if it has reached setting point it will wrinkle slightly.


Jam keeps well in a warm, dry cupboard but once opened store in the fridge. It should keep unopened for a year. If there is any mould when you open it, just scoop it out. You can reboil it but a bit of mould never did me any harm.

In the depths of winter is there anything nicer than a big scoop of strawberry jam on a fresh scone?

Cherry Clafoutis with a Kick

You just have to love summer. It pays to wait and buy seasonal fruit and veg. It tastes better. It looks better and it is better. And best of all, if you only have it when it's in season you appreciate it. Is there anything less desirable in the depths of winter than a tasteless, watery strawberry flown half way around the globe?

Years ago in the bakery we got a phone call late one afternoon from a pain-in-the-ass chef (this one was always a monumental one). She wanted a clafoutis. Me, I hadn't a clue what that was, but at a push could have found a recipe and made one. But the temperamental French pastry chef on duty said he had never made one either. Now I'm pretty sure he just couldn't be arsed. But anyway he got a kick in said part of his anatomy and was told to go find a recipe and make one.

I saw these cherries on special offer today. I got them home and saw they weren't going to hang around long so the infamous clafoutis came to mind. I roughly followed Nigel Slater's recipe but added a kick.

Recipe
300g cherries stoned
1 tablespoon Armagnac (optional)
80g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
90g flour
30g melted butter

Stone the cherries and soak them in the Armagnac for about half an hour.

Grease a 20cm quiche/flan dish with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until creamy and light coloured. Sieve in the flour. Add the vanilla extract and melted butter. Pour over the cherries. Bake for 35 minutes until it is set.

Dust with icing sugar. Serve warm with a big dollop of whipped cream.

This recipe is so easy and fast to make and you could use any other seasonal fruit (blueberries, raspberries etc.) The Armagnac gives it that little bit extra but you could use Kirsch. The texture of clafoutis is like a set custard so don't assume yours has not been cooking for long enough. It can easily be reheated.

Coffee and Walnut Cake

There are times when only a good old fashioned cake will do. The slightly bockety homemade cakes of my youth.

I always loved coffee cake and like my coffee, I like it strong and dark. It should taste of coffee. When we were young at home this was always achieved using Irel. Later we used a few teaspoons of instant coffee in a small amount of boiling water, cooled down. Now I use Trablit (liquid coffee extract).

Next walnuts. You can't be mean with them. This cake has a generous layer in the middle, on top of the filling. I toasted them for a few minutes on a dry pan.

Other than that it's a normal cake mixture - 8 8 4 of old.

Recipe
225g softened butter
225g sugar
4 eggs
225g plain flour sieved
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon coffee extract (reduce quantity if you prefer it less strong)

Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg (I60 deg fan). Line two 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchement or butter paper.

Cream the butter and sugar, add in one egg at a time. Add a tablespoon of flour after each egg to prevent curdling. Sieve in the flour and baking powder. Add the coffee extract.

Divide between the tins and bake for about 25 minutes or until springs back to a touch and has shrunk from the sides.

Leave in the tins for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove and peel off the butter paper or parchement.

Cool.

To make the buttercream

300g icing sugar
100g soft butter
1 dessertspoon coffee extract
milk to adjust consistency

Whisk the butter and coffee extract into the icing sugar. Add milk if necessary.

Sandwich the layers together with half the buttercream. Sprinkle filling with toasted walnuts. Finish off top with remainder of buttercream and some whole walnuts.

Enjoy.