Elderflower Soaked Strawberries

Elderflower soaked Strawberries (whole and Jam)

• 5 cups strawberries - keep small ones whole; halve or quarter larger ones
• 1/2 cup Elderflower cordial
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs sugar
• If making jam: 1 tbs low sugar pectin (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook until juices form and the berries begin to float (this should take about 7 minutes). If you want to keep them whole, stop here, and store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  

to make Jam:

Once the strawberries are removed from the heat, carefully pour them into a blender. On low speed, pulse 4 times, or until you've reached your desired consistency. Return the mixture to your pot over medium heat. Whisk in the pectin and cook for another 5 minutes. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or can for use later in the year. 

*I saved one half-pint jar of whole strawberries, covered in their juice, and continued to make jam with the rest. Makes two more half-pint jars worth. 

Serving suggestions: On top of any cakes or sweet biscuits, spread on scones, or enjoyed on ice cream. Maybe even this Basil-Chip Ice Cream Pie! Pictured below :).

Note: I found this Elderflower Cordial at World Market. You can also order it on Amazon, or substitute it for any elderflower liquor, easily found at most liquor stores. 

Natural Peach Preserves: Vanilla + Cinnamon & Almond + Ginger

Peaches are probably my favorite thing about summer. Humidity, no thanks. The AC-free state of life in southern California, double no thanks. But peaches...they make both of those things okay. Personally, I think the best peaches are grown in southern soil. Maybe it's that everything in the south seems to be made of sugar, so they're just genetically sweeter :). Or maybe I'm just biased. I don't know, but I will say this; while California peaches may not be my favorite fresh eating peaches, they are wonderful for cooking.

One of the best kept secrets of my neighborhood farmers market (farmers'? farmer's? hm....) is the organic stone fruit farm that puts everything on sale 30 minutes prior to closing. All of their delicious goodies are half price! Such a deal. BUT WAIT. After close, you can pay $10 for a plastic grocery sack and fill it with as many fruits as it can hold. This is where the gold is, and where I stock up for canning. Summer flavors all year long? Yes, please.

Natural Peach Preserves

This recipe is for a basic, naturally flavored peach preserve. It serves as a great canvas for additional flavoring post-cooking, though delicious as-is if you're wanting to keep the pureness of the peaches.  For the following post, I split the cooked batch in half and flavor each one with different spices.

• 8 cups peaches, skinned and cut into small pieces
• 2 cups raw cane sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon

In a medium sized pot on medium-high heat, combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly. A nice juice will start to develop as the sugar draws out the natural nectar of the peaches. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally and lightly mashing the peaches as they cook. Simmer for 10 minutes. Emulsify the mixture with a stick blender. Be careful to keep the blade fully submerged so you don't splash yourself with the hot peaches. I like to keep some of the natural fruit texture in my preserves, so I leave a few chunks, but this is entirely up to your liking - blend more or blend less, chefs' choice! Once emulsified, cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and flavor or cool for storage. 

I can my preserves so I have them on hand and keep those sweet summer tastes available throughout the year. If canning isn't your preference, the preserves can last up to two weeks in the fridge or several months in the freezer.

Almond + Ginger  

• 4 cups natural peach preserves
• 1 tsp almond flavoring
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Vanilla + Cinnamon

• 4 cups natural peach preserves
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 vanilla bean

Combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly. For long-term storage, can via water bath method (step-by-step instructions found here) or freeze. For immediate use, store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks. 

PS - Thanks to the lovely Liz DeZeeuw for being an awesome sous chef and taste tester!

10 Minute Recipes: Greek Basil Pesto

I planted my summer garden a few weeks back and added a new plant to the family this year- Bonnie Plants' Greek Basil. It grows in a tall stalk and has little leaves. It's a bit milder and less bitter than the basil you typically find in the grocery store. So far, I'm loving it. My plant has been growing particularly fast. If you don't have much of a green thumb, are afraid to start out on vegetable plants but are still wanting to grow something, herbs are the way to go. Most are easy to grow and maintain and there's something special about being able to walk outside to your porch or yard and pick fresh herbs. I am by no means a great gardener- I seem to always find my tomatoes eaten by worms and my kale destroyed by slugs- yet, every season I learn something new. I highly recommend you giving it a shot.   

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Greek Basil Pesto

This pesto is on the thicker side, and is perfect for spreading on sandwiches or toast. 

• 1 cup basil leaves 
• 1/3 cup grated or shredded pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

Place all ingredients in a food processor and grind for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to stop every 30 seconds to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the basil is getting properly incorporated. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to a week.  

Tip: If you have lots of basil and end up making several doubles of this recipe, pesto freezes well. Divide evenly into ice cube trays, freeze, and then pop them out and store in a zip top freezer bag for convenient use.