Shiro Plum Jam with Vanilla Bean - Weekend Herb Blogging #244

This sweet-tart recipe is so easy I nearly blush with embarrassment to call it a recipe at all. No one can take credit for it; it belongs to everyone, and I fancy, reads like something from the days of antiquity:

Measure 2 cups (any) stone fruit (peeled and pitted) to 1 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water. Stir in juice of half a plump and heavy lemon. Simmer in a large saucepan over low heat until wooden spoon sticks straight without slipping (about 30 minutes). No pectin is necessary. Pour in glass jar. Slip in vanilla bean. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

There is no better nor faster use for summer fruit that would otherwise turn brown in a bowl for lack of mouths to feed. Don't let it go to waste. Feel free to press in a few star anise instead of the vanilla bean.

This recipe is for Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska, hosting Weekend Herb Blogging # 244 for Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once.

Shiro plums, a Japanese variety, are naturally this yellow, but will turn a rich, sunshine-golden hue as they cook, despite the addition of lemon juice. The transformation is quite lovely.

Been There, Done That ~
Pumpkin Butter
Richmond Maids of Honor
Lemon Curd Shortbread

Other People's Eats ~
Peach, Plum and Ginger Jam
Easy Plum Jam
Peach and Cherry Jam Infused with Vanilla Bean

The Well-Seasoned Cook

Shiro Plum Jam with Vanilla Bean - Weekend Herb Blogging #244

This sweet-tart recipe is so easy I nearly blush with embarrassment to call it a recipe at all. No one can take credit for it; it belongs to everyone, and I fancy, reads like something from the days of antiquity:

Measure 2 cups (any) stone fruit (peeled and pitted) to 1 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water. Stir in juice of half a plump and heavy lemon. Simmer in a large saucepan over low heat until wooden spoon sticks straight without slipping (about 30 minutes). No pectin is necessary. Pour in glass jar. Slip in vanilla bean. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

There is no better nor faster use for summer fruit that would otherwise turn brown in a bowl for lack of mouths to feed. Don't let it go to waste. Feel free to press in a few star anise instead of the vanilla bean.

This recipe is for Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska, hosting Weekend Herb Blogging # 244 for Haalo of Cook Almost Anything at Least Once.

Shiro plums, a Japanese variety, are naturally this yellow, but will turn a rich, sunshine-golden hue as they cook, despite the addition of lemon juice. The transformation is quite lovely.

Been There, Done That ~
Pumpkin Butter
Richmond Maids of Honor
Lemon Curd Shortbread

Other People's Eats ~
Peach, Plum and Ginger Jam
Easy Plum Jam
Peach and Cherry Jam Infused with Vanilla Bean

The Well-Seasoned Cook

Sweet and Sour Green Chickpeas and Spinach Curry - My Legume Love Affair 23 and Green Gourmet 1

It's not easy staying green. That's what I learned when I made this glorious recipe using the uncommonly beautiful and tasty green chickpea. I'd fully expected to prepare this with the fresh-from-the-pod variety, a gobsmacked, serendipitous discovery at my local supermarket, of all places. A big sack of pods, however, only yielded a cupful of beanie babies. I was forced to eat the lot of them out of one scoop of my curled fingers.

Fresh chickpeas are irresistible when steamed for fifteen minutes,
then dusted with a ground spice of your choice and a pinch of salt.

Plan B fared far better, but the dried beans must have been as old as the Grand Canyon. They took three hours of simmering after an eight-hour soak to become tender. Though my patience paid off, I was rather perplexed that they'd turned from a jaunty verdant hue to one best described as maroon. The longer they cooked, the darker they became. But I am not complaining. It really doesn't matter what color they are. This dish is a knockout. It tastes like I struck gold.

Dried, this variety is much smaller than the more common
white chickpea, even after it is cooked.

Green Chickpeas with Spinach (Palak Hara Chana) from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer.

Given my changes to this recipe are quite insignificant (oil reduced to 1 tablespoon; water reduced to 1 1/2 cups; chickpeas cooked the day before), I will not venture an "adapted" rewrite. You can find the full recipe here, miraculously as it is presented in the actual cookbook, PDF'd by Google Preview.

~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my own contribution to MLLA 23, hosted here by me. Please stay tuned for the round-up, likely at end of the week, when I will announce the winners of May's two random drawings while I show off all your fabulous recipes. I've received at least another dozen just today. Please bear with me while I sort through them. I expect to visit and comment on each on Tuesday, June 1. Thanks so much for spoiling me with your participation! I hope you've all enjoyed your weekend!

Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa will be announcing MLLA 24 shortly. Please stop by to feed her with your legume posts during the month of June.

This recipe is also for Preeti of Write Food, inaugurating her Green Gourmet Event. You have until June 9 to send her your gorgeous and healthy green recipes.

The Well-Seasoned Cook

Sweet and Sour Green Chickpeas and Spinach Curry - My Legume Love Affair 23 and Green Gourmet 1

It's not easy staying green. That's what I learned when I made this glorious recipe using the uncommonly beautiful and tasty green chickpea. I'd fully expected to prepare this with the fresh-from-the-pod variety, a gobsmacked, serendipitous discovery at my local supermarket, of all places. A big sack of pods, however, only yielded a cupful of beanie babies. I was forced to eat the lot of them out of one scoop of my curled fingers.

Fresh chickpeas are irresistible when steamed for fifteen minutes,
then dusted with a ground spice of your choice and a pinch of salt.

Plan B fared far better, but the dried beans must have been as old as the Grand Canyon. They took three hours of simmering after an eight-hour soak to become tender. Though my patience paid off, I was rather perplexed that they'd turned from a jaunty verdant hue to one best described as maroon. The longer they cooked, the darker they became. But I am not complaining. It really doesn't matter what color they are. This dish is a knockout. It tastes like I struck gold.

Dried, this variety is much smaller than the more common
white chickpea, even after it is cooked.

Green Chickpeas with Spinach (Palak Hara Chana) from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer.

Given my changes to this recipe are quite insignificant (oil reduced to 1 tablespoon; water reduced to 1 1/2 cups; chickpeas cooked the day before), I will not venture an "adapted" rewrite. You can find the full recipe here, miraculously as it is presented in the actual cookbook, PDF'd by Google Preview.

~~~~~~~~~~~

This is my own contribution to MLLA 23, hosted here by me. Please stay tuned for the round-up, likely at end of the week, when I will announce the winners of May's two random drawings while I show off all your fabulous recipes. I've received at least another dozen just today. Please bear with me while I sort through them. I expect to visit and comment on each on Tuesday, June 1. Thanks so much for spoiling me with your participation! I hope you've all enjoyed your weekend!

Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa will be announcing MLLA 24 shortly. Please stop by to feed her with your legume posts during the month of June.

This recipe is also for Preeti of Write Food, inaugurating her Green Gourmet Event. You have until June 9 to send her your gorgeous and healthy green recipes.

The Well-Seasoned Cook