KITCHEN TABLE

Grilled Peach, Blackberry and Candied Ginger

3 lb halved and pitted peaches

2 tbsp olive oil

2 lb blackberries, lightly rinsed

4 lb sugar

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ lb candied ginger, finely chopped

Brush cut side of peaches with olive oil and place on a hot grill. Grill just until you have nice dark grill marks, remove, place in a bowl and cover.

Peel peaches and chop. Combine grilled chopped peaches, blackberries, sugar, lemon juice and ginger in a jam pot and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, bring back to a boil and cook to set at 220° F, check set* on a cold plate.

Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, then ladle into hot sterilized jars, wipe rims, place sterilized lids on jars and process 10 to 15 minutes.

* Testing for set, otherwise known as the consistency of the jam, is key to ensuring a great product. A simple way of testing is to keep a stack of small plates in your freezer when you’re making jam. Once the preserve reaches 220° F, simply drop a small amount of the preserve onto the cold plate, wait a couple of minutes and then tilt the plate. If the reserve moves very slowly or not at all, it’s ready. If it runs freely across the plate, continue cooking. Check every 3 to 5 minutes to avoid overcooking.

 Indian-Spiced Green Tomato

 

2 tsp fenugreek

1 tsp nigella (kalonji)

10 dried curry leaves

½ tsp ground cardamom

5 lb cored and chopped green (unripe) tomatoes

8 cups sugar

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, grind fenugreek, nigella and curry leaves to a fine powder. Stir ground cardamom into mixture.

Combine green tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice and ground spices in a jam pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, bring back to a boil and cook to set at 220° F, check set* on a cold plate. Let sit 5 minutes, then ladle into hot sterilized jars, wipe rims, place sterilized lids on jars and process 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Moroccan-Spiced Sour Cherry

 

5 lb stemmed and pitted sour cherries

8 cups sugar

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

3 tsp Moroccan spice mix

Combine all ingredients and macerate overnight in the fridge. The next day, strain accumulated juices into a jam pot. Reserve cherries.

Boil juice to set at 220° F. Add cherries and bring back to a boil, skimming often. Cook to set, again to 220° F, check set* on a cold plate.

Let sit 5 minutes, then ladle into hot sterilized jars, wipe rims, place sterilized lids on jars and process 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Moroccan Spice Mix

 

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground white pepper

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cayenne

Combine all spices well and store in an airtight container.

Indian-Spiced Lamb Balls

1 lb ground lamb

1 lb ground pork

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1 cup bread crumbs

2 jalapenos, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp olive oil for frying

   Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine and gently mix all ingredients, except for the olive oil, well to fully blend flavours. Form into small, one-bite round balls. Heat olive oil in a pan and sear lamb balls until evenly browned. Transfer to a baking dish or baking sheet and finish in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot with Indian spiced green tomato preserve.