So, yeah. I’m making Fig Jam.  And I have no idea what I am doing.  I have never ate a fig.  I have never touched a fig.  The only figgy anything I remember is Fig Newtons and that has been YEARS ago.  But apparently I’m getting some kind of reputation as a jam/jelly/preserve maker and my uncle’s stepdad LOVES Fig Jam.  He is also diabetic.  The Fig Jam recipe I have in my trusted book calls for 6 cups of sugar.

Do you see the hurdles I am facing people?

I am so totally winging it, so here’s hoping!

Here is what I did.

8 cups of chopped figs (this doubles my recipe)

4 cups of sugar (this is about 1/3 of what my recipe called for)

1 cup of lemon juice

A dash of cinnamon

2 packs of no sugar needed Sure-Jell Pectin

So. I chopped up all those figs.  I put them in the pot with the lemon and 1 cup of sugar and I let it sit for about 10 minutes, but stirring occasionally.  Then I put the pot on the stove on medium low and let it simmer for awhile.  Like, QUITE awhile.  Probably 40 minutes.  Oh, and stir, stir, stir!!  Then I turned it up to medium high.  I added the rest of the sugar.   Once it got to a decent boil, I added the pectin and the dash of cinnamon.  Once it was to a rolling boil, I let it boil for 1 minute.

Then I took it off the heat for 5 minutes, to let it cool, still stirring every once in awhile.  I put it in the jars and did a water bath.  Since I used pint jars, I let it boil for 15 minutes.  We’ll see how he likes it, I just hope it tastes okay!

Obviously, daughter isn’t too sure! LOL

Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads every weekend.  It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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Yeah.

I know.

Want to see it closer?

Uh huh. Yeah.

And it is just as good as it looks.  It’s even better with the Roasted Garlic Rosemary spread I made, on top.  Hang on, I think I need to go eat some more.

It’s not the same as the kind I get at the Farmer’s Market…it may be better!  How will I go back???

Asiago Peppercorn Bread

Now. I totally cheated.  I mean, I cheated so bad, I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much I cheated.  But I didn’t want to wait forever for sourdough starter…  so… I bought a box of Krusteaz Classic Sourdough mix and I used the Artisan method on the back.  I added about a cup of cubed Asiago cheese and about 1 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper.  It was lazy, but delicious!  As for the spread…that involved a little more work.

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Dip

Adapted from Life’s Ambrosia

• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened, cut into 1 inch wedges (I used more like 6 cause that’s what I had)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used more like 2.5 tbs)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (I used more like 2.5 tbs)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed (I used more. Probably 1 to 1.5 tsp, I love rosemary!)
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves beneath, but do not peel the garlic, you want to roast it in the skin. Place clove on a piece of aluminum foil, place butter on top, pour lemon juice over the garlic and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bring up all sides of aluminum foil and twist together to close. Cook for 60 minutes or until garlic cloves are soft and golden in color. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

3. Once the garlic has cooled, use a small fork to remove the garlic cloves from the skins. Place them in a bowl, and mash. Add in cream cheese and mix to combine. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix well. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from refrigerator, stir. Serve.

Oh yum…

Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads every weekend. It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Okay, I totally wasn’t planning on doing a Weekend Cooking post this weekend.  I was planning to do what I cooked this weekend NEXT weekend. But I’m not good at waiting, so you are getting it really, really late in the weekend.  Hope you don’t mind.

Back when I spotlighted the marvelous Strawberry Jam I made, back in May and am still enjoying today (really, I had some on my Asiago Peppercorn bread and, before you turn up your nose, it is delicious!) Amanda from The Zen Leaf told me about her Blueberry Lime Jam.  Blueberry Lime Jam?  Yes!  My initial reaction was huh?  Then what?  Then I Have To Try That!  But blueberry season is a long ways away from May and I had forgotten all about it.  Until I saw the blueberries at the farmer’s market yesterday.  3 pints and 3 limes bought later, I got down to business this afternoon.

At first taste test I can already tell, this is going to be awesome!

AND

It is beautiful to look at!

Blueberry Lime Jam

From Amanda at The Zen Leaf (and the Ball Cookbook)

Yield: about 6 half-pints

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups blueberries
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups sugar
1 tbsp grated lime peel
1/3 cup lime juice

Crush  blueberries one layer at a time. Combine crushed blueberries and powdered pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Return to a rolling boil. Boid  hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from  heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4th inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 mins in a boiling water canner.

Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads every weekend.  It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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I have been meaning to make pesto for weeks.  There was a specific one I wanted to try, but I had to harvest my oregano before I could get it made.  Well, when I came back from the beach, all that oregano I had annihilated had resurrected itself!  See!

It did all that in one week!  I love my oregano plant.  I’m so sad this is it’s last year.

But glad I can make this pesto now! I’m trying this recipe from Delicious Living Magazine, which I found online.  I used my Lemon Basil, Minette Basil and I only have curly leaf parsley.  I also used just a tiny big more olive oil, to make up for the extra 1/2 cup of leaves.  At first, I was afraid it wasn’t enough olive oil.  I’ve seen recipes that call for 1/4 – 1/2 cup and they looked too oily, so this is perfect.  It looks yummy and I think we’ll be having pizza with pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes for supper tomorrow.  I wish I could get Beth Fish Reads’s tried and true pizza dough recipe… (hint, hint).

Doesn’t that look yummy?  If it is, you can bet I’ll be making more to freeze.  I have a TON of basil to use up!

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Oregano Pesto from Delicious Living Magazine

Oregano pesto is wonderful spread on pasta, in soups or over baked chicken.

1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
1/4 cup pistachio nuts
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Whirl the basil, garlic, nuts, and Parmesan and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) in a food processor until well mixed. Then add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until a smooth paste is formed. Pack into glass jars and cover the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent it from discoloring.

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Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads every weekend.  It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

I have to tell you about this sandwich I made Friday night. It was sooooo yummy!

I found it on For the Love of Cooking. I ate it too fast to take a picture, but there are some there!

Tomato and Basil Sandwich with a Twist

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Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads every weekend.  It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog’s home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

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