Spiced Plum Cordial

Spiced Plum Cordial was one of the autumn foods I wanted to create before the weather turned too cold. It's fruity-spicy flavors just echoed that hovering time between late summer and autumn. Yesterday, I whipped up a batch...oooo! So good! And so simple!

Here is the recipe and the process:

SPICED PLUM CORDIAL

1 lb. plums
25 oz. of water
2 c. sugar
2 - 3" cinnamon sticks
a few whole cloves (I used about eight)

1. Pit the plums and roughly chop.

2. Place the plums and water in a heavy, medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 mins.

3. Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, or through a jelly bag. (I use a jelly bag...genius invention!) Do NOT squeeze or press the fruit, or it will result in a cloudy cordial. Allow to drip completely.

4. Sterilize a pint jar by washing in hot, sudsy water and placing in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Wash and dry a lid and band.

5. Return just the juice to the saucepan and add sugar and spices. Heat slowly, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 10 mins. Skim off any foam.

6. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Pour hot mixture into sterilized jar. Allow to cool before securing lid. Refrigerate when cool. Will keep for three months refrigerated.

To serve, pour a tablespoon or two into the bottom of a glass with ice. Top with San Pellegrino, and give a good stir to combine.

Makes 1 pint.

Autumn Baking and Cooking List

I don't know about you, but I have been more than eager to start in on autumn baking and cooking and to enjoy all those spicy flavors and cozy meals. It seems that I always start out in eagerness, but busyness creeps in and autumn flies away from me, and I never quite cook and bake as much as I intended. And once Christmas time is here, I have zero interest in baking pumpkin anything. This year, in order to help me stay focused, I have compiled a list of the foods and recipes I want to enjoy. Here's how the list is shaping up:

AUTUMN BAKING AND COOKING

- Apple Walnut Zucchini Bread from the fabulous blog The View from Great Island. Click here for the recipe. I want to bake like crazy, but I don't want all those calories. So, I'm spreading the love around and baking for fellowship time after church. Is that acting in love? I can't decide. Anyway, this recipe is moist and delicious and a definite keeper!

- Roasted veggies. I'm just going to toss everything with a bit of olive oil and throw it into the oven. I'm particularly excited to roast carrots and butternut squash.

- Cinnamon Ice Cream. I may buy this. I may make it. But I've definitely been craving it. I'm imagining it over a piping hot square of gingerbread after Sunday dinner.

- Spiced Plum Cordial. I'm going to make my standard cordial recipe (click here) with plums and cinnamon sticks and see how that turns out. I think this will be best in the early autumn before the weather turns too cold.

- Marte Marie Forsberg's meal from the April edition of UK Country Living. Everything about Marte Marie Forsberg says warm and cozy, hearthside and rainy days, candlelight and conviviality. So when I saw this meal featured in the April issue of one of my favorite magazines, it spoke autumn's coziness to me. I've been hanging on to it ever since, waiting to try: Fennel and Potato Soup, Norwegian Pork Belly with Mustard Coleslaw and Brown Gravy, and Roasted Potatoes (whose secret ingredient is: duck fat!). Click here for the recipes.

- Roasted Autumn Fruits. Twice I've seen these featured on someone's Instagram, and they just draw me in...a big casserole dish heaped with the fruits of the late summer/early autumn...raspberries, plums, apples, pears. Add a bit of herbs if desired. Some butter. A sticky drizzle of honey. Pop it all in the oven to roast. Serve alongside a pork tenderloin, or add a generous dollop to a bowl of hearty oatmeal. Doesn't that look and sound deliciously beautiful?

Photo credit to: https://www.daylesford.com/the-autumn-harvest/

- Maple Toffee Popcorn with Salted Peanuts. This recipe appears in the latest issue of Yankee Magazine. A sweet treat for an autumn afternoon. Click here for the recipe.

- Grilled Autumn Foods from The Gardener & the Grill. As I told you before, I'm looking forward to some autumn grilling from this cookbook, including the following: Skewered Chicken Saltimbocca, Smoked and Smashed Sweet Potato Soup, Grilled Turkey Breast with Winter Greens and Warm Cranberry Vinaigrette, Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Fig Skewers, Acorn Squash and Apple Rings with Cider Jus, Grilled Pears with Honey-Cinnamon Creme Fraiche.

What autumn foods are you looking forward to?

So It Begins...

So it begins...the accumulation of the pumpkins! Something about all those New England farmstands just beckoning us with their piles of bulbous squash...drawing us in with their proud displays of the season's best. We are powerless to resist. The first official day of autumn is not even here yet, but we already have this beauty, one tall and thin one on the mantle, a heap of small white ones in an ironstone bowl on the kitchen table, and two white ones on the front steps. The day after Thanksgiving, we'll be pitching them out into the woods for the wildlife to feast on, but for now...each one is so irresistible!

The County Fair

The grandkids look forward to the county fair each year with all the giddy anticipation one can imagine. I love its wholesome delights...rides, cotton candy, prize homegrown vegetables, 4-H clubs showing off their animals. First priority for them is the rides.

 

Then we watched the acrobats on horseback.

We admired the tidy displays of produce and made the acquaintance of a friendly goat.

Ahh...my favorite time at the fair is when the sun is setting and all the lights are coming on. Isn't it just magical though? So festive!

A Special Request

One of my sweetest customers ever asked if I'd make her son a King George III costume for Halloween...as in the King George III costume from the musical, "Hamilton". I had no idea what that would look like, but she sent a picture.

Due to time constraints, I don't always (or can't always) say yes to custom order requests, but this time I did. What a delight to make this for her son!

So, if King George III shows up on your doorstep this Halloween, give him some candy...and a copy of the Declaration of Independence! ;-)

Terrine

This summer, I've been making terrines...of the sorbetto and gelato variety.

Super simple directions:

- Line a loaf pan very neatly with parchment paper.

- Soften one flavor of sorbetto, gelato, or ice cream until spreadable. Spread into the bottom of the loaf pan. Top with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing it to adhere. Freeze until solid.

- Repeat process with two more layers.

- When fully frozen, wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to serve.

- Will keep for weeks in the freezer. Slice into single serving slices.

They are super easy! What I love most about them, is that you can do them FAR in advance of guests arriving, or a special occasion, and slice them the day of. All the work is done, giving you more time to enjoy your company.

The one pictured is (from top to bottom): raspberry sorbetto, coconut gelato, and mango sorbetto. It's one of our favorites!

We've also made it substituting lemon sorbetto for the coconut gelato for a completely dairy free version.

And we've tried it with three different flavors of chocolate gelato. Oddly enough, as much as we are chocolate fans around here (which is HUGE!), it definitely wasn't our favorite. We prefer the one pictured...so refreshing on a hot summer day!

How to Make British Cordials

This summer, I set about trying to figure out what all those slightly fizzy, deliciously fruity beverages were that we saw when we were in England last year. After much searching, I discovered that they were what the British call "cordials".

And for a little etymology lesson:

- Yes, cordial does mean "warm and friendly", but that's not what we're talking about here.

- In North America, we define a cordial as a "liqueur" and it's alcoholic.

- In England, according to the Cambridge English Dictionary, a cordial is "a sweet drink made from fruit, to which water is usually added." It is NOT alcoholic.

Stated as simply as possible, a British cordial is a homemade fruit syrup to which you add sparkling water.

I searched and searched for recipes, and finally combined the ideas from several and came up with a "basic" recipe which you can use with any fruit.

British Cordial

1 lb. of fruit
3 c. water
2 1/2 c. sugar

Rinse fruit and chop, if necessary. (Berries can be used whole. I did cut strawberries in half. Other fruits, you may want to chop.) Place fruit and water in a medium-sized saucepan.

Bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes.

Strain the fruit and liquid through a jelly bag, or through cheesecloth, until it is completely done dripping. Do NOT squeeze the bag or press the fruit, or your cordial will be cloudy. 

Meanwhile, sterilize a jar by washing in hot, soapy water and placing in a 200 degree oven until ready to use, OR by running it through the sanitize setting on your dishwasher. I also sanitized the ring and band for the jar. (I used a canning jar.)

Return just the strained juice to the pan. Add the sugar. Heat gently until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the top, as necessary. Boil for 10 mins. (slightly less if using just strawberries).

Pour into sterilized jar. Allow to cool, seal, and refrigerate. 

Will keep for 3 months.

Makes about 1 pint. 

How to Use:

When ready to serve, add about 1-2 T. to an 8-12 oz. glass, along with several ice cubes.

Top with sparkling water. I use San Pellegrino. Add a bit of fresh fruit, if you'd like.

Additional Tips and Flavor Combos:

- This recipe makes about 1 pint of fruit syrup. But you need very little to add to each glass. To pack along for a picnic, I found these handy small jars at Target (click here, not sponsored...just want you to be able to find them), which can hold quite a bit of cordial, and yet take up minimal space in your picnic cooler. Just don't forget to bring along a tall bottle of San Pellegrino too!

- Our favorite way to pack them along for a picnic, is to use some of Jenny Steffens Hobick's Clear Cups and Lids (click here...also not sponsored...just want you to know where to get them). They hold just the right amount, fit easily into a car cup holder, and allow you to see the pretty cordial!

- All the cute, patriotic, paper straws were found in the dollar bin at Target around the 4th of July. Check back there next year!

- Our favorite flavor combo was a strawberry cordial with lemon-flavored San Pellegrino (see photo above).

- I made a "berries & cherries" combo using cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

- Another tasty combo is "blackberry & vanilla", made by adding a vanilla bean (whole, do NOT split the bean or scrape the seeds out) when you return the juice to the pan and add the sugar. Discard the bean before bottling.

Happy sipping!

Fun with Family After the Wedding

Four days after the wedding, our friends departed from our own personal B&B, and my family moved in. Here's a glimpse at the fun we had with them...

We toured the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum in Boston, which is a fascinating survey of his life and presidency. I loved seeing some of Jacqueline Kennedy's clothing on display!

The following day, while I spent some time with my Mom and Dad, everyone else went to the lake for a day of fun! Felicity and Walter were able to go too. And photo credits to Walter for capturing these great moments.

Then everyone convened back at our house for a cookout in the fire pit that evening. At least that was the plan. But then, about 10 minutes before the spit-roasted pork tenderloin was completely cooked, the rain began.

Monday brought us another day at the lake...paddleboarding, kayaking, and picnicking.

Living in history-rich New England means that there is no shortage of fabulous historical sites to explore when guests come to visit. I always love visiting Plimoth Plantation...New England where it all began! And being descendants of the Allertons makes it just that much more special.

And we stopped at Ziggy's for ice cream on this very hot and humid day. Ice cream makes everything better!

The next two days were spent exploring Boston. SO many fond memories, it's hard to choose just the highlights...bits of the Freedom Trail, lots of chocolate, the Boston Public Library's grandeur, an abundance of art, and just enough craziness to make it super memorable.

Things are getting weird here, and a couple of people are about to burst into song! Nuts!

I hope you are all having a splendid summer too...making happy memories with your family!