Tag Archives: jam

The Unusual Jaboticaba Fruit Tree

20 Apr

Ok, if you live in any of the tree’s native habitat areas in South America, the Jaboticaba and its fruit may not be so unusual to you. But for the rest of us, the tree is a sight to behold:

Jaboticaba; photo taken at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

The Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora, aka Jaboticabeira, aka Brazilian Grape Tree) is a showstopper because it exhibits an unusual botanical trait, ie, its fragrant white flowers and sweet/tangy fruits grow directly on the trunk of the tree, rather than from new growth or shoots. In botanical terms, this is called cauliflory; hence the “cauliflora” part of the Jaboticaba’s Latin name. (“Plinia” refers to a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, to which the Jaboticaba belongs.) Other cauliflory plants include Durian, Cacao, Jackfruit, Papaya, and the lesser-known Cannonball Tree — which, though they all share this same botanical trait of cauliflory, are not actually related to the Jaboticaba.

Left: Papaya tree; photo taken at the Botanic Garden of Rome. Right: Cannonball Tree; photo taken at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida.

Cauliflory is most common in tropical areas; in the United States, the Jaboticaba can be grown in Zones 9-11. Botanists believe cauliflory evolved for a couple reasons: 1) accessibility: insects and fruit-eating animals that can’t easily get to the highest parts of trees can access the flowers and fruits on the lower parts of the trunk of a cauliflory plant, thus helping ensure the tree’s reproduction via cross-pollination and seed dispersal. Another reason for cauliflory may be due to 2) structural support: the trunks and main stems can more easily bear the weight of heavy fruits like Durians, Jackfruits, and Papayas.

Though Jaboticabas are very slow growing, once they reach maturity, they can produce up to 100 pounds of berries, which look like very large grapes and come in different varieties and colors (purply-black, red, and white). The skins are a bit thick and tannic; some people eat the berries skin and all for a nice “pop,” while others squeeze the juicy pulp into their mouths and discard the skin. The pulp is translucent and jelly-like, with a few seeds. It looks a little like the inside of a lychee or blueberry. Depending on the “jabo” variety, the berries are said to taste like Muscadine grapes, blueberries, and/or lychees — or a combo of all those flavors — with slight acidic undertones. Jaboticaba berries are also quite nutritious; they contain lots of Vitamin C and other antioxidants, as well as amino acids and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

In addition to being eaten fresh, the Jaboticaba fruits can be made into juice, syrup, jam, and other usually sweet concoctions. The important thing is to use the fruit quickly after picking it, as it has a very short shelf life (which explains why those of us who cannot grow this tree also cannot find the fruit in our local supermarkets).

Recipes:
Jaboticaba Juice (video)
Jaboticaba Syrup
Jaboticaba Liqueur
Jaboticaba Jam w/Pectin
Jaboticaba Jam w/o Pectin
Jaboticaba Sorbet
Jaboticaba Cheesecake
Jaboticaba Sparkling Wine

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Recipe: Crostata Ricotta e Visciole (Sweet Ricotta Tart with Cherry Preserves)

17 Dec

Recently, my husband pointed out that we had TWO jars of cherry preserves, TWO jars of fig jam, and an unruly assortment of other jams, jellies, and preserves in the fridge. I was accused of jam overpopulation. I admitted to accidently opening a new jar of cherry preserves (my favorite) without realizing we already had one in the fridge, but I still maintain the other jars were not my fault…. However, in the spirit of providing a solution to this problem, I offered to make a ricotta crostata with what was left in one of the jars of cherry preserves. One less jar in the fridge, and attention diverted to dessert. A win-win.

Actually, a ricotta crostata is always a win-win; the sweet ricotta is beautifully creamy and you can use any preserves or jam of your liking, though the most traditional way of preparing this Italian sweet is with cherry preserves. Second, the dough for this crostata comes together in a food processor, adding speed and ease to the recipe’s many virtues. And finally, a crostata not only makes a great dessert, but a tasty breakfast as well — and a good accompaniment to afternoon tea or coffee.

You can also let your creative side loose on the top crust; I made a very simple (unwoven) lattice with scalloped strips this time around.

Crostata Ricotta e Visciole
Recipe inspired by (and translated from) Antonio Romano Runchef
Note: This recipe is best made using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.

Tart Dough:
225 gr. sugar (about 1 1/8 c.)
grated zest of one lemon
250 gr. butter (2 sticks + 1 tbsp)
120 gr. eggs (I used 3 yolks + 2 whole eggs, carefully adding the white of the last egg until I got to 120 gr.)
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
500 gr. flour (I used all-purpose; you can also use 00)

Filling:
450-500 gr. ricotta (16-oz. container); I try to find ricotta that is not super wet. Here in the U.S., I like Bel Gioioso Ricotta con Latte. I pour out any little liquid that may have collected in the container and dab the top with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture.
100 gr. sugar

250 gr. cherry preserves (about 3/4 c.)

Directions:
1. Place the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse until combined.
2. Cut the butter into cubes. (Note: An easy way to cut butter into cubes is to use a bench scraper; cut the sticks lengthwise into quarters, then chop into cubes. ) Add the butter cubes to the sugar in the food processor and continue to pulse until incorporated; the butter will look grainy. Add the eggs and vanilla and process until well combined.
3. Add the flour and sprinkle the pinch of salt over. Process just until a smooth dough forms.

4. Turn the dough onto a floured countertop and roll into a thick log. Pat into a rectangle, wrap in plastic film (or put in a sealable bag) and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Meanwhile, butter a tart pan. Make the ricotta filling by mixing the ricotta and sugar together; let it sit, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully incorporated.

6. Cut the dough into a 2/3 piece and a 1/3 piece. Return the 1/3 piece to the refrigerator. Roll the 2/3 piece into a circle about 3 inches wider than your tart pan. Carefully drape the dough over the pan, lifting it gently to tuck it into the inner diameter of the pan. If any dough overlaps the edge, press on it to crimp it off. Save the extra dough.
7. Spoon 2/3 of the preserves ( 1/2 c.) over the base of the tart. Carefully add the ricotta mixture, smoothing the top as best as possible. Dollop the remaining preserves across the top of the ricotta mixture and gently swirl.

8. Roll the remaining 1/3 piece of dough into a rectangle at least as long as the diameter of your tart pan. Cut into 10 strips, and lay the strips in a diamond pattern across the top of the tart. (You can also re-use any extra dough you have leftover from lining the tart pan, to make the 10 strips.)

9. Bake the crostata at 170C/340F for about 35 minutes, or until the lattice is golden. Let cool and then serve.

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Meditation on a Fine Cup of Tea

13 Jan

During the holidays, we hurtled around parts of England, Wales, and Ireland. December in the British Isles is just a wee bit grey, windy, and wet. But it was a lovely trip–not the least because at every turn,  there was a cup of tea: early morning, mid morning, afternoon, and evening. The perfect antidote to a wintery climate, the perfect reward for a long day out and about, and the perfect way to transition from activity to rest. In my admittedly biased view, nothing beats the rich, deep, reddish brown of a fine cup of  black tea (“black” tea being a slight misnomer). And there is no better way to have a strong cup of tea than milky and sweet.

Ok, there is a better way– having it milky and sweet, and accompanied by scones, clotted cream, and strawberry  jam. The ecstasies engendered among our family members at the sight of a proper cream tea cannot be adequately described. Suffice to say, we partook, and then partook some more (and then a bit more). 

All photos taken at the delectable Lucy’s Tearoom in Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds, England.

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Bay Area 2: Fruit and Vegetable Envy

25 Jul

While in Berkeley,  I was able to spend a lovely day with long-time family friends, and admire (ok, envy) their garden. It is a productive one–full of fruit trees and tomatoes and other vegetables–with not a rampaging dog in sight. The fruit trees–apple, fig, pear, persimmon, and plum–were all bearing fruit or on the verge of doing so, and the tomatoes were glistening. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, the birds were chirping–and everything I saw appeared jewel like. The contrast to my own garden was stark: the sun shines here, too, but the air is hot and thick, the neighborhood birds chirp only when the dogs are inside, I have no fruit trees, and my tomatoes have run wild (along with the zucchini plants–after just one week away, I came back to discover that two finger-sized zucchinis I had left behind were suddenly longer and thicker than my forearm–or anyone else’s forearm for that matter). Sigh.

But back to our friends’ garden. The photos below are of Satsuma plums, Seckel pears, and Sungold cherry tomatoes. This year was the first bearing year for the Satsuma plums, so jam making is on hold until next year when there is more of a crop. But how our friends will manage to set aside any plums for jam making is beyond me–I’d barely be able to get the plums from the tree to the kitchen without eating all of them. Perhaps when there are many, many plums to be had, the law of diminishing returns kicks in and people find the willpower to think longer term….


Satsuma plums

The Seckel pears also looked gorgeous, though I did not taste one since they were not quite ready to be picked. Last year was the first bearing year for the pears, so our friends ate what they harvested, gave some away, and did not have any left to store. This year, they will have a bumper crop and are trying to come up with a plan for what to do with them. Canning suggestions? Recommended pear recipes? We usually just eat them as they are or cut them into a fruit salad drizzled with a light honey-lime syrup. (Now that I think of it, I haven’t made that in a while; it would be perfect for a summer weekend brunch.) But I’d be happy to expand my pear repertoire if any suggestions come in.


Seckel pears

The Sungold cherry tomatoes really caught my eye. With multiple orbs of various colors (from green to gold to deep orange) hanging on each vine, they looked like garlands. There were also some Principe Borghese tomatoes in the garden, though I didn’t get a good photo. Those tomatoes are destined for sun drying — by pulling up the whole plant at the end of the season and hanging it upside down to dry in the sun. Our friend has not tried this before, but is counting down the days until she can conduct this natural experiment.  I’m counting down, too, since I’d like to know how that experiment works. My own non-cherry tomatoes have exploded (did I mention the 90+degree weather?), but my plants are not nearly as neat and tidy as their Berkeley counterparts because I didn’t know what I was doing when I planted them. The stakes I put in are not nearly tall enough, the space the tomatoes are in is too crowded (and there are roses there, too–a very bad idea of mine since thorns make tomato harvesting a tricky proposition). But, I may still try to sun dry some of the Romas, if I can get my act together and build a black box with glass lid in which to put them. Our neighbor in Australia did this every summer, and it worked like a charm.

 
Sungold cherry tomatoes

Until then, I will live vicariously through our friends, and wonder whether I can squeeze in a Satsuma plum tree somewhere in my own garden….

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Recipe: Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

25 Feb

Quick, easy, and full of oaty goodness, these bars work multiple jobs: they can be a snack, dessert, or even part of breakfast. They are also a good way to use up jam or preserves if, like us, you have a variety of half-full jam jars in the fridge (a state of affairs that arises when family members each have a favorite). Whenever I want to clear out the fridge, I make these bars. But truthfully, fridge clearing isn’t the main reason to make these; we quite frequently open new jars of jam just for this recipe, starting the cycle all over again. The bars are worth it.

This weekend, I actually did use up all that remained of a jar of regular raspberry preserves, but there wasn’t quite enough for the recipe. Solution? I topped up the measuring cup with a bit of black raspberry jam. That’s the other good thing about these oatmeal bars –they are very versatile: a blackberry, blueberry, cherry, or strawberry/rhubarb filling would work quite nicely, too.

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
9 or 16 servings

3 c. quick-cooking oats
2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. canola oil
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. raspberry (or other fruit) preserves/jam, stirred until smooth

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray (or lightly oil the pan).
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients, and add to dry ingredients, mixing well.
4. Put half of oat mixture into baking pan, and press firmly and evenly into place with the back of a spoon.
5. Spread the preserves/jam evenly over the oat layer. Loosely cover the filling with the remaining oat mixture.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes; let cool 15 minutes before serving.
7. Cut into 9 squares for hearty servings, or 16 squares for smaller bites.

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