Edible Wednesdays: Jam, Tomatoes, Muesli and more

tomdowson

I had a free hour after dinner last night to churn out some staples for the week ahead. I was able to make raspberry jam (from homegrown raspberries that I had frozen specifically for making jam), roasted tomatoes a la G.Paltrow, some breakfast Muesli, a sourdough starter and some yogurt. Yes, in an HOUR (well, the yogurt "cooked" overnight). Talk about multi-tasking - not something that I am known to like to do but you do what you gotta do when free time is of the essence.

Raspberry (or strawberry, gooseberry) Jam (from the River Cottage Every Day):
Makes about 6 cups

3 pounds of fruit (raspberries was about 7 1/2 cups)
juice of one lemon
4 cups sugar

Sterilize some Mason jars in hot soapy water or dishwasher.

Divide fruit in half - smash half of the fruit and leave half of the fruit whole. Add the lemon juice and sugar. Stir to combine and leave for an hour or so to draw out the juices. Transfer the mixture to a preserving pan or a wide, heavy saucepan. Bring it quickly to a boil, stir a few times and boil hard for exactly 5 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Then pour hot jam into warm jars and seal. Store in fridge and use within 3 weeks.

pinkoofperfection

Muesli (also from River Cottage):
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup mixed dried fruit cut into bite-sized pieces (I used raisins and prunes)
3/4 cup nuts (I used walnuts)
4 TB of seeds (I used sunflower seeds)

Mix all of the above in a bowl empty into an airtight container, seal and store in a cool, dark place.

To serve, put about 1.2 cup muesli in a bowl, coarsely grate an apple and squeeze some orange juice and add. Let soak for about 5 minutes and serve with honey and yogurt.

smittenkitchen

Roasted Tomatoes (from My Father's Daughter)

This is a great use for the not-so-beautiful looking tomatoes at the store. Cut tomatoes in half and place in bowl with some olive oil and salt. Stir up and place on a baking sheet. Cook at 275 degrees for about an hour or until the tomatoes are crispy-looking.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.