Blueberry Marmalade

I love blueberry pie. I wasn't loving "freezer" blueberry jam, which isn't cooked. It dawned on me recently, why not make a cooked blueberry jam? I found just the thing in Preserving the Taste, by Edon Waycott (out of print, available used or try your library).
Here is my adaptation:

Ingredients

• 1 orange plus juice
• 1 lemon plus juice
• [total juice should equal 1/2 c]
• 1.5 c water

• 4 c  fresh blueberries or 2 12oz bags frozen, thawed, crushed
• 3 c cane sugar
• 1/4 tsp cardamom

Directions

• Cut off ends of orange and lemon, extract juice
• Seed then pulverize all in a food processer, place in good sized pot
• Add water, boil 10 minutes
• Add juice, boil another 15 minutes
• Add blueberries, sugar, spice
• Cook uncovered 20 minutes or until reaches set temperature of 220º
• Fill jars, process to seal or freeze

Guava-Lemon Marmalade

Sheer ambrosia! Fantastic on plain yogurt.

[Originally posted 1/24/14. Updated and republished, 5/28/16] 
I've made some adjustments to what I originally had here.
I think it's better and easier now. 

Guava-Lemon Marmalade
yield 6 8oz jars
(adapted from this recipe by Jen on Just a Pinch. Her recipe is strictly guavas, no lemon)
Note: I'm still working this out, the latest batch I finely chopped the seeded lemon, but thinking that throwing it into the food processor with the guavas would be even easier. WIP notes to self in blue italics.

Ingredients

• 20 medium sized ripe guavas
• water as needed
• 1 lemon, juiced, seeded, [rind and pulp cut into small dice? Or add chopped to processor?]
• 3 c sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Wash and remove stems off the guavas, scoop out the seedy centers. (I discard, Jen uses).
2. Cut the guava pulp with skin into quarters and place in a food processor to puree. [Add chopped lemon?] and juice, and enough water to help the mixture liquefy. Blend it really well.
3. Combine puree with the sugar into a pot. 
4. Cook on high until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly as to avoid sticking or burning.
5. Add the pinch of salt and lower to medium heat, high enough so that it still bubbles. Continue to cook and stir occasionally for about 30 minutes. [Because of the added lemon, it gelled for me in 10 minutes].
6. Decant into jars and process (I freeze).

The Syd Sydrome

More Scribbles in the Dark, featuring various configurations involving Syd Straw. 

First was Cindy Lee Barryhill's record launch at McCabe's. (More about that in another post). 

Got autographs!

Next gig involved a mad dash after my Saturday class to the Casbah in San Diego.

Robert Lloyd, Syd, Severo

Syd with an adoring fan. He came from San Francisco for the gig.

Next, Syd at McCabe's:

Lyn Bertels, Karyn Kuhl, Syd, John Moremen, Robert Lloyd, Severo

In closing, here is the song that has crawled into my head and won't leave.

Are you ready to join the Lobster Girl cult?

Ramp Butter Recipe

Super simple and can be frozen. I use those 2oz deli containers.

Ramp Butter

ingredients

• Butter at room temperature
• Ramps, washed and trimmed, finely chopped. OK to use green parts.

(Ratio is your level of Ramp love)

Blend!

If you don't eat butter, I imagine this would work with Coconut Oil as well.

Stan Ridgway and Friends In Whittier

Has it been two weeks ago already?
Dez, Severo, and I saw Stan at the Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts in Whittier on February 4th.

Here we are with Stan, helping push the merch. 

The Shannon is a lovely small theater, with nicely raked seating so the sight lines are good.

They also have NO extra service charges on their tickets. Yay!

One drawback is a strict ban on photography and recording devices.
I already knew that, so I took along my sketchbook:

[clean copies of the sketches are over here on my sketch blog]

Tonight, I meet up with Dez again, to see Dave and Phil Alvin. Woohoo!

Consider the Dragon Fruit... or Not

Mr Glutton brought home an "unaesthetic" dragon fruit that wasn't nice enough to justify the $5.99 price tag at his day job.
(It would have gone to the trash, so he "diverted" it to his pocket).

The Google says it's supposed to taste like the intersection of a pear and a kiwi.
It does not.
At least this example didn't.
It tasted like nothing and left a unpleasant aftertaste.

Sure is pretty on the inside, though!

Maybe it was overripe.