Aemma
06-19-2009, 07:31 PM
Last summer, hubby, son and I had the very great fortune of visiting my odal lands at Île d'Orléans, a precious emerald jewel located in the St. Lawrence Seaway, just south of Québec City. My Norman ancestor, along with one of his brothers and a half brother, each received a parcel of land from the King and, in true Norman style, helped make that part of Canada, as well as parts of North America, what it is today.
I fell in love with this island the moment I laid eyes upon its verdant beauty. Its landscape remains unspoiled by commercialism and a long tradition of farming continues. Though not my home, it is nonetheless Home to me.
As a Midsummer gift to you all, I offer you this very simple recipe obtained from the cookbook Les producteurs toqués de l'Île d'Orléans/Farmers in Chefs Hats (2006), winner of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards' "World Best Cookery Award". It best celebrates through food this season and feast for us in this part of the world, honouring not only the bounty of our lands but the legacy of our folk. I hope that you enjoy it. And Happy Midsummer to you and yours. :)
From Ferme Léonce Plante et Fils (p. 39)--Real Strawberry Jam
Makes 2 cups (500 ml)
4 cups (500 g) strawberries
4 cups (900 g) sugar
7/8 cup (220ml) water
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp (5 g) butter
1. In a cooking pot, melt sugar and water over low heat. Once the sugar has melted, bring it to a boil until crystals appear.
2. Add strawberries and lemon juice and let the mixture boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. At the end of the cooking period, add a knob of butter to help remove the scum.
4. Remove from heat, place the cooking pot in cold water and stir often.
5. Once the jam has cooled completely, pour it into sterilized jars and seal. [Note: The recipe doesn't call for processing in a hot water bath--cooks will know what I'm talking about--but I would anyway just to make sure].
The recipe notes that "of course, this jam goes very well with cake or your breakfast, but follow Léonce's advice and spoon some jam into a bowl, add a little cream and dip a nice piece of fresh, crusty bread."
A tip from one of the top gourmet restaurants on the island called Le Canard Huppé: "For a fun variation, add some diced ginger to your sugar and water mixture...you will be surprised! This jam goes deliciously well with pâtés and terrines; just add a dash of freshly-ground ginger."
Cheers and Happy Midsummer to you all!...Aemma :)
I fell in love with this island the moment I laid eyes upon its verdant beauty. Its landscape remains unspoiled by commercialism and a long tradition of farming continues. Though not my home, it is nonetheless Home to me.
As a Midsummer gift to you all, I offer you this very simple recipe obtained from the cookbook Les producteurs toqués de l'Île d'Orléans/Farmers in Chefs Hats (2006), winner of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards' "World Best Cookery Award". It best celebrates through food this season and feast for us in this part of the world, honouring not only the bounty of our lands but the legacy of our folk. I hope that you enjoy it. And Happy Midsummer to you and yours. :)
From Ferme Léonce Plante et Fils (p. 39)--Real Strawberry Jam
Makes 2 cups (500 ml)
4 cups (500 g) strawberries
4 cups (900 g) sugar
7/8 cup (220ml) water
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp (5 g) butter
1. In a cooking pot, melt sugar and water over low heat. Once the sugar has melted, bring it to a boil until crystals appear.
2. Add strawberries and lemon juice and let the mixture boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. At the end of the cooking period, add a knob of butter to help remove the scum.
4. Remove from heat, place the cooking pot in cold water and stir often.
5. Once the jam has cooled completely, pour it into sterilized jars and seal. [Note: The recipe doesn't call for processing in a hot water bath--cooks will know what I'm talking about--but I would anyway just to make sure].
The recipe notes that "of course, this jam goes very well with cake or your breakfast, but follow Léonce's advice and spoon some jam into a bowl, add a little cream and dip a nice piece of fresh, crusty bread."
A tip from one of the top gourmet restaurants on the island called Le Canard Huppé: "For a fun variation, add some diced ginger to your sugar and water mixture...you will be surprised! This jam goes deliciously well with pâtés and terrines; just add a dash of freshly-ground ginger."
Cheers and Happy Midsummer to you all!...Aemma :)