Ginger Peach & Black Raspberry Water

July 17, 2013

An ice machine breaking on a 90 degree day is a sad reality of summer. When scrounging for a refreshing beverage without ice, I decided I had to get creative. I had just gone an picked black raspberries from my favorite farm in Jersey. I decided to macerate the berries with a few slices of ginger, peach & citrus then submerge them in water and stuck it in the fridge. The water instantly turned a brillant red and was absolutely refreshing. Now I like to take on of my 32oz. mason jar and leave it in the fridge with water fruit I have laying around. Weather it be to cool down, mix up the usual water chugging you need on these hot days, or to spice up a cocktail, I'm positively smitten with the simplicity and versatile uses of this flavored water. Now this recipe is merrily a suggestion, the brilliance behind this water is to use what you have on hand. Play around and experiment with different fruits, add a dash of honey or maple syrup and refill it and just leave it in the fridge to have around at all times.

Ginger Peach & Black Raspberry Water

32 oz of water

1/2 cup raspberries

1 peach

1 lemon

ginger root to taste

honey or maple syrup, to taste (optional)

Grab a large jar and macerate the black raspberries and peaches. Add the juice of 1 lemon and add 3 slices of ginger root, cover with water. Allow to sit in the fridge for a minimum of an hour. Replenish after each use and enjoy on its own or with your favorite spirit!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

June 12, 2013

After returning to the States from cool and balmy France, I came home to what seemed like a strawberry explosion. Excited for the season I went to my favorite fruit farm, Phillips Farm in New Jersey, and quickly picked up 2 pounds. The following day our farm share from Lancaster Farm Fresh was loaded with 4 quarts of the most delicate beauties. Dumbfounded and gitty, I immediately thought, preserves. When you have this amount of berries on your hands, the possibilities are endless. However strawberries are pretty perishable, and a lot of the varieties I prefer, bruise easily and taste best when eaten within a couple days of picking. Preserving these badboys allows you to enjoy their freshness year round; and believe me, come December, you'll be so happy you saved yourself a jar. The other great thing about this preparation is that you can also immediately do whatever you can think of with the stuff. From cocktails, pies, and ice creams, this base is extremely malleable for all your strawberry dreams. So get into the field before the season passes and enjoy the taste of the season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Makes 6 half pints

3 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves removed

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Method

Wash & clean berries and rhubarb. Hull berries and slice in half, set aside in bowl. Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and place in the bowl with the berries. Cover with sugar and stir. Set aside for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare sanitized 1/2 pint jars and set aside. If you want to can them, prepare a water bath for jars.

When the juices are released from the fruit pour into a large skillet over high heat. Bring to a rapid boiling, stirring often for around 10 minutes or until the juice is thick. Remove from heat and funnel into sanitized jars. Secure lid to jars and boil in water bath for 10 minutes or simply store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Try these preserves in syrup on waffles, folded into whip cream to make a 'fool' or even stirred into your favorite gin.

My strawberry partners in crime @ Springdale Farms — My strawberry partners in crime @ Springdale Farms

Local Pick Your Own Locations (Philadelphia Area)

Active Acres Farm

881 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940.

215.860.6855

Brumbaugh's Farm

2575 County Line Road, Telford, PA.

215.723.3508

Manoff Market Gardens

Comfort Road, Solebury, PA 18963.

215.297.8220

Shady Brook Farm

931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, PA 19067.

215.968.1670

Springdale Farm Market

1638 S. Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.

856.424.8674

Rowand Farms

Greentree Road & Dalton Drive, Glassboro, NJ.

856.589.9234

Phillips Farm

290 Church Rd, Milford, NJ 08848

908.995.0022

Local Mixed Berry & Lemon Thyme Tart

July 16, 2012

The pick-your-own farms that litter the Delaware river bed are in full season.The fertile land holds many of my earliest childhood memories that is the joy of gorging yourself in a field of fresh ripe berries that are just waiting to be eaten.

This weekend my sister and I picked our hearts out at Phillips Farm in Milford, New Jersey. This sprawling and vast 200 acre farm sits above the mighty Delaware River and offers an amazing selection of pick-your-own strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries & peaches

After picking our black raspberries and blueberries, we headed home to help prepare for a feast that night, a celebration of my sisters return to the States. Her father, a veteran pastry chef turned IT professional, had been preparing food for the occasion and smoking a brisket all day. I decided to make a dessert from the fresh berries we had picked that day for the occasion and came up with this recipe.

The tart was a lovely, indulgent and refreshing finale to the mass feast dubbed 'Lynchfeast' and was shared in the wee hours of the night over candle light on the patio overlooking Lynch creek where the feast was held. The tart was devoured that night and no evidence remained except the berry blood stained grins that were on the faces of the satisfied friends and family.