LIFE IN THE GROVE
I’m still climbing ladders to get up into the canopies of my fruit trees, but now I’m harvesting ripening fruit. We have a bumper crop of plums this year, and I’m currently making Plum Jam with Cinnamon. My apricots are a little slow to ripen, but my friend gave me a few pounds of Blenheim apricots from a tree I gave her a few years ago, and 15 jars of apricot lavender jam are cooling down on the counter as I type. Every few minutes I hear the lids pop, which is music to my ears.
WHAT’S NEW IN THE KITCHEN?
I’m back to making jam three days a week and Spicy Peach Jam & Peach Jam with Cardamom made their seasonal debuts at local fairs
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Friday, July 5th
First Fridays Out
Windchaser Winery
1352 S 49th St, Richmond, CA 94804
4pm-8pm
Sunday, July 21st
Point Richmond Arts and Crafts Festival
78 Railroad Ave
(Behind Baltic Kiss)
Point Richmond, CA
11am-3pm
Saturday, July 27th
East Richmond Heights Art & Music Festival
Near Gyuto Foundation monastery
6401 Bernhard Ave, Richmond, CA 94805-1655
July 27th, 2024
11 am-5 pm
JAM OF THE MONTH
Guava Jelly
Ingredients: guava nectar (guava puree, natural flavor, citric acid, ascorbic acid, vegetable extract (color), lemon juice, sugar, fruit pectin (dextrose, citric acid)
I think it’s hard to find a guava jelly that’s not overly sweet. My version will still satisfy a yearning for a sugary tropical treat, but there’s a bit of tartness to balance it out. This jelly is excellent with creamy desserts and stirred into a bowl of fresh summer berries.
RESTOCKING IN JULY:
-Spicy Apple Jelly
-Plum Jam with Cinnamon
-Plum Jam with Chai Spices
-Triple Berry Jam with Orange
RECIPE
I get Elizabeth Minchili’s monthly newsletter, and she recently featured a cocktail that uses apricot jam. It’s perfect for a warm summer evening on the patio.
La Salvia
(from La Sagra Bar, JW Marriott, Venice)