Can Jam Session #4 – Coriander Pecan Pesto

It is the fourth installment of the  2010 Can Jam and we decided to have a lil fun on a Saturday afternoon. We decided we wanted to do a twist on classic pesto and went to the market to see what was fresh. The basil was looking a little weak so we opted for Coriander and decided in place of pine nuts we would try Pecans. The results were great and final product is something we look forward to using in the coming summer months on fish, grilled chicken and pasta salad! Bring on the summer. Due to a lil too much ‘fun’ last night we opted for a session of water…yes. you heard it water. As well, we skipped dinner so our dinner feature will return next month.

Herb Jam Session Playlist
Love Stinks – Nazareth
Smells Like Funk – Black Eyed Peas
Smells Like You Mean It – The Killers
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana

Now on with the show, here are some shots from Can Jam Session #4…Battle Herbs!

Market fresh coriander

Ready to get chopped!

Fresh chopped pesto

For those of you that want to try this one out, here is the recipe.

CORIANDER PECAN PESTO

20 cups Fresh Coriander (loosely packed, stems removed)

6 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2.5 cups Pecans

1 cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place coriander, cheese, pecans, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process using on/off motion until finely chopped. Drink a half glass of water, take one Advil.

Divide pesto into freezable containers or Ziploc bags. Refrigerate or freeze until use. Good for 3-4 months if frozen. Go outside…it’s nice out!

This pesto compliments fish as well as chicken.

Makes about 7-8 250ml jars.

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Can Jam Session #3 – Onions Two Ways

The 3 Canners were looking forward to this edition of the 2010 Can Jam, we had experimented with some pickled onions a few months ago and the results were great. This time around we decided to up the challenge and we decided to do Onions Two Ways. The first being Spicy English Style Pickled Onions and then we decided to do a small batch of Caramelized Onion Jam.

We have added a two new features to our Can Jam blog entries. First, we think every good Can Jam Session needs music so as a new added feature, we also thought we would toss out some exerts from each Jam Session Playlist. Drop us a comment and let us know yours…

Onion Jam Session Playlist
Cryin’ Over You – Platinum Blonde
Don’t Dry From Me Argentina – Madonna
Cry Me A River – Justin Timberlake
Don’t Cry – Guns’n’Roses
Who’s Cryin’ Now – Journey
All I Could Do Was Cry – Etta James

Second, we always plan at least one afternoon and evening for our jam sessions. After a few hours of cutting, chopping and canning, the Canners get hungry, so we take turns making something in the slow cooker to celebrate our final product with. We have now added the Dinner Feature, that will let you in on what’s on the menu for each session. If you’re interested in the recipe for it drop us a comment as well.

Now on with the rest of the ‘Battle Onion’…here are some shots from Onions Two Ways, Two Days.

For those of you that want to try these ones out…the recipes are below as well.

Onions go good with red

Let the crying begin

Time for a salt water bath

Into the jars they go

A spicy brine

Onions One Way

Shallots check!

Fresh Rosemary check!

Flavour jam session

Onions Second Way

Snacks for night one

DINNER FEATURE: Braciola w/ fresh pasta w/ rapini.

Spicy English Style Pickled Onions

5 lbs Sweet Small Onions
5L Brown Malt Vinegar
5 tbsp Black & White Peppercorns
5 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
5 tbsp Coriander Seeds
5 tbsp Mustard Seeds
15 Whole Cloves
12 Large Green Chili Peppers
Salt

Night One
Open a bottle of red wine and pour a glass for yourself and anyone else who is helping. Boil a large pot of water and add a generous amount of salt. Once the salt is dissolved, take it off the heat and let it cool right down. We put it outside.

Trim and peel the onions. You can keep a small bit of the stem on the onion, this stops the onions from separating. Add the onions to the cold salt water and leave overnight, holding the onions underwater with a heavy plate. This process will make for a more crunchy final product. Finish the bottle of wine and enjoy the rest of your night smelling like onions.

Day Two
Pour yourself a nice Bloody Ceasar, then put the vinegar and spices into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes – no longer, otherwise the vinegar will evaporate. Take the saucepan off the heat and leave it, covered, to cool right down. If you add hot brine to the jars it will make for a much softer onion.

Strain the vinegar to remove the spices.

Rinse off the onions and pack the onions into clean jars and pour in enough of the spiced vinegar to cover them. You can put one or two of the chilis in the jar with the onions if you like them VERY fiery!

Seal the jars in a hot water bath as directed.

Store the jars of onions in a cool dark place and leave for at least 30 days.

Caramelized Shallot Jam

1/8 cup Butter
1 lb of  Shallots – sliced
1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 cup Brown Malt Vinegar
1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary – finely chopped

Take a sip of your wine, if you don’t have one…get one.

Melt butter in a large pan, add onion, cook, stirring about 20 minutes or until onions are very soft and lightly browned.

Add brown sugar, stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. 
Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and caramelised.

Add vinegar, simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes (a half glass of wine), or until mixture is thickened slightly.

Stir in rosemary. Finish off the wine.

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Can Jam Session #1 – Citrus

So here is our first real post and also our first recipe as part of the 2010 Can Jam. This month’s ingredient was ‘citrus’ so after a long discussion and a few bottles of wine, we decided that we would do a nice marmalade with a twist. We thought it would taste delicious on a fresh piece of crusty bread or as a glaze on meat or fish. We thought about doing something with Seville oranges that come into season in Canada around now but eventually decided we liked the flavor profile of the blood orange more.

Here are some shots from our marmalade ‘jam session’.

For those of you who want to give it a try, the recipe is below. Enjoy!

Naked Blood Oranges

Our recipe calls for red wine…ha!

Beautiful Blood Oranges

Thinly Sliced Orange Rinds

The cooking process starts…

The cooking process continues…

The cooking process ends.

Time to fills the jars with goodness!

The finished product

Blood Orange Port Ginger Marmalade

12 Blood Oranges

6 Lemon

6 cups Water

3 cups Port Wine (we used W.J. Graham’s 2003 Late Bottled Vintage Port)

2 Tb Ginger (fine grind)

7.5 cups Granulated Sugar

1 bottle of Red Wine w/ 3 glasses

Open wine, pour glass and sip. Then remove outer rind from oranges with a vegetable peeler and cut into fine strips. Squeeze juice from oranges, toss out the white inner rind and seeds. Add the juice and any pulp to your saucepan. Take sip of red wine.

Squeeze juice from lemons and slice rind into fine strips. Add lemon juice, rind, water, ginger and port wine to saucepan. Bring it all to boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 30 minutes. Take sip of red wine.

Add sugar bring to boil and boil rapidly, uncovered until the mixture forms a gel, about 15 minutes should do it, stirring frequently while drinking wine. Remove from heat.

Ladle into hot jars and process for 10 minutes.

Finish rest of red wine.

Makes 12 – 250ml jars.

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Can Jam 2010

The 3 Canners are excited to be participating along with 136 others passionate preservists in ‘Can Jam 2010‘. Every month a different key ingredient will be announced and participants have to come up with a recipe and start canning! The first month’s ingredient is CITRUS! So stay tuned for our recipe.

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