Blackberries are in season now and are available locally in our Northern California farmers markets. Making jam is a great way to preserve blackberries so that you can enjoy them all year long.   I don’t use pectin in my jam so I can really cut down on the amount of sugar needed.  I simply use a 3:1 ratio of fruit to natural raw sugar.  (Pectin is extremely tart and you need about a 1:1 or even 1:2 ratio of fruit to sugar when using it!)

Ingredients
9 cups very ripe blackberries
3 cups natural, raw sugar (white sugar can be substituted, if desired)

You will also need:
Large pot
Large spoon
Skimmer
Large saute pan
Six very clean 8 oz. jars with new, clean lids and rings
Super large canning pot
Jar tongs
Kitchen towel
Damp paper towel

Instructions
Place the blackberries and sugar in a large Dutch-oven-sized pot.

Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally and skimming as needed, for about an hour or until the juices are reduced and the mixture has thickened.   You can test this by taking some out of the pot and letting it cool.

Meanwhile, prepare your jars.  Make sure they are very clean.  I like to take them directly from the hot dishwasher.  Place about 2 cups of water into a large saute pan and bring to a boil.  Place the jars, bottom side up, into the skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer with the jars in there for about 10 minutes.   Keep hot.

When the  jam has finished cooking, ladle it while still hot into the hot jars (careful – these jars are HOT), leaving only about 1/4″ of space at the top of the jar.  Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel.

Note that it is important to seal each jar before starting on the next one.  Before putting the lid onto each jar, drop the lid into the boiling water in the saute pan for 30 seconds.

Remove the lid from the water and place it on top of the hot jar with the jam.  Put the ring on and twist tightly to seal.  Repeat with each jar until all of the jam is in the jars.  If you have a little bit of jam left over, then put it into a dish, cover it with plastic wrap and have it for breakfast the next morning.

Meanwhile, prepare your water bath by heating enough water in the super large pot to cover your jars.  (Don’t put the jars in yet.)  Bring the water to a boil. Carefully drop the sealed jars into the boiling water, reduce the heat to a medium-low boil, and cook the jars of jam for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water to cool for half an hour.

Remove the jars from the water, dry them off and store them on the countertop.  Check them a little later to make sure that the lids have sealed.  If so, store them in a cool, dry place.  If not, then put them into the refrigerator and use within two weeks.  You can also freeze them for later use.

Yield:  approx. six 8-oz. jars.

Fava beans are appearing now in our local Bay Area farmers markets.  They are so fresh-tasting and delicious.  You do have to shell them, cook them and peel them before serving.  However, they are so worth it – and it really takes only a few minutes. 

When choosing fava beans, go for the pods that are smaller, uniformly green and crisp. The beans inside should be green, too. Avoid the larger pods that have yellowing beans inside.

Start by shelling the fava beans. Remove the stem end and pull off the string that runs lenghwise along the pod.  Open the pod and remove the beans inside.  Discard the pods. 

Cook the beans until they are just tender. To do that, put them into a saucepan and cover them in water. Bring the water to a boil and let the beans cook for only 1-2 minutes, until they are just stating to get tender and the skins loosen up. Remove the beans from the heat and drain them immediately. Fill the pot with cold water to stop the cooking of the beans. Drain again and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.

The fava bean must then be popped out of its skin. Grasp it between your thumb and forefinger and push. The whole bean should pop out. Discard the skin and keep the naked bean.

Now that the beans are shelled, cooked, skinned and ready to go, put them onto some decorative salad plates, drizzle them with a really nice olive oil, sprinkle with a coarse sea salt (such as fleur de sel) and finish with a bit of fresh lemon zest (Meyer lemon, if possible). Add some shaved parmigiano reggiano, some fresh burrata or fresh mozarella for an extra-decadent treat.

Here are more recipes that feature fava beans:  Crostini of Fava Beans with Meyer Lemon, Seared Salmon with Fava Beans and Truffle Oil and Seared Dayboat Scallops with Fava Beans.

My favorite sun-dried tomatoes (hands-down!) come from Everything Under the Sun in Winters, California.  They are intensely-flavored and packed with Vitamin A, minerals and fiber.   I love to have them onhand to toss into soups and sauces.  The folks at Everything Under the Sun dry their own tomatoes and I typically buy them from their booth at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. 

The farm’s owner, William Crepps, recently gave me a great tip on how to keep a supply of these gems ready for snacking or for immediate use in recipes.  He advised me to soak the tomatoes in a fruity white wine, such as a gewurztraminer or a riesling, for about 30 minutes.  Then pour off the wine and add enough olive oil to just coat the tomatoes. Store the tomatoes in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.  They are ready for snacking or for serving to your friends.  In fact, I recently tossed a handful of these into an arugula pesto that I was making.  I garnished the top with a sun-dried tomato half.  The person who ate the garnish liked it so much that I brought out an entire dish of tomatoes for the rest of the guests.  This was a big hit! 

Everything Under the Sun also sun-dries other products, such as strawberries, kiwi and mandarin oranges.  Their strawberries are intensely-flavored, as well, and are fantastic when soaked in a little bit of liqueur (another tip from the owner). 

You can find Everything Under the Sun’s display of fresh and dried products on the back side of the San Francisco Ferry Plaza every Saturday morning and on the front side of the ferry building on Tuesday mornings.  You can also contact them directly at: 530-681-1374 .

One of my favorite Autumn treats is chestnuts.  I was recently in the Ardeche region of France for a mushroom hunt and was thrilled to see all of the chestnut trees lining the roads. 

In some regions, chestnuts are used as substitutes for potatoes, as they are quite starchy.  They taste great in both sweet and savory dishes. 

Roasting chestnuts is actually very easy.  Just take a knife and make an “x” cut in the rounded side of the chestnut.  Then roast them for about 20 minutes in a 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) oven.  Pour them out onto a kitchen towel, wrap them up in the towel and let them cool for a few minutes.  Then peel off the outer shell. 

Eat them on the spot or save them for your favorite soup or stuffing recipe (or maybe for Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Chestnuts).  Chestnuts will keep for several months in airtight containers in the freezer, too.

The pomegranate is one of my favorite fruits.   It is full of antioxidants and nutrients and its seeds are great for sprucing up salads, vegetables and main dishes. 

Here is a tip for removing the seeds from the pomegranate without getting the juice all over you (and your kitchen):

Fill a medium-sized bowl with water.  Totally immerse the pomegranate in the water.  While holding it under water, take a knife and slice it open.  Using your hands, break the pomegranate pieces up gently and remove the seeds.  The seeds will fall to the bottom of the bowl.  Discard the peel of the pomegranate.  When you have removed all of the seeds, fish out any white membrane that is floating in the top.  Drain off the water and you are left with the beautiful seeds.  Eat them as a snack or save them (covered in the refrigerator) for your favorite recipes.

Autumn brings a wealth of wonderful produce – including the fantastic persimmon!  In California, we can find two varieties of persimmons at the local markets – the hachiya and the fuyu.  These two varieties represent astringent (hachiya) and non-astringent (fuyu) persimmons. 

Hachiya persimmons, which are pointed on the end,  are astringent until they ripen.  They turn deep orange in color when they are starting to ripen.  However, don’t be fooled by color alone.  They are ready to eat only when they become jelly-soft (like a water balloon).   Note:  You can buy fruit that is still a bit firm and ripen it in a bowl with a banana or an apple.

I have a hachiya persimmon tree in my yard and it has a lot of fruit on it this year.  I have really enjoyed coming up with new recipes that use these delicious fruits.  Take a look at my Moist Persimmon Cake with Creme Fraiche recipe, as well as my Persimmon Scones recipe.  

Fuyu persimmons (pictured above) are flatter than hachiyas and can be eaten while still firm or soft.  I think they are best when crisp and sweet.  They should be peeled before being eaten, as the peel is astringent.  Add them to a salad for a real treat.  Take a look at my recipe for Autum Salad with Fuyu Persimmons, Candied Pistachio Nuts, Fresh Goat Cheese and Honey-Vinaigrette Dressing.

Peppers are in full season right now and they are absolutely delicious! I love all kinds and colors of peppers – mild, hot, red, orange, yellow, purple, green. However, one of my favorites for roasting is the piquillo pepper. This pepper has a long red pod and is thick and meaty. The skin peels off easily when roasted and steamed in a paper bag. It holds up well during the roasting process and is very easy to stuff (or just slice and add to your favorite recipe).

To roast, totally blacken either directly on a gas burner on your stovetop or else on a barbeque grill (takes about 5-10 minutes per pepper). Then place the blackened pepper inside a paper bag, close the bag and let it steam for about 10 minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Then simply slide the skin off, take the stem end off and remove the seeds from the inside. You will love the texture and the flavor of these roasted peppers!

The rhubarb in my garden is growing like crazy this year! I planted it a couple of years ago because I wanted to see if it would grow (it does!). Rhubarb has very large leaves that grow at the end of each edible stalk. The stalk averages about 18 inches in length and mine turns a nice red color. Note that the leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous so don’t eat them – only eat the stalk.

When I harvest my rhubarb, I look for stalks that are full of moisture. If they are starting to dry out, I discard them because they have likely lost some of their flavor and texture. To harvest, first I break off the stalk near the base. Then I cut off the leaf and discard it. I cut the stalk into 1/2 inch pieces and wash the pieces in cool water. You can keep rhubarb in the refrigerator for a couple of days in a sealed plastic bag before using it, if necessary.

One of my favorite recipes is my Rhubarb Galette. It is full of rhubarb with a bit of Meyer lemon juice and cinnamon. And quite tasty!

I so look forward to cherry season each year!    The first cherries of the season are normally not very sweet, but they will get sweeter each week. 

Some of the most flavorful cherries are the Bings, but there are many other great varieties, such as Brooks, Rainiers, Queen Annes, Lapins, Chelans and Sweethearts.  

Unfortunately, the cherry season is not very long – just a few weeks – so get them while you can!   Here are a few tips to help you choose.

First of all, if possible, buy cherries that are either organic or at least pesticide free.  Many growers use heavy doses of chemical pesticides to keep bugs off the cherries.  Try to avoid that situation, if possible, for your own health.

When choosing cherries, look for a nice, dark color and a firm but plump texture.  Don’t grab cherries by the handsful.  Choose carefully to get the most flavorful cherries into your basket. 

Also, make sure that the stems are fresh and intact.  When the stems are removed, that opens the skin of the cherry and makes it susceptible to mold and decay. 

As well, make sure that the cherries are cool to the touch.  You don’t want cherries that have been sitting in the sun, as the flavor and the texture will start to break down quickly. 

Cherries will store well for up to a week in the refrigerator.  Just store them loosely packed (but unwashed) in a plastic bag.  

Cherries also freeze well.  After rinsing and draining the cherries, spread them out on a baking sheet in an individual layer and freeze them.  After they are frozen, gather the frozen cherries up and put them into a plastic bag.  I like to double-bag them to insure freshness.  They should keep this way for up to a year in the freezer.

Here is one of my favorite recipes using cherries – Cherry Clafoutis.

If you’ve been waiting for just the right time to plant culinary herbs, don’t wait any longer! Growing herbs indoors can be fun, practical, and rewarding. All it really takes is a little planning and care and you are on your way! Here are a few tips on getting started:

(1) Choose a bright spot. A nice window sill or sunny area indoors will work fine. The herbs need at least five hours of sunlight per day in order to thrive.
(2) Choose a pot that is at least 6 inches in diameter and 6-12 inches deep. You can plant several herbs in a large or wide pot. Make sure the pots have holes in the bottom for drainage. Be sure to get a base of some sort for the bottom of your pot to catch any excess water.
(3) Choose a soil mixture that is well-draining. I recommend an organic potting soil if you will be using your herbs for culinary purposes.
(4) Choose some small herb plants from your favorite nursery. I recommend starting with chives, basil, mint, parsley and thyme. You can also add some lavender or nasturtiums for color.
(5) To plant, add about an inch of gravel in the bottom of each pot. Next, add about 2-3 inches of soil. Then plant your herbs. Add more soil on the top – to about an inch below the top of the pot. Water well and allow the pot to drain. Place the herbs in your chosen location.

And don’t forget to water as needed – every few days! 

Here is a quick pasta recipe of mine that uses fresh herbs – Herbed Angel Hair Pasta.