plum

Scents in the Garden (and fruit shortcake)

katejerome2020gmail.comLeave a comment

I was walking through the garden, on a mission to get pruners from the shed, and was struck by the scent of lilies. The fragrance lifted my spirits, slowed me down and gave me an extra spring in my step to get my task done. 

I must have fragrance in my garden. Sticking my nose into a petunia with no scent is like kissing someone through a screen door. All the parts of the scene are there but not the pleasure. So I shop for petunias in the evening when they are releasing their heavenly odors and I can determine just which ones do have that velvety, cinnamon-clove essence. 

Some fragrances are happy natural occurrences, such as the damp woodsy smell that wafts over you when you walk past spruces and white pines. Then there are those scents we deliberately choose. One of my all-time favorites is Oriental lily, which carries me back to the lands of my childhood fantasies, full of knights and Arabian princesses. Sleeping in a room with Stargazer lily floating in a bowl by the bedside induces wonderful dreams.

Oriental lilies are more heavily scented at night, so one year I decided to complement their scent beneath my office window with the sweet perfume of nicotiana, also fragrant in the evening. As the softness of dusk approached, the perfumes began to drift upward, teasing my nose with their embroidered odors. As the evening wore on the combined scents became heavy, cloying and more than I could stand. I no longer felt like an Arabian princess but a nine-year-old who had wandered past the dime store perfume counter, trying every cheap scent on one wrist. I moved the nicotiana. 

I love placing scents so garden visitors turn their heads, looking for the source. We all know to bend over and sniff roses, but who knows that planting an overhead arbor with grapes makes wonderfully fragrant shade? Grape blossoms are sweetly scented, bringing spring weddings and flower girls to mind. Then when the grapes are fruiting, the ripe muskiness evokes another feeling entirely, that of the robust Tuscan countryside at harvest time. 

Memories of people, places and times are inescapably tied to fragrance, and there’s nothing as sweet as being reminded of a favorite person or a pleasant time in one’s life by a scent on the wind. Some scents may make us melancholy, but others can lift the spirits to float on the wind. Nothing makes me hungry faster than brushing rosemary when working in the herb bed. And I always smile when I detect the perfume of freesias, which my step-mom has always put by my bed when I visit. 

Fruit Shortcake

We are at the peak of summer fruit season, and nothing is so appealing as fresh fruit shortcake. Traditional shortcake is very much like a biscuit, just with a little sugar added. Use whatever fruit is in season and embellish with whipped cream, ice cream or simply a sprig of mint.

1 c. wheat pastry flour
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
¼ t. Soda
2 T. sugar
6 T. butter
1 c. buttermilk

Blend the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter. Add buttermilk and mix lightly. Turn onto a floured board and roll out to about half an inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or an upside-down glass and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Split and adorn with fruit.

Simplicity

katejerome2020gmail.comLeave a comment

Have you ever made a dish from a recipe you pulled off the internet, convinced it sounded absolutely delicious, only to find that it was insipid? I did that last night – a casserole using lots of fresh grilled vegetables, eggs, cheese and sourdough bread. What could go wrong?

Too complicated

First of all, I cut the recipe in half and it still made enough for at least five people. It had multitudes of steps, taking me a couple of hours to complete. When it finally rolled out of the oven (heating up the kitchen pretty intensely since it cooked for an hour), it looked good. Bubbly and cheesy. And it tasted like kissing someone through a screen door. Not much flavor, not even rich enough to qualify as comfort food.

I know better. I just don’t cook that way. I get a little crazy this time of year wit the abundance of vegetables and fruits coming in, but it is fun to come up with interesting ways to use them.

Simplicity is best

Most importantly, I need to remember to keep things as simple as possible. A chopped tomato mixed with olive oil, minced fresh garlic, salt and fresh basil is a perfect sauce to toss with hot pasta. Or simply sauteed greens and onions over pasta. No time, not much prep and absolutely fresh and delicious.

Pasta with spinach

Even if you don’t consider yourself a cook, you can learn to prepare fresh wholesome meals without a lot of prep time or a lengthy list of ingredients. And cooking can become an interesting part of your life instead of a chore. It truly is artistry and if you look at it that way, you are an artist!

A simple dessert – fresh fruit galette

Peach galette

I bought a box of produce from a local farmer this week and it came with plums, raspberries and grapes. I made a plum and raspberry galette. Sounds like it may be complicated, but it’s not. And any of the fruits can be swapped for whatever is coming in at the time. Once your fruits are prepared, it takes less than an hour to make including baking time. You could have a different flavor every night of the week. And the possibilities to use vegetables and cheeses make it an endless supply of opportunities.

Yellow plums

A galette is simply a rustic pastry. You can make it a dessert or a savory main dish for brunch or dinner.

You can certainly make your own pastry, but puff pastry or pie dough from the freezer is easy and almost always works perfectly. Feel free to experiment with all different types of crust. Use the more delicate crusts with fruits and heartier crusts with vegetables.

Fruit Galette

Plum raspberry galette

3-4 cups fruit – raspberries, strawberries, plums, peaches, grapes, blueberries in any combination
1 pkg. puff pastry or pie crust thawed
6 T. apricot or currant jam (or whatever jam you have in the fridge)
1 egg
1 t. water
½ c. coarse sugar

Roll dough until about 12 inches in diameter. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate dough for 5-10 minutes.

Prepare fruit – you can peel peaches and plums if desired. Slice. If the fruit is particularly juicy, you can toss with 2 T. cornstarch to thicken the juices somewhat. If the fruit is tart, add up to half a cup of sugar.

Heat jam; spread jam in the center of the circle, leaving ¼ inch border around the edge of the dough. Place prepared fruit on top, leaving a 1 ½ -inch border around the edge of the dough.

Fold dough up onto fruit uniformly, pleating and pressing gently so it adheres slightly. Fruit should be exposed in the center. Mix egg and water and lightly brush dough and crimped seams with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Add enough water to the remaining jam to produce spreadable consistency; brush jam over fruit for a shiny glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature the same day.

Riffs: asparagus with goat cheese; roasted peppers and roasted eggplant with feta; tomatoes with basil and mozzarella cheese. Season with herbs of choice.