Giant in the Kitchen:Quick Strawberry Jam
So I've been absent for a week, but I promise you that I haven't stopped eating - or thinking about eating. Arianna and I moved to St. Louis this past weekend, and what with packing, loading and cleaning, I never got around to posting. It's okay though, I can't imagine that you'd be all that interested in hearing about the chicken sandwich I had in West Virginia last Friday night. I will say that even though I'm not much of a fast food eater, I will miss Chick-Fil-A
It was surreal and kind of scary to move cross-country without my parents. I think I was expecting it to be like when I moved away for college or something, but it was so much more work than I anticipated. There were times where I couldn't see an end to the process, but fortunately we made it through in one piece. Now I'm sitting in my mother's basement, looking for an apartment on craigslist and trying to find a church that will hire me to sing.
I do think that it is strange that U-Haul is willing to put me behind the wheel of a 26 foot truck with an attached 12 foot car trailer, but that as a 24-year-old I can't rent a car. I'm sure there is an actuary somewhere that can explain it to me.
We're coming to the end of the strawberry season, but I've got this jam that I want you to try while the berries are still fresh. It's one of the most delicious things that I've ever made - and so damn simple! It is basically Jamie Oliver's recipe, found here. I used less sugar than him, but the less you use, the more it will be like a sauce.
Take about 4 pounds of strawberries, washed and trimmed, and squish them up in a bowl with ¾ cup of sugar. Throw it in a big pot and simmer for 30 minutes. As it cooks, a pink foam will rise to the top that you should skim off. That's it. Easy.
If you have a smaller amount of strawberries, like a few pints, just use a couple tablespoons of sugar and follow the recipe above.
This stuff is awesome on toast with butter or cream cheese, poured over hot oatmeal or pancakes, and especially mixed in warm with yogurt. It is basically just strawberries, so you can eat it with abandon!
