Blackberry Shrub



For close to 25 years, I have been the keeper of a few of my Grandmother Johnston’s handwritten recipes. They are yellowing with age, showing faded ink. I find them fascinating, and they give me the feeling of a connection to Ann Baker Robnett Johnston.
Ann was born in Deer Park, in Boone County, Missouri in 1895. She was the Daughter of John Thomas Robnett and Harriet Lyle Whaley Robnett. From the recipes that I cherish, I can see her Grandmother Whaley influenced her in the kitchen also, just like mine did.
One recipe caught my attention and has been on my list of recipes to research. Ever heard of Blackberry Shrub? Me either. But I am sitting here with the recipe right by me, wondering how many years ago she wrote it on this yellowed card. I am sure it has to be at least 75 years ago, probably longer.


At the top of the card she wrote


“Blackberry Shrub…Grandmother Whaley’s….. Fine”


I think she liked it, so why wouldn’t I try it?
One good reason….it isn’t blackberry season here in the Midwest. I’ll have to wait until summer. That gives me lots of time to keep researching.


Recently I ran across a bog called Kitchen Konfidence
http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2011/08/blackberry-shrub


There I found a posting on Blackberry Shrub! It was posted on August 4, 2011 by Brandon Matzek. I have emailed him for some possible assistance with an ingredient that my grandmother has listed….it looks like “tarbic acid”. When googled, nothing comes up as tarbic, except one spot, my own blog from 2009. I am no help at all!


On the Kitchen Konfidence blog, Brandon gives the recipe’s history as follows:


“The origin of these drinking vinegars dates back to the Roman Era where acetified wine diluted with water was consumed as an everyday thirst quencher.* Shrubs came to America via England during the Colonial Era.”


Brandon’s recipe calls for a blackberry syrup, balsamic vinegar and fresh rosemary.


Blackberry Shrub
2 3/4 cups blackberries
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
3 sprigs of rosemary
Add blackberries, water and sugar to a medium saucepan and cook on low until the berries are soft (10 – 15 minutes). Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, slightly mashing the berries each time you stir.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh basket strainer then return to the saucepan. Discard solids. Add balsamic vinegar and rosemary sprigs. Increase the heat to medium-low and bring the mixture to a slow boil.**
Take the mixture off of the heat and carefully remove the rosemary sprigs. Let cool then transfer to a pitcher or bottle. Chill shrub in the refrigerator before using.


Makes about 4 cups.


From his blog I was led to an article in the New York Times from November, 2008. why it did not pop up on Google is a mystery to me! Here is a excerpt from that article:


If chugging vinegar sounds curious to you as well, be apprised that this centuries-old practice has only recently been abandoned. The Romans diluted acetified wine with water to make an everyday thirst quencher called “posca”, and vinegar has been touted as a cure-all in Asia and Europe for centuries. The practice was brought to the Colonies from England, where it was commonly referred to as shrub, a term confusingly used both for a nonalcoholic drink and for one mixed with rum. In the United States, shrub seems to have thrived particularly in the South, gaining enormous popularity with the temperance movement. Many Southerners still fondly remember grandmother making up “raspberry vinegar” in the summer.


The vinegars that one drinks are not, happily, your toe-curling shelf variety. The gamut is varied and complex, with vinegars produced from every conceivable fruit and grain. (In Japan, where the trend exploded several years ago, some department stores have vinegar sommeliers.) They’re most easily categorized as pure vinegars, compound vinegars and additive vinegars. A pure fruit vinegar is a labor of love and skill in which ripe fruit is crushed, fermented and acetified. The most concentrated, intense vinegars are made this way, the best of them requiring no sweetening in dilution. A compound vinegar is what most home recipes call for: fresh fruit is macerated in a bulk vinegar, typically wine or cider, then boiled to make a shrub (or what the French call a gastrique), which can be added to water, soda or an alcoholic drink. Shrub can replace citrus in any number of commonplace cocktails with three-dimensional results. Additive vinegars, which dose mass-produced vinegar with extracts or artificial flavorings and a sweetener, are to be avoided. So read the label carefully.


The world of vinegars can be sampled at a click, from an Italian pure raspberry one called Etruria — so delicate it can be sipped neat — to the Japanese Yokoi Ma-Kurozu, a black malt vinegar made from glutinous brown rice and barley. (Coupled with soda water, Yokoi provides the satisfying heft and tang of a dark English bitter.) ChefShop.com in Seattle carries some of the best small producers worldwide. It is currently one of very few American suppliers for the European cult producer Acetoria, which makes small batches of superb vinegars from sources as disparate as tomato, fig, apple-balsamic and trockenbeerenauslese dessert wines. Tait Farm Foods in Pennsylvania markets its own shrubs at taitfarmfoods.com. Its ginger shrub, mixed with soda water, dark rum and lime, makes an unusually piquant Dark ’n’ Stormy.


But to taste the best of these Model T-era coolers, you must make your own — particularly in the summer or autumn, when abundant local fruit is on hand. Modest mess aside, shrubs couldn’t be simpler to make: find a good-quality apple-cider or wine vinegar, soak any fresh fruit in it for a week, then add sugar, boil for an hour, strain and bottle it up. It can keep in the fridge for months. Unsurprisingly, the vinegar you begin with makes an enormous difference. The savior of the home shrubbist is Bragg, an excellent, widely available unfiltered and unpasteurized apple-cider vinegar. My first effort was a classic raspberry, which turned out to be so surprisingly delicious that I felt as if I’d broken some secret code. I then went a bit shrub mad, boiling up vats and fobbing off bottles on puzzled friends. Blueberries made a dense, showy shrub, thick with pectin. Black currant with white-wine vinegar produced a lithe, perfumey cassis. As a sour-cherry version boiled away on the stove, my 4-year-old said she smelled cherry pie. The resultant elixir was so good that I couldn’t bring myself to give any away. No matter; now that citrus season is swinging in, I’ll redeem myself by wrapping up bottles of blood-orange or Meyer lemon and ginger shrubs for my newly enlightened circle.


For a recipe for shrub, I took Brandon’s advice to go to nytimes.com/tmagazine. There I searched for Shrub recipe. Thus is what I found:


Shrub


Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 quarts, depending on fruit used. These measurements can be played with quite liberally, as some fruits contain more natural sugars.

2 quarts fruit, use any fruit, pears, figs, raspberries, cherries
1 liter apple-cider vinegar (preferably Bragg) or other vinegar.
1/2 to 1 cup raw sugar
Soda water
Ice.


1. Rinse the fruit and discard any rot. Place in a large non-reactive or ceramic pot and mash for several minutes with your hands or a wooden spoon to break up. Pour in enough vinegar to cover and top with a lid. Let macerate at room temperature for a week, stirring once a day. (Do not be alarmed by the smell or the sludge on top.)


2. After a week, stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar and gently boil for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then strain. (The smell created from boiling is a bit offensive, so open the doors and windows.)


3. Make a test shrub: cool 3 to 4 tablespoons of the fruit mixture. Fill a 20-ounce glass with ice. Add water or soda water to almost the rim, then add the chilled fruit mixture. Taste to determine sweetness. If it is too tart, add sugar to the fruit mixture, little by little, while still hot. Cool fully and funnel into bottles. Will keep indefinitely in refrigerator.

Pears! Yipee! Pears are available now! I love the sound of Blackberry Shrub, and I will make it, next summer. But for now, I might as well try the pear, don’t you agree?


If you are interested, I will be at The Tasteful Olive this Friday evening, January 20th, 6 to 9 PM for Downtown Overland Park’s 3rd Friday Celebration. You will find some wonderful vinegars as well as olive oils in this shop owned by Jeanne and Jay Mackay.
Hope to see you there!

There they go again!

I may be way off base here, but I’m thinking those people who try to predict or control food trends have gone way off the deep end. We have had cupcakes coming out our ears for several years now. On  ABC's"the Chew" television program yesterday, they were predicting that homemade marshmallows are the next trend. Does that mean all of those cupcake shops are now going to switch to marshmallows? But the big question is, does that mean we are going to have sticky fingers until they tell us what the next trend will be? To tell you the truth, in the early 70s, my sister, Ann, and I had C and W Gourmet Gifts, and we made some pretty mean marshmallows. So, does that mean “those people” are over 30 years behind the times?
I am sure my “trends” are usually wrong, they are, afterall, decided by what I like. What I think is cool is usually far different from what “those people” think….and personally, I don't give a damn. As a chef at Crown Center here in Kansas City during the early 90s, it seemed like every one of the 25 to 30 year old “boy chefs” felt they had to put lemon grass in everything. I never could figure out why, because trust me, some of their concoctions were dreadful!


I did agree with the Burger Trend a few years ago. There is nothing like a big, juicy burger on a grilled bun. All Americans like a burger....be it beef, chicken buffalo, veggie, etc., they are loved.

a Martha Stewart photo

I think a beef burger with mustard, pickle and onion is still the number one choice in America…..but make that bun a great bun, spread it with butter and grill it until it is a nice golden brown. As for the mustard….good old French’s Yellow is the choice of many, but for me….I want Dijon.
When it comes to onion, it depends if it is Vidalia season. If it is, a big quarter inch thick slice is perfect. If a Vidalia isn’t available, make mine sautéed diced yellow onion, with a little bit of salt and pepper. Simple and perfect. Pickles are a problem for me. I don’t want some limp sour thing from the shelf at the grocery store, (you know, the kind McDonald's uses). No, I want a crunchy, garlicky, tangy pickle from the refrigerated case. Better yet, I want a homemade Bread and Butter pickle….lots of them! As for cheese, sure, why not? Make mine Havarti, please. If the burger is as thick as it should be, lettuce and tomato just make it harder to  eat. Fix a salad on the side!


My Dad used to make a hamburger that was huge! Each burger was about a half a pound of the best ground beef he could buy. He brushed them with Heinz 57 Sauce, seasoned them with Lawry’s, and on to the grill they would go. They were NEVER well done…medium rare was the only way! I must admit, they were a little large to eat neatly, but they were fabulous! I bet if someone opened a Bing’s Burgers, it would be a hit, even though they say we need to go with marshmallows!
I guess it all comes down to eating what you like. Set your own food trends and ignore everyone else. Don’t fall for their schemes. They are just trying to make a name for themselves and a buck or two along the way.


But, a big plump marshmallow in a cup of rich hot chocolate is a very good thing!


Here is a recipe for a great sauce/relish for any kind of burger.  It can change the entire feel of your meal. I particularly like it on pork burgers.


Onions and Cherries
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, 5 to 6 minutes, or until onions are light brown. Reduce heat. Add cherries; mix well. in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and pepper; pour over onions. Mix gently. Simmer, covered, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Makes 4 to 6 servings.


For an interesting twist on barbecue sauce, try this one....


Fig Balsamic Onion Barbecue SauceExtra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
2 red onions chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 fresh bay leaf
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar (I use The Tasteful Olives Fig Balsamic, marvelous!)
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or dark brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange


Put 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. If you're cooking outside you can cook over the grill flames. Add the pancetta to the pot and crisp it up, 3 to 4 minutes, add the onion to the pot and season with salt and pepper - go heavy on that pepper. The black pepper will really balance out the sweetness of your sauce later on. Add the bay leaf to the pot.
When the onions are very soft and begin to caramelize, remove the bay leaf and add the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey or sugar, and orange juice. Let the sauce thicken up and sweeten up 6 to 7 minutes until the liquids are syrupy. Adjust the black pepper level to your taste.

It may be too  cold to go out and light up the grill, but if you have a grill pan or an iron skillet, you have perfect equipment for making a great burger. Just make sure you don't skimp  on any of your ingredients or procedures....after all, the American Burger is a beautiful thing! For dessert,  toast some trendy marshmallows!

All Hail the Mighty Pig!

Pig 103....from Snout to Tail 

is right around the corner!

This year, Jasper Mirabile and I are going to be cooking up some wonderful new ideas for you, starting with appetizers and continuing on through soup, salad, entree, and even dessert....

all from Pork!

For details and reservations,  come to our

Pre-Party!

Jasper's

Wednesday, January 11th

6 to 9 pm 1201 W. 103rd Street

Kansas City, MO 64114

Phone: (816) 941-6600

Fax: (816) 941-4121

 

Cindy and Dennis Reynolds will be there

with their wonderful wines, expertly paired with our food!

Come get a sample of what our PIG 103 dinner will be on January 30th!

MY, oh my….did I open a can of worms! In my last posting, I mentioned I had been doing some heavy duty reading…..time spent reading, not heavy duty subjects.



I have been reading the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. These fun novels are full of the FBI, CIA, and military. Jack is a former Army Colonel, who took early retirement and is now wandering about doing his save-the-world-kind-of-stuff.

My first response was an email stating their love of the Jack Reacher novels, but questioned how in the world Hollywood could put Tom Cruise in as Jack. It turns out, that was just the beginning of many email, bemoaning the choice of Cruise. You see, Jack is 6’5” tall, really BIG! Hollywood’s choice of, as some referred to him as “the runt” we know as Tom Cruise is apparently not going over so well. On a good day, Tom is only 5’7” tall, and is getting up there in age to be playing a big tough guy. Now, I want you to understand, I am only 4’11” tall and I am old enough to be Tom’s mother (God forbid!), so I’m not saying older short people are bad….no, they are good….generally speaking. But TOM CRUISE? Give me a break!


As much as I love the Reacher novels by Lee Child, I am really turned off by the casting of Cruise in the lead role. I will probably skip the movie. So often movies of books I have read just never meet my expectations anyway. I cannot imagine Tom Cruise helping this one.

One movie I am looking forward to is Janet Evenovich’s Stephanie Plum novel, One for the Money. I always pictured Sandra Bullock as Stephanie, the very Italian, big haired girl from New Jersey who is a bounty hunter, but that was probably 10 years ago when I imagined Bullock as Stephanie. If you haven’t read this series of 18 books, I recommend them. they are a HOOT! Now, when I heard they had cast Katherine Heigl as Stephanie, I was confused, to say the least. I kept thinking of Heigl as the blond in Grey’s Anatomy. But she is funny! She can have dark hair; I understand she had to go with a wig to get that really Big New Jersey Hair! I am looking forward to the movie coming out at the end of this month. I can’t wait to see Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur! I am not familiar with the Sherry Shephard, the actor they cast as Lula, Stephanie's ex-hooker sidekick, but the part is an outstanding chance for a comedy actress. 
I hope the movie does Evanovich's novel justice. It should be exactly what it is…a fun time!
But, back to Jack Reacher....
I suppose I have to admit I am very much affected by Hollywood’s efforts to change our world into a very liberal world. Their outspoken views on politics have done much damage to their appeal, in my humble opinion. Tom Cruise and his Scientology connection is about on the same level….strange.
Just to give you an idea of the comments about Tom Cruise (and I will tell you not even one was a positive)….
“Once again Hollywood shows what idiots they are. Are we surprised?”
“OMG! You have got to be kidding!”
“I will just read Jack Reacher novels, no movie for me!”
“BARF!”
“Why didn’t they just hire Justin Bieber for the part?”


That about sums it up! Time will tell…………

Here I am, 3:20AM and I am wide awake. It isn't uncommon for me, but it is frustrating. I read until 2AM, then tried to tire myself by watching some boring middle of the night television. Figuring I would accomplish sleep by watching something like Murder She Wrote, I was clicking on the "up channel" button when I happened upon Book TV.

From the 11th annual National Book Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC, historian David McCullough was presenting his book, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. McCullough became a favorite of mine when I read both John  Adams and 1776. As wonderful as his writing is, Mr McCullough himself is the fascination for me. Listening to him speak on why he wrote the book, and why he felt the need to write it was inspiring. I will be buying the book this week.
One of the things he spoke on in this interview was his views on the importance of the written word. He challenged each one in the audience to start a diary; to keep a record  of daily events, no matter how mundane is important more than ever because no one ever does it anymore. He spoke of the diaries and letters written by both John and Abigail Adams. He said they both wrote beautifully and left such incredible documentation of our country's history.  He laughed when he said no President would dare to leave a diary in today's world....they would be scared to death  to document their days in office! How true, how true.
But by encouraging us to start a diary, he was trying to impress upon us the fact that no one keeps a diary today, and that is so sad for tomorrow's generation. Their lessons will be learned from what is in the press, from newscasts. We know for a fact that is certainly not an accurate source!
When the program ended, I turned off the television and tried to fall asleep....but, here I am at 3:50...wheels are still turning. So I started thinking about my blog. It is sort of a diary....nothing that will ever contain anything for the history books,  but if it survives out there in space for years to come like they say it will, maybe my grandchildren, great grandchildren will get to know their Mimi even though I will be long gone. I think that would be cool!  I also think maybe I need to watch my spelling, edit my thoughts; I don't want my future generations to doubt my intelligence.
Thanks to David McCullough for giving me a swift kick in the pants!

Zeus, the Magnificent

Here it is, 2012, Day 2. It is pretty chilly outside, 25 degrees, but nice and warm here by the fire. Either my laptop or my Kindle and Zeus are keeping my lap and legs nice and toasty. Actually, between you and me, I may never feel my legs again. I hate to disturb Zeus, but I really need to get the circulation going again!

I’ve been enjoying my new Kindle; reading like a mad woman. I am really hooked on the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. I’ve read 4 in the last week and I’d say that qualifies as “hooked”, wouldn’t you? The problem with that is I am not painting, not working on the cookbook, nor am I cooking! My big mission for the day, besides walking Zeus 4 times, is making Jacquie Davis’ Potato Soup. So, you see, that means this evening I will be in my Lazyboy, Zeus in my lap, Kindle in one hand and a steaming bowl of Potato Soup by my side. Sounds pretty comfy to me. Problem is, #1, the cookbook needs to be worked on, #2, there is a gallery show coming up in April for the Somerset Ridge Painters and I haven’t even started!

I love my time outdoors with Zeus, even though this tiny little dog drags me around the block; I see so many Canada Geese overhead, the sky is clear and blue, and I am enjoying the short conversations with the neighbors out walking their dogs. It isn’t that I am a bad neighbor, I’m just not a “I want to get to know you” neighbor. But Zeus seems to be changing that.

Speaking of Canada Geese and the great outdoors, I just received the See What’s Happening in Kansas newsletter, and they suggest winter eagle watching. I have done this and it is exhilarating! The majestic American Bald Eagle is here in Kansas and so worth a few hours of your time! Here is the information from Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Winter Eagle Watching   January 2012, Kansas Wetlands Complex, Great Bend


Winter on the Byway is a magical time. The wetlands may be blanketed in snow & sheathed in ice, but wildlife watching and gorgeous winter photo opportunities abound. Eagles often appear in the icy blue skies over Cheyenne Bottoms & Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (two of the largest inland marshes & hottest birding spots in the US). For eagle watching details email cvb@visitgreatbend.com or visit www.visitgreatbend.com.

I wish I could give you the wonderful recipe for potato soup, but I just tried calling Jacquie for her permission and, sadly, she isn’t home. Maybe next time….but that doesn’t help with something warm and creamy for tonight. After much thought, I’ve decided to give you a recipe for a rich woodsy mushroom soup. Years ago, as a caterer and personal chef, I made this constantly….even in the summer! I had clients that were addicted to it. It is very earthy, therefore, I call it

A Walk in the Woods Mushroom Soup

5 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms

5 ounces fresh Portobello mushrooms

5 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided

2 cup chopped yellow onion, divided

1 carrot, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 sprig fresh thyme or rosemary, your choice

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup flour

1 cup Somerset Ridge Chardonnay wine

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the 1 cup onion, carrot and celery, the sprig of thyme or rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the other cup of chopped onion. Sauté for five minutes, stirring, until onions are golden, just beginning to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Note: If you can’t find any of the wild mushroom varieties, you may substitute white button mushrooms, but you will loose a lot of the earthiness of the soup. Portobello are almost always available, but using just that variety makes for a very dark soup, but equally delicious. Half Portobello and half white button make a great combination.

Now, if you are up to baking a wonderful bread to go with your soup, may I so boldly suggest this one…..

Classic Dinner Rolls

1 cup whole milk

6 Tbsp. butter (room temperature)

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp. sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour (not unbleached) (4 to 4 1/4)

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

Melted butter

Softened butter

1 Heat the milk to 120 degrees F to 130 degrees F; add the butter and set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add cooled milk, eggs, and sugar to dissolved yeast and stir to blend. With a wooden spoon stir in 2 cups of the flour and the salt; stir until smooth. Add 2 cups of remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and only slightly sticky. (Only if needed, after 3 minutes of stirring and dough is overly wet, stir in 1 tablespoon flour at a time.

2. Cover the surface of the dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Cover the top of the bowl with a second piece of plastic wrap.

Let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours).*

3. Lightly butter 24 muffin cups. Gently press the dough to deflate. With lightly buttered hands pinch off generous 1-inch pieces of dough. Fold the dough over, turning and tucking the edges to form a ball. Pinch the seam together to seal. Dip in melted butter and arrange three dough balls in each muffin cup.

Let rise until fully doubled (about 1 hour).

4. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until well-browned. If needed, to prevent overbrowning, cover rolls with foil during last few minutes of baking. Remove from oven. Brush with softened butter.

Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Remove rolls immediately from cups to a wire cooling rack. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving. Makes 24 dinner rolls.

6. * For extra-light rolls, let the dough rise a second time (1 to 2 hours) before shaping. However, with this menu , the mushroom soup likes a less fluffy bread!