Was there anything more joyful than these times?
Yesterday morning I arose and felt like I should be putting my kiddies on the bus for their first day of school. Is anyone else feeling like this?
When we moved to our current home in NJ, Christin was 7 and Ryan was 4. Their first September here Ryan went to Kindergarten and Christin was in third grade. I remember that September day like it was yesterday. They were happy in their new clothes and jumped on the bus for the ride to school which is about a mile down the road. Honestly, it is so sad for me to think about how long ago this was (15 years) and how much has elapsed since then. Our house, an 1860 farmhouse, was under construction and I was up to my eyeballs in decision-making fun. Our kitchen had been moved from the space where it once existed, the room being literally picked up and put into a dumpster, and now was “re-located” to the dining room – that is, a hacksaw was taken to the kitchen counter and it was picked up and moved, the dining room then housing the refrigerator, washing machine, table and chairs, in addition to the sink and, yes, an intact dishwasher. Copper piping ran along the surface of the floor. We had one bathroom. This was quite an adventure – I call it great fun! And so, there are lots of decisions I would have made differently about the house, but by and large, it is a fine and comforting home.
Back in the days when the kids were little, I always made them a batch of cookies as a treat when they got home from their first day of school, something my Mom always did! I spent countless afternoons baking with joy for the kids over the years and brought lots of goodies to school functions and parties. I miss those days terribly.
I have had many years of fun in my kitchen here, and hope to for awhile longer. I miss cooking for my kids a lot, but I take every opportunity to indulge them when they are here or when I am going to visit. This is the joy of my existence!
Back to plum recipes – I have lots of books around the house on stone fruits. This morning I found a recipe for Duck with Spiced Plums from a book called Fruit – Recipes for Lunch, Brunch, Desserts, and More. (there is no author noted for this book; it is published by Ryland Peters & Small, London; Introduction by Brian Glover) Here is the recipe:
DUCK WITH SPICED PLUMS – serves 4 (Adapted from Fruit – Recipes for Lunch, Brunch, Desserts, and More)
4 duck breasts, with skin, 8 oz each
1 tblsp honey
1 tblsp dark soy sauce
2 tblsp rice wine vinegar
2 tblsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 plums, cut in half and pitted
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Using a sharp knife, cut several slashes in the duck skin. Rub the skin with salt and pepper. Put the honey and soy sauce in a shallow dish, stir well. add the duck breasts, and let marinate for at least 15 minutes. Put the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, and 2 tblsp water into a saute pan, and heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, add the plums, and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the plums have softened. Let cool. Meanwhile, heat a stovetop grill pan or heavy skillet until hot, add the duck, skin side down, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let rest 5 minutes. Slice the duck crosswise and serve with the plums and a little of the spiced juice.
I also found a Pan-Roasted Duck Breast Recipe on the Food Network website, which calls for a Blueberry Green Peppercorn Chutney – I am going to suggest substituting Plums for the Blueberries in this recipe. This recipe comes from a defunct show called “Cookworks”. It looks like a very good recipe. I think these condiments can be used with pork, chicken or lamb as well.
And, yes, you knew they were coming, the Spiced Plum and Almond Scone – just substitute plums for peaches in the Spiced Peach and Almond Scone recipe. I am interested in the difference between cake flour and ap in my scone recipes. I am experimenting with these. Today, I also added 1/4 tsp of baking soda to see what difference this made. Honestly, I think the weather (totally gross today for baking, and me!) has more to do with baking outcomes than most minor adjustments in recipes. I really like the flavor profile that the spices add to this recipe – my plums are not exceptionally flavorful right now – I don’t live in California, right? So, who knows when these were picked. I did get them in Whole Foods, but, hmmm, idk. Confession, I forgot to add the sugar into these – but their crumb is nice and tender. Too bad the flavor is not fully bloomed due to my mistake. Oh well. They were worth making anyway.
So, as you can see, I am both reminiscing today and digging up Plum recipes. It is all enough to fill up my heart and my day! Hope you have a good one, too!