Nectarine and Basil
This was a rule breaker for me. herbs in jam.
savory jam? thank god i had so many nectarines all ripe or i might not have tried it.
List of Ingredients
2-1/2 lbs. ripe nectarines
2-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup basil leaves, chopped finely
Seed the nectarines and chop the fruit coarsely. (It is not necessary to peel the nectarines.) Combine with the lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl; let stand 1 hour.
Transfer to a large pan and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil constantly until the jelling point (220º F) is reached about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. (The jam can also be tested by putting a little on a cold plate; the jam should firm up within a few minutes.)
Remove the jam from the heat and skim the foam from the top (if any). Stir in the basil. Ladle the jam into hot clean jars and cool. Adjust the lids and refrigerate, or freeze or can for longer storage.
Makes 4 half-pints
The Story
Once upon a time, I wanted to have elaborate dinner parties. Dinner parties that had multiple courses and took hours to enjoy and savor each exquisite bite.
I dreamed about these parties off and on for around 3 years. And then I got diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer. From this shocked and confused place I figured I could postpone these parties indefinitely or jump in the deep end and start without really being ready to commit to them.
It was September of 2018 and I was in the middle of consulting with what felt like 1000 doctors, or maybe it was only 5 doctors but 500 appointments. It felt like everything was happening super fast and that exactly zero things were happening. I had a reasonably delicious and successful dinner party the month before in August with a BlueBerry- each course incorporated these magical blue orbs in some way.
Basil was the magical ingredient this month. It was the end of stone fruit season here in the northwest and I was looking for something I could send home with each of the dinner guests when I stumbled upon this recipe. Years before I had taken a class on basil and had eaten a most fabulous basil cheesecake so I knew basil could go sweet. But this recipe was unexpected. And intriguing.
These dinner parties became a focal point for me. A way to express my creativity that took me out of my brain and into my body. But more than that they were a thing I could control when everything around me felt like it was quickly spiraling out of my control. I would pick an ingredient as a focal point and make drink, appetizer, salad or soup, main and dessert utilizing some or all of the magic ingredient plant. The wondrous recipes were always such a delight to sift through after confusing meetings or another appointment where my body seemed to have become this object people could poke and prod.
In hard times its good to get lost in recipes or images or story. Do weird things. Put basil in your jam. Plan the dinner parties even though you know surgery is in your near future because friends and food are treasures. Laugh. Say Yes when you aren’t ready. Expect everything and nothing. Make food. Keep it simple. Add flowers. Twinkle lights and candles can change any and every environment. Mix sweet and savory. Be kind. Be delighted at the unexpected people who show up at the table.
I have limited time here on planet earth and I cannot keep letting bad new, bad circumstances or the apocalypse stop me from starting things. I mean I can let it stop me-in fact I often do. Limited time, resources, energy and all that bullshit is just fear and I would like to encourage us to all say FUCK OFF FEAR I’m busy living and laughing over here. Savoring my nectarine and basil jam over cream cheese on a cracker.
Taste Sensations
one note: at first bite this jam is a bit intense the basil really comes through and is a bit weird? intense? AMAZING. but if it’s not amazing to you as first, give it a second bite and see if you adapt to its uniqueness.
Use this jam as a finishing sauce for chicken or pork or wild-caught salmon
Use this jam instead of the normal bottled sweet and sour in your stir fry
This would make an excellent topping for fried tofu
Spread this jam lasciviously on bread especially bread and cheese
Add red onion, sliced or diced tomato and use as bruschetta topping
Pour it over soft white cheeses
Use it as the middle bits or a dipping sauce for a fancy grilled cheese
Toasted bagel, cream cheese, this jam
Top ice cream or cheesecake or cottage cheese
nectarine and basil jam-oh my!