The Food in Jars Kitchen

by Marisa McClellan

  RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:

  Tomato jam is king here, but any savory jam will work.

  SNACKS AND TOASTS

  I will be the first to admit that this chapter is something of an oddball. It’s the place where I tucked all the lovely, tasty bits that didn’t quite fit anywhere else. However, it contains a selection of recipes and ideas that I knew this book needed to have. It’s in these pages that you’ll find a beer, cheese, and relish sauce designed for pouring over toast. Here also is my recipe for glazed nuts made with jam or marmalade instead of the more traditional sugar or maple syrup. There’s also a recipe for crackers that I’ve been making for years and years, and some ideas for ways to fancy up slices of toast. These are the odds and ends I use to help transform my homemade preserves into more cohesive, thoughtful offerings. The glazed nuts do wonders to help pull together a cheeseboard, and if you serve the toasts on a pretty plate, they suddenly become worthy of company.

  Jam-Glazed Nuts

  Rarebit with Relish

  Crackers

  Fancy Toast

  Almond Butter and Jam Toast

  Ricotta and Marmalade Toast

  Avocado and Sauerkraut Toast

  Smoked or Cured Fish and Pickles Toast

  JAM-GLAZED NUTS

  MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS/960 ML GLAZED NUTS

  Knowing how to transform a pound of raw nuts into a pan of toasty glazed nuts is a hugely valuable kitchen skill. They’re a good party snack, they’re delicious tossed on a big salad, and nothing makes a better hostess gift. Traditionally, people use maple syrup or honey, but I like to make them with my runnier preserves. The jams and marmalades bring flavor along with their sweetness, which means you don’t need additional herbs and spices to make them interesting.

  1 pound/450 g raw almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, or pecans (or a combination thereof)

  6 tablespoons/90 ml jam or marmalade

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1½ teaspoons flaky finishing salt

  Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

  In a large, dry skillet, toast the nuts over medium heat, stirring frequently so that they don’t burn.

  In a small saucepan, melt the jam and butter together. When the nuts are looking lightly toasted and are smelling nutty, pour the jam mixture over the nuts and toss to coat.

  Spread the coated nuts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, checking regularly, until the bits of glaze have started to brown.

  Remove the nuts from the oven and dust them with salt. Let them cool completely so that the glaze has a chance to harden and adhere. Once cool, break apart any nuts that are stuck together.

  Store the finished, cooled nuts in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

  RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:

  Choose preserves that you’d like to eat on a peanut or almond butter sandwich. My absolute favorite jam to use is pear vanilla, but grape is also wonderful.

  RAREBIT WITH RELISH

  MAKES 6 TO 8 TOASTS

  For most of my life, Welsh rarebit was something I only read about in books. It was the sort of thing that Betsy and Tacy (Maud Hart Lovelace forever!) would stir up in a chafing dish. I was a little deflated when I later learned that it was essentially just cheese sauce on toast. However, having now eaten it many times, it’s a concoction I highly recommend. If you’re avoiding alcohol or want to feed this to children, feel free to swap in milk for the beer.

  1 tablespoon salted butter

  1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

  ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ½ cup/120 ml beer (avoid anything too hoppy and try a stout or porter)

  2 tablespoons whole milk

  1 cup/120 g grated Cheddar cheese

  2 tablespoons well-drained relish or finely chopped pickle

  6 to 8 slices toasted bread

  Preheat the broiler. Arrange the toasted bread on a rimmed baking sheet.

  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it foams, add the flour and whisk to combine into a paste consistency. Let the butter and flour cook together, whisking every 15 seconds or so, until the mixture puffs and starts to turn brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mustard and pepper and stir to combine.

  While whisking vigorously, pour in the beer. Once incorporated, add the milk and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer gently over medium heat, whisking regularly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon nicely. Once the sauce has thickened and looks quite smooth, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Finally, stir in the relish (be sure it’s well drained because too much acid can curdle the cheese sauce).

  Pour the cheesy sauce over the toasted slices of bread. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned in spots. Serve immediately. If you’re making rarebit for a smaller audience, you can top and broil slices of toast one at a time.

  The sauce will keep in a jar or container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I often make a batch and eat it for lunch over a slice of toast with a big green salad.

  Note: For the smoothest sauce, use cheese grated freshly from the block.

  RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:

  I like to stir in a tablespoon or two of pickle relish or chopped dill pickle just before serving. It’s also good with a tangy, spicy chutney. Stay away from anything too sweet, as it won’t cut the richness of the cheese quite as well.

  CRACKERS

  MAKES 40 TO 50 CRACKERS

  I started making these crackers during my grad school years. Cheap and pleasing, they made me feel less like I was a slave to my tight budget and more like I was simply clever and plucky. More than ten years on, I still make them regularly because I like them and it now seems ridiculous to spent eight dollars on a similar bag at my local cheese shop.

  1½ cups/180 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  ½ cup/55 g whole wheat flour

  1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  ¾ cup/180 ml water, plus more for sprinkling

  2 tablespoons sesame seeds

  2 tablespoons poppy seeds

  1 tablespoon dried rosemary

  1 teaspoon flaky finishing salt

  Preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C. Line a pair of rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper (I don’t recommend that you use silicone baking mats for this dough, because you want a surface on which you can score the crackers, and that can damage those expensive mats).

  In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flours and fine sea salt. Add the olive oil and water and stir to combine with a silicone spatula. When it gets too stiff for the spatula, switch to using your hands. Work the dough until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes. This lets the gluten that developed in the dough during mixing relax so that you’ll be able to roll out the crackers more easily.

  In a small bowl, stir together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, rosemary, and flaky finishing salt. Set aside.

  When the dough is done resting, uncover the bowl and divide the cracker dough evenly into 2 portions. Generously flour your work surface and a rolling pin and roll out the first dough ball. Keep lifting and turning the dough as you roll, to ensure that it doesn’t stick to the board and use more flour, as necessary. Once the dough is around ⅛ inch/3 mm thick, loosely wind it around your rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Unroll the dough from the rolling pin so that it lies flat on the parchment paper.

  Brush the rolled cracker dough sparingly with water and top with the seed mixture (you can also just use salt, if you prefer a simpler cracker). Score the cracker dough with the tines of a fork and then use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 2-inch/5 cm squares or diamonds. There’s no need to separate the crackers. Thanks to the score lines, they will b
reak apart easily into individual crackers once cool.

  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the cracker dough is lightly browned. While the first batch bakes, prepare the second similarly.

  Crackers always crisp up as they cool, so don’t worry if they don’t immediately look crisp. They will get there.

  Remove the crackers from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheets, then store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least 2 weeks at room temperature.

  Note: Other really good toppings for these crackers include a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper, or a thin layer of pesto.

  RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:

  If you have a batch of homemade za’atar or hand-chopped salt, herb, and citrus blend, use that instead of the seed topping. In a pinch, the Everything Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe’s is also a really good topping.

  FANCY TOAST

  When I first conceived of this book, my working title was Beyond Toast. The idea was that most people are familiar with the idea of spreading their homemade preserves on toasted slices of bread, but are at a loss for ideas when they try to push past that classic pairing. My mission was to show people how to move beyond their accustomed notions about where jam and pickles can go and help them put their preserves to work on a far broader continuum. However, for as much as moving beyond basic toast has always been the goal, I think it’s also important to include mention of it in a book that’s about using preserves.

  For me, a good toast experience starts with the bread. I like to choose bread that is interesting, sturdy, and has some flavor of its own. This can be as simple as a sturdy loaf of grocery store multigrain, to an eight-dollar loaf from an artisanal bakery. If you can’t find good bread at your local grocery store and you can’t swing pricy bread from the fancy baker, try making your own. I’ve included recipes for Challah (here), Oatmeal Sandwich Bread (here), and Chutney Loaf (here) in this book. They all make truly excellent toast.

  Once you’ve got your bread squared away, let’s talk toasting. If you’re just making a single slice for yourself, a pop-up toaster or toaster oven is the obvious choice. However, consider upping your game and opting for a griddled slice of bread. I will often heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, rub my slice of bread with a little olive oil, and lightly fry it in the hot pan. This treatment can transform even middling bread into extraordinary toast.

  If you’re making toast for a crowd, employ your oven as your toasting device. Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C. Arrange thick-cut slices of bread on a rimmed baking sheet and brush them with a little tasty oil (olive, walnut, or coconut are all nice). Bake the bread for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the slices are golden and smell wonderful (watch carefully, because the timing varies a great deal depending on the moisture content of the bread). Do make sure that you use chunky slices when employing this technique, so that the centers of the slices remain tender and provide a counterpoint to the crunchy exterior.

  Finally, turn your thoughts to toppings. Strive for a balanced slice. For me, that means having a creamy element; a crunchy or textural element; and something sharp, bright, or bitter. Often, one topping can satisfy more than one of these needs. Sauerkraut is a good example of that. It brings both brightness and texture (particularly if it’s a relatively young batch).

  Finally, here is a handful of ideas for fancy toast. May these serve as a springboard for your toasty imagination.

  ALMOND BUTTER AND JAM TOAST

  This is the toast of my childhood and something I still eat more than once a week. Toast a slice of grainy, nutty whole-grain bread. While still warm, spread with a roasted almond butter. Top with a slick of berry or stone fruit jam.

  RICOTTA AND MARMALADE TOAST

  This combination was made Instagram-famous thanks to Los Angeles hipster hot spot Sqirl, but there’s a reason why it’s caught on. It’s an excellent combination. Start with a slice of challah or brioche (you want something rich but sturdy). Toast until just golden and top with a cloud of the best ricotta you can find. Finally, spoon on a generous layer of tart jam or marmalade. If you want to go full Sqirl, apply 2 or 3 flavors in gradient stripes.

  AVOCADO AND SAUERKRAUT TOAST

  This combination is less traditional that the first two, but it is one of my favorites when I’m trying for a daily dose of fermented food. Sourdough or pain au levain is my favorite bread for this combination. Toast a slice until browned and unbending. Mash the flesh of half an avocado into the warm slice and top with a couple of generous forkfuls of crunchy sauerkraut (this also works nicely with kimchi or sauerruben [fermented turnip].

  SMOKED OR CURED FISH AND PICKLES TOAST

  So many cultures have variations on this theme. You can go Nordic and use cured herring and lightly pickled onions on really sturdy, barely toasted all-rye bread. An East Coast Jewish version involves lox, cream cheese, and half-sour pickles. The of-the-moment foodie version requires a piece of bread made using wild yeast topped with crème fraîche, smoked trout, and pickled ramps. Slightly over the top, but entirely delicious.

  DIPS AND SPREADS

  A good dip is worth its weight in gold. Good for both parties and easy, speedy lunches, they can get expensive when you buy them exclusively from the store. Happily, the homemade versions are far more affordable and are often quicker than a trip to the market. It does help to have an inexpensive food processor or blender to ease your dip making path, but a handheld mixer can also serve well.

  Often, I will improvise a dip by whipping a few tablespoons of whatever chutney is open in the fridge together with a log of goat cheese or a block of cream cheese. I pair this simple concoction with some baguette rounds and call my party appetizer done (a perfectly acceptable approach). For more elevated fare, whip up one of the following recipes!

  Roasted Red Pepper, Pepperoncini, and Feta Dip

  Preserved Lemon Hummus

  Blank Slate White Bean Spread

  From-Scratch Queso

  Compound Butters

  Basic Compound Butter

  Marmalade Compound Butter

  Relish or Pickle Compound Butter

  Preserved Lemon Compound Butter

  ROASTED RED PEPPER, PEPPERONCINI, AND FETA DIP

  MAKES 5 CUPS/1.25 KG DIP

  The bones of this recipe are from a letter published in the July 2003 edition of Gourmet. I don’t often tear recipes from magazines, but this one spoke to me. I’ve kept that folded page in my recipe box for more than fifteen years and have made the dip so many times that the original paper is stained and stiff. Presented with an array of cut vegetables and sturdy crackers, it makes good use of the homemade pantry and is a nice staple for parties and open houses.

  1¼ cups/220 g drained roasted red peppers

  1 cup/55 g drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

  ½ cup/70 g drained and pepperoncini rings (or other pickled hot pepper)

  2 garlic cloves

  8 ounces/225 g crumbled feta cheese

  8 ounces/225 g cream cheese, at room temperature

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (if you prefer, you can also use the oil from the tomatoes)

  1 cup/40 g loosely packed fresh basil leaves

  1 cup/60 g loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

  In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the red peppers, tomatoes, pepperoncini, and garlic and process until well chopped. Add the feta, cream cheese, and black pepper and process until smooth. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil, processing until it is fully incorporated. Finally, add the basil and parsley and pulse until chopped.

  Scrape into a bowl or container and chill.

  Note: This recipe makes enough dip for a party. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d like to have a little less.

  RECOMMENDED PRESERVES:

  I often use my homemade marinated roasted red peppers and pickled jalapeños in this dip, in place of the water-pac
ked peppers and pepperoncini. I also like to use homemade oven-roasted tomatoes in place of the store-bought ones when I have them.

  PRESERVED LEMON HUMMUS

  MAKES 4 CUPS/1 KG HUMMUS

  One trick I learned from my friend Joy is that the creamiest hummus is made with warm chickpeas (she was the recipe editor for the Zahav cookbook and so knows her stuff). The very best way to achieve this is to start with freshly cooked chickpeas (75 minutes in an Instant Pot!). However, if you can’t swing that, don’t write off this recipe. Instead, tumble the contents of two cans of chickpeas into a saucepan, add a splash of water, and heat them until they’re just warmed through.

  1 garlic clove

  ¾ cup/180 ml water

  ¾ cup/180 ml tahini

  2 tablespoons diced preserved lemon

  ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  4 cups/800 g warm cooked chickpeas or 2 (15½-ounces/ 439 g) cans chickpeas, drained and warmed (see headnote)

  Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic until minced. Add the water, tahini, preserved lemon, salt, and cumin and process until you have a smooth, creamy, fragrant sauce. Add the chickpeas and process for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary and serve drizzled with olive oil.