SM A LL BATCH , BIG FL AVOR
S tephan i e M c C lenny of C onf i t u ras On the heels of a third Good Food Award (for pickled blueberries!) and in anticipation of the East Austin Urban Farm Tour (eastaustinurbanfarmtour.com) on April 13, Stephanie McClenny of small-batch jam and preserves kitchen Confituras shares a special recipe with TRIBEZA, and dishes on how she plans to literally preserve local canning history. Q: Tell me more about pickled blueberries. A: These sweet yet tangy preserves have a cult following when they come out every July! They are delicious when served on a charcuterie plate with cheese and pâté. Q: Can you share a bit of canning wisdom for an amateur? A: Our best advice is to keep it small. You really can make just a few
1. Heat berries and water in a medium saucepan over high heat until boiling, then lower heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the berries have lost most of their color. 2. Strain berries out (save them to make jam!) and return berry-colored water to pan. add sugar. bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved (you will no feel grit on the bottom of the pan) and the syrup has thickened somewhat. 3. Taste the syrup at this point to determine if you like the level of rosemary infusion (remember, a little goes a long way!). you can do this bringing a teaspoon of syrup to room temperature quickly in the freezer on a plate. 4. Add a few drops of red wine vinegar at this point (if using) to make a tangy 'shrub', or fruit vinegar. 5. If canning, pour mixture into hot jars and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. alternatively, allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. 6. To serve, place 1-2 ounces syrup in 6 ounces Topo Chico, cava, or other sparkling wine. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
jars of jam at a time. Also, use high-quality, fresh ingredients (local if you can get them), and follow recipes and instructions to the letter at first. You must know the rules before you can break them.
aus tin obsession s
Q: What are you working on right now?
T h r ee lo c a l t h i n g s
A: We are very excited about our new project: Preserving Austin. We recently won the top grant from the Austin Food & Wine Alliance and will be using it to collect and archive oral histories from local canners with assistance from Foodways Texas. Preserving Austin also includes the process of building out a 1979 VW Transporter van—our “ConfiTour-Bus”—complete with a recording booth for the oral histories, a small jam-making demo kitchen, and a traveling canning museum that will visit farmers' markets, schools, fairs, and other events. Learn more about Confituras and where to pick up their delicious and seasonal preserves at confituras.net.
TOMS S hoe s founder B l a k e M yc o s k i e can ’t get enough of 1. Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar “Whenever [my wife] Heather and I are in town, we always make time for Perla’s: have to order the fish tacos and oysters. ”
2. Uchiko: “A favorite sushi spot: we order the Brussels sprouts cooked with fish caramel, the Madai Japanese bream, and the P–38 roll with Japanese yellowtail.
3. By George
str awberry rosemary syrup/shrub 2 pounds fragrant, local strawberries 2 cups sugar 1 quart water 1 small bunch fresh rosemary red wine vinegar to taste (optional, to make a 'shrub' or tangy fruit vinegar) i l lu s t r at i o n s by a s h l e y h o r s l e y | b l a k e p h oto co u rt e s y o f g e t t y i m ag e s
“I love stopping by and checking out what new stuff they have. It’s always a great stop whether I’m looking for something for myself or a gift for my wife.”
The popular shoe and eyewear company TOMS opened its second U.S. brick-and-mortar location last month in Austin (1401 S. Congress Ave.). During SXSW, TOMS also announced the newest component of the brand’s charity-driven umbrella: TOMS Roasting Co. Extending its “One for One” principle, the roasting company will provide “one week of clean water to a person in need for every bag of coffee purchased.” More information at toms.com tribeza.com APRIL 2014
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