Crème de Cassis - Black Currant Liqueur

I was introduced to the kir royale at an engagement party in Washington, DC nearly 25 years ago. As a liquor lightweight who favors sweet drinks—I'm one of the few people who actually enjoys the Manischewitz at Passover—it was love at first sip. Made with champagne and crème de cassis, it's bubbly, cold, just a little bit sweet and tart at the same time, and a gorgeous jewel-like color. Unlike Manischewitz, this drink is très chic—the kind of cocktail one enjoys while sitting and watching the gliteratti at a café on the French Riviera.

After that one intoxicating experience, I forgot all about crème de cassis until a few summers ago when faced with a black currant bush that was experiencing unexpected off-the-charts productivity. 

My dear green-thumbed friend, Jen, had given me a wee scion of her black currant bush at some point pre-COVID and I'd planted the little twig in an empty spot left by a red currant bush that had finally died after a few sickly years next to a small champagne currant bush that was growing sloooowly and rarely produced much in the way of berries. My expectations were low.

However, after just a few years of utter neglect, the little sprig had grown into a large shrub roughly 20 times its original size that was literally covered in small black fruits and muscling its way into the blueberry bushes' territory.

Black currants (ribes nigrum) are high in antioxidants and packed with vitamin C. They also contain something called anthocyanins which, combined with the antioxidants, apparently give your immune system a boost. And they're high in an omega-6 fatty acid called gamma-linoleic acid. This is all wonderful. But there is a catch...

If you've ever tried black currants off the bush, you already know this is not a fruit you necessarily want to eat raw—they're verrrry tart.

Since eating them out of hand was not an appealing option, and I had already made more currant jelly than we could eat in a lifetime, I turned to the internet for inspiration and was delighted to rediscover crème de cassis a.k.a. black currant liqueur. 

My husband and I set out with buckets to strip the bush of its little dark purple fruits.

It took a while as there were so many and I'd also not planned for the bush's rapid growth when I chose to plant it next to the fence, making it hard to reach the back of it. But after about half an hour, we had buckets full of glossy black currants.

They're very pretty but rather pungent. Their smell reminds me of cat piss—not something you'd want to dab behind your ears.

We plunked them down on the picnic table and separated the currants from the stems and bits of leaves and insects. 

Then I brought them inside and washed them in several changes of water to remove any dust, dirt, dead leaves, and bugs.

After that, I muddled them a little bit with the sugar using my potato masher. 

Then I scooped the mixture into the mason jar, added the vodka, closed the caps, shook them up well, rinsed the jar off, and set the jar in a shaded area of the pantry. 

Then I waited for several months, periodically shaking the jars to mix everything up again every couple of days or weeks (I forgot sometimes). Over time, all the currants dropped down to the bottoms of the jars and the sugar completely dissolved.

Come October, I scoured the interwebs to find nice glass jars with lids to decant the liqueur into. After falling down a research rabbit hole, I eventually ordered 12 of these 8.5 oz Bormiolo Rocco swing-top glass bottles because I liked their shape and they seemed about the right size. 

When the bottles arrived, I rinsed them out, dried them and prepared to decant the finished crème de cassis. The process was simple and rather sticky: I strained out the solids, then poured the gorgeous dark-purple liqueur into my pretty glass bottles, closed them up, gave the outsides a quick rinse to remove any sticky drips, dried them off, and set them on a shelf in the pantry to give as holiday gifts to family and friends.

Black Currant Liqueur - Crème de Cassis

Ingredients

• 2 cups black currants, rinsed, leaves and stems removed
• 3 cups vodka
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

1. Place the black currants, vodka, and sugar into a large glass jar that seals (like a mason jar). Place the lid on the jar and close tightly. Shake well to combine all of the ingredients.
2. Store the jar(s) in a cool, dark place like a basement, lower cabinet, or shaded shelf in the pantry.
3. For 3 months, shake the jar every few days (or as you remember).
4. After 3 months, strain the solids out of the mixture and pour the gorgeous purple liquid into a clean sealable bottle. If you like, you can allow the liqueur to mature for 2 more months for optimal taste - perfect timing for holiday gifts to friends and family.

Kir and Kir Royale Recipe

Pour 1/2 ounce crème de cassis into a wine glass and top with 5-6 ounces of chilled white wine and stir gently to combine to make a kir. Use chilled champagne in place of white whine to make a kir royale. Adjust the amounts to taste. Serve immediately. Santé!

Creamy Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Garlic

Lately, one of my most effective time and money-saving moves is making a double batch of a yummy pasta for dinner on Sunday or Monday night so that there are enough leftovers to send to school with my younger son for lunch all week.

This week's dinner and lunches are courtesy of a recipe from Pinch of Yum that I first made a month or two ago to rave reviews. Sweet sun-dried tomatoes, a touch of cream, fresh herbs, and pasta - it's hard to go wrong.

I especially love that this recipe calls for you to saute the onions and garlic in the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. No waste, no oil to dispose of + extra flavor = a win-win.

I tweaked Lindsay's recipe a little bit to give it even more flavor by adding onion, doubling the garlic, and more fresh herbs. I recommend basil, parsley, oregano, and chives. The latter two herbs have just recently popped back up again in our garden (hurray!) 

I didn't have spinach last night so I had to omit it, although I think it would be tasty. Do NOT skimp on the Parmesan. 

It was a huge hit -- everyone went back for seconds at dinner, and the seventh grader is set for the week.

Creamy Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Garlic adapted from Pinch of Yum
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta 
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped 
• 1/3 cup dry white wine 
• 2/3 cup heavy cream 
• 1 cup spinach, chopped 
• Up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• A cup of basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped chives 
• 1 cup of parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup oregano, chopped
• Lots of grated parmesan for serving

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it liberally (ever since I watched Samin Nosrat's Salt Fat Acid Heat, I've been salting pasta water a lot more heavily.) An aside - you should watch this series, it's great! Cook the pasta accordingly to the directions on the package, reserving some of the cooking water before you drain it to use later.

2. While your pasta is cooking, heat several tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for several minutes until the onions soften and the garlic has mellowed. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for another minute or two.

3. Add the wine and let it cook out to add flavor - this will take 3-4 minutes. Then add the spinach and cream and half of the chopped herbs and bring it to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the cooked pasta and stir well, adding as much of the reserved pasta cooking water as you need to coat all the pasta with the sauce.

5. Top with the remaining herbs and lots of Parmesan cheese.

You might also like:

Lemon-Scented Pasta With Swiss Chard & Ricotta

Summer Pasta With Tomatoes, Corn, Basil, Bacon & Arugula

Wild Ramp & Lemon Risotto - A Sustainably Harvested Spring Feast

Socca: A Savory Vegan Chickpea Flour Pancake That Soaks Up Flavor

I hadn't heard of socca until I stumbled on this Mark Bittman recipe in the NY Times cooking section last summer. This big savory chickpea flour pancake hails from the Southern France and Northern Italy where it's known as farinata. It's good old fashioned peasant food with an exotic sounding set of names.

The first time I tried making it, I was pleasantly surprised by a) how easy it was to prepare, b) how tasty it was, c) how flexible the recipe was, d) how healthful it was. It also happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. 

This savory pancake requires just four ingredients: chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and sea salt. That's it! 

But there's no need to stop there -- you can add lots of other things to it, too, either right in the batter or on top of the cooked pancake. 

Some suggestions include: oregano, rosemary, zaatar, basil, sauteed onions, spinach, and mushrooms; crushed garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes or olives. It's very versatile. 

I like to serve this pancake with a chopped salad and either an herby cucumber yogurt sauce or a nice garlicky lemon tahini sauce. Bon appetit/ buon appetito.

Socca
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 cup water, lukewarm
• 4 Tbsps olive oil (divided)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black peppper
• Optional herbs, spices, and veggie additions

Directions

1. Put the chickpea flour in a bowl with the salt and pepper. Add the lukewarm water and whisk to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover and let sit while the oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.

2. Heat the oven to 450° F. Place a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in the oven. If you don't have either thing, you can also cook this in a baking dish or heavy duty cookie sheet.

3. Once the oven is up to temp, remove the pan. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into it and swirl it around to coat thoroughly. If you're adding additions to the batter like caramelized onions, etc., dump them in now and stir to combine. 

4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges are set.

5. Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler. You can brush the top of the pancake with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots - about a minute or two, depending how far the pan is from the flame. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm. You can heap your toppings on top or serve them on the side.

You might also like:

Baked Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes & Cheese

Cumin-Scented Quinoa with Beets & Curried Chickpeas

Baba Ghanoush Roasted Eggplant dip