Sunday, June 15, 2014

Garlic and Herb Wine Jelly (Toast Topper #47) #SundaySupper

Good morning and happy father's day to all the honourees!

I think we're in the gross minority here, but my household doesn't really "do" the whole Father's Day thing. I mean, my sister and I still get my dad a card and a little gift (this year it was an heirloom tomato plant), but we don't have the BBQ, or the picnic, or any of that jazz. Even when my sister and I were young, Father's Day was often marked more by my mom's company picnic day out in King City, about an hour away. We would mark our "Father's Day" sometime in July or August when we'd get time away on our boat and got a chance to really be with each other as a family.

Garlic & Herb Wine JellyThat said, my dad is a fantastic grill-man (in addition to his to-die-for pancakes) and can churn out some of the best potatoes, steaks and fish of anyone I know. He's not too shabby in the creativity or adventure department either, and I've seen him do everything from BBQ pizza pockets (don't laugh, those are amazingly good) to whip up yorkshire pudding to go with pot roast and even empty what looked like the entire spice cabinet into a foil packet of cubed potatoes for roasting. One of his favourite food genres is curry, from the creamy "British-style" to the screaming hot Vindaloo, Thai and Indonesian. However, I'll always remember that it was my dad that introduced me to the best fish 'n' chips ever,  at Sockeye City Grill in B.C..

For all my dad's rough n' tumble personality, it's easy to forget that he's also quite the wine aficionado. When he travelled to B.C.the last time, he visited the (then unknown to me) Mission Hill Winery (where the aging cellar is blasted into the side of an extinct volcano), as well as my aunt and uncle's neighbourhood vineyards: Neck of the Woods Winery and Backyard Vineyards. He's also been to some of our (relatively) local wineries in Prince Edward County, near where our trailer now is. His stories of the fabulous flavours, sights and smells he's experienced got me interested in wine and wineries, even though I can't tolerate the beverage itself.

Around Christmas, somebody gifted us a bottle of Chardonnay, which lay dormant for ages due to the fact that my mom and stepdad don't drink white wine that much, and don't like Chardonnay at all. Finally, I convinced my mom to give the bottle to me for cooking purposes, specifically for making this jelly! I had seen various wine-based jellies popping up in the stores nearby (it's weird, seems to be a Summer thing even though we're not a tourist town) and really fixated on the one that seemed the tastiest to me - honey-garlic with herbs. I love anything with garlic, of course, and knowing that my mom, grandma, dad and a few of my friends all love the occasional taste of unusual, "gourmet" spreads I couldn't wait to get a chance to try out a version! It took a goodly amount of research, but I eventually cobbled together a formula that cooked minced garlic in a mixture of the Chardonnay and some Chardonnay vinegar before being strained, sweetened with honey and a lemon thyme-infused sugar and set with a no-sugar-needed pectin. The finished jars were a beautiful gold, flecked with herbs. The jelly I didn't can quickly found its way onto our plates via grilled cheese and turkey sandwiches, toasted chunks of crusty bread and even melted into apple compote to go with pork chops. I'd wager it would be right at home with smoked salmon and cream cheese on a toasted bagel.

This week's #SundaySupper we're celebrating "guy food" - treats for all the special men in our lives (be they fathers, husbands or even dads of furbabies!). More than 60 participants are participating today, and I encourage you to check out everyone's stellar offerings and find something your family will love just as much as we do! Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen is our hostess this week (and has a brand-spankin'-new bakery, congrats!). Thanks Susan!

Manly Starters:

Manly Mains:

Manly Desserts:
Wine Pairings for Man Food #SundaySupper byENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Sunday Supper Movement

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Garlic & Herb Wine Jelly


Garlic and Herb Wine Jelly
Makes 1 cup, 16 servings
⅔ cup sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme), chopped roughly
½ cup minced garlic
½ cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
½ cup Chardonnay wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
½ package no-sugar needed pectin
leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme)
  1. In a small bowl, combine sugar and chopped thyme. Set aside for at least 24 hours, or as long as you need to (cover and store in the pantry if keeping longer than 48 hours). Remove thyme stems before use.
  2. Combine garlic, wine and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, then cover, remove from heat and let steep 1 hour.
  4. Pour into a jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined strainer and let strain, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
  5. Measure ¾ cup of liquid (add wine if needed to reach ¾ cup) and add to a clean saucepan.
  6. Whisk in the honey and pectin until dissolved and place over high heat.
  7. Bring mixture to a full boil, then add the infused sugar and remaining thyme, stirring constantly.
  8. Return mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, and boil hard 1 minute.
  9. Ladle into jars and can in a water-bath 10 minutes.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 37.6
Total Fat: 0.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.4 mg
Total Carbs: 8.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 0.0 g

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