blue to my elbows

We all cook for different reasons: to experiment with something new, to perform a political act, or simply to alleviate the growling of our stomachs. Lately, I’ve been cooking for the feeling that I’ve created something: for the tactile pleasure of working with my hands, and for the tangible results. When you follow a recipe from start to finish, you can rest assured that something real and material will be borne of your labors. (And it doesn’t even matter if the resulting food is any good!)

Here’s the thing: I sit in a swivel chair all day, staring at a computer. Behind the computer is a white wall. I enter data into Excel spreadsheets, I scan and file documents, and I sift through legal bills, but I don’t encounter natural light and I don’t ever finish the day having created something. Nowadays, cooking is how I stretch my boundaries, and how I exalt in my own ability to do something worth writing home about. Someday, I’ll make a living out of my creative powers. For now, I have my kitchen.

After I came home recently with a truckload of blueberries in tow, a jam recipe was high on my agenda—mostly because of the sheer amount of berries it called for. I started the process one night after work. After nine hours spent typing away in my cubicle, there was something magical about making jam. I stood in front of the kitchen window, late-afternoon sunlight pouring in, and crushed eight cups of blueberries with my bare hands. I was blue up to my elbows, and my mind was at peace.

Making the ensuing blueberry jam tart was a similarly meditative experience: mixing, measuring, and the absentminded pressing of a cornmeal crust into a fluted pan. And while there’s no reason you’d have to make your own jam to fill this tart shell, I will put one asterisk on that statement. Because when I pulled this crumbly, golden-crusted thing out of the oven, with the knowledge that I could call the whole thing my handiwork, it was the proudest I’d felt all day.

So I cut myself a slice, burdened it with far too much whipped cream, and woke up the next day to trudge through it all again.

BLUEBERRY JAM
Makes 5 half-pint jars
Adapted from Molly Wizenberg and Pick Your Own

Note: Those adorable jam labels you see above? I found the (free!) templates at Eat Drink Chic, via Whitney in Chicago. And you aren’t limited to blueberry jam—there are a bunch of labels to choose from!

Ingredients
- 8 cups blueberries
- 3.5 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- zest of one lemon

Preparation
1) If you’re feeling hands-on, put the blueberries in a large bowl and crush them in your fists; in addition to being fun, it will make for a more textured, rustic-looking jam. If you want a smoother jam, simply pulse the berries in a food processor before transferring to a large bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Let sit at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2) Once 2 hours have nearly passed, begin to sterilize canning supplies. Wash five or six half-pint jars, lids and screw bands with hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Place all supplies in a stockpot, adding water to cover completely, then bring water to a full boil on stove. Let boil for a minute, then turn off heat, leaving jars, lids and screw bands in hot water until ready to use.
3) Place two small saucers in freezer.
4) Transfer fruit mixture into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let fruit simmer. Stir occasionally, breaking up larger bits of fruit as necessary; the jam will slowly start to darken and thicken.
5) When jam has thickened slightly (about 10 minutes in, though cooking time will vary), remove saucepan from heat to test for gelling point. Place a small spoonful of jam on one of the frozen saucers, then return to freezer for 1 minute. If jam wrinkles gently when pushed with your finger, or the whole spoonful slides across the plate when tilted (instead of running, like a liquid), jam has gelled. If not, return jam to heat for 2 minutes and test again, repeating as necessary.
6) Once jam is ready, remove jars from stockpot and shake out excess water. Fill jars to within 1/4 inch of the top, wiping spilled jam from the lip with a clean cloth. Place a lid securely on each jar, then attach screw bands.
7) Return filled jars to stockpot, adding more water as necessary to cover. Bring water to a full boil for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and let jars sit for another 5 minutes.
8) Carefully remove jars to your countertop with tongs and allow to cool fully. As they cool, you might hear a pop as the lids go concave; this is a good sign! Once fully cooled, if all lids are concave and do not move when pressed, they have sealed properly. These jars will keep for 6-8 months in your cupboard. As for the jars that haven’t sealed? Store them in your fridge, and enjoy in the next few weeks—perhaps in the blueberry jam tart featured below.

BLUEBERRY JAM TART
Serves 10-12
Adapted from a David Lebovitz recipe with tweaks by Smitten Kitchen

Note: This recipe calls for a 9″ fluted tart pan. Since I only had an 11″ pan on hand, I multiplied the dough recipe by 1 1/2, and increased the jam for the filling to a generous 1 1/2 cups.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (one whole, one separated)
- 1/8 tsp. almond extract
- 1 1/3 cups blueberry jam (alternately, any other flavor may be used)

Preparation
1) Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.
2) In a medium bowl, beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add the almond extract, the whole egg, and the yolk from the second egg (reserve the white); beat until combined.
3) Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two parts, stirring after each addition. Take care not to overbeat.
4) Transfer 1/3 of the dough to a lightly-floured surface and roll into a log shape (about 2 inches in diameter). Cover with plastic wrap and remove to the fridge to chill.
5) Butter a 9″ fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Press the remaining dough evenly onto the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pan. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for one hour.
6) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the tart pan from fridge, then pour jam into the tart shell and spread evenly over the bottom crust. Slice the reserved log of dough into thin slices, then arrange them attractively over the jam in barely-touching concentric circles.
7) Beat the remaining egg white with 1 tsp. water, then brush over the top crust. Sprinkle tart with the remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar.
8) Bake in center of oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool, and enjoy within the next few days (preferably with whipped cream).