Cooee

What's Cooking in the School Kitchen

with School Chef Mr Comino

Hello families and kids!

 

I hope your start to 2023 is positive and joyful!  

 

We are so excited because the new building for the canteen is going ahead very well, and I can’t wait to start to cook yummy lunches for all of you.

 

Bridget and I started to purchase some amazing colourful water glasses and plates, cutlery and bowls for you and the vision of our little restaurant is started to come up!

 

Now is this time of the year when plums, and green gages are ready for us to eat from the garden’s trees.

 

YUMMY JAM RECIPE

 

I have an easy and amazing recipe for you to transform fresh fruit into jam which is ready to spread on your bread for breakfast or at any time during the day to give you energy and useful vitamins to make you strong and healthy!

 

I will give you another amazing recipe in the next newsletter to use your jam: a secret pie recipe of my Aunt Anna back in Italy then we called “crostata”!

 

I hope you will have fun on this Jam session with your family!

 

 

PLUM JAM

 

Ingredients

  • 1kg plums
  • 400gr white sugar (brown sugar optional if you preferer)
  • 1 squeeze lemon 
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1 pinch ground ginger

Instructions

  1. Halve the plums and remove the stones then roughly dice the plums (remember to eat them as well during the process!!! ) If you don't plan to strain the jam, make the pieces relatively small so any pieces of skin are small.
  2. Put the plum pieces, sugar and lemon juice in a small-medium saucepan along with the cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Place over a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
  3. Bring the jam to a simmer, reduce the heat a little and simmer for approximately 20    minutes. Mash the plums as they soften to break them up more.                                                                                                                                                                                                        * If you choose to strain the jam to remove the skins, do so once the fruit is well broken up then return the mixture to the pan and heat further until it thickens. Being lower sugar, it may not fully set and work in the 'wrinkle test' (when you put a small amount on a plate you have chilled ahead of time and as it cools, the jam wrinkles on top when you nudge it). However, it will noticeably thicken eg when you stir a spoon/spatula through, it will take a bit longer to close in behind.

Sterilise the jars:

1 Wash your jars and the lids in hot soapy water, but do not dry them. Instead, leave them to stand upside down on a roasting tray while they’re still wet.

2 Pop the tray of clean, wet jars and lids into a preheated oven at 160-180ºC for about 15 mins.

3 Ladle the hot preserve into a heatproof jug to make it easier to transfer the mixture into the jars

4 Place the jars in a large pot and place some tea towels around to prevent to crash. Cover with water, bring to boil and 20 minutes later turn it off and let it cool down.

5 Place the jars in a dry place. After this process they can preserve for 1 years. 

Remember when you open it keep them refrigerated!

 

Ciao! 

 

Mr Andrea Comino: John Paul II Chef