raspberry-port chocolate spread

this morning

i raced to my favorite

ethnic grocery

for some reason

i had it in my head

that 

one year ago

to. the. day

sour cherries had arrived

the problem is

produce goes quickly

at this particular store

and

 once it is gone

it. is. gone

surprise...surprise

i was wrong

not

even 

close

3  months off

actually

however

they did have

raspberries

local

organic

&

a dollar a punnet

i couldn't resist

why should i?

raspberry-port chocolate spread

(printable recipe)

6 cups raspberries

3/4 c. port

3 cups granulated sugar

pinch salt

18 oz 70% bittersweet chocolate (broken into pieces)

place berries, port and sugar in a heavy, large pot.  cook over low heat until the berries break down.     remove from heat and strain in a chinois or medium seive (you want the seeds removed, but you want as much pulp as possible in your final liquid.  return the liquid back to the pot and simmer until it reduces by half (3 cups).  meanwhile, place the chocolate in a glass bowl.  allow the raspberry syrup to cool only slightly, then pour over the chocolate.  using a whisk or a hand blender, blend until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.  place in jars and keep in the refrigerator.

use on bread, sweet tea cakes, as a filling for cake, or just spoon it from jar to mouth

triple berry dessert sauce

we grow strawberries in our garden

and each june

joyfully harvest them

we also grow

raspberries

blackberries

and

boysenberries

only evident

by the bare vines

choking our fences

those sweet berries 

are harvested by

the local fauna

which possess

ripeness gauges

to rival a seasoned gardener

i buy most of our berries

at the local farmer's market

this week

i found gorgeous raspberries

perfectly ripe

and 

brightly colored

at

 four bucks a punnet

here i was

mulling my decision to buy

when

a woman beside me said

"they would make the most delicous coulis"

"do you know what a coulis is?"

i sweetly smiled (which is a bit of a feat)

and said

"yes i do" and "yes they would"

but what i was thinking was

lady

you are either crazy or rich

because 

four dollars a handful is not a bargain

furthermore

 if i planned to whirl these in a blender 

with some sugar

i might as well buy frozen ones

for

 half .the. price.

 at the grocery

this going through my mind

as i handed over my eight dollars

and chose

the ripest berries

in the most full containers

i brought them home

and they sat

then i moved them to the fridge

where they sat

some more

today

i am reminded of that woman at the market

with her clarvoyant premonition

as i 

simmer these over ripe berries

into a sauce

not a coulis

but a sauce

just 

the

same

triple berry dessert sauce

(printable recipe)

1 pint raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1 lb strawberries--hulled and cut in half

juice of 1 lime

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 oz cassis

place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on low until the berries are soft and the sugar is melted.  the strawberries may take a bit longer to soften than the raspberries or blackberries. if you find this happening, just turn the burner off and allow the berries to sit in the warm juice for 10 minutes or so, the strawberries will continue to soften from the residual heat.

allow to cool to warm. spoon over ice cream or a slab of shortcake. refrigerate whats left. will keep about 5 days.