Our second recipe from Blue Chair Cooks also showcases our plum jam, bringing with it a warming burst of summer. Try it as a delicious addition to a hearty spring meal!

BEET SOUP WITH PLUMS & CORIANDER YOGURT
Serves 8

This exquisitely balanced soup boasts a striking combination of colors and flavors. It is an unusual and ingenious use for plum jam, whose hue and tartness perfectly enhance the beets. The bright garlicky coriander yogurt and parsley garnishes show off the beauty of the soup brilliantly.

Soup
¼ cup neutral-flavored olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
2½ pounds dark red beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
½ pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into
½-inch cubes
½ cup bright-flavored red or purple plum jam
Freshly squeezed lime juice, as needed
Kosher salt

Serving
1½ cups whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)
2 cloves garlic, very finely grated
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ cup finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart soup pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, garlic, and celery and sauté until wilted and verging on translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the cayenne, paprika, and several grinds of pepper over the onion mixture and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the beets, potatoes, plum jam, and 9 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, or until the beets and potatoes are very tender. Puree the soup using a handheld immersion blender. Add a few squeezes of lime juice and salt to taste.

To make the coriander yogurt, while the soup simmers, place the yogurt in a bowl and add the garlic and salt. Toast the coriander seeds briefly by placing them in a small cast-iron skillet and shaking them over medium heat until they release their aroma. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and grind them finely.

Add the ground coriander seeds to the yogurt mixture and stir very well with a fork to combine. Cover well and chill until needed. The yogurt is best within 1 hour of being made.

To serve the soup, ladle it into warm bowls. Drizzle each serving with 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander yogurt and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.

From Blue Chair Cooks with Jam & Marmalade by Rachel Saunders, Andrews McMeel Publishing

As Blue Chair Cooks takes the food world by storm, we’ll be starting 2015 off right with some recipes from Rachel’s new book!

Glogg is a traditional Swedish spiced wine, perfect for cozy evening and long winter nights. This recipe, featuring our Plum Jam, is a wonderful opportunity to use some of your last summer preserves!

SWEDISH GLOGG
Serves 4 to 6

On the years when my husband and I have Christmas at home, this is the wine I make for us on the happy evening we spend together decorating our tree. The recipe is a winter classic, with about a million variations. Its essential elements are red wine, vodka, plums, almonds, and cardamom, and its distinctively rich character sets it apart from other mulled wines.

Ingredients
4 cardamom seeds
2 whole cloves
16 aniseeds
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
1½ teaspoons finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons dark raisins
1⁄3 cup flavorful dark plum jam
1½ cups dry red wine
2⁄3 cup port
½ cup vodka
Sugar, as needed
Small handful of slivered blanched almonds

Directions
Place the cardamom, cloves, aniseeds, cinnamon, and orange zest in a small stainless-steel tea infuser with a firm latch or in a small cheesecloth bag. Place the infuser in a small bowl or cup. Bring 1⁄3 cup water to a boil and immediately pour it over the spices.  Cover tightly and let steep for 10 minutes.

Transfer the infuser with its liquid to a medium saucepan. Add the raisins, jam, red wine, port, and vodka and bring the  mixture just to a boil over high heat. Immediately turn off the heat, cover, and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Place the glogg in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

When ready to serve, strain the glogg through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Discard the spices and solids. Heat the glogg gently until just steaming. Carefully taste, adding a little sugar if needed. Place a few almond slivers in each heatproof glass or mug and fill with the spiced wine.

From Blue Chair Cooks with Jam & Marmalade by Rachel Saunders, Andrews McMeel Publishing