Amour Spreads

Who doesn’t love jams and marmalades? Mason jars lovingly filled by friends and family, or by you. Local concoctions from the Farmer’s Markets. French confitures. Good old Smucker’s raspberry. Those tiny jars that come with hotel room service.  I’ll take them all.

But it’s a shame these sweet – and sometimes savory -- spreads are usually relegated to toast and biscuits, muffins and the occasional dab on a cracker with cheese. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

Which brings me to Amour Spreads, lovingly made in Salt Lake City. On a chilly night last November, Pago Restaurant hosted a reception to introduce Amour Spreads with a menu of inspired presentations. I became an instant fan. And, it was a pleasure to meet the makers, Casee and John Francis, gardeners extraordinaire and the nicest people ever. Together, they have created a knockout line of jewel-like jams and marmalades.

That night we had our choice of 17 different flavors. Each was tempting in its own right, often with the subtlest of flavors melding together to seduce and draw you back for another taste. Think Pear Lavender, Apricot Rose, and Savory Heirloom Tomato Jam, and the ring-a-ding-ding of Cranberry Orange Marmalade.

Find them in Utah at Caputo’s Market & Deli, Liberty Heights Fresh, Cali’s, and the Beehive Cheese Creamery Store, the Deer Valley Market and Café, online at Amour Spreads or local Utah food purveyor, Cahootal.

Amour Spreads Blackberry Jam and Pago house made pate on crostini was a classic. Find the rest of Pago’s tasting event menu on Amour’s Website. 

This is my (now empty) jar of Savory Heirloom Tomato Jam. I love a spoonful of it on top of soft scrambled eggs swirled with cheddar cheese. 

Casee and John grow and/or hand pick their produce and herbs. Fortunately, they have west coast friends with citrus groves! Look for these new marmalades, just released for Spring 2012. My favorite is the lilting, lightly floral Meyer Lemon-Rose Geranium. Blood Orange-Meyer Lemon is divine on its own or shaken in a good Manhattan. 

Blood Orange-Meyer Lemon

Blood Orange-Rosemary

Meyer Lemon-Rose Geranium

Pomegranate Citrus

Tangelo

Grapefruit

About all the love-spreading: Amour donates a percentage of its sales to a variety of local causes, detailed on their site. 

XOXX

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