Food jars create the layered look

“We put things up all year,” Quatrano said, “so we’ve got plenty of jars on hand.” The James Beard Award-winner collects canning jars and has about 1,000 of them. “People give us jars, and I let other chefs borrow them.”

At Abattoir, she and husband Clifford Harrison’s garrison of whole food husbandry on the West Side, there is an entire section of the menu devoted to food in jars — from that pickled shrimp to a seasonal vegetable.

The idea may not be novel, but it’s certainly clever. Jars make easy traveling kits for food, provide a pretty presentation and are extremely economical. “Jars cost a lot less than plates, too,” Quatrano said.

At Bocado, another popular West Side eatery, desserts are sometimes presented in jars. The restaurant’s silky chocolate pudding was layered in an 8-ounce Mason jar with bananas and caramel sauce, garnished with a meringue cookie laced with peanuts, and a fluffy layer of caramel whipped cream.

There’s even a food blog about food in jars, Food in Jars (www.foodinjars.com), where blogger and food canner Marisa McClellan expounds on everything from canning pickles to baking to storage tips.

But there’s something else: The quintessentially Southern habit of putting up fruits and vegetables has something to do with this restaurant trend worth keeping. Stacking, filling or layering savories and sweets in a jar isn’t just fun, stylish and tasty — it harks back to the days when our mothers or grandmothers put up vegetables and fruits for pickles, chow chows, preserves and butters. We relate intrinsically — and instinctively — to food in a jar.

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Recipes

Looking for jars? They’re easy to find. Most Publix and Kroger grocery stores stock canning jars, and your local hardware store will more than likely have an entire canning section, with gadgets and gizmos galore. Just wash your glass jars in hot water before using, then start stacking them full with these easy recipes, just right for picnics or warm weather get-togethers.

Meridith Ford Goldman, mfordgoldman@ajc.com

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Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar

Hands on: 35 minutes Total time: 45 minutes, plus time for lemon peels to dry Serves: 12 (4-ounce) jars

Serve these easy-to-make desserts to accompany a quick mid-week meal. Top the meringue with homemade candied lemon peel, if desired.

For the candied lemon peel:

Peel of 2 medium lemons (reserve fruit for filling, below)

1½ cups granulated sugar, divided

½ cup water

For the filling:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 5 or 6 large lemons)

For the crust:

11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

For the topping:

1 recipe Swiss Meringue (see recipe)

To prepare the candied lemon peel: Peel the lemons using a channel knife, creating long curls. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water over high heat until the mixture boils and the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon peel and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the peels simmer for about 10 minutes. Place 1 cup sugar on a generous piece of parchment paper. Using tongs, remove the peels from the sugar syrup and toss into the granulated sugar until well-coated. Remove to another piece of parchment and let the peels dry for an hour or overnight. Can be made up to a day ahead.

To prepare the filling: In a large bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk and the lemon juice. Blend well. Set aside. (The cream can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, if desired.)

To layer the jars: Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of a 4-ounce Mason jar to about 1/4 inch. Place the lemon filling in a piping bag and cut the end to open. Pipe the filling over the crumbs to the first rim of the jar. Place a star tip in a piping bag and pipe the meringue over the top of the lemon filling in the shape of a large rosette. Top with candied lemon peel, if desired.

Per serving: 321 calories (percent of calories from fat, 11), 4 grams protein, 69 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 11 milligrams cholesterol, 123 milligrams sodium.

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Chocolate Butterscotch Stripes

Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 8 (8-ounce) jars

This creamy dessert is easy to make, yet so impressive. Layering butterscotch and vanilla puddings with store-bought chocolate cookies and topping the whole thing with meringue makes for happy mouths.

For the pastry cream filling:

1 egg

2 yolks

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 cup whole milk, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3/4 cup butterscotch morsels

1 dozen double chocolate cookies or wafers, crumbed fine

1 recipe Swiss meringue (see below)

To make the pastry cream: Have a roll of plastic wrap ready.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and yolks. In a small bowl, separately toss together the cornstarch, flour and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add about 1/4 cup milk to this mixture to make a slurry, whisking to make sure there are no lumps. Combine the two mixtures.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk, heavy cream and 1/3 cup sugar. Heat on high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Do not stir.

Temper the egg mixture by pouring in a little hot milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Add the hot milk and egg mixture back to the remaining milk in the saucepan. Return the mixture to high heat, and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns glossy. Add the vanilla extract and butter until well-combined.

Remove from heat, and pour half the mixture into a medium bowl. Cover the surface immediately with plastic wrap and set aside. Add the butterscotch morsels to the remaining hot cream and whisk until well-combined. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and set aside. The creams can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated.

To layer the jars: Sprinkle the crumbed cookies to about ¼-inch thickness in an 8-ounce Mason jar. Pipe the vanilla cream to about 1¼-inch thickness. Cover with another layer of cookies. Pipe the butterscotch to about 1¼-inch thickness. Cover with a layer of cookies and smooth. Finish with a swirl of meringue. To brown the meringue, use a blow torch, or place the jars under a very hot broiler or salamander for no more than 20 to 30 seconds. Caution: The jars may break if they are left in high heat for too long.

Per serving: 424 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 6 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 17 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 130 milligrams cholesterol, 121 milligrams sodium.

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Layered Shrimp Salad

Hands on: 40 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Serves: 4 (16-ounce) Mason jars

This salad is perfect for warm-weather outings: Just top the jar with a lid, place on ice and go.

5 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

1 pound peeled shrimp

½ onion, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

½ cup celery, diced

½ cup sour cream

2 cups spring peas (fresh, or thawed if frozen)

In a large skillet, heat the bacon for about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and onions and sauté until the shrimp are done, between 5 and 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a paper towel to drain the bacon grease.

To layer the jars: In a wide-mouthed 16-ounce Mason jar, sprinkle the cheese to about ¼-inch thickness. Add a layer of celery the same thickness. Add the shrimp and bacon mixture, making a stripe about 1-inch thick. Cover with a layer of sour cream, a layer of cheese and finish with a layer of peas.

Per serving: 521 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 44 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 31 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 251 milligrams cholesterol, 677 milligrams sodium.

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Swiss Meringue

Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Servings: 12

1/2 cup egg whites (from 4 large eggs)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Set up a double boiler, using the bowl of an electric mixer for the top and filling a saucepan 1/3 full with water. Bring the water to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.

Place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of the electric mixer, and place it over the simmering water, whisking constantly. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm to the touch (110 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).

Remove the mixture from the heat and whip it on an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overwhip. A flavoring can be added at this point, if desired.

Per serving: 70 calories (no calories from fat), 1 gram protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, no fat, no cholesterol, 17 milligrams sodium.