July 28th, 2010

Blackberries!

Berries are abundant at the SFU Pocket Market this week and other tasty fruit will soon be on its way! Freezing berries is the best way to keep it fresh throughout the fall and winter and the pocket market is a great place to stock up. 10# boxes of local blueberries will available along with smaller boxes of raspberries, blackberries, cherries and even gooseberries!

Of course along with berry season comes berry honey. A taste like no other, once you try blueberry or raspberry honey you will never think the same of honey again. How does it work? The nectar is collected from berry orchards to make a pure and unique blend of fresh honey. Local honey is great for allergies and is a healthy, natural sweetener. Treat yourself to a jar or buy some as a gift!

See you on Wednesday!

Also at the market from Two EE’s Organic Farm in Surrey:

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Fava Beans
• Rainbow chard
• Beets (red and chiogga varieties)
• Rhubarb
• Red and Green Leaf Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce
• Red and Green Kale
• Green Onions

From Krause Berry Farms:

• Raspberries
• Blueberries

From The Apple Barn and Floralia:

• Blackberries
• Green Onions
• Nugget Potatoes
• Bell Peppers: assorted colours
• Mini Beefsteak Tomatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Mini Cucumbers
• Eggplant

From Biota Farm:

• Eggs – Free Range Organic

And from the Flour Peddler:

• Local flour milled from locally grown grain

Food for Thought:

• Himalayan and Evergreen Blackberry species are introduced from Eurasia (~1885) and currently dominate many regions of the Pacific Northwest.  Both tend to form impenetrable thickets due to spreading vines with prickly stems.  Numerous cultivars have been selected for cultivation, but there are 375 known species.
• The Red currant (Ribes rubrum) is a member of the genus Ribes in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae, native to parts of western Europe.
• The varieties of squash typically called “zucchini” were  developed in Italy, many generations after their introduction from the “New World”.
• Thousands of Cherry trees were given to Vancouver as a peace offering from Japan.
• Fennel tea can help reduce bloating caused by digestive disorders.
• Peas have been used in the dry form since ancient times, and archaeologists found them in Egyptian tombs. It was not until the sixteenth century that more tender varieties were developed and eaten fresh. Today only about 5 % of all peas grown are sold fresh.  They are a part of the legume family.
• Raspberries are originally from Eastern Asia, they spread throughout Europe during the past three thousand years. However, it only became cultivated in Europe in the 1500s, and in North America in the 1800s.  Raspberries have one of the largest fiber contents of all foods.
• Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
• Originally from Afghanistan, carrots have since spread throughout the world.
• Beets are one of the oldest cultivated plants with records dating it back to the 8th century BCE.
• During World War II, the cultivation of kale in the U.K. was encouraged by the Dig for Victory campaign. The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients to supplement those missing from a normal diet because of rationing.

Blackberry Green Smoothie Recipe

* 1 to 2 handfuls kale
* ½ C. blackberries
* 2 bananas
* 3 to 4 Medjool Dates (remove pits)
* 1 C. water (optional)

Blend until smooth and Enjoy!

Red Currant Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 1/4 cups red currants

Directions

1. To Make Dough: In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Mix in butter, sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest until mixture forms dough. Let rest in cool place for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll out dough and put into a springform pan.
3. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until golden yellow.
4. To Make Filling: In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually stir in sugar and cornstarch; beat for 5 minutes. Fold currants into mixture and pour into pie crust.
5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.

Fennel Risotto

Ingredients:

4 bulbs fennel
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
7 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the base off of the fennel bulbs, and cut a cone shape into the base to remove the core. Slice the fennel vertically (lengthwise) into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Cook onions and fennel in butter for 2 minutes. Stir in the rice; cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted. Stir in 1 cup vegetable broth; continue stirring until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Repeat this process with remaining broth, stirring constantly. Incorporating the broth should take 15 to 20 minutes in all.
Stir in cream, 3 tablespoons Parmesan and parsley, and cook until rice is done and risotto is thick and creamy. Season to taste with black pepper. Divide risotto among 6 bowls, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Spring Pea Slathered Crostini

From 101 Cookbooks.com

This recipe is essentially just the beginning of my ravioli filling minus the egg. I found myself slathering it on whatever crackers, toasted bread, or baguette was in the kitchen at the time, before I added the raw egg. Really beautiful and delicious.

1 standard brown paper lunch bag full of fresh English peas (still in their pods) – I’m guessing a pound or two
Squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup FRESHLY shredded parmesan
tiny pinch of cayenne
lemon zest
salt to taste

Quickly blanch/cook the peas per the previous recipe. After draining, puree the peas – I use a hand/immersion blender to make quick work of it. Add a generous squeeze of lemon. Add the toasted pine nuts, and puree one more time. Stir in the Parmesan, cayenne, a few pinches of lemon zest, and a few pinches of salt. Taste, and adjust for seasoning – add more salt if needed. Spread it on whatever you’ve got around.

Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of puree.

Raspberry Custard Kuchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter or margarine

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups fresh raspberries

TOPPING:

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a bowl, combine 1 cup flour and salt; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream; pat into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Combine the sugar and remaining flour; sprinkle over crust. Arrange raspberries over crust. For topping, combine sugar and flour. Stir in eggs, cream and vanilla; pour over berries. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or chilled. Store in refrigerator.

100% Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread

Recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads.

Makes 13×19 inch focaccia

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (preferably fine grind)
1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 + 1/8 tsp dry yeast
1 cup + 1 Tbsp water (room temperature)
3/4 tsp agave nectar
3/4 Tbsp olive oil

For Olive oil topping

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, yeast, water and agave nectar for about 2 mins.The dough will be sticky, but smooth. Add olive oil to the dough and mix for another 15 sec. Let the dough rest, uncovered for 5 mins and then mix again for 2 mins. If the dough is too wet, add a small amount of flour.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and add 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to grease the parchment paper including the side walls. Place the dough on the sheet pan. Rub the top of the dough with 1 tsp of olive oil. Flatten the dough using the palms of your hands. The dough might not cover the entire pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.

The next day remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit out for 4 hours. While the dough is resting, pour 1/4 cup of olive oil in a pan. Add all the dried herbs mentioned in the ingredients. Heat the oil for 3 mins. Let the oil sit at room temperature.

Remove the plastic wrap covering the dough and drizzle 1 tsp of olive over it. Using your fingertips, starting in the middle, press the dough so as to fill out the pan. The pressed dough may still not fill the pan. Loosely cover the pan and let it sit for 20 mins. Repeat this procedure again. The third time, pour the herbed oil and using your fingertips again press the dough. You will see air pockets as you press. This time the dough should fill most of the pan. Cover the pan and let the dough sit for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven at 500 degrees F. Add sea salt on top of the dough and place it in the oven. Reduce the oven temperatutre to 450 degrees F and bake for 15 mins. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and let it bake for another 11 mins.

Remove it from the oven and let focaccia cool on a wire rack. After 10 mins. slice it and serve with some olive oil.

Strawberry Panzanella

Recipe adapted from www.101cookbooks.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural cane sugar OR brown sugar*
couple pinches of fine grain salt

1 pound loaf of hearty, substantial day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1+ pint basket of ripe strawberries, trimmed and cut into matchsticks

7 or 8 ounce container of plain (Greek) yogurt

poppy seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a large pot melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves and remove from the heat. Add bread cubes and toss, coating the bread cubes. Toss for a minute or so to get decent coverage. Pour the bread out onto a baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Toast for about 15 minutes or until bread is well toasted, tossing every 5 minutes to make sure all bread surface areas get golden and crunchy.

In the meantime, place half the chopped strawberries in a small bowl and mash them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. I found a potato masher works well for this. Keep mashing until berries are super juicy and appetizingly chunky – this is your dressing.

When the bread cubes are done toasting (and have had a few minutes to cool and crisp up), toss them in a big bowl with the mashed berries. Add the remaining chopped strawberries and toss a bit more. Give the yogurt a good stir, and serve on the side garnished with poppy seeds (feel free to sweeten it a bit to your liking).

Serves 6 or so.

*Use any sweetner in this recipe muscavado sugar, honey or agave nectar.

Caesar Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.

Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes

Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.

Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes

Radish Tart

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cold butter

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Edam, Gouda, or Gruyere cheese

1 cup heavy cream, divided

4 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 small bunch of red radishes

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.

Sift and measure flour into a bowl. Cut in the butter until the particles are coarse. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese. Pour in 1/4 cup of the cream; toss the mixture with a fork until all parts are moistened.

Turn the dough into a 9-inch round pie pan. With floured fingers, press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan, then prick the shell with a floured fork.

Bake the pie shell for 10 to 12 minutes. (The sides will slip down a little during baking.) Cool on a wire rack.

Lower the oven temperature to 325º.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the bottom of the cooled pie shell. Beat together the egg yolks, the 3/4 cup cream, and the salt. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Place the radish slices evenly over the top of the pie.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until set.

Remove the pie from the oven, cut it into wedges, and serve it hot.

May 26

A Simple Spring Salad Recipe

Excerpt and recipe from www.101cookbooks.com

Perfect lettuce glows. There’s no better way of describing it. Unfortunately, the glow doesn’t last long. From the minute lettuce is picked, you’re in a race against time and the elements. Tick, it is getting smashed by your other groceries. Tock, it’s starting to wilt. Great lettuce emanates a color and vibrancy that makes you believe it is still alive. Chances are, by the time you encounter lettuce in your local grocery store the glow has long since faded. You really have to go to the farmers’ market to seek it out.

Once you get in the habit of enjoying salads made from just-picked baby lettuce, it becomes increasingly difficult (if not impossible) to reach for those bags of pre-washed lettuce or spinach.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 orange, juice only
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt

4 big handfuls of salad greens, washed and dried
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/3 cup black olives, (the wrinkly, oily ones), pitted

In a medium bowl whisk together the juice of 1/2 orange, lemon juice, most of the red onion, olive oil, and salt. Whisk together until emulsified, taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if needed.

Peel the remaining orange and cut into segments, removing any seeds you might encounter. Set aside.

When you’re ready to serve, place the salad greens in a large bowl. Toss very gently with a generous splash of the dressing. Add the orange segments and walnuts. Give another toss. Taste and decide if you need to add more dressing, if needed, add a bit more at a time, giving a good toss between additions. Make sure the nuts and citrus haven’t all gone to the bottom, help them back up to the top if needed. Serve salad topped with the remaining red onion and olives.

Serves 4.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Recipe from www.101cookbooks.com

Feel free to experiment with the amount of sugar in this based on how sweet your berries are. For example, try it with 1/2 cup sugar tossed with the fruit, and make note – you might want it more/less sweet the next time around.

Ingredients:

butter for greasing skillet/pan (about 1 tablespoon)

3/4 cup / 3 oz / 85 g spelt flour
2/3 cup / 3 oz / 85 pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup / 1.5 oz / 45 g rolled oats
1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup / 2.5 oz / 75 g unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g natural cane sugar (or Muscovado sugar)

1/2 lb. / 8 ounces / 225 g hulled medium strawberries, cut into quarters

12 ounces trimmed rhubarb, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup / 60 ml port wine (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C, with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10-inch round gratin dish (pictured), or a 9×9 square baking dish.

Combine the flour, pine nuts, oats, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Use a fork to stir in the butter, squeeze into a few patties, then place in the freezer to chill at least ten minutes.

Make the filling by whisking together the cornstarch and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the strawberries and rhubarb, and toss until evenly coated. Wait three minutes, add the port and toss again. Transfer the filling to the prepared pan, remove the topping from the freezer, and crumble across the top of the filling – make sure you have big pieces and small.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until the topping is deeply golden and the fruit juices are vigorously bubbling. You’ll want to let things cool a bit before serving, 20 – 30 minutes.

Serves a small crowd, 8 – 12 servings.