I’m sitting in the gate at the airport, finally getting around to posting the recipe for this refreshing, and vitamin-enriched drink.  I know that some of you are thinking that maybe tequila would have been a better booze to match with my Mexico-inspired cucumber agua fresca with a touch of lime — I’m thinking, that whatever alcohol you pick, it will result in a cool, fortifying afternoon drink to sit back and relax with on the deck.

Spare Howard and I a thought while you’re chilling out, will you?  We just checked the weather forecast, and it looks like we’re in for a week of Mexican thunder and lightning.  Maybe that’s why it was such a deal…

It’s important to let the strained liquid rest — that’s how you get a crystal clear agua fresca.

Cucumber-Mint Agua Fresca

Yield:  approx 3 cups

C=Cup

Puree all ingredients in a food processor.  Strain through a sieve lined with 3 layers of cheesecloth.  Allow the strained liquid to rest in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, until it separates.  Carefully pour the clear liquid – the agua fresca — off the top and reserve.  Discard the liquid at the bottom.

Store the agua fresca, covered, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.  Makes a wonderful thirst quencher with mixed with water and simple syrup.

For a Cucumber Agua Fresca Gin Fizz, pour 1 measure of gin over some ice.  Add 2 measures agua fresca, 1 measure simple syrup and a squeeze of lime.  Top it off with sparkling water, and you have yourself SOME beverage!

Sometimes, when it’s really, really hot, a crazy cool-down idea will take shape around here.

Like injecting a watermelon with vodka — circa Lollapalooza ’93 — which is the last (and more age-appropriate) time I considered using a syringe to introduce alcohol into fruit. Back then it was a scheme to get booze past the festival gate checkpoint — a scheme we never got around to actually attempting…

Fast forward 17 years later, to the peak of this week’s heatwave: I bought a syringe and the biggest, ugliest horse needle you’ve ever seen at the pharmacy. Then I went around the corner to the Liquor Store and picked up a bottle of Absolut Pear.

I figured at 40 it’s not good enough to just inject vodka into a watermelon. No, no, no. At this ripe age, a little sophistication is required — sophistication in the form of pear-infused-vodka-infused watermelon — served as little balls. Oooh…la, la.

Howard and I had some fun trying to inject our little 3 lb watermelon. The first squeeze went in fine, but when we moved the needle, the second injection came squirting out of the hole left by the first — seriously. Very 3 Stooges.

Plan B: Use an apple corer to pull a plug out of one end, then invert in a strainer in the fridge overnight to drain. The next morning, use a wooden skewer to poke holes, or “vodka channels”, downward and outward towards the rind, into the length of the flesh exposed by the apple corer.

Using a funnel, pour vodka in the hole to fill. Stabilize the watermelon in a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours. The vodka will absorb into the flesh and drain into the holes you poked with the skewer. After 2 hours, top up the vodka and return to the fridge. Repeat until the vodka is no longer absorbed.

Drain any vodka remaining in the hole and chill in the fridge until cold. Serve, sliced into wedges or melon balled into, well, balls.

So what do you do when, 2 weeks after summer solstice, the sun has appeared for a total of 3 1/2 hours, and dinner on the deck means long pants and long sleeves?

I figured if I had to wear a sweater, then the salad probably needed a warm-up too. And as I found out, cashmere isn’t the only goat product with excellent thermal properties.

Mushrooms and spinach are great seasonal picks at this time of year.

Spinach from a farmer’s market is a little different than the pre-washed-in-a-bag-variety, so take your time washing it. Remove the spinach from the water in (gentle) handfuls to avoid pouring the gritty water back over the greens when you drain them.

Oyster mushrooms are fragile — except for those thick stems. Trim and discard, or add them to a stock you may have on the go. Morels are another seasonal mushroom option that would work well in this salad.

This recipe reads as more complicated and involved than it actually is. Just ensure you do all of your prep before you start cooking, and cook everything on medium or a bit lower, so that the pace is manageable. If you prefer to omit the bacon, simply substitute the bacon fat with olive oil.

Seasoning salad greens with a little s+p builds flavour. It takes a homemade salad to a home run salad — try it.

Wilted Spinach & Oyster Mushroom Salad with Warm Goat`s Cheese

Yield: 4 first-course or 2 main-course servings

oz=ounces g=grams t=teaspoon T=tablespoon
ml=millilitres TT=to taste

Prep:

• Trim the stems from the spinach, and wash in lots of clean, tepid water. Spin or towel dry, put in a large salad bowl and toss with s+p. Set aside.
• In a small jar with lid, combine the crumbled goat’s cheese, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of s+p. Shake well to combine.
• Trim the large, tough stems from the mushrooms and discard. Smaller stems are tender and can be left on. Tear the large mushrooms into strips and leave the small ones whole.
• Cut the bacon crosswise into ½” pieces.

Cooking:

Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over med. heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Gently stir the mushrooms and continue to cook until they have released their water and it has evaporated from the pan. Pour in the wine, and simmer rapidly until the pan is almost dry. Reduce the heat to med. low, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

While the mushrooms cook, heat another small (preferably cast iron) pan over medium heat. Fry bacon until just crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on towelling. Reduce the heat to med. low, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, and sweat the onions until they soften (do not brown). Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the goat’s cheese dressing. Stir until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Assembly:

Combine the mushrooms, bacon and dressing with the spinach, and toss gently. Working quickly, divide the salad on plates and garnish with cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

My intention was celebratory shot glasses made from meringue.  The final result was more like clay pots.  I kinda dig them though — and as a strawberry coulis delivery device, they performed brilliantly.

My last little sweet bite — Lemon Drops — were 1 perfect bite.  These guys are a little bigger, so it’s more of a 2 bite scenario.  But the potential for mess is small, as the chilled coulis is thick enough to hold in the curve of the pot while you finish that first sweet mouthful…

Make a batch of strawberry and a batch of blueberry, and you’ve got yourself Red White and Blue Shots for July 4th…

Strawberry Shots for Canada Day (makes about 24 1½” shots)

Meringue Pots

g=grams               C=cup                   t=teaspoon

Preheat oven to 250° F and move the rack to the centre of the oven.

In a standing mixer, beat the whites on med. low speed until frothy.  Increase to high speed; add the cream of tartar and salt and beat until soft peak stage.  With the machine running, add the sugar ¼ cup at a time.  Beat to stiff peak stage, watching as it gets close.  Be careful not to overbeat.

Using a large spoon or bowl scraper, drop the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼” tip (#802).  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.  Pipe a coil bottom about 1½” in diameter, then continue to pipe the sides of the pot in one continuous circular movement, until they’re about 1½” high.  Fill the baking sheet with pots, leaving a little room between each one.

Bake on the center rack for 2 hours, turning the tray halfway through.  Turn the oven off without removing the meringues, and allow them to sit for another hour.  Remove from the oven and cool on racks.

Strawberry Coulis

lb=pound            g=grams               TT=to taste

Puree the strawberries in a food processor.  Strain the puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.  Mix in sugar and lemon juice to taste.  (Amounts will depend on berry type and ripeness.)

Chill, covered until ready to use.

Fill the cooled meringues with the coulis using a small spoon, or squeeze bottle.  Serve immediately.

Tips:

• To make superfine sugar, process granulated sugar for about 30 seconds.
• Do not make these too far in advance.  The coulis will soak into the meringue.  I would like to try mixing in a bit of gelatine or agar agar into the coulis, and setting it in the meringues in the fridge – this may solve the soakage problem – and result in more of a jello meringue pop…let me know if you try it!

]]> http://islandvittles.com/2010/07/03/strawberry-shots-for-canada-day/feed/ 0 http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/28/sea-asparagus-gomaae/ http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/28/sea-asparagus-gomaae/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:01:49 +0000 Theresa http://islandvittles.com/?p=2660

Salicornia Virginica is a small, salt tolerant plant that thrives across the shorelines, wetlands and salt marshes of North America.  Known by a number of names –including samphire, pickleweed and sea asparagus — this nutrient-rich green vegetable adds a not-too-salty crunch when served cold in sushi, or hot alongside a grilled steak.

Plus, if you know where to find it, it’s free.  Shazzaam!  Take that global marketplace.

A closely related plant, Salicornia Europaea, was widely cultivated in 16th Century Elizabethan England as a source of soda ash.  Immigrant Venetian glassmakers used the sodium-rich ashes of the burned plant to produce their clear Cristallo glass, earning the plant the name glasswort.  Prior to their arrival, it was said that the plant “hath no name in English.”

Somewhere along the line, they started eating it — Pickled Samphire is a long-standing bar snack in Norfolk — and now it looks like the rest of us may catch on to it too.  This stuff is tasty!

Gomaae is a Japanese salad/side dish that basically translates as “sesame dressing.”  Spinach is the most popular gomaae here in North America, but there’s nothing saying I can’t make my own version from the food I forage from the shore!

As for the sunflower sprouts and carrot — well, they add a fresh bite and some contrasting colour.  You may choose something different.  Let’s take a moment to come up with some other accompaniments for the sea asparagus:

• red pepper and cucumber
• shaved red onion and bean sprouts
• blanched potato and diced tomato
• smoked tofu and grated radish

What’s your Sea Asparagus Gomaae match up?

Sea Asparagus & Sunflower Sprout Gomaae
Yield:  4 small servings

C=cup        t=teaspoon       T=tablespoon            ml=millilitres

Bring a large pot of UNSALTED water to the boil.   Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.

Add the sea asparagus to the boiling and cook until tender crisp, about 2-3 minutes.  Quickly remove with tongs and immerse in the ice water to halt the cooking and preserve the bright green colour.  Once cool, gently roll the sea asparagus in a clean towel.  Squeeze gently and set aside to dry.

Grind the sesame seeds to a paste in a spice/coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.  Dissolve the sugar in 1 tablespoon of very hot water.  In a small bowl, combine the sesame paste, sugar, soya sauce and sake.

Toss the sea asparagus, sunflower sprouts and carrot with a small amount of dressing in a bowl.   To serve, pile a small amount of the salad on each plate and drizzle with additional sesame dressing.  Garnish with sesame seeds.

Leftover dressing will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.

]]> http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/28/sea-asparagus-gomaae/feed/ 13 http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/27/roasted-tomato-jalapeno-vinaigrette/ http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/27/roasted-tomato-jalapeno-vinaigrette/#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:18:14 +0000 Theresa http://islandvittles.com/?p=2642

Sometimes you just want a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of oil to lightly dress a salad.  At other times, you need a more substantial, flavour packed multi-purpose vinaigrette/dressing/dip — as you can see, this tasty concoction falls into the latter category.

I said multi-purpose, so I suppose I should brainstorm a bit.  Other than a killer golden beet and goat’s cheese salad, where else could you use this vinaigrette?:

• as a pizza sauce (I’ve tried it — with bacon, goat’s cheese and fresh basil — definitely a keeper)
• mixed with a little mayo on a grilled cheese sandwich
• as a veggie plate dip
• drizzled over fresh roasted asparagus
• atop a piece of fresh white fish cooked inside parchment (en papillote)

Anyone else?

There are lots of early local tomatoes out at the markets right now.   Here in the Pacific Northwest, the sun has been a little sluggish, so although beautiful to look at, even some of the hothouse grown tomatoes still lack a full, sweet taste.  Which is where the roasting comes in.  I’ve said it before:  oven roasting can make even the most insipid mid-winter tomato flavourful.

Instead of a long slow roast, I fast roasted these early summer tomatoes on a higher heat because I wanted to preserve the juice for the vinaigrette.  This method would also work as a first step in making a flavourful fresh pasta sauce.

Roasting the jalapenos mellows out the spice.  This dressing has a bit of heat — just enough to provide depth — not enough to burn your tongue.

Roasted Tomato & Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Approx 1 cup

T=tablespoon         t=teaspoon           ml=millilitres        TT=to taste

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Roast the tomatoes in the oven until the skins split, and the tomatoes are still juicy, about 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven to broil.

Char the jalapenos under the broiler until black, turning 2-3 times.

Remove the jalapenos to a small paper bag, fold down the top and allow to sit until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Discard the skins, stems and seeds from the roasted tomatoes and jalapenos.  Place the tomatoes, jalapenos, and remaining ingredients, except for the olive oil, into a food processor.  Pulse 4 or 5 times to mix.  With the motor running, pour the olive oil slowly through the food chute until it is all incorporated.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Cheater (no yolks, no cooking — i.e. fast) homemade ice cream with intense, tangy citrus flavour.

My kinda summertime treat.

The inspiration for this ice cream came from Cooking with Michele — I added the orange zest to her lemon and lime, thereby completing the citrus trinity.

In truth, I used the rind of 1 preserved tangerine that I have leftover from that citrus happy day in early February, but the zest of a large orange will do the trick if you haven`t gotten around to preserving some oranges yourself.

One other note:  Michele`s original recipe called for half and half, but I had whipping cream in the fridge, so I lightened it up with a bit of milk.

Mixing the lemon and lime juice with the cream and milk curdles it slightly, but the high fat content of the cream (or half and half if you choose to use that) preserves a smooth and creamy texture.

Lemon, Lime & Orange Ice Cream
Serves 6 — approx  3 cups

C=cup               ml=millilitres

Blend the sugar and orange zest in a food processor until it is the texture of wet sand.  Combine the lemon and lime juice to total ½ cup.  Add the juice to the sugar, and process until dissolved, approx 2 minutes.

Combine the sugar and juice with the cream, milk and salt in a large bowl.  Pour into an ice cream maker and continue as per the maker’s instructions.

Remove from the ice cream maker into a container with lid, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

Serve in chilled glasses or bowls.

This is rich stuff – a little goes a long way.

]]> http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/24/lemon-lime-orange-ice-cream/feed/ 11 http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/21/baba-ghanoush/ http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/21/baba-ghanoush/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:31:05 +0000 Theresa http://islandvittles.com/?p=2597

Baba Ghanoush.  Fun to say, difficult to make look pretty.  Food this colour is generally not a good idea.

But even the most aesthetically demanding foodies I know make an exception for Baba — it`s just too smoky, creamy and delicious to pass up.

We had it out on the deck last night with some flatbread and beef short ribs fresh off the charcoal grill.  The sun may be acting a little shy lately, but I am determined to usher in summer, post-haste.  Enough with this inside living stuff…

I dragged our Weber Kettle out of the basement and up 13 stairs to the deck, then went back for the briquettes and lighter — 19 coals in the bottom of the bag.  Rain threatened and fuel was low, yet I persevered.  The eggplants had to go in the oven to save the charcoal for later, but that was my only concession.

What a meal!  The bread was smoky from the grill and the donair dry rub I tried on the short ribs was almost there.  It didn’t rain — we even had a young visitor!  Mama wasn’t far behind…

Baba Ghanoush is a middle eastern appetizer and side dish.  Different countries see slight variations.  Some cube their eggplant, others puree it.  Onion replaces the garlic in some versions, while everyone seasons theirs just a little differently.

My version has developed from years of different recipes and oral instructions.  Recently, I was inspired to try the food mill instead of the food processor.  A friend told me it’s how the family she lived with in Turkey made theirs.  I loved the extra texture — so now the food mill becomes the latest adapatation to a recipe that is always in progress.

Come to think of it, aren’t all recipes works in progress?

If you have access to a barbecue, especially charcoal, then it really is worth it to grill the eggplants.  The smokiness from the open flame adds a depth that you won’t think possible in food.  So much umami, Brillat-Savarin would have been at a loss for words.  Yes…that deep.

Baba Ghanoush
Approx  1½ cups

lb=pound                 g=grams          t=teaspoon           ml=millilitres
T=tablespoon         C=cup               TT=to taste

Trim off the tops of the eggplants and halve lengthwise.  Salt the cut sides of the eggplant liberally with the 1 teaspoon of salt.  Set aside for 30 minutes to draw moisture and bitterness from the eggplants.

Preheat the oven to 400° F, or fire up the grill.  After 30 minutes, wipe away the salt and moisture from the eggplants with a paper towel.

To oven roast, put the eggplants in a pan skin side down and brush the cut sides with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Roast the eggplants until browned and very soft, about 40 minutes.  The skin should be slightly blackened on the bottom.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

To roast on the barbecue, brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil and grill, covered, turning occasionally until browned, very soft and slightly charred, about 30 minutes.

If using a food mill, chop the eggplant into large pieces and put it through the mill (using either the coarse or medium plate).  Some of the skin will make it through the mill — discard what remains in the bottom of the mill.  Stir the remaining ingredients, except for the ¼ cup olive oil, into the eggplant puree.  Incorporate the olive oil in a slow drizzle while stirring vigourously.

If using a food processor, scrape the flesh from the skins of half of the eggplants.  Discard the skins and add the flesh to the food processor.  Chop the rest of the eggplant into large pieces, skins and all, and add it along with the remaining ingredients except for the ¼ cup olive oil.  Process until smooth.  With the motor running, add the olive oil through the food chute in a slow drizzle.

Allow to sit for at least 1 hour before serving.  This allows time for the flavours to meld.

Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with smoked paprika and serve with grilled flatbread or pita — or veggies for that matter — it’s all good.

Lookie here!  I deep fried myself (and Howard) some leftovers, and they sure were tasty.

“Deep fried leftovers?  How do I get me some of those?” you ask.

Well, first, go off and make yourself a full recipe of Black & White Quinoa Risotto.  Enjoy a big bowlful.  Isn’t it good?  Don’t eat it all though.  It’s even better deep fried…

These are a variation on true risotto cakes, known as arancini.  Traditional risotto doesn’t need an egg to hold together, but other than that, the method is exactly the same.

I prefer panko breadcrumbs because they make the best crust, but don’t run out and buy them if you already have plain old breadcrumbs — these are leftovers, remember?

Black and White Quinoa Arancini
Serves 3-4 as an appetizer or snack

C=cup                  ml=millilitres                        oz= ounces         g=grams
L=litres                 TT=to taste

Mix the quinoa and 1 beaten egg in a bowl.  Form into golf sized balls and fill the centre of each with a small cube of mozzarella.

Set up 3 small plates or shallow bowls with the flour (seasoned with s+p), the other beaten egg (mixed with 1 tablespoon water), and the panko breadcrumbs.

Roll each ball first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, carefully knocking off the excess between each step.  Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Heat the oil in a med. saucepan to 350° F.  Fry the arancini in batches, turning occasionally, until golden.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot.  Pesto mayo makes a nice dipping sauce (if you’re so inclined).

]]> http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/15/black-and-white-quinoa-arancini/feed/ 0 http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/14/phyllo-apple-turnovers/ http://islandvittles.com/2010/06/14/phyllo-apple-turnovers/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:01:37 +0000 Theresa http://islandvittles.com/?p=2549

These are easy, quick to assemble,vegan and sugar free — yet they`re flaky, sweet and (just) gooey enough to satisfy everyone.

Think McDonald`s Apple Pie — ONLY MADE WITH REAL FOOD.

The shopping list is pretty simple.  I used:

• Organic BC Golden Delicious Apples gathered from the deep corners of the cellar (these shriveled skin babies had seen better days — it is, after all, June)
• Spelt Phyllo (making these lower on the gluten scale than regular phyllo)
• Cinnamon from the Gathering Place Trading Company (quite simply the best cinnamon I have ever come across.  One smell and you`ll be hooked)
• Unprocessed Stevia from the Gathering Place – it’s a swampy-green colour, not the “clean” white of processed stevia.  (Stevia comes from a plant.  What colour do you think it should be?)
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil

Of course, in my world, there is nothing wrong with butter and sugar — so if you want to use those in place of the olive oil and stevia, then go crazy.  I made these for a bake sale fundraiser, and I wanted to make something for the crowds of vegans that live here on our little left-coast island paradise.

And I must say, there’s really no need for the butter or sugar here — it would simply weigh down what is a delightfully spiced and lightly sweet apple filling.  So there.

For 12 Apple Turnovers

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Peel, core and chop 6 apples into small pieces.  Toss the apples with lemon juice, cinnamon to taste, and 1/4 teaspoon of powdered stevia.

Keep unused phyllo sheets under a slightly damp cloth to prevent them from drying out as you work.  Brush 1 sheet of phyllo lightly with olive oil.  Fold in half lengthwise, brush lightly with oil, then fold in half again.  You now have 4 layers of phyllo in a 4.5″ x 13″ strip.

Place approx 1/2 cup apple near one end of the phyllo, then fold as you would a spanokopita:  bring the left bottom corner up and across to the right edge to form a triangle.  Fold the triangle up and over.  Now bring the bottom right corner up and across to the left edge.  Fold the triangle up and over, and secure the last corner with a drop of olive oil.

Place on a baking sheet and brush the top lightly with olive oil.  Fold the remaining turnovers, then bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.