Tag archive for fruit

I have numerous childhood memories that I have to call partial memories. One of these such memories revolves around blueberry picking. When we were young our family did a fair amount of adventuring and also did a lot of food growing and collecting.

We had a large garden that was probably the size of a football field or maybe 5 or 6 fields. It’s hard to know where the truth actually lies these days. Ginger and I spent most of our summer days amongst the rows of veggies, helping with weeding but primarily sampling the goods.

One late summer day I recall the family loading up into my dads big’old red Ford. There was my mom and dad, ginger and I and likely a plethora of buckets, we were heading up into the mountains to pick blueberries. We weren’t just off to the local farm, we had actually set out to forage for wild berries.

I’ll be honest with you here, I may have been fudging the details in the beginning of this story. In fact, I have no memory of how we got into the mountains, if we were really on a blueberry picking mission or if we just stumbled upon a patch of wild berries while hiking. What I do clearly remember is that I was pretty sure that picking wild blueberries was a terrible idea!

Although I was young, I did know one thing. Bears like berries. Especially wild mountain blueberries. We were basically sitting ducks, collecting buckets of bear food and then stealing it from them!! We really were asking for trouble, am I right here or what?
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I had some berry picking tactics that I hoped would ensure that I wasn’t caught by a bear. I’ll share them with you just in case you plan on doing a little mountain blueberry picking sometime soon.

1. Always pick berries with someone who feels responsible for you. Ever heard of sibling rivalry? Don’t choose your older brother or sister, think parent or grandparent. They will likely try to protect you.
2. If you find a rustling berry laden bush, make sure that you check all side of the bush before you just assume that it is your uncle Pete picking berries on the other side of the bush.
3. And my final tip, always be the closest person to the car. Even if it means that you will not be getting the biggest juiciest berries. None of that matters if you are the one being eaten by a bear.

On that very helpful note let’s get down to the business of eating blueberries. Whether your berries came from a farm or were stolen from some mountain bears, what are you going to do with them? Maybe a little cobbler? I adapted this Martha Stewart recipe by adding a tablespoon of fresh rosemary to the cobbler topping.

We have all had a few tragedies in our day I’m sure, but some of us have had a few more than others. The word tragedy is perhaps a little strong as it conjures up more serious events, I however am talking about “tragedies”. Those events that were so totally devastating at the time but now, in hindsight, are actually pretty amusing and are the stories we often share and laugh about. I have had my fair share of these sort of tragedies. For me, tragedy started striking early. There was the time that I fell down a flight of concrete stairs with my arms zipped inside my jacket, the time I decided to draw a raggedy ann doll face on my own face with markers, then there was the time that I ran over our dog Max while racing down a hill on my bike, and the time I was biking so fast that I missed my corner and hit a telephone pole… the list goes on.

But aside from the physical tragedies, kitchen tragedies also started early too. There was the cornstarch and powdered sugar debacle (which I may have mentioned before), the time I sneezed into the cookie dough and of course the time Ginger and I did an extra thorough cleaning job on my grandma’s cast iron pan. As I’m sure you can see, I didn’t have a smooth start in the kitchen.

While I may not be the most graceful person around town, I have gotten things a little more under control. It has been so long since my last kitchen tragedy that I really couldn’t even tell you about it. Now instead of kitchen tragedies, more often you will see what I like to call “kitchen disaster bombs” around my house. The disaster bomb differs from the tragedy as it isn’t rooted in failure, but rather it refers to the beautiful mess left by a cooking project. This delicious, tart and sweet rhubarb crumble was a total kitchen disaster bomb! The remains of which can still be found sprawling across my kitchen.

One of my favourite and regularly under used spring time treats in rhubarb. This vegetable, as it turns out, is often times just a conduit for strawberries. Strawberry rhubarb this and strawberry rhubarb that, what about just rhubarb? Last spring, a favourite dessert to come out of my kitchen, was a plain old rhubarb pie. Calling it both plain and old really isn’t fair, because it was nothing of the sort, but it’s simplicity was delightful. This spring I am hoping to make a few more rhubarb-centric kitchen disaster bombs, starting of course with this Rhubarb Crumble, which was inspired by a crumble over at Local Kitchen.

Rhubarb Crumble

Filling
½ brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
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zest and juice of 1 lemon
pinch of fleur de sel

Topping
¾ cup flour
⅔ cup almonds, toasted and chopped
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ tsp fleur de sel
⅓ cup butter, melted
pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Make filling: In a medium bowl mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add the rhubarb, lemon juice and zest, and salt. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients. Set aside.

Make topping: Combine in a large bowl flour, oats, almonds, sugar, salt and pepper. Using a fork blend in the melted butter.

Make crumble: Transfer rhubarb and all its juices to a 9-inch baking dish. Using your hands press the crumble into large chunks and place it on top of the rhubarb sprinkle with remaining smaller bits of the topping. You can use your hands to even out the crumble so that all the rhubarb is covered.

Place baking dish in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet, in case of drips. Bake until golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature and always topped with ice cream!

Late summer leaves me with too much fruit. Truth be told, I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to fruit. I just can’t seem to pass up the peaches and the nectarines and the plums. But by the time I bring home my delicious finds, someone always reminds me that I may have purchased a few more things than I can reasonably eat! When that moment arrives, I make galettes!

I’ve always been a little afraid of pastry dough. It seems finicky and technical with all of its talk of ice water and cold butter. I haven’t really felt like I’m missing much, as pies have never been a favorite. But now I realize that pastry is not just for pie crusts and it seems like I’d better learn to get along with my pastry blender. But really, there is nothing mysterious, especially with this recipe. It thrives on a rustic appearance which leaves me plenty of room for practice!

When it comes to fruit, anything goes. Some days I’ll use a bruised peach, the last of the apricots or the black berries that won’t stop growing over the fence. Combine flavors or let something delicious go solo. This recipe allows for total control over added sugar, which I am loving right now, so add just what you need based on the fruit you are using.

This recipe feels more complicated than it really is, so don’t be daunted by the longish set of instructions. Just remember to read on through to the end! The added bonus is that it makes enough dough for two galettes. The dough keeps perfectly in the fridge for a few days, which makes for a wonderful weeknight treat. And while the galette lends itself so beautifully to summer fruit, it could also work equally well with a savory filling—tomatoes and Gruyère, anyone?

Summer galette

Adapted from Baking with Julia

1 cup flour

1/4 cup course yellow corn meal

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

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1/3 cup (approximately) ice water

To make the dough, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and butter pieces in a bowl. With a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the butter pieces range in size from small crumbs to small peas. Sprinkle the sour cream on top of the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to mix in. Begin adding the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should be moist enough to stick together when pressed. Gently gather the dough and press it into a large ball.

Turn the dough out of the bowl and divide in half. Place each ball on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. It will keep like this for several days.

Filling and cooking the galette:

1/2 recipe galette dough, chilled

Generous 1 1/2 cups fruit

Sugar

Minute tapioca (optional)

Place baking rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400º. Prepare a baking sheet, covering it with parchment paper.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface or Silpat and roll into a thin circle, about 10 inches across. Since the dough is soft, you’ll need to work carefully, using a little flour to keep the dough moving around. Transfer the dough to a prepared baking sheet.

Spread prepared fruit on the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. If your fruit it quite ripe and juicy, consider adding a teaspoon or two of tapioca to the very bottom layer of fruit. It will help keep the jammy juices inside the galette. Depending on the sweetness of the fruit, sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of sugar. Fold the border of dough up and onto the fruit, allowing it to pleat naturally. Sprinkle the dough with a teaspoon or so of sugar, if desired.

Bake the galette for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry crust is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The galette is best enjoyed the day it is made.

Patience is a virtue that I do not have when all things baking are concerned.

Thru the years there seems to be one, maybe two things that I keep being told but some how do not learn. One, always read the recipe from start to finish before you start making it and secondly, be patient and follow the directions. For one reason or another I have had a really hard time coming to terms with these basic principles. And there have been numerous times when I have frantically texted Ginger shortly before midnight in a major panic because I just realized that the recipe called for 2 hours of chilling time before baking and I just didn’t have the luxury of time. Of course at this point Ginger always graciously asks “Did you not read the recipe before you started to make it?”

This is basically how the scenario played out with the apricot tart. As per usual I had signed myself up for to many evening activities, I was tired from… well a gruelling Monday in the office and of course I had some baking to do.

Over the weekend we were lucky enough to have my parents visiting. It was a late birthday celebration for me and when they come up from the Okanagan for my birthday they always bring me fruit. Okanagan fruit always seem to taste better to me. This weekend they arrived with a bunch of freshly pick cherries and a box of apricots. So it seem appropriate to do a little something with apricots this week.

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Now I did make a few of my own adaptations here, I didn’t have a tart pan so I had to make do with one of my other pans and when I pictured my tart in my mind, the tart featured halved apricots. So I ran with that notion. That is until I got to the point in the recipe where it stated that the crust needed to chill for at least 2 hours! How do I always do this to myself?

Not one to be shut down by these sorts of complications, I forged ahead. Briefly chilling the dough while I prepped up the fruit, rolled it and shaped it into a “rustic” tart. Honestly, rustic is a kind way to put it. And after a solid 50 minutes of baking my rustic tart was finished! The tart was still lovely even without all the chilling. That is likely the reason why I will never learn to read the recipe before I start baking. Some how, things always still seem to turn out.

I’m pretty keen on breakfast. Going all the way back to the early days, oatmeal has always been a big part of my morning ritual. Though not always by my choice, it has been the grain of choice. But lately I’ve come around and embraced the goodness that is oatmeal. A warm bowl of oatmeal holds so many possibilities—sweet or savory, there are definitely options. Really, there is no reason to be bored with oatmeal.

Love it or not, summertime and hot oatmeal feels too stuffy. I want something a little fresher and cooler to start off my day. Right about now, something that plays off a bowl of fresh berries sounds just about right. And no, I’m not talking about ice cream! Enter the muesli…

Now I don’t have a lot of experience with muesli recipes, but this one is a good one. First off, it’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast for those on the go. Just throw a few things in a jar, pop it in the fridge and by morning, breakfast will be ready. I like to prep a little fresh fruit in the morning and I’m all set.

What’s more, this oatmeal has an amazing texture because of the chia seeds. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you don’t have chia seeds on hand, wait to make this until you can make that trip. Without them, the oatmeal doesn’t have nearly the same appeal.

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Adapted from Sarah Britton’s amazing blog

1 cup regular oatmeal

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 cup milk (I’ve been using almond milk)

Stir together the oats, chia and hemp seeds. Add milk and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Add additional milk to suit your preference. Combine with fresh fruit or yogurt for a perfect summertime breakfast!

It was my birthday last week and I got a little caught up in the celebrations. The older I get, the more I have to celebrate, I guess. This cake was certainly a great way to celebrate another year. That’s all I have to offer by way of explanation since I haven’t been here for a little while. But since I last posted, strawberries have come in season here! And that right there is reason enough to celebrate.

I probably don’t need to tell you that I have a strong preference for local produce for all kinds of reasons. But in this case, my main concern is flavor. Of course, strawberries are pretty much available year round. But there is nothing that can compare to the bright red jewels that grow in backyard patches or local berry farms. These berries are almost always smaller and more fragile than the giant fruit that can be found at the store. But what they lack in size, they always make up for in flavor.

This year, I planted a really tiny row of strawberries, knowing they would do nothing to satisfy our enormous need for berries in the summer. Instead, I figured the few plants would provide a happy evening activity for my son and I. Most evenings he happily pokes through the plants, looking for berries that he figures are ripe enough to eat. And when we find a ripe one, we immediately pick it and eat it, crouching out there in the garden together. There might only be a few berries a night, all of which go to him, but it’s the most enjoyment I’ve ever had from a berry or two I don’t get to eat.

I’d been waiting anxiously for the local berry farm to start selling their berries—calling every few days for an update. And on the happy day that berries were in stock, I sent my mom out early in the morning to ensure we got our flat of strawberry goodness. During those first few days we managed to enjoy a full flat of berries every day or two. And while strawberries are a treat on their own, I had plenty of chances to try a few strawberry recipes I’d been saving up for just this time of year.

One of the first recipes that I reach for is one for strawberry shortcake from Bon Appetit. It has been in my recipe folder for a few years now and when the strawberries arrive, I stock up with cake flour, which I only seem to use at this time of year. So if you are running low on your supply, head for the store right now.

For some reason, I can’t seem to be won over by individual shortcakes. Try as I might, biscuits seem to scare me just a little. But this cake is an easy one to whip up and slice into thick wedges, just waiting to be spooned up with juicy red berries and a generous dollop of cream. And the crunchy sugar crust is something not to be missed. Don’t delay!

Strawberry Shortcakes

Adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2008

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
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1 ½ cups cake flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

4 ounces cream cheese (half package)

¼ cup (half stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup whole milk

2 large eggs

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Generously sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with sugar, tapping out any excess.

Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup of sugar, cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest in another medium bowl to blend. Pour the milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake slightly to even out the batter. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Feel free to add a smidge more to give everything a nice coat.

Bake the cake until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool before serving. Slice and serve with strawberries or other fresh berries. If you don’t eat it in one go, it keeps nicely covered at room temperature for a day or two.