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Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Blueberry Tart

May 11, 2014

I’ve been enjoying fresh blueberries for months, adding them to my yogurt at breakfast, in weekend griddle cakes, and sometimes eating handfuls for a quick snack. My friend Shanna recently sent me a recipe link for this blueberry tart. The following week while at Costco I found some gorgeous blueberries so I bought a couple of containers with this Alice Medrich recipe in mind. Posted by ABC News, as sometimes happens with recipes, there were two important pieces of information left out; tart pan size and oven temperature for the crust. I only have one tart pan (9-inch) which meant the first problem was solved. The oven temperature was easy to find after a quick search on the internet. Voila! Time to make a blueberry tart.

The dough was quite soft as the recipe mentioned it might be, but that actually made it easy to press into the tart pan.

Baked to a beautiful golden color the crust did shrink quite a bit from the top edge of the tart pan. I thought it might be too shallow but it worked out perfectly.

Blueberries, sugar, water, flour, lemon zest and a dash of salt are combined and heated briefly on the stove.

Half of the fresh blueberries are set aside and sprinkled over the baked crust before adding the cooked berries.

This recipe is so easy to prepare. It is the perfect dessert for a small party. The tart is chilled thoroughly before serving and that means you can make it in advance. The recipe mentioned the tart is best eaten the first day however I found it is just as good the following day.

Delicious, crisp, crust.

Alice Medrich’s Easy Blueberry Tart

Adapted from ABC News

Makes one 9-inch tart

Ingredients

For the crust:

10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoon (5.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the filling:

4 cups fresh blueberries (1 1/2 pounds)

3/4 cups (5.25 ounces) sugar

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

grated zest of 1 small lemon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust: Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt, in a medium bowl. Mix the flour and baking powder together thoroughly, add to the butter mixture, and mix just until well blended. If the dough seems too soft, let it stand for a few minutes to firm up.

Press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan to make a thin, even layer making sure to press the dough uniformly around the edges of the pan to avoid extra-thick edges. (The crust can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Wrap well and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before baking). Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 22 – 25 minutes, until the crust is fully golden brown all over. If the crust puffs up during baking, gently press it down with the back of a fork and prick it a few times. Set the baked crust aside while you prepare the filling.

Combine 2 cups of blueberries with the sugar, water, flour, salt, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Then simmer, stirring, until the filling is thickened and translucent, about 3 more minutes.

Spread the remaining 2 cups of uncooked blueberries in the tart crust. Spoon the hot blueberry mixture into the crust, covering the raw blueberries evenly. Spoon enough liquid into the tart so that it just comes up to the edge of the crust. Discard excess liquid. Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the filling is set.

Serve the tart cold. Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the tart to a serving platter. The tart keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Japanese, Pickles, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Homemade Takuan

May 4, 2014

My friend Tomoe always has a treat to give me when I stop by now and then to deliver tomatoes or avocados from our garden. I never leave her home without a gift of her delicious mango bread, lilikoi jelly or in this case takuan. I have never thought of making takuan since I only eat it occasionally and it’s readily available in the markets here. After taking a jar of Tomoe’s homemade takuan home and tasting it, I decided it was about time to make my own. Her little yellow pickles were so tasty, crunchy, sweet and salty with just a hint of tartness (much superior to the commercial brands) and, oh so delicious with a bowl of steaming hot rice.

Daikon are not the most attractive vegetable. In fact, with their pale color and gangly shape, they are quite homely. However once you add a bit of seasoning to daikon, they transform into some of the best pickles you can imagine. A case in point is Vietnamese pickles (Do Chua). I adore these pickles piled high in a banh mi. Takuan pickles are delicious served as a side dish with rice and grilled fish, chicken or even tofu. In fact I enjoy just a bowl of hot rice and takuan.

After mixing the daikon with sugar, let it sit for an hour or two. You’ll end up with quite a bit of liquid in the bowl.

Though these pale radishes don’t need to be tinted a bright yellow, their color is actually part of their identity and what we grew up with. Tomoe goes to Japan every year and buys powdered coloring. I have no idea what the box says but it worked.

It takes about a week for the daikon to absorb the pretty yellow color and flavor of the brine. After 2 weeks the pickles are ready to eat.

Onigiri goes hand in hand with takuan pickles!

Homemade Takuan

Adapted from Tomoe’s recipe

Makes 2 quart jars

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds long daikon

2 cups + 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup Hawaiian sea salt (kosher or other coarse salt if Hawaiian sea salt is not available)

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

yellow food coloring

Preparation

Peel daikon and cut into 2 inch length pieces about 1/3 inch thick. Place in a large bowl and toss with sugar. Let stand for 1 – 2 hours, tossing occasionally. Do not discard liquid.

Add Hawaiian salt and rice vinegar to the bowl of daikon. Toss to coat well. Add yellow food coloring being very careful not to add too much. You can always add more if the color is not what you expected. Cover bowl well, and refrigerate for 2 weeks, tossing pickles every few days. The amount of liquid from the daikon will vary. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer pickles to quart jars and cover tightly. Takuan pickles will last for months stored in the refrigerator.

Canning, Lactose Free, Pickles, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Homemade Dill Pickles

April 21, 2014

Pickles, pickles, pickles. I can’t live without them. Crunchy, tangy, salty, dilly, best chilled and served alongside a sandwich.

John’s grandmother, Ida, made terrific dill pickles. Unfortunately, her recipe was lost. With the memory of those pickles in mind, he has been determined to make his own dills ever since. He used to grow cucumbers specifically for pickle making. Unfortunately the garden pests were fond of them too. Most destructive are the pickle worms that burrow into the poor little cukes. It’s very frustrating to have spent so much time nurturing your plants only to have them destroyed. Now that our local Costco sells these Keiki Cukes, we’re in business again. These crunchy cucumbers are perfect for pickles.

Beautiful mini cucumbers with tender skin and few seeds.

It is best to have your mise en place ready. Divide up the cucumbers for each jar so that you can work quickly to get the jars into the water bath canner.

The pickling spice is optional but it does add a nice flavor to the brine. If you don’t have a tea ball you may use cheese cloth.

Homemade Dill Pickles

Makes 4 Quart Jars

Ingredients for pre-brine (optional)

3 quarts distilled or filtered water

5 tablespoons pickling salt

Ingredients for the brine

4 cups white vinegar

4 cups distilled or filtered water

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons pickling salt

2 teaspoons calcium chloride, AKA “Pickle Crisp” (optional)

3 tablespoons mixed pickling spice (in a tea ball or cheese cloth)

Ingredients for the jars

4 1/2 pounds Keiki Cukes or other pickling cucumbers (about 18 ounces per jar)

4 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

4 teaspoons black peppercorns

4 teaspoons dill seeds

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves, crushed

4 large sprigs of fresh dill

Preparation

Wash cucumbers. Trim ends for uniformity and slice in half lengthwise. At this point, one option is to pre-brine the sliced cucumbers overnight in 3 quarts distilled or filtered water mixed with 5 tablespoons pickling salt. This is recommended but not required. It does make for a crisper pickle. To portion the cucumbers for each jar, use an empty quart mason jar and snuggly pack with the cucumber slices. Remove slices and place in individual bowls and set aside.

Wash jars and place them in boiling-water canner. Fill the jars and canner with water to the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, do not boil. Prepare the two-piece closures. Wash lids and place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to just a simmer but do not boil. Do not heat screw bands.

Place brine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Lift the canner jar rack and fix into place on the rim of the canner. Remove one jar at a time from canner and empty hot water back into the canner. Place jar on a cutting board. Place 1 teaspoon each of yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorn, dill seeds, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes as well as 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 large sprig of fresh dill. Pack cucumbers into jar to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Place a canning funnel in the jar. Ladle hot brine into jar leaving 1/2-inch head space. Remove air bubbles (with a chopstick or similar utensil) and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding more brine. Wipe jar rim. Using a magnetic utensil, lift hot lid from water, center it on the jar and place screw band on jar. Tighten screw band evenly and firmly just until resistance is met. Then increase to fingertip tight. Do not over tighten. Return jar to canner rack. Continue filling jars individually until all jars are filled, lower rack into canner and ensure that all jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to a full boil over high heat. Process for 15 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full boil.

Remove jars from water, and let stand, undisturbed, at room temperature 24 hours. To check seals, remove the bands, and press down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t move, the jar is sealed. If the lid depresses and pops up again, the jar is not sealed. In the event that a jar does not seal, simply refrigerate it. Store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to 1 year (date your jars on the bottom with a Sharpie pen) Refrigerate after opening.

Dinner, Lactose Free, Potato Salad, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Mustardy Fried Potato Salad

April 1, 2014

Who knew that making your own mustard could be so simple? Pour a few ingredients into a jar, let it sit for 5 days, then add a few more ingredients and let it sit for another 5 days. Puree in a blender and voila! You now have a fantastic whole grain mustard that’s far superior (and fresher) than store-bought varieties. Simply dressed with a combination of whole grain mustard, red wine vinegar and shallots, this potato salad shines.

Yukon Golds are my favorite potatoes. With thin skins, moist and sweet interiors, these potatoes hold their shape well and are equally good roasted, baked, boiled, grilled and fried.

The cooked potatoes are fried for a short time until they become golden and crispy.

This dressing couldn’t be simpler to make. If I have leftovers I mix a bit with mayonnaise and slather it on good bread for ham or pastrami sandwiches.

Mustardy Fried Potato Salad

Adapted from Suzanne Goin ~ Food & Wine Magazine

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients

2 1/4 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes (try to buy potatoes that are the same size)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons finely diced shallot

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (preferably homemade!)

1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup for dressing, 1 1/2 tablespoons for frying the potatoes)

salt and pepper to taste

upland cress (optional)

Preparation

In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the potatoes until just tender (test with a thin knife) about 25 – 30 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place the shallots and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Whisk in Dijon, whole grain mustard, 1/4 c olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. Cut potatoes into fairly large chunks, about 1 1/2 inch pieces. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive. Add the potatoes and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook, over moderately high heat, turning, until golden and crisp, about 6 – 7 minutes. Place warm potatoes in a large shallow bowl and drizzle some of the mustard dressing over the potatoes using as much as you like. Toss gently. Sprinkle upland watercress over the salad if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Sauces, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Asian Kale Salad

March 26, 2014

There is beautiful kale everywhere! I went to a farmers market upcountry in Kula and was surprised to see that so many of the vendors were selling some variety or other of kale. That being said, I came home with a big bunch of kale along with some other delightful vegetables.

I am partial to Tuscan kale (also known as Dinosaur kale and Lacinto kale). Their tall, slender, deep blue-green color is gorgeous and their hearty leaves retain their texture once cooked. It’s just perfect for a tasty side dish.

Korean chili pepper flakes are a mainstay in my pantry. They have a vibrant red color, a bit of heat but not too much, and a hint of sweetness. I am very happy with the quality of the Korean chili flakes I purchase from Whole Spice.

Asian Kale

2 servings

Ingredients

1 pound Tuscan kale, ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Korean chili flakes

2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Blanch kale in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the kale from cooking further. Pat dry between paper towels. Gently fluff the kale and place in a small serving dish.

In a small skillet heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium low heat. Add garlic, and sauté, stirring often for about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat if necessary so the garlic doesn’t burn and turn bitter. Remove from the heat and stir in the ginger, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, Korean chili pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Stir to combine. Drizzle sauce over kale before serving.

Fruit, Gardening, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Lilikoi Vinaigrette

March 19, 2014

Now that the weather has turned a bit cooler, we have been enjoying Manoa and butter lettuce from the garden. During the summer it is impossible to grow lettuce in Kihei, it’s just too hot. We also planted radishes that turned out to be a tasty addition to our salads.

Our new lilikoi (the most fragrant of tropical fruits) are doing well. Their vigorous vines quickly claimed the fence as their home with their tendrils grabbing on to anything within reach. We even caught one reaching up to the sky and fastening itself to a mango branch. Our first season of growing lilikoi yielded a small, healthy, crop of fruit that we quickly used to make the best jelly ever. Lilikoi vinaigrette came to mind when I was picking those tender lettuce leaves from the garden. So with the few fruits left on the vines, the juice was frozen in small containers and will be enjoyed throughout the next few months.