Tag Archives: seasonal food

Seasonal Foods: Rhubarb and Raspberry Compote

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rhubarb-ice-cream

Rhubarb and Raspberry Compote is very easy to make and good with Coconut Ice Cream.

This recipe is safe for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, GAPS or a modified Paleo Diet.

One of the great experiences of seasonal eating is the anticipation of the coming harvest. By the end of the season, I’ve eaten my fill of the food until the next year. But every year I learn a bit more about the seasonal food and different ways to use this seasonal bounty to my benefit. In the case of my three rhubarb plants, they are starting to look like they need a rest. The season is nearly over. Soon the soft fruits will be ready and I will have more fresh raspberries then my family can handle. Until that time, rhubarb is on the menu!

6-8 garden rhubarb stems, diagonally sliced
2-3c garden raspberries, frozen
1c organic raisins
3-4T organic butter
large pinch sea salt
In a large sauce pan, simmer the rhubarb in butter and salt until the rhubarb dissolves into a mass. Add the raspberries and raisins and warm through, stirring frequently. The compote will have a smooth, silky consistency when done. Transfer the compote to a glass bowl and refrigerate until cold. The compote can be eaten alone or served with ice cream.

The compote can be cooked in the oven at 300F for 30 minutes. The baked compote has a different texture. The stove-top method is better for hot summer days.

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An alternative to the stove-top method is to cook the compote in the oven but the stove-top method is better for those hot summer days.

Here are two of my favorite ice cream recipes:
Coconut Ice Cream
Walnut Maple Ice

Seasonal Food: Paleo Pie

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Paleo Pie is a new version of an old favorite. Paleo Pie has quickly became a household favorite.

Shepard’s Pie is an old favorite, dressed up in new clothes. In the past, I have made Shepard’s Pie with mashed cauliflower as a substitute for the traditional potatoes. This recipe takes another step away from tradition by using seasonal squash. I hope you enjoy it.

Filling
1 pound pastured beef, ground
2-3T grease, lard or butter
1-2 large organic onions, chopped
3-4 medium organic carrots, chopped
1 organic celery stalk, chopped (optional)
1tsp sea salt
1tsp organic coriander, freshly ground
1tsp organic black pepper, freshly ground

Topping
4-6c organic pumpkin, cooked and peeled
1/4-1/3c organic butter
1/4-1/2c organic whipping cream, homemade coconut milk or pumpkin water
large pinch sea salt to taste
organic paprika for sprinkling (optional)

Cut up a small or medium pumpkin into quarters or eighths and remove the seeds. Save the seeds for baking or planting. Put the pumpkin pieces into a large pot with a lid. Add about an inch of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Let the pumpkin cool before peeling. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Use the extra cooked pumpkin in another meal.

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I like using a case-iron fry pan because I can saute on the stove top and then put everything directly into the oven.

I like using a large case-iron fry pan because I can transfer everything directly to the oven. Saute the onions, carrots and celery with the sea salt and coriander. Crumble and add the ground beef and cook well. Press down the filling before adding the topping.

In a food processor, grind about 4-6c of the pumpkin until smooth. Add the butter and salt. Slowly add the liquid of choice and mix until creamy smooth like mashed potatoes. Top the filling with the pureed pumpkin mixture and smooth over the top. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 300F for 30-45 minutes until the pie is bubbling at the edges.

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I spread the pumpkin mixture over the filling and sprinkle with paprika.

HOUSEHOLD TIP: Get as many of your spices in a whole form. The spices will last much longer and taste richer when freshly ground. Also, some whole seeds can be planted, such as coriander for fresh cilantro.

Seasonal Food: Paleo Pumpkin Pie

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Paleo Pumpkin Pie is a household favorite.

If you’ve never had pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkins, you haven’t lived. In our household, pumpkin pie is a seasonal food enjoyed at the beginning of fall. How long we have pumpkin pie depends on the pumpkin harvest and how well the pumpkins keep. Every year is different. Here’s a family favorite.

Crust
1/2c organic sunflower seeds
1/2c organic walnuts
1/4c organic butter, small cubes
large pinch of sea salt

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Firmly press the crust into a buttered pie dish. I like using a ceramic dish that can be used for serving at the table.

Filling
3-4c fresh pumpkin, cooked until soft
1/3c-1/2c local honey, adjust for sweetness of pumpkin
1tsp organic cinnamon, ground
1tsp organic ginger, fresh ground
1/2tsp allspice, freshly ground
large pinch of sea salt
3 pastured whole eggs
1c organic cream cheese or 1/2c organic whipping cream

Quarter the pumpkin and clean out the seeds. (Keep the pumpkin seeds for planting or roasting.) Put the pumpkin pieces into a large pot. Add about an inch of water to the bottom of the pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the pumpkin is very soft. When the pumpkin has cooled, peel the pumpkin and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 325?F and butter a glass or ceramic pie dish. In a food processor, grind the sunflower seeds, walnuts, butter cubes and salt. Don’t over grind but leave some texture. Put the crust into the bottom of the pie dish and press down firmly. Cook the crust for about 5-10 minutes until the crust feels hot to the touch. DO NOT overcook or the nuts will take on a burnt flavor. It’s better to under cook, if in doubt.

In a food processor, make the filling by first pureeing the cooked pumpkin very well. Add the honey, spices, salt, eggs and cream cheese and blend until very smooth. While the crust is in the oven, let the filling come to room temperature. When the crust is hot, take the pie dish out of the oven and fill the pie dish with the filling. Cook for 30 minutes until the center is barely cooked. Again, don’t overcook the filling.

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Add the room temperature filling to the pie dish. Cook the filling until just done. Don’t over cook.

HOUSEHOLD TIP: Tired of having your ginger dry and shrivel up when you need it most? Store your fresh organic ginger in the freezer. When you need to freshly grate some ginger, pull out a piece and grate it, skin and all.

Seasonal Foods: Gazpacho Soup

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gazpacho-soup

Gazpacho is a great way to enjoy our seasonal bounty of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Are you overwhelmed with too many tomatoes and cucumbers? Gazpacho is the answer to late summer bounty. Gazpacho is traditionally served cold which is nice during the hot days of summer. There are many Gazpacho recipes; most are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Use the seasonal ingredients found in your garden or at the Kamloops Farmer’s Market. Experiment!

1 large garden sweet onion, chopped
1 large garden garlic clove, chopped
1/2c garden parsley, chopped
1/4c garden basil, chopped
1 hot pepper (optional)
1-2tsp sea salt
6-8 large tomatoes, chopped
6-8 large cucumbers, chopped
1/2c organic extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, finely chop the onion, garlic, parsley, hot pepper and sea salt. Move this mixture into a large bowl. In the empty food processor, puree the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the large bowl. In the food processor, finely chop the cucumbers. Add the olive oil and mix everything together well. Add more sea salt, herbs or spice to taste. Chill and serve.

gazpacho-salsa

Gazpacho can be used like salsa on burgers.

gazpacho-kale chips

Gazpacho makes a good “salsa” and kale chips are a good substitute for “corn chips”. These make wonderful seasonal snack foods that can be found in your garden.

Here is the recipe for Crunchy Kale Chips.

Seasonal Food: Walnut or Beef Dolma and Kefir Cucumber Sauce

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This is walnut and beef dolma just out of the oven. Two rows of dolma fit nicely into a bread pan.

2c walnuts, chopped or 2c pastured ground beef
1 organic onion, finely chopped
1/2c garden dill, chopped
1/2c garden mint, chopped
1/2c garden parsley, chopped
1tsp sea salt
1/2 organic lemon, juice
1/2 organic lemon peel, sliced thinly (optional)
60 garden grape leaves
1/4-1/2c extra virgin olive oil

The easiest way to gather the grape leaves from the garden is to use a pair of scissors. Choose leaves that are approximately the same size. Cut the leaf off the stem. Back in the kitchen, plunge the fresh grape leaves into very hot water for about 3 minutes to soften the leaves. Let the leaves cool for later use.

In a food processor mix together walnuts or beef, onions, herbs and lemon juice until you have a fairly smooth mixture that holds together well. Drizzle some extra olive oil, if desired.

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I find it easier to organize all the leaves with the vein side up before starting to roll the dolma.

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This is the walnut mixture.

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This is the beef mixture. You can mix the two together, if desired.

Preheat the oven 300?F. Take a glass bread pan and line with a layer of grape leaves. Drizzle some olive oil over the leaves. This is to ensure the rolls will not stick to the bottom of the bread pan. Layer with slices of lemon peel, if desired. The bread pan is ready for the rolls.

Take one grape leaf and turn it over so the veins are on the upper side. Place about one heaping teaspoon of walnut or beef mixture near the stem end of the leaf. Fold the end of the leaf up and both sides of the leaf together and roll the leaf from the stem side to the outer edge of the leaf. Roll tightly because the walnut or beef mixture will not absorb very much liquid.

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Put the grape leaf vein side up. Put about a heaping teaspoon of filling right beside the stem.

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Fold up the end of the leaf next to the stem and then each side evenly. Roll to the tip of the leaf.

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This is the dolma after being rolled. Put the dolma into the bread pan, leaf tip down.

Place each roll in the baking tray with all the rolls touching each other. This avoids the rolls from opening during cooking. After all the rolls are in the tray carefully press down all the rolls to remove air space. Drizzle more olive oil on top to keep the rolls moist during baking. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before serving. Walnut or beef dolma is good warm or cold with goat feta or dipped in a yogurt or Kefir sauce.

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Two rows of dolma fit nicely into a bread pan. Top with lemon peel and drizzle with olive oil. Press the dolma down evenly using the bottom of the second bread pan.

Kefir Cucumber Sauce

1c homemade Kefir
1c garden cucumber, thinly sliced
1tsp sea salt
1tsp dried organic dill or 1/4c garden dill

Mix all the ingredients together. Serve as a dipping sauce with walnut or beef dolma.