Spiced Cranberry Pear Compote

This version of cranberry sauce was inspired by a wonderfully fragrant pear from Smit Farms at the Little Italy farmers market.

1 pear, peeled, diced
zest of an orange or tangerine
1 1/2 cups apple cider
3 cups fresh cranberries
1/3 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup rapadura sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1/4 teaspoon clove, ground

a pinch of allspice, ground

1/8 teaspoon cayenne, ground

Stir all ingredients in large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes, until all cranberries burst. Uncover, reduce heat to simmer until the pear is soft and the raisins are plumped, 15-20 minutes. Cool to serve at room temp. Can be kept frozen for several weeks or canned to be shelf stable.

Makes about 3 cups.

Simple (dairy-free) Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream

I don't eat tropical fruit often because of issues with sustainability.  I never buy bananas, but I do pick up bruised ones from the co-op free bin (perks of working at an organic grocery store) and if I get really lucky, I trade with a neighbor for lovely locally grown ones!

2 ripe bananas, frozen
1 can coconut milk
1/4-1/3 cup agave or local honey, to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pineapple, finely diced

Peel bananas, chop into several pieces, and blend in a food processor for a couple minutes, until creamy.  Add the coconut milk, honey and vanilla; blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker add the pineapple and let it do it's thing until the consistency of soft serve.  Transfer to a container to freeze.  Enjoy when it's firm enough for you.

Not-Mooncakes, Not-Pumpkin Buttercup Pie

Okay, so originally this was an attempt to make super-blood-harvest-eclipsed mooncakes, but that turned out to be too ambitious for that already busy weekend.  So then I had copious amounts of filling sitting in the fridge for over a week, which turned out to be great, cuz some of the liquid evaporated out leaving a very thick puree.  Also, buttercups tend to be dense and more dry, and this one was a bit sweet. As for the rest of the puree, I'm freezing it for Thanksgiving.  Forever searching for the best pumpkin pie recipe, here's my latest:

Make the pie crust.  This would also be good with a graham cracker or ginger cookie pie crust.

1 & 1/4 lbs Buttercup squash from Solidarity Farm (will make about 1&1/2 cups roasted puree)

2/3 cups evaporated cane sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

Make the filling:
Cut the squash in half, remove seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees until they are tender and can be easily pierced with knife, about an hour. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin.  Add butter, sugar, spices & salt and puree. Cook to thicken or keep in your fridge for a few days with a slightly askew lids for the liquid to evaporate.

Stir in the eggs and sour cream.  Pour into a partially baked pie crust.

In an oven pre-heated to 350, bake until the center is not wobbly, about 45 minutes.

Of course, I'm serving it with heavy cream whipped up with a bit of maple syrup.

Chipotle Pickled Veggies

This week, I'll spend a few days in the California central coast wine country for my brother-in-law's momentous birthday.  It's going to be a stellar bash with many friends and family staying together in a huge estate on a 64-acre ranch.  There are several events planned for this occasion and a few I'll help with in the kitchen.  My sis asked me to pickle some veggies intended for bloody marys (make mine a virgin):

1/2 head of whole garlic cloves from Schaner Farm, peeled

a handful of small pearl-type onion bulbs from Sage Mountain Farm, peeled

1 cup red okra from JR Organics Farm

6 small carrots, cut in half

1 cup fresh green beans from Suzie's Farm

a dried chipotle chili

4 sprigs fresh parsley

a bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup spring water

1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar

1 tablespoon sea salt

Stuff the herbs, veggies & spices in a quart-sized jar.  In a small sauce pan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar & salt to a boil.  Pour into jar to cover vegetables, leaving a bit head space.  Screw the lid on tight and allow to cool.  Store in the refrigerator for at least a few days before eating.

POG Lemonade!

My mom just had her 60th birthday and we celebrated in the park, potlucking and jamming with her musician friends and family.  She requested carrot cake cupcakes.  I also made a 7-layer dip with beans and salsa from scratch.  I had quite a lot of locally grown fruit on hand (from the farmers market and Solidarity Farm's CSA) and a tree dripping with guavas (it LOVES all the grey water it's getting from our shower). And with a few of my family members having recently been to Hawaii, I was inspired to make POG (passion fruit-orange-guava, for those who have not been blessed enough to taste this juice blend) lemonade... and OMG, yum!  I think it's my best lemonade yet:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup evaporated cane sugar (or agave or sweetener of your choice)
1 small guava (I think mine are strawberry guavas but honestly I have no idea what variety), peeled and seeded
juice of 1 orange
2 passion fruits

I make a simple sugar first, heating the sugar in a couple cups of water, stirring just until it dissolves; pour into my half-gallon mason jar and allow it to cool in the fridge.

I squeeze my citrus into another container, add the guava and blend until very smooth. Add it to the cooled simple syrup.  Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop the goopy flesh and seeds into the juice.  Add water to fill the half-gallon container, screw the lid on and shake stir.

Easy Berry Sorbet or Sherbet

I froze most of my mulberry crop this year and I froze a ton of blueberries that I bought in bulk from a local farm for a great price at the peak of the season a few weeks ago. And I keep lots of seasonal fruit handy. So when my little sister asked if we could make something in the ice cream maker, she had her pick of flavors. She chose a mix of berries: strawberries, blackberries, mulberries, and blueberries.

3 cups berries
1/4 cup spring water
1/4 - 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
a tablespoon of zest of a lemon, lime, or orange

Boil water with sugar until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly. Puree berries and sugar syrup well in a blender. Press through fine sieve to remove seeds if desired. Stir zest into puree. Refrigerate until cold if using fresh fruit instead of frozen. Freeze in ice cream machine for about 25 minutes. 

Variations
Use 1&1/2 cups fruit and 1&1/2 cups plain whole Strauss yogurt for a creamy sherbet
Instead of berries: try peaches or nectarines
Garnish with lemon basil chiffonade or mint leaves, thin crisp cookies, and edible flowers
Garnish with granola & carob chips
Instead of sugar: use agave, maple syrup, or honey and omit or decrease the water

Simple Summer BBQ

Enjoying the beautiful sky and cool breeze, tis the season for summer bbqs.  Here are my simple favorites:

Roasted Corn on the Cob
Peel back the husks, brush off all the silk and tie the husks back together as a handle, using a strip of the husk.  Put them straight on your grill until warm and slightly charred, just a few minutes. I love corn mexi-style: slathered with butter and sour cream, drizzled with a squeeze of lime juice, sprinkled with salt and cayenne.

Potato Salad with Homemade Mayo
This recipe's the most complex of the bunch here, but I just can't leave it out.  I'm using potatoes from my CSA farm, Solidarity.
Variation: sub plain whole yogurt for half of the mayo.

Caprese Salad
a few medium-sized heirloom tomatoes from Suzie's or JR Organics Farm, sliced
a large ball of mozzarella from the Cheese Store (or make your own!), sliced
a bunch of fresh basil from the Schaners
olive oil from Farmer's Daughter
an aged balsamic vinegar
Murry River sea salt from Salt Farm
freshly ground pepper

On a platter, layer by alternating a slice of tomato, a slice of moz, and a basil leaf.  Drizzle with oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt, and a few cranks of pepper...voila! Serve with sliced baguette from the Prager Brothers.

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

Finish simply with fresh strawberries from Sage Mountain Farm & sliced watermelon from Suzie's Farm, and sliced nectarines from Smit Farms.