Cressto

Routinely, the Schreiber and Sons booth at the farmers' market is stuffed with greens of all sorts, including herbs like basil, cilantro, and mint.  Arugula is also frequently seen, but it seems to have a hiatus at certain times of year, and something the Schreiber folks call "cress" takes its place.

Cress is very peppery and hot, but will mellow nicely when teamed with basil.  It makes people wonder what the mystery flavor is!

If you're pasta-free, julienned zucchini or shredded cauliflower make good "noodles," sauteed and tossed with this spicy sauce, as do sliced onions.  It's great on mixed vegetables as well.  Tuck a dab of cressto alongside meats, or dollop it onto soups. 

Freeze it in dabs on a Silpat-lined cookie sheet, and you can toss it into winter dishes for a lovely reminder of summer. 

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CRESSTO

1 bag cress or arugula (about 4 ounces), washed and spun dry
1 bunch basil leaves (about 4 ounces), washed and spun dry

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic

1/2 cup almonds, blanched or not, or walnuts or pecans

Place basil and cress in food processor and pulse to a chopped state.

Add olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and process until garlic is incorporated.

Add nuts, blend until nuts are finely chopped.  Scrape and needed and blend again.

If storing, place plastic wrap directly on surface of cressto to keep it from browning.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Coconut Cream Bark Three Ways

From left:  Cherry-Almond, German Chocolate,
 and Useful Plain Coconut Cream Barks

"What to do with coconut butter" is one of the most common search phrases I see on my blog stats.

Tropical Traditions is an excellent online vendor
 of coconut products.

Coconut butter (and coconut cream) do seem rather unapproachable, sitting solidly in their jars as they do.  Gently heated in a pan of water on the stove, though, they become quite willing to cooperate with your creativity.

Easiest by far is to make bark.  I've made lots of plain coconut cream bark, which can be used, mixed into gently warmed water, to create coconut milk on demand. 

Winter CSA Box 9's dried local tart cherries offered a great opportunity to finally follow the impulse I've been having lately to mix things into coconut cream.

Eating the way we do, tooth-achingly sweet desserts and candies are a thing of the past.   But these delicious coconut cream barks provide a flavorful, satisfying bite or two of a confectionary nature, without being overly sweet.

And of course, these combinations are just the beginning.   I'm thinking pistachioes with cranberries .... maybe toasted pumpkin seeds with cinnamon and vanilla ... or chopped dried pineapple for a pina colada version.  

Here are more ideas for coconut butter and coconut cream.  I've melted the plain shards directly into curries and soups.

Coconut butter and coconut cream can be stored unopened in their jars at room temperature.  Once made into bark, the bark should be stored in the refrigerator so that the pieces don't soften.  Coconut oil differs in that it is pure oil and is quite dense.  Coconut oil can be stored at room temperature, and in fact will be easier to use if you do so.

Is there a difference between coconut butter and coconut cream?  I think they're nearly interchangeable, but coconut cream seems to be smoother than coconut butter.


COCONUT CREAM BARK THREE WAYS

Plain, Useful Coconut Bark

1 jar (16 ounces) coconut cream or coconut butter

Instructions:

Place an 11" x 17" Silpat liner on a baking sheet, then place the baking sheet in the freezer.

Remove lid from jar of coconut butter, and set the jar in a pan of hot water over very low heat.  Check occasionally, and when it's soft enough to stir until smooth, get the baking sheet out of the freezer and pour the coconut cream onto the Silpat.  Spread evenly, and return the baking sheet to the freezer.

In a very short time the bark will be solid.  Peel the Silpat off the back of the bark, and break the bark into shards of varying sizes.  Store the shards in a container in the fridge, and when you need coconut milk, figure about 2 tablepoons of bark to 1/2 cup water, gently heating the water and stirring in the bark until it's a liquid.  You can vary the ratio of coconut cream to water, to suit your taste.

German Chocolate Coconut Bark

1 jar (16 ounces) coconut cream or coconut butter
1 bar Theo 91% cacao dark chocolate (or less to taste), gently melted
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Cherry-Almond Coconut Cream Bark

1 jar (16 ounces) coconut cream or coconut butter
1-1/4 cups (about 7 ounces) dried tart cherries
1 cup chopped almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract


For each of these bark variations, pour the softened coconut cream into a medium bowl.  Mix in the ingredients shown, and spread onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet that has been chilled in the freezer.

Proceed as for plain coconut bark, spreading the mixture thinly, chilling, and breaking into pieces.  I scored the chocolate bark as it began to set, which resulted in squares rather than shards.

Update:  Made the chocolate version with chopped macadamias instead of pecans, and used 1/2 cup coconut for a smoother bark.  Wonderful!

Another update:  Made the cherry-almond version with chopped dried pineapple and chopped roasted, salted pistachios instead of the cherries and almonds.  Delicious!  Also added 1/2 cup shredded coconut, and left out the almond extract.

Perfect Pad Thai

No grains!  Just great flavors and crispy, savory delight!

Going out to eat grain free is a mighty challenge.  So we accept rice, and even rice noodles on occasion, just to give our kitchen slave (me) a break.  That way, we can eat gluten free, at least.  But hello!  The Keatleys over at Health Bent brilliantly have devised yet another reason to stay home and eat grain free.  Thank you, Keatleys.  Grrr. 

Really, though, Mr. Eating the Scenery and I both feel much better when we eat at home.  Eating out has a pesky tendency to give us weird headaches now.  Something to do with cheap industrial cooking oils, ubiquitous starches, flavoring agents ... who knows. 

So, about a year ago I just sighed, tossed everything crappy from our pantry, fridge and freezer, arranged my battalion of cooking gear in the most efficient configuration possible, and accepted the inevitable.  We still eat out now and then, but only at establishments that don't inflict headaches! 

This is Pad Thai at its very best.  Prepare all your ingredients ahead so you can can slam it together quickly and serve it fresh and hot.


PERFECT PAD THAI
Adapted from Health Bent

Serve over shredded raw cabbage or with raw cauliflower "rice."  Make cauliflower rice by shredding raw cauliflower with a medium shred disk in the food processor, or with a hand grater.  You can saute it lightly, but the crispy raw crunch is very good with this dish.


1/2 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup coconut oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped ginger

1-1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
15 large raw shrimp, tails removed, and lightly salted

3 small zucchini, julienned or simply sliced into thin strips 1/4 inch wide or so
3 big handfuls fresh spinach leaves (optional)
Garnishes:

1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
1/2 cup cilantro
Lime wedges

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In small bowl, mix almond butter, vinegar, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, lime juice and honey.

In large skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, for a few minutes.  Add mushrooms and shrimp, cooking for a few minutes more or until shrimp begin to turn pink. 

Stir in sauce mixture and zucchini strips, and optional spinach, and heat through.  The Pad Thai will be looking very, very tasty.  Heat until steaming hot and shrimp are cooked through.  You'll recognize perfection when you see it.

Serve either in individual bowls or on a large serving platter, garnished with shredded carrot, toasted almonds, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Makes 3 generous servings.

Grain-Free Almond Pancakes

Once you try these, you may begin to see the merits of eschewing grains.  Tender and satisfying, these pancakes actually are reminiscent of IHOP's famous Harvest Grain 'n Nut pancakes, with a slightly crunchy texture and an oh-so-nutty flavor.

GRAIN-FREE ALMOND PANCAKES
Cinnamon, grated orange peel, cardamom ... plenty of room for creativity here in spicing things up! 

2 cups almond flour
5 local grassfed eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk, milk or yogurt
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or not)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (I use Hains or Rumfords)

Back four pancakes have been flipped; front four have not.

1/4 teaspoon salt

In medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together almond flour, eggs, milk of choice, optional maple syrup, and vanilla. 

Heat griddle over medium heat, and swish some butter or coconut oil over it if desired.

Stir baking soda, baking powder and salt into batter.  Drop about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle; you want to aim for about 4-inch diameter pancakes. 

The pancakes won't take very long to bake.  After a couple of minutes, lift gently to check for browning.  I usually let a few bubbles form and begin to burst before checking.  When turning the pancakes, use two smallish spatulas ... one to flip and one to stabilize. 

Serve with berries or other fruits. I sometimes serve them with pineapple and sliced banana. 

Makes 16 4-inch pancakes.

Easy Almond Flour at Home

Because most baked goods are made with grains and sugars, and serve as vehicles for stuff we don't want to eat much of, like jams, syrups, frostings and other sugary toppings, we've been amazingly successful this past year in turning around the desire for baked goods.

Once in a while I'll whip up a batch of something made with almond flour, though, like pancakes.  They're scrumptious for breakfast with mixed berries atop.  I'll post the recipe.

But first, I urge you not to buy expensive, pre-ground bags of almond flour.  Once a nut is ground, the fats in it begin to oxidize.  You'll set back the oxidizing process enormously by using fresh, whole almonds ground the minute you want to use almond flour.

I've had some success making almond flour in a blade coffee grinder.  But I'm thrilled to report there's a new little food processor out, made by KitchenAid, that has a larger capacity than a coffee grinder and does a SUPERB job of turning out almond flour in seconds.  I think it's because they've raised the upper blade so that it catches pieces of nuts whirling around above the lower blade.

Many grain-free recipes call for blanched almond flour, but my whole, raw, unblanched almond flour performs wonderfully in every recipe I've tried.  A good source of almond flour recipes is Elana's Pantry.

EASY ALMOND FLOUR AT HOME

Start with whole, raw (not roasted) almonds, organic if you can find them.  Almonds aren't a local crop, so I'll get them at our local health food stores or order them from a highly satisfactory online vendor called Nuts.com.

If your almonds are frozen (I usually keep mine in the freezer), let them warm up a bit if you can.  It's easier on your grinder if the nuts aren't frozen.

For every cup of almond flour needed, use about the same amount of almonds.  For example, one cup of almonds will give you about one cup of almond flour.

Place almonds in your grinder of choice, paying attention to capacity of your grinder.  The little KitchenAid food processor above holds 2 cups, but the average coffee grinder will hold only 1/2 cup or so. 

Pulse a few times to begin breaking up the almonds into smaller pieces.  Then process constantly until you have a fine meal. 

The most important thing is to stop processing before you get almond butter!  But even if you do, almond butter is a wonderful thing, too.

Pear and Cardamom Breakfast Cookies

A batch of these grain-free delights is easy to make and keep in the fridge, and the cookies are a welcome sight on mornings when you don't feel like spending a lot of time cooking breakfast.  The original recipe called for apple, but my lovely red CSA pears inspired me to try them instead.

Of course, there are many variations and options with fruit and spices for this cookie.  As well, you can leave the fruit in dice and stir it in just before baking, for a fruit-studded cookie, or blend the fruit in for a smoother, sleeker cookie.
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PEAR AND CARDAMOM BREAKFAST COOKIES
Adapted from This Primal Life

If you use use very large pears or apples, ultimately you'll have more liquid and thus a runnier batter.  You want the batter to hold a cookie shape.  If your fruit is very large, considering using half of it, or doubling the recipe.

1 cup almonds
3 dates (optional; the fruit makes the cookies nicely sweet)

Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons butter, ghee or oil
1 smallish CSA red pear, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in small skillet, and cook the pear, stirring occasionally, until it is heated through and no longer crisp.  It can still be firm.  Remove from heat.

In food processor, process almonds and optional dates until a fine meal forms.  Add salt, baking soda and cardamom, and pulse a few times.

Add eggs, vanilla, and pears, including any butter from the skillet, to food processor and pulse just until well mixed.  Alternatively, transfer batter to a bowl and then stir in the pear chunks and liquid.

Drop by large spoonfuls on Silpat-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned and firm.  Remove to wire racks to cool. 

Makes 4 large cookies (which is why I usually double the recipe!  They keep well in the fridge.)

Grain Free Banana Bread

As part of our Gluten-Free January project, I've tried a few (very few) recipes for baked goods that will satisfy our acquired-over-decades taste for something ....well, baked.

I say "few" because one thing you don't want to do in a healthy diet is replace something unhealthy (white flour baked goods) with something grain free (made with almond flour, almond butter, etc.) and eat it in the same amounts as the white flour stuff.

Muffins, breads and pancakes made with almond butter or almond flour are superb, but they contain enough fat to boost your daily fat intake up to even the Primal Diet's 65 percent fairly quickly.  Fortunately, they are also more satisfying and filling!  Because they contain few to no concentrated carbs, they don't set you up for the never-ending, carb-craving cycle.

A slice of this bread for breakfast, with fruit, fits nicely into the overall scheme.  The Smart Palette's recipe called for unsweetened chocolate chips, which I measured out and had standing by.  But I forgot to put them in!  I also forgot to sprinkle the top with date sugar, as called for!

No matter.  A delicately banana-flavored and filling bread this is, indeed.  You will be amazed that it is flour free.
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GRAIN FREE BANANA BREAD
From The Smart Palate, who adapted it from Grain-Free Foodies

2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 cup unsalted almond butter

2 tablespoons freshly ground flax seeds (I used a blade coffee grinder)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Generous pinch of fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

1/3 cup chopped unsweetened dark chocolate or unsweetened dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon date sugar, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In medium mixing bowl, with electric mixer, combine bananas, eggs, almond butter, flax seeds, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.  Blend very well; mixture should be quite smooth.

Add baking soda and vinegar and mix briefly.  If desired, stir in chocolate.

Spoon batter into a greased (use butter, ghee, or coconut oil) small loaf pan.  I used a small Pyrex loaf pan that measures 7-3/4" by 4-1/2".  If desired, sprinkle date sugar atop batter.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of loaf comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes on a rack, then gently loosen sides with a thin spatula, turn loaf out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely before slicing.

Mixed Berry Flaugnarde with Vanilla Bean

Mixed berry what?

This lush, earthy yet sophisticated dessert proved a beautiful, delicately vanilla-scented solution for a Costco-sized bag of mixed berries that had crouched for months (years?) in the bottom of my freezer.   You know, the one you keep moving around when you're looking for other stuff.  And you think, "What can I do with two pounds of mixed berries?  Why did I buy them in the first place?"

I love The Nourished Kitchen blog, and was enchanted by this recipe that is so satisfying to the senses, uses my berry largesse, and assuages my conscience for ignoring that bag 'o berries for so long.

A flaugnarde (flewn-YARD) is apparently kin to the clafoutis (kah-floo-TEE), but it is flourless and more custardy.  As it happened, my aunt had given me a tube of vanilla beans (she'd been to Costco, too, and shared), and my Pure Eire cream was ready for something new.

It does add a little continental flair to say "we're having flewn-YARD" for dessert, but this lovely dish would be good even without announcing it with a French accent.
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MIXED BERRY FLAUGNARDE WITH VANILLA BEAN
Adapted from The Nourished Kitchen

2 pounds mixed fresh or frozen berries
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 egg
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup

1 vanilla bean (optional)

Preheat oven to350 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss berries with vanilla extract.  Put berries in a baking dish, and roast them for 20 minutes. They should have released most of their juices.

Carefully spoon berries into a colander set over a bowl.  Let them drain thoroughly; a screen mesh colander is best.  You want them to be as juice-free as possible.  Save the juices to use for flavoring other things like smoothies and ice cream, or simmer the juices down to make a lovely, vanilla-scented syrup.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk thoroughly the egg, egg yolks, cream and maple syrup.

Pour the strained berries into a shallow baking dish.  I used a 10 1/2-inch Corning ware dish with 1 1/2-inch-tall sides.  Spread berries evenly over bottom of dish.  If using vanilla bean, lay it on top of the berries.   Pour batter over berries and bake for 45 minutes or until the flaugnarde browns and the egg is just set.

Best served warm, after it cools just a bit.

Makes 4 generous servings, or 6 smaller ones

Homemade Ice Cream with Cherries and Dates

Ever seeking to reduce my use of refined sugar, and increase good fats, I decided to try making some ice cream with no refined sugar at all.  I'm certain that using our wonderful, local Pure Eire Jersey cream gave this ice cream its eye-opening, superior taste and texture.
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HOMEMADE ICE CREAM WITH CHERRIES AND DATES

Just a small dish is immensely satisfying, much like Italian gelato.

1 cup frozen pitted sweet cherries
10 pitted dates
3/4 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups Pure Eire cream

Place an appropriately-sized glass container with cover in your freezer so it is ready for the ice cream.  If you are going to serve it freshly churned, freeze little serving bowls. 

In a blender, puree the cherries, dates and water until smooth.  Add vanilla and cream, and blend just until cream is incorporated and mix is smooth.

Pour into ice cream maker and process for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the ice cream stiffens and begins to curl around the paddle blades in a big way.

Serve the ice cream right away, or spatula it (hey, if you can spoon something, you can spatula it, right?) into your frozen container.  Put right into the freezer.

Makes a little under 4 cups of rich, delicious ice cream, or about 8 servings to savor slowly!

That Casa Mia Mango Dessert

Casa Mia makes a delicious dessert of zabaglione topped with mango puree.  My Costco mangoes were ripening alarmingly fast, so I decided to sort of replicate the Casa Mia dessert using my Pure Eire milk and cream.  Now, I use very little dairy, but can't seem to resist picking up some Pure Eire whenever I'm in one of our local health food stores.  My philosophy is that if you're going to have some dairy, why not have fresh, local dairy, from Jersey cows?

So.  I sliced two mangoes into the blender, and added enough milk and cream (okay, more cream than milk) so that the whole thing could blend into two servings worth of delicious, creamy, mango-y dessert.  Satisfying, and no processed sugar involved. 

Cranberry Pluot Sauce

Rummaging in the freezer, I found cranberries from last year.  And beside them, a container of pluot sauce frozen this summer.  Combine them?  Why not! 

I usually make cranberry sauce with orange juice concentrate, but these fruity things seemed drawn to each other by some invisible force of culinary serendipity.  It happens!  It's fun, momentarily at least, to free oneself from the same old combinations of things and take a risk. 

In this case the payoff was an amazingly great cranberry sauce with summery pluot undertones.  I used a little honey to bring a not-too-sweet balance to the sauce and harmonize the flavors.

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CRANBERRY PLUOT SAUCE

8 cups frozen cranberries
3 cups pluot sauce (plum sauce would work, too)
1/3 cup honey

Put cranberries and pluot sauce in a large pot.  Add a little water to get things started.  Heat over medium heat until pluot sauce is fully incorporated and berries start to pop.  Cook, stirring, about 10 to 15 minutes more until sauce thickens and most of the berries have burst.  Stir in honey.

Makes about 8 servings.

Wedding Applesauce with Granny Smiths and Metaphor

This week my stepdaughter was married.  Naturally, the newlyweds have been on our minds a lot.  Today as I was making applesauce of delicious, local, organic Granny Smith apples, I was reminded that Grannies are my stepdaughter's favorite apples.  I noticed that the knob of ginger I peeled looked like a little bluebird of happiness.

As I peeled and sliced, simmered and spiced, I knew this applesauce was taking on a special meaning, like every good marriage does. And that a little metaphor might be in order, considering this new marriage in our family.

Granny Smiths can soak up a lot of water, so you have to keep checking in to see if you should add some. 

Tangy by nature, Grannies need a little sweetening, but not too much.  The sauce is better with a little texture, rather than blended boringly smooth.  I added fresh grated ginger for warmth, and cinnamon for a little spice. Applesauce can be soothing to come home to after a rough day, especially if it's made with love.

 This post's for you, kids.  May your trip through life together be warm and sweet.

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WEDDING APPLESAUCE

About 9 good-sized Granny Smith apples
A knob of ginger
A tablespoon or so of cinnamon
Honey or agave nectar, to taste

Peel, core and slice the apples into a large pot.  Peel the ginger and grate it over the apples.  Add about half an inch of water to the pot.  Simmer, stirring frequently, as apples begin to cook.  Add more water if necessary.  Cook until desired texture is achieved.  Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and sweetening, if desired.  Share with someone you love.

Makes about 8 cups

The Pluot Thickens ...

Buy lots of deep-red, organic Dapple Dandy pluots

from Gilmore Farms at Farmers' Market
Let pluots get really soft and juicy
Wash pluots
Pit and quarter pluots over a pan to catch juices
Simmer 'til soft
Add a splash of lemon juice
Cool

Freeze in containers for a remarkably flavorful, jewel-crimson sauce that in deep winter will awaken your memories of summer. Layer the pluot sauce with Coconut Quinoa Pudding. Serve it atop ginger ice cream. Brighten up your morning cereal with a slathering. Heat it up and add Dijon mustard, salt and pepper for a sumptuous sauce for pork.

Or just eat it. Sometimes the simplest thing really is the best.

Fresh Pear Sauce with White Wine and Cardamom

September has come upon us. The chill of night, the heaped cumulus clouds in the sharp blue sky of day ... and the abundance, nay, plethora, of fresh fruit lying around the kitchen. For example, the armful of pears given to me last week.

To a frugal cook, such questions as, "Can you make sauce out of pears like you can with apples?" are common. The answer to this one is, I am happy to say, most definitely yes.

I chose white wine over red to avoid the potential result of a nasty shade of pink or purple in the resulting sauce; as well, it seemed cardamom would go well with pears' more exotic taste, and indeed it does. But stealing the cinnamon from apples would do, too, if you have no cardamom.
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FRESH PEAR SAUCE WITH WHITE WINE AND CARDAMOM

This sauce is wonderfully fragrant and delicious; the pears' flavor mingles in a happily companionable way with the wine and cardamom. It's truly elegant enough to serve with a special meal such as roast pork, or alongside an autumnal dessert like fresh gingerbread.

About 10 fresh pears
A blub of white wine
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds (I used a mortar and pestle)

Peel, core and quarter or dice the pears, and put them in a medium-sized pan or pot. Toss in the blub of white wine and the cardamom, and bring the whole thing to a simmer, cooking until the sauce reaches the texture you prefer--slightly chunky or more smooth. If you like, run a potato masher through it to even the texture.

Makes about 5 1-cup servings.

Basil-Mint Sorbet

Nothing evokes the essence of summer like basil--you know that sudden wave of sunshine that washes over you in winter when you open a freezer bag of the pesto you made in August? This sorbet goes even further ... it's transporting, ambrosial; the mint and basil combine in a heavenly taste that opens eyes in surprise and conducts a symphony on the taste buds.

I discovered the recipe in Frances Mayes' admittedly hedonistic book about life in her Tuscan villa. I make it every time my friend Judy comes to visit from Maine. It's the kind of thing you need to eat with someone who also hears the music of the taste bud orchestra! Some people (you know who you are) refuse to try this dessert, saying it looks like pond scum. Their loss! More for us!

Depending on my mood and the state of the basil and mint plants, I sometimes greatly increase the amount of basil and mint. And sometimes I strain the blended herb liquid, but you don't need to.
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BASIL-MINT SORBET
Adapted from Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

3/4 cup sugar
3 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mint leaves (or lots more)
1/2 cup basil leaves (or lots more)

Boil 1 cup water with the sugar for 5 minutes, stirring little if at all. Cool.

In blender, blend remaining two cups water with mint and basil leaves until thoroughly pureed. Add lemon juice and cooled sugar syrup, and chill well.

Freeze in ice cream freezer, or if you don't have one, use the ice-cube tray/repeated blendings method.

Serve in little bowls that you've put in the freezer for a while.

The sorbet is best made and frozen about 4 or 5 hours ahead of serving; long-term freezer storage hardens it.

Serves six or eight, depending on size of serving.

Secrets of Rhubarb

The taste of rhubarb still thrills me as much as it did when we ate canned fruit all winter and gloried in this, the first "fruit" of spring. The ruby-red stalks have been available at the Pasco Farmer's Market this year, and I usually get around four pounds.

To the trimmed, sliced rhubarb, I add about two cups of water and 3/4 cup or so of agave syrup. Honey works well, too. Cook it up, stirring frequently and adding water if necessary, 'til the pieces are soft.

Rhubarb has an interesting affinity for basil; if you add some chopped basil after the rhubarb is cooked, it will create a delightful "mystery" flavor that people will try to place, usually unsuccessfully.

This year I learned that my trusty Wusthof kitchen shears do a fine job of slicing the stalks much more quickly than using a knife; the shears cut completely through the rhubarb's strings rather than having to put extra slicing effort into using a knife.

You can actually dice raw rhubarb up finely (1/4 inch or so) and bake it into muffins, pancakes and breads as you would raisins or cranberries. I am thinking about coming up with a rhubarb granola recipe.

Rhubarb is easy to grow once established, though it is a heavy feeder. I currently don't have a rhubarb patch but would like to!

Goat Cheese Chocolates

What is it about goat cheese? I'm not a big fan of soy, so goat cheese is kind of my tofu. But it has way more personality. It works and plays well with other flavors and textures, but I'd never really thought about goat cheese in desserts. But it works! And just think, you're getting your antioxidants (choc) and protein (cheese) in one delicious treat.

The original recipe had no sugar, probably because the calendar I got it from had healthy living as its theme. Unless you are a true lover of very dark, unsweetened chocolate, you'll want to add a bit of sugar, or use sweetened chocolate.

You can roll it up in little balls and coat it in cocoa to make truffles, or flatten it and cut it into squares.

Yes, this recipe uses no local ingredients. Yet. I am hoping for a local producer of goat cheese ... I know they're out there!

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GOAT CHEESE CHOCOLATES
Adapted from A Year of Healthy Living calendar, Amber Lotus Publishing

4 ounces excellent quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted almonds or hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened excellent quality dark cocoa powder

Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring often. When smooth, set aside while you proceed. In small bowl, beat goat cheese with vanilla (I just used a fork and lots of enthusiasm), then stir in chocolate and nuts.

Taste mixture at this point. If you like, add a little sugar. Gather into a ball, or press into a bar, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Cut into squares, or for truffles, shape into balls and roll in cocoa powder. If making squares, you can refrigerate it longer and cut just before serving. Makes about 18 pieces.

Giant Fuji Apple Cookies

If you find yourself with some giant, local Fuji apples, this recipe is the best thing to do with them, bar none. With overuse of sugar and white flour being exposed as the culprit of many maladies, getting back to the basic "snack" is important, and made easier when you have fresh, local produce to use. For something so delicious, it's amazing that the health benefits of eating apples are extensive.

Back in the day, the "Apple Man" showed up every fall at our rural Pasco home. His old pickup bed was full of boxes of fresh apples. We'd get apples from friends and relatives, and local orchards, too, but I remember that Mom always bought some from the Apple Man.

Hence, when I was a little kid and my brother and I would ask for a "snack," more often than not Mom fixed us each a bowl of these. Thanks, Mom ... for a great start in appreciating fresh, local food!

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GIANT FUJI APPLE COOKIES

Wash, core and slice a big 'ol fresh Fuji apple. Other varieties work just fine, too. If it's local, even better. Place slices appetizingly in a bowl. Find that great book you're reading, settle into a comfy chair, and enjoy your incredible snack, remembering to pause now and then to appreciate its juicy, fresh, crunchy deliciousness.

Pears in White Wine with Vanilla, Almonds & Chocolate

I confess to becoming more and more determined through my years of cooking to create recipes that are not only tasty but good for you, and that don't have artificial stuff in them (you know ... like "fat free sour cream." Honestly.) But to do so successfully has always been a tall order. My stepchildren are still incredulous that I actually made spinach cookies.

Hence, the CSA pears intrigued me. Pears are often poached in red wine, but why? And vanilla is often associated with them ... and almonds ...

Determined to avoid sugary, carmel-y sauces and butter and whatnot, I forged ahead and poached the pears in white wine with a bit of vanilla, and topped them with almonds and grated unsweetened chocolate. And I actually served these not only to my husband, but to my friend Holly, who had dinner with us tonight. She said they tasted like something you'd get in a fancy restaurant. But ... she IS a very nice person ...

To peel pears, it helps to have a serrated peeler. It works really well on thin-skinned fruits and vegetables.

I saved a couple of the whole pears because I am determined to come up with a dish that has pears AND onions in it.

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PEARS IN WHITE WINE WITH VANILLA, ALMONDS & CHOCOLATE

Ripe pears
White wine
Vanilla
Almonds
Unsweetened chocolate

Peel, halve and core pears. Arrange in a skillet with a quarter inch or so of white wine. Add a teaspoon or so of vanilla. Cover and poach until pears are almost soft (don't overcook). Remove lid and continue to simmer until liquid is almost gone. Turn the pears to coat them in the reduction, then place on dessert plates and top with a mixture of chopped almonds and grated chocolate. Make sure the pears are hot so the chocolate melts.