Strawberries Smoothed

 No joke it is summer.  The weather pushes into the 90's (that is 32-37 C for you out side of the US) on a regular basis and I cannot help but make like a lizard and lay in the sun. . . I just prefer a comfy chair or blanket in place of a hot rock.  The other way I win over your typical reptile is I can have a smoothie while I bask in the glory of our day time star.

I get these strawberries fresh from the farm and get the tops taken off so I can freeze them. . . of course (in case you didn't know) I am a science geek and I happen to have access to liquid nitrogen.  

This chilly liquid sits at a cool 77K (-196 C or -320 F) and while it does not freeze something 'on contact' as popular television would have you believe it does freeze the strawberries so fast that the ice crystals have no time to form and the cell walls of the strawberries stay intact through the freezing process.  This means when you thaw them they are almost as good as fresh picked (but we all know nothing is really as good as fresh picked). In terms of a smoothie this also means that less ice is trapped in the straw berries and you get a smoother smoothie. 

the vapor around the container is condensing water

that is LN2 boiling around the berries

so cold they crack

ready to transport!

To actually make the smoothie take your frozen strawberries (how ever they are frozen) and combine about 1C of the frozen darlings with 1C of almond milk (if you are sassy you can make your own almond milk so it is a raw treat).  Add more almond milk or a bit of water to get the consistency you like; depending on how much you put in you can get it anywhere from a nice sorbet to something more like a drink.  I use a few mint leaves a quarter of a lemon and a table spoon of agave to balance out the sweetness without detracting from a bit of a tart hit when you first sip with a cool mint flavor lingering after the berries are in your belly.  a bit of vanilla extract (or raw vanilla bean) goes a long way to balance out the flavors and make this healthful drink seem a bit like a desert!  

I have had one or three of these in the last week and I am eager to share! so come do some porch sitting with me we can yell at the other coop across the street! 

Someone else's Pie

In honor of 3.14 day I made a pie.  I used a recipe from one of my favorite blogs that you can find here:

http://www.addictedtoveggies.com/2012/02/meyer-lemon-cream-pie-or-ice-cream-pie.html

Since that part is done let em just tell you some of the problems I had with the recipe, while keeping in mind it still came out delicious!

First:  I like thicker crusts, I would suggest increasing the pie crust to 1.5 C of almonds with the other ingredients similarly increased.  This crust is really good! you wont regret having a bit extra, and if you have some left over I bet you will find something to eat it with .. . like a spoon!

Second:  My cream filling came out just great!  My food processor is not very high end ( got it at a thrift store for 5 bucks) so blending the ingredients to be nice and smooth took a while and was still not as silky as I wish it were.  Some day I will have the money for a better blender (and will be confronted with the vitamix vs blendtech debate once again!) but until then my friends and I will have to tolerate pies with a more. . .rustic texture.

Third: After being in the fridge overnight the pie still did not set and was too runny to cut.  I blame myself for over soaking the dates which made my date paste a bit more runny than I think it was suppose to be.  Freezing it did the trick but after the second day the pie got that ice crystal feel to it (kinda like a popsicle).  Really I like most things at room temp so next time I make this I will experiment with  thickeners.  My current idea is to use some heated coconut oil, it will pour into the blender and just the heat from spinning will keep it melted . . .then as it cools to room temp it should firm up. . . how much coconut oil is yet to be determined.

Finally: I got lazy with the zest and juice. DONT DO IT.  My pie was tasty and had a lovely feel with that gentle cashew taste but when I have a lemon pie (or a lime pie which I think I will make next time) i like to have flavor that nearly slaps me in the face! so cutting that corner was definitely a mistake. I am tempted to say the amount of zest should be increased but seeing as I didnt do it right it seems like an unfair assessment.

Even with the learning curve of never really making raw deserts this thing came out delicious!  you can look at my four comments and think what ever you like, I would still be happy if the pie came out exactly the same way again.  

Side Dish! Kale Salad

    Kale. . . how do you eat that?  Kale just goes to prove that things that are good for you do not taste good!  guess what things that are bad for you do not taste good without the right preparation, seriously try a tablespoon of sugar delicious? not even close!  Somehow we all know that Kale is this amazing food and we are supposed to eat it to be healthy but I cannot afford a vitamix (yet) and I don't know how else to make it unrecognizable.  Maybe you have only tried kale when it is cooked to death in a soup or smothered in some sauce after it has been boiled. . .there is a better way!  it is sweeping the nation so much so that it randomly came up in conversation at the DMV last week and someone challenged me to a Kale Salad 'Cook'-Off!  What am i talking about. . . learn these words: massaged kale salad.

Massaged Kale Salad

     Sure we all giggle about it being 'massaged' but I am guessing another year from now and this style of salad will be so accepted as the norm that it will just be kale salad.  Here is what you need:

1 bunch Kale (i prefer Lacinato aka Dion Kale)
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sesame seed

The mechanism employed to turn this roughage into a palpable salad is a form of non-cooking which uses the acidity of vinegar and some rough handling to break apart the cells and fibrous nature of the kale.  Unfortunately the stems are too much fiber and so first we take the stems out 

you can cut them out or just use your hands to rip out the stem, doing it for the whole bunch.  The stems may be used in a lot of different ways.  Not that long ago I diced them and tossed them in a curry, they work well as a hearty and healthful filler in any stir fry or soup or vegetable casserole etc.  If you are keen on making veggie broth these stems are great (i know I should do that more often) or just put them in the compost and grow more kale! 

The way that the stems rip out leaves the leaves in this nice V shape which makes it really easy to slice the Kale into ribbons by cutting across the V.  Obviously don't be obsessive about getting ALL OF THE STEM, you just need to get the hefty part because the stems will break down some in the vinegar bath.   

For my vinegar bath I like to use a combination of Rice vinegar and red wine vinegar.  The high acidity and soft flavors add a nice aroma without overpowering the nature of the kale.  Toss the kale with the vinegar and the salt and let it sit for a minute while the garlic gets diced.

I use raw garlic. . . yes raw garlic, the same trick that mellows out the kale works on the garlic but I still dice the garlic extra fine, not only so I avoid a big garlic bit surprise but also to spread that tasty garlic flavor all over.

Now the massaging . . .which I am realizing right now is more like brutalizing.  Toss in the garlic, olive oil and the sesame seeds and then start really working the kale.  If you are having an angry day feel free to punch the kale but usually I go with the crushing and mixing motion.  Take up small hand fulls and crush as hard as you can, repeat this taking from the bottom of the bowl so the vinegar/garlic/salt dressing gets mixed through the salad

At this point give it a taste and determine if you want more salt or garlic or vinegar but don't expect it to taste perfect yet.  The vinegar needs time to work and i would suggest a minimum of 30 minutes before serving this salad.  

     The good news is that is it!  that is the basic recipe of course the fun is in taking a basic recipe and adding some flourish.  Often I will go for a spicy savory and toss in some oregano, thyme, basil, black pepper etc and of course more sesame seeds (what can I say).  This salad was being made while I had a bit of a sweet tooth and so I added some extras accordingly:

3 pieces candied ginger
1/2 avocado
1/2 orange
1 tbs sesame seeds
1/4 C walnuts

Dice it all up and toss the salad once more and enjoy!  MY salad came out a bit overly moist this time because  I went over board with the olive oil and I am always surprised by how much this raw salad shrinks down.  The whole bunch which previously filled my mixing bowl un-cooks down to nearly 1/3 its original size . . .and that is after adding the extras.  If you are planning on feeding more than 2-3 people get a second or third bunch of kale, or use purple cabbage as a nice filler, the point is plan on the volume reducing a lot. . .and plan on people wanting to eat a lot of this! 

Snack Time! Fruit Salad

I didn't grow up with my dad around much but one thing I remember very clearly (which was reaffirmed not that long ago) was fruit salad.  My dad thought that fruit salad was the perfect way to jump start a day, not heavy enough to slow you down, easy to digest, pack full of nutrients and energy (sugar).  I don't have a fruit salad every day but on Saturdays when the farmers market is running it just makes sense and it is a perfect afternoon snack!  

Now saying I am giving you a recipe for fruit salad is kinda like saying 'hey here is a recipe for soup'  in that there are a lot of different ways to make soups and there are a lot of different ways to make fruit salad.  This is a late winter California fruit salad using locally grown walnuts and almonds, kiwis and apples I bought at the farmers market, an orange off the tree in my yard and, an avocado from the store for extra fat and creamy goodness.  As a topping i use shredded coconut, sesame seeds, golden flax seeds and sunflower seeds.

1 medium fuji apple (but any crisp apple will do, pink lady's are good)
2 ripe kiwis
1 orange
1 medium avocado
1/2 C almonds sliced
1/2 C walnuts diced
1/4 C sunflower seeds
2 Tbs sesame seeds
1 Tbs shredded coconut
2 tsp flax seed
1 Tbs agave nectar (optional)

The recipe is really as simple as cutting everything up and mixing it together but while we got all of this food lets pay some attention.  The mix of colors is good with soft red and orange with a splash of green, what is more in our control is the texture and shape.  Oranges naturally come out as slices but the apple is easily diced into large chunks (acting as our base) .. . I could have done more with the avocado but it is a bit messy so I just cubed it.  Kiwis are where we get to have a bit more fun, we can cut it into rounds, half rounds, cubes, wedges or, even  match sticks.  Honestly I was just hungry and went for a uniform cubed texture.  Now the Kiwi skin is pack of nutrients (so I am told) and should be left on but I am just not that in love with it and compromise but removing about half of it.  

The nuts and seeds and topping get tossed in with the agave nectar (which is again mostly for the texture and a habit from my dads fruit salads which always included a drizzle of honey).  I like to again pay attention to the textures from the topping.  Sometimes I am totally against the addition of shredded coconut just because it does have a big impact on the sensation of eating, but today I was in the mood.  I always love sesame seeds and flax seed, whole and raw.

I know if you do not grind the flax you do not get all of the nutrients and if you do not chew well will get none of the nutrients so chew well and enjoy the little pop of the occasional flax seed  as you do.  I slice the almonds and dice the walnuts extra fine, until they are more like walnut meal which will soak up the fruit juice and agave to make a sauce, a delicious fruity nutty sauce. Toss it all together with the sunflower seeds, adding more of what ever you like or leaving out a bit of what you don't like.

This fruit salad has it all: sugar, protein, fat, delicious flavor, awesome texture and great color!  When I went to take the above picture I kicked myself a bit. . .see that sprig of mint in the back, well I forgot to put mint in my salad! it just adds a little zap of freshness that leaves your pallet feeling clean.  I diced some up quick and tossed it i my second helping, this particular mint, growing in our front yard, is chocolate mint so it also has a nice earthyness to it that is cool and refreshing.