Mexican Chopped Salad

Chopped salads are a beautiful way of showing off  the fresh and colourful produce of the season.  The best thing about chopping a salad is that you get all the flavors in just one bite.  Why is it that when you chop ingredients into small pieces....it changes not only the texture, but the flavor as well? This Mexican-leaning chopped veggie salad is a perfect way to showcase our local corn and other fresh produce.

Ingredients:

• 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob * (grilled or cooked and cooled)
• 4 mini orange peppers, diced(or use one large)
• 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 4 mini cucumbers, diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 small can black beans,  drained and rinsed (about 1 cup)
• Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing (recipe below)
• Tortilla strips, optional 

1. Chop all ingredients in small, uniform sized pieces.
2. Combine in salad bowl, adding the avocado pieces last.
3. Drizzle with dressing and top with tortilla strips, if desired.
4. Serve along-side grilled chicken.

Serves 4. 

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing:
• 3/4 cup plain or Greek Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise 
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice of one lime)
• 3 Tbsp milk (more or less as desired)
• 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• dash of cayenne pepper

1. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and bend until smooth and creamy. 
2. Store in air tight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

 

Grilled Peach Sundaes

We have been enjoying peaches 'every which way' this past month...and here is a simple favorite.

• four large, firm peaches (preferably free-stone)
• 1-2 tablespoons oil (canola or grapeseed or other flavour-neutral oil) 
• vanilla ice-cream
• warm caramel sauce (recipe below)
• granola or chopped nuts for topping

1. Pre-heat grill to medium-high.
2. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. (No need to peel)
3. Brush peach halves with oil and place on hot grill, cut side down.
4. Grill until golden and showing grill marks....probably about 4 minutes.
5. Turn peaches over and grill until slightly soft and just warmed through...several minutes longer. 
6. Transfer peach halves to serving plates.
7. Top each half with a scoop of ice-cream.  Drizzle with warm caramel sauce and sprinkle with granola or chopped nuts of your choice.

Warm Caramel Sauce: (can be made in advance and re-heated)

• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. 
2. Add sugar, cook until melted stirring occasionally. 
3. Reduce heat to low. 
4. Gradually stir in sour cream...cook 1 minute stirring occasionally. 

Yields four delicious peach sundaes.  Or spread the goodness around...and make eight smaller sundaes.   

Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pie

We have been enjoying fresh local sweet corn for the past month, and zucchini is also in abundance at this time of the year.  I combined them in this tasty side dish...a recipe that has become a summertime favorite.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 large zucchini, sliced thin
• 2 cobs sweet corn
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil*
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano*
• 4 eggs
• dash of cayenne
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Mozzarella, Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan...use what you have on hand or mix and match to taste. )

*If using dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon for every tablespoon of fresh herbs called for in the recipe. eat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced onions, zucchini, and mushrooms and saute.
2. Meanwhile, cut the kernels of corn from the cob. Add them to the skillet and continue to saute until the veggies are tender. Remove from heat.
3. Add the basil and oregano and stir.
4. Beat eggs.  Add salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir into sauteed veggies along with the grated cheese (reserving some for topping).
5. Pour mixture into a well-greased pie plate (9" or larger), arranging zucchini slices on top. 
6. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for 25 minutes in a 350°F oven (or until set and golden).
7. Let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

 

Rustic Apricot Cherry Tart

What's not to like about Lepp Farm Market?  They select the best B.C. gourmet foods and feature farm-fresh vegetables and fruits from their Okanagan orchard and local growers...along with the beef, pork and poultry raised on their family farm.They also have fabulous cooking classes in their shop...and partner with local charities to make a difference in our community.  So I clicked 'like' on their facebook page a long time ago...and love seeing their updates on a regular basis.  Last week they featured a cherry studded apricot galette that made my mouth water.  It just so happened that we received a gift of fresh apricots and fresh cherries from an Okanagan farm that very morning.  Good idea.  Good timing!  I set about to make a rustic apricot tart for dinner that night.  It was a hit!  And so I will share my method with you today.

Pastry:

• Pastry for a single crust pie.  (Prepare your favorite or use purchased pastry. I like to make a large recipe of pie dough (click for recipe) and store the discs in the freezer to use at a moment's notice.) 

Filling:

• 3 cups apricots, sliced  (about 10 -12 apricots) pitted and sliced
• 8 pitted cherries, sliced in half
• 1/3 cup (50 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon minute tapioca for thickening 
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Topping:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon milk 
• coarse sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
2. Roll disc of pastry into a large, thin circle.  (Ragged edges are just fine!)
3. Carefully transfer the pastry onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet.  (The simplest way of doing this is to roll it onto the rolling pin, and then unfurl it onto the cookie sheet.)
4. Put the sliced apricots in a bowl and add the sugar, lemon juice, tapioca and cornstarch.  Gently toss to combine.
5. Spoon apricots onto the center of pastry circle and spread out evenly to within 2 1/2 inches of outer edge. Arrange top apricot slices evenly and accent with cherry halves .
6. Fold the edges of the pastry over the outer edge of the fruit. Pat slightly to keep it in place.
7. Whisk together the egg and the cream for the egg wash. Gently brush egg wash over outer edge of the crust (not you will only need a small amount of the egg wash). Sprinkle with a little coarse sugar.
8. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, covering with foil for the final 15 minutes if it is getting too dark.  

Simple, appealing...

...and so tasty!

If you need any inspiration in the cooking department, check out the recipe section of Lepp Farm Market's web page...or click 'like' on their facebook page and be inspired daily.

Raspberry Ripple Pie

For Flashback Friday...let me bring back our all-time favorite summer dessert.  This is a recipe that was clipped from a farm publication decades ago…at a time when we were growing commercial raspberries.  I make several at a time at the beginning of the summer…and like to have some in the freezer. The better the ice-cream…the more special the dessert!

Raspberry Ripple Pie


Ice-cream - 2 litres (quarts) premium vanilla ice-cream, slightly softened

Crust:

• 1 ¼ cups Oreo cookie crumbs
• ¼ cup butter, melted

1. Combine crumbs with melted butter. 
2. Press firmly into the base of a 9 or 10-inch springform pan.

Filling:

• 1 ½ cups crushed raspberries
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Combine raspberries, sugar and three tablespoons of water.
2. Blend cornstarch with 1 ½ tablespoon water until smooth; stir into berry mixture.
3. Cook until mixture thickens and boils (I do this in the microwave, stirring regularly).
4. Add lemon juice.
5. Allow to cool.

Method:

1. Spoon about 1/3 of the ice-cream over the crumb crust…pressing down somewhat.
2. Then spoon about half the berry sauce over the ice-cream.
3. Repeat…ending with ice-cream on top.
4. Carefully spread ice-cream over the filling with spatula or knife.
5. Cover and freeze until hard.
6. Allow to soften for about 15 minutes before serving.
7. Cut in wedges and serve with whipped cream and berry sauce (below) and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Berry Sauce:

1. Puree about 2 cups of raspberries in blender…add a little sugar.
2. Stir in whole berries just before serving.

Fish Taco Salad

From fish-'n-chips to fish sandwiches or fish tacos...those are often my picks on a fast food menu.  Just yesterday we sat in the sunshine on the dock at Steveston and enjoyed fish 'n chips.  That is fish as at best!

Here is a new favorite way to enjoy fish this summer...and so simple to make up at home.  And healthier than 'fish and chips' as well.  This is the 'fast food version'...but you can easily step it up a notch by using fresh fish of your choice...grilled to perfection!

Salad:

• 4 frozen cod fillets, breaded
• 5 cups mixed lettuce greens
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 sweet bell pepper (red or yellow), chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 avocados, sliced
• Tortilla strips

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip dressing
• 2 teaspoons lime zest 
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced cilantro or parley
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Method:

1. Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisking well. Chill until ready to serve.
2. Line baking pan with foil or parchment paper and bake fillets at 400° F for 20 minutes or according to package instructions.
3. Combine mixed greens and cabbage and divide evenly between four large salad plates or bowls.
4. Top each plate with peppers, red onion, chopped tomatoes and avocado slices.  
5. To serve, place a filet of fish on top of each salad and drizzle with dressing. 
6. Garnish with tortilla strips, if desired.

* The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It will also thicken up as it chills...so you may want to thin it down with additional milk or buttermilk.

Breakfast Cupcakes

If you enjoy having quiche or omelets on occasion...here's a crustless quiche that is made in a muffin pan. Though my recipe called for a crust made of shredded hashbrowns and baked until golden...I decided to stir the hashbrowns in with the rest of the ingredients (just like Betty's farmer sausage quiche in the original Mennonite Girls Can Cook cookbook)....and it worked like a charm!

• 6 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk (or half and half)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 12 slices bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
• 3/4 cup of finely chopped sweet peppers (red, green or yellow)*
• 1/4 cup minced red onion or chopped onion greens
• 1 1/2 cups frozen hashbrowns (defrost slightly to eliminate large chunks)
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded (or your favorite cheese blend)

*Substitute veggies as to preference. Mushrooms and spinach are also great additions.

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 
2. Generously oil 12 muffin cups.
3. Best eggs slightly; add milk and seasonings and blend well.
4. Stir in remaining ingredients.
5. Spoon egg mixture into prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake until golden brown or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean...about 15 minutes.
7. Cool several minutes...then carefully run a knife around the outside of each muffin to loosen. 
8. Lift onto plate with a fork. 

These are great fresh from the oven...or re-heated the following day.