The Fruits of fall

We spent many afternoons so far this fall at U-pick farms,where we picked berries, apples, pears, peaches and more. Such a great outdoor activity!  A day in the sun,fresh air and delicious fruit.

Raspberries 

Raspberry kanten

1 1/2 Cups water

1 1/2 Cups apple juice

4 tbsp agar-agar flakes

1 – 1 1/2 Cup fresh raspberries

pinch of sea salt

In a medium pot bring water and juice to a boil,add the pinch of sea salt, slowly stir in agar- agar until it dissolves. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 15 min.  Place raspberries into a small glass pan (casserole  style). Pour mixture  over raspberries. Refrigerate until set. About 1 hour.

Freezing Raspberries

wash, and place raspberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer. When frozen transfer raspberries into freezer bags.

Peaches

Peach Crisp

5-6 peaches, remove pits and slice thinly

2 Tbsp arrowroot flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup rice syrup

—

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp sesame or corn oil

1/2 cup roasted walnuts

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 Cup rolled oats

2 tbsp rice syrup

Heat oven to 375′

In a large pan, add peaches,arrowroot, sea salt ,1/2 cup rice syrup and cinnamon. Place in stove and cook slowly on low heat until peaches become soft, adding water if they stick. About 10 min. Pour peach mixture into a large baking dish.

For the topping mix all dry ingredients and  roast in a cast iron pan for 2-3 min , place in a bowl and add wet ingredients. Crumble  mixture with your hands over the peaches. Bake in oven for 20-30 min until top is crisp and fruit is bubbly.

Freezing peaches

Fill a large pot to the brim with sliced peaches ,a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of rice syrup. Bring to a boil on low heat and stir until peaches are soft. Cool and place in containers. Freeze.

Apples

Applesauce

 This recipe is for those who do not have a foley food mill.

5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1- 1 1/2 Cups water

1/4 tsp sea salt

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 min. Make sure to stir every few min.  Turn off heat and mash any lumps with a potato masher. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Chestnuts

- Prick chestnuts with a fork and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 min. The skin should be splitting and the inside a golden brown colour . Do not roast  them for too long. They can EXPLODE!

- Boil chestnuts with fennel seed in a small amount of water for 15-20 min till you can pierce easily with a fork.

-After chestnuts are cooked, peel while still warm and blend until smooth with water and a pinch of sea salt to make a puree. You can add sweetener if you like, but I find chestnuts are nice and sweet on their own.

Gnocchi

2lbs organic russet potatoes
11/2 cups unbleached white or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 lg egg or 1tbsp of arrowroot flour mixed with 1tbsp cold water

Put potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil , turn heat down and let simmer for 30 min. Drain and set potatoes aside to cool. Once cooled enough to handle , peel skins and mash until smooth.
Mix flour with salt add egg and potato. Mix with your hands until dough starts to clump together. Press the dough against the bottom of the bowl until you have a uniform mass. Place dough onto a floured surface and knead until it is smooth about 1 min.  Tear off a piece of dough that is about the size of an orange. With the palms of your hands roll dough into a long snake about 1 inch in diameter.  With a knife cut the snake into 3/4 inch pieces. Continue the same way for the rest of the dough. Separate finished gnocchi into 4 batches(at this point the gnocchi can be frozen for later use)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil add one batch of the fresh gnocchi and gently stir after about 1-2 min gnocchi will float to the surface, skim off the gnocchi and drain.

Serve with your favorite sauce.

Parsley Sauce For Gnocchi

I lg Bunch flat leafed parsley, washed and minced

1 clove of garlic,minced (optional)

sea salt

1 tbsp olive or light sesame oil

Heat oil in a frying pan add parsley garlic and a pinch of salt. Saute until parley becomes bright green 2-5 min . Stir into Gnocchi.

Grilled Radicchio

3heads of Radicchio

2-tbsp of olive oil

sea salt

Slice radicchio into quarters, lightly brush with oil and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over top. Place on a cookie sheet and place under broiler for 8 min Turning twice. The same goes for a grill.

Marinated Portobello Salad

1/2 cup Organic walnuts (roasted and caramelized)

1/2  Cucumber,cubed

1/2 Small onion, sliced into half moons

2 Tbsp  Tofu cheese , crumbled

6 lg Basil leaves shredded

1/2 red pepper, sliced thin(optional)

3 Portobello mushrooms, grilled

Vinaigrette

1 Lemon

1tbsp olive or light sesame oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp rice syrup

Mix together vinaigrette and set aside . In a medium size bowl stir together onion,cucumber and walnuts. Slice the mushrooms into medium thick slices and add to the bowl along with the basil and tofu cheese. Pour vinaigrette over top and set aside for at least 1/2 hour.

Roasting the walnuts

In a lg  cast iron skillet, pushing slowly back and forth with a wooden spoon roast walnuts for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Pour over 1 tbsp rice or maple syrup stir walnuts till syrup foams about 2 min. Spoon out of the pan and set aside.

Grilling the portobello

De-stem and clean the mushrooms and lightly bush with oil on both sides(olive or light sesame oil) Place on a cookie sheet top side up. Place under a broiler for 10 min turning once.

Stewed Peaches With Brandy

I had Picked Fresh organic peaches this fall and had frozen them, For this recipe I used about 2 cups.

Slice and de-pit peaches cook in a small pan on low heat with a pinch of sea salt. If peaches are not quite ripe add a tsp of rice syrup to sweeten. Stirring a few times. Cook until juices come out and peach is nice and soft 15-20 min. Turn heat off and stir in two capfuls of brandy or serve brandy on the side. This is nice with some chopped roasted almonds on top.