Nope not ginger… or potato! Jerusalem artichoke.

My aunt and Uncle are growing Organic Jerusalem artichokes here on Prince Edward Island (to make an order call 902-566-3055). They gave  me some to try last week and here is what I did with them.

-1Lb Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed well and sliced into 1 inch pieces

-4-6 small dried bay leaves

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-Pinch of sea salt

-A generous splash of Mirin

-1 tbsp olive oil

-Fresh ground pepper (optional)

In a cast Iron frying pan, heat oil and add the artichokes. Saute until browned on both sides. Add the bay leaves, garlic, mirin and salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and place on low. Simmer until liquid is gone about 7-10 minutes. Serve.

( I loved the flavor of this dish but the texture of cooked Jerusalem artichoke takes a bit of getting used to )

-I also added sliced raw Jerusalem artichoke to salads.

Savory Squash Pie

Crust

-2 Cups whole wheat flour

-Pinch of sea salt

-1 tsp whole cumin

-1/3 Cup olive oil

-1/3 Cup rice syrup

-1/2 Cup cold water

Mix all ingredients together and knead the dough for a few min. spread dough with fingers into a deep 12 ” pie dish. Make sure to press the dough evenly up the sides of the pie dish. Prick all over with a fork.

Bake for 15 min at 350 degrees. Take out and let cool while making the filling.

Filling

-4 Cups buttercup squash, peeled, de-seeded and cubed

-2 Potatoes, peeled and cubed

-2 Onions, diced

-2 Cloves of garlic, minced

-1 Cup of corn kernels

-1 Cup of grated mochi

-1/2 red pepper, diced (optional)

-1 tsp dried thyme

-1 pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

-1/2 tsp sea salt

-Oil for saute

In a medium sized pot steam the squash and the potatoes until tender. About 12 min. Place into a bowl. Mash with a potato masher and set aside.

In a cast iron pan saute the onion, garlic and pepper until soft. Add the corn and cook for 2 more minutes.

Mix mashed squash and potatoes with all remaining ingredients. Spoon into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Celery Apple Salad

-4 stalks of celery, sliced on a diagonal

-1/4 of an onion, sliced into thin half moons

-2 medium sized apples(I used Honey Crisp), cored and sliced thin.

-1 tsp Dijon mustard

-1 tsp sesame oil

-1 Lemon, juiced

-1 tsp rice syrup

- Pinch of sea salt

- fresh ground pepper(optional)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

And to finish off I have an Odd movie. Last Spring we had an amazing time going to the Connecticut Renaissance Faire. The dressing up, the plays, the magic, the sword fighting and the Knights were super entertaining and so was the food…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The cranberry. Great for your bladder and kidneys, high in vitamin c and helps with digestion and prevention of ulcers. Also a delicious tart festive treat!

Cranberry sauce

1 cup raw cranberries

3/4 cup apple juice or water

3 tbsp rice syrup

zest of 2 lg organic oranges

1/4 cup of raisins (optional)

pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp kudzu

Bring juice cranberries, zest ,syrup, sea salt and raisins to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Dilute kudzu in a little water and add to the pot, stir until sauce is thickened. Pour into a bowl or mold  and allow to sit for at least an hour . Serve.

Here is a great recipe from Meredith McCarty, I made this pie for thanksgiving to everyone’s delight.

Cranberry-currant Tart

1 single crust pie shell

1/2 cup currants

11/2 cups apple juice

3 tbsp agar flakes

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

water

In a large pot, bring currants, juice,agar and salt to a boil. Simmer until agar is completely dissolved, 3-5 min.

Sort through cranberries to discard soft ones along with any stems. Rinse,drain and add cranberries to pot. Cook until tender but not mushy, 2-5 minutes more. Stir arrowroot in a little water to completely dissolve and add to the pot. Stir gently until mixture thickens slightly. Transfer filling to pie crust. Allow filling to gel before serving.

 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.