All things Dungeness

                Issue 1 All things Dungeness complete! 

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Issue #1
All Things Dungeness Crab

In January I'll focus on winter root vegetables and slow cooked roasting!

February's offering, foods that conjure Love!

Wild!

                                          we hiked deep into the canyon today. life has 

been challenging lately and the forest brings medicine on so many levels. we found the first chanterelles, wee pigs ears, and logs covered in oyster trees. the last gasp on the way home, looking over my shoulder was a perfect white chanterelle clump. blessings arrive in different forms.

then we cracked a bottle of wine to early for saturday.

 

grace in huge measure.

Kitchen Altar Still Life

Saffron Scented Bartlett Pear Chutney from Isabel's Dreamy Orchard

A few days ago my dear friend Isabel brought me a basket of her beautiful pears. They were at peak ripeness and truly the most creamy and fragrant pear I've ever eaten. I did not have any time to just sit and look at how gorgeous they were so this morning broke down and made this pear chutney.
The pears were so fragrant and the flavor of them so delicate and distinctive that I kept the spices very light as not to over power the pears delicacy, but enough to coax some exotic nuances to the palette.

I used about 3 lbs of pears, which made this yield of 7.5 pints.

In a large saucepan, I sauteed in about 1/4 organic safflower oil a finely chopped red onion, a nice hunk of finely chopped ginger root. Four serrano chilis, cut with the seeds, in thin rounds.
The pears I diced into medium chunks.
When the onions and peppers become clear add 1 tlb of Garam Masala, the pears,  1.5 cups of organic sugar ,1 generous cup of dried currents. 1 tlb of mustard seed, several saffron threads, 1 cinnamon stick and about a half cup of white balsamic vinegar, a bit of salt. 

Let simmer until the flavors have blended and the pears are well cooked.
Put in your jars and process for 15 minutes.

Lemon Cucumber Pickles for the Lazy Pickler!

                   

This year I planted a single lemon cucumber. It must love being an only child as it has produced and is still producing oodles of cucumbers. This recipe is for the refrigerator and
so simple to do. I recommend you just leave them be, if you can for at least a week before you dive in as they do get better with age.

I used about 5lbs of cucumbers and this gave me about 5 and a half pints. Other varieties such as Armenian and Persian work as well. If you have several kinds it's nice to mix them together for texture and color.

Cut the cucumbers fairly thin , about 1/8th inch and place in a large bowl. I used two medium sized yellow onions and about 10 cloves of garlic, which I sliced thin as well. Add to the cucumbers and 
salt with about 1 tablespoon of good sea salt.

You'll then bring about 6 cups of vinegar ( i used a mix of  Bragg's organic apple cider and unseasoned rice vinegars) salted with 2 tlb of good quality sea salt to near boiling point

In the bowl add a few whole cloves, a few tablespoons of coriander seed and multi colored peppercorns. Toss well with about 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and put in your clean jars, don't pack too tight. Add a couple of bay leaves and Arbol chilis to the jars.

Pour in the warmed brine and fill to brim of jars. You can add a bit of water if you don't have enough vinegar to fill.

Close them up and then let them cool before refrigerating.

Variations
adding fresh Dill or fresh wild Fennel

Enjoy!

Brioche Buns for a July 4th Weekend BBQ

Mulberries!

Geoffrey's beautiful Mulberries in my Confiture ready for jam.

                                         

An Apricot Almond Coconut Ginger Coffee Cake

I did a bit of fooling around with my coffee cake recipe and love the results. Apricots blend beautifully with coconut and ginger. This cake came out delicate, crunchy and intoxicatlingly fragrant. I used a lite coconut milk instead of dairy and the consistancy of the center of the cake is much like a custard. yum!


Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" spring form pan, and line with parchment paper.

 Ingredients:

2 cups organic unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups organic cane sugar
1/2 lb ( 2 sticks). Kerry Gold Irish Sweet butter
3 egg whites, beaten till fluffy and firm
a shot of vanilla
1/4 cup lite coconut milk

8 –10  fresh apricots seeded and quartered
2tlb grated fresh ginger root & a shot of orange blossom water



1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup slivered almonds
 ( both of these toasted)

1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick sweet butter

mix these ingredients till crumbly in texture.


How I do the dance of this, is to first beat the egg whites in my mixer, remove, place in a bowl and then add later.  Wash, seed and quarter the apricots, add the fresh grated ginger root and the orange blossom water and let sit for a bit. in a separate bowl,
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together well.
In the mixer cream the butter and sugar together til smooth and fluffy. Then add the vanilla, slowly add the flour, then add the coconut milk and fold in the egg white till the batter is well blended and creamy .
Add to  the spring form pan, layer the apricots on top and then the topping sprinkle liberally the nuts and coconut on top of that.

Bake about 45 minutes or until the center is set,

This is so yummy!!!.

It's Salmon Season!

                                                 

 It's salmon season!

A reunion lunch with Carolyn and Dick

 during the great heatwave of May 2014

Seared local wild salmon  braised eggplant

with Siracha Mirin Glaze

Crispy fried leeks

Shredded Nori

Wasabi Ponzu Aioli

Chive blossoms &
black sesame seed

photo by Carolyn Boone Duncan