Category: Summertime

Summertime

Gluten-Free Flaxseed Crepes with Oregon Berry Sauce and Orange Curd

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Gluten-Free Flaxseed Crepes with Oregon Berry Sauce and Orange Curd

This past week has been a trial of tough decisions.  Growing up, one of my mentors always had two phrases that will forever stay with me:  “Show up to win” and “Remember the good things, the things that were done right; forget about the rest, and focus on what you did that went well.”  He was talking about showing horses, but I’ve found, years later, that he lives his life by that motto, and we should too.

Though life can often be found challenging, W and I try to embrace the good, the fun, and the beautiful moments that can be had.  So we made crepes.  Deliciousness ones with fresh berries that are perfectly ripe right now, and slathered with creamy, sweet orange curd.  They were a momentary cure for life’s uncertainties.  We followed the crepes with a beautiful hiking adventure through a short stretch of old growth forest up to a serene and quiet lake.  There were few people, and we could embrace the quiet of only the birds and other small creatures living amongst the foliage.

If you, too, find you need a little something to forget about your worries for a while, calm your spirit, and focus on the moments that be lived fully, I suggest you make crepes and then wander on into the woods.  It worked for us!

 
Gluten-Free Flaxseed Crepes, makes 4
14 grams flaxseed meal (about 2 Tbs.)
14 grams amaranth flour (about 2 Tbs.)
47 grams gluten-free flour mix* (about 1/3 cup)
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 large egg
160 ml water (about 3/4 cup)
  • Combine all flours and salt. Use a fork to stir in the eggs. Stir in the water. Rest 30 minutes.
  • Heat a well-oiled 8-inch skillet to medium-high.  Spoon 1/4 cup-amounts into skillet.  Tilt so the batter spreads as thin as possible.  Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Continue with batch, until all cooked.

Oregon Berry Sauce

  • Mix 1/2-1 cup fresh Oregon berries together. We used blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
  • Heat on stove top until the mixture is warm and bubbly.  Serve over crepes.
Orange Curd, recipe adapted from Culinate
2 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
9 large egg yolks
9 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. finely grated orange zest
6 Tbs. cold butter, cut into small pieces.
 
  • Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat until reduced to 3/4 cup. (Have a liquid measure nearby so that you can check the volume as necessary.) Set the reduction aside to cool slightly.
  • Fill a small pot one-third of the way with water, and bring to a boil.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and orange zest. While whisking, slowly add the reduced orange juice until completely incorporated. Set the bowl over the pot of boiling water, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk constantly for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the curd thickens and holds its shape when stirred. (You can also do this in a double boiler.) Remove the bowl from the heat and gradually stir in the butter.
  • Set a metal bowl into a larger bowl of ice water, and strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into the smaller bowl. Stir the curd occasionally until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Transfer the curd to a small container, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled. Use within 1 week.

 

* My current gluten-free whole-grain mix of flour is:

200 grams brown rice flour
200 grams millet flour
200 grams sorghum flour
100 grams buckwheat flour
100 grams tapioca flour
100 grams potato starch
100 grams cornstarch 
Summertime

Yellow Squash Soup

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Yellow Squash Soup

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A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to co-star in an impromptu garden photo shoot.  The resulting bounty of said garden inspired this yellow squash soup.  My mom pulled out an old wooden fruit crate  where we stowed our bounty during the shoot.  I pulled on my wellies, and snatched a few sunflowers.  We ate beans right off the plant, and pretended to look cool with our hoes– an immature, yet funny photo shoot joke.  After all was said and done, it turned out to be a beautiful, unexpected moment captured in the company of good friends.

–A garden truly is a beautiful place for inspiration.

This soup is one I’ve adapted from a recipe given to my mom from an old family friend years ago.  Our family grew up with Sally’s soup each summer, as this was one of mom’s ways to get rid of a few of those extra large zucchini she couldn’t keep up with during the summer months.  This serves about four, so double or triple for a larger crowd.  It can also be frozen for eating later when summer squash are a distant memory!

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Summer Squash Soup, serves 4
Recipe Updated: 9/21/21

6 cups medium-chopped yellow summer squash
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable-based mineral broth
1 large onion, diced
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 T. butter, ghee, or olive oil
1/4 cup whole grain flour (brown rice, sorghum, chickpea, or wheat if tolerated are good choices)
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable-based mineral broth
1 cup plain yogurt or cashew cream
Red pepper flakes, optional

  1. In a large pot, simmer squash, 1 cup chicken broth, onion, salt, and oregano until tender and the squash pieces are starting to fall apart.
  2. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.  Set aside.
  3. In the same pot that squash was cooked in, melt the butter, ghee or olive oil.  Whisk in the flour and then gradually add the remaining 1 cup of broth to form a roux.
  4. Gradually add the squash mixture back into the pot. Stir in yogurt or cashew cream to a desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning as needed.  Bring up to preferred heat carefully!
Summertime

Blackberry Mascarpone Tart–An Ode to Summer’s End

by RebeccaLeave a Comment on Blackberry Mascarpone Tart–An Ode to Summer’s End

When W and I first began dating, the blackberries were just coming into season.   Now, already two years later, it’s blackberry season again. I know because, as we’ve been running in the park these last few weeks, we’ve been bombarded with the scent of sweet, ripe, bursting berries.  Tempted by the size, color, and the glorious smell, we decided to go picking.  Armed with only a bowl from the kitchen, and taking a quick five-minute walk out the door, we soon found our bowl was full, even as I ate as many as I saved for later!  One lady who drove to the park to go running entertained us as she literally jumped out of her car and dived in the bushes.  Clearly she needed some fuel for her run!

Earlier this summer I made a mascarpone tart with berries from the farmers market.  It was one of those dishes where I realized I had cream that was in desperate need of use, and not knowing what else to do, pulled out my wonderful Forgotten Skills cookbook.  I soon learned how simple it is to make mascarpone!  When I shared the finished product with family and friends on the Fourth of July, I realized I was onto something with this simple tart.  Now, as we enjoy the last few weeks of heat and sun that summer has to offer, this tart will certainly please–especially as we are laden with the freshest berries the season has to offer.  It can also be adapted later for other seasons, as the berries are easily interchangeable with other fruits, and surely will be savored again in the months to come!

Blackberry Mascarpone Tart
Mascarpone cheese recipe
Oatmeal pastry recipe
1/3 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 cups fresh blackberries
  • Mix the mascarpone, yogurt, lemon zest, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl. Spread evenly in prepared oatmeal pastry crust.  Cover loosely and chill for several hours and up to a day.
  • Prior to serving, wash berries and arrange on top of filling as desired.
For crust, (from Celebrate the Rain)
1/3 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, unsalted and cut into small pieces
About 4 Tbs. ice water
  • Combine oats and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Add the flour and salt and mix evenly.  Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Add the ice water, one splash at a time, until the mixture just comes together.
  • Remove from food processor, and pat into a flat circle.  Wrap in plastic and chill for an hour or more.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Roll out pastry into large circle, big enough to fit in bottom of tart pan with removable bottom.
  • Gently press into pan, and form rippled edges.  With a fork, evenly prick the pastry several times.
  • Cover the pastry with parchment paper and fill with either pie weights or dry beans.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.  At this point, remove the beans and parchment paper, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Cool to room temperature prior to preparing the tart.
For Mascarpone, (from the Forgotten Skills of Cooking)
1 quart heavy cream
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Heat the cream in a clean, stainless-steel saucepan, stirring constantly.
  • Once the temperature reaches 185 degrees F, turn off the heat, and remove from stove.
  • Add the lemon juice, stir for an additional minute, and then let cool to room temperature.
  • Once cool, cover tightly, and place saucepan in fridge to chill overnight.  It will thicken as it cools.
  • The next day, place a sieve or small colander, lined with a couple of coffee filter papers, over the saucepan to drain out the whey.
  • Rewrap this entire mixture, and place back in the fridge for an additional 8-12 hours.
  • At this point, the cheese is ready for use, but can also be tightly wrapped and left for several days to be used later.