Strawberry Basil Sorbet

Sorbets made from fresh fruit are refreshing and summery warm-weather fare (great for the official unofficial first day of summer- or whenever school is out).
Simple to make, they require just a handful of ingredients.

And as far as tools go, all you need is a freezer, large dish, and a whisk. No ice cream maker necessary.
Well, you'll want to pull out that food processor... but the thing is that it's not so much a one trick pony as the ice cream maker. And we can safely assume it's used more year-round than it's kitchen compatriot.

While the ripest strawberries are the best and most flavorful in any case, you don't have complete control of the ripeness of each and every strawberry in your box. The best way to choose a box of strawberries is by scent and color. An undeniable strawberry scent and a large portion of deep red, shiny berries would be the way to go. Large size isn't necessarily the way to go. In fact, the smaller, more intense berries are best if you can find them. And make sure to shy away from berries with white shoulders.

Sugar, the devil to many a diabetic, is integral in sorbet. Other than giving the strawberries an immediate faux ripening effect, it plays a large part in our dessert's final texture.
A thick syrup is produced soon after the sugar hits the berries and they begin to release their flavorful ruby juices. Water in the mix crystallizes when frozen. Those other parts of the sorbet such as the sugar and bits of fruit (softened by the sugar) are best spread thoroughly and evenly throughout the sorbet. Small ice crystals are formed and further broken by agitation as well even distribution among the fruit and sugar.  Smaller ice crystals yield a smoother, creamier result.

That said, it's true, constant agitation is better, and truly constant agitation with a good addition of air is gained with an ice cream maker.
However, the amount in this recipe is probably too much for many ice cream makers, especially since sorbets and ice creams expand as they freeze.

If it happens to freeze solid, just run the tines of a fork over the frozen sorbet to break it up a bit: you then have granita. Of course, it's an easy option with a lot less stirring if that's what you want instead of a creamy sorbet. Just leave it overnight.

The flavor combination is unexpected, but the two pair so well. Some may be able to guess just exactly what it is after a few tentative and curious bites.

The strawberries are a given, but the basil adds a sweet and anise-like freshness- with a little lemon to brighten things up, all the flavors pop.

Isn't it funny though how some flavors you wouldn't expect together work so beautifully as a team?

Maybe a tiny drizzle of good aged balsamic vinegar would add a nice touch...

Dessert enough for a small crowd.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet
adapted from My Darling Lemon Thyme
serves 8-10

3 lb. (1kg plus 350 g) strawberries
1 1/2 c (320 g) sugar
3 oz (84 g) fresh basil (both leaves and stems are fine here)
1/4 t salt 
5 T (75 ml) fresh lemon juice

Wash, hull, and halve or quarter the strawberries into a large bowl.  
Sprinkle strawberries with the sugar and let sit 1 1/2 hours, tossing and stirring occasionally to encourage syrup to form.
Once the time is up, strain the syrup from the strawberries and pour the syrup into a medium saucepan. Reserve the strawberries and set them aside in a bowl.

Add the basil leaves to the strawberry syrup and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture reaches a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and let the basil infuse into the syrup 15 minutes.
Strain the basil from the syrup, squeezing the basil to extract as much flavor as possible.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the strawberries with the basil syrup until smooth. This may need to be done in several batches depending on processor size, but I recommend not attempting to process in less than two rounds.

Stir in the salt and lemon juice until fully incorporated.

Pour into a shallow 3 qt/3 L baking dish and freeze 1-2 hours, or until the sorbet begins to freeze around the edges. Once it's partially frozen, break up the frozen bits with a whisk and whisk them through to incorporate the throughout the sorbet. Place the dish back in the freezer, check every hour or so, re-whisking each time. It will take several hours, so this is a project best begun late in the morning or early in the afternoon it is to be served. The sorbet doneness depends on several factors, including the freezer temperature and depth of the dish used to hold the sorbet.

(If the sorbet is too stiff to scoop, leave it out for a bit at room temperature to soften.)

Spring Salad

Not that I haven't used the phrase before, but I absolutely love this salad.

This one in particular is chock-full of many of the flavors of spring: fresh new green veggies- particularly peas and asparagus, verdant parsley, a little sharpness from alliums, plus bright lemon.
It's the taste of spring on a plate.

Once we start to find lots of green and new vegetables at the market, it's a reminder that warm weather is on it's way.
Fresh cut grass, daffodils, violets, and peonies, new leaves, flowering trees, lighter clothing, allergies, planting the garden...

Everything is fresh.
(And speaking of spring, salads look like little green nests sometimes, don't you think?)

I like a vinaigrette with tons of vibrant flavor. The only real way for me to be sure of this is to measure and pay attention instead of eyeballing things. If I've got too much asparagus, the vinaigrette is stretched a bit too far. If not enough lemon, there's not enough zip.

Plus, you'll want to make sure the vegetables are well drained and dry(ish) before adding the vinaigrette. Water does not tend to help vinaigrettes.

Sorry, I wasn't able to obtain pea tendrils for photographing this post, but if you are able to find them and choose to finish your salads with the curly, delicate things, you won't be disappointed.

The salad components can be prepared in advance, but keep everything separate until ready to serve. Resist dressing the vegetables until right before assembling the salads and serving.

Spring Salad
(serves about 6)

zest of one lemon (plus more to taste, if desired)

2 1/2 T (37 ml) Lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with salt
1 1/2-2 T (15-20 g) minced shallot (depending on how strong you like it)
1 t (5 ml) Dijon mustard
7 T (105 ml) olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

1 lb (454 g) asparagus 

8 oz (227 g) sugar snap peas
mixed greens or baby spinach (about 5 oz or 142 g, but you may not use all of it)

2/3 c (60 g) chopped green onions (or maybe ramps)

1/3 c (20 g) parsley, minced
Parmesan shavings (use a vegetable peeler)

pea tendrils (optional garnish, but both pretty and tasty)

Mix lemon juice and zest,  garlic, shallot, and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, all the while whisking. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 

Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Meanwhile, trim the asparagus and cut into 1 inch lengths. Reserve the tops separately from the pieces of stalk. Remove the strings from the sugar snap peas and cut in half on the bias. 
When the water comes to a boil, salt generously. Make sure to have a large bowl of ice water at the ready.  
Cook the asparagus stems about 2 minutes, remove from the hot water, and plunge them into the ice water. Next, cook the sugar snap peas about 1 minute, and add them to the cold water along with the asparagus. 
Remove the vegetables to a colander to drain once completely chilled. 
Cook the asparagus tips 1 minute and remove to the bowl of cold water. Once these have chilled,  drain and remove them to small bowl separate from the other vegetables. 

Prepare plates with a layer of greens. 
Re-whisk the previously prepared vinaigrette and gently toss the vinaigrette together with the well-drained asparagus stalks and sugar snap peas, green onion and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper as necessary and spoon dressed vegetables into the center of each nest of greens. Divide the asparagus tips among the salads to garnish and top with Parmesan shavings and pea tendrils (if using).

Ras el Hanout and Roasted Chickpeas

Ras el hanout was a spice blend I'd been hunting for a long time.
Moroccan, and meaning "top of the shop," ras el hanout is the best of what a spice merchant has to offer, everything pulled together in one blend.
Needless to say, there's no one specific blend, but many versions.
I suppose it all has to do with what one person's "best" might be, where the quality lies.
Some may contain more than 30 different spices in one blend (in contrast, what I have here is 14).
Potentially including spices such as ginger, saffron, turmeric, fennel, cardamom, rosebuds, lavender, a variety of peppers, cloves, both nutmeg and mace.... somewhat like a curry powder, it's exotic and intensely flavorful.

As I said, I'd been trying to find this spice blend for quite a while, but was never able to find any in stores when I looked. Online, yes.
After tasting someone else's gorgeous spice blend which was inspired by ras el hanout, I thought I'd mix up some of my own.
Yes, there was a jumping off point (found on about.com), obviously there had to be a jumping off point since ras el hanout is pretty far from my own personal background, but things can be very easily made your own when cooking.
Change a bit of this and that, add some of those... and obviously since there are no "rules" per se as everyone seems to have his or her own special recipe, if you like it, it works.

Everything rolled into one when it comes to spices, it runs warm, sweet, savory and spicy. Certainly flavorful and deep, spiced, but not overly spicy, the scent is pretty amazing. I wish you could at the very least smell it (I think it very easily elicits a well-deserved "wow").
I've been finding myself putting this spice blend on everything.
Truly.
Eggs, roasted vegetables (great on sweet potatoes), chicken, fish...
Though it hasn't been attempted yet, I think it would be equally nice on freshly stovetop-popped popcorn.

It's also very great mixed with a little olive oil, minced garlic, and preserved lemon peel to make a paste as a rub for roast chicken.

Add to a saucy chicken dish- perhaps a tagine?

I'm finding it does well with things that are particularly bland.
Thus the recipe for roasted chickpeas below (which would be really good on top of a salad)

Some of the spices called for are definitely going to be previously ground, no two ways about it over here. This is due in part to the fact that some are more difficult to find whole, maybe they don't "exist" whole, but others are more difficult to grind (I can't find pre-dried hunks of whole ginger to grind myself and I decided it wasn't going to be time-effective to open 50 cardamom pods to get the seeds I needed). If I DO call for grinding spices, it's only because it's definitely do-able in the situation called for.

Coriander seed, for example, is something I can occasionally find at a specialty grocery store. But, of course, I can't find it when I need it.
I can go to the spice shop, sure, but I don't always physically want to go there.
Sometimes there's something to be said for ease.

BUT, if things are accessible to you, and if you have the capacity, I would encourage toasting and grinding your own spices. The flavors will be much more present, as with pre-ground spices the flavors from the oils can quickly dissipate.
For example, I NEVER choose pre-ground nutmeg.  The flavor and taste of freshly ground does not compare to the dustiness frequently found in the jarred, pre-ground stuff.
Please invest in whole nutmeg if you can.

Here goes...

Ras el Hanout
Makes about 1/2 c (about 45 g)

2 t (5 g) ground ginger
2 t (5 g) ground cardamom
2 t (6 g) ground mace
1 1/2 t (4 g) ground cinnamon
1 1/4 t (4 g) ground cumin 
1 t (3 g) ground allspice
1 t (3 g) ground coriander seed 
1 t (3 g) ground turmeric
1 t  (3 g) ground nutmeg 
3/4 t (3 g) cayenne pepper
1/2 t (2 g) ground white peppercorns
1/2 t (2 g) ground black peppercorns
1/2 t (2 g) ground anise seeds
3 whole cloves, ground 

Mix all spices thoroughly and store in a covered container away from light and heat.
Use as desired.  

Ras el Hanout Roasted Chickpeas
makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 T (15 ml) olive oil
2 t (5 g) Ras el Hanout
1 t (5 g) salt
2 t (10 ml) lemon juice
15 oz can (425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220 C.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix the olive oil, Ras el Hanout, salt, and lemon juice together to make a paste. Stir in the chickpeas, toss and fold the mixture so that the chickpeas become well-coated. 
Pour the chickpeas out onto the parchment paper, making sure to spread into a single layer. 

Roast the chickpeas 20 minutes, stir, and cook another 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they cook evenly. 
When the chickpeas are golden brown, remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely. Store any extra in a covered container. 

Simple Cheese Course

Shards of Parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts drizzled with honey.
That's it.

The crevices in the Parmesan and walnuts catch the drips of honey, and the dish becomes a combination of salty, crunchy, nutty, sweet and sticky all at once.

Nothing need be exact, everything is made to taste.

It's a simple and unexpected pleasure.
It makes a satisfyingly different dessert- and it would be a fantastic midnight snack.

Maybe with a little cordial glass of Port?

Muesli

Muesli (or "let your breakfast do some of it's own work") makes a hearty first meal of the day.
It's relatively simple and practically no-cook. In fact, any of the actual cooking isn't completely necessary for success. However, the purpose of cooking in this case is strictly flavor enhancement (so, we have to admit that these extra steps are beneficial).

Like any bowl of oatmeal, you can dress it up however you like, this is just my version. The variations are practically endless.

But you'll definitely want to use old fashioned oats for their texture.
There will probably be a general lack of appeal if rolled oats are used because rolled oats = mush.

The longer the muesli sets, the more liquid is absorbed and the thicker it becomes. No worries if you don't like things too thick- you can always add milk prior to eating breakfast. There are no rules against that. Another benefit to letting muesli rest is that the flavors meld better when the time is taken. Although it's cold, the muesli ends up tasting like a muffin (though it must certainly be better for you).

Toasting the oats ahead of time gives them a nice nuttiness. If you turn your back and they toast themselves a little too dark, it may well be that all is not lost. They could, in fact, just be deeply toasted and will add some nice flavor to the mix. Of course, it all depends on your personal sensitivities. Just like in the world of toasted bread, there are some who like their toast extremely toasted, while others prefer more of a whispered suggestion of heat that in the end turns out to be... bread. Plain. Old. Bread.
Why are there people out there who eat un-toasted, not-even-the-slightest-bit-warm bread and call it toast?
(So, I love toast. The real kind of toast. Due to this fondness, I believe I could never give it up permanently. Pasta, yes, but not toast.)

As far as this recipe goes, I think pears and almonds make a nice combination. And really, as they do so often, the toasted almonds are what make it what it is. There's just something great about toasted nuts.

Pear and Toasted Almond Muesli 
serves 1

1/2 c rolled oats (GF if you like)
1/2 c (125 ml) milk
1/2 medium pear, ripe but firm, unpeeled and grated 
1 T (15 ml) maple syrup (or to taste)

scant 1/8 tsp cinnamon (or as you prefer)

small splash of vanilla extract

pinch of salt

To serve:

1 small handful almonds, toasted and chopped
Yogurt, as desired.

Toast the oats gently in a dry, heavy pan, just until they smell nutty and color slightly. 
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the toasted oats, milk, grated pear, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Stir well and place in a covered container.  Refrigerate at least an hour and up to overnight.

When ready to serve, add the almonds and yogurt.  

Strawberry-Mascarpone Tartlets

One of the best, simple and satisfying end-of-meal sweets is a bowl of fresh berries and cream.
Ripe, deeply colored berries, a sprinkle of vanilla sugar, and a dose of liquid cream over the top.

I suppose this constitutes a version of strawberries and cream (with a bit of delicate and crumbly cookie, a shortbread-like crust... which I think may now be my go-to for tartlets).

It's been a while since I posted something sweet- it's about time.

Sometimes you need something that's not chocolate, something that seems lighter... more so when the days lengthen and the weather warms.
Fruit is always a good call. Of course, it's much better when gorgeously perfect and in season.

The time's not quite right for strawberries yet, but I'm getting prepared.

Individual strawberry tartlets are an elegant type of dessert, or something to nibble in the afternoon while sipping coffee. With tiny tartlets you don't have to worry about them falling apart in the same way as if you made a large tart and then tried to cut it. The look is much cleaner.
AND it covers up any questionable tart-division skills.
Just something to think about...

Maybe a drizzle of chocolate, chocolate on the plate, chocolate shavings on top, or some cocoa powder in the pastry crust (in that case maybe remove a tablespoon of the sorghum flour and a tablespoon of the tapioca flour and add two tablespoons of cocoa powder, but don't quote me on it- I haven't tried it yet myself).
Perhaps a little cardamom, lime or lemon zest with the strawberries (or, of course, in the crust).
A little sprig of mint or chiffonade of basil leaves sprinkled on top for color and flavor pizzazz?

However, all by it's lonesome it's pretty great.

Strawberry-Mascarpone Tartlets
Makes 8, 4 inch tarts

1 1/3 c (150 g) sorghum flour
3/4 c (60 g) almond flour
1/3 c (33 g) tapioca flour
large pinch salt
3 T (50 g) sugar
8 T (114 g) butter
1 large egg
3 T (45 ml) water

8 oz (225 g) mascarpone cheese
3/4 c (180 ml) heavy (whipping) cream, divided
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
3 T (51 g) sugar (vanilla, if you've got a jar of vanilla sugar going using the scraped pods)

1 lb. (about 450 g) strawberries
2 T (34 g) sugar
1 T (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
(If you like more of a mountain of strawberries and/or don't mind leftovers, just add half of everything, or even double it. Of course, if the strawberries aren't very ripe they may benefit from extra sugar to taste.)


In the bowl of a food processor, combine the sorghum, almond, and tapioca flours along with the salt and sugar. Pulse several times until well blended. Add the butter, cut into 6-8 pieces and pulse again several times until it resembles damp, crumbly sand. Crack the egg into a small bowl and pour it into the food processor, and pulse several times again until combined. Drizzle the water over the dough and process until it comes together into a ball. 

Remove the dough to waxed paper or plastic wrap, wrap well, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 

Divide the dough among 8, 4-inch tart tins. The easiest way to  fill the tins is to use fingers or a small offset spatula to smooth the pastry evenly across the bottom and up the insides of the tins.

Freeze the tart tins at least 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350/180.

Dock the bottoms of the tart shells with a fork and bake the prepared tart tins on a sheet pan about 20-25 minutes, until set and slightly golden (you may need to gently dock the tarts again to deflate if they have puffed a bit too much). 
Let cool a few minutes on a rack, then carefully invert the tins (if not the removable-bottom type), to remove the baked shells. Let cool completely.
(At this point I like to place the finished tart shells back into the tins to protect them- just in case).

Clean and slice the strawberries.  About 30 minutes prior to serving, add the sugar and lemon juice. Toss the berries with the sugar and lemon juice and set aside, gently tossing a few times  so they sweeten and macerate evenly.

Place the mascarpone cheese into a medium-sized bowl and soften a bit with a spatula. Add 2 T (30 ml) cream and fold/stir a bit until the consistency of the mascarpone is a little looser.
In another bowl whip the remaining cream along with seeds from the vanilla bean and the sugar until it reaches the very soft peak stage.   
Carefully fold into mascarpone, first about one third of the cream, and then the remaining cream, taking care not to whip things up too much as everything will stiffen further. 

Just prior to serving, spread the mascarpone cream mixture into each tart shell. Top with berries (and chocolate shavings,  or lemon zest, etc. if desired), and serve. 

Sweet Pea and Pesto Soup

I recently had a potluck brunch at home. The offerings were varied, and because of that, wonderful.
Almond cookies, soft boiled eggs, a little champagne, some salmon, cream puffs, berries and cream... and of course hot tea and freshly brewed French press coffee (with crushed cardamom).

One of the other items was pea soup.
Pea soup for brunch may sound a little odd, but this was a FRESH and springy pea soup.

Well, since I enjoyed it, and happen to love soup in general, I thought I'd try to make a version.
The only type I'd ever made was split pea. Not exactly the same thing.
What can I say? I was inspired- and frankly decided I needed a spring pea soup in the repertoire.

Other than the really fresh taste, the color turned out fantastic- perfect for spring.

Soups don't need to be difficult. They could be involved, but it's not required, and the possibilities are practically endless.
Of course, starting with the basics is a good idea with most any soup: onion, carrot, celery, and a little garlic. They give a nice foundation.
In fact, they give a nice foundation to practically every savory thing you could cook.

Then, of course, broth and the main flavors of peas and pesto (basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, and garlic).
Plus there's a little cream added in the end for richness.
Voila!

I think it's best served cool or cold-  all the flavors seem much more present and deeper this way.
Something to keep in mind is that when a soup is cold you'll likely need a bit more seasoning.
A tip: you can finalize seasonings when cold, but make sure the salt you use is more finely ground as it will dissolve more easily.

I think it'll be a course for Easter...

Sweet Pea and Pesto Soup
serves 6-8

3 T (45 ml) olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 c (about 1 L) chicken or vegetable broth
good pinch of cayenne pepper
1 lb (about 450 g) fresh or frozen peas
3 T (30 g) toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 oz (42 g) fresh basil (stems removed and leaves reserved)
3/4 c (31 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 c (120 ml) half and half (light cream)
1/2 c (120 ml) heavy cream
salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Saute 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened a bit and the onions are translucent.
Add the minced garlic, saute about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Pour in the broth and sprinkle in the cayenne pepper, bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat slightly simmer about 15 minutes so the vegetables soften fully.

Add the peas to the hot broth and let cook through (about 10 minutes if frozen, but more like 5 if fresh).
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the toasted pine nuts. 

Puree the soup in a blender in batches until smooth, adding a small handful of basil to puree with each batch. Pour the puree into another pot or container as you go. 

After all the soup has been pureed, whisk the Parmesan through warm soup to fully incorporate
Whisk the heavy and light cream into the mixture and add salt, black pepper, and extra cayenne pepper to taste. Thin with extra cream, warm broth, or milk if desired. 

Chill several hours. Serve cool.