Delicious Breakfast

Perfect Soft-Boiled (Steamed) Eggs

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and happens to be my favorite meal .... with brunch a close second!

Who doesn't love a soft boiled egg? I make them just to use the adorable, wooden egg cups that I've had for years. But getting the timing just right, so the white is set and the yolk still runny is tricky. I heard a new method for soft-boiled eggs from the folks at Cooks Illustrated. Actually, not boiled at all, but technically steamed! The end result is a more consistently perfect egg without the tendency for cracked shells which can result from placing them into boiling water.

PERFECT SOFT-BOILED (STEAMED) EGGS   Yield: 2 eggs    ... from Cooks Illustrated
The key is twofold: get your eggs quickly into the pot with the lid on and immediately set a timer. A digital timer is best or even a stop watch so that timing is accurate. If you are doing a lot of eggs at once, adjust the size of the pot or use a steam basket so all the eggs cook for the same amount of time. Also, be sure to use eggs that come straight from the fridge!

Bizarre Breaky but delicious and so colorful!
Brie cheese, green and red 'kraut, avocado and 2 perfect eggs

Ingredients:
2 cold eggs
salt and pepper for serving 

Instructions:
Fill a small pot with 1/2-inch of water. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the water to a full boil. Quickly and gently, set the eggs in the pot and tightly cover with a lid. Immediately set a timer for 6-1/2 minutes, and continue to cook the eggs over medium-high heat.
As soon as the timer rings, put pot into the sink and run cold water over the eggs for 30 seconds to stop the cooking. Serve in egg cups if you have them.

Sally Rae's Breakfast Smoothie Ingredients

 
Smoothies are another one of my favorite 'breakfast to-go' items. I have a few beautiful, big, old-style milkshake glasses that are perfect for at home and work. For the ferry, a large yogurt container works just fine! Any extra is easy to store in the cooler for the day in town. When the container is empty, no need to worry about it getting broken or damaged.

BANANA AND STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE   
        Yield: 1-2 servings
The 'Pepto-Bismal' color is from organic red beet crystals. All measurements are guesstimates, so the yield may vary.

Banana and Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients:  
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or plain homemade kefir
1 ripe banana
1-2 Tbsp. organic red beet crystals  
1 Tbsp. hemp hearts
1 generous spoon organic cashew butter
1/2 cup frozen organic strawberries 

Place all ingredients into a blender and whirl on high speed until there are no lumps. Pour and serve.

**CHEF'S NOTE: there are so many variations to this guideline recipe... substitute Coconut Milk and Mango, Banana and Blueberry, add Greek yogurt, flax seed... endless possibilities for a nourishing, fast, to-go breakfast!!

Another idea if you're in a rush for work or heading to the ferry ...a slice of Banana Bread or 'Pumpkin Pecan Loaf' and a fresh coffee fills the breakfast bill. I always have overripe bananas in the freezer (does this sound familiar?) They are used to bake different versions of banana bread ...with or without nuts, gluten free, grain free etc. Once the loaves cool; slice and wrap individually, pack into a freezer zip lock bag that is labeled with the item, date then pop in the freezer. In the rush out the door or for a lunch box they are ready to go... maybe not the most nutritious breaky, but it's home baked, you know the ingredients and it's better than no breakfast at all!

Till next time... Bon Appétit!

Photos by Sally Rae
'Steamed Egg' Method from Cooks Illustrated
Smoothie Recipe by Sally Rae  

Denman Island Blackberry Faire 2017

Produce judging and displays

"The biggest little parade this side of the Salish Sea"

Denman Island celebrates the end of summer with the annual Blackberry Faire. The festivities kick off early morning with the Blackberry Run/Walk. An 8.5 km course that takes participants up the big hill then onto Pickles, Lake and Northwest Roads. All proceeds from the run are donated to Canadian Breast Cancer Research. After the run the Blackberry Faire follows on the Community Hall grounds... a parade, food booths, a book sale for fundraising, music, produce judging and displays and craft booths. This is also the venue for the famous Denman Island Zucchini Races, where the only rule is that 'all axles must go through the zucchini'!

The parade assembly takes place at the Guest House then travels to the Community Hall field. Named in The Flagstone as "the biggest little parade this side of the Salish Sea", this year did not disappoint. Lead by a couple of frisky, side stepping horses, along with music and costumes there were kids on bikes, miniature goats with fairy wings and a tutu, baton twirling, a ewe pulling a cart of tiny fairies, assorted canines, an old truck, farm tractors, flashing lights of the Ambulance and Denman Island Volunteer Fire Department trucks and the grand finale, a beautiful, white steed sprinkled with glitter, complete with a flower wreath and braided tail with flowers.

Produce entries from my garden

I decided to enter some of my fabulous garlic for judging this year. The Hornby Island Fair has Denman judges who rave about the participation there. Our competitive nature has created a bit of a buzz on Denman this year to up our game for the judges who come over from Hornby Island. 

While watering the garden the night before Faire day, I realized there is more here to enter than just garlic!

Heirloom Tomato Collection takes first place!

The first ripe Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato was staring me in the face, the Seascape Strawberries are always a show stopper... and I pick Corentine cukes every 3-4 days!

I managed to round up five good looking entries; two varieties of hardneck garlic, my favorite Corentine cornichons in two sizes, an Heirloom Tomato Collection (Aunt Ruby's German Green, Sally's Salsa and Yellow Hawaiian) and last but not least, twelve stunning, huge Seascape Strawberries. 

Seascape Strawberries take second in the Berry Category

It was a busy day with lots of activity, socializing and fun. The weather was beautiful, although the afternoon got a bit hot for some of us. The Denman Island Garden Club ran the Produce Competition for the first time this year and I send out many thanks to all those involved in organizing all the activities that go into this annual event.

It was a great day on Denman! Now those winning tomatoes will become delicious sandwiches for dinner... and seeds will be collected and saved for next year!

Winner winner, makes great dinner!

Till next time... stay cool and Bon Appétit!


Photos by Sally Rae
Organic produce lovingly grown, watered and cared for by Sally Rae

End of Summer and the Picking is Easy

It's hard to believe summer is almost over! Today is August 29th, and still very warm outside. I had to wait for the garden to be cloaked in late afternoon shade before heading out to water. While outside tonight until 7:30pm, the breeze was so warm it felt like July, what a treat!! That warm breeze also kept the mosquitoes from taking flight so I had a glorious time in the garden... picking, watering and feeding on fresh, warm strawberries.

Seascape strawberries ~  huge, flavorful and juicy

The second crop of Seascape strawberries are magnificent this year... huge, flavorful and juicy. We are very lucky to still have an excellent, abundant supply of high quality, potable water at this time of year. Many farmers and gardeners have suffered in this long, dry spell. Some are experiencing very low water supply and the need to make a choice on where that water is rationed. Livestock and animals are taking precedence over their gardens. It is sad to let the veggies go. As for flowers, well, as I always say... "if I can't eat it, I can't be bothered growing it!"

Big, beautiful berries!!

As the weeks pass by, I'm picking larger bowls of strawberries every 2-3 days. However, I've also noticed more berries are being damaged by a possible rodent in my garden. It's pretty hard to keep all of nature out in organic gardening, so we'll just have to share. The June crop is always ravaged by the robins and their young, along with slugs, wood bugs and other assorted pests. In August, the picking is easy and although a different clientele of pests, we get a descent sized bowl full. These days, more than what we can eat fresh, so a few actually make it to the freezer for winter smoothies.

Corentine cucumbers

The Corentine cucumbers are still producing well. The 12 plants are picked  every 2-3 days to keep the size about finger length. Today's harvest will be packed in a 2-quart jar with dill weed, garlic, pickling spice and a salt brine then topped with my 'E~Z Pickler' fermenting lid. After five days, of fermenting at 21 degrees Celsius, they will be ready for the fridge. 

I leave a few cucumbers on the vine to grow large enough for salad and slicing... or to scoop up hummus or salmon salad. Near the end of their season, I leave more cukes grow larger for one of my family's favorite pickles. They make great 'Aunt Stella's Pickles in a Pail', from my cookbook 'For the Love of Food' page 227.

With September and Back to School just days away, who knows how much longer these balmy days and nights will continue. We are due for rain ...and desperately need it... but for now I'm enjoying this lovely weather and easy, plentiful picking from the garden!

Till next time... Enjoy a safe, long weekend... Happy Gardening and Bon Appétit!


Photos by Sally Rae

Fermenting Dill Pickles

As we break records for the number of rain-free days, the Corentine cucumber plants have been producing well with dedicated watering. My 'E~Z Picklers' have been put into full production, with several jars fermenting at once. The extra fridge that I call my 'chocolate fridge', (because it was purchased to accommodate my Handmade Truffles), is now operating and filling fast with nine quarts ...so far... of half sour and full sour dill pickles. 'Half Sour' is a deli term referring to pickles in a brine of water and salt. With the 'E~Z Pickler', fermented, half sour dill pickles are easily transformed into 'Full Sours' by adding a small, measured amount of apple cider vinegar AFTER fermentation.

E~Z Pickler, fermenting dills

Lacto-fermented or brined pickles are made at room temperature using raw vegetables and just a saltwater brine. They are not preserved by cooking or canning. There is no need for a culture or starter because a spontaneous fermentation is created by beneficial lactic acid microbes that live on the produce. This is also known as fresh cultured, and lacto-fermented vegetables are self-preserving. After a few days of fermenting at a comfortable room temperature, they only need refrigeration. When pickling is complete, they are still raw, but have transformed into a more digestible food that stays fresh for months in the refrigerator.

Brine Pickling Basics with the 'E~Z Pickler' 
Follow the directions exactly and don't reduce amounts of salt. Don't make dill pickles as your first attempt. We all have a memory of these classic pickles but they were most likely canned in a hot vinegar solution. Fresh brine pickles have a sour taste without vinegar and don't contain additives to make the cucumbers stay crisp. First become successful and familiar with pickling firm vegetables like cauliflower, carrots and daikon radish. 

After a few batches, you can move to cucumbers which need a more practiced skill level.
~ Use filtered water; chlorine, soft or hard water may affect culture 
~ Use unrefined, mineral sea salt - do not use table, pickling or kosher style salt 
~ Use fresh vegetables; organic or untreated, locally grown and in season are best

The first few quarts, ready for the fridge

Storing Finished Pickles 
Once the pickles are finished fermenting at room temperature, store them in the refrigerator. These are not shelf stable pickles. Remove the fermenting lid assembly and separator cup then store in glass jars with the 2-piece snap lid; screw on, then slightly loosen. Mark the date on each jar. Pickles continue to ferment in the fridge at a slower rate. Brine pickles stay fresh in the fridge for 4-9 months... if they last that long!!

After you've eaten all the pickles use the brine in salad dressings or to make lightly pickled vegetables. I have heard the brine called the 'new Gatorade', rich in probiotics and electrolytes. I am not suggesting drinking a large amount but a little shot of chilled brine on a hot day is very refreshing!

I've had a great time at the Denman Island Saturday Farmer's Market this summer. Chatting with and meeting many food enthusiasts from around our province and some from as far away as Australia, Ireland and Germany to name a few. I welcome you to my Blog and look forward to comments and feedback from the new owners of my 'E~Z Pickler'!
 
Till next time... Happy Fermenting and Bon Appétit!


Photos by Sally Rae

Garlic Harvest 2017... Finally!

In the garden, pulled and dried for half a day

With our long, cool, wet spring and a late summer finally in full swing, my garden remains about four weeks behind schedule! Since my last post and garlic update, I checked a few heads again today. With five skin wrappers over the bulbs of both varieties, they were finally ready to harvest! For more detailed information of how to test the heads, harvest and set up for curing, check out my Featured Post 'Garlic Harvest 2015'.

Unlike years past, the heads are smaller and my watering schedule a bit different. I removed the mulch and watered every second day for 4 weeks past my usual 'Stop Watering Garlic Date' of June 22nd. 

Partially cleaned, tops cut to 12-inches

I stopped watering on July 20th this year and with the warm days with some wind, the bed had dried out nicely. I pulled the garlic late morning and let it dry in the garden for half a day. 

After dinner I used gloves to gently rub off any dirt and cut the stems leaving about 12-inches of the tops. I decided to give this a try because when pulled, I noticed they had dried in the ground more than I had seen in the past. The tops were not as tall and had also dried more than usual. Seeing as nothing else was going 'as usual' I might as well keep up with the theme! Besides, the curing process will take up less space and not be as messy. You will see what I mean by comparing the photos from this year to my 2015 post of the garlic drying on the screens! 

Drying on screens with fans

I'm also hoping this will expedite the curing to make up for some lost time.

Using elevated old window screens with fans is the method I prefer. It is under cover, in a garage, which provides the option of an open door for increased air circulation and completely weather safe. This year we managed to escape the little, unexpected rain showers and the roots are very dry compared to last year.

I can breathe a sigh of relief now that the garlic harvest is finally curing under cover!
  
Till next time... Happy Gardening and Bon Appétit!


Photos by Sally Rae

Denman Island Saturday Market 2017

Denman Island Farmer's Market

The Victoria Day long weekend, Saturday May 20th, marked the opening of the 2017 season of the Denman Island Saturday Farmer's Market. It was a chilly day for May but there were a good number of vendors happy to kick off the season and share the weekend with the 30th annual Denman Island Pottery Studio Tour. 

The weather has not been cooperating so far this year... rainy and cool then a short heat wave has pushed some of the vegetables to bolt in complete confusion. Everything in my garden is about six weeks behind 'normal'. The garlic scapes were picked several weeks ago and I have pulled a few garlic heads to check their progression. I'm disappointed with their small size, so will leave them in the garden an additional six weeks past my 'normal' timing. The heat loving plants... tomatoes, winter squash and pickling cukes are struggling and still look pathetic and small. I had them covered with plastic cloches until the weather warmed, then had to shade them with perforated plant trays as in years past... but now it is cool again. Not much we can do but keep riding our West Coast weather roller coaster!

Cucumbers and Kohlrabi

E~Z Pickler with glass weight

I've been ecstatic to finally have fermented dill pickles in the fridge again! Although the Corentine pickling cucumber plants are small, I have picked three times already. The first two pickings were small, so the jars had to be topped up with cauliflower or kohlrabi, which are both delicious dilled. Finally, this week's harvest produced enough for a full quart of Garlic Dill Pickles in my 'E~Z Pickler' Single Jar Fermenting Kit. I have 12 Corentine pickling cucumber plants in the main garden this year, so when the weather warms, I look forward to a huge weekly harvest to ferment. 
Since last summer, I've been using a glass weight and glass separator cup in the fermenting jars. In the photo to the right, with just cucumbers, you can see the thick, glass weight in the top of the jar, holding the vegetables below the brine. The weights are especially helpful with sauerkraut.

Denman Island Saturday Market  2017

Look for me at the Denman Island Saturday Farmer's Market through the summer. At my table you will find; my 'E~Z Pickler' Single Jar Fermenting Kit, fermenting accessories (the glass weight and glass separator cup), my cookbook 'For the Love of Food' and my packaged line including; 'Rainbow Lentil Soup Mix', 'Curried Rice Mix', 'BBQ Dry Rub' and my signature 'Garlic Seasoned Pepper'. Stop by and enjoy a sample of crunchy, fermented vegetables that change weekly... cauliflower, kohlrabi, daikon radish or possibly even dilled cucumbers if they last that long! 
Hope to see you at the Market! 

Till next time... Happy Gardening and Bon Appétit!


Photos by Sally Rae

Have You Tried Kelp Noodles?

Sea Tangle brand Kelp Noodles

In my search for grain free products, I recently discovered 'Kelp Noodles'.

Kelp Noodles are a raw noodle made from kelp (a sea vegetable), sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from brown seaweed) and water. They have a clear, glassy look and out of the package have a crunchy texture. Kelp Noodles are very low in carbohydrates and calories, are fat free and gluten free. They have a neutral taste and can be used in salads, stir fries, hot broths and casseroles. They are a tasty alternative to pasta and rice noodles and when softened retain a unique texture. Best of all, no cooking is required! Just rinse and soak in warm water with an acid... lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and salt to soften them. If they are used in a salad, the acid in the dressing will soften the noodles while they take on the flavor of what ever you add to them. To soften Kelp Noodles; rinse, soak in warm water with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and salt for 30-45 minutes then rinse again. In the salad recipe below, just rinse the noodles, then add the dressing and marinate overnight until softened before adding the vegetables. 

Kelp Noodles can be purchased at Asian Markets and Health Food Stores, in the refrigerated area. Once opened, the unused portion should be kept in water, stored in the fridge.

THAI KELP NOODLE SALAD                   Yield: 6-8 servings

Rice noodles can be used as a substitute... see directions in the *Chef's Note below. 

300 grams kelp noodles - tear or cut into 3-6" lengths

½ English cucumber - cut into 2” long, thin strips

1 medium carrot - coarsely grated

Thai Kelp Noodle Salad

4 green onions - sliced on the diagonal

¼ cup fresh cilantro - chopped coarse

½ cup salted peanuts - chopped coarse
     -for garnish

Dressing:

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 fresh cloves garlic, minced

1½ Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

1½ Tbsp. light soy sauce

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root

¼ tsp. Asian chili paste

2½ Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp. grape seed oil

Rinse the kelp noodles, tear or cut them into 3-6" pieces, place in a large bowl and set aside. 

To make the dressing, whisk together all ingredients, pour over the noodles, cover and refrigerate overnight. Toss and press into the sauce several times so they soften before adding the vegetables. Combine cucumber, carrot, green onion and cilantro in a medium sized bowl. Add vegetable mixture to softened noodles. Toss to coat evenly and marinate for 2 hours. Just prior to serving, garnish with chopped peanuts.

*CHEF'S NOTE: Alternately use 250 grams of rice stick noodles and break in half.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add rice noodles and cook 1 minute or until tender. Drain well, rinse with cold water and cool completely. Add cooled noodles to vegetable mixture and pour dressing over salad. Toss to coat evenly and marinate for 2 hours.

Till next time... Bon Appétit!


Recipe by Sally Rae
Photos by Sally Rae