YUMMY SCONES RECIPE

Preparing High Tea for the girls this afternoon – bringing our grandma’s china and preparing cucumber sandwiches & scones with home made strawberry jam & clotted cream (can be found in Choices).  Found this great recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup raisins (or dried currants)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.
3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

UNCLE WOUT’S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Uncle Wout is our Chef Extrodinaire at our Kits location who spends a lot of his time creating our famous house made ravioli and dessert specials.

Over the last week he has been busy trying to perfect the creation of chocolate mousse and I believe he may of done it!!  I had a small bowl and it melted in my mouth.  It is our current dessert feature at Kits – rush down before it all disappears!

Wout’s Chocolate mousse for 4 persons

I’ve been studying this desert feature for the last two weeks. The amount of recipes and procedures were immense and sometimes controversial. The main issue is the use of eggs. And that is a personal preference. I just think if we were able to use raw eggs for the last 2 centuries, than we would be more than able to use them nowadays. Fresh eggs have a shiny yolk that is firm and round. If you are not sure about the freshness, just fry it up for breakfast instead.

The ingredients we used for this desert special:

140 gram of dark chocolate (callebaut coverture)

25 gram Butter

60 gram egg yolk

30 gram powder sugar

375 ml Cream

pinch of salt

And we flavor the cream with something. It can be orange juice or espresso, or Liquor. We used some grand marnier for this one, but dark rum or cognac are nice as well.

Now just a short thing about the chocolate. What is really important is that you know that you cannot substitute the dark chocolate with a white or milk one, without changing the weight of the other ingredients. The fat content is different so the result can be off.  Always buy more then you have too. For the simple reason that somebody will definitely will snack from it. After weighing, cover and chain it if you must.

Now we begin:

First we weigh everything out and have it ready to use.

We melt the chocolate with the butter au bain-marie. That means in a metal bowl that seals on top of a pot with simmering water. Keep track of the temperature. It should not exceed 35 Celsius. Use a spatula to stir it so once in a while

While the chocolate is melting we beat up the egg with the sugar until its pale. We whip up the cream with salt and the flavor of our choice. You should be able to turn the bowl around without the cream falling out. Otherwise you will have to clean your kitchen floor and start again whipping up that cream. Use a cold and clean metal bowl and whisk (or stand mixer). If the utensils are a bit greasy, you can whisk very hard and it would be a great exercise, but it will not really set.

Time to combine everything together. 

Add the egg mixture with the chocolate. Keep it in the bain-marie for a little bit to bind the chocolate and egg more. Remove the bowl from the heat and add ¼ of the cream. Mix it up well. Add the remaining cream and fold it in. That means we use a spatula and gently mix everything together.

To finish everything up we let the kids or roommate clean the kitchen. We wash our hands and put our pointing finger in the bowl of the chocolate goody and taste our divine creation. Now it is time to drink a small glass of grand marnier for a job well done!

We could fill the mousse in glasses or other kind of forms. Just google that and see how other people serve their chocolate mousse. Important is that it should be cooled for about 6 hours prior using. Maybe I should have told you that in the beginning. Oh well now you have a desert for tomorrow night.

Enjoy!

LEAF-ING THROUGH THE SEASONS, BY SHARON HANNA

The sight of falling leaves can bring bittersweet emotion….it’s the end of something, right? Nope. Those leaves are falling off because they are being pushed by the next set of leaves. If you look closely enough, you can already see the tiny buds.

Speaking of leaves, continue to make good use of them as they drift down from boulevard or yard trees. They are a free, local and sustainable source of valuable organic material and trace elements.

Leaf compost can be part of your own homemade potting soil as well, so we can leave peat in peat bogs where it belongs, making a home for  thousands of species of plants and animals.

You need a large heavy-duty plastic garbage bag, a rake, and something to poke holes:

1)    poke a dozen holes around the sides and bottom of the garbage bag.

2)    Rake leaves, place them in the bag. Add whenever you are in the mood to rake.

3)    When the bag is nearly full but you can still squeeze the top shut and tie it off, add some water.

4)    Shake the bag vigorously, then tie it with a couple of strong twist ties.

In one year or less, the leaves will transform themselves into beautiful, useable mulch which you can use on your garden.

MORE THINGS TO DO WITH LEAVES:

Use leaves to half-fill (or more) large containers in which you’ll plant bulbs, evergreens, etc. Use lots and lots of leaves, pack tightly. You only need about six inches of soil for bulbs, maybe a bit more for other plants depending on the size of the root ball. The leaves will very slowly and gradually decompose. Plant bulbs a little deeper than you would in the ground.

Even smaller containers can have a few inches of deciduous leaves in the bottom, especially if you’re planting bulbs. Fig leaves, for example. This is a fantastic thing to do with kids –and as you know, kids love to cut things – dullish scissors work fine with leaves.

Create an impromptu spring display in problematic rocky or tree-rooty areas: pile on a thick layer of leaves. Add a layer of topsoil, then lay bulbs in drifts – a way to make it look natural is to throw them down, then plant them where they landed. Cover with more leaves and a few more inches of soil. Firm soil, water well.

Keep a pile or bag of leaves near your compost so you can layer with kitchen waste

Layer leaves on perennial beds for insulation, making a leaf ‘down duvet’ for garden beds.

Top-dress tender, recently-planted herbs like rosemary and lavender with a covering of leaves if very cold weather is expected.
Plant garlic now through mid-November.  Choose a sunny area with rich soil, and remember your garlic will occupy that space for nine months or so. Plant the biggest cloves – eat the smaller ones – don’t peel them!

Cover each clove with 8 cm (3 in.) of soil, pointy side up, and about 16 cm (6 “) apart in rows 12 – 18” apart. Imported garlic from China will not grow properly in our climate and may have been treated with growth inhibitors to prevent sprouting.  For a very long article see:  www.ediblecommunities.com/vancouver/Gardening/sharon-hanna.htm

Lightly pile cedar boughs on areas planted with garlic; ditto broad beans, bulbs too, to dissuade critters like cats, squirrels. Squirrels dislike areas strewn with human hair – visit your local barber shop. It worked for me last year when the little bratty squirrels were eating my barely opened tulips in the front yard – they stopped after hair was applied.

Plant broad beans through mid-November, covering with 8 cm (3 in.) of soil, and enjoy them late May to mid-June! Their fragrant blossoms attract beneficial insects. They also attract aphids, but that’s a good thing because then you can grow nasturtiums.

Happy Fall….

 

 

Halibut & Grilled Tomato Sauce

Spring the foundation of hope, for the Endless summer!  It’s sunny but there is a nip in the air, get outside free your self from winter’s damp shackle.  Stand by the BB Q and warm yer love ones, cook a meal and enjoy a Spring day togeter.

Halibut with Grilled Tomato Sauce

2 x 5oz Fresh Halibut Filets

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

2 Medium size ripe tomatoes

1 small red onion

2 tsp Capers

2 oz Pernod ( Optional May use Vegetable Stock)

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 tbsp chopped dry kelp

1 tsp butter

1.     Preheat Grill for Med/ High Heat

2. Peel red onion, trim ends and cut 1cm rounds.  Core tomatoes and cut in half from top. Place onions and tomatoes in bowl, lightly oil and season.

3. Season 2 5oz Halibut Filets with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

4. Place tomatoes and onions on grill, cook 3-4 min per side.  When done place in saute pan, and place on low side of grill half.  Add pernod and reduce 1/4 of the liquid. Add Butter dill, kelp,and capers stir well set aside.

5.  Lightly oil grill grate.  Place Halibut on Grill, and cook 4-5 minutes per side.

6.  Platter Halibut and pour tomato pernod sauce over top!  Easily adaptable to most campfires!

7.  Enjoy!

March To Do List For Your Food Garden

Here at Rocky Mountain we are excited to prepare for our out door garden classes teaching students and teachers how to grow their own food.  This year we will be working at school gardens at Lord Tennyson Elementary School & Trafalgar Elementary School growing snap peas, sun flowers, herbs, potatoes, greens, Kale, Chard, Spinach, radishes and more.  Garlic planted back in October in the school gardens is now poking their heads through the soil.

We always find Sharon Hanna’s advise great on what to be doing in our food gardens on a month to month basis and thought we should share it with fellow food growing enthusiasts!  So here it is:

Food Garden

Indoors
Start broccoli, cabbage, leeks, lettuce, parsley, tomatoes, cauliflower.

Peppers are slow to sprout—and not that productive in many BC gardens. If you really want to grow peppers a heated greenhouse is helpful! Seed in the first week of March at the latest. Give them bottom heat and as much light as possible.

Outdoors
We often hear about not digging until “soil can be worked.” What does this mean, exactly? Soil shouldn’t be clumped in muddy clods. A clue: self-sown seedlings of kale, arugula, mache will abound (weeds, too); chives poke up. If it’s been raining heavily, or soil looks and feels waterlogged, wait a week or two.

Some gardeners prefer to interfere minimally with the soil—I am one of those. Creatures have been labouring long hours, layering the soil perfectly, like a lasagna, so I am loathe to plunge a shovel in. There are schools of gardening thought (Ruth Stout, for example) where gardening is done using this “barely scratching the surface” method, usually also piling on the mulch. If you are interested, check out Ruth Stout’s “no dig” method of gardening—also Esther Dean’s and others.

Avoid using fresh manure and unripe compost in veggie gardens, as they will leach nutrients from plants.

Soil is still too cool to plant carrots, chard, or beets. Wait until late April or until soil temperature is over 55F.

When the ground can be worked:

Direct-sow arugula, broad beans, mache, corn salad, kale, broccoli raab (rapini), dandelion greens (not real dandelions, but a type of chicory), Asian greens, radishes.

Peas: soil is still cool, so use inoculant. It increases microbial activity around the seed and allows peas to sprout in cool soil.

Give potatoes an early start: put one or two ‘seed’ potatoes per one-gallon black pot in a lofty slightly acidic soil mix—peat moss (if you use it) mixed with garden soil half and half is fine. Keep these in an unheated greenhouse or on the porch and plant out in April when soil ‘can be worked’!

Read more: http://www.gardenwiseonline.ca/gw/resources/2010/03/03/march-garden-do-list#ixzz1FOIoQgNX

 

Making Paper Beads: A fun eco-craft for all ages

Rocky Mountain Education Society educator Anita Georgy has been teaching students about Eco-Businesses. Not only are the students in the Visions after school club at Grandview/ ¿uuqinak’uuh Elementary School learning about what it takes to create an eco-business, they are also getting a chance to try it out.

After a field trip to 10,000 Villages for inspiration, the students decided to make eco-products out of recycled paper, and the bead making began! Making beads out of recycled paper is easy and fun: all you need is scissors, non-toxic glue, and colorful recycled paper.

Directions:
1. Cut the paper.
The students in Visions started with isosceles triangles about 4cm x 23 cm. However, beads can be made in many sizes and shapes – have fun experimenting! We have used everything from newspaper to magazines to Kleenex boxes and wallpaper.

2. Roll the paper.
Starting from the wide end, start rolling the paper toward the narrow end. You can do it free form, or use a toothpick, skinny paintbrush handle, knitting needle or pen to wrap the paper around, depending on how big you want the hole in the bead to be.

3. Add glue.
Once you roll about ¾ of the way to the end, add some glue to the inward facing side of the paper. We’ve had good luck with both white glue applied with a paintbrush and gluesticks.

4. Add a protective coating.
Put the beads on a string, or on skewers stuck in Styrofoam to hold them aloft as you apply a protective coating. You can use diluted white glue (very kid and eco-friendly), or varnish or other coating purchased from craft stores.

5. Make something fun!
We haven’t decided yet what to make with out paper beads, but may try keychains or earrings. You can make anything your imagination desires! A quick google search for paper bead images will feed your creativity.

The students are having fun learning about the process of starting an eco-business, but are really looking forward to selling their wares!

LING COD BOURBON CHOWDER. DOUG HAWRISH, FIELD CHEF

Our field chef, Doug, has released his famous recipe for seafood chowder!  I promise it is one of the best chowders you will ever taste.  This recipe was voted as one of the top ten chowders of Vancouver Chefs in the “Ocean Wise Chowder – Chow Down” at the Vancouver Aquarium.  Make sure to buy organic local produce & seafood from sustainable fishing practices to make it extra tasty.

LING COD BOURBON CHOWDER

Cook stirring often, in a large soup pot over medium low heat until beginning to crisp, 10 – 15 minutes.

4 slices double smoked bacon, diced

Add & cook, stirring until soft & tender, 10 – 15 minutes.

2 large onion, diced

1/4 cup butter

Stir in and simmer, 5 minutes:

1 cup fennel

1/2 cup celery, diced

3 bay leaves

2 tbsp bourbon

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chilli pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Add: 1 – 1 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled & diced

3 1/2 cups fish stock

Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil then reduce heat to let to simmer. In another medium-sized pot bring to a boil, stirring constantly:

2 cups heavy cream

2 tbsp orange liqueur

dash of bourbon

Reduce heat & simmer.  Remove bay leaves from soup pot. Stir in cream mix & add:

3 1/2 lbs. Ling cod or Ocean Wise white fish

Simmer 10 minutes. Add

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Serve in individual bowls upon 2/3 cup of fresh spinach

Yummy Healthy Kid Friendly Snack Recipes with Julia

The holidays are over and the kids are back to school! Early mornings are back, schedules are getting more hectic and after schools snackers are on the prowl. Kids function much better with a healthy diet, so now is the perfect time to start thinking about how to make your kid’s school snacks healthier.  After school is an important snacking time as well. Imagine if your kids could prepare their own healthy snacks! Some basic healthy snack guidelines include low sugar, whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and home-made items. Healthy food is not as complicated as some people believe. Just eat REAL food; nothing packaged, processed or refined! Here are a few snack ideas to consider:

Nut Free Granola

Ingredients: 2 cups rolled or steel cut oats (not instant), 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries, 1/2 cup dried apples (I recommend using broken-up apple chips), 1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey, brown rice syrup or dark maple syrup

Directions: 1) Toss all ingredients together until evenly coated and then pour out into a baking pan. I use a large roasting pan, as it keeps everything contained. A cookie sheet with a lip also works, but you will have to stir more carefully. 2) Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, turning it with a spatula every ten minutes or so. The granola is finished when it is an even golden brown.

Note: You can store this granola for approximately 1 week. This is a great breakfast or snack option.  Just add yogurt and fruit.

Guacamole:

Ingredients: 1 avocado (mashed), 1 tomato (chopped), ½ red onion (chopped), Sea salt and pepper (to taste), Juice of ¼ lemon.

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and eat with brown rice chips or tortilla chips, or as a topping for tacos or fajitas.

Spinach Hummus:

Ingredients: 1-2 cloves of garlic (based on preference), 1.5 cups of prepared chickpeas (or 14oz can if necessary), 5tbsp olive oil, 3tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 2tbsp tahini (optional), 1cup fresh spinach, Sea Salt (to taste).

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until creamy and smooth. If you are having trouble blending, add more olive oil. Taste and modify if need be by adding more lemon juice, salt or olive oil.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients: 2 cups rolled oats, (not instant), 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup raw cane sugar, 2 large organic, free range eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup dark chocolate chips, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: 1) Preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease. 2) Whisk oats, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 3) In a separate bowl, beat butter in with an electric mixer until blended into a paste. Add cane sugar; continue beating until well combined. Beat in egg, then vanilla. Stir in the oat mixture with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. 4) With damp hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the batter into a ball, place it on a prepared baking sheet and flatten. Continue with the remaining batter, spacing the flattened balls 2 inches apart. 5) Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fruit Kabobs:

Ingredients: An assortment of fruit cut into bite sized cubes (melon, pineapple, strawberry, grapes, banana etc.), Organic, probiotic yogurt, Granola.

Directions: 1) Wash and cut fruit, 2) Spear fruit on skewers, alternating types of fruit evenly     3) Drizzle yogurt on top, 4) Coat in granola

Banana Blueberry or Raspberry Muffins:

Ingredients: 2 -3 bananas, mashed, 4 tbsp butter, softened, ½ cup raw cane sugar, 1 free-range, organic egg, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup white flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup raspberries or blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions: 1) Mash bananas and add butter, and sugar.  Beat well until mixed. 2) Add egg, vanilla and beat again 3) Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl 4) Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix well 5) Add berries and stir gently 6) Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup to just below the rim 7) Bake the muffins for ~20 minutes at 350°F, or until a dry tooth-pick check.

Dream Bars:

Crust Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat or whole spelt flour, ½ cup butter, 2 tbsp cane sugar

Topping Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice syrup, ½ cup of whole rolled oats (uncooked), ½ cup shredded coconut, ½ cup raisins and/or dried cranberries, ½ cup chopped almonds (raw preferably), ¼ cup sunflower seeds, ½ cup dark chocolate, 3 eggs, beaten, 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Directions: 1) Preheat oven to 350° (F) 2) In a small bowl, use a fork to combine the crust ingredients and press the mixture into the bottom of a lightly oiled square or round baking dish.  Bake for 15 minutes 3) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the topping ingredients and mix them well 4) Pour the mixture over the partially baked crust and bake for another 15-20 minutes 5) Allow it to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Baba Ghanouj:

 

Ingredients: 1 eggplant, cubed and baked, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup tahini (optional), 2 cloves garlic, minced, salt and pepper to taste, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.

Directions: Blend all ingredients together in blender or food processor.

Corn or Whole Wheat Tortilla Pizzas:

Ingredients: Whole wheat or corn tortillas, 1 tbsp mild salsa per tortilla, handful of grated cheese per tortilla.

Directions: Assemble tortillas and place on a baking sheet. Bake 350°F until cheese is melted. Broil for 1 minute to finish.

Apple “Sandwiches”:

Ingredients: 1-2 apples cut into rings, nut or seed butter, dark chocolate chips, home-made granola.

Directions: Spread nut or seed butter on one apple ring and place chocolate chips on top of butter. Sprinkle with granola and top with a second apple ring to make a “sandwich.”

Edible Gifts In A Jar

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies & cranberry muffins.  And for the perfect edible gift  you can package all of these yummy things up in masonary jars.  Students we worked with on our Responsible Entrepreneur Program loved making edible these recipes to fill their masonary jars!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix In A Jar

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup chocolate chips (Use to fill up any remaining space in jar)

GIFT TAG DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.

Empty the contents of the jar into a large bowl. Using a wooden spoon blend the mixture until well combined.

Using your hands work in 1/2 cup softened butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup milk. Still using your hands or a wooden spoon blend the egg mixture into the dough until well combined.

Teaspoon sized mounds 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Place cookies on a rack to finish cooling.

Christmas Morning Cranberry Muffins Recipe

1 cup Flour

1/4 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Cranberries (Use to fill up any remaining space in jar)

GIFT TAG DIRECTIONS
1 Egg – beaten
3/4 cup Orange juice
1/3 cup Butter — melted
1/4 cup Nuts – chopped (optional)

Eco-Gift Ideas – Home Made Organic Sugar Scrub

Here is an easy recipe to make a lovely organic lavender sugar scrub – a perfect gift to make & give during the holiday season.

It has been tried & tested by the Grade 6 & 7 at Lord Tennyson School working on our responsible business program – great fun to make & sold really well!

The sugar is very mild exfoliant which does not sting if you have any cuts.

Ingredients:

Small Masonary Jar; Organic Sugar Crystals; Grape Seed Oil; Essential Lavender Oil; Castile Soap

Directions:

1. Fill your masonary jar 3/4 with organic sugar crystals.

2. Slowly add some grape seed oil until it becomes a paste consistency.

3. Add 3 – 5 drops of essential lavender oil.

4. If the consistency gets too oily, add a bit of castile oil.

5. Create a label & tie on with your favorite ribbon

6. Give to someone you love!