So, last Wednesday, when dropping off a dish of Asian noodle salad with rutabaga & carrots for Greenville Farms to sample at the People’s Farmers’ Market (I do this every Wednesday – stop by for a different sample & recipe each week!), I visited with Herman.  Herman, the honey & apple vendor (read about the farm his father started here), located right next to the Greenville Farms booth, has been enjoying the weekly samples.  On more than one occasion, he’s suggested I come cook for his family.  Very sweet, and very flattering.  We’ve chatted, this & that about food, and that day he asked me, “Do you eat meat?”

I love that question.  It makes me laugh.  Yes, I eat meat.  Steaks, chops, funky cuts, bits, butts, offal, fat, feet.  The muscle meat behind the eye on a pig head is a tender morsel.  And here is testimony of my testicle eating experience.  The “Do you eat meat?” question is so very Portlandia.  But I have found it essential, here in this town composed of Raw Food Carts & Bacon-Fests.  When offering samples at Farmers’ Markets, I have actually offended people by adding meat to a mushroom dish.  I guess they were pretty excited to try it before they found out it was laden with carcass.  Ok, stomp off in your leather boots – more for us savage carnivores!

Herman told me that he had gotten some bear sausage – a lot of bear sausage, he said, from the processor where he takes his kill after the hunt.  The bear hunter never returned for his meat, so it was offered up.  Apparently, Herman acquired quite a bit of bear.  He seemed enthusiastic for me to try it.  “Sure, I’m game!” I punned.  “I’ve always wanted to try bear meat.”

The evening I came home with two hefty packages of bear sausage, my husband also brought home meat.  He is a butcher, working for a specialty meat company, and had several packages of ground grass-fed beef.  “Wow, bear!” he said when I showed him the paper-wrapped bundle.  He was anxious to try it.  In fact, the next morning, he pulled a package from the freezer to thaw.

I worked the Farmers’ Market on Saturday, serving pounds of bacon that I had cured, atop egg sandwiches, and rich pork “wedding” soup.  I had eaten quite a bit of bacon, and slurped hot soup all morning.  The post-market meeting with my business partner included a pint of beer.  I persuaded my husband to hold off one more day before serving up the bear.  I’ve heard time & time again that bear is very rich.  Occasionally I hear that it is greasy, grizzly, & heavy.  I just couldn’t stomach the thought of bear on top of all that pig meat & beer.

But there was no holding him back the next day, so for our Sunday supper, on a cold, snowy day, bear was served.

Maybe it was the bowl of Porcine Wedding Soup I indulged in for lunch, or perhaps the gin martini that did me in, but the smell of frying bear was unsettling.  The fact that my husband chose bacon fat as a cooking medium might very well have been just a wee bit over the top.

There was something about the aroma – it wasn’t bad or stinky, just intensely rich.  Unctuous.  And I don’t mean in the way chefs & food writers like to use the word to describe something rich & delicious, I mean unctuous, as in overwhelmingly fatty, oily, excessively smooth.  The scent was overwhelming.  It made the room feel heavy.  The headiness filled my lungs.  I needed to open up the doors, and found the crisp, cold air quite a relief.

Dinner was served.  I admit it was quite beautiful.  There was a sheen to the pasta.  It glistened.  And the nuggets of bear were dark and inviting.  But I couldn’t sit directly over my plate, and pushed it forward a bit.  There is something that I have known, but am reminded of at that moment – I have trouble with smells overwhelming my senses.  My olfactory sense is by far my most sensitive sense.  I enjoy tripe, but can’t if I’ve cooked it.  Even though the aroma of the end result doesn’t resemble the stench of simmering tripe, it’s all I can smell when I confront a dish of that which I’ve prepared.  I faced this in my plate of bear.  It tasted really good.  My husband commented that they did an excellent job with the sausage seasonings.  Plenty of salt, and just enough sage.  My 4-year old son devoured it eagerly.  With great care, I lifted morsels of sausage on the tines of my fork and took them between my teeth.  I ate gently, trying to savor.  Trying to enjoy.  Finding myself, again, overwhelmed.

Yes, I would eat bear again.  In fact, I still have some in my refrigerator.  And more in the freezer.  I’m thinking Moroccan spices (like those used for strong lamb or mutton), or maybe bear chili.  Something to cut the richness – white wine, tomato, and the like.  I’ll also be sure to make it a day ahead, open some windows, and go for a walk outside in the cool while it cooks!

Brick-Red Bear Meat

Side Dish:
Porcini Hunt

Years ago, my husband & I took a weekend trip to the Washington coast to our favorite little motel.  There is a bit of forest that has evolved where the beach has grown.  The motel used to look out over the ocean, but years of sand settling along the beach has increased the land between the structure & the shore so that now there is a good quarter-mile jaunt down a winding path to the beach from our room.  Giddy with the excitement of a porcini hunt (we had stumbled upon them here before), I went scampering down the path.  My husband, who had just driven several hours, chose a respite in the room.  I meandered, looking low, scanning the forest floor.  It didn’t take long before I was crawling under the pines, over sand and needles, searching the spot where I had luck previously.

I breathed in woodsy sea air, and sat for a bit beneath a tree.  It was the moment on a trip where you feel your body relax, your mind lighten.  It was quiet, the sound of the surf beyond the wooded patch.  A deep sigh.  Then a rustle.  Oh, I thought, he’s come to join me!  I crawled out from the tree and softly stumbled into the clearing.

There were mounds of sand, like little dunes, that humped here and there between the pines.  Growing up all around them in the small open patches were tall, sandy-colored sea grasses.  I was standing still in the grasses between the trees & the tallest dune.  The bristly grass came up to my neck.  The bear was straight ahead of me, a room-length away, hunched over a bush, eating berries.

There was a wonderous National Geographic moment.  I felt I was privy to a private viewing of wildlife…live…in the wild.  I stood perfectly still, smiling, giddy.  Then a wash of realization swept over me as a gentle breeze floated through the rushes.  Oh my god – a bear!  My mind scanned its survival mode database…quickly.  I didn’t want to startle it.  I didn’t want it to know I was there, but it would if either I moved or it smelled me.  If the wind changed direction, it would smell me.  Ok.  Black bear.  Least aggressive.  It was coming to me like a check list.  I went through with the one plan that made sense, at least in the moment – I crept up the dune and stood as tall as I could.  I wanted to appear non-threatening, but large.  I watched for several seconds, not really thinking of the what-ifs – they seemed too frightening, I just concentrated on the moment.  Slowly, but intently, I reached down, arms extended, and swished the grasses, pivoting back then forth, rustling up a gentle, purposeful sound.

The bear rose on hind legs, front paws held up, but dangling at the wrists.  Circus dancing-bear posture.  He looked at me, nose to the air, then down on all fours, lumbered away.  Whew.  I think at that moment, it hit me that there was an entirely different way that scene could have played out.  Excited, relieved, invigorated, I rushed back to the room.  There were no porcini in the woods that day.

And the icing on the cake – I got to meet Lorraine, who writes a great blog,
A Fork in the Road.
She tells of her day at the market, and lunch with The Farmer’s Feast at Springwater Farm’s booth.  Read about it here.

Thanks, Lorraine – I’ll have hot soup for you, even when market weather is inclement…because on occasion, that has been known to happen at winter Farmers’ Markets!

Join us this Saturday, January 7th  for the grand opening of Portland Farmers’ Market’s new Winter Market as The Farmer’s Feast partners up with Springwater Farm to offer shoppers a unique Farmers’ Market experience.

Throughout the winter, at Portland and Hillsdale Farmers’ Markets, the Springwater Farm booth adds a new dimension to their farmstand.  Alongside the array of wild & cultivated mushrooms for sale, Springwater Farm will serve a weekly selection of ready-to-eat breakfast & lunch fare.  Chef Kathryn Yeomans of The Farmer’s Feast will take what is fresh & abundant on the farm (& in the forest), and complement these ingredients with eggs, cheese, bread, & vegetables from the Farmers’ Market winter harvest to give shoppers a distinctive dining experience.

In addition to mushrooms, Roger Konka & Norma Cravens of Springwater Farm are bringing to market 2 heritage breed Tamworth pigs.  (a pig post will follow soon to tell you more about the farm & the pigs.)  Chef Kathryn will work her way through cuts of pork, creating a menu featuring a “pig of the week” selection.

But wait, there’s more!

Springwater Farm & The Farmer’s Feast will make available the recipes used to create the feast!  So many ways to enjoy the feast – ready-to-eat or make it yourself with market-fresh ingredients!

Here’s our grand opening menu.  See you Saturday @ PFM or Sunday @ Hillsdale Farmers’ Market…or both!  Saturday for breakfast, Sunday for lunch, perhaps.  Just a serving suggestion!

Springwater Farm Menu

Market Egg Sandwich
fried Greenville Farms chicken egg with
shiitake & wild hedgehog mushrooms
& Alsea Acres Alpines garlic-chive chevre
on Dave’s Killer Bread

Miso Mushroom Soup
with immune system-boosting ingredients
a restorative soup of shiitake mushrooms,
red miso, nori, garlic, OTA tofu, & scallion
in a flavorful mushroom broth

Winter Minestrone
seasonal vegetables simmered
with guanciale (bacon-cured pork jowl),
market beans, & fresh herbs
in a rich pork broth
garnished with pesto Genovese (made & preserved at summer’s peak
with Springwater Farm basil)

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
with Late-Harvest Chanterelles
sautéed end-of-the-season chanterelle mushrooms,
onions, paprika, & dill
in a rich mushroom broth, with sour cream

Pig of the Week

Pork & Shiitake Mushroom Sliders
Tamworth heritage-breed pork, ground with
roasted shiitake mushrooms
seasoned with onions & spices
and served on Delphina Bakery’s “honey buns”
with Roger’s gathered greens
& your choice of Springwater Farm Mushroom Catsup
or fresh tomato ketchup

Tamworth Pork Pâté
ground pork & fresh pork liver,
cognac, shallots, & herbs
served on ciabatta bruschetta
with wild salad & cranberry mostarda

Tea of Immortality
healing red reishi “mushroom of immortality”
blended with brewed tea
served hot

That established, I am aware that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and therefore, in a responsive fashion to that which is fashionable, I have dubbed the collection of canapés, crostini, toast points, or whatever you want to call them in the common culinary vernacular – “bruschetta”.  It has a nice ring to it…or at least a trendy one!

That this post follows the Hors d’Oeuvres de le Mall post is no coincidence – my December demos focused on holiday entertaining; specifically, easy holiday entertaining ideas for harried hosts.  I know all too well the intensity of the season, yet still relish the opportunity to host holiday hoopla.  And gatherings; be they ever so humble, or grand glittering galas, mandate that some form of  food be offered, preferably with a festive flair, to guests in your company.

So, when asked to join the People’s Co-Op Year-Round Farmers’ Market at their Holiday Market for a culinary demonstration, I took it as an opportunity to host an informal cocktail party/cooking demo.  I introduced a few easy toppings, made with Farmers’ Market ingredients, to serve atop toasted bread.  Holiday simple.

Now, technically, bruschetta is very basic – sliced rustic country bread (such as ciabatta), is drizzled with good quality olive oil (meaning it is very pleasing to the palate), & then toasted or grilled.   It is then rubbed with a clove of raw garlic, and embellished, perhaps, with a sprinkling of fleur de sel (“flower of salt” – hand-harvested sea salt).  This is a very satisfying recipe in its own right, especially when accompanied by a nice glass of wine.

But this basic recipe also works as the perfect canvas for various toppings, Italian & otherwise.

Now, on the subject of Italian,  Russ Parsons, writing for the LA Times, stated so eloquently what I find most troubling about bruschetta:
…”please indulge me in a brief — yes, certainly pedantic — rant. In Italy, the combination “ch” is pronounced like a hard “c,” so “bruschetta” is brew-SKET-a, or even, for the truly fastidious, brew-SKATE-a. Pronouncing it brew-SHET-a is like dragging your fingernails across a chalkboard, even though some very smart and very nice people do it.”

…just think ‘chianti’

In the end, I took a lot of leeway with bruschetta – in the end, they were not really bruschetta at all, rather crostini, canapes, toast points.  But in the end, they were all delicious, and my Farmers Market guests were delighted.

A Trio Of Bruschetta

Market Greens
a salty-sweet topping of greens, minerally-rich, & bright, sautéed with savory and fruity condiments

(made at the market with greens from Osmogaia – Red Russian Kale, Rainbow Chard, Siberian Kale, Toscano Kale, Portuguese Kale, & Turnip Greens)

Wild Mushroom Duxelles
a classic chopped mushroom topping made with Oregon’s seasonal wild mushrooms

(made at the market with Chanterelles, Winter Chanterelles or Yellowfoot, & Hedgehog mushrooms from Dusty @ The Mushroomery)

Fresh Fromage Blanc with Apples, Herbs, & Honey
local goat cheese, simply blended with herbs, and topped with a slivered apple salad & honey from the same farm from which the honey was procured

(made at the market with Fraga Farm Fromage Blanc, Herman Obrist’s Honey & Glöcken Apples, and garnished with sprigs of Gee Creek’s Chickweed)

Market Greens
serves 6-8

This medley of chopped healthful greens and assertive seasonings is delicious on its own, or can be embellished with a slice or sprinkle of cheese.  Based on a selection from the cookbook Mostly Mediterranean by Paula Wolfert, it is a perfect year-round recipe – choose greens that are fresh and in season.

1 pound fresh spinach, escarole, Swiss chard, dandelion, kale, etc. (a combination works best, if using just spinach, you may need another ½ pound)
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 flat anchovy fillets, drained and crushed with a fork (optional)
1 ½ tsp. capers, preferably salted, rinsed and drained
¼ cup chopped pitted purple olives
1 ½ Tbsp. seedless black or yellow raisins, soaked in warm water, drained and chopped
1/8 tsp. hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
grilled or toasted ciabatta, baguette or other rustic, crusty bread

Remove the tough stems and leaves from the greens, then wash them thoroughly.  Cook the greens for several minutes, until tender, in boiling salted water.  Refresh in cold water.  Drain the greens and thoroughly squeeze dry.  Chop roughly.

In a skillet large enough to accommodate the chopped greens, heat the garlic in the olive oil over a medium flame.  When the oil is hot, and the garlic is lightly browned, remove and discard the garlic.  Add the anchovies, if using, and stir for several seconds until they begin to dissolve in the oil.  Add the greens and fry for a minute, stirring.  Add the capers and cook for another half a minute.  Stir in the olives, raisins, and pepper flakes, and remove the mixture from the heat.  Using a wooden spoon or heat-proof rubber spatula, scrape the mixture out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Allow to cool, and then chop fine by hand.  Alternatively, chop in a food processor.  Adjust seasoning if needed with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  This preparation can be made several hours in advance or the night prior.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.

Top the toast with the greens and serve.  If desired, sprinkle the greens with cheese or top with a slice of cheese (such as Asiago or Pecorino Romano) and run the toasts under the broiler to glaze.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wild Mushroom Duxelles
serves 6-8

1 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
2-4 cloves garlic, minced, or 4 cloves of roasted garlic
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 oz. sweet vermouth
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
ciabatta, baguette or other rustic, crusty bread, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove

Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over a high flame.  When the oil is very hot (shimmering, but not smoking), add the mushrooms.    Sauté until thoroughly done (if the mushrooms contain water, be sure to cook that water away over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium & cook them further, until they begin to brown).  Stir frequently and reduce the heat if the mushrooms are browning too quickly.  Add a little more oil if the pan seems dry.

When the mushrooms are nearly finished, stir in the salt & the garlic.  Cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the garlic softens.  If using the roasted garlic, stir it in, mashing it up a bit, and proceed without further sautéing the garlic.  Stir in the thyme, then deglaze the pan with vermouth.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Once the vermouth has bubbled away, season the mushrooms with the pepper and remove from the heat to cool.

Process the mushroom sauté in a food processor so that the mushrooms are chopped into bits (stop before they are chopped to a paste).  Alternatively, chop the mushrooms by hand.  Stir in the chopped parsley, taste the duxelles, and adjust seasonings.

Drizzle or brush the bread slices with olive oil.  Grill or toast the bread.  When the toasted bread is manageable, but still warm, rub it with the garlic clove.
To serve, spread the grilled bread slices with mushroom duxelles.

Goat Cheese with Apples, Herbs, & Honey
serves 6-8

8 oz. fresh goat cheese (fromage blanc)
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh oregano
(alternatively, substitute ½ – 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence for the fresh herbs)
¼ – ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 apple
juice of ½ a lemon stirred into in 1 cup water
ciabatta, baguette or other rustic, crusty bread, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
honey to drizzle over bruschetta
fleur de sel sea salt

Blend the goat cheese with the herbs.  Season with black pepper.

Core the apple and thinly slice.  Cut the apple slices crosswise to form matchstick-sized pieces.  Place the apple sticks in a bowl and pour the acidulated water (lemon water) over them.  Toss to coat.

Drizzle or brush the bread slices with the olive oil.  Grill or toast the bread.  When the toasted bread is manageable, but still warm, rub it with the garlic clove.

To serve, spread the grilled bread slices with the herbed goat cheese.  Drain the apples and lay them on a paper or clean kitchen towel to remove excess water.  Scatter the apple over the cheese, pressing lightly to adhere it to the spread.  Drizzle honey over the apple, then sprinkle with fleur de sel.  Serve at once.

Farmers’ Market Notes, Stories, Ramblings:

I had a wonderful time at People’s Farmers’ Market .  Although this was my first demo at this particular market, I am acquainted with a number of vendors from other local markets.  I get jazzed up about seeing familiar friendly faces, getting to know more of the interesting local farmers, & the opportunity to try new products & produce.

Ernest Kuntze, better known as “Curley” is ever-present at his stand, representing Osmogaia Farm (from osmosis and Gaia, the first Greek Goddess, Mother Earth).  (Incidentally, Curley bares a slight resemblance to Zeus…albeit an earthy-soft, hippy rendition, more earth than stone)  I sampled a good variety of greens from his 19-acre, deeply organic (uncertified) farm.  There were an impressive number of rich green kales, including Toscano Kale, Siberian Kale, Red Russian Kale, & one I had yet to try, Portuguese Kale, a beautiful fan-shaped, bumpy leaf of emerald-green.  I found myself at his booth a week later, intensely craving more of the vitamin-rich organic green goodness.  If you’re going to crave nutrients, I suggest you go for the delicious ones!

There are questions that Farmers are asked over and over and over…and over and over and over.  I posed one to Herman (“the third”) who was manning Herman Obrist‘s honey stand, “So, what kind of honey do you have?”

“The kind made by bees.”

“Oh,” I stumbled…um, ok, think of something intelligent…something that lets him know you have a great interest in his honey…, “I was wondering if there was a specific flower?  Or if it was a certain type of honey?”  Not intelligent.  Very pedestrian.  But earnest, and with a bright smile and warm eyes.  ”I was just wondering,” I added innocently.

Herman softened his edge a bit, “The lighter colored honey is from earlier in the year, when the spring flowers are blooming.  When the fruit flowers and Marion berries are blooming, in the summer, the honey is darker.”

There were some interesting apples – I told Herman what I was going to do with the honey and mentioned that it seemed ideal to pair the apples with the honey from the same farm.  Herman seemed to beam at the chance to tell more about his apples,

“They’re called Glöcken.  I’ve heard them called Bell Apple.  Swiss in origin, a winter keeper – they’ll stay good for a long time.  Our farm has been growing them for 3 generations, and I’ve never come across them anywhere else.  They’re a really unique apple.”  Indeed.  He offered me a slice.  Crisp, delightfully sweet-tart, lightly perfumed, and quite juicy.  Perfect.

And in an unconventional bruschetta bread choice, I went with the Southern-German-style bakery that peddles its wares at numerous Portland area Farmers’ Markets.  Fressen Artisan Bakery breads are dense, sour loaves of hearty grains.  There are no airy ciabatta-type pocketed interiors, rather a tight crumb that gives way to a hearty chew.  For the greens topping and the mushroom duxelles, I went with the Swabian, a baguette-type loaf.  But the Schuettel Brot caught my eye and, though distinctly more rigid than the other loaves, seemed well suited to carry the goat cheese canapé.  Unconventional, indeed, but certainly tasty!

As I’ve said again & again:
get an idea, then go to the market and see what you’ve got to work with
- it doesn’t have to adhere to a rigid recipe or tradition, as long as it makes sense, tastes good, and works!
Yesterday’s toast points are today’s bruschetta – find flavors that sing and slap them on bread!

…as the market grew dark, we were treated to a holiday spectacle…

I’m not a frequenter of malls, per se, yet, inevitably, I end up there every year during the holiday season.  You may be thinking, “So what? Lots of people go gift shopping at the mall.”  Well, given that for the past 3 years, I’ve doled out homemade gifts, I do more of my “holiday shopping” at Farmers Markets throughout the spring & summer (although, for the kiddies, I make an exception – I mean, who wants to be known as the weird Aunt who hands out chutney made “especially for you, because at 12, your palate is maturing beyond the grape jelly I gave your little sister.”). 

There is something intriguing about the mall during the holiday season.  There’s that alluring discotheque-sparkle emanating from clothing racks, the shiny silver and blingy gold decorations adorned with big satin bows, a red carpet rolled out for Santa to stride upon as he makes his way to his fantastically large chair.  Everything is twinkling, accompanied by familiar carols (and sometimes carolers, as I witnessed Monday), and it is toasty warm inside.  Perhaps it’s because my very first job was as a Santa’s helper (no, I was not an elf!), working with my father, I mean Father Christmas, that the mall seems nostalgic to me.  Anyway, what the heck am I going on about the mall, isn’t this a blog about food? 

Food indeed – which is why I was at the Pioneer Place Mall on Monday afternoon.  Invited to do a culinary demonstration, I managed to bring a bit of the Farmers Market in out of the cold, and present several easy to prepare, festive & delicious hors d’oeuvres for holiday entertaining.  

The demonstration lasted an hour, and in that time, I made 3 complete hors d’oeuvre platters (for 8 - 10 guests) from start to finish.  Prepared for the party with plenty of time to slip into my sequined cocktail dress and have a highball before my guests arrive! 

I’ve included the three below, along with a more elaborate version of the goat cheese appetizer.  Fresh chevre (aka fromage blanc, aka fresh goat cheese), baked in a pistachio crust, makes for an elegant and luscious offering.  It takes a bit more time to pull together, but can be made a day ahead (in fact, it’s best the 2nd day), and is well worth the effort. 

***Farm-Fresh Hors D’oeuvres***

*Wild Mushroom Crostini
 *Winter Belgian Endive Leaves with Herbed Chevre, Toasted Hazelnuts, & Pomegranate Seeds
(or Baked Fromage Blanc with Pistachio Nuts)
*Crisp Crudite Vegetables with Green Goddess Dip

Wild Mushroom Crostini

This crostini topping, or bruschetta topping, if you’d prefer, can be made with any mushroom or combination of mushrooms.  It is lovely over toast points, thick slices of crusty country bread, or a baked potato.  Thinned with broth or cream, this topping  becomes a delectable pasta sauce.  In all honesty, this is the fancy holiday name that I’ve given to what we at Springwater Farm lovingly refer to as “Shiitake on a Shingle”.  It’s an easy party snack, or a substantial breakfast, particularly when topped with a poached egg.  Here is a link to the recipe, previously posted.  But as I stated at the demo, feel free to make substitutions – any mushrooms will work, substitute shallot for the spring onion or leek, add rosemary, sage, & thyme to the herb mix, de-glaze the mushrooms with sherry, madeira, or white wine instead of brandy, and finish the mushrooms with creme fraiche, sour cream, or heavy cream.  “What would I do if I wanted to do this dish without all the dairy?” one onlooker asked – simple, just cook the mushrooms with olive oil, and eliminate the finishing cream – it will be very tasty without the addition!  And by the way, creme fraiche is super simple to make, and much less expensive than its ready-made counterpart -

Creme Fraiche or Crema
makes 1 cup

1 cup heavy cream, not ultra-pasturized
3 Tbsp. buttermilk or whole-milk yogurt

Choose a non-reactive container, such as a glass jar.  To assure the detergents are removed from the jar, rinse it thoroughly.  Detergents will inhibit (good) bacterial growth, which is necessary for the cream to thicken into creme fraiche. 

Blend the cream and the buttermilk together.  Cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth, a clean kitchen towel, or a flour cloth sack, and set it in a warm place (an oven with a pilot light works well).  Allow the creme fraiche to stand, until it thickens (8-24 hours), then place it in the refrigerator for an additional 24-36 hours, where it will continue to thicken.

Winter Belgian Endive Leaves with Herbed Chevre, Toasted Hazelnuts, & Pomegranate Seeds  

Brand new, this year, Portland Farmers Market is host to a Belgian Endive vendor.  Sunset Lane Farm boasts beautiful chicories, radicchio, & Belgian endive.  Visit their website for a thorough description of what it takes to bring these elegant leaves to market.  Farmers Marco Franciosa & Kay say of Belgian endive, “It is an artisan crop that requires a deep knowledge of growing phases to produce a quality result.  With a long growing season, precision chill requirements, and a second growing phase requiring specialized equipment and indoor growing facilities, Belgian Endive is capital and management intensive. “

On the consumer side, Belgian endive are extremely easy to use.  They are most often cleaned and ready to go, requiring only that the end be cut in order to separate the leaves from the head.  The canoe-shaped leaves are perfect for containing a myriad of cool fillings, particularly cheeses, salmon or other fish spread, and bay shrimp salad. 

For this hors d’oeuvre, simply combine fresh, soft, mild goat cheese (fromage blanc or fresh chevre) with chopped fresh herbs of your liking.  Soft herbs, such as chives, tarragon, parsley, chervil, and even a hint of mint.  If you choose hard herbs (winter-hearty types), such as rosemary, sage, and thyme, be sure to chop them extra fine.  Blend the chopped herbs with the cheese, adding sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Chopped shallots can be added, but I recommend mincing, then squeezing them in a clean kitchen towel to pull away the sharp juices in the allium.  The result will be a pleasant shallot flavor without the edge that raw onion can throw at you.  Once the cheese is seasoned, just put a teaspoonful in each leaf, then garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped toasted hazelnuts.  An assertive blue cheese, such as Rogue Creamery Caveman Blue or Oregonzola, can be used in place of the herbed chevre.  Even easier – endive leaf on the plate, a crumble of blue cheese, a sparkle of pomegranate.  Done.

A little more time to spare?  A desire to wow?  Try this recipe:

Baked Fromage Blanc with Pistachio Nuts
Serves at least 8

First Restaurant in NYC catered to the late night crowd with imaginative appetizers such as this savory cheesecake of creamy goat cheese.  It’s particularly festive when embellished with dried cranberries, slices of pear, and Belgian Endive leaves.  

2 oz. softened butter plus more for buttering the souffle dish
2 oz. pistachio nuts
170 grams (about 8 ounces) Alsea Acre goat cheese
85 grams (about 3 ounces) cream cheese
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
1 extra-large egg
salt and pepper to taste
85 grams (about 3 ounces) sour cream
 
·         Butter a 7-inch round souffle dish or baking dish, or for individual servings, 8 each eight-ounce ramekins or oven-proof moulds.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°.  Bring a teakettle of water to a boil.
·         Coarsely grind the pistachio nuts.  Blend in the remaining 2 ounces butter.  Distribute this mixture evenly amongst the ramekins, pressing it gently to the bottom of the cups.
·         Cream together the goat cheese and cream cheese in an electric mixer (with paddle attachment or beaters). 

·         With the mixer running, incorporate the cornstarch and eggs.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Turn on mixer for 30 seconds more, then fold in the sour cream by hand.  Taste the mixture and adjust seasonings if needed.
·         Fill the prepared souffle dish or ramekins with the goat cheese mixture.  Choose a larger baking dish that the souffle dish or ramekins will fit into without crowding and place the filled souffle dish or ramekins into the baking dish.  Open the oven door and set the baking dish on the door.  Carefully add enough boiling water to the baking dish so that it comes 1/2 way up the side of the souffle dish, or  1/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.  Gently place the pan into the oven and bake the cheesecakes for about 30-40 minutes for the souffle dish, or about 15-18 minutes for the ramekins, until the mixture has set.  Remove the souffle dish or ramekins to a rack to cool.
·         Accompany the savory goat cheese appetizer with crisp pear or apple slices and Belgian Endive (for scooping up the cheese) and garnish with dried cranberries and balsamic syrup. *
The baked goat cheese will keep in the refrigerator for several days – set out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.  

* Reducing balsamic vinegar in a small pan until syrupy makes balsamic syrup.  No need to use expensive balsamic vinegar, and be sure to watch the reduction closely as it will scorch quickly if left on the stove for too long.

Crisp Crudite Vegetables with Green Goddess Dip

On occasion, I let my professional verbiage infiltrate my culinary teachings.  I’ve been asked more than once, “what’s a crudite?” – “A fancy word for raw vegetables,” I respond.  Perhaps “relish tray“, albeit retro, rings more familiar with American families.

Whatever you choose to call it, a plate of crisp, raw vegetables with an intriguing dip is most inviting at a cocktail party.  I’ve chosen an unconventional Green Goddess dressing to accompany the vegetables, both for the bright, piquante flavor, and for the vibrant green color.

Green Goddess

This is a sprightly dressing adapted from the Cafe Azul repertoire.   It makes a wonderful dressing for a Dungeness crab or briny bay shrimp salad, garnished with avocado, cherry tomatoes, and salad greens.

1/4-1/2 cup garlic cloves

2 Tbsp capers in brine with some of their juice

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

juice of 1 lime

juice of 1 lemon

1 very fresh, Farmers Market egg yolk

3 stems of parsley

a small handful of watercress or arugula

salt & freshly ground black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Place the garlic in a blender jar.  Add the capers, along with their brine, and the jalapeno.  Add the lemon and lime juice.  The citrus juice should nearly cover the garlic.  If it does not, add additional juice.  Add the egg yolks, parsley, watercress, salt and pepper.  Puree the ingredients.  With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil, until the dressing is thickened.  Adjust seasonings.  Serve with crisp vegetables for dipping.

Note: In addition to being delicious, the crudite & dip are both raw foods!  Also, it was asked of me at the Pioneer Place demo how I knew the spice level of the jalapeno – I said I didn’t and added the entire thing to my blender jar.  “I like a lot of spice,” I added, “the best way to determine the spiciness of a pepper is to taste a tiny bit.  If it is very spicy, add less to your dressing, seasoning the dip to your tolerance and preference.

Also, this dip is very good fresh, but the combination of citrus and fresh greens causes it to fade in flavor and color by the next day.  Be sure to use it the day that it is made.

Early-on in the blog, I posted this recipe.  I make it often at the market, &, for individuals who request, quarts of it for them to take home.  It’s very soothing, nutritious, and easily digestible.  In fact, I once received the best food compliment I’ve ever been offered about this soup.  A market shopper who was a regular customer at Springwater Farm’s “Farmstand of the Future” (combination farmstand & ready-to-eat venue) last year would purchase miso mushroom soup weekly to eat for lunch, and take home an additional quart.

“I think this soup is saving my life,” she told me.  She was undergoing chemotherapy treatments and said that my soup was not only the sole food that settled her stomach, but that she could feel it nourishing & restoring her body.

Shiitake are one of the most easily digestible mushrooms, so if you’d like, make the soup with just those.  Nameko is the mushroom traditionally used for miso soup in Japan – in fact, they are Japan’s 2nd most popular mushroom (preceded by shiitake).  This soup is wonderful with some or all nameko in place of the shiitake and maitake that I’ve used in the recipe below.  All of these mushrooms are cultivated on Springwater Farm, whose farmers & foragers can be found at many of the Farmers Markets in and around Portland.  This weekend, they will be at the Portland Farmers Market on Saturday, the Hillsdale Farmers Market on Sunday, and at PFM in Shemanski Park for the last Wednesday market of the season on October 26th.

In addition to the immune system-boosting properties of the mushrooms, the soup boasts a good amount of garlic (anti-microbial, heart-beneficial, cancer-fighting superfood), miso (an enzyme-rich, detoxifying food that is a complete protein), olive oil (rich in oleic acid), and nori seaweed (rich in protein, iron, and iodine).

And it tastes really good!

Miso Mushroom Soup

makes about 3 quarts

1/4 cup mild olive oil
1/2 pound fresh maitake mushrooms, “petals removed”, or sliced
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. salt (preferably Springwater Farm truffle salt)
2 qt. mushroom, vegetable, or chicken broth
1 cup sliced green onion (the tops of spring onions work splendidly, or you can use scallions or even chives)
1/2 pound silken or soft tofu, diced (I use locally-made organic OTA tofu)
a large pinch of dried nori (dried seaweed), optional
miso paste, to taste (I prefer mellow red miso)

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over a medium flame.  When the oil is hot, add the maitake mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have attained a golden brown color (about 8 minutes).  Add the Shiitake mushrooms and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Season the mushrooms with salt.  Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.  Stir in the chopped green onion.  Add the broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the tofu.

The amount of miso paste you add to the soup will depend on your taste for miso.  You can always adjust with more miso.  Place an amount of miso in a bowl.  Whisk in soup broth until the miso is dissolved, then add the miso back to the pot.  Do not boil.  Adjust with salt, if needed, and serve hot.

There were wonderful coloring sheets submitted to the contest!  Post-market on the day of the Toddler-Friendly Fare cooking demo, vendors and market staff gathered to admire the entries.  Here are some of the artist’s coloring sheets:

A very big thank you! to all the artists who contributed – these are really fantastic.

And the winner…

Skylar, age 5

Congratulations, Skylar!!  Stop by The Farmer’s Feast booth at the Hillsdale Farmers Market during our demos on October16th (“Dumpling” demo), November 6 (“Soups & Stews” demo), or November 20 (“Holiday Side Dishes” demo), or the Springwater Farm booth on other market days, to collect your prize basket!

But wait…there’s more!  We’re thrilled to tell you about a unique addition to this culinary demonstration.  A sign language interpreter will be interpreting the demo for the audience!

Jenny Kidd, a sign language interpreter who has just arrived in Portland, will be hosted by The Farmer’s Feast for this exciting event.  She will be interpreting the demo as Chef Kathryn cooks, and fielding questions from the audience.  They will be joined by “MC” Allison Jones of Portland Monthly Magazine.  You can check out Allison’s informative posts on the Eat Beat blog.

Chef Kathryn will be making Plum Gnocchi, a specialty of Istria, a region of Italy which borders Croatia.  It is a savory dish wherein a whole prune plum is encased in potato gnocchi dough, boiled, then fried in buttered cinnamon-spiced breadcrumbs.  It is a dish that she learned from Lidia Bastianich when she worked for her at Felidia in NYC.  The recipe follows.

The demo on Saturday will prove to be instructive, enriching, & fun.
We hope you will join us!

Chef in the Market demo details:
The demonstration runs from 10am – 10:30 and is located at the Center Stage of Portland Farmers Market.  The market is located in the park blocks at Portland State University (SW Park Avenue & SW Montgomery St.).  For more information, visit the Portland Farmers Market website.

Plum Gnocchi
Potato Dumplings filled with Plums

yields 16 pieces

There is something about autumn that beckons one use the season’s fruits in all courses of a meal.  Perhaps it is an effort to cling to the sweet side of summer as the sun bends towards the equinox and days grow increasingly shorter, nights crisper.  Plums ease particularly well into this role.  

This recipe comes from Trieste/Istria by way of Lidia Bastianich, owner of the famed Manhattan restaurant Felidia.  A specialty of Austro-Hungarian derivation, this fruit-filled dumpling demonstrates the plum’s savory side, while teetering on the brink of sweetness.  

3 large Idaho or russet potatoes
½ Tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
2 cups unbleached AP flour
16 Italian-type prune plums
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 ¾ cups unseasoned bread crumbs
2 Tsp. cinnamon

Boil the potatoes in their skins until a skewer goes through them easily (about 30 minutes).  When cool enough to handle, peel and rice the potatoes.  Spread the potatoes out loosely on a baking sheet to expose as much surface as possible to air (to allow for the evaporation of as much moisture as possible) and set them aside to cool completely.

On a cool surface, gather the cold riced potatoes into a mound, forming a well in the center.  Stir the salt into the beaten egg and pour the mixture into the well.  Work the potatoes and eggs together with both hands, gradually adding 1 ½ cups of the flour and scraping up the dough from the work surface as often as necessary.  Incorporation of the ingredients should take no longer than 10 minutes.  The longer the dough is worked, the more flour it will require and the heavier it will become.

Halve the plums lengthwise and remove the pits.  Fill each cavity with ½ Tsp. of the sugar, and re-form the plums by pressing the halves together. 

Hand-roll the dough to form a cylinder 2 inches in diameter, and slice it evenly into 16 rounds.  Flatten each round in the palm of one hand, place a plum (or half plum) in the center of each, and carefully gather the dough up around the fruit, enclosing it completely with no breaks or tears in the dough.  Pat the covered plums between your hands to seal and even the dough.

To a wide pot of boiling water, add half of the gnocchi.  Stir gently to prevent sticking, and cook 6 minutes after they surface.  Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and keep warm on a platter while proceeding with the second batch.  

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy skillet.  Add the bread crumbs and toast over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until golden brown.  Add the remaining sugar and the cinnamon and blend thoroughly.

Roll the cooked and drained gnocchi in the bread crumb mixture until all are well coated.  Arrange on a serving plate and sprinkle with any breadcrumbs remaining in the skillet.

Note:  It is best to cook all of the gnocchi when they are made.  As they sit, the fruit will weep and the dough will become heavy.  If you have leftovers, the finished gnocchi can be re-heated in an oven or toaster oven and enjoyed for breakfast, as is traditionally done with these gnocchi.

This year, the Feed Me Fresh Cooking Series, led by yours truly, has taken shoppers from beginning basics – how to hold, hone, & wield a knife, to various knife cuts, stocks & broths, egg cookery, pasture-raised meats, cooking techniques (saute, pan-fry, roast), & preservation methods.  With this year’s basics skills building-block formula, we’ve been laying a culinary foundation upon which shoppers can stand with confidence to face the great variety of our Northwest Farmers’ Market bounty.

And the results are deeply satisfying.  Class attendees are making new produce purchases – trying vegetables that they previously were intimidated to cook.  Shoppers are thrilled to hear Farmers speak about their farming practices and what it takes to bring their product to the market.  Even established cooks have shared that they’ve picked up a new trick, or learned the why behind the method.

So, while I should-a, would-a, could-a, I’m kicking myself for not posting this sooner – a class schedule.  Below, you’ll find the entire 2011 season schedule for the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market Feed Me Fresh Cooking Series.  There are still a number of great classes to go, and did I mention, it’s FREE!!!  Every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month from 11am-1pm at
The Farmer’s Feast booth.

And if you’ve missed a demo you wish you’d seen, stay tuned.  Over the cold months, I’ll be posting recipes, tips, & techniques from the summer’s cooking series.

The Feed Me Fresh Cooking Series is made possible by the Hillsdale Farmers Market, and generously funded by a grant from New Seasons Market.  The Farmers at the market have been overwhelmingly generous of product and support.  I am thrilled to be able to cook with such extraordinary food, and am continually inspired by their stories, passion, and knowledge.  I am also greatly appreciative of the shoppers who join me each week, especially my devoted group who have seen the series every step of the way.  I’ll see you at the market this Sunday!

Hillsdale Farmers’ Market
Feed Me Fresh Cooking Series
Presented by The Farmer’s Feast

Market Culinary Demonstration Series Kickoff!

Kitchen Basics - peeling, chopping, dicing, & stock tips

All About Eggs

Chicken Breakdown!  And Rabbit, too!

The Way to Sauté

Pastured Proteins – a basics tutorial

Preservation Techniques – a tutorial

Jam it, pickle it, freeze it, dry it, put it up!

Making Baby Food

Toddler-Friendly Fare

Risotto, Congee, Fritters, & Rice Pudding

Dumplings

Soups and Stews 

Holiday Side Dishes

But the unseasonably cold and wet spring here in Oregon pushed back the season so that now, a month later, we are still seeing sour cherries in the market, much to my delight.  But not for long, much to my dismay.  Even now, as I post this, I wonder if I will be lucky enough to get another flat of sour cherries this weekend, and wish I had had the time and forethought to get more than I did last weekend!  Sigh, at least I take comfort in knowing that, like the fireworks, there will be sour cherries to look forward to every summer.

Sour cherries may not sound particularly inviting to some – does calling them tart cherry or pie cherry make them more appealing?  Ayers Creek Farmer Anthony Boutard prefers to call them what they are – be they Montmorency or Hungarian morellos.  In a recent newsletter from Ayers Creek, he says this of his cherry varieties, “The Hungarian morellos are a dark mahogany cherry with red juice. They have rich flavor and are slightly less acidic than Montmorency. These cherries originated in the area around Lake Balaton, a large lake on the Danube River system. They were selected by Amy Iezzoni, a professor at Michigan State University. We grow a trio of varieties which include Jubileum, Balaton and Danube.”  In another newsletter, he states, “We harvest them (Montmorency cherries) when they are sweet enough to use as a table fruit.”  True.

Last weekend, I took home flats of Ayers Creek cherries from the Hillsdale Farmers Market.  The Hungarian morellos were pitted and jarred with Hennessy and sugar to macerate.  In a few months, I’ll be sipping cherry cognac and hopefully eating bon bons of chocolate-covered brandied cherries…that’s the plan, anyway!  I also put up several jars of pitted morello cherries in almond syrup.  I didn’t use almonds, but instead took advantage of the natural almond flavor found in the fruits’ pits.  The cherries are pitted, then the pits tied in a sachet (cheesecloth can be used, but I prefer a jelly bag, since there are no loose threads to contend with), then whacked mercilessly with a rolling pin to crack them.  The sachet de pits is then submerged in the sugar and water mixture as it cooks and the almond flavor infuses the syrup.  Over the winter, these cherries will make their way into tarts, cakes, strudel, and perhaps ice cream.  The syrup will be used as a dessert sauce, ice cream topping, or cocktail ingredient.

The ruby-gem colored, glistening Montmorency were made into a pie, and also many jars of Cherry Mostarda.  Mostarda, that magical Italian mustard-fruit condiment, is one of my favorite preserves to make.  Not only is it delicious and versatile, pairing with roast & grilled meats (try it as a basting mop when grilling), cheeses, salami sandwiches, and sausages, but it can be made with so many fruits as they come into season.  The spring rhubarb made a particularly good mostarda that is now ready, having sat for a couple of months to mature (the mustard flavor blooms and the sweetness tempers with time).

As for the sweets, Rainiers may be finished, but there are slightly smaller golden Royal Anne cherries & juicy sweet Sandra Rose, a large dark cherry, to be found at the Cherry Country booth at the Portland & Hillsdale Farmers Markets this weekend.  Both make a lovely pickle – attractive whole cherries jarred in a simple vinegar brine.  And a delightful cherry mojito.  But maybe best of all, sweet cherries are a joy to eat out of hand on a     warm summer day!

Sour Cherry Recipes

Cherry Mostarda
based on a recipe by Chef Beth Maxey of Feast,
with slight edits to suit the fruit and my tastes

makes 1 pint
scales up perfectly well, but avoid cooking more than 8 cups of fruit at a time for best results

2 cups pitted sour cherries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. Colman’s Dry Mustard
pinch of salt
rounded 1/4 tsp. whole black peppercorns
2 tsp. whole mustard seeds (I use a combination of brown and yellow seeds, but feel free to use either or both, or black mustard seeds in your mostarda)

In a large, heavy, non-reactive pot (preferably one that is wider than it is deep), combine the fruit with the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Add just enough cold water to the mustard powder to make a thin paste and add it, along with the pinch of salt, to the simmering fruit.  Carefully and thoroughly skim the impurities from the mostarda as it cooks and thickens (the scum or foam that rises to the surface).  Once the fruit has given off most of its impurities, and they have been skimmed away, add the black peppercorns and mustard seeds.  Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened (a reference would be the consistency of hot homemade cranberry sauce).

Taste the mostarda and adjust seasonings with more salt, vinegar, or mustard.  If the fruit is very tart, add a little more sugar and cook for several more minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and cooked into the mixture.

If you would like to put up your mostarda for use within the year, ladle it into hot sterilized jars and process in a boiling waterbath.  Otherwise, fill sterilized pint jars with cooled mostarda and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.  The flavors will mature in about a month, but it can be eaten right away if desired.

Pitted Cherries in Almond Syrup
makes 4 quarts

4 pounds dark sour cherries
4 cups sugar

Pit the cherries as neatly as possible, saving the pits.  Strain the pits, letting the juice run into a preserving pan (see pan description in above mostarda recipe).  Add to the pan the sugar and 2 quarts of water.  Stir to dissolve the sugar.  Tie the pits in a cheesecloth sachet or jelly bag.  Whack the parcel of pits with a rolling pin to crack the pits.  You can also use a mallet or meat pounder.  Add the bag of cracked pits to the sugar syrup and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes, until the syrup has reduced slightly.

Add the cherries to the syrup and return just to a boil (this will take several minutes).  Remove the cherries with a spider or slotted spoon to a strainer set over a bowl.  Continue to boil the syrup until it has thickened slightly, adding the liquid in the bowl as it accumulates (this will take 10 minutes or more).

Add the cherries back to the thickened syrup, then pack the cherries and syrup into hot sterilized quart jars.  Alternatively, pack the drained cherries into the jars and pour the hot syrup over them.  Carefully wipe the jar rims and seal them with flat lids and screw bands.  Process the jars of cherries in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.  Let the jars cool completely before checking the seals and storing.

Sour or Sweet Cherry Recipe

Brandied Cherries

Use a dark cherry for this recipe.  They are more beautiful left whole, with the stem intact and trimmed to 1/2 inch.  Serve them this way on cookie or petit four plates, or as a dessert garnish.  Or simply offer a little dish of them at the end of the meal with strong black coffee.  They are easier, however, to use for ice cream, souffles, and baking, if they are pitted before sousing.  Dipped in bittersweet chocolate, either pitted or unpitted cherries are a welcome treat.

For each pound of cherries, mix 2 cups of the best brandy you can afford or kirsch with 1/2 cup granulated sugar.  For sour cherries, use 3/4 cup sugar per pound.  Put the cherries in quart jars with tight fitting lids.  Pour the brandy mixture over the fruit.  If you’d like, add a cinnamon stick &/or a few blades of mace to the jar.  Cover tightly.  Keep the jar in a cool place (such as the cellar).  Each day for a week, turn the jar upside down, then back upright, to dissolve all the sugar crystals.  Store for at least 1 month before using.

Sweet Cherry Recipes

Pickled Cherries
adapted from Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters
makes 8 pints

Really, any cherry can be pickled, sour or sweet.  I love the look and color of pickled Rainier or Royal Anne cherries.  Just be sure to use unblemished cherries, that are not overripe, for this recipe.  Serve the pickled cherries alongside charcuterie, or with assertive cheeses.

2 pounds cherries
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 1/4 cups white wine vinegar
4 cloves
6 peppercorns

Rinse, dry, and pick over the cherries.  Trim the stems down to 1/2 inch.

Clean and sterilize 8 pint-sized canning jars.

Combine the sugar, vinegar, cloves, and peppercorns in a non-reactive saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes.  Pack the cherries into the canning jars.  Pour the hot pickling liquid over the cherries, seal the jars, and process in a boiling waterbath for 10 minutes.  Allow the pickles to mellow for 2 months before enjoying.  After opening the jars, the cherries will keep refrigerated for a year.

Cherry Frangipane Tart

The almond frangipane mixture keeps refrigerated for 1 week, or can be frozen, then thawed and baked.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. kirsch or cherry-infused brandy
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup toasted, ground almonds
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. flour
1 pint sweet cherries,
such as bing, Sandra Rose, or lapin, pitted

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and mix until incorporated.  Beat in the kirsch & vanilla extract.  Combine the nuts, salt, and flour.  Add them to the mixture, blending until smooth.  Chill the frangipane in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Fill a 10-inch tart shell with the almond frangipane.  Top with cherries, gently pressing them down so that they are embedded slightly in the frangipane.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean.