Tag Archives: fruit

Dessert, Recipes

Grandma Green’s Summer Fruit Pie

Of all of the food fuelled memories I have, making this pie always takes me to summer days on the Island and my Grandparents’ place. They lived on the same piece of property for 60 years, a sloping 5 acres that trickled into Fuller Lake, and for the last 10 years that they were alive, we made a habit of spending as many of the few holidays I could squeeze out hanging out with them and the kids by the lake, spending time together and cooking a few dinners a year there. It seemed that for a number of years we were always there in early August, and berries were always in abundance.

The first time my grandmother made this pie I was blown away by its simplicity and clean flavour, which comes from really fresh ripe fruit, left to speak for itself for the most part. I have since shared this recipe with any who have been over for a summer barbecue at my place, and had it for my birthday cake last year! You can use any fruit, just match the flavour of the gelatin powder to the fruit in hand, and cut larger fruits into bite sized pieces before assembly. Peaches will need to be blanched first to remove the skins, but fresh berries should just be washed gently to preserve their integrity.

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1 prebaked tart or pie shell ( I like to use sweet dough, recipe follows)
2 lb fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or peaches (enough to fill pie shell)
1 package fruit flavoured gelatin powder (same flavour as the fruit being used)
1 cup boiling water
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar

Prebake the tart shell until fully cooked and golden. Set aside until cooled
Wash fruit and de-stem if necessary. In the case of peaches, blanch to remove skins, and slice into bite size pieces. Strawberries are best hulled and halved or quartered if large, leave raspberries or blackberries whole. You can use a combination of berries if you like, there are no rules when it comes to the possibilities here.
Boil water and add 1 cup to the package of gelatin powder. (this is half the amount of water called for on the package, which is exactly what we want for this) Allow to cool to room temperature
Toss fruit in the cooled gelatin and fill pie shell.
Pour any remaining gelatin over top.

Place in the fridge to chill
Once cold and the filling has set, whip cream with sugar and spread over top of pie. return to fridge and allow to chill thoroughly before serving.

I guarantee the freshness and light flavour will soon become one of your favourite easy family summer recipes. It sure has for us, and always takes us back to summer days on the lake.

Dessert, Food, Recipes, Videos, Writing

First pie of the season!

Last weekend brought the first pie of the season! I also barbecued twice which will bring a couple of stories and a few recipes in the next few days, but for now, enjoy the pie.
Needless to say, it was delicious!

Dessert, Recipes

Poached pears in blue cran wine syrup

This recipe uses a local fruit wine, made from blueberry and cranberry. You may substitute another fruit wine if you like, or a light red. Anjou, Bosc and Bartlett pears all work well in this recipe, and should be just ripe or slightly under-ripe for best results.

2 cups blueberry – cranberry wine
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 star anise
6 peppercorns
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

6 pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Bring all ingredients except pears up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to develop flavour
Add pears and simmer until tender, 20-40 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit
Remove with a slotted spoon, and place in a shallow dish
Pour poaching liquid over and allow to cool to room temperature(pears may be poached and refrigerated for a few days in advance)

Serve with blue cheese and hazelnut shortbread

Appetizer, Recipes, Sauce, Side dish, Vegetable

Steamed White Asparagus with Cara Cara Orange Sabayon and Toasted Almonds

1 lb white asparagus
2 Cara Cara oranges (or blood oranges)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup toasted chopped almonds

Peel white asparagus and trim ends
Peel and section oranges, reserving juice
Place two pots of water on stove:
one 3/4 full of salted water (for cooking the asparagus) and bring to a boil,
the other 1/4 full of warm water (for making the sabayon) but don’t turn it on yet.
Place orange juice in a medium bowl and add egg yolks and a pinch of salt
Place bowl over the pot of warm (not hot) water and turn onto medium high heat
Whisk continually until light, airy, and very hot to the touch.
Add butter, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking until well incorporated
Turn off heat, but leave bowl remaining on top to stay warm until asparagus is cooked.

Place asparagus in boiling salted water and cook until tender, 3 minutes or so
Place 4 spears asparagus on each plate, and top with 1/4 cup of the sabayon
Top with 4 orange segments and 1 tbsp chopped almonds.
Serve immediately

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Dessert, Recipes

White Wine Poached Pear and Chocolate Ganache Tart with Almond Sweet Pastry

Yield: 1 10” tart or 12 individual (1 ¾ oz each)

Almond sweet pastry crust

250 g flour
75 g sugar
pinch salt
50 g ground almonds
170 g butter, cubed and chilled
1 egg
1 tsp rum

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and almonds in food processor
Add butter cubes and process until mealy
Add egg, yolks, and rum and process until dough comes together
Turn out and knead lightly
Pat into disc
Wrap and chill for 1/2 hour
Roll out into a 12 inch circle and line a 10 inch tart shell with a removable bottom
Chill thoroughly

Preheat oven to 350 F

Dock and blind bake for 35 minutes, until fully cooked and golden brown
Set aside until needed

White wine poached pears

2 cups white wine
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 inch piece ginger, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 star anise
6 peppercorns
1 tbsp fennel seed
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
6 pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Bring all ingredients except pears up to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to develop flavour
Add pears and simmer until tender, 20-40 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the fruit
Remove with a slotted spoon, and place in a shallow dish
Pour poaching liquid over and allow to cool to room temperature
(pears may be poached and refrigerated for a few days in advance)

Ganache filling

2 cups pear poaching liquid
1 cup whipping cream
250 g dark chocolate, chopped

Reduce poaching liquid until it measures 1/2 cup and is thickened slightly (it should look like liquid honey in colour and viscosity) Keep warm
Place chocolate in a medium bowl
Scald cream and pour over chocolate, mixing well to melt.
Add reduced pear liquid and whisk well, making sure there are no lumps (you can set the bowl over a pan with a small amount of hot water if necessary to aid in the melting process)
Pour filling into prepared tart shell and set in fridge to set.
Once filling is firm, remove pears from liquid and pat dry ( I usually blot them lightly on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel)
Slice thinly almost all the way to the stem end and fan around tart (stem end should point towards the centre)
Allow to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
If you like, you can reduce the remaining poaching liquid as before and use the glaze to either brush over or use as a sauce