Foraging 31: Sweetfern

You don’t love a person because they are beautiful. They are beautiful because you love them. – Unknown Author

Dewy sweetfern in (very) early morning.

Isn't that a sweet quote? This post is about an edible plant, but sweet is sweet...

Comptonia peregrina is native to eastern North America, from southern Quebec south to the north of Georgia, east to the Atlantic coast and west to Minnesota. The common name is Sweetfern (or sweet-fern), which is confusing as it isn't a fern at all! Another common name is Fern Gale. The plant is a member of the Bayberry family.

What's so special about this plant? The leaves are aromatic. If you pick the leaves and rub them between your hands a pleasant, sweet fragrance is released. Ergo, the first part of its name.

About sweetfern

Sweetfern is a deciduous shrub, which means it looses its leaves in the winter. Sources say it can grow to 3 feet tall, although I am hard pressed to remember seeing it grow to more than 2 feet in Nova Scotia. It has a woody stem with multiple branches off from the main stalk. Sweetfern tends to grow in poor soils and seems to favor pine stands – possibly because of the increase in soil pH due to the pine needles.

The leaves do look somewhat "fern-like."

As a side note, did you know that pine needles under rhododendrons can increase acidity of the soil and help them flourish? Just gather pine needles, fresh or brown, and let them decompose around the rhodo stock.

Sweetfern is used as food by the larvae of some butterflies. It is also a non-legume nitrogen fixer. The resemblance of the leaves to those of a fern have given it its common name though the plant is obviously not a fern.

Folkloric Uses

Some native Americans are said to have used sweet fern leaves to treat poison ivy. Jewelweed (an earlier post) has the same anti-poison ivy properties. I do know I would have an easier time in Nova Scotia locating sweetfern than that elusive plant. 

Sweet Fern tea made from the leaves is supposed to help stop diarrhea, and it is possible that the leaves may have insect repellent properties, aside from some butterflies who use them as a source of food...

Because of their potential insect repellent properties sweetfern is supposedly able to increase the longevity of fruit in bowls. I have never tried it so I don't know. But I can imagine crushing the leaves would definitely add aromatic enjoyment to your kitchen or living room.

Sweetfern nutlets in winter. Photo: we'moon in the woods, Flickr ccl

Uses in cooking

Sweetfern flowers and therefore produces seed. The subsequent nuts are supposedly edible. "Ontario Trees and Shrubs" list the "nutlets" as edible, so I have to believe they are. I've never tried (or noticed) them...

Sweetfern can be used as a herb in as many dishes as you're willing to try. To dry it just hang branches inverted for 1-2 days. They dry quite quickly and can be saved whole or crumbled. I have seen recipes where they are used with scallops, fish and chicken. Google "sweetfern recipes" to find out more.

Here's a recipe to use the leaves in a tea. I know the smell of sweetfern well. Picturing it in a tea is an interesting idea. I'm definitely going to gather some before it is all killed by frost to try over the winter months.

Photo: Frank Gruber, Flickr ccl

Sweet Fern Tea

Recipe is for 1 cup. Increase as desired

1/2 cup dried sweet fern leaves
for every 1 cup water (or to desired strength)
honey or sugar to sweeten

Crush the leaves and either tie up in cloth or place in a tea strainer. Pour boiling water over the leaves and allow to steep for 5 minutes. You may need to press some of the liquid out of the leaves when straining as they will absorb and expand somewhat.

Remove the steeped leaves, sweeten, sit back, relax and enjoy!

…………………………………..

If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

Recipe: Tarragon Chicken with Mushrooms & Garlic

I will show you a love potion without drug or herb, or any witch's spell; if you wish to be loved, love. – Charles Lindbergh

Chicken, pasta, garlic, cream... what's not to love?

This recipe is a variation of one that was posted on May 6, 2011. It’s interesting how changing just a few basic ingredients can really alter the end result of a dish.

Dew kissed tarragon. Photo:
Kathleen Farley, Flickr ccl

Even after all the turkey this past weekend, I chose chicken. Don’t ask why, except it was on sale and seemed close enough to fit with the overall season.

I had recently made tarragon vinegar and wanted to give it a try. Often flavoured vinegar can be used as a substitution for sherry (not always, but sometimes) and this was one. The original recipe was for “Chicken Penne with Garlic Cream.”

This recipe still uses cream, garlic, mushrooms, chicken, etc, but the flavour notes are tarragon which is spicy anise. Be careful how much you use as it can easily overpower.

Like its predecessor, this recipe is very good and very filling. Good homestyle bread rounds it out to a complete and delicious meal.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Tarragon Chicken with Mushrooms & Garlic

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 20 min  |  Serves 4

3/4 lb of rotini, cooked to package directions

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

1 medium-large onion, cut in 3 slices and then quartered

4 lg garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered

2 tbsp tarragon vinegar

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp to 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped (to taste)

1/4 cup pasta water

salt and pepper to taste

The addition of a little pasta water helps loosen the sauce
and adhere better to the pasta.

Cook the rotini according to package directions and keep warm, or cook the pasta while you make the chicken.

Heat the in a large flat sauté pan with a lid. 

Add the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear the thighs on both sides until browned. Cover the pan and allow the thighs to steam-fry for 2-3 minutes. This will finish cooking the thighs. Remove to a dish.

Add the onions and fry for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute more. Stir in the mushrooms. Mushrooms absorb a lot of oil when frying and will “suck up” any chicken fat remaining in the pan. 

Pour in the tarragon vinegar to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Scrape the fond off the bottom as it evaporates. Cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 4 minutes.

Slice the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Add back into the pan with the Mushrooms and heat through. Mix together the cornstarch and water. Add the cream, tarragon and thickener to the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let cook until the sauce is thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as necessary.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water. Add the water to the chicken and stir. Then add in the drained pasta and toss well.

Serve with crusty buttered country bread.

…………………………………..

If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

Object of Lust 10: Depression Era Meat Grinder

We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire...give us the tools and we will finish the job. – Winston Churchill

Whatever can be in such an intriguing box?

Why aren’t things made the way they used to be? It seems we live in an ever-increasing disposable society. Products are now made to only last until the new improved version hits the shelves. 

That says volumes about the state of society, not only in our consumption but more widely in how we treat each other. Sadly it seems our relationships are as disposable as what we buy. 

Multiple grind plates, the real deal...

Well it wasn’t always that way. Everything used to be made to last, and last and last. Look around your kitchen. Pick out 5 machines that you expect to still be working in 10 years.

Difficult to do, right?

This old grinder is therefore a major object of lust for me. I love old tools—things that were made well—and how they often have been lovingly preserved. This is from a time when you couldn’t run to the store but had to rely on yourself to make the items you ate, wore and even lived in. 

The tools you used had to be reliable. It was disaster if they broke down. It comes from a different world.

In contrast, we bought a gas lawn mower at the start of this past mowing season. It’s already been in need of two repairs. When did we lose our pride in making quality goods? It’s endemic and lamentable.

Just look at this box. You know that something wondrous is nestled inside. I may actually get my hands on this particular object. Currently it resides with some friends who never use it. It did belong to my cousin’s grandmother before them.

I have a real desire to own a good quality grinder. In making my own sausage I have found it both cheaper than store purchased and infinitely tastier and better for you.

If they get “clearance” to re-gift it, I may just have it! Here’s hoping…

Just look at this machine. Built for the long haul, to be sure.

........................................

If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

Plant Identification: Canadian Holly, Ilex vertcillata

Another in a series of "I didn't know that" plants...

Native holly: Ilex verticillata

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) is a species of holly native to eastern seaboards of the United States and Canada. Until September comes, it’s very easy to miss. But once the berries turn red the opposite is true.

Winterberry is a shrub that grows between 3 and 15 feet high. I have never seen one over 10 feet. Unlike European Holly (Ilex aquifolium), Winterberry is deciduous, losing its leave in the Autumn. Winterberry grows in both dry and wet conditions, but is more compact where the soil is on the drier side. 

Like its cousin, the leaves are shiny green, but they do no bear the sawtooth marks characteristic of the European variety.

The flowers are small and white and are followed by round green berries which ripen to the characteristic red in early Fall. The berries are only borne on the female plants. Like most hollies, it is “dioecious,” which means there are separate male and female plants.  At least one male plant is required close by to pollenate the females in order to bear fruit.

The entire Winterberry plant contains a mild toxin called theobromine, an alkaloid nearly identical to caffeine in coffee. The greatest concentration is in the berries. Before you rush out to make your own brew, be aware that Ilex verticillata is on the poisonous plant list in Nova Scotia and many studies will need to be conducted before the plant is deemed safe for consumption. Like other caffeines, large concentrations of theobromine can cause dizziness, nausea and diarrhoea.

The winterberry is prized for the midwinter splash of bright colour from its berries, whose visibility is increased when the leaves drop off. The bare branches covered in berries are also popular for cutting and use in floral arrangements. Many people sell Winterberry at the local Farmers Markets. They usually start to appear now, or a little later in the season.

Winterberry is a tough plant which is easy to grow, with very few diseases or pests and it will grow in the average garden. Birds do seem to like to eat the berries, so be warned. They may start to disappear!

If my experience with European holly is any indication it appears that the male plants are the “bushier” of the two. Unfortunately you do not get berries on the males. My suggestion would be to plant several of both so you get the best of both worlds.

I am currently tending a hedge of European holly at my mother's which, in years to come, I hope to trim into cubes along the edge of the yard. We’ll see…

........................................

If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecans

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. – Henry David Thoreau 

Turn pumpkin into something amazing!

The star of the Autumn kitchen – sugar pumpkins. Photo: Violentz, Flickr ccl

Here's a seasonal recipe that hopefully you will try for this Thanksgiving (if you're Canadian that's Monday; American Thanksgiving is in November), or any other holiday. It's a grand substitute for pumpkin pie.

Sugar pumpkins are quite small.

All the flavors of classic pumpkin pie are used in this cheesecake. Ricotta makes this much lighter than a traditional "all cream cheese" cake. I would venture that people who don't normally like cheesecake will like this.

I have been making this recipe for several years now. I'm not sure about where originated, but suffice it to say that I've tinkered with it enough that it's now mine.

I have made perfectly smooth topped ricotta cheesecakes in the past, but for some reason it seems that this particular one always cracks – and in the weirdest place. It doesn't crack down the centre, which is deadly for a cheesecake. It cracks around the edge.

When I pulled this out of the oven it kind of reminded me of a soufflé. Fear not. It settles back down. Interestingly this undesirable "effect" leaves a small indentation on top of the cheesecake which is perfect for arranging the pecans and sugar syrup topping.

Maybe it was meant to be…

I went "hard core" on this cheesecake and made my own pumpkin purée, but you can use canned. I do make my own ricotta but didn't for this recipe. Even though Ricotta is easy to make, the cheesecake was enough...

Sugar pumpkins (the small ones used for making pies) are only about $1 now. Either roast the pumpkin wedges, or seed and pare it and boil the pieces. Purée the flesh very well after cooking until it is very smooth. It's best to do the pumpkin the night before you want to make the cheesecake. It's just easier that way.

This purée is too wet. I had to strain
it and then squeeze water out of it.

A word to the wise: Your pumpkin purée needs to be fairly dry. If you boil the pumpkin you will need to strain it of excess water. The photo at left is WAY too wet. 


Put the cooked pumpkin in a piece of fine cloth and then in a sieve over a bowl. After the initial draining gather the cloth's corners and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. If you roast the pumpkin more water will evaporate than if you boil it. Depending on the pumpkin you bought you may still need to do it even if you roast. Water content varies greatly.

I boosted the pecan flavour in this cheesecake by making the crust half ground nuts and half graham crackers. It turned out beautifully.

If you run to the store right now you can have cheesecake for tomorrow! I bet in Canada you'll find ricotta and cream cheese on sale because Thanksgiving is this weekend. I did.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecans

Prep: 20 min  |  Bake: 8 min crust, 1 h 20 min cake  |  Serves 10-12

The baked crust. It smelled wonderful. Yum!

Graham Pecan Crust for cheesecake

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup pecan pieces

2 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Cheesecake

3 cups ricotta cheese

12 oz cream cheese (1-1/2 packages)

1-1/4 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1 cup pumpkin purée, see note*

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Sugar Pecan topping

1 cup pecan pieces

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

This is the actual colour of the cheesecake batter. It somehow
turns orange during baking. Why, who knows, but it does...

Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle of the oven.

The crust:

Pulse the pecan pieces in a food processor until well ground. Melt the butter and set aside. Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar to the ground pecans and pulse to combine. Slowly pour in the butter and mix well.

Turn out the crumbs into a 9” spring form pan. Press the crust evenly over the bottom.

Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Let cool before filling.

The batter:

Combine the ricotta and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the brown sugar. Beat the cheese until the sugar is dissolved.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Add in the pumpkin, cornstarch, spices and vanilla and beat to combine.

Pour the batter into the spring form pan. Bake the cheesecake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the centre looks set but still jiggles slightly. The cheesecake will firm up as it cools. Refrigerate until fully set up before making the topping. 4-6 hours or overnight works well.

Topping:

Arrange the pecan pieces evenly on top of the cheesecake. Combine the brown sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir as the sugar cooks. Let cook  until the sugar reaches soft ball stage (235°F). When I did this the sugar was at 235°F almost immediately. Use a thermometer!

If you let it cook longer you will reach a harder candy stage. If you let it cook too long (350°F or higher), it will become very dark, taste burnt and will ruin the cheesecake. (Burnt caramel is called "Monkey’s Blood," because it turns dark, blood red just before it goes completely black and smokes.)

Pour the sugar syrup evenly over the nuts on the cheesecake. Let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

By the way, it's pronounced "puh-kon". "Pee-can" is what Grannie had under the porch...

........................................

If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

Recipe: Homemade Basil Vinegar, Aceto al Basilico

A man's nature runs either to herbs, or to weeds; therefore let him seasonably water the one, and destroy the other. – Francis Bacon, Sr.

Photo: Mammoaca2008, Flickr ccl

Homemade gifts make wonderful presents. So far this year I’ve made more liqueurs than I can remember as well as two vinegars: Blueberry Tarragon and Tarragon alone. The Blueberry Tarragon was a revelation. Wow.

Both vinegars were similar in colour so I opted to dye the basil
a little green. This is the tarragon vinegar.

I recently ran out of tarragon vinegar so it was necessary to make more. The basil was looking pretty good in the grocery stores as well so I thought “why not?” 

These two vinegars were nearly identical in colour so I opted to dye the basil to keep them straight. Mixing up one for the other would be a surprise, for certain!

I've already purchased some small wooden boxes for Christmas giving. A couple vinegars or liqueurs and some preserves hopefully will make a really nice gift.

The Basil recipe (Aceto al Basilico) calls for capers. They do actually make a difference in the end product. I wouldn’t leave them out. You can get perfectly good ones at the Dollar Store believe it or not. In the grocery you pay upwards of $3 per jar.

This vinegar is wonderful in a vinaigrette for anything that benefits from an extra basil burst, like a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad. This vinegar also goes well on vegetables or fish.

I have a new recipe that I am thinking of trying. Tarragon vinegar is used for Béarnaise sauce for steak or eggs. There’s no real reason why a similar sauce couldn’t be crafted using basil in place of tarragon. I may just do that…but I'm still trying to figure out how to use it!

The noise we all just heard was Auguste Escoffier rolling over in his grave.

Aceto al Basilico

Yield: two and one half 345 ml bottles

1 L rice wine vinegar (4 cups)

1 tbsp white sugar

1 bunch of basil leaves (1 package from the grocery)

1 tbsp pickled capers

2 drops green, 1 drop yellow food colouring* optional

1 L Mason jar

Tarragon on the left; dyed basil on the right.

Sterilize a 1 L Mason jar. Rinse the basil leaves, pick out any bad leaves and pat the rest dry. Place the basil in the jar.

Bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil, add the capers and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the vinegar and capers over the basil.

Seal the jar, place out of direct sunlight and let infuse for 2-3 weeks. Shake the jar periodically. At the end of the time, strain out the basil and capers.

* At this point I added food colouring. I did this because the vinegar was very pale, and I was making tarragon vinegar at the same time (see picture at left). It was partly an esthetic and partly a practical reason. You can omit it all together if you wish.

Bottle the vinegar. This makes two full 375 ml and one half full bottles. I always assume the partly filled bottles are the chef’s reward?

Here's the ingredients for the tarragon vinegar. It follows the same basic method as the basil:

1 cup white wine

3 cups rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp white sugar

1 bunch tarragon sprigs (1 package)

Homemade vinegars will last for many months on the counter and even longer when refrigerated.

........................................

If you like this post retweet it using the link at top right, or share using any of the links below. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?