Flowering Quince Jam!

The important thing is that men should have a purpose in life. It should be something useful, something good. – Dalai Lama 

Not too sweet, and "floral." No other way to describe it.

This is a re-post from last year but bears repeating. It’s the perfect time to go out foraging the flowering quince. Yes, they are useful, and make something quite delicious.

Photo: fyrefiend, Flickr ccl

Flowering quince can be a bit of a test of your tenacity. We have one under a front window that was planted far too close. There is no way we have been able to kill it, and the root is too large to move. Currently it is buried under a hill of dirt. That will probably only make it angry.

I would love to have one in a more practical spot, especially now that I know a “secret.” You can use the fruit to make jam.

Everyone knows the bush I’m talking about. It’s actually quite breathtaking in bloom – literally covered with hot-pink flowers. This bush's botanical name is Chaenomeles speciosa.

Quince in the store are Cydonia oblonga. Cydonia are not winter hardy in Nova Scotia.

Any recipe that uses those quince can use flowering quince fruit. The flowering quince fruit is smaller, so if a recipe calls for a specific number of fruit be aware that you’ll need more. Cydonia quinces can be the size of apples.

Remove seeds and obvious blemishes.

You can "forage" your flowering quince from your own, or your neighbour's bush. They probably won't have a use for them and will look at you strangely when you ask to pick.

Because of our growing season don’t expect the quince to be ripe as you would expect an apple to be ripe. They will be as hard as rocks – and almost as difficult to deal with. They also will be somewhat green/yellow outside. If you can, pick ones that have started to yellow.

It’s also best to wait until the frost hits them once or twice. This helps develop the internal sugars. But don’t try to bite into one. It will either break your teeth, or suck all the saliva out of your mouth. They are unbelievably astringent. Smell the quince – it should have an pleasant, unusual, floral aroma. This translates into your jam.

I’m actually quite amazed that such a nice jam can be made from something so unpromising. When you're making the jam it does a magic trick close to the end of cooking time. It turns from yellow to quite a lovely orangey red º– almost the same colour as the flowers!

Quince makes a very old-fashioned and unusual jam. It has a bright flavour that is unlike anything else. It also is not overly sweet which makes it very different than other jams and jellies.

This is what it looks like at the start.

Quince are high in natural pectin so all you need is the fruit, sugar and water. They also contain more Vitamin C than lemons.

Flowering Quince Jam

Prep: 45 min  |  Cook: 45 min to 1 hour  |  Yield: 3+ cups 

Adapted from Simply Recipes

4 cups finely chopped flowering quince (between 5-7 fruit)

3-1/2 cups water

juice of one orange

zest of one orange 

3 1/2 cups sugar

*1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional)

Unless you are used to making jelly, use a candy thermometer for this.

And then, miraculously, it turns this colour!

To prepare the quinces first wash the fruit well and remove any obvious blemishes. The ones I picked had some dark spots on the skin, which I didn’t remove. Bruises were removed.

Quarter the quince and cut out the cores. This may take some doing. They are very hard. 

Chop the quince in a food processor – or a chef’s knife – into small pieces. Measure out 4 packed cups of fruit.

Place the quince, water, orange zest and juice in a stock pot. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften the flesh. then add the sugar, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.

Cook the quince until a thermometer reads 220°F. This is the jelly stage. It may take 45 minutes; it may take an hour; it may take longer. 

Stir occasionally to ensure the jam doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Skim off any "scum" that forms on the surface.

Once ready, prepare your canning jars by sterilizing the glass, rings and lids in very hot water. Fill the jars leaving a little head room. Place the tops on and tighten the rings on top.

Turn upside down and let sit on the counter for 1/2 hour. Flip over and let cool completely. The lid should be dimpled down to show that the jars are vacuum sealed. If they aren’t, refrigerate. Better safe than sorry.

I used Dollarstore cage-top jars. Since there was no way I could know if they were sealed, I refrigerated mine.

* If adding the Grand Marnier, stir it in after the jam has reached 220°F and is off the heat. The extra liquid will make a slightly softer jam but I wouldn't worry. It certainly won't make it runny.

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Blueberry & Lemon Pound Cake

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill 

This does NOT look like failure.

I’ve been to my secret blueberry patch again. It seems that they’re just about peak right now, even though I first went up to pick some a month ago. That’s a long time for blueberries to hang around.

It took me no time at all to gather 4 cups of the wondrous dark blue darlings. But now I have a slight problem. What should I do with them? It’s easy enough to put them in a bowl with cream and sugar, but what’s interesting about that? Not much, I dare say – although delicious.

I have had occasion to doubt my abilities with the oven lately. I’ve made a couple cakes that were absolute flops. As you can imagine, they ended up in the compost as opposed to our stomach. I used to be able to bake...

Whatever the reason for failure—haste, inaccurate temperature, insanity—I felt the need to “prove” I could do it, at least to myself. Lack of confidence is a terrible thing. For me it’s deadly. I do the cooking.

So always one to get back onto the horse that threw me, I launched myself into a blueberry cake. To mitigate my chance of failure I pulled out an old friend: the Quatre quarts recipe from Larousse gastronomique, the bible of all things food.

Quatre quarts (pound cake) is an English invention of the 1700s. It consists of equal measures of flour, sugar, eggs and butter. In English recipes each weighed a pound. As you can imagine, this sort of recipe was a godsend to illiterate masses who couldn’t read a cookbook even if they had one. Easy to remember, easy to do.

The leavening in a classic pound cake is only air whipped
into the eggs and sugar.

The leavening was/is accomplished by beating the heck out of the sugar and eggs until you have a very creamy, very light coloured and fluffy mass. Not everyone had access to baking powder or soda in the 1700s, or their forerunner potash.

This really is “the” classic cake as far as I’m concerned. It has just a few, readily available ingredients and is easy to put together. You can easily tell when your sugar and eggs are ready for the flour and butter.

But I had to change the original recipe from a straight vanilla cake to blueberry and lemon. Somehow I succeeded without bollocks-ing it up. I did add some baking powder to help. Soda and powder act in acidic batters to help rising. Lemon juice = acidic, so it seemed right to do. 

The result? An ever-so-slightly lemony cake studded evenly with beautiful, sweet wild blueberries. The classic “crack” down the centre is just a aesthetic bonus.

I’m vindicated. I can bake (again)! But I still have well over 2 cups of blueberries...and will be going back for more.

Blueberry & Lemon Pound Cake

Prep: 15 min  |  Cook: 1.25 hr to 1.5 hr  |  Yield: 1 loaf

1-1/2 cups wild blueberries*

2 tbsp flour

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup salted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Butter a 5x9 loaf pan and sprinkle with enough sugar to coat well. Toss the blueberries with the 2 tbsp of flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cream the sugar and eggs together in a mixer. After about 5 minutes the mixture will get very light and fluffy.

Turning the mixer to low, incorporate 1 cup of flour followed by 1/2 cup butter, alternating again to include all of both. Then add the vanilla, baking powder, juice, rind and nutmeg and beat for a further minute. Fold the berries and any flour left in the bottom of the berry bowl into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the hot oven.

Bake for 1 hour and then check for doneness. The cake is fully baked when it pulls away from the sides, has the characteristic bump down the centre with a crack in it and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the centre of the crack comes out perfectly clean.

If in any doubt at all, bake the cake longer. (That was my downfall with my failures.)

Let cool slightly on the counter, then remove from the pan. Slice as you serve.

* Cook’s tip: chill the blueberries before tossing with the flour. Once you take them out of the refrigerator they will have a slight dampness that helps the flour stick.

Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Foraging for Clover Lemonade

A friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have. – Unknown

Photo: fritish, Flickr CCL

Up early today: 5am. I've gotten slothful sleeping until 7am here in the country. I have a trip to the "big city" ahead of me today. I have two meetings, a garage appointment and lunch with a friend. I have to admit I am neither bright eyed nor bussy tailed right now. Maybe after my coffee...

It's always fun when I research my topic for the day. Without exception I always learn something new or odd. This is no less true with today’s topic, the ubiquitous red clover. 

Photo: eLaSeA, Flickr CCL

Clover is common in the Northern hemisphere and comes in many varieties. As with many other common plants, they have not only found their way into our kitchens but also our medicine cabinets. I'll restrict my blather to red clover. You know – the one you used to pick as a child.

What is red clover?

From Wikipedia...

Trifolium pratense (red clover) is a species of clover, native to Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions.

It is an herbaceous, short-lived perennial plant, variable in size, growing to 20–80 cm tall. The leaves are alternate, trifoliate (with three leaflets), each leaflet 15–30 mm long and 8–15 mm broad, green with a characteristic pale crescent in the outer half of the leaf; the petiole is 1–4 cm long, with two basal stipules. The flowers are dark pink with a paler base, 12–15 mm long, produced in a dense inflorescence.

What is in it?

The main chemical components of red clover are phenolic glycosides (salicylic acid), essential oil (methyl salicylate), sitosterol, genistiene, flavonoids, salicylates, coumarins, cyanogenic glycosides, silica, choline, and lecithin. 

Red clover also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, B-complex, calcium, chromium, iron, and magnesium.

Medicinal uses

Traditionally, red clover has been used to treat cancer, whooping cough, respiratory problems, and skin inflammations, such as psoriasis and eczema. 

Red clover steeped as a tea. Photo: Carly & Art, Flickr CCL

Red clover contains isoflavones, plant-based chemicals that produce estrogen-like effects in the body. Isoflavones have shown potential in the management of menopause, effecting hot flashes, cardiovascular health, and osteoporosis. 

However, as researchers have learned more about the side effects of taking estrogen, there is also some concern about the safety of isoflavones. And the evidence that red clover helps reduce any menopausal symptoms – like hot flashes – is mixed.

Side effects of using red clover extracts are generally mild and thankfully rare. but they do include breast tenderness, menstruation changes and weight gain. Although there is no evidence for concern, it is advised that red clover extracts should be avoided in women with a history of breast cancer. Pregnant and breast feeding women should not take red clover either.

Cooking with clover

To gain any of the benefits (or worrisome effects) of red clover you would have to ingest an awful lot of it. All the medical information pertains to extracts or concentrations, so you’re safe using them to cook. For example, clover honey is sold in grocery stores and there’s no health warnings blasted on the side of it. 

Now if you sat down and ate a gallon of clover honey you would probably have more to worry about than what is written above…

Clover blossoms can be brewed as tea, made into ice cream, tossed into salads, added to pancake batter, biscuits or rice, as well as boiled into syrup that can be used as a sweetener. The seeds can also be sprouted and used much as alfalfa sprouts. These are only a few options. There are many more if you but look. 

Today's offering is a good one for on the back deck in the hot summer sun. Feel free to add a "kick" to it in any manner you desire.

Red Clover Lemonade

3 cups fresh red clover blossoms

8 cups  water

1 cup white sugar, or clover honey

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

optional: 1 or 2 drops of red food colouring (to make it pinkish)

Simmer the clover blossoms in the water for 10 minutes. Then add the sugar (or honey)and  stir it until the sugar is dissolved. Cover the pot and let it steep for several hours or overnight. Steeping makes the “tea” stronger.

Lastly, add the lemon juice and red food colouring. If your tea is too brown you may want to omit the food colouring. It's up to you. Chill before use.

Lemonade is a fantastic refresher on a hot summer day and herbal lemonades are no exception.

Blueberry Cake with Nutmeg Cream

A life-long blessing for children is to fill them with warm memories of times together. Happy memories become treasures in the heart to pull out on the tough days of adulthood. – Charlotte Kasl 

Memories, like the corners of my mind... Misty, water-coloured memories...

This post is about memories as much as it is about a recipe. Old memories of mine, and hopefully some you can make for your family – all wrapped in a fluffy cake studded with blueberries.

The wild blueberries are in mid season here in Nova Scotia. That puts them about a week or  little more ahead of usual, if my calculations are correct. Prime foraging time.

I have found a “secret” spot, besides our backyard, where the picking is easy, if a little sun-drenched. They’re in a memory-charged spot (for me) in the village. So as I picked I did a little “reminiscing” of good times and bad that have passed, never to return. A melancholic picking, to say the least. But there’s not much more to do when you are picking them except think.

On Monday when I went a-harvestin’ the temperature had to be in the mid 30°C. Thinking of friends, school days and ball games kept me a little distracted from the heat. Luckily, the berries were plentiful so I was only there for about 1/2 hour. Any longer and my memories may have turned into delirium!

There’s nothing much more daunting than hearing those first few berries plop in the bottom of your container. It feels at the time like you’ll be there forever. If you’ve ever picked your own wild blueberries you probably will sympathize. 

But it’s like nearly every other task. Most jobs look far worse before you start than when you’re done. I have to remember that, too.

If you do have the chance to either pick, or purchase, wild blueberries, this recipe is one you really should make at least once this season. It only takes two cups of the delicious little darlings. A mere “drop in the bucket” – literally.

This blueberry cake – or very similar – is an old favourite around rural Nova Scotia. I can remember my mother making this as far back as when I was 4 or 5 years old. So I guess you could call it an old Maritime recipe.

Fluffy, fluffy batter. I DARE you to not lick the spatula.

Essentially it’s a white butter cake with a spiced sugar top that has the addition of blueberries. It’s very simple to put together.

But it’s an addition after it’s baked that makes this dessert so special. A nutmeg-spiced light cream (or milk) sauce is poured over the top. It sinks into the cake giving everything a moist richness and spicy taste that is amazing.

It’s not to say that this cake can’t stand on its own, sans sauce. It’s perfect that way as well. Or even serve it with vanilla or grapenut ice cream. For the short length of time it takes to throw it together, your time investment is returned ten-fold.

This cake, for the size of it (8” x 8” square pan), has a lot of berries, so don’t be fooled by a cake tester coming out nearly clean at around 45 minutes. If you go down through berries when you test for doneness you may get a false positive.

You will need the full time, or close to it depending on your particular oven, for the centre to be done. It will probably puff up, but will settle back down flat after it cools.

This cake always makes me have homey thoughts. I guess it’s because its so closely tied to mom, hearth and growing up in the country. Simpler times, or at least those water-coloured memories make it seem that way.

If you want to know what nostalgia tastes like try this cake. You may even cultivate some fond memories in your own family.

The cake will rise nicely above the pan.

Blueberry Cake with Nutmeg Cream

Prep: 10 min  |  Bake: 1 hr  |  Serves 9 or 16

2 cups wild blueberries

2 tbsp flour

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup light cream*

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups flour

2 tbsp white sugar, mixed with 1/2 tsp nutmeg

for the sauce

2 cups cereal cream*

2 tbsp sugar

1-1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter an 8” x 8” baking dish. Wash the blueberries, shake dry and toss the berries with 2 tbsp of flour in a small bowl. Set both the baking dish and blueberries aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the milk, baking powder, vanilla and salt and beat well. Beat in the flour a little at a time until all is incorporated. then stir in the coated blueberries, with any additional flour that may not have stuck.

Pour into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the sugar and nutmeg. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan. While the cake is cooling, whisk together the cream, sugar and nutmeg. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve squares of the cake in small dishes with the nutmeg cream poured over the top.

* Mom always used to use whole milk, but I find the cream just adds a little more to it.

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Foraging for Yarrow Salve

What medicines do not heal, the lance will; what the lance does not heal, fire will. – Hippocrates 

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a forage posting. You would think living in the country I would pay more attention to the topic.

I guess our main preoccupation has been the garden. Interestingly, this useful wild plant has decided to grow right behind where we planted our vegetables. That’s how I saw it. I was looking at the garden.

I suppose it’s not really that interesting. Yarrow grows pretty much anywhere. Usually where you don’t want it...

What is yarrow?

Achillea millefolium is a flowering herb in the Aster family. It is native to northern temperate regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. 

It blooms June through July in Nova Scotia and reaches heights of around 24”. It grows as single stalks with feathery leaves and white flat umbrels of small flowers. It’s not fussy as to soil conditions and is common on dry land as it is in ditches or fields.

In Ancient Greece, yarrow was known as militaris, for its use in stanching the flow of blood from battle wounds. The modern name is linked to Achilles, who is said to have treated the wounds of his soldiers with this plant.

Yarrow is also sold in garden centres as an ornamental plant in white, strong yellow, orange and pink. The wild form appears here as white, yellow and very light pink. White is by far the most common.

Medicinal Uses

Yarrow contains isovaleric acid, salicylic acid, asparagin, sterols, flavonoids, bitters, tannins, and coumarins. The plant has a long history as a powerful healing herb used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions. 

Yarrow as food

Yarrow was very popular as a vegetable in the 17th century. The younger leaves were cooked like spinach, used in soup or dried and used as a herb. A book I own called “Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada” says it’s not very good tasting. So go figure.

In the Middle Ages, yarrow was part of an herbal mixture known as “gruit,” used for bittering and flavouring beer before the common use of hops. In areas of Sweden I understand it is still used that way. It has also been used to flavour spirits and liqueurs.

Dangers

Like almost everything, yarrow does come with some risks. 

Although relatively rare, some people experience skin reactions when exposed to yarrow. If you’re allergic to other members of the aster family you may want to steer clear of it.

Yarrow is also not to be ingested by pregnant women or those breastfeeding as not enough is known about possible side effects of transmission.

Prolonged use of yarrow may also cause light sensitivity in some people.

If you can get past the fears, you may want to try this simple recipe for a salve for minor cuts and abrasions. 

This salve is antibacterial, analgesic, and anti-styptic. It is effective for use on cuts, abrasions, and slight burns. Because of its antibacterial properties it reduces the chance of infection, and its analgesic properties helps reduce pain. 

Of course if you have a gaping wound, get to the doctor!

Yarrow Salve

Yield: 4 x 125 ml jars

1.5 L dried white yarrow leaves and flowers

2 cups olive oil

1/4 cup beeswax

Pick about 2 L of white yarrow leaves and blossoms. Place in the shade and allow to dry. Drying herbs in the sun degrades the chemical compounds that are useful. The dried flowers and leaves can be kept for months if fully dry.

Place the olive oil and beeswax in a stock pot on the stove and heat gently until the beeswax has melted.

Immerse as much of the dried yarrow as you can in the warm oil. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Do not let the mixture get too hot as the yarrow will fry.

Let the mixture cool slightly and then strain through a very fine sieve or cotton cloth. Place in small jars and mark with the name and date. Refrigerate for up to 1 year.

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You know, I really like comments... I really do.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Dandelion Pesto Eggplant Parmigiana

People think that I must be a very strange person. This is not correct. I have the heart of a small boy. It is in a glass jar on my desk. – Stephen King 

The time has come to talk of strange foraging. Not so much for the eggplant, but the other star of this dish. Yes, you can make pesto out of dandelion greens. 

Anyone can see the dandelions are up in full force, coming at us in battalions. With the weather supposedly rainy until Tuesday (you heard me right) they will be plentiful come the next sunny day. As I have said in the past, if you can’t defeat your enemies, eat them.

I have threatened to make this pesto before so I thought since the wild beasts are at my door the time had come. Just make sure you always harvest from an unpolluted spot. That's kind of key for any foraging, don't you think?

No, pesto isn't just basil

Pesto is usually made with basil, but many versions with some weird and wild greens are cropping up (pardon the pun). Some aren’t even green, for example sun-dried tomato pesto. 

Now before we go down the road of "pesto's only ever basil" the history behind the word is that it is from the Italian pestare, the meaning of which is to pound or crush. So it’s more about the method of preparation than classic ingredients.

What makes basil pesto the classic is that basil has a wonderful, almost sharp taste when used in volume. It’s not at all like what you may think. That’s what to look for in substitutes – that sharpness. If you can find a suitable replacement you’re on your way.

I have made pesto from cilantro and kale in the past. The kale pesto was a little unexpectedly delicious, but it shouldn’t have been. Kale leaves are very strong flavoured.

The same is true of dandelion greens. They do not taste like dandelion stems (if you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to taste one); they taste sort of peppery. 

Your task, if you accept it, is to go outside and find a clean dandelion leaf and eat a bit of it. You’ll then understand what I mean.

To the "Back 40"!

So off the the back yard I went, plastic bag in hand. I gathered a fair bunch rather quickly. Now is the time to harvest them since the leaves are still quite young. They grow stronger in flavour the older they get. 

I have actually never gotten around to harvesting very young leaves before and I noticed something interesting. Each leaf had a dark red vein on the ridge. This made for a darker than usual coloured pesto when puréed. But each pesto other than basil does have its own distinct hue.

Making pesto is a breeze, and it’s fun. All you need is a food processor. From there it takes mere minutes. 

If you’re venturing away from basil, your second consideration will be the nuts. Basil pesto uses pine nuts. Let’s all say it together: “They’re expensive!” I have used almonds, walnuts, and in this recipe cashews. I wanted the cashews for their richness.

We had a vegetarian friend from the city for the long weekend and it was up to me to prepare dinner for when she and my spouse arrived home. One of my favourite vegetarian dishes is eggplant parmigiana. I now have found a way to bump it up a notch.

The whole recipe itself is actually quite easy. If you can use a food processor, slice eggplant and open a jar of sauce you can make this dish.

All in all, if you’re looking for something that tastes great but is definitely out of the ordinary you’ve found it here. Also, the dandelion being free doesn’t hurt either.

Dandelion Pesto Eggplant Parmigiana

Prep: 30 min  |  Bake: 35 min  |  Serves 4

2 tbspolive oil

1 large eggplant

2 cups your favourite pasta sauce

linguine for 4

1 cup mozzarella

the pesto

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp lemon peel

4-5 cups fresh dandelion greens, washed and chopped

1 cup unsalted cashews pieces

about 1/2 cup olive oil (see recipe)

1/2 cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Slice the eggplant in 3/4” slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Fry the eggplant in batches in the 2 tbsp of olive oil until browned. It will soak up quite a lot so add more if necessary. Place in a 9x13 baking dish, in one layer.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To make the pesto, place the garlic cloves, lemon peel and cashews in a food processor. Add the dandelion greens about a cup at a time, puréeing between additions.

Once all the dandelion greens have been added, slowly start to pour olive oil into the mixture while the motor is running. Use enough so the pesto moves smoothly in the bowl – but don’t make it a runny liquid. It needs to be slightly thick.

Add the grated parmesan and pulse to combine. Taste for salt and pepper and add as desired.

Place some pesto on top of each eggplant slice. You can freeze the remaining pesto, or refrigerate for 1 week. You will have leftover.

Then pour over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Serve on top of hot linguine, with grated parmesan at the table.

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You know, I really like comments... I really do.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

We’ll soon be foraging!

The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. – James A. Garfield 

I can't wait... Fiddleheads and butter poached salmon.

Some time this weekend I’m going to take my first tentative steps into the wilderness. It’s been a long sleepy winter and this old bear has finally roused and gone in search of food.

Photo: Per jensen, Flickr ccl

Oh wait – I’m not a bear... I just growl quite a bit. But I still need food, and the time is soon upon us where we can start to get some free stuff from Mother Nature’s cupboard.

Yesterday my spouse did our first lawn mowing of 2013 at our place. Today I will do the same for my mother, so things are definitely growing. It has begun.

There’s two early spring foods that are available now, or soon will be in Nova Scotia. One is the dastardly dandelion, the other is fiddleheads.

Regarding dandelions, I am of the school that believes if you can’t defeat your enemies you should eat them. Seriously. Dandelion greens are really good. Yes – the ones that grow out of your lawn.

Photo courtesy New Brunswick Tourism

I have often looked at the ones in grocery stores and wondered what the heck they are. They bear slight resemblance to our golden-headed “friend” and I have never bought them. I’m sure they’re someone’s dandelions. but not the common one in Nova Scotia.

When I’m mowing today I will be checking progress.

The other forageable (is that even a word?) soon to break ground will be fiddleheads. The ones you get in the store, if you don’t happen to have a fen nearby, are exactly what grows wild.

They mostly come from New Brunswick, but can be found everywhere in Nova Scotia if you care to look.

Fiddleheads, also known as ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris), grow wild in wet areas of northeast North America in spring. 

The Mi’kmaq and Maliseet natives considered fiddleheads to be medicinal as well as a food. They were an early season staple for them after the long, bleak winter.

When you buy fiddleheads they are bright green. When foraging they are covered in a brown fuzz that has to be removed before eating. I have read the best way to do that is with your fingers under running water. Try your best, and then boil them for 15 minutes with a change of water in the middle. Fiddleheads must be cooked before eating.

There are some concerns about eating fiddleheads. Health Canada and the Centers for Disease Control have investigated food-borne illness associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked fiddleheads. The common symptoms were diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and headaches. How pleasant...

They usually occured within 30 minutes to 12 hours after consumption. Symptoms typically lasted less than 24 hours, but it was found that in some cases it stayed around for up to three days.

Photo: oschene, Flickr ccl

Many ferns contain the enzyme thiaminase, that breaks down thiamine. That's highly undesirable. This can lead to beriberi and other vitamin B complex deficiencies if consumed to excess or if your diet is lacking in these vitamins. I’ m assuming that excessive consumption would be a few times a week.

If you haven’t been turned completely off yet, fiddleheads are available in the grocery for only a few weeks in springtime, and are not inexpensive. Pickled and frozen fiddleheads can be found in some gourmet shops (and some groceries) year-round.

Humans have been eating them for millenia. Just use some common sense. Two important tips: don't eat them raw, and don't forage from polluted areas.

Fiddleheads contain various vitamins and minerals, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are a source of antioxidants and dietary fibre. They are low in sodium, but rich in potassium, which may make them suitable for people who need a low-sodium diet.

You have to watch what you pick, though. Many spring ferns are nick-named “fiddleheads” but are NOT the ostrich fern. For example, bracken (Pteridium genus), are carcinogenic. These also grow everywhere but are easily separated from fiddleheads because they grow singly as opposed to in a clump.

For a truly springtime feast, pair fiddleheads with fresh-caught brook trout. I do my best fishing at the grocery store, but the day I made this they didn’t have any trout. When I made this salmon was on sale so I had to make do… poor me.

The following recipe is a stunning way to prepare salmon or many other fish, regardless if you serve with fiddleheads or not.

Butter and wine.

Butter Poached Salmon with Fiddleheads

Prep: 5 min  |  Cook: 15 min (12 for the salmon)  |  Serves 4

4 salmon portions

2 tsp whole peppercorns

1 medium onion, sliced

1 cup salted butter

enough white wine to almost cover the fish

1 lb fresh fiddleheads

sea salt, for finishing

Melt the butter in a saucepan with a wide enough bottom to hold the fish in one layer without much additional room.

Meanwhile, trim the fiddleheads, clean and rinse well and place in salted water. Bring to a boil and let cook for 15 minutes,changing the water halfway through. Then drain. 

Continuing with the salmon, add the peppercorns and onion to the butter and let sauté for about 2 minutes.

Add the salmon, skin side down, and pour in enough wine to come nearly to the top of the fish. (This is why you use a pan that isn’t too big. You use less wine.)

Partially cover and let simmer on medium high for 10 minutes.

Remove the salmon and increase the heat under the pan to high. Let the sauce cook down until almost all of the wine has evaporated.

To serve, divide the fiddleheads onto individual plates. Top with a piece of salmon and drizzle with the reduced sauce, onions and peppercorns. Sprinkle the fish with a little large grained sea salt.

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Breakfast Foraging: Flowering Quince Jam

The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today. – Lewis Carroll, from Alice in Wonderland

The longer I live, the more I learn, thankfully. For instance, I always thought that flowering quince had only two qualities: garden decoration in springtime, and the property of never being able to be gotten rid of.

One of my victims in its natural habitat.

We have two running battles in the country with flowering quince, one at my mothers and one at my great aunts.

It seems that if you cut them it just makes them angry. They come back with a vengeance,and send suckers many, many feet out from the “offended” plant. "Hardy" is an understatement.

Now I’m glad that I know they’re not quite as useless as I thought. You can use the fruit to make jam (and also to flavour liqueur, so I have been told).

Everyone knows the bush I’m talking about. It’s actually quite breathtaking in bloom – literally covered with hot-pink flowers. This bush's botanical name is Chaenomeles speciosa..

There is another quince that is grown specifically for fruit. That one’s Cydonia oblonga. Note the different first names – the two are different species. But both are in the family Rosaceae. That family includes apples and pears. Cydonia are not winter hardy in Nova Scotia, being Asian natives,so if you see true quince in the store they have travelled far.

Flowering quince blossoms. Photo: fyrefiend, Flickr ccl

Any recipe that uses quince can use flowering quince fruit. The flowering quince fruit is smaller, so if a recipe calls for a specific number of fruit be aware that you’ll need more. True quinces can be the size of apples.

You can "forage" your flowering quince from your own, or your neighbour's bush. They probably won't have a use for them and will look at you strangely when you ask to pick.

I foraged my quince from my uncle’s tree and a couple off our scraggly stems trying desperately to survive my attempts at murder. The quince off our bush was very small, like an egg; the others were the size of small lemons.

Because of our growing season don’t expect the quince to be ripe as you would expect an apple to be ripe. They will be as hard as rocks – and almost as difficult to deal with. They also will be somewhat green outside. If you can pick ones that have started to yellow.

It’s also best to wait until the frost hits them once or twice. This helps develop the internal sugars. But don’t try to bite into one. It will either break your teeth, or suck all the saliva out of your mouth. They are unbelievably astrigent. If you smell a quince it should have an pleasant, unusual floral aroma. This translates into your jam.

The inside of the fruit is quite white and the core is a little
difficult to remove. My quince is the orangey one.

I’m actually quite amazed that such a nice jam can be made from something so unpromising. When you're making the jam it does a magic trick close to the end of cooking time. It turns from yellow to quite a lovely orangey red.

Kind of odd, the jam turns almost the same colour as the flowers. Certainly not the colour of the fruit...

Quince makes a very old-fashioned and unusual jam. It has a bright flavour that is unlike anything else. It also is not overly sweet which makes it very different than other jams and jellies.

Quince are high in natural pectin so all you need is the fruit, sugar and water. They also contain more Vitamin C than lemons.

Note, I used some decorative little cage-top jars that I found at the Dollar Store for my jam. The directions call for canning jars with lids. Since I can’t be absolutely sure mine are sealed, I have to refrigerate them.

Flowering Quince Jam

This is the chopped fruit, just when it's starting to be cooked.
Thanks goodness for food processors.

Prep: 45 min  |  Cook: 45 min to 1 hour  |  Yield: 3+ cups 
Adapted from Simply Recipes

4 cups finely chopped flowering quince (between 5-7 fruit)

3-1/2 cups water

juice of one orange

zest of one orange 

3 1/2 cups sugar
*1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional)

Unless you are used to making jelly, use a candy thermometer for this.

To prepare the quinces first wash the fruit well and remove any obvious blemishes. (The ones I picked had some dark spots on the skin, which I didn’t remove. Bruises were removed.)

Quarter the quince and cut out the cores. This may take some doing. They are very hard. 

Chop the quince in a food processor – or a chef’s knife – into small pieces. Measure out 4 packed cups of fruit.

This is the actual colour it turned. Amazing.

Place the quince, water, orange zest and juice in a stock pot. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften the flesh. then add the sugar, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.

Cook the quince until a thermometer reads 220°F. This is the jelly stage. It may take 45 minutes; it may take an hour; it may take longer. 

Stir occasionally to ensure the jam doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Skim off any "scum" that forms on the surface.

Once ready, prepare your canning jars by sterilizing the glass, rings and lids in very hot water. Fill the jars leaving a little head room. Place the tops on and tighten the rings on top.

Turn upside down and let sit on the counter for 1/2 hour. Flip over and let cool completely. The lid should be dimpled down to show that the jars are vacuum sealed. If they aren’t, refrigerate. Better safe than sorry.

* If adding the Grand Marnier, stir it in after the jam has reached 220°F and is off the heat. The extra liquid will make a slightly softer jam but I wouldn't worry. It certainly won't make it runny.

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