Crème of the Berry Crop - Crème Fraîche Ice Cream with Fresh Marionberries

This post is technically late.  But I was determined to participate in the July BakeSpace Challenge, since I haven't done one in over a year.  This month just happened to be "Local Produce From the Farmer's Market".  This turned out to be a little more challenging than I anticipated, partly due to the extremely wet weather this spring having delayed crops again, just like last year.  But as luck would have it, I found some Marion Berries.  I love berries.  Logan, Tay, Ollalie, Rasp, Salmon, Thimble, Black Cap, Boysen, or  Marion... All the bramble berries are all delicious in their own way.

The Marionberry is a hybrid black berry created by crossing the Chehalem blackberry and the Ollalieberry at Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon. Due to the extensive testing of the berry within the Willamette Valley, when the berry was released in 1956 it was named after Marion County, as opposed to being named after Mr. George F. Waldo who was responsible for creating the initial hybrid in 1946.

Marion berries are a wonderful example of traditional hybridization, bringing the best attributes of the parents into one single berry (the flavor of the Chehalem and the production of the Ollalie). Though as intoxicatingly delicious as the Marionberry is, it may carry some latent genes from the parents of the Ollalie, which is itself a hybrid (Loganberry and Youngberry) developed in 1937; again at Oregon State University, but due to Oregon weather patterns, is much better suited to Northern California.  But enough about the Marionberry's "family bramble".

I get fairly touchy about my Marionberries (having been bereft of them for 13 years in San Diego) for they truly are the fine wine of the berry world.  Deep, rich, tart and earthy, like a fine Pinot Noir.  I prefer them in as unspoiled a preparation as possible. (kind of like my Huckleberries)  I am sure that at some point in the future, now that I am back in Oregon, I will get use to having them around again and may begin experimenting.  But for now...  K.I.S.S. is my phiosophy. Thus, I kept it simple by turning to David Lebovitz's recipe for an unassuming Crème Fraîche Ice Cream, to be served with fresh Marionberries from the Farmer's Market.  Sort of a frozen Berries and Cream.

And lemme tell ya this, about that.  The ice cream is positively the most incredible scoop of deliciousness you will ever taste and fully capable of standing alone on it's own merits.  But even better is the fact that the inherent "nuttiness" of Crème Fraîche is the perfect counter point to the tart zip of the Marion's.  I swear I could hear angels weeping for joy as I consumed it with great abandon.

Crème Fraîche Ice Cream with Marionberries

1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
pinch of Kosher Salt
5 large Egg Yolks
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract (enough to enhance, not to actually flavor)
2 cups Crème Fraîche
Fresh Marionberries 

Begin heating the Milk, Sugar and pinch of Salt over medium heat in a medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, separate the Egg Yolks into a medium bowl and break them up with a whisk.

When the Milk/Sugar reaches about 155 -160 degrees (cause you don't really need it too hot) remove the pan from the heat and begin pouring the hot milk slowly over the beaten yolks, while continuing to whisk.

Pour the resulting mixture back into the sauce pan and return to medium heat.

Whisk the soon to be custard until it begins to thicken slightly... about 170 degrees or until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear line. (you know the drill)

Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the tiny amount of vanilla. (that is the little bitty brown spot)

Strain through fine mesh into a bowl to arrest the cooking.

Cover on the surface with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and chill for 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and whisk in the Crème Fraîche.

Cover on the surface again and chill again for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instruction. (Usually about 20-30 minutes)

Spoon into a chilled container and freeze completely.... (about 4 hours)

Now for the topping.....

Some lovely Marionberries from the Farmers Market...

Do you hear the angels weeping?  I do. 

Oh wait! that's me.  Cause my bowl is empty.  hmmm

Mangia!!
~~

Bodacious Bouchons - September BakeSpace Challenge

It's that time of the month again... My Bakespace buds and I participate in the BakeSpace Challenge. This month, the challenge was to choose a recipe from another participating member's Recipe Box, and make it. We did a round robin drawing so my friend DDpie (DD) was cooking from my recipe box, and I was cooking from Gigi421's (Karen) recipe box, who was cooking from DajaD's (Dajana) recipes.... and so on and so forth... Did that make any sense?

I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to cook from Karen's collection. There were SO many great things... Braciole from her grandmother, Savory Italian Herbed Muffins, Zabaglione with Strawberries (that she had made for the Strawberries and Eggs challenge from earlier this year), as well as Sauerkraut Balls, Veal Capricosa and something I have made many times before because they are absolutely delicious.... Ricotta Gnocchi. But I finally decided on Tuna Corks, because I had friends over for lunch this afternoon, and I thought it would be a great little repast.

I made two changes out of necessity, because I was missing 2 ingredients... Onion and Gruyere. So I resorted to Shallot and Uniekaas Alpenhorn, which is a dutch cheese that is kind of a cross between Gruyere and Emmental. I also separated the eggs to see if I could get a little height to the finished product. This did increase my output from 8 bouchons to 11. Here is my slightly altered version, and YES, they were DELICIOUS!!!!! Something delightfully different from Tuna Salad or a Tuna Sandwich... YUM!

Bouchons au Thon

(Tuna Corks)

Vegetable cooking spray
6 oz Chunk-Light or Albacore Tuna in spring water, drained
2 TB finely chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 TB Tomato Paste
3 large Eggs, lightly beaten (I separated 2 of the eggs and beat the egg whites then folded them in)
1/4 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion (Shallot)
1 cup (4ozs.) shredded Gruyere cheese (I used Uniekaas Alpenhorn)
1/3 cup Crème Fraîche

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly grease 8 wells of a standard muffin tin with the cooking spray.

Place the tuna in a medium size mixing bowl; use a fork to break up any pieces larger than a dime.

Add Parsley, Salt, Tomato Paste and Eggs stirring to combine thoroughly. (I added 1 egg and 2 egg yolks)

Stir in the shredded Gruyere.

Fold in the Crème Fraîche.

Beat the Eggs Whites to firm peaks.

Fold into the mixture.

Divide the mixture evenly among the 11 muffin-tin wells. (filling about 3/4 full)

Use water to fill any empty wells halfway full to prevent those wells from scorching.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops and edges of the bouchons are set.

Dislodge the bouchons by running a knife around the inside edges of their wells.
Let them sit for 2 or 3 minutes, then carefully extract them and transfer to individual plates with Bay Leaves, Lemon Leaves, Dill Sprig or Parsley Sprigs and a slice of Lemon to garnish.

Mangia!!
~~

Prepare a Pair of Pears - Grilled Pear Salad

I knew it was bound to happen at some point. I love participating in the BakeSpace Challenges every month, but the last half of last month and the first two-thirds of this Month have been EXTREMELY busy. So I missed out on last months challenge, and I am down to the wire on this one…. I suppose it should not bother me too much, I DO enjoy living life on the edge. After all, the earth is round, it’s not like you can fall off or something… (OK, yeah, that was kind of lame)

Be that as it may, this month’s challenge was particularly interesting for me. It was Fruits of the Grill, while avoiding such items as Peaches and Pineapple (cause they have been all over the Food Network for years). Yes, and while Grapes and Blueberries might pose complications, there are many other fruits out there that will more than likely benefit from a quick fly by the BBQ to receive some ultra sexy grill marks. Yeah, that’s right. I said it… Grill marks just make food sexy. I am pretty darn sure that this penchant for ‘Fire Branding’ is related somehow to the ‘Open Flame’ gene on the Y chromosome, but hey, whaddya gonna do?

So back to Fruit Flamage... I finally decided that I was going to do a spin on a fruit salad that my mom would make when I was a kid. We always made a trip to Hood River, in the early fall, to pick up crates of both Elberta peaches and Red Bartlett pears.

I am going to digress for a second about the peaches before returning to the pears… Elberta peaches have GOT to be the best peach on the planet… I swear… It was the original “Georgia Peach” until the 60s when industrial hybrids started taking over. The sad part is that in the early 80’s, in Hood River, a really late frost decimated the trees, now the orchards have all been replanted with something called ‘Western Pride’ They just aren’t as good. Seriously, they aren’t… There was a subtle spiciness to the Elberta that is completely lost in the Western Pride.

My parents would ‘pressure can’ all the peaches and pears for the winter months, well, after a few nights of fresh fruit. I was not able to get my hands on a fresh red Bartlett; it’s still a little early… But since I am grilling it, I really think a d’Anjou will hold up better as it's a little firmer than the Bartlett. Red d’Anjous originated as naturally occurring bud sports found on Green d’Anjou trees. "Bud sports" are spontaneous, naturally occurring genetic mutations occurring on trees and plants; they are fairly rare and often go unnoticed. Red Anjous, however, did not go unnoticed; in fact this rarity occurred twice. The first red sport of Anjou was discovered in the 50's near Medford, OR, and a second red sport was discovered in the late 70's in Parkdale, OR (Parkdale is just south of Hood River).

OK, I promise -- that is the end of my fruit filled musings. The original fruit salad hails from those chill evening in the middle of January; mom would break out a jar of pears and make this fruit salad. Very simple and very delicious… OH HO!!!! I think I just experienced an epiphany while I am typing this up… I think this particular dish is responsible for my Sweet & Salty fascination. My mothers original version was simply a Pear half sprinkled with shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese with a small dollop of homemade Mayonnaise and a colorful sprinkle of Paprika. Deliciously sweet yet salty from the cheddar and a slight tang from the Mayonnaise. It was one of my favorite things growing up, and even when I didn't really know how to cook, I could still assemble a pretty good facsimile... Yeah, the store bought mayo is a little lacking...

Tonight, however, I am going to put a spin on this, since my "potential ingredient" knowledge has been expanded over the years. With that being said, the Pears are to be grilled, the Sharp Cheddar has become Pecorino Romano, the Mayonnaise has transformed into Crème Fraîche and the Paprika has morphed into Cinnamon. And T-H-E-N, I'm going to drizzle the whole thing with a Balsamic Reduction AND an Orange Muscat-Cinnamon Reduction.

OK, I'll admit I am kind of going over the top a little. But hey, that is the purpose of the BakeSpace Challenge... Exercising your Creative Muscle. This would not be my first flop... and I am sure that it will still be somewhat edible when I am done... LOL

Grilled Pear Salad

2 d’Anjou or Bosc pears (If you are simply going to serve this un-grilled, I would suggest a Comice pear)
1/2 of a Lemon
Shredded Pecorino Romano
Crème Fraîche
Cinnamon
Orange Muscat Reduction
Balsamic Reduction
Walnut, Macadamia Nut Oil or even a cooking spray (for brushing the fruit)

The reductions are fairly simple....
For the Orange Muscat Reduction, place 1 1/4 cups Orange Muscat wine in a sauce pan over low heat, add a cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer... (Try not to actually boil it)

Reduce to about 1/3 cup and set aside to cool before pouring into a little squeeze bottle.

For the Balsamic Reduction, place 3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar in a sauce pan, bring to a gentle simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup (it will be pretty thick at this point)

Remove from heat and cool before pouring into another little squeeze bottle.

OK, Grilled Pear Time....

Begin heating the BBQ Grill or your Grill pan.
Peel and slice the pears and half, lengthwise; remove the core.

Rub each half of the pear with the Lemon to prevent browning.

Lightly coat the grill with oil or cooking spray.
Place the pears, cut side down, on the hot grill for 2 minutes.

Turn and grill the backside for another minute or 2. (Common, tell me those grill marks aren't just sexy)

Place in a dish and sprinkle with Shredded Pecorino Romano; place a small dollop of Crème Fraîche in the spot where the core was removed then sprinkle with a pinch of Cinnamon (this is more fore décor purposes than anything else, Mace will work too)

Drizzle with Balsamic Reduction
Drizzle with Orange Muscat Reduction

Serve with more Chilled Orange Muscat…

I guess the premise was OK, but it needs work... Especially with the plating... What a Mess!!!
It didn't turn out the way I had it pictured in my head. The flavor was still really good, but I think it needed more cheese, and I think I will drop the Orange Muscat Reduction... Just a little too much sweet that didn't need to be there. I would have been better off just brushing the pear face with Grand Marnier.

Mangia!!
~~

Cream of The Crop - PiskeFlødeValfer for BakeSpace Challenge #15 (Strawberries and Eggs)

Cream of the Crop - PiskeFlødeValfer? or Danish Whipped Cream Waffles

It was only a matter of time before I revisited Waffleville again. Yes, I have one more for you. This is another Danish waffle, made in the same flower/heart iron,

but containing copious amounts of whipped cream in the batter. This creates a very VERY rich waffle. Quite delicious with Raspberries, ya know, that whole Danish thing, or Black Currant preserves and a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.

But I am gonna throw a little spin on it this time... you see, it's also time for the BakeSpace Monthly Challenge!!! That's right, and this month's challenge is Eggs and Strawberries. The eggs were covered by the Waffle batter, so that was not the challenging part. I felt it was necessary to take the strawberries past the point of just chopping them up with a little sugar and dumping them on top of a waffle, with some whipped cream.. SO... I did a little flavor testing... Borrowed a little culinary flair from France and some Strawberry "know how" from Italy and combined Fraises au Vin Rouge (Strawberries in Red Wine) with Fragole all'Aceto Balsamico (Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar). Which was all kinds of good, but I needed a twist... Something a little more unexpected. Black Pepper.

I have had black pepper on strawberries before, eons ago. I can't even remember who served them to me at this point, all I remember is that they were out of Balsamic Vinegar so they sprinkled black pepper on them. You see, black pepper, like balsamic, makes strawberries taste MORE like strawberries.... This is a good thing, especially in this day and age, with all the hybridization and genetically modified foods, that tend to lack any sort of actual flavor.

The reason I say this is that the strawberries that I ended up buying, were terrible. Awful, flavorless blobs with pithy hollow middles.

Compared to the strawberries of my youth, these were not even fit for jam. BUT.... A little Balsamic, a little Black Pepper and a little Pinot Noir.... Voila!!! They suddenly tasted amazingly delicious!!!!

So, here is my secret for awesome Strawberries... Try this on Strawberry shortcake, you will not be disappointed... Trust me... and always remember, the flavor of a berry is greatly compromised by cold. So ALWAYS let berries "warm" up to room temperature before serving.

Peppered Balsamic Pinot Noir Strawberries

16 oz Strawberries (hulled and quartered)
2 TB Honey
1 1/2 TB Balsamic Vinegar

Combine and let macerate for 30 minutes.


Pour off juice into a sauce pan (There will be about 3-4 TB) and add
5 TB Balsamic Vinegar
3 1/2 TB Sugar
5 TB Pinot Noir (Red Fruit and Low earth - light Black pepper on the finish - Like Rex Hill Kings Ridge 2006)

Simmer over low heat until it is reduced to a thick syrup (this takes awhile)

You should have about 1/4-1/3 the amount when you are done.
Let cool until it is only warm to the touch.

Hit the strawberries with several grinds of coarse black pepper.

Pour the syrup over the Strawberries,

cover and leave at room temp while making the waffles.

2 1/2 cups Self Rising Flour
4 TB Superfine sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Large Egg
1 Large Egg white
6 TB Whole Milk
5 TB Unsalted Butter – Melt, then cool
12 oz Heavy cream
1/2 tsp Mace

Sift the Flour into a bowl with the Sugar and salt

Add egg, egg white, milk and melted butter;

Mix thoroughly. The dough will look kind of like brioche

In a separate bowl, whip the cream with Mace to stiff peaks.

Fold whipped cream into the batter.

Let stand for 30 minutes.
Heat waffle iron.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter just off center of the iron towards the hinges. (The hinged back tends to push the batter towards the front of the iron)

Bake in Iron for 3-5 minutes or until G B & D or the steam stops rising.

Move cooked waffle to a baking sheet lined with paper towels in a 200 degree oven to keep warm, while cooking the remaining waffles.

Serve with Strawberries above, Raspberries and Confectioners' Sugar, Lingonberry Jam, Blackberries and Whipped Cream or Currant Preserves.

Mangia!!
~~