HARVESTING SEAWEED

     Summer is the best time to harvest seaweed in Nova Scotia because the warmer water encourages the sea plants to grow, not to mention it's sunny and warm enough to make me think it would be a good idea. A few months back I helped organize this camping trip to the Bay of Fundy with some of the families from my children's school. We wanted the kids to discover where the seaweeds we commonly eat grow and how to properly (and safely) harvest them. So, I checked the tide charts and we arrived at that perfect moment when the ocean reveals her treasures to us for a brief time. It was spectacular.

     The three seaweeds we gathered were Dulse, Sea Lettuce, and Kelp. Not only do I love seaweed for it's amazing briny flavour, but for it's incredible nutritional properties as well. Did you know that seaweed is high in fibre and a wide range of essential nutrients including enzymes, nucleic acids, amino acids, minerals, trace elements and vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K? It's good for your heart, blood pressure, hormonal/lymphatic/urinary/digestive and nervous systems. Need I say more?
     Of the three, Dulse is the best eaten straight up out of the ocean, or savoured after it's been dried and packaged away for the winter. It's tender, delicious, and dare I say kind of like bacon? Sea Lettuce can be eaten fresh from the sea in salads, or you can dry it and reconstitute in water to make seaweed salad in the winter. All seaweeds make great additions to your wintertime soups too. My favourite way to enjoy both Dulse and Sea Lettuce is dried well and then crushed into flakes using my coffee grinder. These easy to use seasoning "sprinkles" taste fantastic on steamed vegetables, in salads, or on popcorn. Kelp can also be prepared in this way, but I mostly keep it in larger pieces once it's been dried and then I add it to my chicken stock and soups.

     For those of you interested in the more technical details of how to harvest seaweed I am more than happy to share the way I go about it. As I mentioned, you need to check the tide charts for the area you know for sure has the seaweed you are looking to harvest. This is the tricky part as you generally have to learn from someone else. You want to pick a day and time when the tide is at it's lowest point. Then you show up about half an hour before this time with large empty onion bags, a pair of scissors and an empty knapsack. At our particular spot, you have to walk WAAAAY out before you see the Dulse, Sea Lettuce or Kelp. Then you make sure you cut the seaweed off the rock leaving a bit behind so that the plant can regrow. When the tide starts coming in it's important to start heading back so you don't get stuck in water that is too deep for you. I always make sure to take a big bucket of clean seawater back with me so that just as I am about to lay them out to dry in the sun, I give them a quick dip in the water to remove any sand. I have specially built racks made using wood and snow fencing which I use to lay my seaweed on. I usually hang the kelp on the laundry line. Then you just let the sun do its thing until the seaweed is crispy dry. Then I bring it in and store it in paper bags.

LIVER IN DISGUISE

You all know by now how great I think liver is. It's a hard sell for most people though. That is why I came up with the ultimate method of getting the liver in you when you can't even stomach the thought. Meatballs. Simple to make, awesome tasting, and chock full of liver. They make great last minute lunchbox additions which is why I always make a double batch and freeze these little suckers. 

MEATBALLS

2 pounds grass fed ground beef

2 pastured organic eggs, lightly scrambled

3/4 cup sourdough breadcrumbs

2 medium organic onions, grated

3 cloves organic garlic, grated

1 small piece grass fed liver, frozen and grated

sea salt and pepper

chopped garden herbs (parsley, chives etc)

Method: Preheat oven to 350*. Place the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onions, garlic, sea salt, pepper and herbs in a large bowl. The trick is to freeze the liver, which makes it easier to grate into small pieces with a cheese grater - this makes the pieces so small and hard to identify and taste! Gently stir the mixture together. 

Line a large tray with parchment paper. Form the mixture into golf ball sized balls, and flatten slightly with your palm. Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip each meatball over and then cook another 20 minutes or so. Serve hot.

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THE MAKING OF AN AUTUMN SALAD

I love making salad. There is a seemingly infinite number of ways to compose a salad depending on the time of year and breadth of your imagination. Last week I picked up some nice looking bitter endive which I've been making into some really great salad.

Mache and two kinds of endive

Purple cabbage and carrot sauerkraut.

Thinly sliced beet.

Thinly sliced carrot.

Feta cheese.

Soaked and dried sunflower seeds.

Seaweed - dulse, sea lettuce, and nori.

DRESSING: Drizzled with ev olive oil, garlic and basil infused apple cider vinegar, grated garlic, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper.

CRISPY ROASTED POTATOES

By far one of my family's favourite side dishes. So good we have never had any leftover.

6 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

a free spoon full of extra virgin olive oil, lard or coconut oil

sea salt and pepper

large pinch paprika

a few pinches garlic granules or powder

about 3 Tbsp grated romano or parmesan cheese

Method: Preheat oven to 450*. Place all the ingredients in a large cast iron skillet or pan. Toss well. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, stir, and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.

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For the love of seaweed

I really love seaweed.  Alot.  Anything that has seaweed in it makes me want to eat more of it.  So you can understand why I got so excited to hear about a product called Kelp Noodles made from seaweed.  And they are RAW for all you out there getting into that.  Once you read this recipe and want to try them, you can order them from here http:/www.upayanaturals.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=kelp+noodles&Search.x=0&Search.y=0

We ate this salad on a pile of steamed quinoa with some broiled organic salmon. 

KELP NOODLE SALAD with Roasted Butternut Squash and Arame

1/2 organic butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups organic nappa cabbage, shredded

1/2 package kelp noodles, rinsed

1 cup organic kale, chopped fine

1/2 cup arame seaweed, soaked in some warm water for 5 minutes, then drained

Dressing:

1/8 cup organic raw sesame oil plus 1 Tbsp

1/8 cup toasted sesame oil

1 tsp fresh organic ginger, grated

2 cloves organic garlic, crushed and chopped fine

1/3 cup organic tamari

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  In a large bowl, toss the squash cubes with the 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and some salt.  Spread the cubes on a parchment lined cookie sheet in one layer and bake until they start to become golden, stirring once.  When done, remove from oven and let cool.

     Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake.  Pile salad ingredients in a large bowl and top with dressing, toss and serve.

Sunday Dinner

Faegan likes to play outside with his dad on the weekend.  This frees me up to do what I like best - cook.  Once again pears are featured in this recipe and the result was outstanding.  By far one of the best soups I have ever made.

SWEET POTATO SOUP with Roasted Garlic and Pear

600 grams organic  sweet potato

1 ripe organic pear, cored and diced

1 head of organic garlic

1 Tbsp organic salted butter

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 cups water or stock

1 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp sea salt

pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Roast sweet potato in it's jacket until soft.  At the same time, slice the top off the head of garlic and roast it in the oven by placing it in a covered oven proof pot or in some foil.  It is done when it is mushy and easy to squirt out.  

Saute the onion in the butter in a large soup pot until the onion is soft.  When the roasting is complete, add the sweet potato, garlic, water, thyme, salt, pear and pepper to the pot.  Bring to a light boil and then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until pear is cooked.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or minced chives.

RAW WILTED KALE SALAD with Pepitas, Arame and Carrot

1 small bunch of organic kale, deveined and chopped

1 organic carrot, shredded

1/2 organic red pepper, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup arame seaweed, soaked in warm water

1/8 cup organic sunflower seeds

1/8 cup organic pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 Tbsp organic sesame oil (not toasted)

1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp organic tamari soya sauce

Method:  In a large bowl, drizzle the tamari over the kale and massage it into the leaves with your hands.  Add the other ingredients and toss.

CHEESE AND ONION TWIST

20 g organic butter

1 large onion, chopped

250 g organic whole wheat flour

250 g organic unbleached white flour

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp pepper

125 g organic butter

125 g shredded organic cheese

1 organic egg, lightly beaten

300 ml organic whole milk

1 organic egg beaten with 2 Tbsp organic whole milk for glazing

1 1/2 Tbsp organic sesame or poppy seeds

Method: Preheat oven to 425* and grease a cookie sheet.  Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook onion over a low heat for 10 minutes without browning.

     Put flour, salt, baking powder, mustard and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Stir in the cheese then add egg and milk. Stir until mixture clumps around spoon, then continue mixing by hand until a rough dough forms. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.

     Divide dough in half, then divide each half into three.  Roll each portion into a long rope about 45 cm long.  Press three rolls together at one end then braid.  Join final ends .  Make second loaf the same way.

     Transfer braids to the tray and brush the surface with the egg/milk, and sprinkle with the onion and sesame seeds.  Bake until golden brown about 30 mins.