It’s almost June…

Posted on May 31, 2021 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

Which means it’s getting closer to berry season in Maine…which means it’s time to make fruit crisp for those summer get-togethers…

Actually, it’s always ‘crisp’ season if you ask me. (:

This is the best crisp recipe. You can make it with apples, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or a berry mix.

It’s delicious with traditional flour/ butter and it’s equally (if not more), amazing with GF flour and dairy free butter or coconut oil…

It’s from a cookbook my grandmother gave to me, twenty years ago! Savoring Care Cod.

In her unmistakable handwriting, the inscription simply says, ‘To Jenny, with love Gram’, Christmas 2000.

Each recipe included in the cookbook was contributed by a volunteer, friend, and/or staff of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary; It’s a cookbook put together by the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

The year of the gift (2000), was also the year my grandmother needed to sell her home in NJ and move to the Cape, to live with my aunt. Her daughter…

My grandmother was (then) diagnosed with alzheimers.

She didn’t want to leave NJ. She was a ‘Jersey girl’ – so the fact that this cookbook is from the Cape, is a reminder of the beginning of that chapter for her…and that chapter for all of us…

It is also a reminder of her and the interests we shared – good food, entertaining, nature, the beach… time spent together, cocktails at 4, and oh so much more…

This same grandmother passed away two weeks ago. She was 98.

I love you gram.

Thank you for everything. I see you in everything…

If you’re in need of an easy and delicious dessert – give this one a go.

Gram says so. (:

Enjoy.

Fruit Crisp Recipe + Printable version below.

Enjoy (:

This recipe can be made with apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or a mixture of berries.

This recipe can be made exactly as is here with either traditional flour + butter.

GF flour + coconut oil/dairy free butter.

Just switch out ingredients – measurements stay the same.

Ingredients

5-8 apples (any good pie apples), peeled and sliced OR 3.5 cups berries (frozen works too) – raspberries, blueberries or mixed berries

1 Cup Gluten Free flour (bob’s red mill 1 to 1 baking flour works well) – or regular flour.

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup coconut oil, (or butter) melted.

coconut oil/butter for greasing pan.

What to do

Grease a 9 X 13 – inch baking pan. Or a pie dish. Spread fruit in pan. You want enough to cover the bottom of the pan as well as have enough ‘height’ of the fruit itself …

*Blend dry ingredients. Add egg and melted butter. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened.

*If you are making it with GF/DF substitutions, blend the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and add the melted butter/oil. Then add the dry ingredients to the ‘wet’ (egg + oil), until moistened.

Pat mixture over fruit. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until topping is browned. Enjoy!

Fruit Crisp Recipe – Ripe Red Berries Download

White bean, kale and potato soup

Posted on August 10, 2020 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

Now here’s a versatile soup that can be made utilizing a few basic ingredients;

Kale, onions, potatoes, white beans, veg./chicken stock, corn kernels, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil.

It can be made vegan or not. No white beans? Substitute navy beans.

No kale? Substitute spinach.

No potatoes? No worries.

No fresh corn kernels (who does in winter?) – use frozen.

Choose between vegetable stock or chicken stock (or bone broth).

Add sauteed mushrooms or not.

It’s truly a ‘use what you have’ soup!

Jennifer Wurst - Potato, kale, white bean soup

Half of one small onion – chopped.

One or two heads of garlic – chopped.

One good handful of kale – chopped.

5-6 peeled and chopped potatoes (depends on size of potato)

I.5 cups of white beans (or one can – rinsed)

4 cups of stock – veg./chicken.

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernals.

Juice of one lemon.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Olive oil.

First take out your heavy bottom soup pot. Drizzle in some olive oil.

Add the chopped onion and saute until slightly browned. Add garlic. Saute a bit more…

Add in kale and maybe a little more olive oil – if needed.

Saute together until the kale softens. Add in potatoes. Give it all a good stir…and then add in the stock.

Add a few good pinches of salt. Freshly cracked pepper. Stir again.

Bring to a slow simmer, then continue simmering until potatoes are cooked through. About 20 minutes – give or take a few minutes …

Add in corn and lemon juice.

Taste for and add more salt/pepper if need be.

You can also add in dried oregano, basil or parsley. If you like to cook with wine – white wine would be nice to add in after the onions are sauteed. Give a little splash before adding garlic…

Serve with warm rolls/bread/pita – whatever you have…

Add a salad and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal!

Enjoy.

Shortcake – dairy and gluten free – just add strawberries…

Posted on July 19, 2017 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

It’s strawberry season here in Maine…

Finn and I have been strawberry picking for the past five years together. We started in 2012. Finn was two.

It’s something we look forward to every July…and this year was no exception. For the past three years we’ve been visiting a farm in Whitefield Maine – Sheepscot General – it’s the only organic u-pick strawberry field in Maine – and they are worth the drive.

We ate pints of fresh strawberries for days…

We also gave a few pints away, froze a few pounds and then I got into making stuff with all those scrumptious strawberries… strawberry sorbet (twice), strawberry infused vodka and tequila (so tasty and dangerous), tried my hand at a GF/DF shortcake (see recipe below), and finally a strawberry/blueberry cobbler.

Sadly though, we are now out of freshly picked strawberries.

But, on the plus side, we’ve eaten our way through almost 14 pounds of amazing strawberries and are already looking forward to next years strawberry season…

One can never eat too many strawberries, right?

Here’s the recipe for dairy free/gluten free shortcake (adapted from the Minimalist Baker). It’s amazing and well worth the time.

Ingredients;

Coconut buttermilk.

Here’s how to make coconut buttermilk;

Mix:

3/4 coconut full-fat coconut milk (stirred/shaken – no clumps)

1 Tbls. lemon juice

Stir to combine.

Set aside.

Then gather;

1 cup gluten free flour

1 scant cup almond flour

2 Tbsp non-GMO cornstarch

3 Tbsp. organic can sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease baking sheet.

And…then.

Combine GF flour, almond flour, cornstarch, cane sugar, sea salt, baking powder and whisk to combine. Add the coconut oil and use a whisk, fork or pastry cutter to ‘cut’ into the flour, until small bits remain…just like you would with wheat flour…

Add almost the entire batch of coconut buttermilk to the dry mix and stir with spoon to combine…you may need to add a bit more, you may not…you’re trying for a semi-sticky dough…try not to overwork it…

Transfer the dough onto a well floured (gluten free of course) surface – I used a cookie sheet. Roll (with a floured rolling pin) out until the dough is about 1″ thick.

Then flour the opening of a small drinking glass, circular cookie cutter or biscuit maker and push into dough, making small circular disks – about 1″ thick – mine were more oblong than disk-like, but it’s more about thickness anyway…

Place on a greased cookie sheet – side by side. Touching. No space between – not squished, just touching…

Then – brush the biscuits with either coconut milk or melted coconut oil. Coconut milk will keep the shortcake more moist, while the oil will make the tops more crispy…we tried both and liked both for their differing characteristics…

If more texture/sweetness is wanted, sprinkle raw cane sugar on top of each before baking.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven – or until the tops are beginning to brown and become crispy. Then turn up the heat to 450 F and bake another 3-6 minutes – CAREFUL – don’t burn them – that would be a bummer…

Now, while that amazing shortcake is baking – wash, hull and slice 1 lb. of (preferably, organic) strawberries.

Top them with a pinch of cane sugar.

O.M.G. – freshly picked strawberries, sliced with a pinch of sugar added…so delicious!

O.K., now let them sit until time to serve…

Once the shortcake has undergone its transformation, remove from oven and let rest about five minutes or so. Then separate each biscuit from the other and let cool…

Best served at room temp…

Now, when the time comes to serve these beauties up – slice each biscuit in half, pile on strawberries and a bit of ‘juice’, then top if off with the top!

So. Good. As is.

No. Cream. Needed.

Seriously.

Enjoy!!

What’s your favorite strawberry recipe? Share here…

Be well.

Eat well.

Enjoy.

No one needs to know these are gluten and dairy free!

Posted on June 27, 2017 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

Brownies. Who doesn’t love them?

Since starting this blog our household has had to switch from a glutenous, dairy laden household to a gluten free, dairy free household.

Some of our old favorites have gone by the wayside (sadly), but others have found their way back into our hearts (and bellies) – one such favorite is homemade brownies!!

I came across this recipe by MakeMineCadburys and gave it a try (with a few modifications) and they came out delicious.

Chewy, rich and chocolaty goodness…you’d never know they were dairy/gluten free.

Bonus – they are super simple to prepare.

Here’s what you’ll need and the how to;

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil*

1/2 cup cocoa

1cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup gluten free flour

1/4 tsp. salt

*if you use triple filtered coconut oil, you will not taste coconut – if you use a ‘regular’ coconut oil, the brownies will have a coconut flavor – but hey, coconut and chocolate go very well together – I tried it both ways and both were equally delicious – but see what works for your taste buds…)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8 X 8 X 2 pan with parchment paper.

Parchment paper side note – I did not grease pan or the parchment paper before adding batter. I cut a piece slightly larger than the pan, let some ‘hang over sides’ then held in place with clothes pins. Once batter was complete, I poured it in and then spread evenly with rubber spatula, removing pins before placing in oven of course. Oh, and if you think the paper is hanging over just a bit too much, then trim it down – leaving enough to allow you to lift brownies out of pan once baked…

What to do next;

Melt coconut oil over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat. Add cocoa, then sugar, mix.

Then add eggs, one at time.

Stir in vanilla, salt, then flour.

Do not overmix.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 20-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean…

Let cool slightly in pan. Lift out and turn over (gently – not to break) onto a cooling rack. Carefully remove parchment paper. Let fully cool before slicing…if you can wait that long. (:

Enjoy!

herbed wild rice & quinoa stuffing

Posted on November 22, 2016 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

So, while I’m not vegan, I am vegetarian and have been for nearly 34 years – this was a choice. My yeast free, dairy free, gluten free needs (more recently) – not so much…so, as a result of liking to eat and liking to eat well, I cook.

A lot.

Here’s a delicious gluten, dairy and yeast free recipe for ‘stuffing’. I finished it with mushroom gravy and served it alongside mashed potatoes and vegan pot pie. So good.

Let me know what you think!

wild-ricequinoa-stuffing

Herbed Wild Rice & Quinoa Stuffing

Ingredients;

2 tablespoons olive oil + a bit more for greasing the baking dish and drizzling…

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 medium Granny smith apple – peeled and diced

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste (I used about 3 good pinches)

1/2 cup dryish white wine – use one you’d like to enjoy while cooking…(: Sauv blanc or chard works well. Or if you can’d do the wine – the juice of one lemon + a little more…

4 cups low salt vegetable stock

2 cups wild rice blend

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well

1 cup cranberries – chopped

1 cup raw pecans, chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley + 1/4 cup more for garnish.

1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, minced

Place a large pot over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat bottom – saute onion until slightly browned, add celery and stir occasionally until soft – about 5 minutes or so. Add the apples, garlic, thyme and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute. Stir in the wine, then add the broth. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the wild rice blend and reduce heat to a medium low and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 34-40 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and stir in quinoa and cover again. Cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 more minutes – or until water is absorbed.

Stir in the cranberries, pecans, 1/2 cup parsley and sage. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Remove from heat. Blend well, drizzle with olive oil and finish with chopped parsley and serve – unless grains need a bit more cooking…

*The next step can be omitted if grains are already fully cooked. If not, see below; If you want to make ahead stop here and reheat using the following step.

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub a large (9″ X 13″ ) casserole dish with a little olive oil. Lightly scoop the rice mixture into the casserole dish, lightly mounding instead of mashing it down.

Bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and finish with chopped parsley. Serve.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Enjoy!

It’s salsa time!

Posted on September 9, 2016 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

Homegrown tomatoes are amazing! They are juicy, plump, packed with vitamins and actually taste like a tomato. What a difference the sun makes!

And this summer we’ve had nothing but sun, so my garden is brimming with ripe, red, juicy tomatoes screaming to be eaten…so what to do with all those lovelies? Make salsa fresco!

tomatoes

It’s super simple and takes about 15-20 minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need;

Use the freshest of tomatoes for this recipe. I like the heirloom varieties best, though they are on the pricy side if your not growing you own, so if they are out of your price range, then try to find the tomatoes that are heavy in weight, firm to hold, yet soft to the touch – hopefully that makes sense! Whatever your preference with tomatoes, go for the best and this will make all the difference between an amazingly refreshing salsa and a ho-hum one…

So, here you go;

1.5 cups tomatoes (about 2-3 medium) – seeded and finely diced. With very fresh tomatoes, the seeds practically fall out while cutting into slices. I cut tomatoes into slices (then seed), then chop.

1 good handful of chopped cilantro +/- depending on taste

1/4 of a small white onion finely chopped +/- depending on taste

1/2 of a fresh jalepeno or serrano chili (with seeds), finely chopped – or use more for a more spicy salsa…

fresh squeezed lime juice from about 2 limes. (again, use more if you like)

1-2 good pinches of kosher salt

Mix all together in a bowl and readjust seasonings to your liking.

salsa

Eat immediately or let rest for a few hours before serving. This salsa will keep for a few days refrigerated, but best to enjoy within a day or two.

Enjoy!!

easy maine crab salad

Posted on July 20, 2015 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

This must be the most simple Crab Salad Recipe – ever!

It will also work for lobster…

I’ve not bought Maine crab meat since last summer and it’s been on my mind a lot lately…so, on a whim, I stopped by a local fish market just a few miles down the road (open only during the summer months – one must take advantage of the few places open this time of year!!) and picked up an 8 oz. package of local crab meat.

Drove straight home and began dicing.

A few minutes later I was in heaven.

Fresh crab salad on a bed of crisp local greens – my lettuce never did make it…yet, that is…once cooler weather approaches, I will plant again…fingers crossed.

Anyway, if you like crab meat, have the ability to buy it – fresh – then do try this recipe.

Crab Salad

8 oz. Crab meat

One Celery Stalk

Quarter of a Shallot

Mayo.

Juice from one lemon

Salt

Pepper

Love

That’s it.

Find yourself some super fresh crab meat. Not in a tin.

8 ounces is just fine.

Flake into a medium sized bowl.

Finely dice celery stalk and shallot.

Add to crab meat.

Add pinch of corse salt,

and a couple of turns on a pepper grinder…

Add juice from half a lemon.

Then add one small spoonful of mayonnaise and mix.

Taste,

and adjust to liking – perhaps more lemon juice, salt or pepper?

Maybe it’s just perfect…

Serve between two slices of soft bread and fresh lettuce leaves or on a bed of greens with crackers served on the side…or enjoy by the spoonful…

No matter what – just enjoy!

Let me know what you think?

What would you do differently?

Enjoy.

the summer garden

Posted on September 3, 2014 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

Phew, it’s September 3rd and the garden is in full force! Corn is ready, swiss chard has been prolific, tomatoes are slowly coming along beets have been the sweetest ever and the green beans were fabulous and abundant! Not sure how to cook beets? Check out this recipe for roasted beets – d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s ! This year, Finn and I have been able to keep up with the squash bugs, so we have lots of buttercup squash growing! Yeah! And the flower beds have done well despite the japanese beetles trying their best… We’ve been enjoying swiss chard in just about everything and I’ve even found a great recipe for a home made puff pastry, so I’ve made a few of my swiss chard tarts this summer too. Recipe for pastry in a future post! Oh, I can’t forget my garlic! Wow. I can’t believe it has taken me so long to grow this simple and scrumptious bulb. Thank you Mim for giving me the garlic to plant and the encouragement! Store bought garlic pales in comparison to homegrown. Actually, there is no comparison. If you have space, at all, try planting garlic. While it’s not an expensive herb, it is a delicious and easy homegrown plant to try. Bonus, the scapes which come out in early summer… While school has begun, summer weather still abounds and there is still plenty to be harvested and enjoyed. Lettuce is growing again, spinach is planted and more beets and carrots are on their way…and some plants are also going to seed…gather, dry and save those seeds! Below are pansy seeds, which I started from store bought seeds, though this year will start from my own seeds. If you can’t or simply don’t garden, don’t forget to check out your local farmers markets – they are fabulous resources for fresh, organic fruits and veggies and they may cost a bit more than the supermaket, but not that much more and many accept food stamps too! What you may spend in dollars saves your health and supports your community. So do check them out! How does your garden grow? Anything exceptional this year? Anything troublesome? Happy gardening and eating! enjoy!

coconut curry with tofu

Posted on August 1, 2014 by ripe ~ red ~ berries

Curry. I like it a lot.

It can be hot or not so hot. It can be red, green or yellow. It can be a paste or a powder. You can serve it with meat (or not), veggies, tofu, nuts, chickpeas or a mixture of any of the above – it’s truly a versatile dish – and a simple one.

This recipe (if you can call it that) is always a little different for me, I just use whatever I have on hand…mix it with coconut milk, vegetable broth, some fresh herbs (typically cilantro) and finish with freshly squeezed lime juice and a delicious dinner is served!

Most curry dishes (in my opinion) are pretty much the curry base mixed with the ingredients of choice plus coconut milk and stock. Oh, and lime juice. Must have the lime juice.

So if your wondering what to have for dinner, why not try a simple curry?

You can find pre-made curry pastes or curry powders in just about any grocery store, for this recipe I used a red curry paste – I prefer the paste for a dish like this. Think you have nothing on hand to eat? Think again. Not a lot is needed for curries, just a bit of creativity and a little time…

I didn’t have much on hand,

(I’m so excited to be in my garden again, this post was written before my garden was in full force) – so I utilized what I did have; one red pepper, broccoli, carrots, cashews, tofu, onions, fresh parsley and limes. Basically a few staples.

Here’s a few more ideas for curried dishes – sweet potato, spinach, kale, fresh ginger, garlic…try using frozen veggies too if fresh aren’t available. No limes? Use lemons. No cilantro? Use parsley. Fish also tastes divine curried…as do a variety of meats. So, go crazy. Get out your knife, your stock, your coconut milk and whatever you have in your fridge and get currying. (:

While you are preparing the curried veggies don’t forget to start cooking your rice or rice noodles so it is ready when your curry is ready…

First, dice

and sauté your tofu (or meat of choice), until golden and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.

In same pan sauté onions in a bit of olive oil (or butter), until golden, add carrots (or any ‘hard’ veggie), until slightly softened, then add your ‘softer’ veggies like peppers, broccoli or greens – sauté for a few more minutes.

Then I push the veggies to the sides of the pan, add the curry paste (amount depends upon how spicy you want it) and coconut milk (1 can) and mix well until all is blended – all the while simmering over a low heat…then add about 1 – 1.5 cups of veggie stock and mix well. Add cashews and the sauteed tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Salt to taste, add fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro) and finished with freshly squeezed lime juice.