Carrie Fehr

Kitchen Garden Food

Tag: Recipes

Meyer Lemon Torte

This simple torte has the bright floral notes of Meyer lemon zest, enriched with almond flour that gives it a dense richness.  Meyer lemons are a hybrid of lemon and mandarin and are less acidic than regular lemons. Living in Berkeley, California, we are blessed to find Meyer lemons in abundance during the citrus season at local produce markets and on trees that grow in almost every neighborhood. Perfect for any occasion, this lemony dessert is delicious when enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea. Recipe adapted from Sheela Prakash at TheKitchen.com.

Meyer Lemon Torte

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing the pan

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest, or any other type of lemon available

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh berries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Coat the paper and sides of the pan with butter; set aside.

Crack and separate 4 large eggs, placing the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and the yolks in a separate large bowl.

Combine lemon zest and sugar in a separate small bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar using your hands to release the flavor and aroma. Add zested sugar to the egg yolks and stir using a large spoon until well-combined.

Add almond flour, baking powder, and kosher salt into the egg yolk mixture. Stir until the almond flour is combined .

Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Gently fold the remaining egg whites with a spatula into the batter until just combined. Do not over mix. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake until the edges of the cake have begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, the top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes.

To serve, run a knife around the cake to loosen it. Flip the cake onto a plate, peel away the parchment. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Beet Ketchup

Beets and ketchup may seem like an unlikely pair, but this intriguing sweet and tangy flavor combination, will truly make your taste buds come alive. If you’re a newcomer to beetroot, it’s a wonderful way to introduce this vegetable, that is by no means fancy, and is often misunderstood.

Bright and zesty with a hint of spice, this home-made ketchup is great slathered on any sandwich, over a side of sweet potato fries, and is a fantastic barbecue sauce for grilling.  Serve, as a dip for spring rolls, or over eggs—the possibilities are endless.

How do you prepare beets?  Do you have a creative way that encourages children to taste them?  I would love to hear your story.

To find out how students in the cooking classroom explore beets, click here.

Beet Ketchup

Beet Ketchup with Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized beets, diced

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup honey

1 ¾ cups balsamic vinegar

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

¼ tsp powdered mustard

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer until liquid reduces by half, about 1 hour.

Remove spices and place ketchup into a blender and purée until smooth.  The consistency will be thick, smooth, and shiny.

Bulgur Wheat Salad

Bulgar Wheat SaladBulgur Wheat Salad

Here’s a whole grain salad that is colorful and easy to prepare with the best of late summer garden sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Makes about 6 cups

1 ½ cups bulgur wheat

1 ½ hot water

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 sweet peppers, yellow, red, orange, purple, diced

1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 green onions, chopped

¼ cup feta cheese, cut into 1/8 inch squares

1 lemon, juiced

5 sprigs of parsley, chopped

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine bulgur wheat with hot water, cover the bowl and let sit about 1 hour until water is absorbed.

Add minced garlic, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, green onions, feta cheese, lemon juice, and parsley to cooked bulgur wheat, toss to combine.

Drizzle with olive oil, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.