June 2011 D.O.T.M.C.: Gooseberry-Blueberry Pie

For June 2011's D.O.T.M.C. contribution I was excited to use some of the fruits in my new C.S.A. in Crown Heights. I love tarts and galettes and pies and through a recent Gilt Groupe purchase of little Staub bake ware I was able to make a few of these in different shapes. The recipe is for a regular pie though. Enjoy!

Gooseberry-Blueberry Pie

2 pie crusts (I like the Bittman recipe, basically, 1 C flour, 1 stick butter, ice water, salt and sweetener)

Fruit filling:

1 pint gooseberries, stems picked off, washed and dried

2 pints blueberries wash and dried

1 lemon, juiced

½ cup panela sugar (or any sweetner)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 large egg beaten, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375.

In a bowl, combine gooseberries, blueberries, lemon, sugar and flower and let sit to blend together. I like to leave this in a quart container overnight to really get their maceration on. Place crust in pie dish, pour in filling, cover with second crust, crimp, wash with the egg and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let cool and dig in. 

June 2010 D.O.T.M.C.: Cardamom Coconut Panna Cotta with Raspberry-Rhubarb Sauce

So I somehow lost June 201 and didn't get my contribution out there. Shame on me! Here it is, a year late but hopefully still worthy of consideration. We made this panna cotta for our final dinner at culinary school and I hadn't had a chance to make it on my own until now. I wanted to do what I could to simplify it but still have it be a proper panna cotta texture, remain vegan and taste yummy. I used some seasonal fruit for the sauce and left it chunky but strain away by all means if that's what you like. I hope you give it a try!

Cardamom Coconut Panna Cotta with Raspberry-Rhubarb Sauce

1 T coconut oil

2 cans coconut milk- full fat

½ heaping teaspoons powdered agar

1/3 cup honey

1 T Toasted and ground cardamom pods

½ T  kuzu

1 T water

Using a paper towel, grease ramekins with coconut oil.

Toast cardamom pods and grind

Powder agar with a spice grinder and add to coconut milk, cream, cardamom in a medium-sized sauce pan. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer until agar has dissolved.  Approximately 15- 20 minutes.

Add honey and taste for sweetness. 

Combine kuzu and water to make a slurry and add to coconut base.

Simmer for another 5 minutes to cook kuzu. 

Transfer to a blender and puree. 

Strain through a chinois or fine mesh strainer.

Pour into greased ramekins and let set in refrigerator, at least 4 hours, ideally overnight

Remove by taking a toothpick around ramekin, and inverting over your serving plate

Serve with a few tablespoons Raspberry-Rhubarb sauce

Raspberry-Rhubarb Sauce

3 T Palm Sugar, or more to taste (you can sweeten it anyway you like really)

1 C water

½ C Raspberries

½ C Rhubarb- thinly sliced

In a small sauce pot combine palm sugar and water to create a simple syrup

Add berries and rhubarb, cook for about 10 minutes until they’re well combined and saucy

Blend using an immersion blender (or in a blender)

Strain if you like it smooth, I left it chunky