Welcome, blog reader. I hope you have taken advantage of all the juicy fruits and bright greenery summer had to offer this year. I spent the (not so) lazy days feeding the masses at the Banff Farmers Market - it was a fantastic success.
It was a never-ending battle for first place between the "Mexican Crepes" and the "Extra Unbaked Cheesecake", the judges are still out (to lunch) on that one.
Here are a few of the fun things that were offered at the Glowfood booth:
Mexican Crepes
(chipotle walnut crumble, cumin kraut tossed in fermented cashew cream cheese, carrot corn "crepe")
Vegetable Pesto Dumplings
(marinated & wilted veg tossed in basil pistachio pesto, mac nut "goat" cheese, tomato & herb wrapper)
Smoked Tomato Pasta
(kelp noodles, smokey tomato cream sauce, black cumin, wilted arugula, black olives, mac nut "goat" cheese)
Various Tree Nut Cheeses
(preserved lemon & thyme, rosemary black pepper, smoked cheddar, goat cheese, truffled goat cheese, vanilla bean smoked salt, preserved lemon & garlic)
Extra Unbaked Cheesecake
(graham crust, fermented cashew, vanilla & coconut cream cheese, various fruit toppings)
Chocolate Bars & Truffles
Savoury Snack Mix
(piri piri nori chips, preserved lemon thyme zucchini chips, "w" sauce sundried tomato chips, sea salt & olive oil kale chips)
Well... the list goes on, but I won't.
Today I finally got to try something I've been dreaming up all summer but haven't had a chance because of my busy schedule.
I have come to learn that using psyllium husk in wrappers makes them stand up to liquid, a lesson I learned from the birthday cake experiment last November when I soaked the pieces of mango cake in tequila for hours and they did not degrade. The Mexican Crepes held their shape all summer filled with creamy kraut and the tomato leather stood up to the pesto vegetables.
And so today, an Asian Dumpling Soup was born.
I don't expect you to do all of this, there are quite a few steps, but I hope at least one part of the dish gives you inspiration to make something fun and delicious. Oh, and I didn't do much measuring so... good luck with that.
Ginger Dumpling Wrappers
3 cups yellow patty pan squash
½ tsp Himalayan salt
½ tsp fresh ginger
Blend until smooth.
Add to moving blender: ½ tbsp psyllium husk powder.
Smooth on one teflex sheet and dehydrate until dry.
Cut into small circles using a ring mold as a guide.
Smoked Shitake Mushrooms:
Did I mention I got a smoking gun?! It was a treat to myself for working so hard this summer.
Stem and clean a bunch of shiitake mushrooms
Finely chop and marinate in:
regular sesame oil
a dash of toasted sesame oil
a dash of chili oil (olive oil w/ dried hot chili flakes and dried garlic) - optional
olive oil
lemon juice
braggs
Then smoke with cherry wood
Mince a shallot
Fine brunoise ½ or whole peeled apple (or Asian pear)
Finely chop about 1 tbsp or more preserved lemon strips
Toss all together and keep covered on the counter to further marinate.
Fill each dumpling cut-out with a tiny amount of the mushroom mixture.
Be sure to dip your finger in water first and go around the outside of the wrapper so it will seal.
Fold one half of the wrapper over the other and seal with a ravioli stamp.
Asian Broth:
braggs, about ¼ cup or more
water, about 4+ cups
ginger, about ½ inch
dulse, about 1.5 tbsp
shallot, nice size chunk
1 garlic scape
splash lemon juice
splash sesame oil, regular
tahini, about 3 tsp or more
Blend all until smooth. Place in dehydrator for a few hours in shallow dish without lid to reduce and concentrate flavours.
Strain trough fine mesh strainer. Place in blender with a bit of sunflower lecithin for binding. The lecithin will create a foam on top. Allow the broth to settle for a few minutes so the foam is separate and you can pour just the broth into the serving bowls. (I realize this is not the most beautiful colour, omit the tahini, oil and lecithin for a clear broth with less body)
Vegetables:
You can use any vegetables you like, I didn't want to go to the store so I used what I had on hand.
Carrot vermicelli, made with a mandolin attachment.
Fine strips of red pepper
Fine brunoise cucumber and apple (Asian pear would be perfect in this dish).
Asparagus – in plastic zip lock with olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, water and salt. “Sous Vide” for 3+ hours in dehydrator.
Assemble however you like in the serving bowls and garnish with black sesame seeds and chili oil.
It's nice to submerge the dumplings in the broth before you eat them, they take on enough liquid to become dough-like.
Well folks, there you have it, another blog post. Hope it inspires you.
