Lemon-Curry "Peach of a Pear": A Tasty Summer Sandwich Filling

This tasty sandwich filling is perfect for a summertime snack, -- a delightful combination of fresh fruit and garden veggies. Ripe juicy peach and buttery avocado meet crunchy carrot and crisp cucumber in a fiery lemon-curry dressing. A generous portion of nutty hemp hearts and sunflower seeds ups the nutritional profile of the recipe, adding healthy unsaturated fats and protein as well as an appealing texture. The filling stuffs a pita with flavour, or dresses up an English muffin for a lovely light lunch.

You'll Need:  1 carrot; 2 small cucumbers; 2 peaches; 1 large avocado pear; 1 carrot; 1/2 lemon; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 teaspoons Madras (hot) curry powder; 1/4 cup soaked and sprouted sunflower seeds; (soak seeds in fresh water for 2 hours, drain and let sprout, covered in fridge for 2 hours, or overnight); 1/4 cup hemp hearts.

Method: Grate carrot finely. In a large bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of olive oil with juice of half a lemon. Add 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and whisk until well combined. Stir in sunflower seeds coat with dressing. Add grated carrot and combining it thoroughly with lemon-curry mixture. Cover the bowl and set aside to marinade while preparing other ingredients. 

Dice the peaches and cucumber into small pieces. Add to carrot mixture along with 1/4 cup hemp hearts and toss until well-combined. Cut avocado into similar-sized small pieces, spritz with lemon juice and gently fold into sandwich filling.

On a Toasted English Muffin

 Serving suggestions: Fill a pita, or a crusty roll for a hands-on snack, or top a toasted English muffin and enjoy the elegant flavours with a knife and fork.

A meal that will leave your tummy and your tastes buds happy!

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Yellow Beans with Garlic and Chives

A delicious addition to any meal, yellow beans in profusion are a gift of summer gardening. This dish blends the flavours of a fruity olive oil, fresh chives and garlic with tender-crisp yellow beans in this quick and easy-to-prepare recipe. 

Serve these tasty 'haricot jaune' with crusty bread for soaking up any extra garlicky-chive olive oil.

 You'll Need: 2 cups yellow beans; 1 large clove of garlic; 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives; 2 teaspoons fruity olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar.

Method: Slice garlic clove into thin pieces. Chop chives into small bits. Holding yellow beans in small bunches, slice across tops to remove stem. Leave the pointy tail end intact. They soften when cooked, and add visual interest to dish. Lightly steam the beans until tender-crisp.

  

Gently heat olive oil until just warm.

Add the thinly sliced garlic, and stir gently over low temperature for 20 - 30 seconds.

Remove pot from heat, and add finely chopped chives. Drizzle rice vinegar into mixture and stir.

Add steamed yellow beans to olive oil dressing and toss to coat with garlic and herbs.

Arrange yellow beans on a serving dish. enjoy these flavourful yellow beans warm as a side dish, or chill for  interesting picnic fare. 
Yellow beans, also called wax beans, French beans, or haricot jaune. are a good source of fiber, complex carbohydrates, Vitamin A and C, and protein.

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Spicy Basil Jelly

An Abundant Crop

The Spicy Globe Basil in the roof top garden has exploded with abundant tender green. We've harvested a huge amount and used some to make a delicious basil jelly. Herb jellies taste spectacular spread on a toasted English muffin, or served as a condiment. They add a little zip to most meals. Try floating a teaspoonful on top of a warm creamy vegetable soup. The jelly's flavour and tart-sweetness also goes well with peanut butter in a sandwich.

Basil Tea and Jalapeno: A Spicy Infusion

You'll need:
1.5 cups of basil, packed; 2 cups water; 1 hot green jalapeno pepper, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; pinch of sea salt; 3.5 cups sugar; 3 oz. liquid pectin (makes 4 - 8 oz. jars)

Infusion ready to jell

Method: 
Wash basil, pat dry and coarsely chop. Place leaves in saucepan and crush with a pestle or wooden spoon. Add 2 cups of water and finely chopped jalapeno pepper. Bring to a boil for 10 seconds. Remove from heat. Pour into a heat-proof container, cover and steep for 10 - 15 minutes. Strain basil tea-infusion, and measure 1.5 cups.

Richly Coloured Jelly

In a large pot, combine basil tea-infusion, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3.5 cups sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When it reaches a 'hard rolling boil' that cannot be stirred down, add the liquid pectin. Boil for 1 minute.Remove from heat. 

Jars of Spicy Globe Basil Jelly

Skim foam from top of mixture. Pour into 4 - 8 oz. sterilized jam jars. Leave 1/2 inch head-space in each jar. Top with sealer jar lids and let set. 

We experimented with this mixture. Allowing it to cool and thicken slightly, we poured it on to non-stick teflex sheets and put them in the dehydrator at a low setting until slightly dry and 'non-sticky' but still flexible. The basil jelly sheets were rolled like a fruit skin, and cut into bite-size pieces. A sweet home-made candy!  

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