Huckleberry Hysteria

OK so hysteria may be a strong word for my infatuation with huckleberries, but they are the one berry that particularly stand out for me from childhood. We had a big old stump in our yard that a huckleberry bush grew out of and produced a pleasing plethora of berries every year. This is often where you'll find huckleberries, growing out of dead trees, and as long as they get adequate sunlight they'll produce berries.

I remember having to climb up into a pretty precarious position in order to get them all. I'd then plead with my mother to make a pie with them. She always said: "You're going to need a lot more than that to make a pie," but then always sweetly went ahead and mixed them with blackberries or strawberries or whatever we had in order to make a full pie. That's the one downfall of huckles; they are small and you need a lot to make anything substantial out of them. Huckleberries are similar looking to a blueberry, but smaller and the ones that grow here are a bright and shiny pinkish-red.

I have some ideas of what to do with them since moving to Bowen Island on the West Coast of British Columbia. This summer I am delightfully discovering that this wondrous island harbours many a huckleberry bush!

Here are my huckleberry recipe ideas if you are fortunate enough to have some:

1. Crushed huckleberries (as with other berries) are always nice with raw honey as an instant jam.

2. An ice cream accompaniment

3. A berry compote

4. Add to your favourite smoothies with strawberries and they're often in season together (hint: can you guess what berry will be featured in my next berry post?)

5. Add with another berry of choice in a berry pie or crisp.

6. Huckleberry salsa, a sweet salsa to accompany poached fish. Mmmmmm...here's a recipe to follow:

Sweet Salsa

1 cup ripe huckleberries
diced 1/4 cup sweet purple onions
minced 1 tsp ginger
minced 2 tsp fresh mint
minced 1 tsp lime juice
sea salt and pepper to taste

6. I also I find them to be a good berry for salad dressings or marinades because a little goes a long way. Here's my standard dressing recipe which you can play around with an easily add huckle's to. Enjoy!


Lisa Marie’s Dressing/Marinade
Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup cold-pressed, extra virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. stone ground mustard
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
1 tsp miso paste
2 tsp. hemp/flax/avocado oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Dash of unrefined sea salt

Add mustard, salt and maple syrup to vinegars, whisk with fork, add oils gradually whisking together then add optional ingredients if desired.

Don’t over-whisk or leave dressing out to be exposed to heat, light or oxygen too long as oils are sensitive to these. Transfer into dressing dispenser and shake before use. If storing in refrigerator, store in an air-tight opaque or dark, glass container.

*Only add hemp/flax/avocado oils before serving.

Optional
Fruit puree: raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, huckleberries, pears, lemon/lime/orange/grapefruit juice and their rind.

Tamari (naturally brewed) for extra saltiness, flavour and good bacteria

Tahini for added creaminess, flavour and protein

Avocado for extra creaminess and good fat

Yogourt for added creaminess and good bacteria

Herbs to taste: thyme, rosemary, dill, coriander, sage, oregano…experiment!

*If using as a marinade–skip the use of Hemp/flax/avocado (whole or oil form, as they’re not appropriate for long-term exposure or cooking).

Eating for Sweet Dreams

Every parent struggles with sleep. First you struggle because of your child’s lack of a consistent sleep routine. And, then ultimately a lack of sleep becomes your own problem as you try to carve out a life for yourself in those quiet moments when your little one is dreaming. Sometimes, I will stay up until 2am just to have time to myself. I always regret it in the morning, but at the time staying up late always feels good. It gives me some time to decompress, to write, to think, to watch mindless television.

There are a number of reasons for poor sleep for both children and adults. Some reasons include:

1. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
2. Lack of a regular and consistent sleep routine
3. Too much or inadequate daytime sleep
4. Noisy or brightly lit sleeping quarters (too much light especially during the summer months can really affect children’s sleep from about 18 months onwards)
5. Lack of a regular eating routine. Believe it or not, food can cue sleep.

Have you ever wondered if there are foods that can encourage or bring on sweet dreams for both you and your little one? The quick answer is YES. Some will sound like the foods your grandmother always told you about, others may surprise you. Here’s a WeeMunch shortlist on sleepy-time whole foods that contain tryptophan (a sleep inducing chemical), magnesium (a muscle relaxant). melatonin and serotonin. Sweet dreams.

Potatoes—ideally organic

Turkey

Cottage cheese (traditionally made not conventional), hard cheeses and yogourt—all ideally organic.

Oatmeal—It is preferred that you use slow oats, but either quick or slow please soak your oats for a minimum of 8 hours. Read about why here. If you suspect your child has gluten sensitivities or allergies, you should avoid oatmeal.

Almonds (or Almond butter), cashews, walnuts, organic peanut butter (Note: Organic peanut butter is a MUST. Read more here)

(Raw) Honey

Warm Milk–WeeMunch prefers organic, goat milk and dairy products, which also contains sleep inducing tryptophan.

Bananas–ideally organic

Eggs–preferably organic, free-range

Avocados

Soymilk, tofu, soybeans—Caution is required with soy products due to the prevalence of allergies. However, non-GMO, minimally refined soy products (no texturized or soy protein isolates) in moderation are healthy sources of protein and iron (especially tempeh and miso).

Foods to AVOID: Caffeine (chocolate, soda, black tea and for yourself if you are breastfeeding), Sugar (a nasty culprit that is found in all kinds of processed foods such as cereal, juice, fruit cups, granola bars and on). Allowing sugar into your toddler’s diet will affect your little one’s sleep at night. See our post on sugar here. Additional sleep disturbing foods are red meat, bacon, ham, sausage, pork, butter, simple carbohydrates such as white rice, white potatoes, bread, cream sauce, MSG, additives and preservatives, orange juice and other citrus juices.

For toddlers, avoid offering a large meal right before bedtime as the process of digesting a substantial meal can cause wakefulness. A consistent meal schedule can help to cue sleep, such as a regular nap following a snack or lunch or a before bedtime snack. A light sleep-time snack 45 minutes before bed is fine. Here are some good examples:

Organic apple slices and organic peanut or almond butter
Organic Yogourt and oatmeal
Warm organic milk
Sprouted grain or sourdough wholegrain toast and organic cheese

Source: The piece was adapted using content from Elizabeth Pantley’s the No-Cry Sleep Solution.

Berry Season has Arrived!

It's official—the berries are out! Last week I picked my first bowl of berries; salmonberries to be precise. They are such a beautiful berry—varying colours of bright orange to dark blood red in colour. And, if you don't mind the seeds, they are fairly pleasant tasting and easy to eat.

We didn't do anything particularly fancy with this bowl of berries other than just devour them. This is often what happens actually. I get this great idea to go berry picking and pick a big bowl of whatver is in season and we get home and Oskar has already easten half of them. Then
while I try and decide what to make he eats the rest. How can a mother complain though really? These little power houses of goodness are low in sugar, and loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants galore. This is the time of year when we can literally get an entire year's supply of antioxidants.

If you do happen to have extra to make something with try just crushing them with a fork and adding raw honey, to taste, for an instant and delicious fresh jam. Either keep it in the fridge (for up to 2 weeks) or keep it in freezer if you think it will last longer. And if you are a bit finicky about the seeds like I am you can use a fine strainer to reduce the seeds but stil get all the pulp and juice. Then there is of course the pies, smoothies, ice cream, berry soda and more just waiting for fresh berry accompaniment. (More about berries and what to make with them next month when the blueberries and raspberries are out.)

Next up are Huckleberries. I am already eyeing up the spots where they'll be ready to pick any day now (including my neighbours yard!) and especially in the sunny spots. Then, the strawberries will be ready. My patch is full of green ones just waiting for a few consecutive sunny days to ripen their gorgeous red coats and sweeten their juicy flesh.

I'm hoping this year I'll actually have enough to freeze and enjoy when they're long gone. Shhhh...don't tell Oksar! So get out there and pick and get your fill of our incredible variety and wealth of local berries this season - your body will thank you for it!

Note: Be careful around railway tracks and parks where bushes may have been exposed to harmful spraying.

Summer Munch’in Series: Lamb Burgers

It’s officially summer at WeeMunch. Our family packed up a dozen bags full of clothes and food. We went to gorgeous Bowen Island, which is just off the coast of Vancouver’s North Shore, and a quick 15 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay, to visit Lisa Marie and her family in their sunny bed and breakfast near Tunstall Bay. And, together we celebrated a classic summer meal, a twist on the classic burger using ground lamb, and caught up with each other in person for the first time in months.

We spent the afternoon in the sunshine that poured over Lisa Marie’s stunning garden, while the boys played with the watering hose. Later we all enjoyed a simple meal of lamb burgers (simple recipe below) and sautéed, Bowen local asparagus and purple cabbage in a delicious butter sauce.

Over the next few months look forward to more posts on eating local, the beauty of the berry, and interviews with our favorite foodies. As always, we would love to hear from you. Find time to enjoy the summer…and all the glorious food that goes with it.

Lamb Burgers
Serves 5 people

1.5 to 2 pounds of lamb
1 head of garlic or five cloves
Garden herbs (rosemary and thyme)
1 tbsp of Tamari
Unrefined salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of chili flakes

Cover and let stand for a few hours, covered, allowing the flavours to permeate the meat.

To add some veggie currency, dice or ground some spinach and mix in, right before you shape your patties. Pan-fry one each side for 6 to 10 minutes (depending on the burger size) on medium heat and enjoy.

It’s very important to buy high quality ground meat. Be sure that your deli doesn’t add fillers, other meat byproducts or unhealthy additives / preservatives. It’s just another good reason to go organic or to buy high quality conventional meat at a good butcher.

Fun with Filo

I recently embarked on making homemade apple turnovers. I was having a pretty specific craving and my little Oskar was up for the challenge. Now before you start to think that I actually made the filo from scratch I must tell you that I bought the filo pastry from Choices Market (and I must specify that it was spelt filo). It basically looks like filo but a bit darker. The directions are much the same as far as I know and pretty straight forward.

I am including a recipe I developed for spanikopitas recently for a client here on Bowen Island who loves pastry but doesn't love the side-affects of the white flour. So we made homemade ones with goat feta, onion, organic spinach and butter and, of course, spelt filo.

They were magnificent. Yes, they worked out beautifully despite our inexperience and trepidation while watching the filo flake and break at every move we made as we tried to fill it. I kept reassuring my client that it didn't matter. The butter will make it all better by glueing it together and once you bake it the many repair jobs you made to the multiple layers of dough are hidden...and who waits to analyze it anyways!? It's filo for crying out loud. You eat it as soon as it's cool enough that you don't scorch your tongue.

My son Oskar loved it. He promptly exclaimed, "hot-apple-pie, Momma!" for the first time as I recovered it from the oven after a lengthy bake. I'm not sure where he got that from as I've never made apple pie, but it was pretty darn cute!

My husband didn't know I was making it and came from working in the cottage to see what we had been creating. His look of delight was enough to know I had to stash some away or this wasn't going to last until tomorrow.

Here's the recipe. Follow the method on the box of filo and stuff it with either sweet or savoury or whatever you fancy, and prepare for tastebud enlightenment.

Lisa Marie’s Spelt Spanikopita w/ Spinach & Goat Feta

½ box Spelt filo pastry (from the healthfood store)
I head of fresh *organic spinach (or equivalent frozen or pre-washed)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (goat, sheep or organic cow feta)
Large onion, sautéed (optional)
Approx. 1/3 cup organic butter, melted (1/4 cup if you don’t choose to sauté onion.)

Method

1.) Follow instruction on box for preparing spelt filo for stuffing.
*Note that you should remove from freezer the day before you make it and let sit in fridge for several hours. It can be re-frozen if you have a change of plans.
2.) Cut large onion very finely (use food processor for quick, tearless option) and start frying it on low heat in butter until well-cooked, and somewhat browned.
3.)Meanwhile, put spinach and feta into food processor and blend until well-chopped.
4.) Melt butter on stovetop in a small pot or stainless steel measuring cup.
5.) Spread out sheets of filo and as per direction spread butter with a brush all over in between layers.
6.) Spread feta and spinach and onion mixture over filo and roll or cover, as desired (see directions for options).
7.) Bake according to direction until lightly browned on the edges (browning is crucial for best flavour)
8.) Let cool slightly, serve and enjoy!

Sweet version with apples: To prepare the apples, simply sautee them ahead of time, covered, in a bit of butter and a splash of water until they are soft. Add some unrefined sugar, especially if the apples are tart, and some cinnamon and/or cardamom to flavour, let it cool and stuff!

Comments? We'd love to hear them...as well as any creative ideas for filo.

Your WeeMunch hosts,

Lisa Marie & Karen

Clean Springtime Eating

My appetite changes with this light and airy springtime season. I crave less dense, starchy and protein-rich foods and want more light, easy-to-digest, clean foods. This is a very natural shift that often happens at this time of year. In the fall and winter seasons our bodies build and store nutrients. In the spring and summer seasons our bodies move their focus to the liver/gallbladder, cleansing and renewal.

Even though kids may not seem to follow to this pattern (for example, children often crave protein rich foods during growth spurts) as much as adults, their appetites do change with the seasons.

The other night I went with my instincts and made a simple lentil spring (no bake) casserole, which I hope you will enjoy too.

Lentil Spring Casserole

First I rinsed some red lentils and boiled them until soft. Then I added a touch of tumeric, unrefined salt and a dollop of homemade organic ghee or butter to taste.

Meanwhile I cut up some of my favourite spring veggies; asparagus, pea shoots and baby bok choy and sauteed them (actually I left the pea shoots raw).

Then I cut some medium firm tofu (Soyganic brand is best quality tofu/soy milk by the way!) and sauteed them for a few minutes until lightly browned. I then opened up a yummy jar of some apricot chutney and added it as the perfect 'marinade' for my tofu. I simply added it to the warm pan for a minute or so to warm up.

Next, I grabbed 3 plates put a warm layer of red lentils as a base, then a bed of sauteed spring
greens + a sprinkling of raw pea shoots. Then I
topped it off with the glazed tofu.

Yum! It was a hit and we all felt really good after eating it too. A very clean-burning meal.

For those who do not like tofu (hint: I never used to until I learned to make yummy glazes for it) you can use tempeh or, for a soy-free option, use nuts/seeds instead (sprinkled on top) for added crunch and protein.

May you be well nourished.

Potato Gratin Is Funny At Our House

I have to confess that I am one of those people that can open an empty fridge and still make a healthy meal. That was the context the first time that I made my son a simple version of potato gratin from an empty fridge. All you need is some white cheddar, potatoes, buttermilk and fresh herbs…and you’re ready to roll. Here’s a more deluxe version for when you have some groceries at home.

Gratin is a French word that literally means “browned,” cheese or breadcrumbs on the top of a casserole. Potatoes have a bad reputation because they are often served deep-fried as fries or chips. When baked or steamed, potatoes are loaded with fibre, vitamin C, protein, vitamin B1, and potassium.

Potato Gratin Recipe

Raw cheddar cheese (Always buy white cheddar. Believe it or not, milk doesn’t come in any shade of orange. That’s a food dye.)
1.5 cups of Buttermilk
Fresh thyme, unrefined salt and pepper, garlic
8 unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes
Your choice of thinly sliced carrots, organic spinach or any other veggie

1. Thinly slice 6 to 8 medium sized potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes are an inexpensive favorite. Steam for about 20 minutes or until you can easily poke a fork through them. While your veggies are steaming, preheat your oven to 365 degrees. Steaming first not only cooks your potatoes quicker than if you only bake them, but also seems to make them fluffier. Note: I add thinly sliced carrots to my steamer…for some extra flavour and nutrition. Go wild and use what veggies you have in the crisper.

2. Then spread your steamed veggies flat in casserole dish. I do mine in layers and put shredded cheese, buttermilk, thyme, salt and pepper in the middle. Let cook for about 30 minutes.

3. Remove your potatoes from the oven, add the rest of your cheddar cheese to the top and broil on low for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy and brown. Let cool and enjoy. As you can see, our little guy does!