Welcome to Santa Barbara Green Cuisine

Santa Barbara Green Cuisine is an organization whose goal is to encourage communities to eat locally and organically because choosing to eat locally and organically not only improves the quality of the produce, but it also gives back to the local economy and promotes global sustainability.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Cherimoyas, or are they Custard Apples?


Despite whether you refer to them as Cherimoyas, Custard Apples, or banana-pineapple-papaya-peach-strawberries, the great subtropical fruit is local, seasonal, and delicious.

For those of you that don't know what a Cherimoya is, it is first and foremost a fruit. The fruit is "fleshy and soft, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture" and is said to combine the tastes and textures of some of the western world's most popular fruits (bananas, pineapples, papayas, peaches, and strawberries)-hence the 'third' name.

Personally, I would recommend buying a few down at the farmers market, and just eating them alone, but for those of you that are into deserts here are some great recipes for you to try with this semi-exotic fruit!


Cherimoya ice-cream (1)
500g cherimoya, peeled and seeded
2 egg whites
125ml sugar
half a lemon
2–3 Tbsp cream

Put egg whites in a bowl over a pan of hot water (or in a double boiler) and beat until fluffy, add sugar and beat again until mixture is lukewarm with a texture of lightly whipped cream. Leave to cool. Blend the cherimoya and lemon juice well, then add cream and blend again. Fold in meringue mix then pour into an ice-cream container. When half-set, beat the mix again to make sure it’s freezing evenly.

Cherimoya ice-cream (2)
2 cups cherimoya, peeled and seeded
85ml orange juice
2 eggs
375g sugar
500ml whipping cream (not whipped)
1 tsp vanilla

Blend cherimoya with orange juice, eggs and sugar until pureed. Add the whipping cream and vanilla and pour all into a 2.5 litre or larger ice-cream maker. Process until frozen.
Makes about 7 cups.

Cherimoya tropical dessert sauce
This delicious sauce goes great with desserts, ice-cream, frozen yoghurt, cakes or pancakes.
500g cherimoya flesh, seeds removed
250g small banana chunks
1 175g can crushed pineapple with juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Blend all ingredients until nearly smooth, with a few textural fruit chunks left. Best served either warm or chilled. Keeps for 4–6 hours in the fridge but doesn’t keep well frozen.
Makes about 4 cups.

Cherimoya pancakes
Make your favourite normal plain pancake and fill with mushed cherimoya and cover in maple syrup. Delicious.

Sorbet and sherbet tips
To get a smooth sorbet, blend the mix once more during freezing to break up any ice crystals and then refreeze. Sorbet melts quickly at room temperature, so serve quickly. By adding milk or yoghurt, a sorbet becomes a sherbet.

Because cherimoya have a such a luscious delicate flavour, adding another fruit or fruit juice to the mix will only dilute its deliciousness. Adding liqueur to the mix can hamper freezing, so add it as a topping (if you must) just before serving.





Cherimoya sorbet
1kg cherimoya pulp, seeds removed
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey

Puree cherimoya flesh in a blender, then add lemon juice and honey and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into ice-cube trays or into a 20cm baking dish and freeze until almost firm. Place cubes or large pieces back in the blender bowl and use the knife attachment until the mix is fluffy but not completely thawed. Pour back into ice-cube trays or individual serving dishes and freeze until firm.

To serve: Put the sorbet into serving dishes and let it soften a bit before serving, or gently break the pieces up.
Serves 4.

Cherimoya lime sorbet
300g pureed cherimoya
125ml fresh lime juice
60ml water
1 tsp honey

Puree all ingredients in a blender, pour into a bowl and freeze until solid (2–3 hours). Remove sorbet from the freezer and break into large chunks with a fork. Put the chunks back in the blender and process until smooth and creamy. Return to bowl and freeze for 30 more minutes.
To serve: Place a scoop into a sorbet glass or into bowl and enjoy.
Serves 4–6.

Cherimoya sherbet (1)
750g cherimoya pulp, seeds removed
250ml plain low-fat yoghurt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey

Puree cherimoya flesh in a blender, then add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into ice-cube trays or into a 20cm baking dish and freeze until almost firm. Place cubes or large pieces back in the blender bowl and use the knife attachment until the mix is fluffy but not completely thawed. Pour back into ice-cube trays or serving dishes and freeze until firm.

To serve: Put the sherbet into serving dishes and let it soften a bit before serving, or gently break the pieces up.
Serves 4.

Cherimoya sherbet (2)
2 eggs, separated
750g cups cherimoya, seeded and pureed
1/8 teaspoon salt
500g sugar
60ml orange juice
1 litre buttermilk (low-fat or whole)

Beat the yolks, salt and 125g of sugar in a bowl until light and lemon-coloured. Gradually add cherimoya, then add 250g of sugar and beat until dissolved, then blend in buttermilk. In another bowl (at least 3 litre size), beat egg whites until soft peaks form then add remaining 125g sugar and beat until firm, but not dry. Gradually fold buttermilk mixture into whites, then pour into a 4.5 litre or larger ice cream maker. Process until frozen.
Makes 2.75 litres sherbet.

Cherimoya waffles
2 cherimoya, peeled and cubed
3 eggs
450g all-purpose flour
125ml vegetable oil
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
375ml milk

Separate eggs. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until light yellow, then add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and oil, followed by the milk and cherimoya, and mix until moist. In a small bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Fold into waffle mixture. Pour batter into a waffle iron on medium-high and cook until golden brown. Top with whipped cream, cherimoya and maple syrup.

Cherimoya pie
1 unbaked 25cm deep-dish pie shell
500g cherimoya (peeled, seeded and diced)
3 eggs (separated)
250ml evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 230ºC. Bake pie shell for 5 minutes and set aside. Reduce heat to 190ºC. Puree cherimoya in blender until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended, then set aside. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the cherimoya mix until no streaks of white remain (don’t stir). Pour filling into the pie shell and bake for 35–45 minutes or until the filling sets and a knife pushed into the filling comes out clean. Cool in fridge. Serve wedges topped with cream.

Caramelised cherimoya
1 cherimoya

Cut the cherimoya in half lengthways and put face down in a greased baking dish. Bake at 200ºC until the juices begin to caramelise and a delicious aroma fills your house (about 1 hour). The flavour is something like a ginger custard.

Cherimoya bavaroise (with chocolate sauce)
2 good size cherimoya
1 tsp vanilla
1 large can evaporated milk (frozen)
250g sugar
1 envelope gelatin (without flavour) dissolved in 125ml of boiling water. Mash the cherimoya and add sugar.

Beat the evaporated milk until it turns double in volume and looks creamy. Add the cherimoya, gelatin and vanilla, then pour into a greased baking dish and refrigerate until it becomes firm. Remove from the baking dish and serve with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate sauce
1 large can condensed milk
1 large can evaporated milk
4 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix the milks and cocoa in a pot, and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until it gets slightly thick. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Cherimoya orange parfait
250ml whipping cream
250g sour cream
60g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
125g pureed cherimoya
2 tsp grated orange peel
500g cherimoya chunks
375g cups orange sections
mint leaves

Combine the creams in a deep bowl and refrigerate with beaters until well chilled. Beat creams until frothy and gradually add sugar, vanilla, juices and salt, then beat until quite stiff. Blend in cherimoya puree and 1 tsp orange peel. Put half the cherimoya chunks in the bottom of 4–6 parfait glasses. Spoon in a layer of cream, all the orange sections, a second layer of cream and the remaining cherimoya. Top with a dollop of cream and garnish with the remaining orange peel and mint leaves.
Serves 4–6.

Another great seasonal recipe for January

So as you may know, artichokes, beets and oranges are very popular, January/February seasonal produce. So, if your heading down to the farmers market, you may consider picking up some of this great seasonal ingredients and making this delicious salad:

Arugula, Beets, and Blood-Orange Salad with Artichokes

Ingredients

  • 1    beet (about 3 oz.), top removed
  • 3  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1  tablespoon  red wine vinegar
  • 1/8  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
  • 1  bunch (6 oz.)  arugula, washed
  • 1  jar (6.5 oz.)  artichoke hearts, drained
  • 1    blood orange, peeled and sectioned

Directions

1. In a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water, steam beet until fork tender, 35 to 45 minutes (check water in steamer halfway through, adding more if needed). Remove from steamer and run beet under cold water, rubbing to remove peel (you may want to wear rubber gloves, or the juice could stain your hands). Slice thinly (you can cut the beet slices with heart-shape cookie cutters if you like) and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined. In a large serving bowl toss arugula, artichoke hearts, beet slices, and blood orange slices. Toss well with dressing so that salad is well coated. Makes 2 servings.
We got this recipe from a great site called www.lhj.com, that even includes nutrition facts so for those of you looking for such information, here it is: 

Nutrition Facts

  • Servings Per Recipe 2 servings
  •  
  • Calories265, 
  • Total Fat (g)21.5, 
  • Saturated Fat (g)3,
  • Cholesterol (mg)0, 
  • Sodium (mg)182, 
  • Carbohydrate (g)17, 
  • Fiber (g)4, 
  • Protein (g)4,
  • Vitamin A (DV%)0, 
  • Vitamin C (DV%)0, 
  • Calcium (DV%)0, 
  • Iron (DV%)0, 
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

And remember, the recipe takes about 15 mins of prep, and 45 mins to cook and serves 2-3 people. 

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Update

Jamie Oliver and his "Food Revolution" have kickstarted the New Year with some great news for Southern California!
First of all, the Revolution is coming to LA! The second season of the Emmy-winning show will be filmed in Los Angeles, CA.  However, there is some controversy. As mylastbite.wordpress.com says, " Unlike the city of Huntington, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will NOT allow Jamie Oliver to film in any of our schools. The L.A. Times reported that an LAUSD spokesman said there is no chance for a change of heart. Via email, Robert Alaniz stated that 'Reality TV has a formula. You either have to have drama or create conflict to be successful. We’re not interested in either.' " So let us hope for the best, and who knows, maybe Los Angeles will come around and we will see some great things happen within the next year. Check back here for updates.


As you know, here at Santa Barbara Green Cuisine we are all about keeping the community updated on local news, ways to eat locally and organically, and of course, providing seasonal recipes to make sure you can eat locally easily! As a part of his latest newsletter, Jamie has provided a huge list of great recipes for January/February and here they are!





Roast carrot and avocado salad with orange and lemon dressing (USA Imperial Version)

ingredients

• 1 pound medium differently colored carrots, with their leafy tops
• 2 level teaspoons whole cumin seeds
• 1 or 2 small dried chillies, crumbled
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• extra virgin olive oil
• red or white wine vinegar
• 1 orange, halved
• 1 lemon, halved
• 3 ripe avocados
• red wine vinegar
• 4 x ½-inch-thick slices of ciabatta or other
• good-quality bread
• 2 handfuls of interesting mixed winter salad leaves (like Treviso, arugula, radicchio or cavolo nero tops), washed and spun dry
• 2 bunches of cress
• 2⁄3 cup of sour cream
• 4 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted
main courses | serves 4 
If you're going to use cooked carrots in a salad you've got to make it with some attitude! This fantastic Moroccan-style salad combines roast carrots with avocados – and because they have the same texture in your mouth, I thought I'd add the chargrilled flavor and crunch of toasted ciabatta to round things off. With spices, seeds, sour cream and a delicious citrus dressing, you've got a winner.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Parboil your carrots in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, until they are very nearly cooked, then drain and put them into a roasting pan. You should flavor them while they're steaming hot, so while the carrots are cooking get a pestle and mortar and smash up the cumin seeds, chillies, salt and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and smash up again until you have a kind of paste. The idea here is to build up the flavors. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to generously cover the paste, and a good swig of vinegar. This will be like a marinade, a rub and a dressing all in one! Stir together, then pour over the carrots in the pan, coating them well. Add the orange and lemon halves, cut-side down. These will roast along with the carrots, and their juice can be used as the basis of the dressing. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

While the carrots are roasting, halve and peel your avocados, discarding the pits, then cut them into wedges lengthwise and place in a big bowl. Remove the carrots from the oven and add them to the avocados. Carefully, using some tongs, squeeze the roasted orange and lemon juice into a bowl and add the same amount of extra virgin olive oil and a little swig of red wine vinegar. Season, and pour this dressing over the carrots and avocados. Mix together, have a taste and correct the seasoning. Call your gang round the table while you toast or broil your ciabatta slices.

Tear the toasted bread into little pieces and add to the dressed carrot and avocado. Mix together, toss in the salad leaves and cress and transfer to a big platter or divide between individual plates. Spoon over a nice dollop of sour cream, sprinkle over your toasted seeds and drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil.










Spicy parsnip soup (USA Imperial Version)


ingredients

• olive oil
• a pat of butter
• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 6 parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 cups milk
• 1 quart vegetable stock, preferably organic
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely sliced
• optional: a handful of fresh cilantro leaves
• crusty bread, to serve
main courses | serves 4 
A hearty dish – with a chili kick!

Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large pan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft and sweet.

Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavors. Pour in the milk and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on.

After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If you’re happy, remove the pan from the heat and carefully whiz everything up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.

Serve with a sprinkling of sliced red chilli, a few cilantro leaves if you like, and a good chunk of crusty bread. 






The amazing date shake (USA Imperial Version)

drinks | serves Makes 2 shakes 
This milk shake is a shout-out to all the date producers in California. It's delicious and dead simple.

Just chuck 20 pitted dates into a liquidizer with a cup of milkand blitz until smooth. Add a small handful of ice cubes and a pinch of ground cinnamon and whiz again.

Serve straightaway in tall glasses.











Here are some great images of the recipes(in same order as above):


Don't forget, all of this great information came from jamieoliver.com, so for more info on the show or some more quick and easy recipes, visit the site!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Santa Barbara News Press

The SB News Press just published a great article entitled, "Steward of sustainability: Michael Pollan talks about the Obama administration, food trends, and his own vices", that discusses everything, including local/organic food.  This article really puts many of the issues we discuss here in perspective with whats going on in the US.
Check it out either online or in the papers! We cannot post a copy here because of copyright issues, but feel free to look it up yourself! The author is Karna Hughes, and the article was published on the 25th of January, 2011.

Santa Barbara Green Cuisine is going to be at the local farmers markets

In the next couple of weeks, representatives from SBGC will be at the Santa Barbara Farmers Markets with live cooking demonstrations! We will be working with local farmers and chefs to show the Santa Barbara community easy, seasonal recipes every week!
Details to come soon, keep checking back here or on our facebook page for updates!

Great Info Website!

http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/

Facebook Page With Some Interesting links

"The Why I Am Going Non-GMO" facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Why-I-am-going-Non-GMO/148897491817200) has some really interesting aspects to it.
First of all, it shares the frustration of people all over the world with over processed, non-organic food.  One woman wrote, "Hello, I'm going non gmo (and have been for awhile) because of the damage it causes to people and animals health, not to mention all the extra pesticides they are using on crops that pollute our land and water even more. Lastly, let us not forget the genetic pollution that is spreading and could seriously get out of control (think super weeds, genetically engineered fish that could escape and mingle with wild populations. I don't want to be a part of this, so I try to buy non-gmo and organic food as much as possible." 
Second of all there are a couple great links/comments people have posted to this page, here are a few:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-12297269 - an article about the increase in pesticide and chemical use in fish farming

"It only takes 5% of the population to commit to purchasing foods that are NON GMO, to make it too risky to be part of a product in the eyes of the food maker. This is what happened in the UK and it can happen here. rBGH is being phased out for the same reason. We are extremely powerful decision makers when it comes to food quality, we just need to become aware of the issues and make informed purchasing decisions."-FoodKin Canada


And then the absolute BEST and MOST interesting link is from one of Santa Barbara Green Cuisine's favorite groups, the Organic Consumers Association, that compares organic and GM agriculture:
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/25/133178893/a-tale-of-two-seed-farmers-organic-vs-engineered






What's your opinion on Genetically Modified Crops?



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Another great way to eat local...

For those of you lucky enough to be over 21, a great way to eat local is to go wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley.  You can drink local wines and eat fresh cooked, local meals! Some great wineries (or so I've heard) are:

Sunstone Winery - they promise to be 100% local and organic

And here are a few that are part of the "Sustainable Vine" Group, a selection of environmentally friendly( cough, cough, local and organic) wineries:

Alma Rosa
Ampelos
Beckman
Cimarone Vineyard
Coquellcot Vineyard
Demetria Vineyard
Presidio Winery


Here is the "Sustainable Vine" website : http://www.sustainablevine.com/index.asp for more details.


Another fun article if your looking for something to read is this one about a local winery:
http://www.noozhawk.com/article/091809_ride_wine_and_dine_with_vino_vaqueros/

Happy Wine Tasting!