Encelia californica-photo

Photo: Near Birch Aquarium, La Jolla, CA

This is our native sunflower which is seen along roadways and throughout Southern California. It has slender stems and the flowers are much smaller than standard sunflowers.

New Blogs

Since the recipes and photos of the three cookbooks are randomly entered in this blog, it seems better to develop a blog for each cook book. Currently the recipes for each book are labeled in this blog. However, here are the new beginning blogs for each cookbook. Again, information is always subject to revision. If you are interested in newer entries, please use the links to the right or click on one of the following:
http://wildmountaincookbook.blogspot.com
http://wildcoastcookbook.blogspot.com
http://wilddesertcookbook.blogspot.com

Coastal Tide

January 2008

I am so grateful to Google for making the blogging format available to everyone. I have found that it is an excellent way to handle "work in progress." It has been a month now with one dinner and other assorted recipes having been formulated. I am so thankful for everyone's interest, suggestions and help. No particular dietary style will be emphasized although sometimes substitutions are offered. In the first month , the emphasis was on various breads and mountain themes, but just yesterday the first coastal effort was made. Southern California has a unique mixture of desert, mountain and coastal areas. It continues to be a challenge to incorporate its themes and resources. Contributions to the process are always appreciated as this is a learning adventure in art, cooking, and knowledge of our local surroundings.

Flaked Halibut with Kombu, Laver and Nori

This is the first recipe for the Wild Coast Cook Book. It uses local fish and dried packaged seaweed.

1/8 c soy sauce
1 c water
handful of dried Kombu, Laver and Nori
2 small carrots, cut into pieces
1/2 lb local halibut
lemon

Place dried seaweed in pan with carrots, water and soy sauce and cook until carrots and seaweed are softened.
In a separate pan, pan fry the halibut in a small amount of oil. When almost cooked through, make it into flakes with a fork.
Place halibut on a plate, drain seaweed, and arrage Kombu, Nori and carrots around the edges. Pull very thin stirps of Laver lengthwise from the large piece and place on top. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over dish.

Berry Soup

Although there are many wild berries in the mountains, at this time, they have not yet developed on the vine, ie., blackberry, chokecherry, gooseberry, thimbleberry, and wild strawberry . Commercial raspberries and dried elderberries have been used in this recipe. It can be expanded to combine any type of wild or dried berry.

l package fresh raspberries (about 1 1/2 c)
1/2 c chopped currants or dried mixed berries
1 T dried elderberries www.obpeoplesfood.coop
1 t cornstarch

Mix and cook to a boil then simmer till the mixture becomes slightly thick. Cool. Serve in small bowls with berry leaves on the plate around the bowl. Add a few whole berries to the leaves. Accepts many garnishes including a very light sprinkling of balsamic vinegar.

Gold and Brown Leaves with Butterflies

Gold Leaves
1 c cornmeal
1 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c red quinoa
3 t baking powder
1/4 c sugar or raw sugar
1 t salt
2 eggs or egg replacer
1 c milk or soy or rice milk
1/4 oil

Brown Leaves
1 c blue corn meal
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c acorn flour www.zionmarket.com
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
2 T sugar or raw sugar
1 egg or egg substitute
1 c milk or soy or rice milk
1/4 c oil

For both these recipes, mix ingredients, spray cookie sheet with oil, place leaf cookie cutters on pan, fill half way with bread mixture, very slowly lift cookie cutters, correcting edges as cutter is lifted, make marks for the veins of the leaves and cook in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the leaves.
Serve with choice of butter or butter substitute, wild berry spread, hazelnut butter, etc.

Butterfly Cookies
1 1/2 c whole whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 c sugar or raw sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t grated lemon rind
1/2 t crushed dry raspberries
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 c oil
1/4 c milk, soy milk or rice milk

Mix ingredients, roll out on floured board and cut with mini butterfly cookie cutters. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.