recipe Archives | Community Food Co-op

Asparagus and Bell Pepper Quiche

by Renee Russel

asparagus bell pepper quiche with tomatoes

The fresh taste of asparagus shines in this irresistible quiche!

Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-6 slices

INGREDIENTS

Filling

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pre-made 9-inch pie crust

Quiche

6 eggs
2 cups half and half
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, and gently steam or blanch the asparagus and peppers
until al dente, roughly 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cooked vegetables and cheese. Mix well and scoop the filling
into the pie shell.
Crack the eggs and add them to the bowl. Beat them slightly, then whisk in the half and half and spices.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell, over the vegetable filling.
Bake on a center rack in the preheated oven until completely set.

Recipe by Renee Russel for Welcome to the Table. Reprinted by permission from WelcometotheTable.coop. Find more recipes and information about your food and where it comes from at www.welcometothetable.coop.

Nutritional Information

674 calories, 51 g. fat, 62 mg. cholesterol, 836 mg. sodium, 44 g. carbohydrate, 9 g. fiber, 17 g. protein

Spring Asparagus Salad

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

asparagus salad with hard-boiled eggs and onions in bowl next to egg shells

Every spring the appearance of fresh, seasonal asparagus coincides with the popularity of eggs during the Easter season. These two seasonal favorites combine in this delicious vegetarian recipe.

Spring Asparagus Salad

Makes 2–4 servings (serve as an entree or a side)

INGREDIENTS

For the Olive Oil Vinaigrette:

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

For the Salad:

2 pasture-raised fresh eggs
1 bunch asparagus
fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 lettuce leaves (garnish)

METHOD

Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, and sea salt until the salt is dissolved.
Add the thinly sliced red onion and mix well. Allow the onions to marinate in the
dressing for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a small saucepan with fresh water and bring to a boil. Gently pierce the “butt” ends of the egg with a push pin or small needle. You want to make sure not to push in too far, just enough to pierce a hole in the shell. Gently add the eggs to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Allow the eggs to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up, quickly rinse the eggs under cold water and set aside on a dry towel to cool further.
While the eggs are boiling, place a steamer basket into a large pot and fill with water just so the water is under the basket. Gently bend each asparagus spear at the bottom end until it naturally snaps. Discard the ends in the compost or save for a future asparagus soup. Place the asparagus into the steamer basket, cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil. Cook for about 3–5 minutes or until the asparagus is bright green and tender. Be careful not to overcook the asparagus, otherwise it will turn green-brown. Once the asparagus has reached optimal color and tenderness, quickly rinse the asparagus in cold, running water for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking process.
Salad Assembly: Place the lettuce leaves in a serving dish and top with steamed asparagus. Evenly pour the vinaigrette with the marinated onions over the asparagus and top with the sliced hard-boiled eggs. Sprinkle the eggs with chopped cilantro or parsley, freshly ground pepper, and a bit of sea salt. Serve immediately.

Current Health Studies on Eggs

See Selva's story from the April 2017 issue of the Co-op News to learn about the current dietary recommendations regarding egg consumption.

Welcome to Kimchi Nirvana: Kimchi Stew

by Jeremy Meadows, former Cordata deli cook

Kimchi Stew expands your cooking repertoire with a new and unique flavor profile. The recipe comes together particularly easily using leftover shredded chicken, or leave out the meat (but not the flavorful marinade ingredients) for a vegetarian dish. Control the degree of heat by varying the amount of chili flake. Adapted from the kimchi jjigae recipe at norecipes.com.

There are two types of people: those who love kimchi and those who loathe it. I used to count myself as one of the latter category’s staunchest supporters. “How,” I thought, “could anyone enjoy something that looks like it was collected from a crime-scene and smells like a fisherman’s socks?” But those were the dark times, before my conversion.

My epiphany came in the form of a hot dog—a plain old bratwurst with ketchup and mustard. But where once sat a drab pile of sauerkraut, there, atop my dog, sat that blood-red concoction from the farthest east—pungent, spicy, and redolent of the ocean. I was immediately struck with that feeling you get when you see someone you know, but outside of their usual context, like running into your dentist at a party. “What are you doing here,” I thought. But I persevered. And I’m glad I did, because the flavor, to put it mildly, was sublime.

My road to kimchi nirvana, however, was not an easy one. Like coffee or alcohol, kimchi is an acquired taste. And just as the road to coffee and alcohol connoisseurship is often paved with sugar and littered with bottles of peach schnapps, it often takes a bit of flavor-masking to develop an appreciation for kimchi. So, don’t just dig right into the jar. At first, try it in a stir fry or on a hot dog. Or better yet, try this kimchi stew recipe, which tastes like a funkier version of American chili.

Still, you might be wondering, “Why not just stick with what I already know and love?” Well, there are kimchi’s legendary health benefits to consider. But more importantly, the taste (once acquired) is utterly delicious. So, hold your nose, open your mouth, and see the light.

Kimchi Stew

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces thinly sliced pork belly (or 2 cups cooked shredded chicken)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup tightly-packed kimchi
½ cup kimchi juice from kimchi jar (if there isn’t enough squeeze kimchi to extract more)
1½ cups water
1 tablespoon red miso
2 tablespoons Korean chili flake (or 1 tablespoon red pepper flake)
8 ounces soft tofu, cubed
2 thin-sliced green onions
1 tablespoon butter

METHOD

Marinate the pork belly (or chicken) with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and mirin while you prepare the other ingredients.
Put a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Once hot, add pork belly mixture, (or if using chicken add a little oil then chicken mixture). Sauté for a few minutes, then add onions and kimchi. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until very fragrant.
Add kimchi juice, water, miso, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then taste. Add more chili flakes if desired.
Turn heat to low, add tofu and simmer for 20 minutes.
Just before serving stir in butter and garnish with green onions.

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

by Jeremy Meadows, former Cordata deli cook

stuffing a pumpkin with pumpkin stuffing

This Savory Stuffed Pumpkin recipe has become a regular for many Co-op staff and customers. It could easily be made vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and even vegan with a few ingredient replacements for the cheese and cream. Give it a try this autumn!
Photos by Meaghan Flesch

Reminiscing with Jeremy

I’m from Ohio. Yep, that part of the country known to historians (and some attentive third graders) as the Old Northwest. When I tell this to people here the image that typically arises is one of sleepy little towns surrounded by vast stretches of farmland. What they are picturing, I think, is Iowa. But the reality is much more, well, rust-colored. There are farms there to be sure. A local, sustainable food culture is even beginning to take off. But it certainly isn’t part of the DNA of the place like it is here—at least not yet. Rather, the midwestern zeal for industry and efficiency seems to have spread from the cities to the surrounding countryside resulting in a landscape dominated by factory farms and monoculture. And you guessed it: corn is king.

Growing up in a place like that can easily lead to a serious disconnect between a person and the food that he or she eats. To my young mind, food came from the supermarket, not from farms. I didn’t know any farmers. And the farms themselves—with those stalks of corn all lined up in their rows like vast battalions brandishing spears—were almost menacing. Really, have you ever noticed how many horror films are set in cornfields? Anyway, the farm did not seem like a place that anyone would ever need, or want, to go to.

There was, however, one exception. Each year my family would make pilgrimage to our local pumpkin patch. We would all clamber into the farmer’s wagon and roll out through the orange, glistening fields to harvest jack-o’-lanterns and pie pumpkins for the fall holidays. I was too young to think much about it then, but something about visiting that place, and picking with our own hands the food that we would soon eat, seemed important, elemental, right—like a tradition worth preserving.

Those early experiences made a deep and lasting impression, and I have no doubt that they have made me a more conscious, and conscientious, eater. That’s the thing about traditions, they have a way of shaping the way that we come to see the world. This savory stuffed pumpkin recipe has become a tradition around our house. And trust me, it’s a keeper.

stuffing ingredients sliced cheese garlic herbs pumpkin

Meaghan Flesch, former Co-op outreach team intern, prepared Jeremy’s pumpkin recipe using ingredients from her home garden along with local products available at the Co-op: Twin Brook Creamery cream, Hempler’s bacon, and Breadfarm bread. Meaghan gives the rich, savory recipe 5 stars and plans to make it again during the holidays.

Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

INGREDIENTS

1 pie pumpkin, about 3 pounds
1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyere, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 apple, 1/2-inch dice
1 pear, 1/2-inch dice
4 strips bacon (optional), cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped
About 1/4 cup fresh chives or sliced scallions
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
About 1/3 cup heavy cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween jack-o’-lantern). Scrape out seeds and strings from cap and inside of pumpkin.
Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish.
Toss bread, cheese, garlic, fruit, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper, you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure.
Pack the mix into the pumpkin. It should be well-filled, but don’t overstuff it.
Mix the cream, nutmeg, and some salt and pepper. Pour into pumpkin (add more cream if too dry).
Replace the cap and bake for about 2 hours, checking after 90 minutes, or until the pumpkin flesh is tender enough to pierce easily with a knife tip. Remove cap during the last 20 minutes to bake off any liquid and slightly brown the top of the stuffing.
Serve from the baking dish, making sure to scrape out some pumpkin flesh with each serving of stuffing.

(Note: Don’t be alarmed if your Thanksgiving turkey begins to turn green with envy when placed next to this good-looker!)

Summer Grilling Guide

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

It's prime harvest season! Time to embrace all that summer has to offer. So, break free of the kitchen and head outside to fire up the grill.

These simple techniques—combined with the best selection of meats, fish, and farm fresh vegetables and fruits harvested at the peak of flavor—will produce results that will be the envy of all.

SALMON

Remove any bones with tweezers. Brush both sides of the salmon with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. For more seasoning, try adding a bit of crushed garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a bit of lemon zest. Or make a simple marinade—my favorite is olive oil, coconut aminos, vinegar, garlic, and seasonings—and marinate salmon for 1/2 hour or longer.

On a grill heated to medium high, place the salmon, skin-side-down, on the grill and cover. Cook, undisturbed, until the salmon flesh flakes easily. For most 1-inch-thick fillets, cook 10 to 12 minutes, check early to prevent overcooking. Allow another 10 minutes for each extra inch of thickness. Serve over salad for an easy summer meal.

salmon salad with tomatoes and bell peppers

SAUSAGE

Choose from a selection of delicious sausages in our meat deparment from local favorite suppliers: Jack Mountain Meats in Burlington or Uli's Famous Sausage in Seattle. To grill, start sausage over indirect heat. Turn as needed until cooked through (165 F). Then, brown the sausage quickly over direct heat to finish. If the grill is hot enough, you can skip the browning step—on many grills, 20 minutes of indirect heat is enough time to brown the sausage AND cook it through.

Photo by Bruno Kelzer on Unsplash

VEGGIES

Select a combo of your favorite summer vegetables like peppers, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and spring onions. For a more unique array, try grilling cauliflower, fennel, baby bok choy, or watermelon radishes. Drizzle veggies with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. For added flavor, add a couple dashes of soy sauce, crushed garlic, and a handful of chopped fresh herbs—try rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or basil. Toss gently to evenly coat. Grill vegetables on an oiled preheated grill until lightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

grilled vegetables, grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini with tomatoes

FRUIT

Peaches, plums, nectarines, mango, and pineapple are all absolutely delicious when grilled. Slice in half or into spears. Brush the cut sides of fruit with olive oil. Grill on medium-low until fruit develops grill marks and starts to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the tops with oil, turn over and move to the side of the grill to continue cooking over indirect heat for another 4 to 5 minutes. You can add flavor by brushing fruit with maple syrup, butter, or honey. But if you start with ripe fruit, they really shouldn’t need anything at all!

Summer Backyard Taco Picnic: Zucchini Tacos

by Jeremy Meadows, former Cordata deli cook

These zucchini tacos are a great way to celebrate the bounty of the season.

It’s summer! Abundance is everywhere! The markets are overflowing with seasonal delights from every corner of Kingdom Plantae. We’re up to our ears in corn, up to our knees in peas, and up to our heads in lettuce (I could go on, but don’t worry, I won’t). And not only are these botanical delicacies at their lowest prices of the year, they are also at peak deliciousness.

So why, when all of this amazing produce abounds, does our typical summer backyard picnic fare consist mainly of hamburgers and hot dogs—including the “fruits of the season” only as an afterthought, if at all?

The answer, counterintuitively, may be traced to the very abundance that we enjoy here in the U.S.

While we are home to only 4.5 percent of the world’s population, we have 11.5 percent of the world’s farmland—more than any other country. And while that hardly seems like a problem, it has enabled us to devote a staggering 67 percent of our arable land to crops—mainly soy and corn—that feed livestock, not people. This, along with the alarming rise of factory farming, has led to an incredible abundance of cheap meat. It has also contributed to the development of a cuisine that is among the least sustainable and, forgive me for saying, least interesting in the world.

Don’t get me wrong, some American food is great. I mean, southern barbecue has to rank up there with Beethoven’s Ninth as one of the supreme achievements of humankind. But, as renowned chef and farm-to-table pioneer Dan Barber points out in his terrific book, The Third Plate, most of the world’s great cuisines were born from hardship, not abundance.

The relative scarcity of farmland in countries like Mexico, Italy, and Thailand has required people there to grow a greater proportion of their crops for human consumption, which is a far more efficient method of extracting calories from the soil than raising livestock. It has also encouraged their much more varied, plant-heavy cuisines. And, let’s face it, if variety is the spice of life, then American life, at least culinarily speaking, is pretty bland in comparison.

So, if we want to develop a truly sustainable, world-class American cuisine, we need to start giving plants their day in the sun.

Zucchini Tacos

INGREDIENTS

1 large zucchini or summer squash
1 large ear of corn
2 cloves thinly sliced garlic
3 limes, 1 zested, 2 quartered for garnish
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
salt
tortillas
½ cup grated cotija cheese
red salsa
cilantro leaves for garnish

METHOD

Trim ends and slice zucchini lengthwise in half, continue halving lengthwise into eight equal spears. Slice each spear in half crosswise resulting in 16 thick wedges. In a bowl, combine zucchini with garlic, oregano leaves, ¼ cup oil, and a large pinch of salt. Marinate for about an hour.
Meanwhile, remove corn husk and chop off the bottom stem end of the cob to make a flat surface. Holding the ear upright, carefully cut vertically down the ear to remove the kernels. Place in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.
Once zucchini has marinated, heat a heavy frying pan (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat until very hot. Add corn and smooth to an even layer. Let fry, without stirring, for 30 seconds or until corn begins to blacken slightly. Remove to a bowl and stir in lime zest.
In the same pan add about half of the zucchini (don’t overcrowd) cut side down. Cook for about 30 seconds, just until it takes on a little color, then flip to cook the other cut side the same way. You want the zucchini charred on the outside, but still firm on the inside. Remove to a plate.
Assemble the tacos. Add one or two pieces of zucchini to a tortilla. Top with corn, red salsa, some cotija cheese, and cilantro leaves. Squeeze a little lime juice over each and enjoy!

Celebrating Salmon: Three techniques for perfect salmon every time

by Paul Manthe, Downtown deli

I recommend three approaches to cooking fish which are simple, adaptable, and quick: pan roasting, salt broiling, and poaching. They are all accessible to home cooks, requiring no specialized equipment or knowledge. If you have a typical kitchen and a basic range of tools, you can use these alternatives to baking or frying. —Paul Manthe, Cordata deli

When I was a child, sometime back in the 1970s, I recall that around this time of year, after the fall salmon run, our family would often receive gifts of whole salmon from sport fishing acquaintances. I assume these gifts were occasioned by the realization that the giver had caught more than they could consume or find space for in the freezer.

These gift salmon were invariably baked whole, simply salted and peppered. The meat came out a bit dry, as you might imagine, and the leftovers thriftily went into salmon hash, casserole, or salmon salad.

Since then, Bellingham’s population has nearly doubled, as it has throughout the entire Puget Sound region, and the salmon runs have decreased considerably as the growing human population stresses the local environment.

I propose that we cherish those remaining and when fortunate enough to acquire a salmon that we prepare it with the utmost respect and care.

As we probably will not see abundant salmon runs like those ever again, I propose that we cherish those remaining and when fortunate enough to acquire a salmon, or even part of one, that we prepare it with the utmost respect and care. Long exposure to dry heat, as in baking, is not the best way to prepare salmon, or any fish. Alternative methods are called for.

My purpose in presenting these methods as simply as possible is to encourage a sense of ease and dispel some of the fear of cooking I feel from many people. Cooking is a life skill, it’s basic and necessary. It is above all not a competition, in spite of all the television shows which insist on presenting it that way.

I encourage you to try these methods and adapt them to your own needs and tastes.

Pan Roasting

This is by far my favorite method, which I presented in the Winter 2017 issue of the Co-op's In Season magazine.

EQUIPMENT

Oven-going skillet.

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Portion skin-on fillets.
Heat skillet on range top until just hot, not smoking.
Add a teaspoon or so of butter or oil to the skillet, then quickly add the fish, skin side up.
Sear the fish in the hot skillet for just two or three minutes, then quickly turn skin side down and slide the skillet into the oven.
Bake for three minutes per pound of fish.
Serve with lemon or vinegar, or create a pan sauce with wine, butter, and herbs using the remaining juices from the skillet.

Salt Broiling

A Japanese technique that uses the high direct heat of your oven's broiler to seal in the juices of the fish.

EQUIPMENT

Broiler pan or a flat pan of some sort with a rack inside to elevate the fish off the bottom of the pan.

METHOD

Individually portion skin-on filleted fish (approximately a half-pound per person).
Liberally salt each piece of fish with coarse or kosher salt on the flesh side only.
Allow to stand at room temperature for about a half-hour.
Move the top rack of your oven to its highest position, and set your oven controls to broil.
When hot, broil fish for a good five minutes or so. It will hiss and flare from time to time, but this is to be expected.
After surface of fish is browned and crusted, slide out the pan, turn the fish skin side up, return to oven, and broil for a few more minutes to finish.
Present skin side down, with a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar.

Poaching

A moist heat method, which Scandinavian cooks have relied on for hundreds of years.

EQUIPMENT

Stove-top pan deep enough to hold a few inches of water.

METHOD

In a pan large enough to accommodate your fish, bring a few inches of salted water (1 teaspoon salt per cup of water) to a simmer.
Lower fish into salted water, skin side up.
Simmer for three to five minutes only, then remove carefully and allow the fish to rest, covered, for a few minutes more before serving.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon, or for added richness I like to add a bit of butter or a drizzle of flavored oil.

Summer Zucchini Pasta

by Selva Wohlgemuth, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist

a serving of yellow zucchini pasta topped with fresh herbs seved on a stoneware plate

This uber-delicious take on your traditional pasta contains a variety of the season’s superstars including zucchini and oregano. Once tomato season hits, you can toss in some extra cherry tomatoes for added color and flavor.

Summer Zucchini Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 large yellow zucchini
1½ teaspoons ghee or extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
1½ teaspoons packed fresh oregano, finely minced
sea salt and ground pepper
handful of feta cheese
handful of finely grated Parmesan
fresh thyme, for garnish

METHOD

Peel zucchini into thin ribbons using a julienne peeler. Stop peeling once you get to the seeds and finely chop the remaining zucchini. Set aside the peeled zucchini strands and diced pieces.
In a sauté pan, heat ghee over medium-low then add the finely minced garlic, fennel seeds, and chili flakes. Add the diced zucchini pieces and stir. Be careful not to have the pan too hot! Keep at medium low and sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the zucchini ribbons and the minced fresh oregano. Stir to combine. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and cook another 2–3 minutes until zucchini ribbons are tender. Be careful not to overcook.
Once the zucchini is tender, turn off the heat and toss in a handful of feta and grated Parmesan. Stir to combine. Season with additional sea salt and pepper, to taste. Using a large fork and spoon swirl the zucchini pasta into little mounds.
Serve with grilled meat or fish, top with a Bolognese sauce, or just eat as is on its own … it’s that delicious!

Note: You can also stir in some cooked spaghetti pasta to increase the caloric density of the meal.

Health Benefits of Summer Produce

Fresh seasonal produce is so delicious and so good for us! Read Selva's Ask the Nutritionist column from the June 2018 issue of the Co-op News to learn about the health benefits of early summer produce.

Ask the Nutritionist

Have questions? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com. Selva Wohlgemuth is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Learn more about her approach to general health and well-being at her Happy Belly Nutrition website, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at Poppies and Papayas.

Harvest Hibiscus Salad

by By Josh and Tomo Kramer of Shrub Farm

We love having this on a windy PNW evening to feel warm and cozy from the inside out!

Pairing roasted squash with delightful toppings like goat cheese and dried cranberries, it hits all the right notes of hearty, healthy, and a little bit sweet. It’s drizzled with a Hibiscus & Orange Shrub vinaigrette, too, for an added boost of digestive goodness.

Photo by Habiba Sial

Harvest Hibiscus Salad

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

delicata squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
kale
lemon juice
fun add-ons like goat cheese, dried cranberries, and pecans

For the dressing

3 tablespoons Hibiscus & Orange Shrub
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt and pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Cut the delicata in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Save for roasting or discard. Cut the squash in smile-shaped slices. Arrange on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip them over. Bake for another 10 or 15 minutes until cooked through.
For the kale, massage with lemon juice until it becomes tender and bright green.
To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a jar and shake until combined.
Top the kale with the delicata, the shrub dressing, and any other seasonal toppings your heart desires.

Learn More

Learn more about this local business, the health benefits of raw vinegar, and find more recipes at Shrub Farm's website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Read our profile of Shrub Farm and it's sister business, Apple State Vinegar, at Local Vendor Profile: Shrub Farm.

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

by Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

It’s summer! Time to break out the ice cream maker and whip up some dairy-free ice cream. Plus, it’s cherry season right now.

Don’t have an ice cream maker? Watch a video that explains three easy methods to make ice cream without a machine.

Photo courtesy of Alissa Segersten.

Every summer, my family enjoys the messy task of pitting dozens of pounds of cherries for the freezer. Having a good cherry pitter that can handle the task of many cherries is key! Your children can remove the stems and help use the pitter. It’s quite satisfying watching all of those pits fall into the container, while the pitted cherries shoot out into a bowl! I just pour the pitted cherries into large containers for freezing.

Use your frozen cherries for cherry ice cream, cherry smoothies, or cherry-oat crisp. With all of the health benefits sweet cherries have, doesn’t it make sense to eat a bowlful a day while they are in season, and freeze some to enjoy throughout the year?

This coconut milk-based ice cream is a perfect way to indulge in both antioxidant-rich cherries and dark chocolate. Serve it as a sweet treat after dinner or a healthy mid-afternoon snack.

Be sure to use full fat coconut milk in this recipe. The hemp seeds give it some extra creaminess, healthy fats, and amino acids. You can easily omit the chocolate, if desired. You can also replace the cherries with blueberries, strawberries, or diced mango. All variations are delicious!

Chilling the coconut milk beforehand helps to solidify the cream into ice cream during churning. This nutritious dairy-free ice cream is full of beneficial fats found in the coconut milk and hemp seeds. It’s quite simple to make your own ice cream, and once you do, you’ll likely never go back to the store-bought stuff!

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook
Dairy-free, paleo • About 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cans full fat coconut milk, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons raw honey or coconut nectar
¼ cup hemp seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups chopped frozen cherries
¼ to ½ cup finely chopped dark chocolate bar, dark chocolate chips, or raw cacao nibs

METHOD

Place the chilled coconut milk, honey, hemp seeds, vanilla, and almond extract into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into your ice cream maker.* Add the chopped frozen cherries and chocolate chunks, chips, or cacao nibs. Process according to the directions that came with your ice cream maker. I usually let mine churn for 20 to 25 minutes and then transfer to a container for storing in the freezer.
Freeze for 2 to 3 hours or until ready to serve. Serve each bowl with fresh cherries if desired.

*Don’t have an ice cream maker? Watch a video that explains three easy methods to make ice cream without a machine.

Eat the Rainbow

Eat the Rainbow: Starting with Red Cherries
By Alissa Segersten, Contributing Author

These jewels of the summer produce season offer a bevy of health benefits, as well as being irresistibly delicious.

Health Benefits of Sweet Cherries

Cherries are very high in antioxidants

Cherries are considered to have a high ORAC value (oxygen radical absorption capacity). What does this mean for you? Our bodies produce free radicals every day, and some people produce more than others. For example, when you are hypersensitive to a particular food or food group and you continue to eat that food, your body produces more free radicals than usual. Free radicals steal electrons from your cells, causing damage to cell membranes, proteins, and DNA. Having a lot of antioxidants in your body from the food you eat allows the free radicals to use electrons from the antioxidants, instead of your cells. The key is to lower the amount of free radicals your body produces, and increase the amount of antioxidants you consume. Eating a bowl of fresh (or frozen) cherries each day is a great way to do this!

Cherries reduce inflammation

Studies have shown that dark sweet cherries can reduce markers of inflammation such as CRP (C-reactive protein), as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines (immune system messengers) such as TNF-a. What does this mean for you? TNF-a creates a more inflammatory environment in your body, meaning you might feel more pain and aches all over when higher levels of TNF-a are circulating in your body. It is also produced in larger amounts when you have an autoimmune condition like rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that a cherry-enriched diet reduced inflammation markers in animals by up to 50 percent! Certain plant chemicals called anthocyanins found in dark red and purple plant foods, especially dark sweet cherries, are responsible for inhibiting TNF-a production.

Cherries have been shown to reduce gout attacks

Research shows that the consumption of cherries can be an effective and natural anti-gout therapy. Daily consumption of 10–12 cherries has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation and gout attacks in gout patients.

Cherries protect against cognitive decline

Reducing oxidative stress is a key ingredient for decreasing cognitive decline. Cherries reduce oxidative stress in spades. The phenolic compounds in cherries play a key role in protecting the brain’s neuronal cells from cell-damaging oxidative stress. One study found that 12 weeks of sweet Bing cherry juice consumption (200mL per day) was able to improve cognitive performance in adults with mild to moderate dementia.

Cherries protect against cardiovascular disease

The anthocyanins in dark cherries help by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, meaning that cherries can help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol—oxidized cholesterol is a key factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. The phenolic compounds in cherries have also been shown to lower blood pressure.

References:

Blando, F., & Oomah, B. (2019). Sweet and sour cherries: Origin, distribution, nutritional composition and health benefits. Trends In Food Science & Technology

Kent, K., Charlton, K., Roodenrys, S., Batterham, M., Potter, J., & Traynor, V. et al. (2017). Consumption of anthocyanin-rich cherry juice for 12 weeks improves memory and cognition in older adults with mild-to-moderate dementia. European Journal Of Nutrition

Kim, D., Heo, H., Kim, Y., Yang, H., & Lee, C. (2005). Sweet and Sour Cherry Phenolics and Their Protective Effects on Neuronal Cells. Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry

Kelley, D., Adkins, Y., Reddy, A., Woodhouse, L., Mackey, B., & Erickson, K. (2013). Sweet Bing Cherries Lower Circulating Concentrations of Markers for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases in Healthy Humans. The Journal Of Nutrition

About the Author

alissa segersten of whole life nutrition and nourishing meals

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition and Nourishing Meals, the mother of five children, a whole-foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them, and offers elimination diet recipes, healthy gluten-free recipes, and paleo and vegan recipes, as well as tips for feeding your family a nourishing, whole-foods diet.

Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole-foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book.

Learn more at nourishingmeals.com.

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About the Author

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