Salty Betty!

It's my new salt line! Here's what I have available this week:

Whole Lotta Lovage

With a taste similar to celery, this aromatic salt uses Rumtopf Farm lovage to add a little oomph to just about everything. Substitute it generously for plain salt in soups and stews or sprinkle directly onto vegetables or pasta. Rub into meats 24 hours before cooking to allow flavour to permeate the flesh.

$5

Oh My Oh Meyer Lemon

This complex finishing salt with notes of clove and anise is the perfect grace note to dress up a plain chicken breast, fish fillet, or slice of pork for a simple yet elegant meal.

Small $5     Large $12

Tomato Garlic Salt

Organic heritage tomatoes and garlic, both grown in Lunenburg County, make this cooking salt a household favourite for zesting up soups and stews.

$8

Chive Salt

This cooking salt lends a note of green springiness and heightened flavour to any entrée.  Best used in dishes with a liquid base.

$6

Vanilla Salt

Sprinkle this finishing salt on seared scallops, or melt into unsalted butter to serve with lobster. It’s also wonderful on salted caramels, chocolate truffles, and gingerbread cookies!

Small $5     Large $12

Garlic Dill Salt

A great cooking or finishing salt. Sprinkle on asparagus, chicken, fish, or anything else you please.

$7

Garlic Salt

Pungent local garlic and French sea salt set this condiment far above the grocery store crowd.  Incredible on French fries!

$7

Betty's Bites

So, dear readers, I've decided to branch out into culinary gifts and catering--just in time for the holiday season! Here's the skinny:

Betty's Bites: Culinary Gifts, Catering, and More!

Betty’s Bites offers culinary gift and catering services by A Taste of the Maritimes: Local Seasonal Recipes the Whole Year Round author Elisabeth Bailey. Your recipient will receive a festive card hand made by a local artist with the details of their gift, including scheduling and delivery information, as well as a suite of five bonus holiday recipes.

Dessert of the Month Club

Choose between the Local Fruit Club, with offerings such as raspberry Grand Marnier sorbet, strawberry lavender tea cakes, and Honeycrisp caramel pie; or the Simply Decadent Club, with selections including Laughing Whale espresso brownies, cinnamon ice cream balls enrobed in dark Fair Trade chocolate, and gingerbread pear trifle. Both options include the local fruit and Ironworks Distillery liqueur fruitcake featured in A Taste of the Maritimes for December. Each dessert includes 8-10 portions.

3 months $96 6 months $192 12 months $384

Condiment of the Month Club

Condiments include selections such as caramelized rhubarb jam, garlic scape pesto, ketchup, cranberry apple pickles, garlic chile sauce, and seafood herb rub.

3 months $58 6 months $116 12 months $232

Seasonal Produce Boxes

A choice selection representing the best of Nova Scotia farms and orchards delivered every week. Each produce box includes 10-12 servings and an assortment of recipes utilizing the fruits and vegetables for that week. A perfect choice for the health-conscious person who can’t regularly shop every table at the market!

6 weeks $128 12 weeks $256 24 weeks $512 48 weeks $1024

Personalized Cooking Classes

Learn to cook a delicious four-course meal of local, contemporary cuisine in your home with author Elisabeth Bailey. Custom menus available.

$120 for a 2 hour class for 2 people, including dinner. Add $35 for each additional person.

Catered Delivery

A delicious four-course meal of local, contemporary cuisine with the author of A Taste of the Maritimes! Custom menus available. Meals can be delivered fresh or frozen.

$30 per person; minimum of 2

To purchase any of the gifts and services listed above, or to discuss your own unique culinary gift idea, contact Elisabeth Bailey at (902) 634-8090 or uuelisabeth@yahoo.com. Delivery surcharges apply for locations more than 20 kilometres from Lunenburg.

Cranberry Apple Pickles

This is a perfect side dish for the holidays--all three main ingredients (apples, cranberries, and lemon juice) have a detoxifying effect to combat your holiday indulgences, and the taste is a lovely complement to roast turkey and ham alike.

Cranberry Apple Pickles

Ingredients (per 500 mL jar)

1/2 cup lemon juice (substitute rhubarb juice for a completely local choice)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 large or 3 small-medium apples, any varietal
1/2 cup fresh whole cranberries

Directions

Combine lemon or rhubarb juice, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

While brine is heating, peel apples and slice into long strips or chunks, according to taste. Slice cranberries in half. Place half of cranberries at the bottom of jar, followed by a layer of apples, then topped with remaining cranberries.

Pour simmering brine over fruit mixture to a level 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cover tightly, label, and store in the refrigerator.


This recipe will keep in the refrigerator for up to two months, so make it now, put it away, and forget it until Christmas! It even makes a lovely food gift for those of you who want to impress friends and family with your craftiness. They don't need to know how simple it was--I won't tell if you don't.

Watch the Author

All the publicity work I'm doing for A Taste of the Maritimes is a blast! I'll be on CTV Morning Live this Tuesday, the 13th, at 8:15 AM, so don't forget to tune in. Until then you can satisfy yourself with my author video from the Nimbus East Coast Reads series.

Cookbook ahoy hoy

The book is launched! Blogger doesn't like my fancy photographs, but you can sneak a peek at the photos from the launch here.

If you are new to this blog and have bought the book, please feel free to ask a question or leave a comment. I'm always happy to chat about local food, where to find it, and how to prepare it. Welcome!

Spicy Pickled Lemon Carrots

I have never been a pickle person. As much as I love vegetables and appreciate the concept of pickling, a hint of vinegar is always plenty for me!

One day, however, it occurred to me that if I could substitute lemon juice for vinegar in other recipes… why couldn’t I just do so for pickles? The resulting recipe is my first foray into vinegar-free pickles. It is, simply put, delicious beyond measure.

Spicy Pickled Lemon Carrots

I make these as refrigerator pickles, so jar sterilization and processing isn’t necessary. If you prefer to prepare these for the shelf, however, use sterilized jars and canning lids and process in a boiling water bath for fifteen minutes after sealing the lid.

Ingredients

In each 500 ml jar:

* 3-4 large carrots or 7-10 small carrots, peeled and cut into sticks or rounds
* 2-3 garlic cloves
* 1 large or two small fresh red jalapenos
* 4-5 whole peppercorns
* A brine consisting of 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, and
* 2 teaspoons salt

Directions

Combine the brine ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Place the carrots, garlic, jalapenos, and peppercorns in the jar, then carefully pour the hot brine over the top, leaving half an inch of headspace. Screw lid on firmly, then store in the refrigerator for at least two weeks before enjoying.

Apple Pie Gelato with Caramel Stracciatella

We don’t drink a lot of juice at my house, but I couldn’t resist the amazing apple cider from Suprima Farms at the Lunenburg Farmers’ Market this week. As long as we were having a treat, I decided to go whole hog. And ended up with this:

Ingredients

2 ½ cups apple cider

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cinnamon sticks

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup milk

6 egg yolks

½ cup white sugar

½ cup caramel sauce (store bought or homemade—it’s easy! Try this recipe).

Directions

Heat apple cider in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the cider to 3/4 -1 cup, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, add vanilla, stir, and set aside.

Place the cinnamon sticks in a closed plastic bag and smash to shards with a hammer. Combine cinnamon shards with heavy cream a in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium low heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for ten minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside to steep for one hour.

After an hour, strain shards out of the cream. Return strained cream to a clean pan. Whisk in yolks and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan, until custard thickens, about ten minutes.

Remove custard from heat and whisk to combine with milk and reduced apple cider. Refrigerate mixture overnight, then process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Just before removing from machine, pour caramel sauce into the machine in a slow stream to form a ribbon. Remove to a container and freeze until hard, 2-3 hours.

This one passes the self-control test—as in, you won’t have any, so proceed with caution. Enjoy!