Unscrupulous sellers have been caught adulturating beef with cheaper horsemeat and swapping chicken for turkey in sausages labelled 100 per cent turkey.

Now researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid say they’ve developed an electrochemical biosensor that can quickly detect a DNA fragment unique to the horse genome and absent in all other mammals.

“Thus, it is possible to identify selectively and without false positives any type of horsemeat, regardless of race,” said F. Javier Gallego, a genetics researcher.

Until now, the tests and strategies to detect meat adulteration were based on immunological, spectroscopic or molecular biology techniques which were more expensive and took far longer to get results from.

They also weren’t as precise, and were particularly troubled by an inability to detect adulteration both at low levels, and using closely related species, and were not reliable in processed meat products because such products are often heat treated in some way, which affects the ability of tests to detect the proteins.

The new technique can detect differences between samples that are unadulterated and those containing horsemeat at levels as low as half of one per cent.

The multidisciplinary team found better results were obtainable from mitochondrial DNA fragments rather than nuclear DNA, because mitochondrial DNA is more protected and better resistant to possible heat treatments.

Members of the team say the next steps include moving beyond horsemeat and finding similar proteins in other animal species.

The post Rapid detection of meat fraud appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Gnarly Manitoba maple trees are gurgling and gushing with sap as they wake up to increasing warmth and sunlight of an ever-so-slowly advancing spring.

I’m actually quite surprised how many still don’t know our native maple tree (Acer negundo) is a prolific sugar-maker, much like its eastern cousin, the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).

In fact, many Manitobans tap their trees in spring for their abundant sap, which produces one of the sweetest syrups going. Many do it as a hobby. A few produce enough that they sell their maple syrup products.

Maple tapping is so popular around McCreary that an emerging cottage industry has developed, complete with a spring festival to celebrate the sugaring season.

On Saturday, April 13 McCreary hopes visitors will drop in to learn more about their early-spring harvest in full swing, and the delicious, locally made sweet treats being produced from it. If you go, you can take a wagon ride tour through a maple bush and learn more about syrup-producing woodlots from producers such as Bob Gas and Albert Thompson.

There are treasure hunts and taffy on snow to enjoy, and you can learn to dance a traditional Métis dance form in a workshop with the Manitoba dance troupe, the Asham Stompers. There’s even a maple-themed art exhibit hosted by the Burrows Trail Arts Council. If you’d like more information please call ahead to the McCreary Recreation Office (204 835-2673).

McCreary’s festival is actually a second regional festival built around the delectable maple sugar in Manitoba.

For years, St. Pierre-Jolys has also celebrated local production of maple syrup with its own ‘Sugaring Off’ festival. Theirs flows over two days April 13 and 14. You can learn more about it online at www.museestpierrejolys.ca/sugaringoff.html.

You can visit a sugar shack at both locations to see how sap is boiled down to syrup.

So, if you’re wondering — does Manitoba maple syrup taste different, or sweeter, or better than syrup of Ontario or Quebec? You be the judge. I’ll just say, as a sign that spring, at last, is surely arriving, that first lick of Manitoba maple syrup is a very sweet treat indeed.

Here are three recipes courtesy of Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec. You can find many more recipes from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers at http://ilovem aple.ca/recipes/types-of-dishes.

Maple Energy Squares

These squares make an excellent snack, whether in the afternoon in preparation for an end-of-day workout, after you’ve finished your workout, or to pack for a long hike or bike ride. They provide complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals — all vital nutrients for an active person!

• 1/2 c. quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 c. skim milk powder
• 1/2 c. roasted sunflower seeds
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 2/3 c. pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds
• 1/2 c. coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. In a food processor, combine the oatmeal, skim milk, sunflower seeds, flour, maple syrup and eggs. Process until the mixture is almost smooth, about 10 seconds. Stir in cranberries, apricots and almonds. Pour into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are golden and the centre is set.

Makes 16 squares.

Source: Federation des producteurs acericoles du Quebec

Corn and Butternut Squash Soup with Maple Syrup

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 celery stalks, cubed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 4 c. chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2 c. frozen corn
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• Chives, to taste

In a large saucepan over high heat, sauté the squash, onion, celery, garlic, ginger and maple syrup for about six minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer five minutes. Purée the soup in a blender until creamy. (If the mixture is too thick, add some broth or water.) Return to the pot. Add the corn, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat five minutes.

To serve, garnish with sour cream and chives.

Source: Federation des producteurs acericoles du Quebec

Green Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

• 2 endives
• 1 lettuce (loose leaf or romaine)
• 1 apple
• 1 red onion, sliced in rings
• 1 or 2 mandarin oranges
• 1/2 c. yellow or red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. cashew nuts, whole
• 3 tbsp. raisins
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Vinaigrette:

• 4 tsp. cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and dry lettuce. Removes endive leaves and set aside. Halve the apple, remove the core and slice. Mix the apple slices with raisins and lemon juice. Add segments of the peeled mandarin oranges, lettuce, endive leaves, onion rings, yellow or red pepper and cashew nuts. Sprinkle with the maple vinaigrette and serve.

To make Vinaigrette:

Mix salt, pepper and mustard. Add vinegar and mix well to dissolve the salt. Add oil and maple syrup. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serves 4.

Source: Fédération des producteurs acéricoles du Québec

The post Recipe Swap: Sugaring season begins in Manitoba appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Rashers, billed as North America’s only bacon-only shop, is urging exercisers to recoup their “hard-burned” calories by stopping by the shop for a post-workout sandwich. The promotion is appropriately called ‘Run the Pig.’

As part of the program, the Rashers team is also reaching out to people on Twitter from their handle @RashersTO. When someone posts a completed workout via popular running app Nike+, the team sends hilarious personalized messages inviting people to finish their next workout at the shop for a 15 per cent discount.

Owners John Clark and Richard Mulley say they came up with the promotional idea from the dozens of runners and cyclists passing by their business at 948 Queen St. East every day. The restaurant is located in Leslieville, one of Toronto’s most health- and exercise-conscious neighbourhoods.

The restaurant stakes its reputation on serving only the highest-quality bacon —  sourced from a local family-run farm — and the best bread baked locally.

The post Sweat like a pig for a bacon sandwich appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

This past Sunday was the third annual Open Farm Day, with 51 host farms welcoming visitors. This year’s event also featured four special “Grazing in the Field” suppers, held at Asessippi, Woodlands, Steinbach and Lower Fort Garry.

Tickets were disappointingly sold out by the time I started planning to go to one. But every seat filled is an encouraging sign of Open Farm Day’s increasing popularity, with more Manitobans venturing out where all too few seldom go — a farm specifically, and rural Manitoba generally.

There’s another reason to venture outside the Perimeter this time of year, which you might want to call Open-the-Belt-a Notch-or-two Month. We’re already well into fall supper season, with halls and church basements packed with people tucking into steaming plates of turkey or beef or both, small mountains of mashed potatoes and veggies, airy homemade buns, jiggly jellied salads, and, gravy over everything, yes please! If there’s room afterwards, we waddle back to the buffet for a piece of pie or slice. I’ve noticed if you go to the same supper year after year, you start to know who bakes and brings what, and, of course, you hope they’ll never, ever stop.

You’ll find an online map at www.kinasevych.ca for locating as many fall suppers as you could ever hope to eat. The site is maintained by Red River College faculty member Orest Kinasevych and lists supper dates, times, locations and phone numbers, plus Orest’s, “I can’t guarantee any of it,” disclaimer. So call ahead to be sure. You might want to post your group’s meal date on the site too. There can never be too many fall suppers.

Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

• 2 lbs. Canadian pork leg or loin, cut into cubes 1 tbsp. vegetable oil2 onions, chopped2 stalks celery, sliced3 c. chicken broth2 tsp. dried thyme leaves1 tsp. grated lemon rind1 tbsp. lemon juice1/4 c. all-purpose flour1/4 c. cold water2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed2 c. frozen green beans

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Trim off any visible fat from pork, then brown pork cubes in batches. Add onions, celery, broth, thyme, lemon rind and juice. Cover and simmer one hour or until meat is tender. Whisk together flour and water; add to meat mixture along with sweet potatoes and green beans. Increase heat and boil gently about 20-30 more minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender and liquid has thickened.

Yield: Serves 8Preparation Time: 15 minutesCooking Time: 80 – 90 minutes

Source: Pork Marketing Canadawww.putporkonyourfork.com

Honey Mustard Roasted Potatoes

• 4 large baking potatoes (about 2 pounds)1/2 c. Dijon mustard1/4 c. Bee Maid liquid honey1/2 tsp. crushed dried thyme leavesSalt and pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and cut each into six to eight pieces. Cover potatoes with salted water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook potatoes 12 to 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Combine mustard, Bee Maid liquid honey, and thyme in small bowl. Toss potatoes with honey-thyme mustard in large bowl until evenly coated. Arrange potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown around edges. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich Cookies

This is a winning recipe from the Ontario Home Ec Association’s Canola Cookie Contest in 2012.

• To make the cookies:2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 2/3 c. canola oil1/3 c. canola margarine 1 c. brown sugar 1 c. white sugar 2 eggs1-1/2 c. peanut butter 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, mix flour and baking soda and set aside. In mixing bowl, cream canola oil and margarine together slowly. Added sugars and eggs. Combine well. Add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Slowly add flour and baking soda mixture. Mix until smooth. Drop tbsp.-sized balls of cookie dough on to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press down on the cookie dough balls with a fork, making a crisscross pattern on top. Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until done. Remove to a cooling rack.

• To make the banana frosting:1 banana mashed1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. cream cheese5 c. icing sugar

Mash a banana with fork and place in an electric mixing bowl along with vanilla extract. Place 1/2 cup of room temperature cream cheese in the mixing bowl and blend with banana until fully combined. Slowly add icing sugar one cup at a time until smooth, thick texture is achieved. Once cookies have cooled, assemble sandwiches with a generous dollop of banana frosting in between two cookies.

Yield: 20 cookie sandwiches

The post Recipe Swap: September is supper time appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The warehouse in rural Quebec held more than $30 million worth of maple syrup, a whopping 10 million pounds of the amber pancake topping.

It was not clear exactly how much of the sweet stuff was taken in the heist, which occurred at some point over the last few days and was uncovered during a routine inventory check.

“We don’t know yet how much is missing — we do know it is significant,” said Anne-Marie Granger Godbout, executive director of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.

Numerous barrels in the warehouse were emptied of their sticky contents. The remaining barrels need to be weighed and tested to ensure the syrup inside had not been tampered with.

The robbers “were wise enough, they tried to hide their crime,” said Granger Godbout. “We just want to make sure we know how much is missing and how much is still there.”

The warehouse, some 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Montreal, is one of many locations where Quebec’s maple syrup is temporarily stored ahead of sale and distribution.

The agency believes the syrup was taken to be sold on the black market. Quebec’s provincial police force is investigating the robbery.

With Quebec’s 2012 harvest expected to top 96 million pounds, the province produces some 75 per cent of the global supply of maple syrup, made from the sap of maple trees.

All the syrup held by the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers is insured and the agency maintains a stockpile of syrup that it likens to a “global strategic reserve,” according to a press release.

“I can assure you there will be no shortage in maple syrup,” said Granger Godbout.

The post Pancake puzzler: Maple syrup heist baffles Quebec appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The government is supporting pilot projects in a select group of stores across the country with Canadian products marked with a special red maple leaf label. But the program only works for obvious products like meat, fish, cheese and maple syrup and offers little benefit for prepared or multi-ingredient products.

The government says the experience so far suggests consumers “prefer to buy Canadian products if they can easily identify them” — but slapping a maple leaf logo on multi-ingredient products has proven to be challenging.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture launched an initiative several years ago to reform Product of Canada labels so consumers would know the food in the tin or package was grown in Canada, not just packaged here. However, the initiative foundered when the federal government insisted food products would have to have 98 per cent Canadian content — instead of the 85 per cent proposed by the CFA. Since few products can consistently achieve that limit because of the seasonal nature of food production in Canada, the proposal came to naught.

Jean-Pierre Blackburn, then minister of state for agriculture, tried to negotiate a compromise with the food industry centred around exempting some ingredients from the 98 per cent calculation. That idea gained a lot of support but ultimately fizzled out after Blackburn lost his seat.

The post Half-step for Product of Canada labels appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

He possessed a hired man’s respect for talk; he talked only when talked to and then, most times, in a collection of southern Illinois’ phrases that carried more code than context.

For example, once my father asked him how much plowing he had completed in a field on the farm’s far flank. Jackie’s reply was a perfectly vague, “Right smart.”

My father, not knowing what “right smart” meant, drove to the field to discover the 40-acre field was nearly half plowed. That knowledge, however, only raised another question: Was “right smart” about 20 acres or about halfway?

That head-shaker had another perfectly vague, often-used Jackie-ism: It’s a mystery. The sentence was usually delivered with a noticeable cock of his head to the right and with the operative word sounding more like a two-syllable proper noun — Miss Tree — than a three-syllable common noun, mystery.

Jackie comes to mind more and more as a warm winter and hot political season brings a right smart amount of vapour lock to more brains than usual.

For example, commodity groups, farm organizations, several state legislatures and many in the ag press are all aflutter over what they breathlessly warn is a well-oiled vegetarian conspiracy to kill animal agriculture.

Moreover, these worried carnivores brook no compromise by any market-driven customer like McDonald’s and Chipotle whose diners say they will continue to happily enjoy eggs and chew bacon from hens and hogs they believe are, well, happy.

What makes a hen or hog happy? It’s a mystery, but I reckon it’s a very safe bet — a right smart bet, in fact — that the 67 square inches that compose a caged laying hen’s entire world doesn’t hold a lotta laughs.

In fact, doubling that space to 124 square inches, or about one-half the front page of the newspaper in your hands, probably doesn’t harbour a whole lot more, but it has to hold twice as many as something that goes by the grim name “battery cage.”

At least that’s what the United Egg Producers, a nationwide farm co-operative that represents the owners of 95 per cent of the laying hens in America, believes. UEP is working with the humane society of the U.S. to codify federal regulations it knows its customers know they want for its chickens.

And how do these customers — most of whom have never met a chicken, let alone a happy chicken, in their lives — know? They know by where and how they spend their money; they are customers and they are always right.

Some in the Bacon Gang are getting smarter, too. McDonald’s announced in mid-February it would not purchase bacon from any producer that “confines pregnant sows in gestation crates.”

Big Mac is a latecomer on the happy hog train. Already on it are Burger King, Winn-Dixie and Wendy’s. Smithfield’s, the biggest bacon maker in the world, has pledged to hop on by 2017 when all its gestation crates will be gone.

Are these global food sellers anti-meat vegans or are they smart marketers who know their customers are always right?

My bet is they’re right smart marketers. Smarter, anyway, than anyone who insists they are right and their customers are wrong.

The post Happy hogs and right smart marketing appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

The way Rod Potter and his crew of friends and neighbours sprang into action as two tourist buses rolled down the hill into his southern Ontario farmyard, you d think it was the first day of harvest.

In one respect, it was. Potter may be the fifth generation on his family s farm, but he s the first to capitalize on the burgeoning agri-tourism industry in Canada.

Less than half a day s drive from Toronto, Potter has found a way to not only keep the farm in the family, but make a living on 100 acres of steep rolling grasslands and forest by selling pretty much everything his bison herd produces direct to consumers including the view.

While the 80 visitors gawked at the bleached-white bison skulls adorning the fenceline, they were quickly sorted into groups and ushered into the back of pickup trucks that had been retrofitted with bench seats.

The convoy wound its way past the old-fashioned hipped-roof barn and through a ravine before snaking back and forth up a steep hill overlooking the farmyard. So what if there was steam wafting out of the radiator on one of the trucks, or another one needed a boost to get started? For the guests, it only seemed to add to their sense of adventure.

When the drivers stopped, it was in the middle of a bison herd that, instead of running away, swarmed the trucks to gobble up piles of feed Potter dumped on the ground to entice them.

The close-up view of these majestic animals that once roamed the Canadian Prairies set against a backdrop of rolling hills was breathtaking. As the visitors, agricultural journalists from some 31 countries, jostled for the best vantage point, Potter warned his guests not to wander too close to the huge, grunting beasts. Although seemingly docile, they are, after all, wild animals that can be unpredictable.

Potter said he came up with the idea of operating a game farm after participating in government- sponsored rural rambles in which city folks were encouraged to visit area farms. Farm tours now bring in about 20 per cent of his revenue.

His enterprise ties in with local maple syrup producers George and Alice Potter operating the Sandy Flat Sugar Bush and Pancake House, a host of local wineries and cideries, farmers markets and the Fifth Town Artisan Cheese factory along the shores of Lake Ontario.

Although there are 2,000 bison producers across Canada raising more than 250,000 bison, only five per cent of the producers are located in Ontario and east. That makes his agri-tourism venture an exotic option in a region noted for its maple syrup, apples and wine.

Bison meat, known for its lean quality, has proven popular with consumers. The existing producers can t keep up with the market demand. But besides the meat and leather products the herd produces, Potter routinely brings visitors on mini-safaris up to the hills behind the homestead.

We do a sunset tour, he says. We sit up here and have some h ordeuvres and a glass of wine from the local winery.

The all-inclusive evening tours cost $57 for adults and about half that for children. One-hour daytime tours cost $20 for adults.

If prodded, he sometimes even recites the poetry he writes in his spare time. We have a lot of fun, Potter said. Some people don t even care if they see the buffalo, if they can have the view. laura@fbcpublishing.com

———

Wedoasunsettour,wesituphereandhavesome h ordeuvresandaglassofwinefromthelocalwinery.

Rod Potter

The post Ontario Farmer Sees The Light And Sells The View appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

We received loads of wonderful short stories from you about your berry-picking experiences and adventures and thank you all for writing to us.

Notably, every story we received was handwritten and all are about adventures out picking wild fruits.

Air Turns Blue

It was a warm July afternoon and several family members were picking wild saskatoons in a well-treed area. The berries were delicious and since we could only hear the other pickers but not always see them, we were enjoying my aunt’s rendition of “Jesus Lover of My Soul” while we worked. Suddenly, the singing stopped to be replaced by “$%#@!! I spilled my pail of berries!” I don’t believe I had ever heard her use such foul language before. Like a good drama, it was such a sudden and profound reversal of mood, instead of feeling sorry for the spilled fruit, we were all doubled over from laughing.

– Margaret Heise

Hamiota, Man.

1949 Was A Year For Wild Strawberries

As a young couple just married six months, we came back to the farm with no money and no other means of transportation except to walk. So what to do early spring on a Sunday?

The wild strawberries were in full bloom. What are we going to do? They were getting ripe, without pails, no jars, no sugar and no money. There was an older storekeeper and my husband went to ask for credit.

We found some old enamel cooking pots. Lo and behold, we put up 65 quarts. Only twice more in our 61 years on the same homestead did we see such an abundance of strawberries. To this day, I put up loads of cranberries and last year (2010) we found a bush of wild plums. As for blueberries, I can’t count how many milk pails!

– Tina Reimer Pine River, Man.

That’s fitting, since we’ve promised to send the writers of the three best stories each a recipe book featuring exclusively wild berries.Precious Wild Berriesis a recipe book we featured on these pages earlier this spring and its author, Frieda Martens, literally beat the bushes herself compiling it. It’s full of muffin and cobbler and cake and jelly and pie recipes – all made with all the wild fruits so many of you have had such fun picking over the years.

Wild Strawberries Fill A Baby’s Bathtub

In the early 1950s, my husband and I and two wee boys lived in Melita. One July a neighbour, Jean, asked if I would like to come picking wild strawberries with her. “Of course, I would,” I replied, and called my parents, who lived close, to babysit.

Jean said to bring along a pan to pick so I took a small oval dishpan I used as a baby bathtub. No plastic pails back then! Jean, her mother, and I drove out of town southwest until we came to a small sand dune surrounded by bush just off the road.

When Jean stopped the car her mother announced, “well girls, before I get down to pick I have to get out of my corsets,” and did so in a flash.

I could not believe how many berries were in the ditch and sand dunes. We soon had our pans full and headed home. My mother was also amazed at the bountiful berries. Of course, she helped me prepare them for the evening meal and jam for later on. That was the first time I ever saw an older lady shed her undergarment – and the last time I ever picked so many wild strawberries!

– Isabella Proven

Onanole, Man.

RASPBERRY FLUFF

Base:

1-1/2 c. graham

wafer crumbs

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. melted butter

Mix and put in an 8 x 8-inch pan, saving 1/3 c. for topping. Chill in fridge.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese,

softened

2 c. Nutriwhip, whipped

1/4 c. icing sugar

Pinch salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat ingredients until soft and fluffy, spread over base.

Topping:

2 3-oz. pkgs.

raspberry Jell-O

2 c. boiling water

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 c. cold water

Frozen rasberries

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add lemon juice. Fold in frozen raspberries; stir until thawed and partially thickened. Pour over cream mixture. Top with whipping cream, sprinkle with crumbs. Cool until set before serving. Can be put in a larger pan depending on the thickness you desire.

Source: Carman Palliative Care Cookbook

Sendyourrecipesorreciperequeststo:

ManitobaCo-operatorRecipe Swap

Box 1794, Carman, Man. R0G 0J0

or email lorraine@fbcpublishing.com

STRAWBERRY BRUNCH SOUFFL

Don’t let the “soufflé” title mislead you; this dish is super simple to make. It must be served straight out of the oven, so have your fruit and toppings (and hungry guests) ready at the table. In summer, try this with any kind of juicy berry or sliced peaches.

3 c. strawberries or other

fresh fruit (sliced)

2 tbsp. sugar

Sprinkle sugar on fruit, toss gently and set aside.

2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 375 F. While oven heats, place butter in a 9-inch pie pan and place in oven to melt. Swirl pan to grease bottom and sides.

3 eggs

1-1/2 c. milk

Beat together with mixer or in a blender.

3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla

Add and beat until smooth. Pour batter into pie pan and bake until edges are golden brown and centre is set (25 to 30 minutes). Spoon berries on top and serve immediately, cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt and brown sugar to sprinkle on top. Serves 4.

Source: From Simply in Season: Expanded Edition by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. Copyright (c) 2009 by Herald Press, Scottdale PA 15683. Used by permission.

COBBLER BUCKLE CRUMBLE

1/4 c. butter or

margarine

1 egg

3 tsp. baking powder

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. flour (1/2 whole

wheat)

1/2 tsp. salt

3 c. saskatoons Topping:

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. butter or

margarine

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Mix well and pour into well-greased baking dish. It may be baked in a 9-inch square pan for a thick dessert or in a 9×12-inch pan for a thin dessert. Sprinkle saskatoons over batter. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter and spread evenly over berries. Bake at 350 F for 40 -45 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Source: Prairie Fruit Growers Association website www.pfga.com

The post Recipe Swap – for Jul. 21, 2011 appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Fiddleheads are the coiled, immature fronds of the ostrich fern. They acquired their name because they resemble the ornamentally carved wooden scroll above the neck of a violin or fiddle. Once unfurled, the tall, feathery stalks of the fern resemble ostrich plumes, hence the name.

I first became familiar with fiddleheads when, while horseback riding, I happened upon a springtime “meadow of ferns” in a damp, low-lying area in the woods not far from my house.

Since that time, it has been my May tradition to take a little basket into the woods and pick enough fiddleheads to make at least one dish to share. The season is fleeting, lasting only a week or two, depending on the weather.

Ostrich ferns spread by underground runners, so you most often find them growing in a colony, making harvesting convenient. The little scrolls appear from the crown of the plant and it is recommended that you pick no more than three fiddleheads from each crown. Overpicking will kill the plant. Snip the stems (don’t pull) to one inch from where the fronds begin to uncurl.

Fiddleheads pack a nutritional punch, providing vitamins A, B3 and C, as well as calcium, iron and potassium. But, besides that, they are a delicious treat from nature’s bounty, with a vibrant-green colour and a “mossy” flavour vaguely reminiscent of asparagus. Once unfurled though, ostrich ferns taste quite bitter.

The first step in preparing your wild harvest is to rub the papery, light-brown scales off the fiddleheads. Then, because fiddlehead coils can trap soil, the next step in their preparation is to thoroughly rinse them in three or four changes of clean, cool water. Finally, before continuing with whatever recipe you have a taste for, the fiddleheads should be parboiled for 10 minutes in boiling, salted water. I confess I am guilty of speeding up this process by using the microwave. (Note: Health Canada advises against eating fiddleheads in their raw state.)

There are loads of ways to cook the fiddleheads, but perhaps the most common is simply to sauté them in butter and add salt, freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Because I only harvest a healthy handful, I like to put my fiddleheads on top of a quiche. Their flavour pairs really well with a mild, white cheese and they look so pretty.

To read more about the harvest of fiddleheads and their preparation check out www.wildharvest.com. To find a simple recipe for making pickled fiddleheads, go to localfoods.about.com/od/spring/r/fiddleheadpickl.htm.

Fiddleheads have been picked for centuries in Canada. In Quebec and the Maritimes, fiddleheads are plentiful and sold by foragers for upwards of $12 a pound. The good news is that if you locate and harvest your own, they’re free!

– Candy Irwin writes from Lake Audy, Manitoba

The post Fiddleheads — Free For The Picking appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.