Blue Vista Farm
Bayfield Wisconsin!
Summer Sampler!
Taste of the Apostles is a kayaking, camping, and local food trip in the Apostle Islands based out of Wilderness Inquiry's camp at Little Sand Bay. Nestles between the tiny port towns of Cornucopia and Bayfield, it's an ideal location for kayaking and touring farms. We wake to the scent of coffee and bacon sizzling, kayak to wide sandy beaches through ancient sea caves and picnic on local artisan cheese and farm cherries. Come evening we cook fresh lake fish over an open fire on the beach as the sun sinks in to the lake, next night, we grill at Blue Vista Farm overlooking Lake Superior and pick fresh berries for dessert. (Last trip, Matt, the orchard manager treated us all to a hard cider tasting.)
The experience is an immersion into this magical, legendary place through outdoor engagement and food. What's more, we dine with many of the local farmers who provide the vegetables, berries, meats, cheeses (sheep, goat and cow), whitefish and trout.
Here are a few of the recipes:
Wild Rice Salad
Serves 6 to 8
Real wild
rice, “manomin” is a sacred staple for the Ojibwe people, harvested by hand
using canoes. It is nothing like the commercial paddy rice often sold at
roadside convenience stores along the North Shore of Lake Superior. Though it’s
two or sometimes three times the price of paddy rice, the flavor is far
superior and it cooks in just about 20 minutes.
2 cups cooked wild rice*
½ cup dried cranberries
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped toasted nuts
Dressing:
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup walnut or hazelnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Turn the
cooked wild rice into a large bowl. Toss in the dried cranberries, onion,
parsley and nuts.
Put the
vinegar, mustard and oil into a jar with a lid, close and shake until the
vinaigrette is emulsified.
Toss the
dressing over the rice and coat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to
taste.
* 1/2 cup real wild rice = 2 cups
cooked rice
**To prepare real wild rice, rinse
it well under cold running water until the water runs clear. Put it in a pot
and cover with 2-inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer,
cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the kernels open up. Drain
and serve hot or cool and use in a salad.
Power Bars!
Makes about 24 bars
These make
power packed bars that are great for breakfast or as a fast snack. Feel free to
add dried coconut, different nuts, and other dried fruit.
1 tablespoon sunflower or coconut oil
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup granola (I use leftover)
1 cup toasted walnuts or pecans or cashews or a mixture of
all
¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 cup honey or maple syrup or combination of both
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan
with the oil. In a large bowl, mix
together the oats, granola, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and cranberries.
In a small saucepan set over medium
heat, mix together the maple syrup or honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Bring
to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it thickens to generously coat
the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour over the dry mixture
and stir to combine. Dump into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly
with a spatula. Bake the bars until slightly browned around the edges and firm, about 15 minutes. Remove and cut into squares while still warm. Allow to cool in the pan before removing.
Kicking Kale Salad
Serves 4 to 6
There are
all kinds variations on kale salad, but this one kicks the flavors up a notch
of two. Add more ginger or substitute jalapeno peppers instead. It will keep
several days in the refrigerator.
2 bunches kale, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons dried cherries (or any dried fruit)
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (or any toasted nuts)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put the
kale into a bowl and add the sesame oil working it in with your fingers.
Toss in the
remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Rye Berry and Bean Salad
Serves 4 to 6
1 cup rye berries
1 cup dried beans (navy beans are great)
2 bunches green onions, white part and 2/3 of the greens
chopped
1 carrot, chopped
¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil
3 tablespoons maple vinegar or cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put the rye
berries and the beans into separate bowls and cover with water by 2 inches and
allow to sit over night. Drain, rinse with cold water and turn into separate
pots. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring both pots to a boil, reduce
the heat, cover. Cook the rye berries for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until
soft. Cook the beans for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Drain both.
Turn the cooked
grain and beans into a large bowl. Toss in the onions, carrot, and sunflower
seeds. Toss in the pumpkin seed oil and the vinegar to taste. Season with salt
and pepper. Serve warm or cold.
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