Lemon Rum Apple Bundt Cake for the Quiet Mornings

Today is the last day of winter break, and the last day I can guilt free utilize the morning to bake a delicious something. For Christmas I got a Kitchen Aid mixer, and haven’t had a chance to play with it. If I didn’t color this fancy black new machine with flour and finger prints before the winter quarter started, I know its untouched presence would haunt me, and possibly tear me away from my studies.

I awoke before Dane with the first morning light, and quietly made my way to the kitchen. There she was perched on the counter, sleek as the night. It was time to put this black beauty to use! I craved something moist, something fruity, and something light. I wanted a sweet treat that we could eat with our morning tea, or become a decadent evening dessert. I always have apples and lemons on hand. What better than an aromatic lemon rum apple bundt cake?

A blend of organic whole-wheat flour with unbleached flour makes this treat richer in fiber and B vitamins. I grated an apple into the mixture, to keep the cake moist, reduce added sugar, and increase the fiber. Lemon juice and lemon zest brightens the flavor of the cake, complementing the heavy notes of rum, while vanilla lingers in the background balancing the cake entirely.

Sweetened with only ½ cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons maple syrup, this bundt cake remains lightly sweet and airy. Organic butter can be substituted with coconut oil, but the freshly laid, omega-3 rich eggs, are too good to be replaced. With yolks as deep orange as the sunset, the eggs that our compost-eating hens lay, are like liquid gold.

Prior to serving dust the cake with powdered sugar, and voila you have a beautiful treat! If serving as a dinner dessert, serve with a dollop of freshly homemade whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Lemon Rum Apple Bundt Cake
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 large apple, grated with skin
1 large apple, peeled and cored, sliced thin
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup almond milk, or any other choice of milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 organic lemon, juice and zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp rum extract
powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Add the 3 eggs, vanilla, and rum extract.
3. In a separate bowl mix together both flours, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, slowly adding in the almond milk, creating a smooth mixture.
5. Add in the grated apple and lemon juice.
6. In an oiled bundt pan, pour half the mixture into the pan. Then carefully in a circular fashion, place the thin apple slices on top of the layer.
7. Finish by pouring the remaining half of the mixture on top of the apple slices, and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar.
8. Put into preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
9. When done, allow the cake to cool about 20 minutes, and then place a cooling rack on top of the pan. While holding the rack firmly on the pan, quickly flip the pan and the cooling rack upside down to remove the cake from the pan and leave it cooling on the rack.
10. Once the cake is cooled, or prior to serving, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with tea or coffee, and if you crave something decadent, top with a dollop of cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Zwetschgenkuchen für Basti

Three years ago, the 2nd of July was a bright and sunny summer day. You could feel the heat early in the morning, and not a single cloud was in the sky. The whole town of Bellingham seemed to awake with a smile on their face. Yet my brother, my mother, and I had a different fate for the day, one that still vividly replays in my mind.

I remember, a phone call, something along the lines of "Selva, you need to come home now." I could sense the urgency in the tone of the voice, one that gives you shivers down your spine. I knew something had happened, but what I found on the other side of my parents door, was not to reckon with. Two policemen where in our home and Wendelin was already with my mom. I remember how they both walked towards me, shock in their eyes, yet calm as an evening before a storm. My head was spinning, and the adrenaline was pumping through me veins, I wanted and needed an answer. My mom looked at me and calmly said, "Basti died."

What happened next, all just seems like a blurr. The heat of the sun and the bright blue sky, seemed too intense for my skin and my eyes. Who would have thought that on that beautiful summer day, my father would pass away.

Its been three years, and we all are just "chugging along," yet there is not a day when I don't think about you. You were and still remain an inspiration in my life. I only wish I could share my footsteps on this earth with you.

So for this special day, I decided to bake a German Zwetschgenkuchen. It is a prune tart, on a yeasted dough, lightly sweet with a sprinkle of almonds. It is not heavy, nor is it very dessert like. The tart itself is very simple. It was my father's favorite. Zwetschgenkuchen was his main food group during prune season. He would pick them like crazy, and even made his own jam. Every time a prune tart was eaten, my mother baked another. It was as if he knew he only had so much time to enjoy this delicious late summer treat. I never really understood his love for the prune, until I grew older myself. I now enjoy a piece here and there, and am reminded of him.

We love this tart as is, or with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. Usually it has eggs, butter, and low fat milk in the recipe, but so my whole small family could enjoy this treat, I made a vegan version. I replaced the butter with coconut oil, the milk with almond milk, and just omitted the egg. It turned out great, although it was made from last years frozen prunes. However, the best way to eat the tart, is during prune season, when they are full of sweetened juice. Wash and dry the prunes and then remove the pit. To decorate this simple tart, just cut two slits in the top of each halve prior to placing them on the dough.

Zwetschgenkuchen (German Plum Tart)
Makes one cookie sheet
Ingredients:
300 g whole Wheat Flour
100 g unbleached wheat flour
25 g active Yeast (about 4 tsp)
1 cup lukewarm almond milk
1 egg (optional)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 dash salt
100 g sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
100 g coconut oil
1/3 cup chopped almonds
Dried bread crumbs (stuffing, rusk)
2 kg prunes

Directions:
1.  Mix together the two flours in a large bowl. Make mound with the flour and create a deep hole in the top (like a volcano). You want to be able to pour the milk into this hole.
2.  Mix the yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and lukewarm almond milk together in a cup and set aside for about 10 minutes to let the yeast bubble.
3.  Pour the yeast milk mixture into the flour mound, and sprinkle some of the outside flour on top. In circular motions around the flour mound sprinkle the sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix together.
4.  Add the coconut oil (softened) and 1 egg (optional) and knead everything together in an elastic, smooth dough. If it seems a little wet, you can add a little sprinkle of unbleached flour.
5.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the room temperature.
6.  Meanwhile, butter or oil a cookie sheet and dust the bottom evenly with flour. Shake off any excess flour.
6.  Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl, quickly knead through, and roll out onto the cookie sheet. With your fingers pull the dough up along the sides to create the crust. With a fork poke holes evenly across the dough.
8.  Preheat the oven to 385 degrees.
9.  Evenly sprinkle the dough with the rusk bread crumbs or even quick oats will do. Then the almonds.
10.  Now place the prune halves onto the dough in row formations. Make sure you overlap them slightly and tightly arrange them on the dough.
11. Bake for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sometimes the prunes create a lot of juice and the dough underneath may need a few more minutes to be done. Enjoy!

For Wendelin...

In Germany, being a vegetarian is much harder than in Bellingham, especially if you are looking for fresh healthy options. However, being a vegan is almost unthinkable. Eating out in traditional German restaurants is not even an option. I am no longer a vegan, nor a vegetarian, and I have grown to love the German cuisine, might I add, the Schwaebische kitchen. There is a huge difference between the north and the south cooking culture in Germany, just like there are huge differences all throughout the USA. Personally, the southern kitchen, also known as Schwaebisch, is the best. Fresh ingredients, locally raised meats, and traditional recipes that have French flairs, round the flavor of the southern German cook. Not to mention, the Germans also have a fantastic wine country all along the Bodensee and in the Kaiserstuhl. Across the world people think the Germans only eat sausage and sauerkraut, but I am sorry to say, this is not true. The southern German kitchen has so much to offer, that anyone, from light to decadent in nature, can find a meal that will please. One of my favorite traditional meals are maultaschen. They are similar to ravioli but bigger, usually filled with a spinach and lamb mixture, and topped with sautéed onions. They are full of flavor and satisfy any hidden craving. Usually, they are accompanied by a large mixed salad, where you will find a little bit of everything; cucumber salad, potato salad, daikon radish salad, coleslaw, carrot salad, and on and on and on. One can also find these delicious maultaschen cut up in a broth, or baked in a tomato sauce. I find them perfect with just the sautéed onions. In the restaurants they usually offer a vegetarian option, but not vegan.

 

Soon my time in Germany will come to an end, and my beloved brother’s will start. Knowing that the traditional, savory, delicious, German kitchen will be off limits for him during his stay, I decided to give it a whirl and make him some vegan maultaschen, so he can have a little bit of the good stuff too. Instead of just making them vegan, I also added a little more wholesome grain, which lacks in the traditional version. I hope he enjoys them as much as I do mine.

These do take their time to prepare and therefore I made a large batch at once. You can easily freeze them for easy dinners later on. Since this recipe takes a little bit of day before preparation, I recommend reading through the whole recipe to make sure a simple step does not hinder you from continuing on.

Vegan Maultaschen with Oat Groats

Makes about 20 large maultaschen (serving size: two per person)

Ingredients:

For the Noodle Dough:

200 grams unbleached flour

200 grams spelt flour

½ Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

5 Tbsp olive oil

130 ml lukewarm water (plus extra if needed)

For later…

1 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp water

For the Filling:

125 grams oat groats (soaked overnight)

400 grams cooked spinach (packaged organic frozen spinach, reheated, is a quick option)

1 day old roll (or 2 slices day old bread)

3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 garlic clove

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp oil

1 tsp sugar

fresh grated nutmeg and pepper

chili flakes (optional)

sea salt

  

Directions for the noodle dough:

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and begin to knead the dough until smooth. This may take some time and patience. If you feel you need a bit more water sprinkle some over the dough with your hand and then knead some more. Spelt flour needs more water than white flour, and more patience when kneading. Once well combined (can still be somewhat dry in the middle) and smooth on the outside, cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to sit overnight in a warm spot. This helps the water to evenly diffuse through the dough, giving you a nice smooth dough to work with the following day.

Directions for the oat groats:

Strain the oat groats from soaking water and place into a saucepan. For every one part oat groats add about 3 parts water. Add a vegetable bouillon cube and garlic clove and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook slowly until the groats have become creamy. This will take about an hour with a saucepan, and less with a pressure cooker. Stirring the groats every once in a while makes them creamier. Once groats are fully cooked and creamy, with no liquid remaining, use an emersion blender and blend the groats until most groats are pureed, and some whole. You are trying to imitate a texture of ground beef. Once cooked and pureed the total mass of the mixture should come to about 400 grams.

Directions for the remaining of the filling:

Sautee the onions in the oil until browned. Meanwhile, soak day old bread in lukewarm water. In a large bowl add sautéed onions, cooked spinach, and fresh parsley. Squeeze out day old bread and add to the large bowl. Stir the mixture well and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chili flakes. Add the oat groat mixture and mix well. Add more salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Phew!! Now the mixture is all said and done…now comes the fun part....making the delicious maultaschen!

How to make the maultaschen:

Separate the dough in half. It is easier to do the batch in two sections than in one. Sprinkle flour on your working surface and roll out the dough until very thin. Try to keep the dough in a rectangular shape. Make sure as you roll out the dough that you flip it every so often and dust with flour. You do not want the dough to be sticky. Once rolled out cut into rectangles that are about 6 inches long and 3 inches wide. You don’t need to measure them exactly, just estimate. Mix together the cornstarch and water in a little bowl and set it near your working station-this is the glue for the maultaschen.

Take one rectangle and dust the top with flour. Roll the rectangle out a bit more to get a nice thin rectangle. Flip and dust with flour again. Using your finger, line the edges of the noodle rectangle with the cornstarch and water mixture. Then place about 2 Tbsp of the filling onto the rectangle and spread it out 2/3 of the length-always leaving the edge free. From left to right flip the dough three times and press the edges with a fork. Repeat with all the dough and all of the filling. Set finished maultaschen aside.

When the first batch is finished. Bring to boil a large saucepan filled with 1/3 water and a bouillon cube. Reduce heat to a low medium and add only enough maultaschen that they do not lay on top of each other. Do not let the water boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes. With an slotted spoon place them individually on a large baking sheet or wire rack to cool. DO NOT STACK ON ONE ANOTHER- THEY WILL STICK AND RIP.

Once they are cool, you can then freeze them, refrigerate them, sauté them, or bake them. If you choose to refrigerate or freeze them, you must reheat them in a broth for 10 minutes. I usually serve them with a large salad and sautéed onions on top. After warming in the broth, I place them in the oiled pan with the onions and allow them to crisp up a bit. Enjoy! 

Optional: If you are not vegan you can replace the 400 grams of cooked oat groats with ground beef, lamb, pork, or quark.  

A Classic German Cheesecake With a Hint of Lavender

Saturday morning I awoke tired and grumpy to a gray rainy day. My right cheek was still swollen from earlier wisdom tooth extractions, and my body was frustrated with the lack of activity. The dentist said I had to slow things down for at least three whole days, and today was day number three. Mentally and physically I was annoyed, ready to get this last day over with. I am not the kind of person that can easily kick back and relax, especially for three whole days, and grumpy was written all over my face. 

After an oatmeal breakfast and luke warm coffee (dentist's orders), the fog layer cleared in my head. I decided I would make one of my favorite desserts, something light, something soft, something perfect for a girl with a sore right cheek- a German cheesecake. Not only could I eat it, but it gave me a rainy day goal!

I put on my boots, grabbed an umbrella and a canvas bag and took the very long round about way to the local grocery store. Instead of a 5 minute walk, I managed to make my shopping trip an hour long walk. With fresh organic eggs, schichtkase, quark, and some powdered sugar I topped out at a total of 6 euros. It is cheap to bake here in Germany! I arrived at home with a grin on my face, excited to start my fusion of classic German tradition and a sprinkle of the Pacific Northwest. The grumpy swollen Selva had turned into a motivated baker! The sunshine even made its way through the clouds to offer up a beautiful outdoor setting to the traditional 3 pm coffee and cake.

The traditional German cheesecake is much different than the traditional American version. It is light and fluffy, delicately sweet, with a mild cheese flavor. It is one of the most popular cakes here in southern Germany, made with fresh quark and schichtkase (similar to a creamed cottage cheese), served sometimes with a crust, and sometimes without. Often times you will find seasonal fruit jams between the crust and quark layer, or even a sprinkle of raisins and nuts. However you like it, you will find it. 

Since I brought some organically grown lavender from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, I decided to create a flavor fusion of old world Germany and the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Lemon Lavender German Käsekuchen

Makes a 28 cm width cake 

Ingredients:

Sweet Cookie Crust

100 g softened sweet cream butter

50 g sugar

1 Tbsp milk

1 dash sea salt

1 pinch lemon zest

100 grams whole-wheat flour

60 grams unbleached flour

1 pinch baking powder

Quark Cheese Mass

8 egg white

8 egg yolk

250 g sugar

500 g Schichtkase

500 g Quark

1 vanilla bean

1 ½ tsp dried lavender flowers

80 g cornstarch

1 generous pinch lemon zest

450 ml milk

Directions:

1.  Please read the instructions carefully prior to starting the procedure. It is all simple, the cake just requires specific tools, and some minor preparation.

2.  Mix soft butter, sugar, milk, and lemon zest with hand held blender. Sift together the two flours in a separate bowl. Add the baking powder and lemon zest to the flour and stir. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture and stir with spoon until combined. Then knead with hands until the dough is smooth. Lay flat and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be done the night before)

3.  Put the quark in a cheesecloth and allow to drain over sink at least 1 hour. If you tie the cloth around the faucet it works great. If you are not able to find Schichtkase use quark as a substitute for a total of 1000 g.

4.  Heat the milk over medium-low heat. Add the vanilla bean. Place the dried lavender into a tea egg/strainer and place into the warm milk. Allow the bean and lavender to soak in warmed milk for 10 minutes. Discard vanilla bean and lavender. Allow milk to cool.

5.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Roll out the dough in a circle with about a 3mm thickness on a floured surface. If you have an adjustable torte ring fit the ring to the size of of the rolled out dough (about 28 cm width), and press down to cut the dough like a large cookie cutter. Place the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and poke holes with a fork evenly throughout.  Bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven. The crust should have grown slightly. Place torte ring onto the crust and press down making sure the entire bottom is filled with the prebaked crust. Any crust found on the outside of the ring can now be a tasty little cookie snack! DO NOT remove the torte ring from the crust. The form is now ready to be filled with the quark filling. The crust now fits perfectly inside the torte form and will ensure that no filling will flow out under the ring. Allow to cool.

6.  Meanwhile, if you are using schichtkase, strain any fluid in the package and then continue to press the cheese through a fine sieve into a very large bowl. (The quark mass grows quickly later when you add the egg whites.) Add the strained quark to the schichtkase and mix well. Set aside.

7.  Beat egg whites until stiff while slowly adding the 250 grams sugar to the egg white mass. Egg whites should form peaks that remain stiff. A great way to test is by pulling the beater out of the egg white mass to see the strength of the peak it forms. Set aside.

8.  Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit). Add egg yolks to the quark mass and mix well with a long wooden spoon. Slowly add the cornstarch and then the cooled herb infused milk. Sprinkle in the lemon zest. Gently fold in the egg white mass, mix very well with the wooden spoon. You want to make sure that everything is evenly mixed, otherwise you will find egg white pockets in the cake. Once thoroughly mixed add the mass to the torte form (with crust in bottom).

9.  Bake for 25 minutes and remove from oven. Cut along the upper inside edge of the torte ring to allow the cake to grow with out tearing along the sides. Allow to cake to set for about 5 minutes. Put the cake back into the oven for another 25 minutes. The cake will continue to grow upward. Cut the inside edge. If the cake grows quickly it is okay to take it out earlier than 25 minutes (1-2 times) to cut the edge, set for 5 minutes and return to the oven.  Just make sure to allow the cake to bake for a total of about 50 minutes.

10.  Remove cake from oven and allow to cool. Carefully cut along the inside of the torte ring (to cut the cake loose) and slowly unhinge the side. Dust the edge of the cake with powdered sugar prior to serving.

Optional: Prepare a large cooling rack. When the cake is finished baking immediately place the cake upside down onto the rack. The best way to do this is to place the rack on top of the cake. Hold one hand on top of the rack and the other on the bottom of cookie sheet. In one movement flip the cake upside down onto rack and set on counter. Allow to cool upside down. Carefully cut the cake along the inside of the torte ring, and remove the ring. Flip right side up onto cake stand or plate. This gives the cake the professional lined appearance. Dust the edge with powdered sugar prior to serving.

Liver is Something Delicious

Liver is something I always looks forward to, whether it is in pate form, as a steak, or cut into chunks like today. Its unique flavor makes it something special. In Germany organ meats are a common food, and therefore I asked my grandmother to teach me her old world tricks on how to prepare this delicious abundantly nourishing organ meat.

Unlike other meats, liver is stock full of vitamins and minerals. According to Weston A. Price Foundation, liver contains more nutrients gram for gram, than any other food. Not only is it a source of high quality protein, but it contains high levels of Vitamin A and all varieties of Vitamin B (especially B12). Liver also contains a highly usable form of iron, as well as trace elements copper, zinc, and chromium. It is also known for its anti-fatigue factor, making it popular amongst athletes. People with anemia, or women during their moon cycle, can also greatly benefit from adding liver to their diet.

Liver does contain high levels of cholesterol, and therefore regular large servings may not be recommended for all people. Also, since liver is the detoxifying organ in animals, I recommend only purchasing organic pasture-raised beef, lamb, or chicken liver. Animals that are raised properly, will have a much higher quality liver. Usually you can find such liver at health food stores or at farmer's markets.

Traditionally liver is served with either rice or potatoes. I prefer whole grain rice or quinoa. Make sure to prepare the grain before cooking the liver, as it takes much longer.

Our delicious meal was served with whole grain basmati rice, a large green salad, and a yogurt and wild blueberry dessert. Most ingredients were fresh from the market, and easy to prepare. Within an hour you can have a whole old world traditional german meal.

Sauteed Beef Liver and Sour Wine Sauce
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
400 grams beef liver
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp oil

Wine Sauce:
1 shallot
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup red wine
1 cube beef bouillon
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup cream

1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1tsp sugar

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste


Directions:
First you have to prepare the beef liver. When preparing the liver you must use a sharp knife and cut off the thin connective tissue layer on the outside and also found in small holes. This will make the liver much more tender. It can take some time, so make sure to allow at least 5 minutes for this process depending on how much you need to remove.

Then you want to cut the liver into uniform chunks about 1 cm in width. Each piece of liver is different so just try your best to keep them similar. This helps them cook equally. Cutting the liver a little thicker keeps you from over cooking it later. After cutting the liver, set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a medium sauce pan until sizzling. Meanwhile dice the shallot and add to the buttered sauce pan. Sauté until the shallot is glassy.

Add the cup of red wine and a beef bouillon cube. Let the wine simmer for a few minutes to allow the bouillon cube to dissolve. Meanwhile mix corn starch and warm water together to form paste. If need be, add a little more water to make a thin batter consistency. While whisking slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering wine sauce. Continue to whisk until combined, allow the mixture to quietly simmer. Your wine sauce should now be thicker.

Add the cream and the milk. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, and continue to slowly stir the mixture. If the mixture is too thick you can add more milk/water to thin it to your liking.

Finish the gravy with the balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Add the tsp sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste. This should finish the sour wine sauce to go with the liver. If you like it more sour, just add more vinegar but be careful, it can quickly become too sour. Add 1 tsp additional vinegar at a time.

After the sauce is finished and simmering under low heat, you can start to heat a frying pan. Once warm add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil. This combination keep the butter from splattering when adding the liver chunks. Add the liver and quickly fry until browned on all sides, about 30 seconds or so. Then remove the pan from heat and season liver with a sprinkle of salt. Allow the pan to sit for a few minutes before moving to the next step.

Move the liver onto a different plate, and pour the wine sauce into the medium frying pan in which you sauteed the liver. Slowly heat the pan and stir well. All the juices of the liver will now be incorporated into the wine sauce. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Add the liver to the warm wine sauce and serve immediately with rice and a fresh salad. I like to leave the liver in the frying pan, this way everyone can serve themselves from the sauce.

As for the simple and delicious salad and dessert....


Mache with a Garlic Dijon Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large bag of mache

Vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp oil , I mix mine 2 to 1 olive oil to flaxseed
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 splash cream
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp diced chives
2 pinches sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Wash and clean the mache greens. Cut off any roots and discard the browning leaves. Dry in a sieve.
2. Add vinaigrette ingredients into a large salad bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Taste test. Adjust sweetness or salt with added honey or sea salt if needed.
3.  Toss the mache salad in bowl prior to serving. It is very tender and will soak up the dressing quickly and begin to wilt.

Yogurt with Wild Blueberries
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 cup whole yogurt
1 cup blueberries/raspberries/berry mixture
Egg liquor, optional but highly recommended


Directions:
1.  Mash up the banana in the final serving bowl until it has formed a pudding consistency.
2.  Add the yogurt and mix thoroughly
3.  Top with your choice of berries.

Serve this dessert family style or spoon yogurt berry yogurt mixture into individual serving bowls and then top with berries. Offer egg liquor to pour over the top- this makes the dessert something special.