Garlic Scape Pesto for Presto Pasta Nights #221

The early produce is hitting the market here in the great white north and who doesn't love taking advantage of locally grown? I found myself smiling when I found garlic scapes and yes it's been done before but I continue to feel amazed that something so unasuming could create such wonderful flavour. Psychgrad made scape pesto last year with almonds. I thought of trying this garlic scape pesto with walnuts.

1⁄3 c walnuts
3⁄4 c olive oil
1⁄2 c grated parmigiano
1⁄2 t salt
black pepper to taste
1 c garlic scapes, top flowery part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices

Instructions:

Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated.

With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add parmigiano to taste; add salt and pepper. Makes about 6 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. If you prefer, it freezes so well in ice cube trays.

For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated. So really simple and so really delicious. I'm sending this seasonal dish over to Presto Pasta Nights for #221 Roundup. This week's host is Helen from Fuss Free Flavours (thank you Helen) and of course our fearless leader Ruth who is the Godmother of Presto Pasta Nights The creative pasta roundup will be available this Friday so make sure to check it out.

Happy Pride!!!

I've been invited to a Gay Pride party and I'm so excited. Actually, I feel much like Bethany Frankel in The Housewives of NYC going to Pride Island - it's kind of like going to the world's most incredible buffet and you can't have any of it. I can, however, enjoy the energy and the party atmosphere.

I decided to take the theme and bring something with me that would follow the theme. I took our recipe for Sugar Cookies

My friend "S" or photo girl as she likes to be called came over and helped me create and execute a pattern. We took fondant and divided it into 6 portions to represent the six colours of the Rainbow Flag . Each portion was dyed with a neon colour. Maybe I should have picked up some gloves!!! Duh!!! We cut out fondant daisies...

We did a few practise patterns and decided that this one was the most pleasing.
The daisies were fastened to the cookies with buttercream icing.

Now, all that's left is Getting Food Colouring off the Hands

Dempsters Thin Bagels with Home Made Strawberry Jam

I really and truly love it when a new product is introduced that makes me say "wow...cool". Dempster's has come out with the first complete line of 100 calorie thin bagels in Canada. Sorry rest of the world, they're only available in parts of Canada. But...you just never know so read on.





You're definitely reading that right - 100 Calories which is less than half the calories of a regular bagel.

These new thin bagels hit the bakery aisle of major grocers across Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada on March 16, 2011. If you love bagels and want to practice portion control, isn't it nice to finally be able to say yes, I can have a bagel and not feel guilty about the carbs. AND, you have three varieities to choose from: White with Whole Grains, Multigrain 100% Whole Grains and Cinnamon Raisin. They're also low in saturated fat, and contain no trans fat or cholesterol.



Are you in Ontario, Quebec or one of the Atlantic Provinces??? Tell me what you think, how else you might incorporate them into your family's mealtime or even which is your favourite variety. I think I'm leaning to the whole grain. The only thing I found missing were the calories. Where can you get them? Co-op Atlantic, Food Basics, Freshco, IGA, Metro, Price Choppers, Sobeys, Super C and Walmart. Interestingly, I found them at a small local grocer.

I had my bagels so now do I just eat them plain? toasted? create a breakfast/brunch dish with them. I'd been at the market the day before and picked up a flat of local strawberries. My inspiration came from Psychgrad who had called a while earlier and I could hear the popping seal of her canning jars - she had also made jam. I went over to the Bernardin site just to make sure I knew what I was doing. Here's the recipe as it's written on the Bernardin site. I know it's a no/no to double recipes when preserving but I did and I got lucky; it turned out fine.

No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin lets you control the type and/or quantity of sweetener in fruit spreads. Make fruit spreads with no added sweetener, sugar replacements like SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, or small quantities of granulated sugar. Follow directions carefully!

Makes about 4 to 6 x 250 ml jars (depending on chosen sweetener)

4 cups (1000 ml) crushed strawberries
1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened apple or white grape juice
1 pkg (49 g) BERNARDIN® No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin
Sweetener – if using:
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener
OR
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) granulated sugar

• Place 4 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Heat SNAP LID® sealing discs in hot water, not boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.

• Crush strawberries one layer at a time. Measure crushed strawberries and fruit juice into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Whisk in No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin until dissolved.

• If using sweetener, measure SPLENDA® or sugar and set aside.
• Stirring constantly, bring fruit mixture to a boil over high heat.
o If using, add sweetener (sugar or SPLENDA®) and return mixture to a boil.
Stirring frequently, boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam.

• Quickly ladle hot jam into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more jam. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining jam.

• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 10 minutes.

• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.
The combination of a toasted Dempster's bagel slathered with light cream cheese and sugar free home made strawberry jam - I have no words and even better, I feel absolutely no guilt.

Val from More Than Burnt Toast is coming for a visit next month for our blogger get together. If you're hearing about the get together for the first time and live locally, you're more than welcome to come - just contact Val or me for all the information. We're also planning to make a dish together that follows the theme of this post so stay tuned.