APPLE AND SASKATOON BERRY CRISP

Use tart apples, like Granny Smiths, for the best flavour. In the spring, substitute chopped strawberry rhubarb for the berries, and in the winter, use cranberries. From High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine by Cinda Chavich.

3/4 cup sugar 175 ml

2 tablespoons honey 25 ml

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 ml

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 ml

3 tablespoons brandy, Calvados or Grand Marnier 45 ml

2 cups saskatoon berries (or substitute cranberries or sliced rhubarb) 500 ml

5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons flour 25 ml

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter, softened 45 ml

1/4 cup whole wheat flour 50 ml

1/2 cup rolled barley or oats 125 ml

1/2 cup brown sugar 125 ml

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 5 ml

1. Combine sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and brandy and mix well. Toss with fresh and sliced apples and marinade for 1 hour until the fruit releases its juices. Add flour and combine well. Pour into a greased shallow baking dish.

2. Combine whole wheat flour with butter and brown sugar, mixing to form coarse crumbs. Stir in oatmeal. Season with salt and cinnamon. Scatter crumble over fruit in dish.

3. Set baking dish on a baking sheet or pizza pan to catch any juice that may run over. Place in a 350°-375 F oven and bake for about 45-55 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Serve the crisp warm with vanilla ice cream or lemon yogurt. Serves 6-8.

PEMMICAN PATTIES

These sausage patties are inspired by the traditional First Nations staple, pemmican, a mixture of ground dried bison meat, fat and wild berries which kept nomadic plains people alive over harsh prairie winters. While these patties are panfried rather than dried like real pemmican, they’ll add some wild west flavor to your next pancake breakfast or brunch. They also make an interesting appetizer if you form the mixture into meatballs, brown them in the oven and serve warm, glazed in melted cranberry or red currant jelly. From High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine by Cinda Chavich.

1 pound lean ground bison (or ground beef) 500 g

1/2 pound ground pork 250 g

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 10 ml

2 teaspoons salt 10 ml

1 teaspoon crushed allspice berries 5 ml

2 cups fresh saskatoons (or a mixture of blueberries and cranberries), whole or roughly chopped in food processor 500 ml

1 cup minced onion 250 ml

2 tablespoons dried juniper berries, soaked in boiling water to soften, then drained 25 ml

Glaze:

1 cup melted red currant or cranberry jelly 250 ml

1. Combine all ingredients, except jelly, and work lightly with your hands to combine.

2. Form into small patties and grill or sauté until browned on the outside and just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Serve patties as an alternative to breakfast sausages.

3. Or to make pemmican balls to serve as appetizers, roll into walnut-sized balls and place in a baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through.

4. Drain any accumulated fat and toss meatballs with 1 cup of melted red current or cranberry jelly, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm with toothpicks for appetizers.

Makes about 16 patties or 40 meatballs.

©Cinda Chavich 2008

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