Wild Berry Salad
A great many berries grow wild here such as raspberries, saskatoons, currants, bear berries, rosehips, blue berries and thimbleberries. We also grow a great many strawberries in our gardens, together they make a great tasting and simple salad.
Wash the berries by filling a sink full of water, pour the berries in and gently swish them around with your hand. The berries that float to the top will be of lesser quality so you may want to discard them into your compost or set them aside for wine. Using a net scoop the remaining berries out of the sink and lay them on fresh clean towel to dry.
If you are using strawberries you may want to quarter them so that they are not so large compared to the rest of the berries. This recipe suggests a collection of berries, but you can substitute other berries that are in season or that you have access too.
What you will need:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup blueberries
3/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blackberry
2 tablespoons small mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted pecans (optional) or 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
Directions:
1. Whisk vinegar and sugar together in a medium bowl.
2. Add all berries and mint. Toss to combine.
3. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with nuts if desired.
You may want to add the vinegar and sugar to the berries right before serving because it may lesson the taste of the berries if they have been in the vinegar for a second day.
This is a great salad to serve on the side of fresh baked trout.
Plank Grilled Trout
Plank Grilled Trout is a unique and easy way to make your next barbecue a hit. Fresh caught trout is grilled on cedar planks until the fish is cooked through and can be pulled easily apart with a fork. The cedar gives the trout a wonderful and earthy flavor, making this dish the perfect addition to any meal. Planks that have been cut specifically for this purpose are available at Rouck Brothers Sawmill.
Plank Grilled Trout can be served with potato salad, roasted vegetables or coleslaw. For a truly memorable and delicious dinner serve it with fresh berry salad.
What you will need:
2 (1-2 lb) whole trout, cleaned and gutted with heads, tails and fins removed.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tsp ground black pepper
2 untreated cedar planks, ¾ -inch thick and 10-12 inches long
Directions:
1. Place cedar planks in cool water and soak for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat (approximately 400 degrees F).
3. Brush trout, inside and out, with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place onto planks with belly side down.
4. Place planks over indirect heat and grill until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees, approximately 20 minutes.
5. Remove from grill and sit for 5-10 minutes before deboning and serving.
Fresh trout served with berry salad makes for a great example of wild living in the Monashee.
