Roasted Blueberry Salsa

I am not sure how I decided that I needed to add blueberries to my salsa, but for some reason it had to be done.  Afterall, many people add fruit to their salsa but it is usually something like mangoes or pineapple...not berries.  My Mom said it sounded disgusting and thought I was crazy for doing such a thing, that is until she tasted it and was won over.  Every summer we get a large amount of tomatoes from my Grandpa's garden and much of that goes to making roasted chipotle salsa.  Many different things have been added to it my favorite of which is habaneros for a kick but never blueberries. 

So last week when I threw the tomatoes, onions, garlic and berries on the pan and hoped that this experiment would be delicious.  It sure smelled good...but of course it had to cool before we could properly taste it.  Once cool, I added lime, basil, and chipotle and I was right about my premonition that this would be good.  It had a deep tomato flavor with a hint of tart and sweet from the berries which lended almost a jammy note.  I had blended it pretty smooth because that is the way my Mom likes it and I was to share it with her, but I think next time I would leave it chunkier were I making it for myself.  It was perfect with some home made chips I had made in anticipation of the salsa making. My Mom admitted that it was good and I have to say, she has eaten most of it the salsa lover she is!  So if you are looking for a salsa that is a little different here is the recipe!

Roasted Tomato Blueberry Salsa

Makes about 6 cups

6 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 8ths

1 red onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves

olive oil

2 cups organic blueberries

1/2 cup fresh basil
juice of 4 limes
sea salt
1 Tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil.  Spread out tomatoes, onions, and garlic on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes until softened then add blueberries and continue to roast for about another 10 minutes until the berries have burst and everything is starting to caramelize and brown at edges.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Place in a food processor along with basil, lime juice, sea salt to taste, chipotle, freshly ground pepper to taste, and agave nectar.  Process to desired consistency and chill before serving. 

Spring Allium Chevre Filo Rolls

Some people are afraid of onions and garlic...I am definately not one of them, and have never been onionphobic!  Yes, they may be quite...aromatic, but that is part of the beauty of them!  I don't care if I have onion or garlic breath...it is well worth it for the deliciousness I enjoy while alliums! I love the wide variety you can get of alliums in the spring...leeks, ramps, spring onions, shallots, I love them all! 

So I was thinking it would be wonderful to make a delicious appetizer on Easter using them! I decided that they would be delicious wrapped in crispy filo dough along with something creamy.  I had a bit of chevre that I thought would be perfect with the alliums.  So I sauteed some leeks, shallots and ramps, along with some garlic a quadruple whammy of alliums, and added a bit of lemon for freshness.  I combined them with pecorino romano for a bit of saltiness, and the creamy chevre. 

It was a very tasty filling, but even tastier when wrapped in crispy filo brushed with olive oil!  They were delicious warm, the filling gooey and oozy, filled with the savory deliciousness of alliums!  They were a wonderful accompaniment to my Easter spread! 

If you love onions and garlic as well you should definately try these while the spring alliums are at their most abundant!  If you don't, well don't let  the fact that these have onions and garlic detract you, as they are cooked and therefore much more mild.  The filo is actually not difficult to work with either as long as you are gentle!  Hope you all had a wonderful Easter, and here is the recipe for the delicious rolls if you would like to try them!

Spring Allium Chevre Filo Rolls

Makes 10

Filling:
1 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1cup ramps, leaves and bottom part, thinly sliced
1cup shallots, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp lemon zest
16 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)
2 oz shredded pecorino romano cheese

about 3/4 cup olive oil (for brushing
10 sheets filo dough
sea salt

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil, and add leeks, ramps, and shallots.  Saute until tender, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute about a minute more until fragrant.  Let cool slightly, then add to a bowl with sea salt, pepper, lemon zest, chevre and pecorino romano.  Mix until well combined.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil.  Lay out sheets of filo dough, and cover with plastic wrap (so it doesn't dry out, since you will be using a sheet at a time.  Place olive oil in a bowl.  Lay out one sheet of filo, and brush it with olive oil.  fold in half like a book.  Brush with olive oil and place 2 Tbsp filling about 1 inch from the bottom, in the shape of a log about 3 inches wide.  Fold in each side over the filling, and brush the top with olive oil.  Roll up egg roll style, and brush with olive oil.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining 9 rolls.  Sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and heated through.  Keep a close eye because they brown quickly!  Let cool slightly before serving. 

Stuffed Celery

It was a Lyons family tradition.  Every year at family gatherings or holidays my Grandma Lyons would have stuffed celery somewhere included in the spread.  She would sometimes even just make it special if she knew you were coming to dinner, as it was one of the favorites!  I don't know of anyone in my family who didn't like it, everyone in fact loved it, and the last piece was often fought over!  My Grandma has since passed away, and sadly I have not had any stuffed celery in over 5 years, because she was the only person I knew who made it. 

But that all changed  last weekend, because I had leftover tofutti cream cheese from a dessert I had made, and I decided that stuffed celery sounded awfully good!  I don't have Grandma's recipe, so I put my own twist on this Lyons family classic.  I made it vegan, since I was starting off with tofutti cream cheese.   Grandma used to use Miracle Whip, but I used vegannaise to make the stuffing creamy, and swapped out her dried onion for fresh garlic.  She used to sprinkle her stuffed celery with sweet paprika, but I decided to give mine a kick and use chipotle powder.  

The stuffed celery turned out awesome, and I think grandma would be proud...as long as I didn't tell her it was vegan, since she never quite understood me being vegetarian!  It was just as good as hers, but I could call it my own!  It was nice to enjoy this tradition in my family's food that I haven't expirienced for a while.  Here is my recipe if you would like to try it for yourself to see what all the fuss in my family is about!

Vegan Stuffed Celery

Makes about 30

10 medium stalks celery cut into 3 inch sections
8 oz tofutti cream cheese

1/4 cup vegannaise

1 garlic clove, minced

sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
ground smoked paprika or chipotle powder


Beat together cream cheese, vegannaise, garlic, sea salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl with an electric mixer until very smooth.  Place in a pastry bag, and pipe decoratively into the middle of the celery pieces.  Sprinkle with smoked paprika or chipotle powder (if you like a little spice).  Serve!