This delightful tart is filled to the brim with “bumbleberries.” Not to mislead, though: there is no such thing as a bumbleberry. It’s actually a mixture of fruits and berries that some suggest originated in the Maritimes. In our version, we’ve combined blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. But any mixture will do. Enjoy this summertime treat!
Per serving:
In food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine nuts, coconut, and dates. Pulse until nuts are finely ground and mixture is blended. Add oil and sugar and continue to pulse until mixture holds together in a ball. Add a splash of water if mixture appears too dry.
Lightly oil 8 in (20 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out ball between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a circle large enough to fit pan. Press nut crust into pan and up the sides in an even layer. Use your fingers to fix any tears. Refrigerate or freeze until crust is firm.
In colander, place berries and rinse gently with water. Transfer onto paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Then place in bowl.
In small bowl, place 1/4 cup (60 mL) fruit juice. Sprinkle with gelatin. Boil remaining fruit juice and stir into gelatin, stirring until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour over berries and fold in.
Mound fruit into chilled crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until set. To serve, cut into wedges and spoon a drizzle of lemon-flavoured yogurt overtop, if using.
Tips:
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.