Passion Fruit Souffle

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This light-as-a-feather soufflé is infused with vanilla beans and fresh, fragrant passion-fruit.

While making a soufflé can sometimes be a hit and miss affair, when you do succeed, the result is fantastic.

If you don't have any fresh passion fruit handy, just use the canned pulp. It works just as well
tip on making soufflés -- always have the measured ingredients ready before cooking. And, the most important tip is to use scrupulously clean utensils when whipping the egg whites.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 4 Tbsp of butter
• 4 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1-2 passion fruit or 1/4 cup of canned passion fruit pulp
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
2. Slowly bring the milk, vanilla bean and sugar to a boil over a medium heat. Then take it off the heat and set aside.
3. Remove the vanilla bean and cut it down the middle. Scrape out the seeds with a sharp knife tip and place them back into the milk. Discard the pod.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour, a little at a time. Keep whisking for about a minute. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk.
5. Return the pan to a medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring the whole time.
6. Cook sauce for about 40 seconds then remove from heat. Cover the surface of the sauce with plastic wrap and set aside to cool slightly.
7. Grease several small soufflé ramekins with butter and dust with a sprinkling of sugar. Set aside.
8. Whisk the egg yolks into the slightly cooled sauce, one at a time, until smooth. Next, add the passion fruit pulp and stir well.
9. In a clean metal bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric beater.
10. Spoon half the egg whites into the sauce with a clean metal spoon. Fold egg whites through very gently then fold in the remaining egg whites.
11. Pour mixture to the top of the soufflé ramekins. Level the mixture with a knife so that it's even.
12. Bake until risen and slightly golden on top for about 15-20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Passion Fruit Facts

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Passion fruit is the small, round edible fruit of the passion flower. Passion fruit is red, gold or brownish-purple on the outside with a yellowish pulp that has small, black, edible seeds.

History:

Purple passion fruit is thought to have originated in South America while yellow passion fruit may have originated in the Amazon region of South America or perhaps in Australia.

Passion fruit arrived in Florida and Hawaii in the 1880s. It is now cultivated in both Florida and California.

Varieties/Availability:

There are two main types of passion fruit – yellow and purple. Both types are about the size of a lime and contain yellowish pulp. The main difference is the color of the outside skin.
Passion fruit is available year-round with supplies from Florida, California and New Zealand.

Choosing:

Choose fruits with wrinkled skin – the passion fruit skin wrinkles as it ripens. Avoid moldy fruit.

Preparation/uses:

Raw preparation
The passion fruit can be cut in half and the pulp scooped out and eaten. The seeds are edible. It can also be strained through cheesecloth to remove the seeds.
Passion fruit juice can be added to pineapple or orange juice to make a cold drink. The pulp can also be added to yogurt.

Baking
The pulp of the passion fruit can be boiled into a syrup, which can be used in cakes and pies.

Cooking
Passion fruit pulp can be used in jams, jellies and drinks. The pulp can be boiled into a syrup and used in sauce, candy, ice cream and cocktails.

Freezing
Remove the pulp and place in ice cube trays to freeze. Once frozen, place the cubes in a freezer-safe container.

Equivalents:

1 3-ounce passion fruit = 1 to 1 1/3 tablespoons of pulp

Handling, storage & care:

Store passion fruit in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale

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Prep Time: 30 mins  

Total Time: 55 mins

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 bone-in pork chops (each 1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 large bunch kale, thick ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 14 cups)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the sage, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. When the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the pork to the baking sheet with the squash and roast until the pork is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing the kale and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, until the kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the pork and squash.

kale 101 :

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learn all about kale in this cool video !!!

Kale !!!

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Kale 101:

Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage ,green or purple, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. Name

The name borecole most likely originates from the Dutch boerenkool (farmer's cabbage).

 Origins

Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. Curly leafed varieties of cabbage already existed along with flat leafed varieties in Greece in the fourth century BC These forms, which were referred to by the Romans as Sabellian kale, are considered to be the ancestors of modern kales. Today one may differentiate between varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, with varying leaf types. The leaf colours range from light green through green, dark green and violet-green to violet-brown. Russian kale was introduced into Canada (and then into the U.S.) by Russian traders in the 19th century.
During World War II, the cultivation of kale in the U.K. was encouraged by the Dig for Victory campaign. The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients to supplement those missing from a normal diet because of rationing.^[6]
Kai-lan, a separate cultivar of Brassica oleracea much used in Chinese cuisine, is somewhat similar to kale in appearance and is occasionally called "kale" in English.

 Cultivars

Kales can be classified by leaf type:

• Curly leaved (Scots Kale)
• Plain leaved
• Rape Kale
• Leaf and spear (a cross between curly leaved and plain leaved Kale)
• Cavolo nero (also known as black cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and dinosaur Kale)

Because kale can grow well into winter, one variety of Rape Kale is called 'Hungry Gap', named after the period in winter in traditional agriculture when little could be harvested.

Culinary uses

• Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost.
• Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly flavoured ingredients as dry-roasted peanuts, tamari-roasted almonds, red pepper flakes, or an Asian-style dressing.
• In the Netherlands, it is very frequently used in a winter dish (a stamppot), as a traditional Dutch dish called boerenkool.
• In Ireland, kale is mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional dish colcannon.
• Kale is a very popular vegetable in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, where it is commonly stir-fried with beef.

Fruit And Veggie Of The Month !!!!!!!!

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And our veggie of the month is............................KALE !!!!

And our lovely fruit of the month is ............................... Passion Fruit !!!