When we travel, we come across new and tasty products. This is no exception! When we visited Nova Scotia we came across many tasty products made with the Haskap Berry.
In case you wonder what a Haskap berry is; well, it is dark blue in colour, very similar to the blueberry. It has also been known as ‘Blue Honeysuckle’, ‘Honeyberry’, ‘Edible Honeysuckle’ and ‘Sweet Berry Honeysuckle’. It has been treasured and loved in Russia and Japan for centuries for it’s unique and sensuous taste and remarkable health properties. It is tart yet sweet, heady with a robust, complex, in mouth sensation and a wonderful finish. Most people say is a cross between blueberry, raspberry and black currant. The Haskap is well known for it’s high anti-oxidant and vitamine C and A content. They are just delicious and very good for you!
The incredibly versatile haskap berry lends itself to a diverse range of epicurean flavours, both sweet and savoury. Haskapa a Nova Scotia company, transform these wonderful berry into Jam, Chutney, syrup and more, which we brought back with us.
You can enjoy the jam in yogourt, on ice-cream, on toast or on cheese. The deliciously spiced Haskapa Chutney is a great condiment for pork dishes. With the Haskapa Jalapeño Relish you can make a tasty dressing for burgers, or grilled salmon and makes a delicious dip for tortilla chips. The gentle heat of the jalapeño is the yin to the mayo’s creamy yang.
Or try the following recipe.
MACADAMIA RICOTTA AND JALAPEÑO RELISH CROSTINI (from the Haskapa Web site)
This is very quick and easy to whip up in a food processor. You can make the macadamia ricotta ahead of time, and assemble the crostinis when you are ready to serve. The macadamia ricotta is creamy, soft, and the Nutritional Yeast gives the cheese a nutty ‘umami’ flavour, while the Miso paste adds depth. Haskapa Jalapeño Relish adds the perfect compliment of zingy taste and colour to make this app really pop. The flavour builds and you get a nice jalapeño zing at the end. Recipe developed by Sam Turnbull from It Doesn’t Taste like Chicken.
INGREDIENTS
- Macadamia Ricotta:
- 1 1/2 cups Macadamia nuts
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
- Crostini:
- 1 baguette
- 1 – 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 jar Haskapa Jalapeño Relish
METHOD
To make the macadamia nut ricotta, just add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Slice the baguette diagonally for longer pieces. Lightly brush each slice with olive oil on both sides and grill or pop them in the oven for 10 minutes, flipping each one until they are golden. Spread the ricotta mix on the warm slices. Add a teaspoonful of the Jalapeño Relish to each and serve.