Recipes From Your Kitchen

This month’s featured gadget: Food Dehydrator

Maple & Walnut Tarts with Berries

Ingredients: Tart Shells

2 c. raw walnuts, soaked and drained 1 c. raw cashews, soaked and drained ½ c. ground flaxseed 2 T. ground chia seed ¼ c. maple syrup

Ingredients: Berry Filling

1 c. fresh blueberries 1 c. fresh raspberries 2 T. chia seeds A few fresh berries for topping

Preparation: For shells, place all the tart shell ingredients in a food processor and mix until well combined and sticking together. Let sit for 10 minutes to become firm.

Line a small tartlet pan with pieces of parchment paper. Press a couple of tablespoons of mixture into pan, and press to form a shell. Remove the shells carefully and arrange on the dehydrator trays. Don’t overcrowd, air needs to circulate around them.

Dry at 155 degrees for 2-3 hours, reduce the temperature to 115 degrees for another 2-4 hours. Rotate the trays a few times during the process until the shells are dry.

While the tarts are drying, place the berries and seeds in food processor and mix until smooth. Save a few whole berries for the topping. Place the smooth berry mixture in an airtight container in refrigerator to thicken.

When ready to serve fill the tarts with mixture and top with a few whole berries. Store the tarts and the berries in separate airtight containers in refrigerator.

Venison Jerky, Keith Prischmann

Ingredients: 2lbs venison cut in 1/8” to ¼” strips 2 T. Worcestershire sauce 2 T. liquid smoke 1/4 c. soy sauce 2 T. brown sugar 2 t. salt 1 t. ground black pepper 1 t. meat tenderizer 1 t. paprika 1 t. garlic powder 1 t. onion powder 1 t. meat tenderizer 1 t. Cayenne pepper

Preparation: Combine all ingredients and place the strips in a large bowl, refrigerate overnight, dehydrate on high for four hours, and enjoy.

Sweet Potato Chips

Preparation: Wash, peel, and slice sweet potatoes. The number of potatoes you use depends on how many trays you have on your dehydrator. Usually you can fit 1-2 potatoes per tray depending on how big your trays and potatoes are. Slice the sweet potatoes about a 1/4” thick.

Place the sweet potato slices in an ice water bath while you bring water to a boil in a large pot. When the water comes to a rolling boil, remove the sweet potatoes from the ice water and place in the boiling water for about five minutes, set the ice water aside for later. Remove slices from boiling water and immediately run cold water over them while draining in a colander to stop the cooking process. Add ¾ to 1 cup of lemon juice to your ice water bath, and place the sweet potatoes back in to cool completely.

Drain and carefully place the sweet potato slices on the dehydrator trays or shelves. Make sure the edges of your sweet potatoes do not touch. Set dehydrator to 125 degrees and dry until crisp, about 10-12 hours. Store them in an airtight container.