CULTURE Recipes

Whether spring brings us sunshine or snow, it’s always a good time to celebrate the season that reminds us of nature’s fabulous powers of renewal and rebirth. To ease us away from winter’s grip, we’ve come up with this light, refreshing menu. Season’s greetings.

Menu: Soupe a l’Oignon (French Onion Soup) w/Infused Croutons, Spring Green Salad w/Italian Dressing, Apple Crisp & Sweet Tea.

Soupe a l’Oignon (French Onion Soup) w/Infused Croutons

8 servings

1 1/2 lbs. (about 5 cups) yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons Canna Butter*

1 tablespoon Cannabis Infused Oil**

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons flour

2 quarts of boiling brown stock (or canned beef bouillon)

1/2 cup dry white wine, cognac or dry sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions slowly over low hear in a heavy bottom, 4-quart covered saucepan with the Butter and Oil for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and stir in salt and sugar (it helps the onions to brown). Cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions have turned an even, deep golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for three minutes. Turn off the heat and blend in the boiling stock (or bouillon). Add the wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes. Set aside uncovered until ready to serve. Then reheat to simmer. Garnish with Infused Croutons.

Infused Croutons

1 French baguette

1/2 cup Canna Butter*

Garlic salt

Slice the baguette into cubes, enough to make about three cups. In a skillet, melt the Butter. Toss in the bread cubes and toast until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Season with garlic salt.

Spring Green Salad

8 servings

Iceberg lettuce

Red leaf lettuce

Spinach

Romaine

Endive

Watercress, etc.

Wash a selected choice of greens for your salad and dry well. Break into pieces and put it into a large salad bowl. Garnish your salad with your choice of cherry tomatoes, olives, beets, carrots, cucumber, fennel slices, celery, red or yellow peppers, onions, nuts, pickles, capers, etc. Serve with Infused Croutons and Italian Dressing.

Italian Dressing

4 tablespoons wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

12 tablespoon Cannabis Infused Oil**

2 pinches of pepper

1/2 tablespoon minced parsley

1/2 tablespoon minced chives

1/2 tablespoon minced tarragon

1/2 tablespoon minced basil

Pour all of the ingredients together in a jar. Replace the screw top on the jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend thoroughly.

Apple Crisp

6 servings

4 cups sliced tart apples

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Canna Butter*

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Bake in an ovenproof dish that you can serve at the table. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pare, core and slice apples into a 9-inch pie pan or dish and add lemon juice. Work the flour, brown sugar, Butter, salt and cinnamon with a pastry blender or with your finger tips. The mixture must be worked so that it does not become oily. Spread these crumbly ingredients over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold and garnish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

Sweet Tea

4 bags of your favorite tea

1 quart of water

1/4 cup Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup***

Ice cubes

Spring of mint, lemon wedge, etc. as garnish

Combine water and your favorite tea bags in a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the tea bags and add Syrup. Serve over ice cubes. Garnish with mint, a lemon wedge . . . or Infused Rum.

Canna Butter*

1 cup unsalted butter

1 ounce low to average quality dried leaf cannabis or 1/2 ounce average dried bud

4 cups water

Bring water and butter to boil in a small pot, lower heat to simmer. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. Mash and stir frequently to extract all THC from the plant material. After cooking, use cheesecloth to strain the butter/water mixture. Pour about 2 cups clean boiling water over the leaves in the strainer to extract every last drop of butter. Squeeze plant material well to remove as much liquid as possible. Chill the butter/water mixture in the refrigerator until the butter has solidified (1 to 2 hours). Separate butter from water and keep butter in the refrigerator (or freezer for longer storage) until needed.

Cannabis Infused Oil**

1 cup cooking oil

1 1/4 ounces low to average quality dried leaf cannabis or 3/4 ounce average dried bud

Place cannabis in a slow cooker. Add oil. If necessary, add a little extra oil in order to just cover the cannabis. Cook on low for six to eight hours, stirring often. Strain through cheesecloth to remove plant material. For further purity, strain through a coffee filter. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months.

 Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup***

1/2 oz. cannabis buds

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

In a saucepan, sauté the buds in sugar and water over medium heat for 20 minutes. Strain the buds. Pour the remaining green-colored syrup into a glass container. Let it cool and refrigerate.