WINNING SECOND PLACE

Lemon Blueberry Daquoise

Smoothwater of Temagami takes second place for this scrumptious dessert. We have 3 c0-creaters to thank: Caryn Colman, Chantelle Mousseau, and the Mademoiselle Wwoofer Marie.

Here is the recipe to share. Enjoy!!

Dacquoise

6 egg whites

1 cup fruit sugar

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract & ½ tbsp. pure almond extract

1 tbsp. corn starch

1 cup toasted almonds

Beat egg whites until light. Gradually beat in ½ cup fruit sugar. Beat in vanilla and almond extract. Combine remaining fruit sugar with corn starch and chopped almonds, and fold into egg whites. Spread meringue evenly over 3 parchment paper circles. Preheat oven to 250 and bake for about 1 hour. Don’t overbake. Meringues can be tricky.

Lemon Cream

180 g sugar

zest and juice of 6 lemons

6 eggs

450 g of cream cheese

9 tsp. sugar

3 g agar-agar* (option gelatin)

*Agar-agar is a seaweed thickener used instead of gelatin. It’s perfect for vegetarians.

Mix together sugar and lemon zest. Add eggs, lemon juice and agar-agar. Cook in a double boiler until the mixture thickens. Add a spot of butter. Put the mixture aside. Meanwhile, mix cream cheese and sugar, and add it to the lemon cream. When the mixture is cool, whip the cream and add it. Refrigerate.

Blueberry Jelly

2 cups wild blueberries

½ cup sugar

5 g agar-agar (option gelatin)

Cook blueberries and sugar for about 20 minutes. Add agar-agar dissolved in boiling water. Cook 5 more minutes.

Blueberry Icing

1 cup butter

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

4 cups of sifted icing sugar

2 tbsp. milk

½ cup blueberry jelly

Cream butter and icing sugar. Add vanilla, milk and blueberry jelly.

Assembling the Daquoise

Start with one meringue. Layer with blueberry jelly, lemon cream, fresh blueberries. Then begin again with the second meringue, and layer. Add final meringue, but do not layer with anything. First ice the sides of the dacquoise, and pipe icing around the edges of the top. This icing edge will hold in the jelly and the blueberries. Now the cake is ready for you to add a layer of jelly, and top with wild blueberries.

SWALLOWTAILS IN TEMAGAMI

It's late spring and the fields and forests are ripe.

The Swallowtail butterflies have hatched out of the birch trees, with which they have a symbiotic relationship. I think the Swallowtails are one of the most beautiful. They are a real sign of late spring. Here is a photo of one on a milkweed plant.

FACE LIFTS & GARDENS

Do you believe in facelifts? I just gave my veggie garden one via the ample hands of wwoofers Johan and Emilie. But I'm generous and I share. Twice I've sent them to help Doug Adams at Northland Paradise Lodge where they are helping rebuild two docks in Pecours Bay. FYI, Pecours Bay is an access point to the old growth pines in the White Bear forest. This is an amazing forest with many trail options, and is accessible by foot.  But I recommend getting there by canoe (join Smoothwater's Tree Hugger adventure, every Saturday in July and August).  I'm gonna miss you French wwooffers Johan and Emilie!

MY HONEY BEES ARE WELL

Today I inspected my beehive. All is well. I was a bit worried because I did not treat them (with oxalic acid) in the fall for mites. All beekeepers seem to do this religiously. And me?  I'm against all that chemical intervention. But lucky me, my bees are in the cleansing pine forests of Temagami.  And there are no other honey bees around to infect them. My beautiful bees came through strong and still have their own honey in their hive. So there is no need to feed them that ghastly fake sugar water substitute. I am so happy! 

Here you see one of my girls diving into a dandelion. An individual bee is flower specific, which means this girl only goes for the dent de lions, or pis en lit, you know, dandelions! Dig her pollen baskets!  This may be the year I can collect enough of my own dear honey for my guests to try.  

NEW QUILT PATTERNS ON OUR FLOORS

Smoothwater of Temagami had a renovation this winter on the theme of quilts. For those of you who know me, I just couldn't live with a plain-Jane floor. So my research into tile patterns led to quilt patterns. It makes perfect sense to me, quilts are about comfy beds, and we have a lot of beds in the bunkhouses. See more cozy bunkhouses quilt patterns and other amenities, by clicking the link to the photo album on the Smoothwater of Temagami fan page.

WHAT ABOUT FIRE BANS IN TEMAGAMI?

Fire season is here.  It's a dry spring. Lake Temagami water levels are low.  Last week, there were 23 new fires reported in the province. High winds and extremely dry conditions kept fire suppression resources busy. All 23 fires occurred in the western sectors of the province burning a total of 17 hectares. No further problems are anticipated with these fires. If you are planning a canoe trip, check the link. You don't want to be doused by a water bomber.  Or fined.  It happens!  Consider bringing a stove too.

BLACK FLIES ARE A LOT LIKE PEOPLE

I'm wondering if this famous little song and film will bring folks to Temagami, or not. But it will make you laugh for sure!  Let me know what you think.  

For your information, blackflies are a lot like people.  When they (the females only) gorge on a blood meal, they are very full and fat, and can only waddle away to hide under a leaf. Then they take a very, very, very, long siesta, digesting the blood into their reproductive energies. 

 At May's end, yes, the little black flies are coming, to the culinary delight of birds and dragonflies. So no worries for humans.