I believe you have to hear the sounds of the foods calling to you – like the sound of the fizz when adding club soda to Sangria.
Salutations and greetings from far Northern California, Hempie Chef here! Many Medical Marijuana patients here in Far Nor Cal medicate by consuming medical marijuana rather than smoking – and I prefer food to be presentable as well as delicious. As patient we often gather together to share some of most favorite medicated foods and beverages. And I believe that patients who consume medical marijuana deserve to have food prepared for them that is appealing to all the senses. I believe you have to hear the sounds of the foods calling to you – like the sound of the fizz when adding club soda to Sangria. I also believe that food has to carry the aroma of all the flavors melding together – enhancing the others flavor, enticing you to come see what’s cooking in the kitchen. Food has to look like something you would want to eat, not laden with green ground up medicine, but rather inviting you to enjoy. And food above all else should taste … well … delicious. Here are some of the foods I serve when some of our medical patients gather together. Hope you like them!
Sparkling White Sangria
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, thinly sliced, slices quartered
1 Red apple thinly sliced, slices quartered
1 Orange, washed, thinly sliced, slices quartered, seeds removed
1 Lemon, washed, thinly sliced, slices quartered, seeds removed
1750ml bottle dry white wine, chilled
1 Cup Triple sec or other orange liqueur
1 Cup fresh orange juice (from 4 large oranges)
1 Litre club soda, chilled
25 drops of Tincture
In a large pitcher, combine fruits, wine, triple sec, tincture and orange juice. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. To serve, fill 8 glasses with ice, divide fruit and wine mixture evenly among the glasses and top off with club soda.
Buffalo Chicken on a Skewer
Dip:
¾ Cup sour cream
1/3 Cup mayonnaise
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
¼ Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ Teaspoon tincture
Salt & Pepper
Chicken:
4 Tablespoons canna-butter
½ Cup hot wing sauce
1 Tablespoon Sugar
½ Teaspoon vinegar
½ Teaspoon tincture
1 Tablespoon cayenne
½ Cup flour
1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 40 1-inch cubes
¼ Cup canna-oil
Carrot and celery sticks
Make dip; in a food processor pulse sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar until mixture has blended into a chunky sauce, season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to use. (Dip can be made up 2 to days in advance.)
Make chicken: stir canna-butter, hot wings sauce, sugar, vinegar and tincture in a pan over medium-high heat until butter has melted. Remove from heat. In a large zip lock bag, mix cayenne, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons salt and flour. Add half the chicken and toss till well coated.
In a large skillet, warm ½ the canna-oil over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess coating. Add to skillet and cook, turning on all sides, until chicken is crispy and no longer pink in the middle (about 6 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Wipe out skillet and repeat, tossing the remaining chicken in coating and cooking in remaining oil. Warm hot sauce mixture in a pan or microwave, pour over chicken in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Thread pieces onto 20 small skewers. Serve with dip, carrots and celery.
Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
6 slices American cheese
7 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced
24 slices rye of pumpernickel cocktail bread (Rubschlager is recommended)
2 Tablespoons canna-butter, softened
Pickle chips
Mustard
Stack cheese slices, cut into quarters. Trim ham slices to fit bread. Top 12 bread slices with 1 slice cheese, 2 slices ham and another slice of cheese. Top with remaining bread slices. Spread outside of sandwiches with canna-butter (this can be done up to 4 hours in advance. Cover; chill)
Warm skillet over medium heat until hot, cook sandwiches in batches, for 1 to 2 minutes; flip and cook other side until bread is toasted and cheese has melted. Let sandwiches rest for 1 minute, cut diagonally. Serve with pickle chips and mustard for dipping, if desired.
Roasted Eggplant Dip
1 large eggplant
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons canna-oil
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Medium bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded, minced
Salt & pepper
¼ Teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Cup drained canned petite diced tomatoes
1 Teaspoon tincture
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
Pita Chips
Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, cutting through stem. Scoop out pulp, leaving a ¼ inch border. Brush the insides with lemon juice, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Finely chop eggplant pulp. Warm canna-oil in skillet over medium heat; add eggplant pulp, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and crushed red pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes; sauté for 5 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes then stir in tincture, parsley, basil and Parmesan. Transfer to a bowl and allow dip to cool completely. (Dip can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
When dip is cool, taste and season with additional salt and pepper. Pat eggplant shell dry and fill with dip. Serve with pita chips if desired.
Popcorn Balls
4 Tablespoons canna-butter
1 Cup packed brown sugar
½ Cup corn syrup
7 Ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
10 Cups popped popcorn
½ Cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
½ Cup toffee bits (Heath Bar)
½ Cup white chocolate chips
Coarse sea salt
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, Combine canna-butter, sugar and corn syrup in a small sauce pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted. Bring to a boil. Add condensed milk and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. Remove mixture from heat stir in vanilla.
Place popcorn in a large bowl. Pour butter mixture over popcorn and stir gently to coat popcorn completely. Set aside until the mixture has cooled enough to that it’s sticky but won’t melt candy, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss in peanuts, toffee bits and white chocolate chips.
When popcorn mixture is cool enough to handle, grease hands with cooking spray or vegetable oil and roll mixture into 2-inch balls (use about ¼ cup per ball). Place balls on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, if desired. Cool completely, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Lemon Tarts
½ Cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons), strained
Grated zest of 3 lemons (about 1 tablespoon packed)
3 Large eggs, at room temperature
8 Tablespoons canna-butter, cut into pieces
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 teaspoon sugar
30 prebaked mini phyllo shells
¼ Cup heavy cream
Set a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl. Pour 2 inches of water into a pan and bring to a boil over low heat. In a bowl that fits over the pan without touching the water, mix juice, zest, eggs, canna-butter, salt and 1 cup sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter has melted, sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens enough to coat the back of spoon. About 20 to 25 minutes. (DO NOT allow to boil). Pour through sieve into bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface of mixture. Chill for at least 10 hours. (Curd will thicken as it cools and can be made up to 5 days in advance).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place tart shells on a baking sheet, bake for 5 minutes. Let cool.
Whip cream with 1 teaspoon sugar until peaks form. Cover and chill.
Just before serving, put a heaping teaspoon of lemon curd into each shell (cover and chill any extra curd). Pipe or spoon whipped cream on top of each tart. Serve immediately.
Originally published in Weed World Magazine Issue 98