summer grilling and jamming!

We now have loads of local seasonal foods upon us!
I received my second delivery from Green Earth Organics this week - the newsletter that came with my delivery tells me that my box is 72% local.  This week, I also received replacements for the poor quality bok choy and lettuce that I complained about with my last delivery. I received bananas, spinach (local), red leaf lettuce (local), red radishes (local), english cucumber, hot house tomato, carrots (local), peaches, nectarines, sweet potatoes (local), apples.

This first little number was our father's day dinner in Port Elgin.  Just on the edge of town off the highway, there's a great farm stand (which has become quite the tourist attraction unfortunately), that sells amazing quality produce and that you can see being picked just before you buy it.  In season now, are local lettuces, new potatoes, peas, scapes, strawberries, radishes.

I picked up a little bit of almost everything, and made a stop at the town grocery store to pick up some additional Ontario food items for an excellent local focused meal.

Father's Day Menu

Leaf lettuce, hot house ontario cucumber and yellow tomato salad with toasted almonds and white balsamic vinaigrette.

Sauteed potatoes, peas, scapes and shallots

Grilled filet of beef

Strawberry Angelfood shortcakes

Such a lovely meal! So so fresh, and simple. This is an ideal meal for me, and really no recipes required! 

The salad was flavourful, and the dressing tangy and sweet (1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1 tsp white sugar or honey, s&p to taste)

The potatoes I cleaned, sliced in half and steamed for about 7-8 minutes, then sauteed a chopped shallot and 2 chopped scapes in a Tbsp of good wholesome butter.  Finally I added a big handful (3/4 cup-ish) of freshly shelled peas and s&p to taste.

They were the highlight of the meal for me! New potatoes have the thinnest, most delicate skin that  starts to peel off while washing them.  They don't take long to cook, their texture is so creamy, and their flavour slightly sweet. They would've been delicious if I'd stopped after steaming them, with a touch of s&p.

The grilled filet of beef, was as simple as that.  I like my beef seasoned with s&p and cooked rare.  The boys were really wanting the Montreal steak spice for a little extra somethin'.  Rory, master of the grill, wowed me again with three beautifully cooked steaks - on the rare side of medium rare.

Dessert couldn't have been simpler.  As my followers already know, I'm not much of a baker...so store bought angel food cake it was! Topped with local strawberries cleaned, halved, and macerated in a Tbsp of sugar for a couple of hours (maceration is just softening the fruit in a liquid - when you add sugar, it's the fruit's own liquid), and real whipped cream.

MMMMMM!!!! 

This meal was made up on the spot, using leftover thai soup.  

Thai Chicken, Chick Pea, and Spinach Medley with greens and asian flavoured vinaigrette.

The night before, we ordered a 'dinner for two' meal at a local thai restaurant which included enough food for 2 dinners, 2 lunches, and a partial dinner the following night.  One of the leftovers was a large container of coconut chicken soup, which consisted of a chicken broth/coconut milk base infused with flavours of garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilies, and loads of chicken and sliced mushrooms.

I wanted to use some of the leafy greens from my delivery, which tend to get wilted fairly quickly if they're not used.  I cleaned and steamed a large bunch of spinach in the water that clung to its leaves after washing it.  It only needs a minute or two to wilt down.  

In the meantime, I strained the soup to remove the chicken and mushrooms, and used the broth as the cooking liquid for 1/3 part basmati rice.  

  When the rice was cooked, it was nice and saucy! I added the spinach, 1/2 can of chick peas leftover in the fridge and the chicken and mushroom from the soup, and cooked over the stove until just heated through.

I know no one can repeat this recipe, but I hope it serves as inspiration to start cooking sans recipe one in a while! Look how yummers it can turn out!

Finally, I undertook a big arse project this past week! I made 90 4oz jars of Ontario strawberry jam! 

Reason being: wedding favours! How fun are personalized wedding favours?

Ontario Strawberry Jam

Check out those beautiful berries!

Ok, so I was not about to make up a recipe for this project! Too risky!  I used the recipe in my Certo liquid pectic packages - and get this, I followed it to a T! And get this - it worked perfectly! who knew?!

Do you people KNOW how much sugar is in jam?! like, yikes.  I won't tell you, except that it's a lot! Enough for me to say that I wouldn't include this jam in any 'fruit and vegetable' category! 

Each 'batch' makes 15 - 4 oz jars, and contained 2 pints of strawberries, a huge amount a white death...i mean sugar, a little lemon juice, and some pectin (which ensures the jam will set).

Try preserving something this summer ok?!  I've got another couple of batch to makes this week to meet my wedding favour quota, and I'm hoping to branch out to peach and blueberry jams later in the season.

Man o man - ok so my promise to get my act together and plan my meals for the week has been a colossal failure! Warm whether = no routine. 

To start, my first Green Earth Organics delivery - another disappointment! As I mentioned in my last post, the sign up process was a breeze.  My delivery arrived in a nice protective tupperware box...and that's where the positive ends.

I opted to do a couple of substiutions for my delivery - I am not a picky eater, but the one food I'm really averse to is cilantro...it tastes like household cleaner to me - apparently this is a result of a taste gene.  It was scheduled to come with my delivery, so that was an automatic sub.  I also subbed apples, because this is the worst time of year for apples. I chose to get peaches and some Ontario bok choy.  Well, I got the cilantro anyway (along with the subs), which when I opened my box, smacked me with it's distinct gag inducing smell. Next,  I kid you not when I say the bok choy literally came rotting.  The inner leaves with brown and slimey.  This was also the case for the mixed greens.  The rest of the produce, which included: leeks, green onions, a tomato (alllmost over ripe, but we used it immediately - see guacamole below), asparagus, sweet potato, mushrooms, peaches, bananas were good quality, but for $37 a box I expect perfect quality for all the produce.

I emailed GEO about the bok choy and lettuce, and they responded within minutes apologizing and conceding they did have an issue with the spring mix.  They offered to send me replacements with my next delivery or to choose any 2 additional produce items to add to my delivery. Good customer service! 

Well, I have to say I haven't made great use of the produce.  I've had something going on every single evening since I received the box - luckily for me, Rory's been making up some nice little dinners and not letting the produce go to waste.

 

Rory's Crispy Baked Cod, Asparagus, Homemade Tartar, and Basmati

 

 

Rory and I are alike in that we're not recipe people.  As you all know, this occasionally results in disaster, but sometimes we hit it out of the park.  Rory made a deelish crispy coating for this fresh cod which included bread crumbs, quick oats, thinly sliced green onion, garlic and onion powder. He  popped it in the hot oven for the perfect amount of time (probably 12 mins or so), and served it with homemade tartar (miracle whip and sweet relish - ok homemade-ish).  I love cod, but I find even though it doesn't taste 'fishy' like salmon and trout can, it actually smells fishier when you cook it.  Anywho, really really good meal - the fish was so flaky and moist - servied with a side of local asparagus (steamed) and basmati rice with soy sauce.

 

No recipe Guacamole

 

I never use a recipe for guacamole, but I would say the following is about what I do when I make it.  My technique is to taste as I go, adding more salt, pepper, lime juice as I like it!

• 2 Ripe avocados
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped finely (I like using roma or plum tomatoes) local GEO
• 1-2 green onions chopped finely (local GEO)
• 1 clove garlic (local Wanigan) minced
• 1/2 jalepeno, minced
• Juice of 1 lime give or take
• s&p to taste

Sometimes I don't have jalepenos, so i leave em' out.  I also like to use red onions instead of green.  Sometimes I add more tomatoes, sometimes I use roasted garlic, I've also used lemon juice in a pinch....the options are really endless.  Point is - stop using a recipe for guacamole and live a little!

 

Black Bean and Garlic Shanghai Noodles

 

 

I actually can't believe I haven't blogged this recipe before.  This has been a pretty regular staple for us over the past few years.  It's inspired by a Lucy Waverman recipe.  This is a veggie version, but it's delicious with meat or shrimp too.

Ingredients

• 1 package of your favorite fresh asian noodles - mine are these thick and satisfying udon noodles
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp (2 small/1 large clove) minced garlic
• 2 tsp minced/ grated ginger (I freeze my ginger and use a a grater when it's frozen)
• 1-2 Tbsp black bean and garlic sauce (bottled - available at most supermarkets)
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp of hoisin or oyster sauce (ditto)
• 1 tsp asian chili sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• juice of 1/2 lime
• some fresh chopped or ripped basil (1/4 cup ish)
• Veggies - I used a local hothouse red pepper, broccoli, and little shitake mushrooms

Directions

1. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes (or as directed on package)
2. Combine black bean sauce, water, corn starch, hoisin, chili sauce, rice vinegar in a dish and wisk together
3. Heat a large skillet to med high, add canola oil, add garlic and ginger and stirfry for 30 seconds (careful not to burn it or it get bitter!) 
4. Add veggies, stir fry for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften
5. Add sauce mixture, and bring to boil, simmer for 2-3 more minutes until veggies are tender but not overcooked
6. Add sesame oil, lime juice, and basil, and cook for 30 more seconds
7. Dump in your cooked noodles, toss, and
8. ENJOY!

This is the first time I've used shitake mushrooms in this dish and I will never leave them out again! They absorb so much flavour and they keep such a satisfying texture.  I realize this sounds like a lot of ingredients but the sauces will keep for a long time in your fridge, and trust me, you will be making this one regularly!  There is also a lot of leeway when it comes to this recipe - I often don't have limes or basil, or one or more of the other ingredients - you'll still have a great dish on your hands, promise!

 

 

 

This is a scape - it is  the stem from which the seed head of the garlic bulb is formed.  They taste like garlic without that spicy heat garlic cloves have - a milder garlic.   A local springtime treat.  I picked some of these babies up from a small produce stand down the street.  With them (I used 4 or 5), I made:

Spinach, Scape, Walnut Pesto Hummus (See my previous post on basil walnut pesto - substitute basil with baby spinach, and garlic with scapes.  I brought the hummus along with some goat cheese and whole grain crackers (Tricuits - Balsamic and Basil flavoured) for a potluck - a hit!

 

Ok, this is what I'll do...my best :)  I have a new delivery coming this week - which I admit in advance will be a busy one! (it's my birthday!).

 

I do have grand plans to make strawberry jam in the next couple of weeks though, so stay tuned for related posts!

 

Enjoy this weather! Eat outside!

 

 

 

Back to the kitchen...

Summertime cooking is tough...Rory and I get so caught up with being active, social, and just plain old hot, that cooking tends to move down the priority list a bit.  I hope that my blogging escapades keep me at it, I'm going to make an effort to be more organized!

I received my final Wanigan produce delivery last week - disappointing yet again! The bananas and the apples, for the third time all bruised! What on earth are they doing to the poor produce over there?  I suspect the produce is getting damaged during delivery.  It's the only delivery service that doesn't use a Tupperware container, they deliver everything in a large plastic bag.   I substiuted a couple of items again, this time I opted for no leaf lettuce because with the first and second delivery, it came wilted and browning and I ended up tossing it (ugh... i hate waste too).  I got some more fiddle heads, some snow peas, some leeks,spinach, a tomato, strawberries, oranges, pears, apples, and I can't remember what else, I was underwhelmed.

I haven't been making anything too spactacular, Rory bbq'd some pork chops last week (marinated in the PC Korean BBQ sauce - really not good for you but delicious and a crowd pleaser), served with steamed snow peas and fiddleheads, and rice.  Rory's really beginning to master the grill - I can't remember the last time something wasn't cooked to perfection! The chops were tender and juicy, and most importantly not overcooked!

I used my wanigan tomato, and some store bought local leaf lettuce to make a nacho dip for guess, a pot luck!  Nacho dips are always a hit, here's my recipe.

Layer 1: Combine one 500mL container of light sour cream, and one container of softened light cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.  Add 1/2 package of taco seasoning (you can also make your own, chili powder, cumin, a little salt), and 2-3 finely sliced green onions.

Layer 2: Salsa, whatever you like!

Layer 3: cheese, cheddar or something a little sharp

Layer 4: chopped lettuce

Layer 5: seeded, chopped tomatoes - roma work best

(Another layer I like to add occasionally is refried beans, which would go under the cream cheese/sour cream layer).

We did manage to put one spectacular dinner on the table last week, and it was a cardiovascular disease inducing feast:

Grilled Baretta Farms sirloin, garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed cremini mushrooms with cream and balsamic vinegar, and peas.

 

Yes, it was as delicious as it looks! The extremely well marbled steak was brought to room temp before seasoning with s&p and grilling to rare.  I love a rare steak, the rarer the better!  Allowing the meat to come to room temp before grilling (take it out of the fridge an hour before cooking time) will allow for more even cooking.

The potatoes were yukon gold (I could not find Canadian potatoes at my Loblaws last week, so I went with US), cut in to large pieces (skin intact), and boiled along with a large clove of chopped garlic until tender (about 12-15 minutes), drained and mashed with the good stuff - butter and cream, s&p.

The mushrooms were the show stopper for me.  One 8 oz package of Ontario cremini mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in about 1 Tbsp of butter with s&p, I had to add a splash of water after 5 minutes, because they were getting a bit dry.  Once the water had evaporated and the mushrooms started browning and sticking to the pan, I deglazed with a couple tsp of balsamic vinegar and added a couple of Tbsp of cream.  I would've been happy with a bowl of those mushrooms for dinner.

Peas - I always keep Green Giant peas in the freezer.  Throw em in boiling water for a minute or two and voila.

This really had the potential to be a full on local meal, minus the pesky US potatoes - but not bad.  Baretta Farms is located just outside of King City (20 mins or so from TO), and my Loblaws carries their poduct. Yay!

So my delivery with Wanigan is (thankfully) complete!  Cancelling was easy, but on the whole I would not be able to recommend their services, they simply don't provide as much bang for your buck, and the quality of the produce was extremely disappointing.

  On to the next candidate: Green Earth Organics.  I've just completed my online sign-up.  Wow, so easy.  It looks like I'll be getting a delivery on Tuesday, 2 days notice - spectacular!  A regular box containing 11 items costs $37 (plus an initial $20 deposit for the delivery container), this is comparable to the other organic delivery services.  There are three delivery options:

$37 Regular Harvest Box, $47 Family Harvest Box, or the $60 Super Harvest Box.  You can also Create Your Own Bin, ensuring that you always get exactly what you want (The individual produce items are pricey though - $4 for an Ontario cucumber, yikes!)

 I was able to see the contents of my first delivery immediately, and make up to 4 substitutions.  Very user friendly website.  Amazing local content - 8 of the 11 items are Ontario (of course I reazlize they have an advantage in that it's now practically summer).  Very impressive start!  We'll see what the quality is like.  Organic is the focus of the service, but it appears they do their best to source local items.  They also offer the option to add other organic grocery items to your order, there's even a tab labelled '100km food' - neato!

Ok, I'm off to organize myself for the week ahead - I know what I'm going to receive with my delivery, so I'm going to come up with a reasonable meal plan, and try to stick to it!

Stay tuned and happy eating!

Vegas

So Vegas was a blast - Obviously, I can't spill the beans about all the details, otherwise what would be the point? ;)  I will talk food though!  I would go back to Vegas for an eating vacation.  The restaurants! Everything is so over the top, and the service is incredible.  Now, there were a couple meals of note.  First, the 12 of us - yup, 12 girls in Vegas = serious shananigans, went to Spago, the Wolfgang Puck resto in Cesar's Palace for dinner.  Check out the current menu.
We were greeted with complimentary champagne when our table wasn't ready, followed by a round of flatbreads, one margherita one mushroom - really good, impossiby thin, full of fresh tomato flavour, a perfect start.

To start, I chose the GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD

(White Bean Ragout, Preserved Lemon, Toasted Sourdough Bread, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parsley).  WOW! I love seafood and have never had octopus before, but a few of ladies at the office go on about how tender and delicious it is. They aren't lying! The tentacles were grilled and sliced in rounds, they almost look like little scallops; served with bitter greens, an herby and VERY lemony vinegarette, and perfect toast.  What a beautiful start! The octopus was so tender and had such a satisfying texture, much more dense than scallops.  If you have the oppotunity, ty it!

I chose the special for my main.  Seared Duck Breast, on top of I forget exactly, but I'm almost positive it was polenta, with spring peas, morrel mushrooms, and a rhubarb sauce.  Nom nom nom! Incredible! The duck was so flavourful, it was rubbed with some sort of spice rub that I could not put my finger on, somehing like a chinese 5 spice, but not exactly.  The polenta was pillowy and rich all at once, perfectly seasoned.  What a great mix of seasonal spring flavours! (Las Vegas seasonal flavour I don't know...)

Below is a few of the photos from the other gals - clockwise startig with top left:

BLUE CHEESE CRUSTED PRIME FILET MIGNON -Potato Lyonnaise, Confit Bacon, Cipollini Onions, Spinach and Balsamic Reduction

ROASTED HALF FREE RANGE ORGANIC CHICKEN -Yukon Gold Potatoes, Goat Cheese, Wild Mushrooms and Natural Jus

VEGETARIAN ENTREE (not on the menu! and not quite sure what was in, pretty though)

GRILLED RARE YELLOWFIN TUNA - Fire Roasted Bell Peppers & Calçots Onions, Braised Artichokes, Fennel, Spanish Green Olive Tapenade, Piment D'Espelette and Romesco Sauce

Unfortunately, we had no time for dessert, we were on a serious party schedule - you know how it is ;)  The portions were ridiculously large - I mean, who needs a half chicken!? We were full anyway.

I don't have any more photos of the food in Vegas but some of the other highlights were:

Fried Macaroni and Cheese Balls - ooey gooey white mac and cheese coated with bread crumbs and tossed in the fryer, resulting in perfect little balls of cheesy heavenly goodness.

Fried parmesan mozerella risotto sticks - see above, substitute pasta for risotto :) mmmmm.....

Lobster chowder with oyster crackers and perfect creamy coleslaw - this is the first thing I ate when we arrived.  What a welcome!

A classic Cinnabon and coffee for breakfast....whatever, Vegas is an indulgance in itself, so when in Rome!

I'm gonna post this one up, and work on a new post for non-Vegas related food talk!

Go to Vegas and Eat!