It's unbearably hot here. Being the good (frugal) environmentalists that we are, we have yet to give into the this "air conditioning" trend, and don't even own one. With temperatures into the 40s (celsius, after humidex), the last thing I really wanted to do tonight was turn on a stove. And with no propane in the BBQ, it took a bit of creative thinking to come up with a meal with what we had at home.
I've mentioned we're in a CSA. That means we're getting bags of veggies of weeks right now. Salads get a bit tiring, but they make nice side dishes. After a quick tour through the pantry I came across some red quinoa.
Perfect! Quinoa, a grain, is a complete protein. This makes it a great addition to any vegetarian meal. No need to make a meat dish when we have this amazing little grain. It's one of the non-local staples that I will keep in my pantry. You can eat almost the entire plant, although we really only see the seeds here in North America. It's native to Peru, and was sacred to the Incans. No wonder, given the nutritional fortitude of this plant. It contains about 15% protein and has a full spectrum of the amino acids that humans require. It is also gluten free.
I cook our quinoa in the rice cooker: 1 part quinoa to 1.5 parts water and usually a handful of fresh herbs, today I used oregano from my garden. About three-quarters of the way through it cooking I added in the steamer tray to which I added chopped rainbow swiss chard and topped it with chopped garlic scapes, sprayed lightly on top with peanut oil.
When this was done, I served it in a Napa (Chinese) cabbage like a little quinoa-chard-veggie-taco. I didn't add a sauce, but you could add sour cream or salsa, or another favourite sauce. On the side, a spinach salad, because we still have all those salad-type veggies to get through!
Stay cool...
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Saturday, 15 May 2010
Garden Grown Tabouli Salad
Last year I tried my hand at planting parsley from seed. I ended up with a ton of parsley plants which I put in pots in and outside of the house, as well as in one of my front gardens. I was delighted at the end of winter to see several parsley plants poking their heads up under the yard waste and snow. I now have more than a half dozen plants growing in my front garden and became very large by the end of April.
I finally went out and took the first harvest from the plants this week. The plants have yielded a large haul so far, and I realize I am going to have to find several uses for the parsley to both eat it fresh, and keep it over the winter.
I'll be freezing some. Parsley is easy to freeze, and doesn't need blanching in order to do so. It won't be crisp when you defrost it, however it's great for adding to soups or any other cooked dish. Hang parsley in a dark, dry area (or bake it at 100*F) to dry it out and keep it as a dried herb. I did this with my harvest last year, and my husband was amazed at the flavour our dried parsley had. No way we could go back to the store bought stuff yet. But it's early in the year and I'm craving fresh garden greens. I never thought I'd get some at the start of May! In addition to my parsley, I have quite a lot of mint growing in the same garden. It struck me that I could make a tabouli salad out of it!
Here is a general guide to making tabouli. I didn't measure a thing, but added ingredients to taste. It's fantastic to eat it by scooping it up into a lettuce leaf. Also tasty on a spoon!
Wheat Bulgar (traditionally little is used, I like to add extra)
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Mint (I use 2x as much parsley as mint)
Diced Tomatoes (I like to use cherry tomatoes)
Sliced Scallions or Onions
Olive oil
Lemon juice or juice of one fresh lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional)
I finally went out and took the first harvest from the plants this week. The plants have yielded a large haul so far, and I realize I am going to have to find several uses for the parsley to both eat it fresh, and keep it over the winter.
I'll be freezing some. Parsley is easy to freeze, and doesn't need blanching in order to do so. It won't be crisp when you defrost it, however it's great for adding to soups or any other cooked dish. Hang parsley in a dark, dry area (or bake it at 100*F) to dry it out and keep it as a dried herb. I did this with my harvest last year, and my husband was amazed at the flavour our dried parsley had. No way we could go back to the store bought stuff yet. But it's early in the year and I'm craving fresh garden greens. I never thought I'd get some at the start of May! In addition to my parsley, I have quite a lot of mint growing in the same garden. It struck me that I could make a tabouli salad out of it!
Here is a general guide to making tabouli. I didn't measure a thing, but added ingredients to taste. It's fantastic to eat it by scooping it up into a lettuce leaf. Also tasty on a spoon!
Wheat Bulgar (traditionally little is used, I like to add extra)
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Mint (I use 2x as much parsley as mint)
Diced Tomatoes (I like to use cherry tomatoes)
Sliced Scallions or Onions
Olive oil
Lemon juice or juice of one fresh lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional)
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Where the wild foods are
I love spring in Ontario. Everything around me has just ended it's winter slumber, ready to burst forth for another green summer. The ground is wet, and the woods have an earthy, loamy scent. When I'm brave enough to traverse the mud, I'll stand there for a few minutes, just smelling the earth.
Our first foods start showing up at this time of year, including some foragers favourites. There are three that I get particularly excited for which grow wild in my area: ramps, fiddleheads, and morels.
Ramps
Commonly referred to as Spring Leeks at the market, also known as: Wild Leek, Ramson, or Spring Onion. As it's Latin name indicates - Allium tricoccum - it has a garlic-like flavour which makes it a nice addition to spring meals. Ramps have long, broad green leaves, a burgundy coloured stem and a white scallion-like bulb. The entire thing is edible. I enjoy chopping it up and adding it to a sautee, or grilling them to include in a vegetable dish. You'll find them on wooded slopes, and probably need a tool to help dig them up whole.
Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads are young ferns which have not yet uncoiled. Commonly found near water in wooded areas in early spring. I've seen debate about which kind of ferns you can eat. Most sites will indicate you should stick to the Ostrich fern only, however there is a family of ferns very similar and before they are uncoiled, it's difficult tell if it's an Ostrich fern or not. I get my fiddleheads from a local Mennonite farmer. When I asked him how you can tell which are edible, he said he'd pick any from that particular family. You don't want the ferns that have started to uncoil, as they tend to be bitter. You need to wash them well, and remove the brown papery cover from them. Everyone has their preferred way to cook these. I like to boil them until they are fairly well done, which helps to make sure I've gotten all the grit out of the uncoiled fern and makes them easier to digest (you can't eat these raw). Then I'll sautee them in garlic and butter. Delish!
Morels
I went camping one day and spotted a bunch of morels. Because I was completely inexperienced with wild mushrooms at the time, I just took a picture and left them behind. Had I known for sure, we'd have dined on a classic wild dish. Morels have a deep, woodsy flavour to them, and they are absolutely irresistible to foragers. You can find people who will sell them, and they aren't particularly cheap but they are completely worth it. Since they often grow in sandy areas, you have to clean them carefully, or you'll find yourself dining on the tastiest grit ever. You can't over clean these - trust me. Start by putting them into a dry towel while they are dry, then shaking them around in there to try to knock dirt out of them. Next soak them in salt water for quite a while (will also help to get rid of critters up inside). I nibble a piece to test the grittiness. When I finally get them clean I often slice them in half lengthwise, and sautee them in butter then eat them as is. Dried morels are good, easier to use because they are cleaned already, but nothing beats a fresh morel.
Because they are wild foods, please do not go foraging if you are inexperienced. I buy all three of these foods at my local market. I'm asking them and learning about the foods, so hopefully I can forage for my own one day.
What the Wild Meal was
Of course, with this selection of wild treats we had to have a wild meal. I sauteed the ramps and fiddleheads with garlic and butter for a large, green sidedish. The morels were sauteed and presented alone, I think first morels of the year need to be appreciated for what they are. Lastly, to accompany our wild veggies, we had local wild boar sausages that we picked up from a local meat store.
Our local, wild, spring-time meal.
Our first foods start showing up at this time of year, including some foragers favourites. There are three that I get particularly excited for which grow wild in my area: ramps, fiddleheads, and morels.
Ramps
Commonly referred to as Spring Leeks at the market, also known as: Wild Leek, Ramson, or Spring Onion. As it's Latin name indicates - Allium tricoccum - it has a garlic-like flavour which makes it a nice addition to spring meals. Ramps have long, broad green leaves, a burgundy coloured stem and a white scallion-like bulb. The entire thing is edible. I enjoy chopping it up and adding it to a sautee, or grilling them to include in a vegetable dish. You'll find them on wooded slopes, and probably need a tool to help dig them up whole.
Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads are young ferns which have not yet uncoiled. Commonly found near water in wooded areas in early spring. I've seen debate about which kind of ferns you can eat. Most sites will indicate you should stick to the Ostrich fern only, however there is a family of ferns very similar and before they are uncoiled, it's difficult tell if it's an Ostrich fern or not. I get my fiddleheads from a local Mennonite farmer. When I asked him how you can tell which are edible, he said he'd pick any from that particular family. You don't want the ferns that have started to uncoil, as they tend to be bitter. You need to wash them well, and remove the brown papery cover from them. Everyone has their preferred way to cook these. I like to boil them until they are fairly well done, which helps to make sure I've gotten all the grit out of the uncoiled fern and makes them easier to digest (you can't eat these raw). Then I'll sautee them in garlic and butter. Delish!
Morels
I went camping one day and spotted a bunch of morels. Because I was completely inexperienced with wild mushrooms at the time, I just took a picture and left them behind. Had I known for sure, we'd have dined on a classic wild dish. Morels have a deep, woodsy flavour to them, and they are absolutely irresistible to foragers. You can find people who will sell them, and they aren't particularly cheap but they are completely worth it. Since they often grow in sandy areas, you have to clean them carefully, or you'll find yourself dining on the tastiest grit ever. You can't over clean these - trust me. Start by putting them into a dry towel while they are dry, then shaking them around in there to try to knock dirt out of them. Next soak them in salt water for quite a while (will also help to get rid of critters up inside). I nibble a piece to test the grittiness. When I finally get them clean I often slice them in half lengthwise, and sautee them in butter then eat them as is. Dried morels are good, easier to use because they are cleaned already, but nothing beats a fresh morel.
Because they are wild foods, please do not go foraging if you are inexperienced. I buy all three of these foods at my local market. I'm asking them and learning about the foods, so hopefully I can forage for my own one day.
What the Wild Meal was
Of course, with this selection of wild treats we had to have a wild meal. I sauteed the ramps and fiddleheads with garlic and butter for a large, green sidedish. The morels were sauteed and presented alone, I think first morels of the year need to be appreciated for what they are. Lastly, to accompany our wild veggies, we had local wild boar sausages that we picked up from a local meat store.
Our local, wild, spring-time meal.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Soup for a sicky
Although we're relatively healthy, the flu caught up with my husband. At this point I am praying to just about every god I can that I don't get it, since he spent the entire night and part of today physically expressing his illness (so to speak... the least I can do is to be polite since this is supposed to be about food).
It started when we were out of town, and it's funny how powerless I felt to help him without my kitchen nearby. I know the healing power of food and herbs.
Finally when we came home, I made a soup that would nourish my husband and settle his stomach, and as well would boost both of our immune systems.
I added two cartons of organic chicken broth, one and a half BULBS of garlic (and if I had more I might have used it), a large handful of fresh parsley (chopped). To it I added about 2 tsp of fennel seeds in a tea diffuser. The whole thing was cooked for quite a while. I had a few cupfuls and he's had some which was finely strained.
There is magic in cooking, and there is energy in all the foods we eat. I think it's an excellent compliment for any foodie to have some working knowledge not only about the taste but of the medicinal values of many herbs/foods.
It started when we were out of town, and it's funny how powerless I felt to help him without my kitchen nearby. I know the healing power of food and herbs.
Finally when we came home, I made a soup that would nourish my husband and settle his stomach, and as well would boost both of our immune systems.
I added two cartons of organic chicken broth, one and a half BULBS of garlic (and if I had more I might have used it), a large handful of fresh parsley (chopped). To it I added about 2 tsp of fennel seeds in a tea diffuser. The whole thing was cooked for quite a while. I had a few cupfuls and he's had some which was finely strained.
There is magic in cooking, and there is energy in all the foods we eat. I think it's an excellent compliment for any foodie to have some working knowledge not only about the taste but of the medicinal values of many herbs/foods.
Monday, 16 November 2009
My current autumn staple
I love apples. One of the wonderful things about autumn is all of the apple products that show up in the local markets again. From tart to sweet, green to red, apples are a staple of Ontario autumns.
I bought seven pounds of Honeycrisps last week. It's a type of apple I am still fairly new to eating this type of apple, and the taste is simply delicious. They are an apple's apple! With McIntosh's and Honeygolds in their family tree, someone's taken the time to create what is (for me) a perfect tasting apple.
This week's favourite way to serve this apple - in apple sauce.
The night before work I make up my lunch and snacks for that day. I've been making apple sauce from putting two honeycrisp apples, a dash of cinnamon and a splash of lemon juice into my magic bullet. It saves well for about two or so days and may brown a bit, but the lemon juice helps to preserve it.
My second favourite apple dish of the season - apple crisp.
There are as many apple crisp recipes out there as there are the people that bake them. My very basic apple crisp involves chopping apples for the base which I may or may not lightly coat in sugar first (I opt out if trying to cut back on sugar). For my quick apple crisp I use 1/2 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of brown sugar (can cut back to 1/4 for a lighter option), 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour 1/4 of butter. I mix my crumble by hand, religiously, then spread over the top and bake at 200C for 40mins. I'll also try baking it at a higher temperature (maybe 240C?) for about half the time, then shutting the heat off and allowing the ambient heat to do the rest.
Mmm. Apples.
I bought seven pounds of Honeycrisps last week. It's a type of apple I am still fairly new to eating this type of apple, and the taste is simply delicious. They are an apple's apple! With McIntosh's and Honeygolds in their family tree, someone's taken the time to create what is (for me) a perfect tasting apple.
This week's favourite way to serve this apple - in apple sauce.
The night before work I make up my lunch and snacks for that day. I've been making apple sauce from putting two honeycrisp apples, a dash of cinnamon and a splash of lemon juice into my magic bullet. It saves well for about two or so days and may brown a bit, but the lemon juice helps to preserve it.
My second favourite apple dish of the season - apple crisp.
There are as many apple crisp recipes out there as there are the people that bake them. My very basic apple crisp involves chopping apples for the base which I may or may not lightly coat in sugar first (I opt out if trying to cut back on sugar). For my quick apple crisp I use 1/2 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of brown sugar (can cut back to 1/4 for a lighter option), 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour 1/4 of butter. I mix my crumble by hand, religiously, then spread over the top and bake at 200C for 40mins. I'll also try baking it at a higher temperature (maybe 240C?) for about half the time, then shutting the heat off and allowing the ambient heat to do the rest.
Mmm. Apples.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Food Network Facebook Foodie Face-off: Frittatas
This morning, Food Network Canada on Facebook had a foodie challenge in honour of Clean Out Your Fridge day. Create a frittata, give it an interesting name, put up a picture and add a description.
This was my entry:
Local Yolks: Saving the world, one frittata at a time
A frittata featuring all-local ingredients: free range eggs, smoked cheddar cheese, sliced portobello mushrooms, green onions from our CSA, and fresh cut basil from my windowsill. Topped with grated caramelized onion cheddar.
Served with a local Spelt bread from Golden Hearth Bakery.
Husband's reaction (direct quotation): "My love, this tastes grand"
This was my entry:
Local Yolks: Saving the world, one frittata at a time
A frittata featuring all-local ingredients: free range eggs, smoked cheddar cheese, sliced portobello mushrooms, green onions from our CSA, and fresh cut basil from my windowsill. Topped with grated caramelized onion cheddar.
Served with a local Spelt bread from Golden Hearth Bakery.
Husband's reaction (direct quotation): "My love, this tastes grand"
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Looking back at the summer's foods
I don't have many readers, but somehow I still feel awfully bad about not posting for a few months. Yes, I can make the excuses.... "Life got away from me", "It's a busy time of year" or whatever, but really I just have to move past the need to give reason and get back to food.
It's been a really fabulous year of food exploration for my husband and I.
The local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program we were a part of
has recently ended, and we can truly look back at the season with both
satisfaction and accomplishment. Satisfaction in both the amount and
quality of the foods we received, as well as for the people we had a chance
to meet through the program. Accomplishment because of the fact that we
managed to eat, or freeze nearly all the food we picked up this year.
A few years back we joined a similar veggie-basket program for the very
first time. A little ambitious and maybe over excited, we soon found
ourselves to be a little in over our heads. We just weren't prepared for
all the work that would be involved with all the vegetable matter which
soon descended upon our household. The first few weeks it was cute.
Packaging things away into the fridge, and mostly forgetting about them.
Eventually, the veggie overload began to take it's toll and pound upon
pound of vegetables began to rot. By the end of that summer, we'd started
to get the hang of it, and had even began to freeze a few things, but the
amount of food we wasted was astounding. We also acquired two very
important things as a result of this experiment: (1) a composter for all
the veggie waste we produced since we're not in a green box program and (2)
that Tupperware fridge smarts will literally save you hundreds of dollars
worth of produce. If you take no other tip from me, take the Tupperware
one, it's completely worth it.
So, with Tupperware and composter in hand, we head into this year's CSA
program ready for the challenge. Aside from the waste produced in preparing
the vegetables, we wasted next to nothing over the course of the summer,
and what did go to waste is making beautiful, rich compost for my garden
for next year.
Speaking of gardens, I'll call my veggie/herb garden a success, even if it
didn't yield a high crop. We live in a small townhouse and I am limited to
the space I have for gardening, as well as the sunlight available. But I'm
learning quickly and my garden is getting better and better every year.
This year's local growing season, however, left quite a bit to be desired.
Lots of rain, and little sun. I've also had an ongoing disagreement with
the squirrels and chipmunks in our area. They think they should be able to
dig into whatever they please, and even better would be to nibble on the
roots of my tiny little fledgling plants. I just don't agree with their
logic and have been looking for any solution to stop them. Best idea ever -
Blood Meal. Thanks for a friend for that one. Not only did it keep the
critters out, it helped my plants grow and grow and grow and grow....
So I had a lush and full garden this year. I did the entirety of my herbs
and veggies in pots (and a recycling bin) in my back yard. Crowded together
on the side of the yard that gets the most sunlight. Tomato vines completely
covered my fence, and it was beautiful to look at. The herbs had a high yield
this year, and I did manage to get some vegetables. A little broccoli, few
eggplants and zucchini, handfuls of tomatoes, parsley roots, and cucumbers.
All tasted amazing. Completely satisfying.
We didn't hit the farmer's market as much as I might like, but there wasn't a
lot of need based on the vegetables we were receiving.
A great summer. Tasted some new things, and ate tons of fresh local foods.
Autumn is one of my favourite seasons, when squash and leeks are abundant.
I've made a handful of squash soups so far this fall, with various squash, and all
have been simple and easy. Basic concept - organic/high quality broth, cooked
squash, onions and other savoury foods to your taste, add spices then blend.
Add greens or other things to it at the end and eat. Let it warm your belly and
make you feel good. Or throw together a potato leek soup. Similar concept, but
switch the ingredients. You get the idea. I never used to be a soup person, but
something about the cool air of autumn allows me to enjoy a steaming bowl of fresh
homemade soup.
Mmm... now I'm craving some soup.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
I love my Magic Bullet!
Have you seen the Magic Bullet?
I am normally not a product snob, but I love my Magic Bullet. A friend bought me one for my birthday this year, and I've used it non-stop for the past few weeks.
Not only does it do great fruit smoothies, but it came with a juicer attachment that I am in *love* with.
I said it. I love the juicer attachment.
It's provided me with a new way to use some of the vegetables from our weekly local CSA program. Today's veggie juice was carrots, a beet, and a cucumber. Yum! I've even found swiss chard to be a yummy juice. And I've always heard having one green drink a week is good for you.
Back to the Magic Bullet. When I make fruit smoothies, I serve them right in the cups I blend them in, so it's easy to make a couple up for my husband and I in the morning.
Tonight I made up a quick apple sauce with a raw apple (skins on), lemon juice and cinnamon. Put a lid on it, and left it for my lunch tomorrow.
Love it.
I am normally not a product snob, but I love my Magic Bullet. A friend bought me one for my birthday this year, and I've used it non-stop for the past few weeks.
Not only does it do great fruit smoothies, but it came with a juicer attachment that I am in *love* with.
I said it. I love the juicer attachment.
It's provided me with a new way to use some of the vegetables from our weekly local CSA program. Today's veggie juice was carrots, a beet, and a cucumber. Yum! I've even found swiss chard to be a yummy juice. And I've always heard having one green drink a week is good for you.
Back to the Magic Bullet. When I make fruit smoothies, I serve them right in the cups I blend them in, so it's easy to make a couple up for my husband and I in the morning.
Tonight I made up a quick apple sauce with a raw apple (skins on), lemon juice and cinnamon. Put a lid on it, and left it for my lunch tomorrow.
Love it.
Veggie and lentil stew
I had an afternoon to putter, and a fridge full of veggies from our CSA. It's a cool day, so my first thought was stew!
I used a little beef bouillon, chopped carrots, turnip, kohlrabi, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, and garlic with tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, lentils and (fresh off the cob) corn. Salt and pepper to taste.
Nom! Should be a warming treat when it's done simmering.
I used a little beef bouillon, chopped carrots, turnip, kohlrabi, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, and garlic with tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, lentils and (fresh off the cob) corn. Salt and pepper to taste.
Nom! Should be a warming treat when it's done simmering.
A simple afternoon save-the-spinach soup recipe
I opened the fridge today to find out that it got turned up and was very cold. That meant frozen spinach, that I knew would simply liquefy when thawed out. Quick.... a soup to save the spinach!
I didn't have any butter, so a roux was out. Damn. I started with a half milk, half water base. I added garlic, spinach and a ramp (spring leek) pesto made in the spring. Then some fresh basil leaves, a quick cook and a puree with my hand-held blender.
I used some flour (whole wheat) and water and cooked the soup down to thicken it. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Eat.
I didn't have any butter, so a roux was out. Damn. I started with a half milk, half water base. I added garlic, spinach and a ramp (spring leek) pesto made in the spring. Then some fresh basil leaves, a quick cook and a puree with my hand-held blender.
I used some flour (whole wheat) and water and cooked the soup down to thicken it. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Eat.
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