Food Day Canada 2012 - A Tribute to Canadian Farmers

[The aftermath]

Did you get a chance to celebrate Food Day Canada this past Saturday?

When Anita Stewart, strong promoter of all things Canadian on our dining plates, initiated The World's Longest BBQ in 2003, who knew the concept would still be going strong a decade later.

I was at one of those celebratory BBQs in 2003 and considering the size of the steak, we took our our show of gratitude to Canadian beef very seriously! That was one big piece of meat.


[World's Longest BBQ Dinner August 2, 2003]

Anita and her son, Brad, morphed The World's Longest BBQ event into Food Day Canada as a tribute to all Canadian farmers and all that they do to provide us with beautiful product for our banqueting enjoyment.

We have had friends in before to celebrate Food Day Canada but this year we decided to pull out all the stops. Our CSA food basket from Roots and Shoots Farm had just arrived a few days before and we had plenty to share. I also made trips to the markets for extra produce.

By contrast to our 2003 meal, 2012 was much lower on protein and high on vegetables.

There was something satisfying about putting in many, many hours of hard work as a show of respect for the extraordinary effort put in for us, particularly in this drought-ridden growing season.

We chose friends to join us that have unique loves of food - grape growers, amateur high-end chefs, and those that choose to eat great food in humble appreciation. No one knew each other beforehand, but not surprisingly, food does unite.

Our Texas heat meant that we could easily sit out for the entire evening with no fear of night dew setting in on us.

It was a magical evening. And not one photograph of the event, save the shot of the kitchen the morning after.

As we worked our way through the leftovers in the days that followed, I did manage to capture our menu from that night.

Our special thanks for our meal on Saturday goes to Roots and Shoots Farm, Butterfly Sky Farms, Harmony Organic Dairy Products, Brome Lake Ducks, Clarmell Farms, Vicki's Veggies, The Wilson Farm, Michel Diotte Farm, Portuguese Bakery, Happy Goat Coffee Company, Nanuk, Sunset, Allberry Farms, Aquafuchsia, Quebec maple syrup, Parkdale Market, The Byward Market, Herb & Spice Shop, Produce Depot, Cave Spring Cellars, Peller Estates Winery, Angels Gate Winery. And a big thank you as well to Anita Stewart and her team for their tireless efforts as Canadian culinary activists.

Bon appétit!

***

CANAPÉS

Roasted Beets, Clarmell’s Chèvre Cheese, Praline Pecan in Butter Lettuce Wrap with Maple Citrus Dressing

Salmon and Avocado Stacks

SOUP

Chilled Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

CAVE SPRING 2009 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Entrée

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Basil Pesto and Primavera Sauce

(Green onions, scapes, garlic, red pepper, zucchini – green and yellow, kale, tatsoi, Swiss Chard, tomatoes)

PELLER ESTATES PRIVATE RESERVE 2010 SAUVIGNON BLANC

SALAD

Heirloom Tomato Napoleon with Parmesan Crisps & Pea Shoots Salad

PELLER ESTATES PRIVATE RESERVE 2010 SAUVIGNON BLANC

MAIN

Potato Millefeuille with Duck Confit, Braised Red Cabbage and Jus

ANGELS GATE 2007 PINOT NOIR

DESSERT

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote

HAPPY GOAT COFFEE COMPANY Babae's Espresso Blend

Roots and Shoots Farm - 6th Week of CSA Food 2012

Despite the drought, Roots and Shoots Farm continues to deliver luscious food in our CSA baskets. Bless that very deep, new well.

The focus of this week's food will be the menu for our Food Day Canada party on Saturday evening. FDC is the brainchild of Anita Stewart, culinary activist and recently appointed Member of the Order of Canada. We made our plans earlier trying to guess what we might be receiving this week. Happily, this is going to allow us to use many of the items throughout our dishes.

Our Food Day Canada menu this year is heavy on the vegetables. There will be a wee bit of duck in one dish of our 5-course meal and also smoked salmon in one of our three canapés. This 'heavy on the vegetables' is a side effect we continue to experience as CSA shareholders. We want to use all that we have been given with care and respect. No waste.

What will you be doing with your food basket this week?


[Tomatoes] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Yellow beans]


[Basil] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Carrots]


[Cucumbers] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Garlic] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Napa cabbage]


[Peppers] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Romanesco]


[Tatsoi] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Onions] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]


[Zucchini] [In Food Day Canada 2012 menu]

If you want to learn more about the farm, the contact information for Roots and Shoots Farm is:
ROBIN TURNER
robin@rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.rootsandshootsfarm.com
www.facebook.com/rootsandshootsfarm
www.twitter.com/RootsShootsFarm

They also sell at a number of markets around the city, including the Ottawa Farmers' Market on Sunday at Brewer Park. 8 am to 3 pm.

[Disclaimer: Many have noticed that I write quite frequently about Roots and Shoots Farm. I have no connection to this business other than as a 3rd season CSA customer. My comments are my own. I do not do sponsored posts. Roots and Shoots Farm has never asked me to write about their farm. I did this post because I love their food. I receive nothing in return for waxing poetic about their great produce.]

OHPAH! Dining In Greek Style

Santorini is a member of the Cyclades group of islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It, along with islands Naxos and Paros, holds very fond memories for us from our month long trip to Greece back in the late 80's.

And so when BBQ season hits, it is inevitable that a request will go out for the full Greek experience. That request was 'delivered' yesterday when I realized that the 'soon to expire' plain yogurt was best transformed into 'we can't stop dipping' Tzatziki. And so last evening's grocery run incorporated the ingredients we needed to go Aegean. [Yikes, I forgot to get olives, though.]



Shortly after our return from Greece I decided to try my hand at Tzatziki. I found a great recipe in The St. Lawrence Market Cookbook by Anita Stewart. The authors Pat, Effie, and Alex Stroutzas were from Alex's Cheese at the St. Lawrence Market, Toronto. Google tells me that Alex Stroutzas is still in the market and the place is now called 'The Adventures in Cheese'.









TZATZIKI

2 cups Plain Yogurt
1/2 Cucumber, peeled, finely grated and drained
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt

Line a colander or a sieve with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Pour in the yogurt and allow it to drip for 2 hours or overnight.

After the yogurt has drained, combine it in a small bowl with cucumber and the garlic. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until just before serving.

While the meat is barbequing, drizzle the olive oil over the surface and without stirring, sprinkle on the salt. It needs no mixing - your guests will do that when they dollop it into their souvlaki.

The recipe makes about 1 cup.

***

I have no idea where I found the recipe for the Pork Souvlaki Kabobs. But it too has been with us since shortly after our trip. I prefer to use fresh herbs over the dried.







PORK SOUVLAKI KABOBS

1 1/2 lbs pork loins, lean, boneless, Shoulder Butt Loin
1/4 cup Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp Mint Leaves, Dried
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Hot Pepper Flakes

In a glass bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, mint, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Mix well. Add pork cubes and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature 1 to 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Thread pork onto 6 or 7 skewers. Place skewers on greased grill over medium hot coals; grill 6 minutes each side, turning once. Serves 4.

***
And what is Greek dining without the traditional Greek Salad. There are so many good recipes out there to give you inspiration. But don't forget the olives!






The Lemon Roast Potatoes recipe was an unusual find. I was flipping through the newly published Canadian Living Country Living cookbook in 1995, fully expecting every rural recipe known to farming to be bound together. When I read the ingredients for these potatoes, I realized that I could relive my Greek culinary experience one more time.







LEMON ROAST POTATOES

Lemon juice and oregano make these melt-in-your-mouth potatoes the perfect accompaniment to roast lamb or chicken.

4 lbs Potatoes (8 - 10) peeled
1 cups Water
1/2 cups Lemon Juice
1/3 cups Olive Oil
3 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Pepper

Cut potatoes lengthwise into thick wedges; place in 13 x 9 inch (3 litre) baking dish. Whisk together water, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper; pour over potatoes, turning to coat evenly.

Bake in 325ºF (160ºC) oven, gently turning occasionally to keep potatoes well moistened, forabout 2 hours or until potatoes are very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. 8 generous portions.

***

As the souvlaki is coming close to completing its grilling, we like to heat up some Greek pita bread to complete the meal. A light brush of olive oil gives flavour and keeps it moist. A quick turn on each side and that is enough to wake it up.



It was so nice to return to the islands tonight.