Salmon Salad Smørrebrød Built from Local Ingredients

I keep an emergency tin of salmon handy when I have a bit of a lunch crisis. I do enjoy a salmon salad sandwich.

We often will have slices of bread in the freezer from Art-is-in Boulangerie. This time, it was their Crazy Grain bread.

Roots and Shoots Farm is keeping our crisper well stocked - lettuce, tomatoes, onions, garlic scapes.

Two thumbs up for today's smørrebrød (open-faced) sandwich! [Must be eaten with a knife and fork! It is all so civil and a great way to eat more slowly.]

Salmon Salad Smørrebrød

SANDWICH:
Slice of Crazy Grain bread
Butter (optional), but if used, must be spread right to the edge
Boston leaf lettuce
Tomato slices
Cucumber slices
Tropicana onion slices
Salmon salad (tin of salmon, real mayonnaise, salt & pepper)

GARNISH:
Garlic scape pesto
chives

Modern Day Smørrebrød - Chèvre, Avocado, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

The Danes are well-known for their open-faced sandwiches (smørrebrød). There are many tried and true recipes that have been handed down through the generations. Preserving these recipes is an important part of our culinary heritage. My food friend, Marcus, is doing a superb job of that on his food blog, Danish Open Sandwiches (Smørrebrød).

The underlying principle of smørrebrød is to provide a healthy meal, using the local delights on hand from the fridge and pantry, and allow the flavours to stand out boldly but to also complement each other. Bread is minimized and serves as the canvas. (The traditional bread used is rye bread.) Danes also take great pride in making their smørrebrød visually pleasing and much fuss is made of food styling. It is healthy, flexible, affordable and food life cycle friendly.

As is the Danish custom, smørrebrød is eaten with a knife and fork. It is considered a civilized way to approach the meal but it is also very practical as some smørrebrød can be vertically challenging.

The choices in our fridge and pantry in the 21st century, especially here in Canada, is so much more culturally diverse. It makes the possibilities endless for the modern day smørrebrød. Maybe even more favourful! (Some of the foods on today's lunch are more associated with Jewish, French, Mexican and Italian kitchens.)

Today's smørrebrød lunch was made using:

• half of a sesame bagel from the Ottawa Bagelshop, toasted
• chèvre from Clarmell on the Rideau, a nice spread to cover the bagel all the way to the edges (a smørrebrød rule)
• arugula
• avocado slices
• oven-roasted tomatoes
• salt & pepper
• sprinkling of chives

If I had pesto on hand, I would have put a smear on the goat cheese or a few dollops on the tomatoes.

The best smørrebrød shops in Copenhagen, like Ida Davidsen, have a two week wait to get a reservation.

My dream for the Ottawa restaurant scene would be to have an adventurous and creative chef embrace smørrebrød and begin Ottawa's Smørrebrød Revolution.

And please don't take as long to open as Aamanns in NYC. It has been 'opening soon' since last October. I'm still waiting...

Bacon Jam Meets The New Nordic Cuisine

For today's mid-morning feast I used my homemade bacon jam in a modern day version of smørrebrød, Denmark's open-faced sandwich. Although there are dozens of very traditional and precise constructions for smørrebrød, I have had a hard time sticking to conventional recipes.

One food blog I read faithfully is Danish Open Sandwiches (Smørrebrød) by Marcus Schioler. It is out of Montreal of all places and showcases many classic recipes of the beautiful things that go into architecting authentic smørrebrød. I am in awe at the food work he has done on the blog in just one year. It really is impressive. And inspiring.

Tending to just go with what's on hand, tastes that I think will work and a look that is attractive, I have done my own 'smørrebrød' thing when I load up layers on a sturdy bread base.

Perhaps my favourite post by Marcus would be a recent one titled New Nordic Open-Faced Sandwiches. Marcus frees me from my guilt of being reckless in my smørrebrød build. In this post, Marcus details the New Nordic Cuisine manifesto and I find out I might be okay. The most important thing to keep in mind though is to source your food locally. Already a mantra in our home, I think I am reasonably safe.

So how did I get to making bacon jam? Bacon jam is not typical Danish fare. You won't find the recipe in the century old Frøken Jensens Kogbog. However, the Danes do love bacon and it often shows up on smørrebrød in some form - the rendered lard as a spread or the crisped bacon as a layer or a topping.

Throughout 2011 I kept hearing the phrase 'bacon jam'. Anything bacon is good, right? But what really is bacon jam? What makes it jam? Is it made with fruit? My curiousity was piqued.

Then I finally tasted it. Two presentations at Savour Stratford's Tasting Tent event incorporated bacon jam into their dishes. Chef Nick Benninger of Nick and Nat's Uptown 21 in his 5 way "Porkapoluza" and Chef Sean Collins & Greg Kuepfer of Pazzo Ristorante as a topper on their arincini balls.

Shortly after that spectacular experience, I was reading that Skillet Street Food's bacon spread was being showcased at Toronto's All The Best Fine Foods where owners are supporters of the local food movement. (Though, interestingly, Skillet Street Food is American.)

But the craze doesn't stop. Since those jarred beauties have been tucked away in my fridge, a fellow food blogger, Kelly Brisson, demonstrated her bacon jam creation on a local morning show. Loblaws grocery chain is also on the bandwagon with their President's Choice Black Label Bacon Marmalade.

My prediction? Expect to see more applications of bacon jam out there in 2012. Perhaps a North American focused condiment for now. Let's see if this trend takes hold around the globe.

May I present my Breakfast Smørrebrød - Bacon Jam meets The New Nordic Cuisine.



BREAKFAST SMØRREBRØD
1 slice of Art-is-in Bakery's Crazy Grain bread
Bacon Jam, spread thickly and to the edge
Scrambled eggs made with scallions and local cream
Salt and pepper
Oven roasted tomato, chopped (I made and froze in October)
Dollop of bacon jam
Kiss of sour cream
Garnish of fresh cilantro, chopped

BACON JAM
Adapted from recipes by Martha Stewart and @Yzhalia

750 gr bacon
2 cooking onions, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup port
1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

In a large skillet, render the bacon over medium-high heat. It is easier to do it if the bacon has been cut into chunks first. You want the bacon to be cooked but not crisped. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Pour off the the rendered fat. But don't discard. It can be kept in the fridge and used for other purposes. (Wonderful for the preparation for hash browns for example. A Dane will love it as a spread on rye bread.)

Using a tablespoon of the fat, sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, port and molasses and bring to a boil, deglazing the roasty bits of bacon (the 'fond'). After a few minutes add the bacon.

Pour the bacon stew into a Dutch oven if you have a very low simmer on your cooktop or a slow cooker set to high. Leave uncovered. Cook for approximately 4 hours until the liquid is very sticky and syrupy. It may take less time in the Dutch oven.

When you think it is done, transfer the bacon stew to your food processor and pulse it until you have a consistency that leaves small pieces but is not a purée. If you feel it is too runny, return it to the skillet and bring it to a boil for a few minutes. With the sugars in the mixture, it won't take long to thicken. When you use it, you don't want it to 'run'. It should be the consistency of a 'jam'.

Fill sterilized 125 mL jars to 1/2" from the top. Seal with lids and rings that have been scalded. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

LOCAL SOURCES:

Bacon - Bearbrook Game Meats Inc. purchased at the Ottawa Farmers' Market, Lansdowne Park
Onions - Roots and Shoots Farm, Manotick Station, outside of Ottawa, purchased at the Ottawa Farmers' Market, Lansdowne Park
Garlic - Abbey Hill Farms, Richmond, outside of Ottawa

Crazy Grain Bread - Art-is-in Bakery, Ottawa
Eggs - Bekings Poultry Farm, Oxford Station, outside of Ottawa, found in many specialty grocery stores around Ottawa, including Brian's Butchery
Tomatoes - Waratah Downs Organic Farm, Iroquios, south of Ottawa, purchased at the Main Street Market

LUNCH: Working the Leftovers

Deep freezer diving uncovered a small portion of pea soup made late April. And no surprise, also a wedge of Art-is-in Boulangerie's Dynamite Cheddar, Chive & Jalapeño Baguette.

Clarmell On The Rideau - Chèvre Goat Cheese is nearing the end.

Fresh heirloom tomatoes are abound.

The homemade pesto still lives on.

Now, time for lunch for me and the mister.

LUNCH: Art-is-in Bread, Clarmell Chèvre Cheese, Quebec Tomato, and Homemade Pesto

Today's lunch drew on local and market ingredients.

Art-is-in Boulangerie's Dynamite Potato, Caramelized Onion & Fresh Dill Bread

• The Dynamite Potato, Caramelized Onion and Fresh Dill bread was bought fresh today at Art-is-in Boulangerie. I cut the 2 foot loaf into eight 3" wedges, ready to be put in the freezer. (When I use a wedge, I thaw it, cut it in half, and usually toast it.) Today's sandwich bread was toasted first.
  

Clarmell On The Rideau - Chèvre Goat Cheese

• Bought from The Piggy Market in Westboro, Clarmell Farm's chèvre goes for $29/kg. It may seem dear but the taste is pure gold. The cheese is produced at the Glengarry Fine Cheese Factory in Lancaster, Ontario using a 100% goats milk from the Mussell family's farm. Many think this is the finest chèvre for miles around, including Savvy Company! I can easily agree. I have also seen Clarmell cheese down in the Byward Market at the stall for Bekings Poultry Farm. It is also available at the Ottawa Farmers' Market at Lansdowne.
  

Farm grown tomatoes from Quebec

• We were at the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal on Sunday. It is said that it is frequented more by the residence of Montreal than tourists, so prices are reasonable. There were many stalls of beautiful fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. We picked up some tomatoes grown in Quebec. They have been so enjoyable as they are ripe and full-flavoured. The 4 good-sized tomatoes were $2.

Homemade Pesto

• I picked up a large bunch (weighed 12.5 ounces!) of fresh basil while at the Jean-Talon Market. It only cost $3. The bunch yielded close to 4 packed cups of basil leaves. From this I made pesto using also 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, 6 large garlic cloves (toasted and minced), few drops of lemon juice, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Garnish of Basil Leaves

• My basil leaves are from one of my basil plants from Vicki's Veggies near Picton.

The mister had the same sandwich for lunch. He used the word 'awesome'. I think my friend Marcus of Danish Open-Faced Sandwiches may say they are unconventional as far as open-faced sandwiches go, but would be pleased with the layers of texture, taste, and colour.

Can Canned Salmon Be a $12 Sandwich? The Mister Says 'Yes!'

One of the challenges of working out of your home is that the 'cafeteria' can sometimes be lacking. Lacking in ingredients. Lacking in imagination. Lacking in staff.

The dream come true is to pull yourself away from the desk, stroll to the kitchen and find that your bistro lunch awaits. Well that didn't happen for me today but it was the pleasure the mister experienced. I decided to scrounge for the ingredients. I channeled my imagination. I volunteered to be that staff.

And voilà! Two open-faced sandwiches of toasted Art-is-in Boulangerie Dynamite Cheddar, Chive and Jalapeño baguette. Blanketed in thin slices of perfectly ripened avocado. Slathered with a salad of canned salmon loaded with real mayonnaise, ramps and gerkins. Then topped with a homemade preserve of red pepper and peach relish.

For this, I charged him $12 + tax!



The $12 Canned Salmon Sandwich

1 three-inch piece of Art-is-in Boulangerie Dynamite Cheddar, Chive and Jalapeño baguette, thawed, cut in half and toasted
1 can of salmon, deboned and drained
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 ramp leaf and bulb, very finely chopped
2 gerkins, very finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Red Pepper and Peach Relish

Cover the two toasted halves of bread with avocado slices.

Combine the salmon, mayonnaise, ramps, and gerkins. Adjust the ingredients to your taste. Lightly salt and pepper. There is enough salad to generously cover 4 open-faced sandwiches.

Top each open-faced sandwich with a teaspoon of red pepper and peach relish.

Arrange artfully on a contemporary bistro-styled plate. Provide a linen napkin. Serve with love!

Smørrebrød - The Danish Open-Faced Sandwich

Well, I found my heat-buster dish for supper last night. It seemed to be the talk of the day in Ottawa. What does one prepare when the humidex is pushing 42ºC? And purely by happenstance I found my answer.

Yesterday I watched Episode #42 of MyDenmarkTV.com. (And now I have absolutely no recollection as to how I ended up there in my Internet surfs.) Chef Katrine Klinken, Danish chef, food writer and educator was on the show to talk about Danish food traditions and she also made a few smørrebrød dishes. For those of you not familiar with the term smørrebrød, it is a Danish word that stands for "butter and bread" and it refers to open-faced sandwiches, a national dish in Denmark. Although there are some very classic combinations of foods for smørrebrød, you are really only limited by your imagination. In fact smørrebrød is a very common dish in other Scandinavian countries and their word for it is quite similar.

And if you want to read more.....Karen Elisabeth Lesney, from Northern California, and of Danish heritage (and cousin of famous Danish chef Claus Meyer!), has a blog called Topless Bread that is dedicated to everything 'smørrebrød'. One of her posts eloquently describes the The Origins of Traditional Smørrebrød.

Regular readers by now know just how much I love to 'move stuff along'. I had at my service, a wee bit of baby spinach, one remaining tomato, and a leftover BBQ'd striploin steak done rare to medium rare. Tucked away in the freezer was my favourite Dimpflmeier Flaxseed Rye Bread.



Rye bread is a typical start to smørrebrød. Being calorie friendly, I skipped the butter. I just covered the bread with a heap of spinach and then weighed it down with a few slices of tomato. Since the steak had been covered in Montreal Steak Spice before grilling, I didn't bother with seasoning for the sandwich since the carpaccio style slices of the rare to medium rare striploin would carry the day. I topped the sandwich with a dressing of well-drained, prepared horseradish that had been mixed with a bit of mayonnaise.



It is worth noting that it is quite customary to eat smørrebrød with a fork and knife. A more sophisticated approach than just picking it up in your hands. And you use the fork and knife to both cut and eat, in the European manner. (Culture Smart! DENMARK: A Quick Guide to Customs and Etiquette says that eating the American style, cutting up your food first and then putting down your knife to eat just with your fork, is considered childish by most Europeans, Danes included. Wow. Bold.)

My particular smørrebrød matches really well with a tall, icy Tuborg pilsner.

SMØRREBRØD [Here just one of many combinations]

Rye Bread
Baby Spinach
Tomato Slices
Roast Beef or Steak
Horseradish
Mayonnaise