Roots and Shoots Farm - 4th Week of CSA Food 2012

As I carefully stored away this week's CSA food basket from Roots and Shoots Farm, it reminded me of thoughts I shared on a recent CBC Fresh Air interview regarding the whole business of Community Supported Agriculture.



Listen: (Runs 10:27)

I confessed to having romantic notions for choosing to become involved in this fast growing food trend of joining my dinner plate to a local farmer's field. Roots and Shoots Farm's CSA program has grown from 60 shares to 200 shares in 3 years time. The Westboro location is their keenest market.

Those romantic notions do loom large. I grew up on a farm and I have wonderful memories of our gigantic garden. The rows of rainbow colours, producing to overflowing. Beautiful specimens eaten raw or cooked up for that night's dinner. The excess then preserved, to be enjoyed throughout the winter months. Memories of perfection. Although not totally forgotten, the images have certainly dulled as to the many times we were subjected to the blights, the beetles, the slow germination, the droughts, the excessive moisture, early frost, late frost. The hale.

Lucky me. This is probably the best food basket so far since I started as a CSA member in 2010, the year this farm started. Despite investing in the risk of this farmer's venture, he still shelters me a bit from the downside that was a real part of my farm gardening days. My basket does not contain lettuce with many missing and chewed up leaves. My tomatoes do not have large blemishes. My garlic does not have rot. Severely damaged produce does not leave the farm. If things go badly, we may have smaller baskets and smaller produce, but we likely will never see the really unsightly stuff.

Good news. Our baskets so far have been large and luscious. This is in part due to the diligent work of Robin, Jesse and their faithful team to ensure the best quality comes from the field, through vigilant weeding, constant irrigation and careful planning of when to harvest. Because they have chosen to run a certified organic farm, perhaps their challenges to deliver are even greater.

This year in particular has been very hard for farmers because of the severe lack of rain. Thankfully, Roots and Shoots Farm has a well planned irrigation program.

Where the sun beats down the hardest, my lawn is burning up and taking on desert-like conditions I am so very thankful for my super juicy tomatoes, flavourful carrots and tender greens.


Tomatoes


Basil


Beets


Carrots


Cucumber


Garlic


Kale


Boston leaf lettuce


Tropicana onions


Swiss Chard


Zucchini




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: 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.]

NEW FIND: Alice's Village Cafe in Carp

Alice's Village Cafe in downtown Carp (my husband laughs when I say Carp has a downtown) has been open for 6 days. I first heard of the place from Hummingbird Chocolate Maker at the Ottawa Farmers' Market on Sunday. Her beautiful 'bean to bar' chocolate may be available at Alice's Village Cafe 'soon'. I digress, but here are Hummingbird's beautiful bars!



Always keen to explore the culinary experiences in the far reaches of Ottawa, we ventured the exactly 30 kms this morning to check them out. Although the building is shiny and new, it is styled of yesteryear and fits in well with the feel of Carp's country heritage. (They also appear to have an obsession with bikes. Something I would have tagged on urban-focused Bridgehead, and not a place whose destination transportation most likely requires a motor. Perhaps an image akin to the yesteryear theme.)



The business cards placed by the cash, shows that this is another Crystal and Dustin Therrien production. They are also the proprietors of nearby-and-much-loved The Cheshire Cat Pub. Ah, people with experience. Lots of experience. This should bode well for Alice's Village Cafe. So now this new Cheshire Cat connection has me thinking, Alice, as in Alice in Wonderland. A departure for sure from that Arlo Guthrie tune swirling in my head as we headed up Carp Road - Alice's Restaurant. Though, reflecting back on the visit, I don't see connections to either.

I am focused in my order. I have what I pretty much always have at a coffee shop. A small latte. Their sizes are 12, 16 and 20 oz. $3.50 for the small. I do fret over being flooded in warm milk and so asked for an extra espresso shot for a mere additional 75 cents. She assured me that the double shot that goes into every small cup would satisfy. She was right. (For all you coffee crazies, their machine is a La Marzocco from Italy.)

Although there were no tricky outlines of hearts, palm leaves, flying monkeys or diving swans, I was quite okay to see a covering of dark caramel-y crema. To me, that spoke 'flavour'.



I guzzled it and greedily returned for a second.



Their 'house' beans are from Equator Coffee Roasters in Almonte. The mister went for a brew of their bold Mufferaw Jo!.



But they also serve up a 'guest' bean each month as a way of showcasing local roasters. What a great idea! This month the guest bean is from the little known and very new, Kinburn Coffee Co.



You can't travel 30 kms on a country drive without tasting the treats they will no doubt become famous for. They bake everything in-house, except for the bread for their sandwiches and panini. That is Art-is-in Boulangerie's Dynamite bread. Of course.

For $3.00, the mister attacked The Big Nasty. Close to 4 1/2 inches in diameter. I just love the name. It is catchy and sassy and will easily become the talk of the town - country and city. "Oh heck, ya!"



For $1.50, I went for the 'selling like hot cakes' Lemon Muffin. We all know that muffins are just cake but lemon calls to you when the sun is high and the weather is sweltering. Did this muffin cool me down? No way. It was pretty hot stuff in each of its big puckery citrus bursts. I loved every fresh-from-the-oven bite, including the light sugary dusting garnishing it's hood.



The main seating room is expansive with 5 tables for 4, 2 tables for 2 and a center harvest table that spaciously seats 8. Facing the gazebo in the back is a small enclave with 10 sit-up bar stools for when you just want to be away from the bustle.



The yesteryear charm includes wide plank floor boards, wooden tables and chairs and walls of brick in an early 20th century reddish, rust colour. The modern touches show in such things as the eclectic overhead light fixture.



And there is that love of bikes again! I like it too!





There is multi-medium artwork adorning the walls. Many items are for sale. The artist is Dulce Tapp.



The food selection is what you would expect of a coffee shop and cafe. Every form of coffee, tea, cold drinks, which include house made Italian sodas, lemonade, Kiju juices and Boylan soft drinks.




To eat there are breakfast sandwiches, panini, potato salad and soups. As well as sweet treats of cookies, tarts, scones, muffins and, of course, The Big Nasty.







Also for sale are complementary paraphernalia such as tea pots and travel mugs. And also bags of the monthly 'guest' bean.



On a day like today, the generous front porch, with a collection of Adirondack chairs, is the spot to sit and sip and watch the happenings on Carp's main street.



Street parking is plenty, including the angle parking out front. No meters here. (Or hitching posts.)

As it is early days in the set up, Alice is only accepting cash. The new world forms of transacting money will follow in time.

They are located right across from St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, which is right beside the Carp Agricultural Fairgrounds where the Carp Farmers' Market is held each Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm. No doubt this place will be buzzing on the weekends!

Consider the Farmers' Market, the Diefenbunker, Alice's Village Cafe for breakfast or lunch and you can make a day of it. Worth the drive? You betcha.



Alice's Village Cafe
3773 Carp Road
Carp, Ontario
613-470-2233

Mon to Wed: 6 am - 6 pm
Sat to Sun: 7 am - 6 pm

Facebook: Alice's Village Cafe
Twitter: AlicesCafe
Website: www.alicesvillagecafe (content coming soon)

Strawberry Margaritas

Are you looking for a refreshing summertime cocktail? Now that many of us have packed away fresh local strawberries into the freezer, we should consider that they won't all go to pies and jams.

This strawberry margarita has a full berry taste but it also has a bit of zip from the freshly squeezed limes. Happily, not a very sweet drink, considering the hint of sugar on the rim and the simple syrup in the lime mix. The sweetness is mostly from nature. Your beautiful, freshly preserved local strawberries.


Strawberry Margaritas
Inspired by Mo'Nique and Martha Stewart

Serves 2 to 3, depending on glass size

3 Tablespoons Tequila
1 Tablespoon Triple Sec
1 cup frozen strawberries, partially thawed
1 cup ice cubes
2 Tablespoons Strawberry Sauce, or jam
5 Tablespoons Lime Mix

Garnish:
Lime
Sugar
Fresh strawberries

To prepare Simple Syrup: Combine equal portions of sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Cool. Store in a sealed sterilized glass jar in the fridge for few weeks. Simple syrup is great for using as a drink sweetener.

To prepare Lime Mix: Freshly squeeze limes. Remove seeds and keep pulp. To every 3 parts lime juice, add 2 parts simple syrup and mix.

To make Strawberry Margaritas: Run a fresh lime around the edge of the margarita glass. Dip the rim into a plate of sugar. Combine tequila, Triple Sec, partially thawed strawberries, ice, strawberry sauce and lime mix into the VitaMix (or a blender strong enough to make frozen drinks). Blend until the ice and strawberries are crushed. Pour or spoon into sugar rimmed glasses and garnish the edge with a fresh strawberry.

Roots and Shoots Farm - 2nd Week of CSA Food 2012

Roots and Shoots Farm is in high gear with their 2012 growing season. They are located south of Ottawa near Manotick Station. This year they are farming 8 acres and now have 4 greenhouses. They are certified organic. As well as being active at local farmers' markets, their CSA shares are already into their delivery cycles around the city.

This is our 3rd season participating with Roots and Shoots Farm's CSA program. Yesterday we picked up our first basket of this year. Perfect timing, as portions of the broccoli, summer squash and green onions became part of our dinner.

Here is the produce included in our basket. If you are tempted, stop by the Ottawa Farmers' Market at Brewer Park on Sunday and stock up.


Basil


Radishes


Arugula


Summer squash


Buttercrunch Lettuce


Green onions


Russian red kale


Japanese turnips (Hakurei)


Magenta Lettuce


Swiss chard


Broccoli


Garlic scapes



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

LCBO Food & Drink Magazine - Summer Issue 2012

Don't judge a book by it's cover.

If it wasn't for my bi-monthly habit, I am not sure I would have picked up the Summer issue of LCBO's Food & Drink this time around. The sand dollar cookies in a brown sugar 'sand setting' conjured up feelings of baking heat, beating sun and just plain sweaty. It seemed faded. Too beige. Too much like burnt July.

Maybe a tall, cool glass of something from the prop stylist could have grabbed me and drawn me in. I am someone who needs a big splash of vibrant colours to sell me 'summer'. So where was the colour? It was tucked inside. And, thankfully, lots of it.

Perhaps the heat is getting to me, but there were other things that seemed jarring with this issue of LCBO's Food and Drink.

In Grade Eh Wine & Cheese by James Chatto and Pat Crocker, Pat's beautiful recipes would go totally unnoticed if you didn't read every word of the article. There was no tag line with the picture, naming the recipe, to draw you in. I happen to be a big Pat Crocker fan, currently working my way through her book, Preserving. But tell me, when you were flipping through the pages, did you notice any of these?

• Chunky Fruit & Nut Biscotti
• Confit of Fennel & Sweet Onion
• Gooseberry-Melon Relish
• Dried Cherry Chutney

The cheeses chosen for the article are some of my favourite (including Lacey Grey from the now defunct Fifth Town Artisan Cheese dairy, as of early May. Darn those deadlines that are months ahead of the publication release date.) But I can't help but think that it would be more than the well-matched wine that would showcase their beautiful flavours. Pat is a true talent with preserves. Her flavour combinations can give a dish that special je ne sais quoi. Dig deep to find her recipes and do give them a try. Better yet, buy her book, Preserving.

One of the problems with a publication that comes out every 8 to 10 weeks, it is hard to know what recipes to pitch, to make sure they are relevant and timely. For produce that tends to yield on the cusp of two issues or a year that has unseasonal weather, recipes can end up in the 'wrong issue'. A real challenge for writers and editors. I was thrilled to see such coveted recipes as Stockyards Spareribs and Hardy's Pulled Pork, in Smoke Signals by Nancy Won & Lucy Waverman. I just wished that they had been in the Early Summer issue as our barbecue season has been well underway for months.

Another case of 'which issue' might also be the playlist. At the beginning of May we were prepping our playlists for the Olympics, set to begin the end of July - then months away. Meanwhile the hot weather came so early. I always look forward to what Rick Sherman and Earl Torno pull together. This time they rallied around the "sounds of summer". A hot weather classic favourite for me is (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. Check out the entire list on iTunes.

Enough of my quibbles and on to the fun stuff. Included in your cellophane is the Wine Country Ontario Travel Guide 2012. It includes a very handy Official Map of Ontario's Wine Route. Tuck it in your car now before it folds into your stacks of magazines, only to surface at the time of the great culling.

Doesn't Brenda Morrison have the best job, searching out 'must haves' for her column Inspired Ideas? With tattoos all the rage now, I wouldn't let her Signature Styles feature, a cattle style branding iron, anywhere near my 20-something-crowd on a party night! It is meant only to brand your dinner meats. The device does come with three letters. If that is your party gig, then might I suggest you consider an M and an O and an other M, when picking your letters!

Some additional recipes I will keep on my radar:

• Fresh Corn Cakes with Avocado Tartare and Triple Berry Summer Tiramisu (From On the Waterfront by Monda Rosenberg)
• Lamb Keema with Single Fry and Papas Rellena with Aji Picante (From Eats from the Street by Christopher St. Onge)

Plan ahead: The Autumn issue hits the stores in 10 weeks on Wednesday, September 5th.

Pat Crocker's Strawberry Sauce Is My New Jam

Pat Crocker's Strawberry Sauce is now my new jam. It uses very little sugar compared to conventional jams, allowing the taste of the strawberry to stand forward. She also provided depth in flavour to this creation by incorporating molasses and sweet raspberry vinegar. I think a twist of the pepper grinder would have made a good seasoning as well.

I wanted a thickness closer to jam. Sugar plays a big role in the thickening process. Where a batch of jam typically takes 6 1/2 to 7 cups of sugar, this recipe only takes 1 cup. Although she suggests that the mixture cook for 15 minutes, I kept it on the cook-top bubbling away for closer to 30 minutes. The sauce was no longer runny but a bit less viscosity than a lemon curd. It could still pour off the spoon. Not something typical of jam. This batch would have yielded 4 250 ml jars but because of the extra reduction, my sauce produced a little less than 3 1/2 jars.

Pat is also a big proponent of food safety and she is thorough in her reinforcement of proper sterilization of the jars and also the scalding of the snap lids and rings. Always use new snaps and rings when preserving.

Although my jars of sauce are going in the freezer, and I could forgo the water batch method, sterilized jars are still a critical step in making this sauce.

Pat suggests this sauce is a wonderful accompaniment for dishes like pancakes, waffles and ice cream. I think it would also work well along side duck or poultry. I am even considering it as my secret ingredient in my killer strawberry margaritas. My first taste of the sauce was a smear on top of punchy fresh Gouda cheese on a piece of Crazy Grain bread from Art-is-in Boulangerie.

Pat Crocker's book, Preserving, has been by my side since the day I bought it in late winter. Not only are there recipes laid out by the seasons, there is a wealth of information about many of the fruits and vegetables we are going to encounter throughout our growing seasons. As a very active CSA member, I can't imagine being without this book to help me to maximize the gifts in my food baskets - weather it is ensuring proper care or just using every bit of it in the most delicious way.

Thanks to Pat, her Strawberry Sauce is now my new jam.

Pat Crocker's Strawberry Sauce
[includes my small changes]

4 cups mashed or blendered strawberries that are well-ripe-to-overripe
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 packed brown sugar
grated rind and juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon fancy molasses
1 tablespoon raspberry wine vinegar (can use balsamic vinegar)

Homemade Luscious Lemonade To Beat The Heat

Today is the first full day of summer. The heat descended on this town early this year and had us reaching for a thirst-quenching drink to share as we lounged on the the patio.

Over the past few months we have squeezed many lemons and tried a number of versions of easy-to-make lemonade.

We have settled on this very simple recipe that balances the zing of a freshly squeezed lemony taste with a hint of sweetness to eventually give ease to your pucker.



Simple Homemade Luscious Lemonade

Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

1 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, with pulp
4 cups of ice water

Garnish (optional):
thin slices of lemon
raspberries

To make the simple syrup, combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-low heat. Do not stir. Let the mixture boil slowly for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

To juice the lemons, make sure they are at room temperature. Before you squeeze them, wash them in a hot water bath. This helps to bring out the juice when squeezing. You will typically use 5 to 6 lemons. Preserve as much of the pulp as you can.

To make 'ice cold water', fill your 4-cup measuring cup with 2 to 3 cups of ice cubes. Then fill up the measure with cold water to the 4-cup line. That way your ice cubes won't water down the lemonade too much. You do want it to smack!

Combine the juice, ice cold water and simple syrup in a beautiful glass pitcher. Include thin slices of lemons when you serve. Let the ice melt out a bit before serving. A few raspberries can be a nice treasure to discover at the bottom of your glass!

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...