Creamy Zippy Strawberry Ice Cream

Alison on Instagram (who says she isn't sweating the small stuff) also says she wants to make strawberry ice cream.  Her neighbourly voice from my Instagram feed was a forceful reminder of why I started to blog in the first place.  To share my love for food, ideas about food and successful recipes.

Along the way I played with prose and photography but at the end of the day, none of it affects how good food can taste if you have helpful instructions and a solid recipe.

So Alison, here you go and I hope your day in the berry patch is full of red.

I started with a recipe by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez from Gourmet Magazine June 2001 and made the modifications that suit my tastes.  I was attracted to this recipe because it used whole eggs instead of a high number of egg yolks as I have seen in other recipes and have used before.  It was time to give this idea a try.

The berries I used were purchased from Shouldice Farm 3 days before and were still in good shape. I had washed, cleaned and cut them right away.  They were stored in the fridge in a glass bowl (without sugar) covered in plastic wrap which meant they kept well. Because I bought 4 litres of berries, I knew I wanted to do more than eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I'm glad I tried ice cream.

I measured out about 3 cups of my prepared berries for this recipe which resulted in about 1 1/4 cups of purée.  More details in the recipe.

I was diligent about using my Thermapen along the way to make sure my base custard didn't cook too long.  That spells disaster as the eggs will curdle if they get too hot.  Also I made sure that the mixture going into the ice cream machine was super chilled. It was between 40F to 45F (4C to 8C).

I decided to skip the big lemon flavour and opted for adding in a balance of vanilla and balsamic vinegar.

The ice cream machine is a home machine by Cuisinart with a double-insulated freezer bowl.

Good luck and thank you Allison for the nudge to get me to write up this recipe!  It's a keeper for me.

CREAMY ZIPPY STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
Yields 5 cups

Ingredients:
CUSTARD
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vanilla sugar**

STRAWBERRY PURÉE
3 cups trimmed and quartered strawberries
1/4 cup vanilla sugar**
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Method:
Combine the cream and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium low heat.  Once it starts to bubble remove it from the heat.

As the cream is warming, whisk eggs with 1/2 cup vanilla sugar in a medium bowl (glass or metal - not plastic).  Use a hand mixer on low if you prefer.  Add the hot milk in a slow stream, whisking quickly.  That helps to bring up the temperature on the eggs without overheating the eggs. The official term is 'tempering'. (Tip: when you have the top edge of the pot on the top edge of the bowl as you do the slow pour, it helps to control the pour and avoids spillage.)  Pour the egg/cream mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  The magic temperature you are shooting for is 170F.  No more or you will curdle the eggs.  Do not let it boil.  The custard will thicken slightly. Watch the heat!

Then pour the heated custard through a fine sieve into a metal or glass bowl (not plastic!).  This is important to get out egg bits and vanilla bean bits.  You want a really creamy ice cream, right?  If you have the patience of Job, go ahead and cool it at room temperature and then chill it in the fridge for most of the day to get it to 4C to 8C.  If you have the lack of patience that I do, then put ice cubes with some water in a bowl and place the bowl of custard on ice, stirring until it is chilled.  It will likely still need some time in the fridge. Sorry about that. But at least you won't be waiting forever.

You can make the strawberry purée before or after the custard. Whatever suits your kitchen ballet.  It too needs to be super chilled.  Purée approximately 3 cups of prepared strawberries with 1/4 cup vanilla sugar, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.  I have a VitaMix and it is a dream for this job.  Force the purée through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.  You need 1 1/4 cup of  purée for this recipe. Put in a bowl and cover with saran wrap.  Again, I had no patience to do the fridge chill so I popped it in the freezer for about an hour.  When it hit 4C I mixed the strawberry purée with the custard.  Again, I knew I was all set when the temperature of this strawberry custard mixture was between 4C and 8C.  Gawd bless the Thermapen.  One of my most favourite kitchen gadgets.  It will definitely help you to not sweat the small stuff.

Now get that ice cream machine set up.  The double-insulated freezer bowl needs to be completely frozen.  I have it in the freezer overnight as a minimum. Start it up and pour the strawberry custard with care through the top opening.

The ice cream should be ready in about 20 minutes  Today it was just shy of 20 minutes.  You will hear the machine start to lag when it is getting close. It is important that it doesn't start to completely freeze but it should move like VERY slow moving lava.  If you start to see freezing close to the edge, you're done!

Pour the prepared ice cream into an airtight container.  I prefer a shallow container to give me even freezing in a hurry. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the ice cream before putting on the lid to avoid crystals forming on the top. I had the ice cream in the freezer for 3 1/2 hours before serving.

Ice cream keeps for one week.  I feel a bit silly saying that! ;-)

** My vanilla sugar is regular granulated sugar that houses my old vanilla beans that have had the seeds removed for other recipes.  The used vanilla beans infuse their flavour into the sugar. (If I didn't have vanilla sugar on hand I would have put a vanilla bean in the cream as it was heating.  Another alternative is putting pure vanilla extract in the custard after it has heated to 170F.)

Phyllo Tart with Ramps, Tomato and Cheese

A phyllo tart is an attractive dish for entertaining and it's also exceptionally versatile when mixing flavours and styles.  I recently created a Leek, Asparagus and Mushroom Tart for Edible Ottawa magazine's May issue. Today's lunch was a take on this tart with a change up to the cheeses I used and the vegetables for decorating.  This tart was even easier since I didn't do a full filling 

Tarts like these can be used as a starter course for a dinner party, a main component on a lunch plate or even cut into multiple pieces to serve as hors d'oeuvres.

Enjoy your launch into spring entertaining.

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY

3 sheets of phyllo pastry

1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

FILLING

3 oz Fontina cheese, thin slices

2 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 small ramps

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

3 oz small tomatoes, halved

salt and pepper

olive oil

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut 3 sheets phyllo in half crosswise. Brush melted butter and a touch of mustard on each sheet and overlap so that the sheets are staggered lengthwise and can cover a 14-inch by 4 to 5-inch tart pan.

Place into the tart pan and pleat in the edges.

Place the Fontina cheese into a single layer on bottom of the tart. 

Chiffonade the leaves from 3 of the ramps. Thinly slice their bulbs. Sprinkle half of the prepared ramps over the Fontina cheese. As well, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the fresh thyme.

Layer on the shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on the remaining prepared ramps and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme.

Feel free to adjust the amount of ramps and thyme you want to use according to your tastes.

Place a whole ramp decoratively over the cheese.  Arrange the tomato halves around the ramp.

Season with salt and pepper and lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the phyllo is golden and the cheese has melted and is showing colour. Check after 20 minutes to see if it should be covered with foil for the remaining time.

Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Mrs. W's Mean Cottage Casserole

What makes our time here on earth have real meaning?  Whose lens do we look through when we take stock of a life well lived?  The lens of the public? Or the view from the family?  Too often we praise greatness for worldly accomplishments when one's home life was a crumbling inferno.  Perhaps that is greatness over acknowledged.  I for one, side with the view from the family.

March 2013 the world was a flutter about the New York Times obituary for Yvonne Brill.  Leading commentary referred to the fact that "she made a mean beef stroganoff" and was "the best mom in the world".  Both testaments appear to be attributed to her son, Matthew.

To the rest of the world though, Yvonne Brill was a brilliant rocket scientist and so says that NYT obit "in the early 1970s invented a propulsion system to help keep communications satellites from slipping out of their orbits."

Losing your mother is one of the most earth shattering moments in your life.  Many of us outlive our parents and must endure this pain.  This most certainly was real for Matthew Brill too.  Perhaps his mother's rocket knowledge was not foremost in his mind as he tried to soothe his broken heart.

My own mother has been gone now for more than a decade and I know in the darkest moments it was not my mother's 'accomplishments' that gave me comfort when I was pushed from my slumber with constricting grief.  For me, my days were made bearable by the tribute to her strong character, her unwavering ethnics, her sense of community, her sense of fairness, her tender caring, her highest priority to family near and far, and her genuine love for all.  For me, she was "the best mom in the world".

This past week one of my most special friends from school days lost her mother very suddenly at the age of 83.  She too lost "the best mom in the world".

Mrs. W had similar qualities to my own mother - though still quite a unique lady - which made spending time in their home such a pleasure.  I have a number of memories about her involving food. No surprise I guess.  Mrs W was active in the Scouting movement.  When I was still in high school I had the privilege to attend a Cub Camp weekend as the troop's Cook! 'Come and get it!' They ate well.

At one of the annual Scouting banquets (always catered potluck style) Mrs. W brought her Cottage Casserole.  It has a bit of an Asian flair. She had lived in Toronto before joining our farming community. This was pretty cosmopolitan cuisine for our meat and potatoes crowd and my father in particular was delighted at the new taste.  It was made many times over the years and has been adopted into the kitchens of my brothers and their children too.  Last week there was much talk of this casserole as we remembered a great lady in character but also in the kitchen.

Matthew Brill was lucky to have a very accomplished mother, who gave much to her field of science and to her country.  But, maybe more importantly, he can say "she was the best mom in the world", not to mention "she made a mean beef stroganoff"!

For Matthew, my dear friend, and me, to say we had "the best moms in the world" carries the day.  Good food was a bonus too. Rockets and the like, icing on the cake.

Although I never had Mrs. W's beef stroganoff, she sure made a mean Cottage Casserole.

MRS. W'S COTTAGE CASSEROLE
Servings: 8

2 Green Peppers, chopped
2 cups Celery, chopped
1 Spanish Onion, chopped
2 cans Mushrooms, with juice *
2 cans tomato soup, condensed **
2 lb Ground Beef
4 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
Pepper
6 oz Chow mein noodles

Sauté everything together. Save 1/2 noodles for topping. Mix well and bake at 325ºF uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve over rice.

* Real mushrooms were not so readily available at the grocery store back in the 70's.  I have moved on to the real deal in my kitchen now.  Although I made the recipe as instructed for this post,  consider replacing the canned mushrooms with 2 cups of sliced sautéed button mushrooms and 8 to 10 oz of unsalted beef, vegetable or mushroom broth.

** you might not be much into canned tomato soup but I offer no substitute.  It just wouldn't be a recipe from the 70's without it!!

Guisado de Pollo

Hello food friends!  I hope the chilly days of January have been good to you.  The commitments we have made to be better to ourselves and to others are still full of hope and promise.

One of our hopes for 2015 is to take the time to enjoy the hard work and creations of the many, many wonderful recipe developers who sweat over ingredients and flavour combinations. Then scripting them with clear and hopefully, easy to follow methods. We want to try new dishes, explore new genres and learn new techniques.

Our repertoire of Mexican dishes has true favourites and we turn to them time and time again, just 'because'. But it's time to make room for new friends.

When I saw the Guisado de Pollo recipe from Saveur, the long list of ingredients was enticing, not intimidating.  The best part was that most of the ingredients were actually in the house.

I followed the recipe to the letter. Well, almost.  There was a bit extra tomato as I had more than the required 15 ounces.  I also added the juice from my canned pineapple.  But other than that, I stuck to the script.

What did I learn? This doubting Thomas did not think the suggestion for preparing the chicken could give me tender shreds.  But who am I to question the wisdom of the Saveur engine.  It is a personal flaw I am trying to push pass. Unfortunately I have those feelings more than I would like.

Well here I am now with a beautiful Chicken and Potato Stew full of tender shredded chicken brimming in the broth.  As much as I obsess about trusting methods in the recipe, I also can go over the top when I have beyond expected success. I have a funny feeling this kitchen is going to see a lot of shredded chicken in the weeks to come. Yes, perhaps just a bit over zealous on tender shredded chicken.

The mister says this recipe is even better the next day and that he would love to have it again. Who doesn't love a 'keeper'.

The recipe for Saveur's Guisado de Pollo can be found on their website.  Here is the ingredient list to get you all juiced up.

* The beautiful artisan Country Sourdough bread in the photo comes from Bread By Us, 1065 Wellington Street West in Ottawa.

GUISADO DE POLLO (Chicken and Potato Stew)

By Beth Kracklauer and Saveur magazine

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup canola oil
1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small white onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped fresh or canned pineapple
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried thyme
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, quartered lengthwise
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into ½" cubes
4 cups chicken stock
3 sprigs epazote or cilantro
1 (15-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed
3 tbsp. capers, rinsed
Juice of 1 lime

My Own 30-Minute Marvel - Spaghetti with Sautéed Onions, Garlic and Roasted Tomatoes

Fall is firmly entrenched here in Ottawa.  The calendar says so and so says the frosty nights.  My tomato plants have given their last gasp and I am grateful for their offerings and sacrifice.

As the remaining soldiers ripen on the counter, I eventually take the most red and juicy and press them into service.  Yesterday's roasting was a combination of Romas, San Marzanos and cherry tomatoes.  The cherry tomatoes stay whole. A dribble of olive oil. Salt and pepper. 300ºF for 2 hours. Works like a charm.  Often I just lay them out in a ziplock bag after and freeze them.

The Autumn issue of LCBO Food and Drink has a classic recipe for Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe in its 30-Minute Marvels feature by Kristen Eppich.  I saw it yesterday while flipping the pages, but I wanted more than 'macaroni and cheese for grown-ups'. Not one for following recipes anyway, I treated it as inspiration for my own pasta dish.

In the spirit of being free and easy in the kitchen, this recipe has no specific measurements. I just go by feel.  It's pretty easy to make and 30 minutes might actually be a stretch. I was the only one dining in last night so it was dinner for one. Dining alone doesn't have to mean tea and toast. I dare you.

Play away and use lots of garlic. And cheese too.

Go fetch yourself a nice glass or wine and turn on the dinner music. Maybe you're dining alone but you're doing it in style.

Buon appetito!

PASTA WITH SAUTÉED ONIONS, GARLIC AND ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES
Inspired by millions.

Ingredients:
Cooked spaghetti noodles for one
Olive oil
Unsalted butter
Cooking onion, finely diced
Garlic, minced
Chili flakes
Salt and Pepper
White wine
Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Oven-roasted cherry tomatoes
Chives
Basil

Method:
Heat olive oil and butter. Sauté the onions.  It's okay if they take a bit of colour. That will just give more flavour. Add minced garlic and chili flakes and turn the heat down low. Garlic can burn easily. Season with salt and pepper.

To make a sauce in the oil and onions, turn up the heat, add the white wine and reduce.

Add the pasta (it should be slightly underdone in order to finish in the pan) and a small handful of cheese.  Combine so the pasta gets well coated in the sauce. Add the tomatoes to warm. Do not stir them in or they will break apart. You can add warmed tomatoes at plating if you are worried about them bursting apart.

When plating, incorporate torn pieces of basil. Sprinkle with more cheese and then chives.

 

The Wedge Salad Makes A Comeback

The prognosticators for food trends keep telling us that the Iceberg Wedge Salad is back. In fact they have been telling us for the past 10 years that this popularized mid-century modern first course celeb has been making its comeback!

Of late, perhaps many would give credit for its resurgence to the Mad Men craze. This American television period drama series is also acclaimed for the cocktail rebirth. But I digress.

I love blue cheese and so for me the Wedge Salad becomes another delivery mechanism for the pungent bite-y cheese.

The Wedge Salad probably fell out of favour like most things do when they become overdone, predictable and are no longer prepared with care. The fickle are then easily wooed to the next new salad sensation.

The formula for the Wedge Salad is pretty consistent - iceberg lettuce quartered, lots of bacon, tomatoes and chives for colour.  

As Shawna Wagman points out in her Trends article in Ottawa Magazine's Eating & Drinking 2014, variations in eateries around town include pickled spicy eggs, fried pig's ears, cucumber petals, crushed pink peppercorns, and even pickled carrots. 

Any reincarnation that satiated me in this century has still been quite familiar.

My latest CSA basket from Roots and Shoots Farm included a head of iceberg lettuce. Wedge was the first thing that came to mind.  

This particular head was a beautiful green with tender flawless, though quite loosely packed leaves. The iceberg lettuce I bought for my last Wedge Salad in March looked utterly anemic in comparison.

Whether you follow food trends or like food 'just because', get yourself a crisp Berg and start piling on the Blue.

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING FOR AN ICEBERG WEDGE SALAD

Inspired by many. Bon Appétit Magazine, Fine Cooking Magazine, Aaron McCargo Jr., Martha Stewart, David Lebovitz to name a few.

This blue cheese dressing handily covers 4 servings.  It makes a great dip for carrots, celery and suicide wings. Just use less buttermilk and lemon juice so it is 'stiffer'.

Ingredients:

100 - 125 gr. blue cheese, depending on your taste

4 tablespoons sour cream

3 - 4 tablespoons buttermilk, depending on your preferred consistency

2 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

a dash of sriracha

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Combine the crumbled blue cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise.  Mash the blue cheese as you stir but make sure it still has some chunks throughout.  Add the lemon juice and stir.  Add the buttermilk until you have the desired consistency.  Add a dash of sriracha and season with salt and pepper to taste.

The dressing will stiffen when fully chilled.  Have it sit out while you are preparing the plates to soften it.

Serve over a quartered iceberg lettuce, core removed.  Garnish with bacon chunks/crumble and wedges of small tomatoes.  Sprinkle with chopped chives.  Include small chunks of blue cheese if you have some leftover.

Smitten Kitchen's Best Cocoa Brownies - To Heal The Broken Hearts

When I get bad news, my first instinct is to head to the kitchen to lose myself in a recipe. Or two. Or three.

And so it was when I got the call and the first words pretty much were, "Anne, he's gone." The gut punch.  I do the mental math and the months between our ages barely matter to any statistician.  In the sadness of it all, my own mortality blankets the scene. "It could just as easily have been me. Or my mister. Or my brother..."

I don't think I am terribly unique to find refuge in the kitchen as funeral plans are formulating around another kitchen table down the road.  The burners and ovens are blazing for the usual cast of characters.  Food that can feed plenty but also freezes well. Lasagnas, chickens, chilis, stews, casseroles.  Then there are the treats.  There is a bit of irony baking up a calorie laden, sugar and butter weighted treat on such a sorrowful occasion. But desserts are tradition.  There will be company and tea times.

So this time I hit the larder to see what I had on hand and I knew I could double up a batch of Smitten Kitchen's Best Cocoa Brownies.  Chewy, dense chocolate.  Its sweetness hidden behind the deep cocoa.  Its buttery-ness married with eggs, for a firm lava. No need for icing.

A gift for you to heal the broken hearts.  From my kitchen to yours.

SMITTEN KITCHEN'S BEST COCOA BROWNIES
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

Ingredients:
280 grams unsalted butter
500 grams sugar
130 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, cold
130 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.  Lightly grease a 9"x13" cake pan and line with parchment that continues up the sides and over the edge.  The lightly greased pan will help the parchment stay in place and not fold in on top of the batter.  The overhang of parchment will help to lift the baked brownies from the pan.

Warm the butter in a heatproof bowl to almost melting using your microwave.  Add the sugar, cocoa and salt and stir. Place the bowl over a boiling water and stir the mixture occasionally until fully incorporated and the batter is quite warm to the touch.  The batter will seem somewhat grainy.

Using an electric hand mixer add the vanilla extract.

Let the batter cool to warm.  Then add each egg one at a time and use the hand mixer to blend.

Add the flour in three batches and use the hand mixer to blend.  When all the flour has been added, mix the batter for another 45 seconds on low.

Pour half the batter in one end of the pan.  Add the chopped walnuts to the remaining batter and pour into the other end of the pan.  This way your can keep your nutty fans happy and also the not so nutty.  Even out the batter with an offset spatula.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Place on a rack to cool.  Set the cooked brownies in the fridge or freezer.  When you cut into it, you will have clean edges.  Remove the pan from the fridge or freezer and remove the brownies from the pan by lifting on the parchment.  Trim the edges and then divide into squares.

It's Kind of Like That Zippy Zingy East Side Mario's Salad Dressing

Look at that splendid head of romaine lettuce from my first CSA basket of the 2014 season!  It was tender and sweet, with no hint of bitterness.  The head was solid and plentiful with many well-developed leaves.

When we don't want to do the classic Caesar salad dressing with our head of romaine, we go for something more zippy and zingy.

In our DIOK days of 'double income one kid' we sometimes caved on the way home from work and dined at East Side Mario's.  Part of the attraction was their all you could eat house salad. If I recall, it had tomatoes, olives, red onions, croutons, and a peperoncini pepper or two.  The wait staff would shred the cheese on top at your table and give a few turns of the gigantic pepper mill.  I think it was no more exciting than iceberg lettuce.  But it was the zippy zingy salad dressing that had us licking our lips.

A few years ago, I tried to find a dressing that would come close to that zippy zingy taste.  I have a yellow Post-It with an ingredient list but I have no idea where I sourced it. It appears that it exists everywhere out there. Who knows who started it. We have also doctored it a bit ourselves.  When we make this salad we use romaine instead of iceberg and we skip all the fixings, except for thin slices of red onions. That cuts down on calories and sodium.  If we need to stretch the salad, and don't have a second head of romaine, we use mixed greens.  They aren't as sturdy so if using serve as soon as the salad is dressed.

A little bit of parmesan is added to the salad when tossing but we save most of it for a showy topping, along with that quintessential freshly ground black pepper.

So here you go.  It's kind of like that zippy zingy East Side Mario's salad dressing.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE THAT ZIPPY ZINGY EAST SIDE MARIO'S SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 c. white vinegar
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped, or use dried
1/4 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped, or use dried
1/4 tsp. minced onion, or use powder
1/4 tsp. minced garlic, or use powder
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar and shake well.  This is more salad dressing than you will need for one head of romaine. It will keep in the fridge for a few days. We think it tastes better the next day.

Asian Radish Poutine - Radish Haters Unite

I don't think I would call myself a Radish Hater but I am definitely not in love with them.  The mister embraces the raw, crunchy, spicy, bitter taste.  I can take a bit of them in salads but for me they aren't a snack or a meal.

And so begins my struggle with my CSA basket as it is guaranteed to be loaded up with these bright red beauties a few times this summer. The mister is working away from home and I had a dozen near perfect radishes staring me down this weekend.  They were my last offerings remaining in the first CSA basket of the season and I was determined to give them my full respect.

In our second newsletter from Roots and Shoots Farm, they were kind to give assistance to the Radish Haters in their midst.

The recipe that they shared called Sautéed Radishes from allrecipes.ca had their own embellishments.  Roots and Shoots Farm suggested "you can add the leaves in about three minutes from the end, and serve them up with soy and sweet chili sauce. So yummy!"  

I ended up including the soy and sweet chili sauce to the pan to help wilt the radish greens. As it turns out, the heat caused a nice gravy to form.

As a final touch at plating I topped my radishes with a wedge of Cambozola cheese and voilà, Asian Radish Poutine was born.

I liked it well enough, but next time I would include sautéed spring onions to sweeten it.  This would make a great side for a beef dinner but it's probably too strong for something as delicate as fish.

Are you a Radish Hater? Maybe this is your rescue dish.

ASIAN RADISH POUTINE

Inspired by Roots and Shoots Farm and allrecipes.ca

Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 bunch of radishes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

salt and pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce

3 to 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

cheese

Method:

Remove the radish leaves and set aside any leaves that are still in very good shape. Wash the radishes and the leaves well.  Trim the radishes at each end and halve or quarter them, depending on their size.

Heat the unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the radishes face down and turn the heat to low so they can cook through as they brown.  Stir them occasionally to make sure they are not sticking or getting too brown too fast.  Season them with salt and pepper.  It may take as much as 10 minutes for them to soften.  A few minutes before they finish, add in the radish greens.

Pour soy and sweet chili sauce over the dish and heat through.  Adjust to your taste.

Plate and top with a wedge of cheese.  This time I used Cambozola, thinking I would challenge strong with strong.  Use a cheese that suits your tastes.

Lebanese Lentil Soup Marries My Roots and Shoots Farm Swiss Chard

I know little of foreign relations but I trust that all is well between Lebanon and Switzerland.  At least it is in my kitchen. My absolute favourite way to eat Swiss chard is in Lebanese Lentil Soup.  I have a few friends that make something similar and they provided the inspiration to include this dish in my repertoire.

It is a dish that is well sought after in the colder months. But knowing how the Ottawa seasons seem to include many climates, I knew I just needed to wait a few days and the scene would be right.

Yesterday, while many were considering building an ark on our dark and stormy Tuesday, I took much comfort in my Lebanese Lentil Soup, loaded up with my entire head of Swiss chard from my last Roots and Shoots Farm CSA basket. For good measure I included a few of my CSA spring onions too.

It is a big batch and kinder weather has returned.  The remainder is now in containers to be enjoyed later. It freezes so well.

SHOURABIT ADAS (LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP)
Inspired by Mary Salloum's A Taste of Lebanon: Cooking Today The Lebanese Way and two special friends that are lentil soup fans

1 pound lean ground beef
4 cooking onions, evenly chopped
2 spring onions including the greens
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup lentils
5 tablespoons ground cumin
10 cups water
1 bundle Swiss chard, chopped
12 small potatoes (cherry tomato size), halved, leaving the skin on if in good shape
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
lemon juice

Heat the butter and oil in a dutch oven. Season the meat. Sauté the beef until fully browned. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are softened.

Clean the Swiss chard and then rip the leaves from the stems.  Rough chop the leaves into manageable pieces for eating, but not too small.  Chop the stems.

Add the ground cumin and cook for 1 or 2 minutes to bring out the fragrance of the spice.

Add lentils, water, Swiss chard, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer with the lid on until the lentils are tender, say 1 hour.  I will let the soup stay on the stove on a low simmer for 3 or 4 hours to let the flavours incorporate.  Add water or broth if it needs thinning.

I find the soup tastes much better the next day.  Consider adding more cumin to your taste as the strength of cumin can vary by variety and age. Adjust the salt to your tastes too.  Potatoes take a lot of salt to cook. Finish seasoning just before serving.

When you serve it up, sprinkle a few drops of lemon the top of the soup.

Great accompanied with freshly baked bread.

Supply and Demand's Famous Kale Salad - Homestyle

Supply and Demand Kale Salad Homestyle for our Summer Solstice dinner.

It's true that I offer up Supply and Demand as one of my regular restaurant haunts when people ask me where to eat in Ottawa.  And despite their offerings on their Raw Bar and seafood selections from the mains, I seem to get permanently stuck in their veggies on the Small Plates and From The Garden section of the menu.

My most repeated dish over my many visits is their signature Kale Salad.  My visits are often impromptu and covering for me instead of cooking for myself.  The last two times I dropped in quickly for a Kale Salad and a Beet Salad. Re-energized, I was good to go.

After my harried attempt at making their Kale Salad for my Summer Solstice dinner, all I can say is, don't come to my restaurant if you want to eat in a hurry. Eating out has its benefits.

The number one rule of cooking if using a recipe is to read it through first to gather the ingredients and to absorb the instructions.  I like to live loose with recipes but I was committed to following this one to a tee.  Mainly because I already know that the space between Chef Steve Wall's Kale Salad perfection and what I could add to elevate the dish to my personal tastes is non-existent.

Had I followed my number one rule of cooking, I would have probably washed and massaged the kale sooner to allow for a proper and thorough drying.  I would have known that the already cooked bacon in the freezer wouldn't do because I needed the rendered fat to toast up the coarse bread crumbs.  And speaking of coarse bread crumbs, well they take a bit of time to make if you are starting with frozen old buns from the freezer.

What I did do right was make sure I had some fresh Manchego cheese on hand to snow peak my mountain of salad.

Although I only had the one head of kale, I made the full batch of dressing and used more the next day with my grilled asparagus in place of a gribiche sauce.  I would consider using this dressing for my classic romaine Caesar too.

Curly kale from this week's CSA basket from Roots and Shoots Farm

If you have an awesome head of curly kale like the one I had from Roots and Shoots Farm, by all means, make the much hailed Kale Salad à la Supply and Demand.  But if you are in a hurry to eat, head on down to 1335 Wellington Street West and hope they can tuck you in at the end of the bar.

KALE SALAD WITH CAPER VINAIGRETTE
Source: Chef Steve Wall, Supply and Demand
printed with permission; embellishments for my own clarity are also included

Makes 4 generous servings.

Ingredients:

For Caper Vinaigrette
3 anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons capers, plus a good splash of brine
1 large shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups canola oil, scant

For Salad
2 bunches curly kale
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 cup coarse bread crumbs
1 1/2 ounces Manchego cheese*

*Supply and Demand has also used Crotonese cheese

Method:
To make the vinaigrette, purée anchovy fillets, Dijon mustard, capers, shallot, garlic, vinegar and water in a blender or VitaMix until smooth.

Chef's Tip: Allow some caper brine to be included with the capers; it will give the vinaigrette an extra "capery" flavour boost.

Slowly add the oil with the blender running. Season with salt.  Chill the dressing until using.

Remove the stems from the kale.  Wash, then soak in ice cold water.  Using ice cubes, massage each leaf individually.  The leaves will turn a strong green.  This tenderizing process removes the leaf's stiffness and will give the kale a more lettuce-like texture.  Once the kale leaves are torn into pieces, pat dry with a towel.

To make coarse bread crumbs, place chunks of old bread in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to dry and then crumble it in your hands until you have pieces the size of small peas.

Fry bacon slices until the fat is rendered and bacon is crispy, remove bacon and save the bacon fat in pan.

Add the coarse bread crumbs to the hot bacon fat in the pan and sauté until the crumbs are golden.  Season lightly with salt.

Put the kale in a bowl for tossing.  Season it lightly with salt.  Add the bacony bread crumbs, and crumbled bacon.  Don your kitchen gloves. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and massage it into the leaves.

Place in serving bowl and top with shredded cheese using a fine microplane.

In the middle of preparing this post I had to zip out to do an errand in the village.  Dinner service had just started at Supply and Demand so I sat in for a quick bite.  Kale salad to start, of course.  Comparing this delight to my weekend effort, I think my Supply and Demand Kale Salad Homestyle was a success.

Tomato and Two Cheese Phyllo Tart

Get ready for Canada Day.  Here is your bold red party feature for your feast.

The Tomato and Cheese tart is so versatile. Because of its sophisticated presentation, it is well suited for entertaining.  You can divide it into 4 pieces as a starter portion or cut it into 8 to serve as appetizers.  I have prepared it for brunch, lunch, dinner and parties.

Although the original recipe called for two tomatoes, thinly sliced, I felt that there was too much juice coming from the fresh tomatoes, making the finished product not as crisp as I would like.  So I now use my oven-roasted tomatoes which I have in abundance in the freezer.

This tart is very forgiving on many of the ingredients. I have done different variations depending on what I had on hand.

The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped oregano.  Today I used the green parts of my spring onions.  I have also used basil before and even dollops of basil pesto.

I do like using mozzarella as my base cheese but for my second cheese, if I don't have fontina, I have used Jarlsberg.  A few drops of chèvre goat cheese would taste great too. You could also consider a sprinkle of parmesan on top to finish.

After you've made your first one, you will be brimming with ideas on how to make it your own.

Bon Appétit!

TOMATO AND CHEESE TART

Adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Baird called Easy Cheesy Tomato Tart

Ingredients:

3 sheets phyllo pastry

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 1/2 ounces (90 gr) mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

2 ounces (70 gr) fontina cheese, shredded

12 to 14 pieces of oven-roasted tomatoes

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped green onions, greens only

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil oil

salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut each sheet of phyllo in half crosswise, creating six pieces of phyllo pastry in total.  Brush two sheets with melted butter and place loosely on top of each other and then into a 14-inch x 4-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure the two sheets are not exactly aligned. Spread 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard on the top sheet in the pan. Brush another two sheets with melted butter and place loosely into the tart pan. overlapping.  Try to create a ruffled effect with the edges.  Again spread 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard on the top phyllo sheet. Brush the remaining two sheets and layer into the tart pan, continuing the ruffled effect with the edges. 

Cover with layer of mozzarella and most of the fontina cheese. Arrange tomato pieces on top, placing them close together. Sprinkle with the remaining fontina cheese as a garnish. Sprinkle with garlic, green onions and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the tart pan on baking sheet and bake in 375°F oven for 30 minutes or until phyllo is golden. 

The World's 1,170,001st Recipe for Banana Cranberry Pecan Bread - And The Best

When I searched the internet for 'banana bread recipe cranberry pecans', Google came back with 1,170,000 hits.  Make this recipe 1,170,001.  I didn't bother to read any of the other entries. I was just curious to see how ubiquitous the tried and true banana bread really is.

The foundation of this recipe starts from one that was shared with my mother by her maid-of-honour - a very special friend that had been in Canada only a few years before her but whom she counted on to show her the ropes in her new country.

Banana bread isn't very Danish from what I can tell. So it likely came into the repertoire as they began to channel Canadian and North American foods into their cooking and baking. In the very established farming community where I grew up, everybody had a family recipe for banana bread.  It was a casual cake to have on hand to serve to unexpected company and to bring to pot luck teas.  Banana bread was a classic church bread. (There are those that would confess that the best part of attending church is the food that seems to be shared a plenty.)

When I made this banana bread recently, I decided to clear out my remaining cranberries and pecans.  The end result was quite pleasing and it elevated this cake from casual to semi-formal!  I am not sure I will make it ever again without these two extra ingredients.  The cranberries really brightened the taste.

When I made the cake a second time it was to get the ingredients and method properly recorded.  There were a few requests for the recipe and I am happy to share.  Imagine! One million, one hundred and seventy thousand recipes for banana bread with cranberries and pecans and there were people that wanted mine.

BANANA CRANBERRY PECAN BREAD

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 to 4 large very ripe bananas, mashed (approx 1 3/4 cups of mashed)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice

Method:
Soak cranberries in very warm orange juice.  Set aside to steep and cool.

Grease and lightly flour a 11" x 5" loaf pan. (This loaf pan is quite large.  If you have a smaller loaf pan, consider making just two thirds of the recipe.)

Cream butter and sugar together.

Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Sift dry ingredients together and fold into batter alternating with mashed bananas.  Drain the cranberries. Mix the cranberries and chopped pecans into the batter along with the last two tablespoons of the flour mixture.

Pour into the loaf pan and even the top with an offset spatula.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in a 350ºF.

The Healing Quiche

This week I went to visit a special friend who is in the fight of her life right now.  Her pain is excruciating, affecting her mobility. Although she wants to keep active and independent, she knows accepting help from friends will be a key strategy in dealing with her health crisis.

So she welcomes any and all food as it means less strenuous work time for her in the kitchen.  She figured out pretty quickly that she would eat much better this way than if left to her own devices.  This 'people person' confesses she loves the steady stream of company that have been around to support her. She lives alone and can't get out much as medication prevents her from driving right now.  It has been a constant state of 'Open House' and she is lapping up the positive energy that is coming with it.

I showed up for lunch with a quiche and a special hearty healthy salad ready to plate.  The four hours flew by.  She did pretty much all of the talking and I listened.  Probably the way it should be.  I didn't mind.  Her tales are always so animated. She has a way of keeping the sadness at bay.

Although her prognosis seems all too gloomy, we agreed it is just as easy to stay hopeful as it is to throw in the towel too soon. We don't have to predict the future and get it right, so why not take the path of brightness.

She is convinced a happy outlook will give her extra time, as will great visits and good food.  She may not be a doctor but I totally buy into her prescription.

Now onto the details of the quiche....

Quiche should be a staple in your repertoire of recipes for entertaining.  It is timeless and the kind of dish that can be showy if you want to put some artistic flair into how you finish it off.

A quiche is a very rich dish with its pie shell, cheese, and creamy filling.  You can cut back on the calories by using a lower percent milk and less fatty cheese in lesser quantities.  I counter the richness of this dish by dividing the pie into 8 pieces instead of 6 and rounding out the plate with a very healthy salad.

I like a quiche for both practical and economical reasons.  

It is the kind of dish that can have all of its individual ingredients prepared ahead of time, making the final assembly minimal before it hits the oven. Some like to make the whole thing ahead and reheat it, but my preference is to have it fresh and slightly warm.

It is also the kind of dish that can help you move along things lingering in your fridge or pantry. A chance to be creative and step away from the rigidity of a recipe.

I follow some basic rules when preparing my quiche.

I usually do a ratio of 1 egg to 3/8 cup of milk/cream.  So for 4 eggs I use 1 1/2 cups of a milk/cream combo. Ultimately how many eggs you use will depend on the size of the quiche pan or pie plate.  If you are unsure, you can always start with a 3 egg mixture.  I prefer 10% cream and use a 2 to one ratio of cream to milk.  You can go as low cal and as high cal as you like.  I am sure there is some chef somewhere boldly using all whipping cream for the liquid.  I dare not be so rich.

I use about 6 ounces of grated cheese and I take my lead from the other flavours in the dish.  My go to cheese is Jarlsberg.  But I also like Gruyère and chèvre goat cheese.  Sometimes I mix them.  Even cheddar could do if it was Old.  I find a harder cheese works best.  I avoid the more creamy cheeses like Havarti.

I like a bit of meat like ham or bacon or even lardon.  My preference is a crumbled bacon.  I use enough to cover the bottom of the quiche as my first layer. If I use ham I cut into cubes.

I use a good sized cooking onion,diced. I like to sweat it off and bring a little colour to it.  The cooked onions must be completely cooled before going into the quiche.  I do not use garlic but this time I added two ramps, known as wild leeks.  The bulb ends were sliced and sautéed with the onions. Then the rough chopped ramp leaves were added just to lightly wilt them.

If I add spinach, I steam it first and then wring it completely dry.  It too needs to be cooled.  It helps to rough chop it so it distributes evenly.  I like to toss it with the grated cheese before adding it to the quiche so I can avoid large dark green blobs presenting through the surface of the quiche.

You could also use mushrooms and red pepper but the key is to make sure they are cooked off well before using.  Any extra moisture coming from these additional flavour ingredients means that your quiche is at risk of not setting properly.  It will still taste great but it could end up being a mess on the plate.  It could also ruin the crust from baking properly.

Speaking of the crust, I make sure to chill it well after it has been put into the quiche dish and before loading in the filling. This will help to have a nicely browned bottom to your quiche. I find this saves me from blind baking it.

Some of the ingredients were sourced locally:
Spinach - Roots and Shoots Farm
Asparagus - Acorn Creek Garden Farm
Bacon - Lavergne's
Ramps - a secret place in the secret woods west of Ottawa


THE HEALING QUICHE
Servings: 6 or 8

Ingredients:
1 9-inch pie shell
1 onion, diced, sweated and slightly caramelized, cooled
2 ramps (prepared with the onions)
6 oz Jarlsberg cheese, grated
6 - 8 slices bacon, crumbled (just enough to cover the bottom of the quiche)
3 - 5 oz spinach, steamed, wrung dry, cooled
3 spears of asparagus, slightly blanched, cut on the diagonal
10 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4 eggs
1 cup 10% cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Method:
Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the bottom of the chilled, pricked, unbaked pie shell.

Cover with the cooled sautéed onions and ramps.

Cover with the mixture of spinach and grated cheese.

Beat the eggs and add the milk, cream, salt, pepper, dry mustard and cayenne. Mix.  Then pour slowly over the ingredients in the pie shell.

Decorate the top of the quiche with the slices of asparagus and the grape tomato halves.

Bake at 375ºF for 45 to 50 minutes until lightly browned and firm.

Danish Puff - Is it American, French or Scandinavian? Or Just Delicious?

I first made this Danish Puff the summer of 1980 after reading about it in the Free Press Report on Family. (No, the recipe was not chiseled onto a stone tablet.) I had read that its origins go back to a Betty Crocker Cookbook and apparently everyone's grandmother baked it every Christmas.

As young as I was, I knew nothing of fancy terms like pâte brisée and pâte à choux - French baking techniques. Nor does the recipe make reference to these terms. They keep it simple.

We don't have this perfect coffee time treat often as it is deceivingly rich.  Today I used Stirling Creamery's 84% Butter in both components of the puff.

There is no sugar in the pastry.  It's only sweetness comes from the icing.  

In true Danish style, the almond rules.  There is pure almond extract in the pâte à choux and the icing.  The toasted blanched almonds are the crowning touch.

To share the joy and the calories, anyone who came through our door today was served a piece or sent home with one. 

Whether this pastry is American, French or Danish, it's still pretty good. Says those who came through our door today.


DANISH PUFF
Source: Free Press Report on Family June 1980

BASE:
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons water

TOP:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
3 eggs

ICING:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons water, or as needed

50 grams sliced almonds, toasted*

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Base: Measure flour into bowl. Cut in butter. Sprinkle with water and mix with a fork. Round into a ball. Chill for 30 minutes. Divide in half and pat dough onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Make two strips 12" - 13" in length and about 3 1/2" wide. Strips should be placed 3" apart. Set aside to chill while preparing the next layer.

Top: Put butter and water into a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. Turn the heat right down to low. Add almond extract. Stir in flour immediately to keep from lumping. Continue to stir until a ball is formed. Remove from heat. When smooth and thick, add one egg at a time, beating until smooth. Ensure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once the last egg has been beaten in, continue to beat for another minute. Divide in half and spread one half evenly over each piece of pastry. Bake about 60 minutes until topping is crisp and nicely browned. 

Let cool completely before icing.

Icing: Add almond extract to the powdered sugar. Add the water slowly, testing the consistency.  The icing should be runny but not so runny that it can not be controlled off the end of a spoon.  If it becomes too runny, add icing sugar.

With quick movements, create lines across the top of the pastries by drizzling the icing off the end of a spoon. Try to avoid 'puddling' the icing.  Once it is well covered, sprinkle generously with the toasted almonds.  Continue drawing lines with the icing as a way of 'gluing' the nuts to the top of the dessert.

This is best served the day it is baked.

* To toast the sliced almonds bake them in a  350ºF for 5 minutes until they turn lightly brown.