Simple Yummy Breakfast Thanks to The Locals

More often than not, our mornings start with a simple breakfast. Dairy, fruit, grains and if we can a protein. I like a soft boiled egg. Sometimes it is just a breakfast parfait and a Flat White.

I have a little white dish that, if full to the meniscus, wouldn't hold a cup of liquid. It is my favourite because of its simplicity. Because it is wee and because it is cute.

I start with a few spoons of plain yogurt. Right now we are enjoying Organic Meadow. It comes from Guelph, Ontario and can be found at Farm Boy and major grocery chains. It is a co-operative that has been operating for over 20 years. "Every time you purchase an Organic Meadow product, you are choosing to directly support small, local family farms." Of the over 100 farmers participating in their co-op, two of them have crossed my life path.

• Deb Vice of Birchwind Farm was two years ahead of me in school while I was growing up. In a small town, a two year age spread was insignificant. Everyone knows everyone. Deb has a beautiful farm on the Oak Ridge Moraine near Solina, Ontario where she and Ron have over 40 Holsteins.

• I first met Maida Edwards when she was 4 years old and knew her growing up on her family's farm near our home. It is hard to believe she is now a mom and working her own farm, Edwards Holsteins, near Westport.

Organic Meadow has done a wonderful job on their website profiling their participating farmers. Whether there is a personal connection or not, getting to know the people that make our food does affect our buying decisions.

I then load it up with fresh fruit. My favourite is bananas and raspberries.

Then I crown it with a sprinkle of granola. Right now we are enjoying one of our favourites - Siren Bakery. The flavour - Orange, Almond & Ginger. Siren Bakery is made locally here in Ottawa by Loreli Lees. She prides herself in making her product high fibre and low in sugar.



Because of my wee bowl, the parfait stays single-layered. It is the perfect portion. Almost too pretty to eat.



As for my coffee, well, I HAVE to have it. The day just doesn't move forward much without it. I like it strong. I usually take my dose in the form of a Flat White. Or at least my attempt at a Flat White. A Flat White is essentially 1 part espresso shot and 2 parts microfoamed milk. Confession. Usually a richer milk. Maybe even a milk with a bit of cream. End of confession.

I start with my favourite bean. Babae's Espresso bean from Happy Goat Coffee Company. Like butter tarts, I will be searching the world over for the best espresso bean until the day I die, I am sure.



Always searching. I suppose the compliment in all of this is that I keep returning to the Babae's Espresso bean. For two reasons. I like its strength. It is in my ballpark. But the flirty part of Babae's Espresso beans is that it has a consistently thick crema. I can seem to get good crema even when I mess up my shot.



My favourite Flat White cup holds a 2 oz espresso shot and then fills with closer to 6 oz of microfoamed milk. So more like a 1:3 ratio. There are days when I think I should throttle back on the white stuff and try to be more authentic. Perhaps I should just buy another favourite cup!



And there starts my day. Thanks to some locals.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote

A favourite spring breakfast for us is a wee bowl of plain yogurt, rhubarb and strawberry compote, and a topping of gourmet granola.

Our regular yogurt is Western Plain Yogurt 2%.

Our granola is either from Bridgehead Coffeehouse or Siren Bakery.

Our rhubarb and strawberry compote is homemade, thanks to the bounty shared by dear friends, Helen and Merrill. Because we have kept the ingredient list simple, the rhubarb stands out with all the pow that emanates from this full-flavoured stalk.

I can't get enough of it.


RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
Modified from a recipe by Canadian Living

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
6 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 strip orange rind
1 cup strawberries, diced
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Heat sugar and water together in the top pot of the double boiler but directly on heat. Once it starts to boil, add the 6 cups of chopped rhubarb and stir. Then place over a double boiler pot that has water already heated. Add the orange rind and the cinnamon. Maintain a steady gentle boil with the water until the rhubarb softens. This takes about 20 minutes.

Once the rhubarb is soft and juicy, transfer the contents to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the compote has the desired thickness. I prefer it to be pudding-like and I do not want to use a thickening agent, like flour or cornstarch. Boiling out a lot of the liquid, plus the sugar will help to thicken it. I usually simmer it for at least another 20 minutes.

Once it is to the consistency you prefer, take it off the heat, discard orange rind and add the diced strawberries. Because they are small enough, they will just cook through from the heat of the rhubarb. I like to add this bit of strawberries because it brings a beautiful red colour to the compote. Let it cool before storing it in a sealed container in the fridge.

We love this compote on plain yogurt with a sprinkle of gourmet granola. Very refreshing!

Going A Little Local Under the Christmas Tree

My recent crazy jam craving has had me finding out more about the upcoming Locavore Artisan Food Fair on December 12 in New Edinburgh.

In a discussion with Michael Sunderland of michaelsdolce, I asked when the next jam tasting may take place in town. I have a few friends I think could become easy converts to that bright, fresh, full fruit flavour he captures in every jar. And Michael's response was that he would be out in full force at the LAFF (Locavore Artisan Food Fare).

I took a look at their line-up and noticed a number of my new loves were going to be there too.

Art-Is-In Bakery: I pick up their breads from time to time at the Ottawa Bagelshop. The teenager's favourite is the cheddar jalapeno and the mister likes the fennel. I have been delighted with Art-Is-In panini sandwiches at favourite places like Edgar and Morning Owl Coffee House.

Chamomile Desjardins Hot Sauces: I have tried these hot sauces when dining at Jak's Kitchen. The sauces were were out on the table for us to doctor up our brunch as we saw fit! The teenager goes a little mad for hot sauces.

Happy Goat Coffee Company: I recently picked up their espresso beans. They call this signature blend Babae's Espresso Blend. If I was in charge of Pierre Richard's marketing department, I would be calling this blend CRAZY CREMA! I just love seeing the shot being drawn and watching the big crema float. When I was at the shop to do my pickup, I got a great tip. Cochrane Dairy's egg nog is to die for when making an egg nog latte. Who knew that egg nog could froth? And why not?

Isobel's Cupcakes & Cookies: The only cupcake place I have tried in town so far is Isobel's. Cupcakes aren't my go-to sin but I did have to give it a try since cupcakes seem to be all the rage now. I went for one that was lemony. No surprise. Everything I was expecting in fresh and curdy of the lemon kind. I have yet to master the eat and run as a snack thing. The icing is stacked SO high. So for now, my Isobel cupcakes will have to be enjoyed on a pretty china plate with a nice silver cake fork and a wonderful cup of tea. And somehow that has a way of making it prettier too.

Rochef Chocolatier: On a food crawl down St-Joseph in Gatineau this summer, we found this wonderful chocolate at La Brûlerie. So many great flavour choices. But you will find me always reaching for Dark.

Serious Cheese: Tucked away in Old Ottawa South near my hairdresser, a piece of Fifth Town cheese can seem like a nice way to top off a great hair day. Don't even get me started on their ginger molasses cookies.

Siren Bakery: I have tried all of Loreli's granola flavours. I do like how liberal she is with the cinnamon. I have a soft spot for handmade gourmet granola. For me it works perfectly on fresh fruit and plain yogurt. We are lucky to have a number of great choices in the city. One of my favourites is for sure Siren Bakery's Cranberry and Almond.

I am going Christmas shopping: I have become familiar with the products of 8 of the participants. By my way of thinking, the other 13 must be on par with them to be included in this Food Fair. I look forward to finding out more about them in this collective setting. I like the idea of moving gift giving to top quality consumables. I like that I can get some of that good shopping done on December 12th at the Crichton Cultural Community Centre. 10 am until 3 pm and admission is Free.

The Ottawa LAFF is also partnering with the Ottawa Good Food Box for this event.