Roots and Shoots Farm Party

On Saturday, Roots and Shoots had a farm party for its CSA members. We met together to celebrate the harvest and to celebrate a great season of delicious, locally grown, organic produce.

Roots and Shoots Farm is nearing the end of its first year in production and have already begun plans for next year's crop. This includes some expansion. We are now in week 13 of a 16 week program and there is still wonderful things coming from the fields.

Their farm is situated at Manotick Station on Mitch Owens Drive just west of Bakkers General Store and European Deli.





This farm tractor is a special design that allows for cultivating between the rows, allowing for regular maintenance of the fields.



Proprietor, Robin Turner gave us a tour of the farm and the fields and shared his plans for next season.




This is one of two beautiful fields of carrots planted in support of the Ottawa Food Bank. They have regular volunteers to come and weed the fields. The constant weeding and the solid irrigation at the time of seed planting has meant that they will have a healthy, bumper crop come harvest time.

The news of this program was announced earlier in the summer.




The CSA members that arrived early to the farm on Saturday, pitched in to weed their own carrots that will still be in the ground for a few weeks to come.




Robin has planted buckwheat in a few fields now in preparation for next season. Buckwheat is considered 'green manure'. It is a crop that is grown to be plowed under. Its sole purpose is to add nutrients to the soil.

Although we were not able to stay for the potluck dinner and campfire, it was wonderful to get out to meet the dynamic team that makes it all possible for its members. A big thank you to Robin, Jess, Danny and Rosalind.

Delicata Squash Soup

Both of our last two Roots and Shoots Farm CSA baskets included a beautiful delicata squash. Before doing CSA, I had never seen a delicata squash. Or at least, not to my recollection. It is an long oblong shaped squash. It has a cream coloured outer skin with green stripes. The flesh inside is golden tan in colour. The one I received in my latest basket was 9" long.



With the cool September days upon us, the mister decided to make a soup with the two squash. He also included our latest CSA carrots.

For your information, delicata squash soup happens to be the perfect preview to sampling homemade butter tarts!



Delicata Squash Soup

2 delicata squash
1 bunch carrots
2 sprigs rosemary
2 onions
2 stalks celery
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
salt
pepper
1/2 cup cream
bacon for garnish

Cut the two delicata squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. With flesh side down, put in a 9" x 13" pan with carrots and rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400ºF for 45 minutes until vegetables start to soften and caramelize. Then remove rosemary sprigs.

Meanwhile sauté chopped onions and celery in dutch oven. Add nutmeg and sauté for another minute to bring out the aroma of the spice. Add chicken stock and white wine. Cut up roasted squash, leaving on the skin. The delicata squash skin is quite mild. Add squash and carrots to the broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Blend until creamy smooth with the Vita-Mix (or blender). Return the soup to the dutch oven and add salt and pepper to season. Bring almost to a boil. Add cream to finish.

Garnish bowl of soup with crumbled double-smoked bacon.

* We used rosemary because that is what we had on hand. We minimized its flavour by just including it in the roasting. Some may prefer the taste of thyme with squash, so feel free to substitute it as your herb in roasting and include it in the blended soup.

Mukut Restaurant

Our dinner out on Wednesday evening was not meant to be about the food, but the chance to socialize together and dissect our 4:15 pm viewing of The Secret in Their Eyes, playing at the Bytowne Cinema. Afterall, The Secret in Their Eyes won Best Foreign Language film 2009 at the Academy Awards ceremony earlier this year. By the way, the movie is fantastic and a must see. It is an Argentinian film, so brace yourself for 127 minutes of subtitles.

All that to say, we were very casual about our food choice. We wanted something close to the theatre, roomie, quiet enough to talk without competing with music or a noisy clientelle. We ended up at Mukut Restaurant at 610 Rideau Street for Indian cuisine, not even a kilometer from the theatre. It is a place long forgotten by me but one person in our 5 member group had been recently and liked what she had.

We did talk a lot about the movie and our evening was very relaxed as we lingered over our great dish choices. Some spicy, some sweet and sour, some just piping with freshness.

Two went for appetizers. Vegetable Samosas and Sheek Kabab.

We then filled our table with the Mixed Vegetable Bhaji, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala, Rojan Josh (lamb), Beef Vindaloo, Cucumber Raita, Palao Rice, 3 pieces of Naan, and a plate of Pappadum. Just the perfect amount of food for our 5 person group thanks to the help from our server with making our choices. We were all quite full as we ate the last morsel.

Overall, it was well prepared food with great Indian flavours. The stand out for me was the Naan bread and very spicy Chicken Tikka Masala. Service was great and the food came promptly.

They do take-out as well and you can even order your take-out on-line.

One person had an Entertainment coupon so our Chicken Tikka Masala was free. Just one Indian beer and lots of city water for the table. We still rang in at less than $95 with tax and tip for the 5 of us! Now that is my kind of supper club!

Mukut Restaurant
610 Rideau Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613.789.2220

Mon to Sat lunch: 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon to Sat dinner: 5 pm - 10 pm
Sun dinner: 5 pm - 10 pm

Red Pepper and Peach Relish

I have not done preserves for so many years. I fell into the parent trap where that role becomes all consuming. And the idea of canning my own food was just time spent that I didn't have. Lately we have been enjoying the Ontario peach crop with great zeal. Now an empty-nester by just days, that urge to boil mason jars actually came back!

I found a Red Pepper and Peach Relish recipe by our tried and true Canadian Living Test Kitchen as a starting point. I quickly brought myself back up to speed on peeling peaches and also on canning.

My most favourite use for Red Pepper and Peach Relish is to complement cedar-plank salmon and also on any type of appetizer that has a cream cheese spread.

Seven precious jars of flaming red goodness. So delicious. I am glad to be back in the biz.

Merivale Fish Market & Seafood Grill

Have you ever wondered about that ubiquitous phenomenon of craving Fish and Chips? It is a regular occurrence on Twitter to see 'I'm craving fish and chips. Where is the best place to go in Ottawa?'. And the usual cast of characters shout out their favourites and best choices, all over again. I haven't noticed if these cravings follow the lunar cycle. But it is clear to me that just about everybody at some point falls under the spell.

Last night, I was plagued with errand running, and I was also in for solo dining. As I made my way down Merivale Road for yet another set of 'to-dos', my dinner bell chimed 'I'm craving fish and chips. Where is the best place to go in Ottawa?'.

I have been to the Merivale Fish Market & Seafood Grill before and although my MIL tends to feed her craving at Lapointe's with all of us in tow, I decided that proximity was everything. Any memory I had from a prior visit to the Seafood Grill, seemed in no way negative.

I enjoyed a bright spot by the front window and noticed that the place was quite full for a Tuesday evening. It looks like the place seats 40+ happy clients. The Seafood Grill is attached to the Merivale Fish Market, where you can find a wide selection of fish and seafood, if all you want to do is shop for making dinner at home.

My order is routine. Halibut fish and chips, every time. No drink. Just a glass of water. Each dinner is served with two pieces of fish, fresh cut fries, homemade coleslaw, tarter sauce and lemon. All this for $14.95. All portions were generous and I wasn't able to finish.

What I remembered about the place that proved consistent to this visit as well, is that the fish was done to perfection. Nice crisp batter, not too thick and most importantly not greasy. The hand cut fries are great. I like that the coleslaw is homemade. I like mine with more kick though.

The food came quite promptly and it seemed to be the same for my neighbouring tables. None of whom were partaking in my predictably routine choice. And interestingly, many of my neighbouring tables acted like regulars. Chummy with all the staff, even other patrons. The fact that others ventured beyond fish and chips leads me to believe that it is worth checking out the menu a little bit further. But how do you do that when what brings you there in the first place is that 'every once in a while, hard to escape' craving for fish and chips.

Merivale Fish Market & Seafood Grill
1480 Merivale Road
Nepean, Ontario
613.723.2476
website: www.merivalefish.com

Comfort in Colour

Chicken Pot Pie is usually pretty beige. Ordinary, reliable, plain, not complicated. Well, beige.

Thanks to stash from my last two Roots and Shoots CSA food baskets I had an artist's palette of carrots and potatoes.

When I decided to make Chicken Pot Pie, I knew I was going to have comfort in colour.

Hog Tails BarBQue - Waterloo, Ontario

As I was working on my Hog Tails BarBQue blog entry I saw that Omnivore's Ottawa had done another post on DivaQ. This time the wonderful catering job she did for his father's birthday. Ron Eade has given us the impression that DivaQ of Barrie, Ontario is the benchmark by which all BBQ food should be measured. Based on her many accolades, I am guessing he is right. And as I was reading his blog entry, I was wishing that I had the benefit of tasting her great food as I tell you more about Hog Tails and how they measure up. Perhaps DivaQ and Hog Tails have met out there somewhere on the BBQ competition circuit.

I should tell you first off that I do not gravitate to all things BBQ when looking for a dinner choice. High protein is not my game. This time I was in the presence of 3 beer-drinking males and based on the clientele, it appears that testosterone is generally drawn to Hog Tails.

Hog Tails BarBQue is located in a small strip mall northwest of the University of Waterloo. They have been in business now for just over a year and it seems they have a hit on their hands. They have just a few tables for eat-in service and they do a booming take-out business. 'Just leave the door open' booming. Hog Tails also does catering, equipment sales and rentals.



The menu covers all the basics you would expect on a BBQ food menu.



The beer drinkers tried the F & M Brewery's Stonehammer Pilsner and Dark Ale. F & M Brewery is Guelph-based. Although they enjoyed it well enough, they didn't crown Stonehammer their most favourite craft brewery beer. Their search continues. They would tell you to give it a try and see what you think.

Among the many menu choices, Hog Tails offers a 2 meat and a 3 meat BBQ Platter, along with a piece of Sweet Honey Cornbread and 2 sides. The strategy at the table was to vary the choices of sides in order to taste most of them.



This two meat meal came with Hog Tails' Signature Award-Winning Ribs and Mississippi Hot Wings with the sides being Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Battered Onion Rings.



This three meat meal came with ribs, wings and Southern Style Pulled Pork with the sides being Jalapeno Hush Puppies and the General's Coleslaw.



The BBQ 1/2 Chicken came with the sides of onion rings and a Tijuana Caesar Salad.

It was pretty clear that the team at Hog Tails know a thing or two about the southern pit BBQ and deserve big kudos for their efforts and great pit flavour. However, there is room for improvement.

The ribs and wings seemed like they needed more time cooking to get to a 'fall off the bone' texture. I am guessing since their ribs are award winning, we just came on a night that was too busy for the long slow cook. The 1/2 chicken was just a bit too burnt for the diner's liking. The pulled pork was deemed the best meat of the four on this occasion. All in all, the smokey grilled flavour was there in all the meats.

Some of the sides do need work. On the plus side, the sweet potato fries were cooked well with the right crisp. The coleslaw was fine. The problem is that coleslaw is actually deemed a must side to cut through the pounds of southern pit protein and thus should be more than 'fine'. It should be memorable!. The onion rings were a bit greasy but all onion. We still aren't sure if 'massive' is a good thing. It probably is in the South! The Jalapeno Hush Puppies got a full thumbs down from all and the cornbread got a pass.

But don't let the sides, distract you. It is clear that they deliver on their promise to take pride in their slow cooked meats. They say the meat is locally raised and butchered. The meat is pretty good and this place is definitely worth checking out. I am not a BBQ expert but I can say it is the best BBQ that I have had eating out. It is obvious that they are working hard at their product and want to please. Based on that takeout line up, their is already a solid base of happy customers.

In closing, I should say that the BBQ Platters felt like great value for the money with the 2 meat at $13.95 and the 3 meat at $15.95. The doggie bag was just loaded down with leftovers.

If you find yourself in Waterloo, Ontario and in need of a big smokey plate of protein, head on over to Hog Tails BarBQue.

Hog Tails BarBQue
645 Laurelwood Drive
Waterloo, Ontario
519.888.9911

Mon - Wed: 11 am to 7 pm
Thurs - Sat: 11 am to 8 pm
Sun: Closed

Roots and Shoots Farm - 11th week of CSA Food

The fresh food from Roots and Shoots Farm just keeps rolling in. This is week 11 of the program and our 6th basket from our CSA farm.

Bin #1: A bag of onions, a quart of mixed potatoes and a bunch of basil.



Bin #2: Delicata squash peeks out from the green bag.



Bin #3: Watermelon!



Bin #4 and #5: Hakurei Turnips and Swiss Chard.



Bin #6: A bag of Asian greens.



Bin #7 and #8: Head of lettuce and bunch of Kale.



Bin #9 and #10: Bok choi and carrots.



Although the food just came late this afternoon, we used half of our Asian greens in our salad tonight. And we enjoyed a good portion of the watermelon for dessert. The basil was made into pesto immediately. I so love fresh pesto!

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
613.897.8975

True Loaf Bread Company Consults on Menu Plan

We are just back from a few days out of town and in some ways it felt like a food bender. The Urban Dictionary defines a bender as: "The status of being bent for more than a day. Usually results in loss of memory, money, strange tattoos, and other things you'll have a hell of a time explaining. " Imagine what four days of eating out can do to you and I would say that most of this definition applies.

When I went looking to restock my pantry and plan for tonight's at-home meal, I was thinking comfort. I knew I was going to the freezer for the overflow of the recently made carrot and coriander soup. Some nice bread with that seemed pedestrian but not if it was going to be really, really good bread. I was sure that I wanted something from a bakery. No strange ingredients I could not pronounce.



I was already on an errand to the The Red Apron so The True Loaf Bread Company, next door at 573 Gladstone Avenue would be my bread destination. It was minutes before closing at 1:00 pm and so many choices had already been taken. We both agreed that the Fig and Fennel would make an interesting combination with the soup. I told her I was also doing a salad and was eyeballing the Ermite cheese next door to put on top. She suggested that the Ermite would also go well sprinkled on the soup and how about I try La Sauvagine cheese on the bread. So creamy and dreamy. Its soft flavour would temper the strength of the fennel and the sweetness of the fig. Back to The Red Apron to pick up the two cheeses. We were living large.

La Sauvagine cheese is a washed-rind cheese from La Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf, located in Saint Raymond, Quebec. It was named "Grand Champion" cheese at the 5th Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.

Ermite cheese is from Fromagerie de l'Abbaye Saint-Benoît in Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Quebec. It is the only cheese dairy in North America that is run by Benedictine monks. The first cheese created in the Abbey in 1943 was the famed blue Ermite cheese.

It is worth noting that the True Loaf Bread Company's remaining bread at closing, goes next door to The Red Apron to be sold. I have also seen their bread at Serious Cheese in Old Ottawa South for those unable to make the trip to the middle of town.

That La Sauvagine cheese did go very well with the bread. Their hearty artisan bread is just so superior to anything you would ever find in a grocery store. And although the mister found the fennel a bit strong (and he actually is a big fennel fan) we both agreed it was addicting, as we kept cutting slice after slice.



The carrot and coriander soup from the freezer heated nicely. I did try the Ermite cheese as a topper. There was a lot going on with all those flavours as we also enjoyed the bread along side the soup. I liked it well enough just because everything was so fresh and pure in ingredients.



The salad was piled high with greens, then topped with shaved red onions, a selection of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and red grapes, halved. The sprinkle of Ermite cheese stood strong beside the sweetness of the fruit. The dressing was oil, white balsamic vinegar, finely chopped shallot, salt, pepper, honey and Dijon mustard. So light tasting. So refreshing. And you guessed it, we nibbled on more bread.

If you want a hearty artisan bread, you won't go wrong picking up a loaf of anything at the True Loaf Bread Company. And it appears they throw in their menu consultations for free!

True Loaf Bread Company
573 Gladstone Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
613.680.4178

Open 7 am to 1 pm.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

LCBO Food & Drink Magazine - Autumn 2010

The Autumn edition of LCBO's Food & Drink magazine came out today. I have to admit I was reluctant to go get it because I am not ready for that word "Autumn". I am still craving, 'light' and 'fresh' and 'bursting with flavour'. Descriptors for me that are synonymous with Summer. When I think Autumn, I think 'comfort', 'colourful', 'cornucopia'.

But the Food & Drink magazine never disappoints and I did go to get my copy on release day because everyone else in the city seems to share this observation and I couldn't bare to be without.

As expected, 'comfort', 'colourful' and 'cornucopia' do pop out from the pages as their feature stories are: The Harvest Table by Jennifer MacKenzie, Bound to Please by Marilyn Bentz-Crowley, Ontario Wine Classics by James Chatto, Dinner from the Garden by Lucy Waverman and our own Ottawa-based wine expert, Natalie MacLean, Branching Out With Ontario Wine by Michelle P.E. Hunt and Laura Panter.

By the time I turned the last page, I was thinking that they had hooked me again as my saliva was welling.

The corners of some pages did get folded back. Pear and Gorganzola Tarts (Pg 15), Savoury Apple Tart (Pg 40), Scallop Potatoes with Porcini & Bacon (Pg 63), Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Tomatoes (Pg 88), Three-Onion Soup (Pg 89), Quinoa Risotto and also Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin (Pg 114), Rich Oxtail Soup with Madeira & Mustard-Thyme Cream (Pg 138) to name just a few.

And although we all seem to think "Food" and "Drink" when get this magazine, I just loved their Thanksgiving Playlist on Page 32. Their selection of songs seems like such a gentle way to ease us from Summer to Autumn as we leave one season with some remorse and approach the other with reluctance. This playlist does it in a way that says "It's going to be okay."

Be not afraid. Go into Autumn, embrace it and know that the passage of time means we are surely moving on to new adventures with food and drink.

Celebrating 45 Years on The Street Potluck Style

What were you doing in 1965? Maybe you weren't even born yet. In 1965 I didn't have a lot going on. My life consisted of keeping my wits about me with a house full of brothers. I didn't really know much, as I wasn't in school yet and at best, I likely had been dabbling with learning to read. I know that I didn't know that Canada's centennial was still 2 years away.

But in 1965 my neighbour 4 doors down was moving into his new house on the street where I now live. And for 45 more years this would be the place he would call home.

If you look up and down the street today, you see PODS, dumpsters and diggers. People are rebuilding, renovating or re-landscaping. Back in 1965, that house 4 doors down would not have had as many neighbours as exist on the street now.

This is a very special milestone. 45 years is a long time to live in one home. Moving after all these years has to be life changing. Imagine all the memories you would have accumulated. All the 'stuff' you would have collected! Although 45 years represents only part of his life, the time spent 4 doors down is 45 years of perhaps the richest part of his life. The time spent on career, growing the family and watching them move on to their own new homes.

We are a street of neighbours. We like each other. We look out for each other. We share tools, toys and advice. When someone is on vacation, we cut each other's grass, water each other's flowers and look after each other's mail. We aren't Wisteria Lane. We aren't desperate. We aren't all housewives. We do invest in the 'being neighbourly' that is about knowing enough, but not knowing too much.

And so when one of our own moves on to a new life chapter after 45 years, we celebrate. We honour 45 years of being 'married' to the same home. We rejoice in a good neighbour. And we send him the best of good wishes.

We do this kind of celebrating the finest way we know how. With food. The communal sharing that is traditionally represented with potluck. Bring your own item for the BBQ. One side of the street comes with salads. The other dessert. And always there is a perfect balance.

Me, I brought pies. Apple pies. When I think 45 years in the same home, I think nostalgic and I think apple pies.

To our great neighbour 4 doors down, your milestone becomes a reminder to us that having something in our lives for 45 years, be it a relationship or a home, is a symbol of what makes us full in character and just 'good people'.

Sunday Bagel Goodness

This morning's breakfast for the mister looked simple enough but when you get to know the ingredients, they are a few stories worthy of being told. I started with his most favourite bagel - sesame. This treat came from the Ottawa Bagelshop on Wellington Avenue, east of Island Park. I toasted it and then covered it with cheese from Serious Cheese on Bank Street in Old Ottawa South. On the left is Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co.'s Petal Luna goat cheese and on the right is Beemster's Graskaas, a Dutch cheese with a gouda-like flavour. I topped the cheese with gourmet jams from a local food artisan, Michael Sunderland. The two jams I chose from michaelsdolce were: Blueberries and Lavender and then Strawberry and Balsamic. I also picked up the jams from Serious Cheese.

And now for a little background on the breakfast creation.

The Ottawa Bagelshop is well-known for their Montreal style bagels. They say their bagels are "rolled by hand, boiled in honey water, then baked in an old-fashioned, wood-burning oven. They have no preservatives, no dairy products or by-products, and no salt." Their varieties include the two classics, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. They also have such specialty bagels as cinnamon raisin, oatmeal raisin, whole wheat, lemon cranberry, seven grain, flax seed, and lastly spelt. The Ottawa Bagelshop has been serving Ottawa since 1984. In addition to their retail store front, they have a sit down area to enjoy their coffee and foods. They also do catering.

Serious Cheese is a new addition to Old Ottawa South. In addition to their many cheeses, they also sell breads from local bakeries True Loaf Bread Company and Art-Is-In Bakery, baked goods from their own in-house bakery, gourmet food products and kitchen wares. I have to do a shout out for their in-store baked ginger molasses cookie. It is the best I have ever tasted. And I make a pretty fantastic ginger cookie myself. And only 99 cents. If that kind of pricing is meant to lure me back, that technique will work!

Beemster Graskaas cheese is a true delicacy. It is a Dutch cheese made from the first milk of spring when the cows are released onto the fields following their winter in the barn. The cows graze on pesticide-free pastures, 20 feet below sea level in North Holland. These canal-lined pastures are the most famous Dutch ‘Polder’ and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. The milk from this early spring grazing is considered the creamiest milk of the year. They collect enough milk from this short grazing period to be able to make only 2,000 cheese wheels. The history of the production of Graskaas goes back to 1901. The cheese is aged for a month.

The Petal Luna hard goat cheese is from Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. in Prince Edward County. This cheese took gold at the Royal Winter Fair in 2008 in the Goat Hard category and it took bronze at the Royal Winter Fair in 2009 in the Surface Ripened category. The milk has been infused with locally grown calendula petals! Fifth Town suggests that it is a good match with medium bodied fruity wines such as Cabernet Franc, so I was fine touching up their cheese with these delicious jams.

Michael Sunderland is behind michaelsdolce gourmet jams, new to Ottawa this year. The 125 ml pots of pure goodness come in 11 varieties and are being sold throughout specialty stores, as well as being used at some restaurants. Michael Sunderland uses local fruit for his product when available. In addition to his talents in the kitchen, Michael also has a love for photography.

As for pricing, the bagels are typical ($6.95/doz), the jams are 'treats' ($4.25 for a 125 ml jar) and the cheese is in the 'super treat' range ($63.75/kg for Petal Luna and $49.99/kg for Graskaas).

The mister had only good things to say about his Sunday breakfast. I suppose partly because it was made for him and delivered. But more than that, he just loved the taste of his toasted sesame seed bagel and both of the delectable cheeses. He was particularly fond of the Strawberry and Balsamic jam. No funny names in any of the ingredient lists helps to keep the tastes real. "It was all good."

Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli, Inc.
1321 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613.722.8753
www.bagelshop.ca

Mon to Thurs: 6:30 am - 7 pm
Fri: 6:30 am - 8 pm
Sat: 6:30 am - 7 pm
Sun: 6:30 am - 6 pm



Serious Cheese
1189 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613-422-6090
www.seriouscheese.com

Mon to Sat: 10 am - 6 pm
Sun: 11 am - 5



Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co.
4309 County Road #8
Picton, Ontario
613.476.5755
www.fifthtown.ca

michaelsdolce
Ottawa, Ontario
www.michaelsdolce.com

Pêche Brulée

Yes, you can have pêche brulée for breakfast!

Fellow food blogger @foodiePrints responded to my recent call on Twitter for all things peach. "How 'bout grilled, then sprinkled with vanilla sugar a bruleed?"

I liked the idea! This morning when we were seeing the end of our wonderful selection of Ontario peaches, I knew I needed to jump at this suggestion before they were all gone.

I moved passed the grilling part of the recipe and went right to brulée. I gave it a good coating of sugar across the open flesh and then went at it with our kitchen torch. The sugar bubbled and blistered and settled in to a deep caramel colour with that signature crackle that declared my pêche brulée complete. The smoky flavour that accompanies caramelized sugar is the perfect match for well-ripened, juicy peaches.

I thank you, foodiePrints. Yes, you can have pêche brulée for breakfast.

Twisted Kick It Salsa

Our lastest CSA food basket from Roots and Shoots Farm came with a Salsa Making Kit and 'fast' instructions:

"In order to enjoy your tomatoes to the utmost, we have assembled a Salsa Making Kit just for you all! It includes tomatoes, peppers, onions, a hot pepper, and cilantro. Throw the whole thing in the food processor for a great salsa fix, minus the plastic bag of course. You might want to give the onions a wash too!"



Have you ever heard the phrase, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."? Well that was me going blindly into salsa time. We were headed to a fun, fancy, food party in the early evening and I just wanted to get my kit into production before it was time to go. Paying no mind to what a balanced salsa might actually contain, I literally followed the instructions, plus a jalapeno pepper we had laying about, and minus the CSA cilantro as I had no idea where it was.

The food processor did a great job but I had pretty much an onion salsa that was high up on the Scoville scale of peppery heat. Perhaps this could be fixed. Right beside me was 4 non-CSA vine-ripe tomatoes on my counter. I beefed up the concoction using every single one of them. Now it was a bit closer to a tomato salsa but still big on onion. The thing with an onion salsa is that you could never find anything like that for sale at the grocery store because absolutely nobody would have any good reason to buy it. Feeling pretty defeated, I headed to the internet to see if there was something I could do with this 'soup', besides use it in soup! No luck. Time was running out. I stewed for an hour or so and then sent the mister to Produce Depot for rescue tomatoes and a bunch of cilantro. "You're just throwing good money after bad." He amused me though and headed out.

6 more tomatoes, 2 minced garlic cloves, a splash of lime juice and a half bunch of cilantro and we appeared to be in business. In business in the sense that I had a ridiculous quantity of salsa now. Far beyond the eating capacity of this home. But at least I had an edible product. The 10 extra tomatoes and the cilantro pulled the Scoville heat in check as well. An appropriate seasoning with sea salt and a bit of freshly ground pepper brought it to a proper finish. A bit runny but not bad.

Since taste seemed to be there, finally, I decided to begin perfecting this creation. Time to make it less 'wet'. I strained off a fair bit of the juice. This will go well in soups or sauces and headed right to the freezer.



I filled container after container with this reasonably awesome salsa. What a roller-coaster ride. I went from 'cockily slapping together a quick salsa' to 'in the depths of despair with a conspicuous quantity of inedible, high heat onion salsa' to 'stiff upper lip, we're not quitters, let's just fix this' to 'well I'll be darned, this stuff is pretty good and maybe we could actually sell this'. The mister just smiled and watched the hurricane move, knowing that eventually like all good hurricanes, they do end and calm returns.

We made it to that fun, fancy food party in good time and the teenager was left behind with all the salsa he could handle for his meal called supper. I tossed him a parting suggestion, "Invite some friends in. Invite them all in."

Roots and Shoots Farm - 9th week of CSA Food

The summer is ripping by and we are just starting into the second half of our CSA food baskets as we enter into week 9 of 16. We only invested in a half share. With food coming every other week instead of every week, we are still hopping with trying to consume it all considering our away time, invitations out and our strong interest in enjoying Ottawa's great restaurant.

It is intimating to think that 33% of our household is moving out soon and it happens to be the character with the biggest appetite. We will need to make a more concerted effort to eat at home, have people in and create dishes that can be tucked away for later. This great food cannot go to waste. How interesting that this becomes so, so important to us when we so well know the people who created it and the blood, sweat and tears that went into bringing it to us from Roots and Shoots Farm near Manotick. I am just loving the zucchinis! Grilled. Grilled and slathered with goat cheese. Used in salads.

Do you have a favourite local produce that you have been enjoying this summer? Is it from your garden? One of our many local markets?

And now for the photo montage...

BIN #1: Endive and Basil








BIN #2: Lettuce (in fact 2 heads)






BIN #3: 2 Yellow Zucchini, 1 Green Zucchini and a Delicata Squash








BIN #4: Cherry Tomatoes and Potatoes








BIN #5: Carrots






BIN #6: Tatsoi






BIN #7: Salsa kit! (Cilantro was missing)






BIN #8: Swiss Chard






BIN #9: Scarlett Queen Turnips





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
613.897.8975