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. 

Roots and Shoots Farm - 1st Week of CSA Food 2014

Waiting for the CSA season to begin is much like waiting for your birthday.  I've been counting down the days for Roots and Shoots Farm's food basket.  This little farm near Manotick Station started 5 seasons ago and has developed into a mighty one. One that is now certified organic and also grows winter greens.

My drop off location is close to home here in Westboro. An easy walk or a short drive. Danny B, CSA & Market Manager, was there to greet us this week.  His ever smiling face and booming voice. Danny is eating the food from the farm all day long. I think, if I eat a steady diet of this great produce I'll be that crazy happy too. I'm sure what you eat must matter.

I am a CSA veteran. I too have been doing the food baskets for 5 years. All the years that Roots and Shoots Farm has been in Ottawa.

As this farm has matured over this half decade, so has their produce.  More vibrant, consistent and substantial. Let me present to you my first share for 2014. A smaller one to start, but oh so good.

Swiss chard

Curly kale

Romaine lettuce

Spicy mixed greens

Spring onions

Radishes

Did you miss out on signing up for their share? Do what I do when I need an extra boost of vegetables.  Shop at their stall at the Ottawa Farmers' Market.  In Westboro on the Byron Lineaer Park on Saturdays from 9:30 am to 3 pm. At Brewer Park on Sundays from 8 am to 3 pm.

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.

Weekend Brunch and My Lobster Benny at The Urban Pear

Jeff Frost, new owner of The Urban Pear in the Glebe says he wants his weekend brunch to be known as the best in the city.  Based on my Lobster Benny this morning, this goal is a distinct possibility.

Brunch at the Pear is targeted to a niche market that wants a high end experience, where you may come to celebrate, expect quality food and to spend time visiting your company.  It's not a quickie diner or a place to mop up your innards from your night before escapades. Neither is it uptight and stiff. Just civilized and cozy.

It's also one of the few places that offers brunch both Saturdays and Sundays.

Although the place is almost all windows, new art of bright colours adorn the freshly painted limonade walls.  Sunny on in the inside as well as out.

The brunch menu offers ample choices for a small eatery.  Their broad social media presence gives many hints to these dishes. Premium pricing meant that their pictures so far though hadn't lured me in.

Our visit this morning was impulsive. Shattered plans and the DST clock ticking, my gal pal and I took to Twitter for the save. No picture to distract me or the meaty price tag, I fell in love with the idea of mushrooms and leek stuffed crêpes.

Sunday brunch starts at 10! Come in and try our mushroom and leek stuffed crepes. They're new!
— The Urban Pear (@urbanpear) March 9, 2014

Well, so did she. Bowing to her choice, I graciously executed Plan B.  As the most expensive item on the menu, the $22 Lobster Benny seduced -  'eggs over butter poached lobster meat and topped with matchstick peameal bacon'. In fact, all Bennies are promised as '2 soft poached eggs on buttered toast, topped with hollandaise and served with side house salad and hash'.

The eggs were just the way I like them. Exceptionally soft and jiggly. The whites just set.

The lobster pieces were chunky and supple. All bathed in a hollandaise with pronounced zip, keeping it light and hiding the true richness.

I welcomed the large mixed green salad and was relieved that they knew to downplay the dressing.  It's about that Benny, after all.

The potatoes weren't quite hash by my estimation. Worthy roasted chunks of soft creamy potatoes, there has to be a way more classy name than 'hash'.

The crispy matchstick peameal bacon nicely salted the proteins.

Suspecting I may have made the better choice, I nabbed a taste of my girlfriend's crêpes.  With the bonus of being a vegetarian option, the medley of mushroom filling was earthy, decadent and well sauced in its mornay.  Also a solid pick.  Our portions were ample.

Plate after plate of their stuffed french toast paraded through the dining room. Perhaps the most popular dish of the day.

The service was friendly and attentive despite the demands of a very full house. Our meals were well timed.

As I often do in restaurants, I skipped the espresso drink and opted for brew. It's a bottomless cup, but pricey too at $3.50. No locally roasted bean here. I'm told it hails from stock at Morala.

There are some that will find the pricing distracting. As is often the case, when I have thoroughly enjoyed a dish to its fullest, the time spent on the value proposition tends to fade, rationalizing that there are times to shower oneself with a treat.

Plain coffee aside, I have high praise for the Lobster Benny served today.  Apologies for scraping the porcelain from my plate.

As Jeff chases down the crown for Best Brunch in Ottawa, he will only ever know if you vote with your feet.

The Urban Pear
151 Second Avenue, Unit C
Ottawa, Ontario
613.569.9305
Twitter: UrbanPear
Facebook: The Urban Pear
Website: www.theurbanpear.com

Mon: Closed
Tue to Thurs: 11:30 am to 2 pm; 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Fri: 11:30 am - 2 pm, 5:30 - 9:30 pm
Sat: 10 am - 3 pm; 5:30 - 9:30 pm
Sun: 10 am - 3 pm, 5:30 - 9 pm

LCBO Food & Drink Magazine - Spring Issue 2014

As I toy with whether to write up my Coq au Vin recipe with spring just a stone's throw away, the LCBO Food & Magazine's Spring issue sports a big fat roasty toasty stick to your ribs chicken dinner on its front cover.

Who hasn't said that this has been Ontario's longest winter ever?  Magically winter is the same length every year but as far as the conditions, we have endured more than our fair share of storms, deep freezes, and dark days.

This particular chicken photographed by James Tse, fronts Jennifer MacKenzie's article Chicken Coup. Jennifer helps us through the new chicken lexicon - heritage breeds, organic, free-range versus free-run, grain fed, chilling.  No quiz at the end but you might want to brush up on the chicken lingo popularized by our Small Flock Farmers in Ontario. Jennifer has included mouth-watering recipes for us to snack on while we study.

Fear not.  This issue is more than chicken.  Spring awaits you inside with colourful jam drinks, Easter feasts, and brightly coloured dishes, including the ubiquitous beet. You will even find tulips housed in glass.

The other must-read article is Better With Bitters by Charlene Rooke.  She says "bitters are often called a bartender's salt and pepper."  We recently purchased bitters (lemon and also cranberry) from Dillon's Small Batch Distillers in Beamsville since this seems to be a The Decade of The Cocktail. Lucy Waverman shares with us a range of recipes to make sure our bitters don't all go to drink. For Ottawa shoppers, the Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli on Wellington carries a decent selection of Fee Brothers bitters.


My Must-Try recipes have me seeing red. Rhubarb Red.  I have 10 pounds in the freezer I need to use up before the new crop sprouts forth this spring.  I welcome their ideas.

• Rhubarb Raspberry Bundt Cakes (From Best Bundts by Joanne Yolles)
• Rhubarb Custard Tart (From Easter Lunch by Lucy Waverman)
• Bitter Orange Cake with Rhubarb Compote, Candied Orange & Goat Cheese Ice Cream (From Better With Bitters by Lucy Waverman)

Plan ahead: The Early Summer issue hits the stores in eight weeks on Wednesday, April 30th.
 

Chef Judy Dempsey's Rosemary Focaccia Buns of The Hungry Planet Fame

It's been five plus years since Judy Dempsey closed her popular Perth eatery that served friends and fans alike for 12 years.  For this, she is still continually tag-lined as the acclaimed chef of The Hungry Planet.

Chef Judy Dempsey has been working at The Table, a community food centre in Perth, for a good two years now, and her reputation for cooking soul-filling, nutritious food has followed her.

The Table offers dinner service Monday, Wednesday and Friday under the care of Dempsey and her hard working team of volunteers.  These community meals are one way for The Table to "focus on meeting the needs of low-income community members in a welcoming and respectful environment", as stated in The Table's mission.

Often when I am at The Table volunteering for The Test Kitchen program on Wednesday morning's Judy has already begun prep for the evening service. I steal a moment to peek into pots and sniff out the ovens to see what creations she is in the midst of whipping up. If I can, I stay to help too.  Selfishly, I relish this time with her to talk food, recipes and kitchen challenges. For me, I come home inspired. Feeling I got, more than I gave.

Today Judy was making her famous focaccia buns to go along with a beef short rib and pasta casserole. Rosemary focaccia buns, in fact.  She said she used to make them every.single.day at The Hungry Planet.  Over the 12 years that adds up to a lot of dough.

Is this a welcoming and respectful environment?  With buns like that, you betcha.

Chef Judy Dempsey at The Table, the community food centre in Perth, Ontario August 2013

The Audit of My 2013 Ontario Garlic

 

How is everyone doing with their Ontario garlic stored away for the winter?  This past season I purchased 58 heads and I am down to my last 19. Should I panic or stop cooking Italian and Greek?

This past evening I did an audit of my remaining stinky roses and they are all still in good shape.  I have kept them in the cool, dry basement since I first purchased them.  They have been in open short paper bags, a maximum of 6 heads to a bag.

Most of the garlic heads are forming a bit of their garlic germ.  This is quite typical for this time of year. Very few have actually sprouted.  I just cut out the garlic germ when I am peeling my garlic.  A recent post by David Lebovitz endorses this practice.

It is pleasing to know that heading into March, I still have firm, moist flesh in each clove.  Of course, the garlic is at its most flavourful and juiciest when it is first harvested and allowed to dry for a few weeks.  But I feel fortunate that I am having such great success.

One of the evils of storing garlic is mold.  Too much humidity in the air or poor circulation will quickly ruin a garlic. This is why I only store a few in each bag and leave the bag open for air to move freely. I am fortunate as well to have a cool, dry basement.  I have heard of others storing their garlic in the garage. I have too much moisture coming from wet cars to dare consider that. Plus my garage tends to hover around 4C.  Fridge temperature is too cold to store garlic.

Some will also experience cloves that just dry up and disintegrate. I felt that accelerated drying was happening with a set of 6 bulbs back in November so I used them up right away.  This was disappointing as I have had reasonable success with that variety and farm in the past.  It was a colder wetter growing season in 2013. Both factors affecting the quality of garlic crops.

Each bag has been labeled with the Date of Purchase, Number of Bulbs, Price, Grower, Variety and Place of Purchase. This has come in handy when selecting garlic for cooking.  Some varieties are stronger than others.  It also helps me to see which garlic I may consider repurchasing in the next season. My eye is still not trained well enough to just recognize a bulb's pedigree by its looks.

I have been particularly pleased with garlic from my CSA farmer Roots and Shoots Farm. That is now all gone.  Also Glengyle Garlic from the Ottawa Farmers' Market has held up well.  A farm that has been a star for me but I did not purchase in 2013 is Waratah Downs Organic Farm. Other farms I have tried and have had good success are:
Rainbow Heritage Garden
Bashert Farm
Upper Canada Garlic
Vicki's Veggies

My garlic was mainly purchased at farmers' markets and garlic festivals. On average, I paid $1.30 for each head of garlic.

 Most of my garlic was purchased throughout the months of August and September.  My first local garlic came in my CSA basket on July 25, 2013. That means I have to wait another 21 weeks for a fresh crop.

Will my 19 garlic take me to late July? I suspect not. Luckily Rainbow Heritage Garden from Cobden will be participating at Seedy Saturday this weekend at the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, Britannia Beach, 102 Greenview Avenue.  It runs from 10 am to 3 pm. They have promised to bring along their certified organic garlic, potatoes, beets and carrots.

Did you store local Ontario garlic for the winter?  How has it weathered the winter?

My Morning Getaway in Paris - Croissant From Chez François - Plaisirs de Provence

On a friend's very strong endorsement, I stopped in to Chez François - Plaisirs de Provence in Westboro at 427 Richmond Road to try one of those 'out-of-this-world-the-real-deal' croissants.

I have to agree, it was worth the trip.

The flaky buttery pâtisserie was neither greasy nor too dense.  It's tender interior gently held its pronounced layers. There was a distinct light sweetness that had me wondering if it actually came from the butter itself.

I hear these croissants are much sought after and felt lucky to still get one late morning.  It's freshness very much intact, I might add.

This treat will set you back $2.50. Recommended with a full-bodied coffee.

Perhaps next time the Pain au Chocolat. Research after all.....

Chez François - Plaisirs de Provence
427 Richmond Road
Ottawa
613.759.8000

Hours
Tues to Fri: 8:30 am to 6 pm
Sat: 8 am to 6 pm
Sun: 8 am to 5 pm

Website: www.plaisirsdeprovence.com
Facebook: Chez François - Plaisirs de Provence

Live Now

As sure as we know the sun will rise and set, we know we can count on the comfort of egg salad sandwiches in our time of sorrow.

While we sip our strong tea or drink that weak coffee, it doesn't seem to matter whether there are crusts, margarine vs. butter, onions and celery, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, brown bread or white. It just matters that they are there and in abundance.

The trip last week was a hard one.  Although she was an Ottawa friend, the service and burial were back in her hometown, clear across the province.

As I struggled with making the trip, I wondered why, as I am a funeral person.  But for some, choosing to go to a funeral is fraught with dilemmas. How well did they know the one who passed. The disruption to their schedule. The time away. The cost. The awkwardness of death. The shear sadness of it all.

For me, funerals are for the living.  For a life taken far too soon and so tragically, families need all the reinforcements we can muster.

The 9 month journey to this final day has been filled with ups and downs. Hopes and despair.  As much as a family rides the ride in the front seat, friends too are caught in the wake.  We gather to give comfort and also get comfort.  To celebrate a special life.  To celebrate a special someone.

With a generous care package of egg salad sandwiches, I started my long journey home. A few hours in and I detoured into Toronto's west end to a small shop on Roncesvalles.  Green Light District, formerly from Ottawa, had posted a picture of an elegant white vase three weeks earlier that caught my eye.  I was keen to see it in real life.

There was my usual humming and hawing.  How do I buy another vase when I had just let 3 or 4 go?  It wasn't terribly dear.  The height seemed perfect.  I almost left empty-handed and then contemplated my potential regrets. In my head a little voice was softly squeaking, "Live now."

I decided I wanted this vase as my reminder of a great lady.  Someone who liked fine things.  A caring, tender-hearted friend who was full of love and compassion for others.

Those comforting egg salad sandwiches from last Friday are long gone. There are no cures for sadness. Though this special keepsake sure brightens the day.

GONE FROM MY SIGHT
I am standing upon the sea shore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says; “There, she is gone! ” “Gone where? ” Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at that moment when someone at my side says, “There, she is gone! ”
There are other eyes watching her and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes! ”

And that is dying. 

* Many attribute this poem to Henry Van Dyke. I was not able to confirm this.

The Ottawa Bagelshop - Bagel Special Until February 28

There is new math this week at the Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli at 1321 Wellington Street West.  Buy a dozen bagels and receive 14.  This deal ends Friday.

When it comes to bagels, we prefers the Montreal-style bagel. Wood-fired baked, no salt and a light sweetness from being boiled in honey water. As it turns out, there is a family connection between our favourite bagel shop in Montreal, St. Viateur Bagel, and the Ottawa Bagelshop.  We can get the same chewy, dense goodness without leaving town.

The Ottawa Bagelshop's wood-burning oven was out of commission for a few days last week.  While it didn't cause full-scale pandemonium, faithful customers such as ourselves were feeling the withdrawal. Happily they are back in business.

The bagels freeze well. Cut in half first before packing.

Get them while they're hot!

Chocolates For Your Valentine - Cylie Artisans Chocolatiers

If you are inclined to participate in gift giving on Valentine's Day tomorrow, you might find your point quotient soaring if you choose to share the gift of Cylie Artisans Chocolatiers' artful creations.

They are imaginative in flavours as well as beautiful to look it.

February 14 could possibly be their busiest day of the year. But these beautiful chocolates make wonderful presents for many other special occasions. As long as there are birthdays, weddings, dinner parties...you name it, chocolate will be flowing from their doors all year round.

Cylie Artisans Chocolatiers
204 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613.695.8887
Facebook: Cylie Artisans Chocolatiers
Twitter: cyliechocolat

Tues - Sat: 11 am - 7 pm