Preserved Lemons

When I left my home in a city of over a million people and moved to a town with only 16,000 souls I had to give up a lot when it came to ingredients and grocery choices. For this reason and because it is enjoyable I now make some of the things I can't buy in a local food store. Preserved lemons is one of those items.

Preserved lemons are commonly used in Moroccan cooking. I love Moroccan foods with their aromatic cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and rosewater. I often use Meyer lemons, a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. They are sweeter and less acidic.

These preserved lemons will keep in the refrigerator for several months and I almost always have some on hand.

Preserved Lemons

1 jar with a tightly fitting lid
lemons to fill the jar
lemons to make juice to fill the jar
kosher salt

Slice the lemons into quarters without cutting completely through so they still hold in one piece.

Rub the cut edges with coarse salt and stuff into the jar until the jar is filled. Alternate with more coarse salt. End with more salt. Fill the jar with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Seal.

Leave the jar on the countertop for one or two days so the juice is more quickly released from the lemon. Then refrigerate for 2 - 4 weeks before using.

Spring is Rhubarb Time

I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan. Rhubarb in the spring was a staple but we never had any on our farm. I pined for rhubarb pie and did not learn how to make one until years later. This is another version that I thought I would try. 

The crust is a butter crust rather than a lard crust. It has a meringue. A nice variation from the standard.

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

Eggs should be at room temperature when making meringue. It usually takes about 30 minutes for eggs from the refrigerator to warm up to room temperature. Older eggs give better volume than fresh eggs. Be sure the bowl and utensils are fat-free because the tiniest bit of fat will ruin the meringue. Add the sugar when the egg whites have reached the soft peak stage. The peaks will fall over gently when they have reached the soft peak stage. Gradually add sugar until stiff peaks are formed.

Put the meringue on a piping hot pie and cover the top completely and touching the crust all around to prevent it from shrinking. The heat will partially cook the bottom of the meringue and prevent shrinking and weeping. Cut a with a knife dipped in cold water.

1 recipe of Buttery Pastry

4-5 c. rhubarb, raw 1-1.25 L

1 tsp. orange zest 5 mL

2 eggs, separated

2/3 c. + 1/4 c. sugar 150 mL + 60 mL

2 tbsp. all purpose flour 30 mL

2 tbsp. butter, melted 30 mL

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1 mL

Roll out pastry and line a deep pie plate. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375 F. Chop the rhubarb it into roughly 1cm slices. If the stalks are very wide and chunky then cut in half lengthways, also. Scatter on a baking sheet and bake until tender. Remove from baking and drain, reserving the liquid.

Separate eggs, putting the whites aside for the meringue. Beat egg yolks in a medium sized bowl with a fork. Add 2/3 cup sugar, flour and the melted butter. Continue to beat until blended. Then add the eggs and 1/3 cup of the rhubarb liquid to make a smooth and runny paste. Add rhubarb and mix to blend. Pour into pastry shell. Bake until set, about 30-40 minutes.

Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks, add cream of tartar, 1/4 cup of remaining sugar and continue to beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. Spoon this over the hot cooked rhubarb pie, making sure it is completely covered and there is no gap where rhubarb can bubble through the meringue. Use the spoon to bring some of the meringue into peaks. Put back in the oven for about 15 minutes until the peaks are toasted.

Cool for 10 minutes and serve. 

Buttery Pastry

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 310 mL

1/2 tsp. sugar 2 mL

1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1 mL

1/2 c. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 125 mL, 12 mm

1/2 c. ice water 125 mL

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter. Pulse until the texture of very coarse meal. Add ice water slowly until dough comes together in clumps. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Makes 1 single crust.

Rhubarb Eton Mess

4 c. rhubarb 1 L

2 tsp. maple sugar 10 mL

2 c. whipping cream 500 mL

1 packet individual meringue nests

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Chop the rhubarb into 1/2 inch (12 mm) pieces. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Roast until the rhubarb is tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until thick but still soft. Roughly crumble in 4 meringue nests.

Take out about half a cupful of the rhubarb, and fold the meringue cream and rest of the fruit mixture together.

Arrange in 4 dessert bowls and top each with remaining rhubarb. Serve immediately.

Rhubarb Iced Tea

8 c. rhubarb, chopped into small pieces 2 L

1 c. sugar 250 mL

1 Earl Grey teabag

Roast chopped rhubarb in a 350 F (180 C) oven until tender. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Strain the juice from the fruit in a colander. Use the fruit for a pie or crisp. 

Boil 2 cups (500 mL) of rhubarb juice with 1 cup (250 mL) sugar. Cool. 

Put teabag in a pot and add 3 cups of boiling water. Steep for 5-7 minutes or until it is a strong tea. Remove teabag. Chill tea.

Mix tea with an equal amount of rhubarb syrup and pour over a glass full of ice. Serve.

Brown Sugar Pavlova with Seasonal Fruit and Berries

Pavlova is a meringue based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It was created in Australia or New Zealand, the dispute has never been settled, after one of her tours in the 1920’s. 

It can be one large meringue base to serve everyone or made into individual small meringues for individual desserts. Pavlova impresses no matter how you serve it. 

This recipe uses brown sugar for a little more flavour. Any berries or fruits can be used but the pineapples are so nice in the stores right now that I decided upon a tropical theme.

Brown Sugar Pavlova with Seasonal Fruit and Berries

For meringue:

1 c. granulated sugar 250 mL

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar 125 mL

1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch 20mL

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 7 mL

2 tsp. white vinegar 10 mL

3/4 c. egg whites (from 5 to 6 large eggs) at room temperature 30 minutes 185 mL

For topping:

4 c. selection of seasonal fruits or berries 1 L

2 tbsp. granulated sugar 30 mL

For cream:

1 c. chilled heavy cream 250 mL

1/3 c. chilled sour cream 80 mL

Preheat oven to 250 F (120 C) with rack in middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse sugar, brown sugar and cornstarch in a food processor until well combined. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps.

Stir together vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl. 

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar mixture one tablespoon (15 mL) at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat one minute more. Add vinegar mixture, then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Using a piping bag make individual pavlovas about four inches (10 cm) in diameter or make two large ones. Start piping from the centre and work outwards. Or you can simply use a large spoon and smooth it into a round. Make the outer edge higher than the inside whether piping or spooning.

Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about one hour. The inside will still be marshmallowy. 

Turn oven off and prop door open slightly. Cool meringue in oven for one hour. Meringue may sink slightly and crack while cooling.

Thai Green Papaya Salad

I have always thought a green papaya was an unripe papaya and it turns out I am correct. I have been looking for an unripe papaya for a very long time. Upon a visit to an Asian grocery store I found hard small papayas and I was finally in luck.

Two kinds of papaya, sometimes called pawpaw, are commonly grown. One has sweet red or orange flesh and the other is yellow. Either picked unripened is called green papaya. Green papaya is rich in papain, an enzyme that tenderizes meat. It is also an aid to digestion. It has been used by the indigenous peoples for centuries and is an ingredient in powdered meat tenderizers.

In addition to salads, green papaya is cooked in curries and stews.

Papaya does not properly ripen after picking which explains why I have not found it outside an Asian grocer. The typical use is as a fresh fruit. Timing is everything and if picked green the papaya will soften but not ripen. My long wait has been rewarded. I have a salad for lunch today. Personally, I would not call this a traditional recipe because of the inclusion of tomatoes. However, they do add a punch of colour.

Thai Green Papaya Salad

3 tablespoons palm sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Chinese long beans
green papaya, peeled, halved, seeded
10 large cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, very thinly sliced

1 fresh red Thai chile with seeds, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Set dressing aside.

Cook beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Using julienne peeler, peel enough papaya to measure 6 cups. Place in large bowl. Add tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, chile, and green beans. Pour dressing over; toss. Sprinkle peanuts over and serve.

Stilton Stuffed Baked Pears

A wine country feast is the menu this month. Whether you actually live in wine country or just wish you did these recipes can transport you to a happy place. The Okanagan is my favourite wine region and the wine I have chosen to use in this dessert is Black Sage port-style Pipe . You can't actually call a wine 'port' unless it is from the proper region in Portugal. However, Pipe a Portuguese term for a wine measure, hints at the type of wine in this bottle.

This dessert is rich. Your guests will be swooning. It in itself could be the star of the meal and I just might make it for Thanksgiving. Serve with a glass of Black Sage Pipe. Use a well proportioned glass as with any wine. Port can also be decanted before serving.

Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe is on appetizer duty and who doesn't love shrimp. Chardonnay Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus. 

Val at More Than Burnt Toast brings Butternut Squash White Bean Soup
 

Susan is capitalizing on the fall bounty with her Creamy Pumpkin and Sage Polenta

Jerry at A Life, Lived is hosting and has the main course of Roasted Breast of Chicken withPinot Noir Sauce. Jerry will be in California wine country within days. Have a great time, Jerry!

Shelby at Grumpy's Honeybunch is treating us with Honey Crisp Apple Sangria

Stilton Stuffed Baked Pears

• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. (2 ounces) crumbled Stilton cheese
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
• 8 peeled Bartlett pears (about 3 3/4 pounds)
• 1/4 c. apple juice 
• 1 tbsp. port

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Combine sugar and butter in a small bowl, and stir until well blended. Add cheese, cranberries, and walnuts. Stir well.
3. Cut off stem end of each pear just above where the fruit begins to widen and reserve top. Remove core from stem end, and scoop out about 2 tablespoons pulp from each pear half to form a cup, using a melon baller or spoon. If necessary, cut about 1/4 inch from base of pears so they will sit flat. Place the pears in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Fill each pear with about 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, and replace top on each.
4. Pour apple juice and port into baking dish. Bake pears at 375 F for 30 minutes or until tender. Plate the pears and pour the juice and port mixture into a pan. Reduce to about half and spoon over pears. Serve warm.

Peach Melba Cordial

I have been following the British Larder for a few years and love all their recipes. Madalene and Ross have a restaurant in Suffolk, England and how I wish I could eat there. All the meals are made with fresh, in season ingredients. They are beautifully presented and the flavours sound amazing.

Their website is full of wonderful simple yet complex recipes. I think this is the first one I have made at home. Raspberries and peaches were in my refrigerator when this recipe came into my email.

I keep all my vanilla pods after scraping out the seeds. There is still a lot of flavour and they are rather expensive. I used 2 or 3 scraped vanilla pods for this and the flavour was perfect.


Peach Melba Cordial from The British Larder

•  2 cups very ripe peaches, stoned and roughly chopped
• 3 cups  sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
• 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 4 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon citric acid

Place all the ingredients, apart from the citric acid, in a medium saucepan over a low heat and leave the pan uncovered. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then just leave the pan over the low heat for 20 minutes – the fruits are steeping during this time and the mixture does not need to boil. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat as this will change the flavour.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the citric acid and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Pass the liquid through a piece of muslin cloth into a bowl or jug (use the steeped fruits left in the muslin as a compote served over yoghurt for breakfast). Pour the cordial into sterilised bottles and seal. Keep refrigerated until needed. The unopened bottles of cordial will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within 1 week. Alternatively, freeze the cordial in portions (in freezer bags), then defrost and use as required.
Makes 1 - 2 quarts

Peach Melba Spritzer
For each serving, fill glass with ice, pour about half way with cordial and top up with soda water. For a sweeter drink, use carbonated lemonade. Decorate with fresh raspberries and peach slices. Serve

Peach Melba Collins
For each serving, fill glass half full with ice, pour equal portions cordial and gin, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Then add a few crushed frozen raspberries and a slice of fresh peach. Top the glass up with soda water, stir and serve.

Peach Melba Martini
Place martini glass in refrigerator to chill. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 part gin or vodka, 2 parts Martini Dry and 2 parts cordial. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled glass and serve immediately. 

After almost a month in the refrigerator this has been fermenting and has become fizzy. I wonder if there is any alcohol content now?

Making Cherry Bourbon Liqueur

Cherries herald in the season. They are the first orchard fruit in a progression of summer's most treasured flavours. The season is all too short. As a child my mother would 'put up' a case of every fruit that came out of the Okanagan. We loved canned Okanagan fruit, especially cherries.

I no longer do this. Perhaps it is time to rethink before cherries are done. This recipe seems to easy to be true. I am making only a small jar to try it out. But hey, what's the downside? A jar of bourbon soaked cherries and a bit of bourbon that may taste like cherries. Really. There is no downside to trying this recipe.

Okay, so 2 months later I am adding my notes. The bourbon was a lovely red colour but no noticeable cherry flavour. It still would make a nice manhatten though. The cherries were so strongly bourbon flavoured that I couldn't use them as a garnish for my cocktail. Perhaps chop and add to a cherry pie with more cherries? Oh well. It had great potential.

Cherry Bourbon Liqueur

a jar
enough pitted cherries to fill the jar about one quarter full
a good bourbon

Place pitted cherries into a clean jar to about the one quarter mark. Fill to the top with bourbon. Seal tightly and leave at room temperature for one month. Store in a cold room or refrigerator until used. Will keep a long time.

That was easy. The hard part is waiting a month before tasting.

Crostini with Oven Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote and Pickled Radishes

Our virtual supper club is off to a beach picnic this month. As I write this the weather is scorching hot and I actually wish I was at the beach.

It is my turn to make the appetizer and rather than finding a recipe, I am working with what I have in my kitchen to pull this together. Strawberries made their first appearance at the market this past Saturday. Of course, radishes have been ready for some time now. Ditto rhubarb. Pea shoots also made their first appearance. Voilà. Put them all together and this is what you get. Next time I would place a thin slice of brie on the toast before adding the toppings.

Radishes are not my favourite vegetable but I have been wanting to make pickled radishes for quite some time. This is a quick and simple recipe. I made only one jar. I love the way the vinegar turns a blush colour. It is so pretty.

Let's take a look at the rest of the menu...

Susan of The Spice Garden brings us a main course of Lemon Ginger Fried Chicken. Yumm.

Jerry of A Life, Lived is bringing a side dish. Zucchini Ribbons with Lemon and Pecorino. No doubt this is inspired from his recent trip to Italy. Wish you were still there, eh Jerry?

Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch is making Farro, Cherry and Walnut Salad. I love farro in a salad.

Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking is bringing dessert. It is a lovely Lemon Polenta Cake with Summer Berries. No doubt this is also inspired by her recent Italy trip.

Val of More Than Burnt Toast compliments our menu with a Cherry Peach Sangria. What better than sangria for a beach picnic. 

Wow. I wish this was in real time. The menu sounds delicious.


Pickled Radishes

1 cup radishes, finely sliced

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoons maple sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

Slice off the tops and bottoms of the radishes, then use a sharp chef's knife or mandoline to slice the radishes into very thin rounds. Pack the rounds into a 250 mL (8 ounce) canning jar. Top with red pepper flakes and mustard seeds.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, maple sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then pour the mixture over the radishes.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Let the pickles sit over night before using. They will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks. 

Oven Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb

1 cup chopped rhubarb
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons maple sugar

Select young tender red stalks of rhubarb. Chop into 1-inch lengths. Remove the stem from strawberries and slice in half. Toss rhubarb with one tablespoon of maple sugar. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Place strawberries on the other side of the same baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with the remaining maple sugar. Roast at 350 F for about 10 minutes or until tender. Mix together and serve.

Assemble the crostini by toasting the focaccia or baguette slice on the grill until lightly browned. This can be done in advance. Top with a slice of brie, then the fruit compote and then the pickled radishes. Garnish with pea shoots.

Rhubarb Johnny Cake

Cooking proved to be a bit of a challenge for me today. In addition to this rhubarb cake I was testing a recipe for a turkey burger. Do not walk away from a heating pan. Fortunately the little bit of oil that was in it did not burst into flame but the smoke alarm was telling my neighbours all about my moment of carelessness in the kithcen.

After I cut the rhubarb and tossed it with the sugar and ginger, I realized that I had no butter in the house. It is Sunday morning and I had to wait for an hour before a store opened. Thus there was a bit of juice in the bowl. I added it to the final batter. 

I used regular cornmeal in this recipe and it worked just fine. I might search out corn flour and try it again. Either way, it would be an excellent breakfast or dessert dish. I also forgot to add the sour cream and vanilla. It really wasn't a day I should have been following a recipe. But then again it is always nice to find a recipe that can handle a few mistakes and still turn out nicely.

This is naturally gluten free and is not loaded with sugar. Any summer fruit would work equally as well as rhubarb.

Rhubarb Johnny Cake
 
2 cups rhubarb
2 tablespoons sugar 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ginger or cardamom
1 cup corn flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raw sugar

Preheat the oven to 350° Grease a 9” cake pan.
Gently toss the fruit with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the spice of your choice. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the corn flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat 1/2 cup sugar with the butter until creamy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
Add the corn flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just enough to combine. Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread into an even layer.

Arrange the fruit on top of the batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool and then sprinkle the raw sugar over the top.
Slice and serve with Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream. Serves 8.

Recipe from Cheryl Paff of Black-Eyed Suzie's Upstate 

Persimmon Bourbon Pecan Cake

Persimmons are intriguing. They are exotic and ugly at the same time. Well, they are beautiful but before you can eat them or use them, they must sit and ripen until they look like they should be thrown to the pigs. Imagine my delight when I saw them on sale 50% off because they were becoming over-ripe. Perfect.

I am by no means an expert on persimmons and my very trusted source David Lebovitz explains the differences nicely in his blog. My bag of half price persimmons contained one hachiya and two fuyu. I just combined them for this recipe.

You can certainly substitute flours, oils and sugars in this recipe. Just a note, however, cane sugar is much sweeter than beet sugar. I would increase the sugar to 1 cup if you are using beet sugar. And if alcohol is not in your diet, substitute with apple juice.

I bought these little silicon baking cups a while back and have never used them. Today I tried them with this dough. No greasing the mould, just fill full and bake. They come out of the mould with a little twist. Worked great. However there wasn't as much carmelization leaving a paler exterior.

This cake is delicious the day it is made but leaving it sit for a day or two allows the flavours and the moistness of the persimmons to develop.

Persimmon Bourbon Pecan Cake

3/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup persimmon puree
2 large free range eggs
1 teaspoon pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Indonesian Korintje Cassia Cinnamon
 1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups organic white flour
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Measure sugar, oil and persimmon puree into a large mixing bowl. Beat with whip attachment until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat again. In another bowl blend the remainder of the ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix only until blended.

Pour into prepared baking pans. Bake at 350F until done. A toothpick inserted will come out clean when the cake is done. The length of time depends upon the size of the pan. A 10 inch pan will take about 30 minutes to bake.

❤︎ I Heart Apples ❤︎

Back in the early 1970's Canada adopted the Metric System of measures and a whole new era began in Canadian kitchens. At least that is what we felt back then. In the early 1980's the Canadian Home Economics Association took it upon themselves to write a cookbook embracing and showing leadership in using metric measures in the kitchen.

I can honestly say this is the only Canadian cookbook I have ever seen that is entirely in metric. I wonder if we actually believed our ovens would display Celsius?

We all know the outcome. Imperial measures are still primarily used in the kitchen. My volume measures such as cups and spoons are dual. My kitchen scale can be read in both Imperial and metric but the oven is solidly Imperial. Hence, the Celsius oven temperatures in the book are quite useless.

As I thumb through the recipes of each province I see common threads. Bread. We all have some traditional form of bread, quick bread and pancake. Apples. Every province with the exception of Newfoundland & Labrador and, if you can imagine, British Columbia have recipes using apples. My how times have changed.

We are in the midst of the Apple Month Taste Off showcasing the beautiful apples of British Columbia. Click on this link to find some great food porn and delicious recipes.

I am making an apple recipe that my Mom used to make quite often. We loved it. There is always a tug to update and modernize but I have decided to make it exactly as I remember it. We never had ice cream in the fridge freezer. We never had a sabayon or a vanilla custard. It is simply and deliciously an apple.

This is my contribution to the Canadian Food Experience. Check out the other bloggers cooking along.

Baked Cinnamon Apples
1 apple per person
cinnamon
brown sugar
raisins
chopped walnuts
unsalted butter

Core the apples and place in a buttered baking dish. Fill each apple with a mixture of brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts. Pack the filling firmly. Generously dust the apples with cinnamon.

Bake at 350F until tender and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serve while warm.

A Menu Inspired by the Movies and Romance....Enchanted April

This month our Virtual Supper Club celebrates a wedding anniversary. Susan and her husband are celebrating 34 years of marriage. We join together in presenting a romantic dinner with dishes taken from our favourite romantic movie.

I am making the appetizer for this dinner. Enchanted April  is set in Italy in a castle overlooking the rich blue Mediterranean. I have seen this movie a number of times and never tire of the story. The romance is not only in the beauty of the setting but in the realizations of the women that they have love in their life. Their bold move brought love back into their lives in surprising ways. It is a recipe for happiness: four women, one medieval Italian castle, plenty of wisteria, and solitude as needed.

Susan, I wish you many more happy anniversaries. I hope the menu we create makes this special time even more special.

My appetizer is made with this very unique burrata cheese from Puglia in southern Italy. It is a fresh cheese made with a buffalo or cow mozarella outer shell filled with more mozarella and cream. When it is cut open the thickened cream oozes out. The result is delicious and decadent. It is best served at room temperature.

Susan's main dish is inspired by Lady and the Tramp's pasta scene. She is making Chicken Puttanesca

Jerry is bringing soup and takes inspiration from There is a Girl in My Soup. Check out his lovely French Onion Soup

Sandi's side dish is inspired by Sweet Home Alabama. What is more Alabama than Brown Rice Shrimp Jambalaya

Val's dessert is Italian inspired by the movie Under The Tuscan Sun. Her yummy Lemon Panna Cotta is a wonderful ending to this meal.


Burrata and Apricot Appetizer

burrata cheese
1 c. dried apricots
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
prosciutto
baby kale
poppy seed vinaigrette dressing

Place dried apricots and sugar in a heavy pan and with 1 cup with water. Simmer until plumped. Allow the apricots to brown as it simmers. Remove from heat and add vanilla bean, with seeds scraped out and pod cut into small pieces. Cool completely.

Plate the appetizer with a small bit of baby kale dressed with a poppy seed vinaigrette dressing. Top with half a slice of prosciutto topped with a stewed apricot. Drizzle with a bit of the apricot liquid around the plate. Add slice of burrata. Serve.

Which Orange are You Buying this Christmas?

A very special treat when I was a child on the farm back in the 1950's and 1960's on the Canadian prairies was Christmas oranges. We loved those oranges. They were delivered in wooden boxes and individually wrapped in green paper. Every Christmas morning one would be in the toe of my stocking. They were so delicious.

Today I feel like I have lost the spark and take them for granted. This is probably because they are available throughout the year. They aren't just a Christmas treat. I rarely buy them. Instead I find that navel oranges are so delicious and juicy. A part of my family tradition has gone by the wayside.

Yesterday my neighbour brought me samples of all the oranges she bought. "Which one do you prefer?" she asks.

The orange wrapped in red tissue is from Japan. As a child our oranges always came from Japan and they were so good. I found this orange to be the juiciest but had a bland flavour. There was a lot of white pith and I hate white pith. I meticulously remove all of it before I eat the segments.

The orange in green tissue is from China. Biases aside about eating produce from China, this had the flavour I remember from my childhood. It had the same peel, the same amount of pith and the same flavour.







However, my favourite was the clementine from California. The citrus flavour bursts in your mouth. The peel came off easily and it had no white pith. It was juicy enough.

Thank you, Hannah, for the taste experience. It was fun.

Making Membrillo

Another flavour of the fall and winter season that I adore is quince. Quince is a pome like apples and pears. That means it has a core with usually 5 seeds surrounded by the fleshy fruit. Unlike apples and pears, however, quince is usually not edible without cooking. They can be rock hard. However, they are similar to apples in that they contain natural pectin.

I was delighted to find quince at my local grocery store. They make a lovely jelly or jam for toast, but I have always wanted to make membrillo. This is also called quince paste and is popular in Spain where it is paired with manchego cheese.

The light coloured flesh develops a beautiful rosy hue as it cooks.










Membrillo

4 pounds quince, washed, peeled, cored, roughly chopped

1 vanilla bean

2 strips (1/2 inch by 2 inches each) of lemon peel with pithy white part removed

3 Tbsp lemon juice

About 4 cups of granulated sugar

Place quince  large saucepan and cover with water. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add vanilla seeds, pod and lemon peel and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the quince is  fork tender (30-40 minutes).

Strain water. Discard the vanilla pod but keep the lemon peel. Purée the quince in a food processor or blender. Measure the quince purée. Add an equal amount of sugar. So if you have 4 cups of purée, you'll need 4 cups of sugar. Return the quince purée to the large pan. Heat to medium-low. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add lemon juice.

Continue to cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-1 1/2 hours, until the quince paste is very thick and has a deep orange pink color.

Preheat oven to a low 125°F (52°C). Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with parchment paper. Spray a thin coating of oil on the parchment paper. Pour the cooked quince paste into the parchment paper-lined baking pan. Smooth out the top of the paste so it is even. Place in the oven for about an hour to help it dry. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, cut into squares or wedges and present with Manchego cheese. To eat, take a small slice of the membrillo and place it on top of a slice of the cheese. Store membrillo in an airtight container in the a cold room. It will keep for months.

Preserving the Harvest...Prairie Style

Our summers are short but wonderful. The days are hot, the skies are blue and the sweet smell of gardens and fields fills the air. I have a little garden but it is mostly herbs, rhubarb and a few tomatoes for the table. I buy at the Farmers' Market to enjoy that summer flavour.

I grew up in a home where we traditionally preserved B.C. fruit, garden vegetables, butchered meats and freshly caught northern lake fish for the winter. I always wished we had a cold room. Even as a young person in high school I was intensely interested in fresh local food and foraging for berries and other edibles.

Farm life back then assured us that we would have all that.

This year I am preserving a few things. I don't use a lot but I cannot help myself when I see the beautiful stone fruits, pickling cucumbers and local berries. These can be the beginning of an even greater meal. A little black currant jam added to pan juices of a roast duck takes the sauce to the next level. Apricot jam has varied applications in the baking world. This is my justification for adding to my cold room collection.

In addition to these recipes, I have blanched and frozen green beans. Saskatoon berries are in the freezer. I have cured fresh garlic from Anna at The Garlic Garden in Yorkton. Last year I had her fresh garlic throughout the winter and up until the new harvest. I keep it in a basket that I hang on the wall of my cold room. I buy potatoes to store in the cold room. Now I wish I had a root cellar! One day.

This fall or early winter I do expect that I will be gifted some wild pheasant. Last year was my first time plucking and cleaning pheasant! I was sorely unprepared but a quick lesson from the hunter set me in the right direction. Pheasant makes the loveliest clear consommé.

I had a lot of hot peppers from the market that I could not eat quickly so I have pickled them. They will be great in sandwiches. Yum.
 

Apricot Jam

This is a simple recipe but just bursting with flavour. It has quickly become my favourite jam for toast.

8 c. coarsely chopped apricots

4 c. sugar

1 c. honey

juice and grated peel of 1 orange

1/8 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently until thick, about 30 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims thoroughly. Seal and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (or more depending upon altitude). Yield: about 8 cups.

Chokecherry Jelly   recipe from Bernardin

When I was a teenager we would drive to the hills and seek out locations where we might score a good amount of chokecherries. They have a unique puckery flavour that translates well into jelly, jam and syrup. I could never get the recipe right back then. They have no natural pectin and there was no real recipe. The farm women just knew how to make it. I should have planted myself in my favourite cook's kitchen and documented her recipe. Regrets!

This produced a very soft jelly. I see there is no lemon juice in the recipe. Next time I would add 2 tbsp. bottled lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice has a consistent acidity level as compared to the fresh fruit that can vary.

12 cups (3000 ml) chokecherries
3 cups (750 ml) water 
6 1/2 cups (1875 ml) granulated sugar
2 pouches (170 ml) BERNARDIN® Liquid Pectin


Wash and remove stems from fruit. Combine with water in a stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Pour prepared mixture into dampened jelly bag or cheese cloth-lined sieve suspended over a deep container. Let drip to collect juice. For quicker results, squeeze bag; juice may be cloudy.

Measure 3 cups (750 ml) chokecherry juice into a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Stir in sugar and 1/2 tsp (2 ml) butter or vegetable oil to reduce foaming. Over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Immediately stir in Liquid Pectin, mixing well. Skim foam. Ladle into prepared jelly jars and water bath process. Makes about 6 - 250 mL jars.

Bread 'n Butter Pickles   recipe from Bernardin

Last week after the Market ended a man from one of the Hutterite colonies gave me 3 bags of pickling cucumbers. How could I refuse?

My mother always made bread 'n butter pickles. We loved them. I have never tried making them until now. I cannot ever remember her looking at a recipe book and she always sang while she made them. Slicing cucumbers give a lot of time for reflection and I realized that this simple act of making pickles formed a connection with my mother that was never possible when she was alive. She suffered with schizophrenia most of my life. Relationships were not her strength.

6 1/2 lb (3 kg) pickling cucumbers

1 lb. (454 gm) onions, sliced 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) thick

1/3 c. (75 mL) pickling salt

5 c. ( 1250 mL) white vinegar

1 1/4 c. (300 mL) white sugar

1/2 c. (125 mL) pickling spice

2 tbsp. ( 30 mL) celery seed

2 tsp. (10 mL) ground ginger

1 tsp. (5 mL) ground turmeric

Slice unpeeled washed cucumbers 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) thick, discard ends. In a large glass or stainless steel container, layer cucumbers and onions, lightly sprinkling each layer with salt. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Combine vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, celery seed, ginger and turmeric in a large stainless steel saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently 15 minutes.

Drian vegetables, add to pickling liquid. Mix well. Return mixture to a boil.

Yield – 7 x 500 mL jars

Hot Cucumber Relish   

Three bags are a lot of cucumbers. I needed to make something else. This recipe for cucumber relish looked good and might be nice on hotdogs and hamburgers. We have a block party coming up. I will test this on my neighbours!

7 c. peeled, finely chopped cucumbers

3 c. finely chopped red peppers

1 c. finely chopped hot banana peppers

2 c. finely chopped green peppers

1 c. finely chopped onion

2 c. finely chopped celery

1/2 c. pickling salt

2 1/4 c. sugar

3 c. white vinegar

3 tbsp. celery seed

3 tbsp. mustard seed

Combine prepared measured cucumbers, red peppers, hot peppers, green peppers, onion and celery with pickling salt in a large glass or stainless steel container. Cover and let stand 4 hours.

Drain vegetable mixture through cheesecloth lined sieve. Rinse with water, drain again squeezing out excess liquid.

Combine sugar, vinegar, celery seed and mustard in a large stainless steel sauce pan. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables. Stirring frequently, return to a bil and boil gently 10 minutes.

Yield: about 6 - 500 mL jars.

This is my contribution this month for The Canadian Food Experience Project, the brainchild of Valerie at A Canadian Foodie. This is the 5th edition of a yearlong project. You can find posts from other  participants here.

Pickled Peppers recipe can be found here

My previous posts in this challenge can be found here -

My Earliest Memory of Canadian Food
Regional Canadian Food - SW Saskatchewan 
Local Food Heroes 
My Cherished Canadian Recipe - Saskatoon Berry Pie 

Chai, Moroccan Mint Tea and Small Bites

Cream Tea, High Tea and Afternoon Tea describe formal tea. Cream Tea is served in Devon and Cornwall, England and there is an ongoing feud whether you put the clotted cream or the strawberry jam on the scone first. High Tea means that tea is taken in the dining room and therefore served on high tables.  Tea enjoyed in the garden is called Afternoon Tea and is on low tables.

All these details aside, the common thread is that dainty sandwiches and sweets are served with tea. In this modern era we would be as likely to serve green tea, herbal tea, chai or Moroccan mint tea. Sandwiches are now mini pitas or crostini and dainties might be fruit skewers or mini phyllo tarts.

Medjool Dates stuffed with chevre or feta is drop dead delicious. Garnish with orange zest and it is ready to go. These little pitas are made by quartering the mini pita bread and stuffing with a curried egg salad. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Mixed Nut Phyllo Tarts

This is much less work than making your own pastry and lighter than purchased unbaked pastry shells. Use any mix of unsalted nuts you have on hand. When working with phyllo pastry, I brush some melted butter on the countertop so the first sheet doesn’t move around.

1 c. maple syrup 

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. melted butter, cooled 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. coarsely chopped mixed unsalted nuts 

1 pkg. phyllo dough, thawed

1/2 c. melted butter 

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine maple syrup, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract, mixing well. Stir in nuts. Set aside.

Lay out 1 sheet of phyllo pastry on your countertop and brush with melted butter. Set another sheet over the first and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have 5 sheets of phyllo layered. Cut into 3 inch squares.

Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with oil. Press phyllo squares carefully into the pan. Fill with maple nut filling.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to12 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and shells are golden. Cool in the pan for a minute or two then remove and cool on rack. Makes about 48 tarts. 

Chai

3 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked open with the back of a spoon

6 whole cloves

1/4 tsp. fennel seeds

1/2 cinnamon stick

1/4 in. slice of fresh ginger 

5 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. loose black tea leaves 

4 c. water

1/2 c. half and half cream 

1 to 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, cane sugar or honey, according to taste 

Place spices and herbs in a medium size saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and steep for 10 minutes.

Add tea leaves and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on medium for 5 minutes. Add cream and sugar. Stir for about a minute, over low heat, until steaming. Strain and pour into a teapot or cups. This can be made ahead and reheated. It will keep several days in the refrigerator. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Moroccan Mint Tea  

1 tbsp. loose Chinese gunpowder green tea 

5 c. boiling water 

3 to 4 tbsp. sugar, or to taste 

1 large bunch fresh mint

Put tea in teapot and pour in 1 c. boiling water, then swirl gently to warm pot and rinse tea. Strain out and discard water, reserving tea leaves in pot.

Add remaining 4 cups boiling water to tea and let steep 2 minutes. Stir in sugar to taste and mint sprigs and steep 3 to 4 minutes more. Serve in small heatproof glasses.