French Onion Soup for the Soul

You can see a pattern here. I am gradually coming back to my blog. More importantly as the season of the market ends I can come back to your blogs. You and I cannot imagine the work it is to be a farmers' market vendor. I am definitely making changes for next summer. First of all I will purchase another freezer. Since I make my doughs in advance and freeze them the extra storage space will allow me to make in advance so I can take a week off from preparation from time to time and have a life. The other item I am purchasing is a commercial mixer. To date everything has been mixed by hand ... breads, scones, pies. Granted everything cannot be done in a mixer but if I can even do half it will be a huge boost to my ever so tired arms and hands.

I loved this soup. It was inspired by a recipe from Chef Micheal Smith. I love my little Le Creuset individual cast iron pots. They make dinner service a classy event.

It's cooling down out there and warm food is coming into favour.

 

French onion soup

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 c. brandy or fortified wine such as Madeira

4 c. chicken broth

2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 slices hearty bread or large croutons

2 c. shredded Swiss, Gruyere or Emmenthal cheese

Caramelize onions until they are a deep golden colour. Add brandy. Turn up the heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the additional liquid has evaporated.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme leaves, season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for 15 minutes or so.

To serve, preheat the broiler in your oven. Toast the bread slices to add flavour and help absorb the soup. Cut rounds out of the toast, large enough to fit your soup bowls.

Ladle the soup into four ovenproof serving bowls. Top each with a slice or two of toasted bread rounds, enough to cover the top of the soup. Cover the bread with an even mound of shredded cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted and browned. (Adapted from Chef Michael Smith)

Grilled Peaches & Serrano

I am looking back on summer. I had no time for blogging and even little time for experimenting with food. This is one of my favourites from August. I wish I had put it together earlier in the season. Nectarines would probably work as well. This clear white honey is acacia honey and has a decidedly neutral flavour that complements both the tartness and sweetness of the peach and the saltiness of the serrano. A few sprigs of fresh tarragon add a pleasing complexity. Even the burnt skewers add another layer of flavour.

I no longer peel my peaches in most uses. I like the added texture and appearance of the fuzzy skin. This is a nice addition to a charcuterie plate or a first course at a barbecue. Perhaps even brunch. I think I'll serve it at brunch. And yes, the peach has a tartness that comes with grilling.

Grilled Peaches & Serrano

fresh peaches, cut in thick wedges
serrano ham, thinly sliced
honey
fresh tarragon
short wooden skewers

Wrap each peach wedge in serrano and secure with a wooden pick that has been pre-soaked in water for 30 minutes. Grill over medium hot charcoal on each side until grill marks appear. Plate and drizzle with your favourite honey. Garnish with fresh tarragon leaves.

Chanterelle and Corn Chowder

Wild chanterelles are the most coveted of mushrooms. They are delightfully aromatic, beautifully shaped and highly nutritious. They are picked from forests across the country between mid-July to mid-October but Saskatchewan chanterelles are special.

“They are premium because they grow in a semi-arid climate. Saskatchewan chanterelles are dry, perfect round shapes, small size, clean, velvet touch, and the aroma is unbeatable. You don't need to see them but you can smell them when you walk into the forest,” boasts Elisabeth Poscher, professional forager and owner of Prairie Infusions out of Love, SK.

Areas with more rainfall produce large, water logged, floppy chanterelles. Saskatchewan chanterelles are small and dry, because it rains briefly then it's dry, so they come in a hurry and then stay dormant in that shape until it rains again briefly, then they grow a bit more. The drier the climate the more concentrated the chemical compounds in the plant. That is why their scent and flavour are so intense.

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Chanterelles are rich in carotenoids and Vitamin A, for eyesight and dry skin. Burbot liver and chanterelles have the most concentrated natural food sources of Vitamin D. Wild edible mushrooms have anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-reducing properties. They enhance the immune system and assist in reducing blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Elisabeth ships them from northern Saskatchewan all over the country and I was so glad I placed my order. This chowder is the perfect autumn lunch.

Chanterelle and Corn Chowder

2 strips smoked bacon, finely chopped

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 c. yellow onion, finely diced

1 medium celery stalk, finely diced

1 large garlic clove, finely minced

3/4 lb. chanterelles, coarsely chopped

 1 c. fresh corn kernels

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. fresh thyme, leaves only

1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 small bay leaf

1 qt. mushroom or chicken stock

1 c. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice or more to taste 

Cook bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat until just starting to brown, 3-4 minutes, then add butter. When butter has melted, stir in onion, celery and garlic. Cook until tender and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chanterelles and cook for 3 to 4 more minutes or until mushrooms are softened and tender. Stir in corn and potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until they begin to soften.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables in pot and stir to coat them with the flour. Add thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Add stock, stirring to prevent lumps from forming. Bring soup to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Remove bay leaf. Stir in cream and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed. Makes 6 cups.

Early Frost and Harvesting my Herbs

 It's that time of year. The time when an early frost promises to decimate your garden. I should have harvested my herbs earlier but here I am holding out to the bitter end.

What would you do with these herbs? I have curly parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. The parsley will make a tabouli. What else!

I think I will make a grape and rosemary focaccia. Rosemary would be great dried so if I have any left over I'll dry it.

The thyme will also be great dried. I think I'll hang it to dry and save for winter roasts.

But what about the oregano and sage? I could dry the sage but the oregano isn't that highly flavoured. I could freeze it. What could I make with my fresh oregano and sage? Ideas welcomed.

These trimmings will go into my freezer bag for making stocks.

Dutch Baby Panckes

 

Brunch is a wonderful time to entertain friends. It can be easy on the budget, both time and money. It is easier to gather friends together. Just making some interesting and tasty food. This is a menu to save. Serve this with a fresh fruit compote or traditional maple syrup. Whipped cream adds a bit of specialness.

Our Cooking Light Supper Club does brunch this month. What a great collection of ideas....

Shelby–Cheddar Bacon Tomato Strata

Jerry at A Life, Lived – Savory Sausage Breakfast Rolls

 Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe Cooking – Cucumber Gazpacho with Shrimp

Val at More Than Burnt Toast- Mini Bacon and Potato Frittatas

Susan – Monkey Bread

Peach Dutch Baby Pancake

A Dutch baby is a puffy, baked pancake. Preheating the pan allows the batter to start cooking immediately and to puff up. It deflates the minute it comes out of the oven so serve quickly. This is nice with a fresh fruit compote or maple syrup and whipped cream. 

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 peaches, halved, pitted, cut into 1/4'-thick wedges
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

• Preheat oven to 425°. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan; scrape into a blender. Add eggs, flour, milk, 1 Tbsp. sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend batter until smooth; set aside in blender.
• 

  Heat a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add peaches to skillet; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Briefly reblend reserved pancake batter. Pour evenly over peaches and transfer to oven.
• Bake pancake until puffed and golden brown all over, 17–20 minutes (it will deflate as soon as it's removed from the oven). Dust pancake with powdered sugar and serve immediately, passing cherry compote alongside.

 

A Drive in the Country - Crooked Bush Botanical Mystery

My jaunt to North Battleford revealed a delightful surprise. Crooked Bush is an unusual grove of aspens that has intrigued me since I first read about it in a local travel magazine but I didn't know where it was. Aspens are normally a tall thin pencil straight tree. For an unknown reason they have grown in a sporadic fashion in this little grove. 

But if you are out looking for this little patch of trees, good luck. The signage has been changed and a different route is being used to get there. However, it is worth the drive.

I arose before dawn to arrive in the 'golden hour' for photography. 

After more than 40 minutes of driving I was encouraged by this sign that I was going in the right direction. Not so! I drove and I drove until the road changed from gravel to dirt. No Crooked Bush. It is 6:45 am and my gas tank is running low. I am in the middle of nowhere and decide to drive back to the highway and the extra kilometers to Hafford , fill up with gas and ask better directions.

This cute-as-a-button bistro opened at 7 am and had excellent coffee and home baked pastries. It was a comfortable spot to wait until the gas station opened. Then I filled the tank, gratefully accepted the brochure with proper directions and got back on the road.

These are the proper directions to the Crooked Bush from Hafford (on the highway between North Battleford and Prince Albert, SK) ....

14.5 km west of Hafford on Hwy 40, past Speers to Flint Road.

Turn north into the country and drive 16 km (10 miles). You are driving through open farmland. It's beautiful and you are easily lulled into a sense that you will easily see the sign signalling a turn. NOT! Clock it exactly with your odometer and look for an inconspicuous little intersection with no unique landmark.

Turn east and drive 2.5 km (1.5 miles).

Can you spot the sign? That little one below the YIELD sign.

Close up of the little sign. Glad it's 'not far now'!

See the sign? Not much help are they!

Success this time. Crooked Bush is a tiny unassuming grove in the middle of nowhere. At 7:30 am I am alone with the trees and the birds. The sun is warm. The air is crisp. The grass is dewy.

This sign requests that you treat the area with respect. Amazingly, it was pristine. No disturbance, no garbage, no hint of human visitors inside the grove.

University research has all but concluded that these trees grow crooked as a result of genetic mutation.

Locals know that a full moon lights up the Crooked Bush but courage of stone is necessary to visit it at night.

On the other side of the road not more than 20 feet away is a normal bluff.