Honeywood 100 Mile Salad

Hoenywood 100 Mile Salad

I love summer and being able to go out to the garden to pick vegetables.  This summer has been less than stellar, colder than usual, too much rain, and everything is very late.   I am only now able to pick a very few cherry tomatoes. Currently, I am picking lettuce, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, peas, swiss chard, kale, and scallions and shallots.    OK the olives are a stretch, but I did get them from the 100 Mile Store in Cremore.   

I use Kozlik's Mustard made in Toronto, with Ontario mustard seeds.  I have written about their incredible selection of mustards a in the past, my favourite being the Double C, but I  also love Amazing Maple and the Fig and Balsamic Mustard.  For oil I use the organic, virgin soy oil, which has  a very nutty taste, also from Ontario.  

salad

• mixed lettuce greens, from my garden
• zucchini, from my garden
• hard boiled eggs, from my neighbour
• cherry tomatoes, from my garden
• smoked rainbow trout, Georgian Bay
• peas from my garden 
• boiled new potatoes, from my garden
• olives, from the 100 Mile Store in Creemore

dressing

• mustard
• virgin soy oil
• apple cider vinegar
• finely chopped garlic
• salt  and pepper to taste

Don't think we need directions for this one. 

Pickled Heirloom Baby Carrots

Market Baby Heirloom Carrots

I have never managed to grow carrots in my country garden, so when I saw these beautiful baby carrots at the market this Saturday I bought them immediately.  The reds and yellows and oranges of the heirloom carrots were so vibrant that I wanted to preserve them and save some for the winter.  

2 bunches of baby carrots
2 small cloves of garlic
2 small Thai hot peppers
1 1/2 cups of cider vinegar
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp of pickling salt
2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh oregano

Cut tops off of carrots leaving about a half inch of the green stem on the carrot.  Carefully scrub the carrots clean with an abrasive cloth.  Sterilize 2 - 8oz jars.  Place a pepper, a garlic clove, and half of the oregano in each of the jars.  Carefully pack the jars with the scrubbed carrots with the point down.

Bring vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil.  Pour over carrots, filling jars to 1/2 inch from the top.  Seal the jars and process in boiling water for 15 minutes.   The red from some of the carrots bled, resulting in the pink pickle juice.

Zucchini Flower Frittata

The zucchini are flowering again and I have a bounty of flowers and baby zucchini in my garden.  I plant the zucchini primarily for their flowers and any zucchini that manage to grow are an added bonus.  So Sunday morning, with a houseful of guests, zucchini became the star ingredient for brunch.  

Zucchini Flower Frittata

8 fresh eggs from the market
4 or 5 zucchini flowers
2 or 3 baby zucchini, less than 2"long
1 small onion, about 2 tablespoons when chopped
a handful of fresh herbs from the garden
1/4 cup of freshly coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup of olive oil

Serves 4 to 6 

Break eggs into a large bowl and whisk eggs until smooth.  Wash flowers, making sure that no bugs are hiding inside the flowers, and dry.  Remove pestle from the inside of male flowers.  Cut baby zucchini in half length wise.  Finely chop onion.  Clean herbs and coarsely chop.  Dip the flowers in the egg mixture, then dredge in flour.  

Heat oil in heavy cast iron pan, until very hot, but not smoking. Fry dredged zucchini flowers, until golden, on all sides.  Remove flowers and rest on paper towels to remove excess oil.  Turn down heat on stove, remove most of oil from bottom of pan, and saute onions until soft, and baby zucchini until until golden.  Mix half of herbs into remaining whisked eggs.  Turn oven broiler on. 

Spread onion and zucchini mixture evenly over bottom of pan.  Add eggs, arrange zucchini flowers in eggs, and sprinkle the remaining herbs on top.  Cook over medium heat until eggs are firm around edges.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and put on middle rack of oven to cook top half of eggs.  Watch eggs, and when the  eggs puff up they are done.  Do not over cook.  Remove from oven and serve either hot or at room temperature. 

Heritage Green Zebra Tomato and Yellow Tomato Soup

Green Zebra Tomatoes on the Vine

One of my favourite tomatoes is the green zebra tomato.  I love the texture combined with the fabulous colour and sweet flavour, with very little acidity.  Last spring I planted a few more zebra tomato plants than necessary and somehow forgot to plant your basic red tomato.  I did, however, plant heritage pineapple tomatoes which were fabulous, and are now included in my list of favourite tomatoes.  With the risk of frost, I picked the last of my green zebra tomatoes and yellow tomatoes and so made this soup. Next time I think I will not mix the yellow and the green so that the colour is cleaner. this soup tasted good hot, and then even better, cold the next day.  

Zebra Tomato and Yellow Tomato Soup with slice of Pineapple Tomato  

• 4 green zebra tomatoes
• 2 yellow low acid tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• sprig of thyme 
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1/2 cup of broth, chiken or vegetable
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper

Chop onions and and sauté in olive oil until soft in large acid resistant pot.  Add chopped garlic and sauté.  Chop tomatoes and add to onion mixture.  Add broth and wine, and thyme. Add balsamic vinegar, bring to boil, and reduce heat to simmer and cook until tomatoes are soft.  Taste, and add sugar  salt and pepper as required.  Works well as a hot or cold soup.  

Golden Moroccan Spiced Beet Pickles

I make Christmas Spiced Beet Pickles every year and always run out before the next beet season.  As soon as the first beets came out of the garden,  I preserve a new batch. This year, in addition to the more traditional red beets I grow every year,  I also had some golden beets, and thought I would experiment with the golden beets.  The designer in me liked the idea of star anise against the golden background of the beets.  I make a roasted vegetable dish with star anise and cinnamon and thought the combination might work well with beets also.  The first batch was a bit too acidic. Apple cider vinegar and raw sugar rounded the second batch out.

Golden Moroccan Spiced BeetPickles, with Christmas Spiced Red Beets behind

Ingredients for Golden Moroccan Spiced Beet Pickles

• 2 pounds of golden beets
• 2 cups of Demerara sugar
• 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 of a cup of water
• 2 cinimon sticks
• 4 star anise
• 12 pepper corns
• 4 small bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons of pickling salt
• 4 one pint preserving jars

Prepare beets, cutting off tops to within an inch of the beet, leave root attached. Put in stainless steel pot and bring to boil,  reduce to simmer and cook for 25 to 50 minutes, until cooked.  Mean while, sterilize bottles, and put  1/2 a teaspoon of pickling salt, 3 pepper corns, 1/2 a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf, and one star anise in each bottle.  

Remove beets from water and rinse under cool water.  Peel beets and cut into bite size pieces. Tightly pack bottles with beets, to within 1/2"of top of bottle. 

Combine water, sugar and vinegar, in stainless steel pan and bring to boil.  Fill bottles to within 1/4 inch of top with syrup and put lids on bottles. Process for 30 minutes.

Cool and store in dark place.  Best after two weeks.  

Note: for my red Christmas beets, substitute 4 cloves and 2 all spice berries in each jar for the star anise.  I also use white sugar and white vinegar, rather than the demerara sugar and cider vinegar. 

Pesto Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini Noodles with Pesto and Parmesan

My friend Ian introduced me to zucchini noodles a few months back, and I have to admit, I was sceptical and then I tasted.  He has this gadget, Taglialegumi, Plastica  (model # A4982799) made by the Italian Paderno , that turns zucchini into noodles that looks just like spaghetti.   Ian served the zucchini noodles with a cold tomato and date sauce which was so good that I immediately started looking for a gadget of my own.  I found one at a local restaurant and have been experimenting with different versions of zucchini noodles since then.

Zucchini coming out of Gadget 

I currently have an abundance of zucchini and basil in the garden, and have just harvested my garlic,  and so made a pesto version of the zucchini noodles this past weekend to rave reviews.

Zucchini Noodles

• 1 large green zucchini, 
• 1 large yellow zucchini
• 1 teaspoons of salt

Pesto

• 1 bunch of basil, about 2 cups of leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• approximately 2/3 of a cup of olive oil, 
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan Reggiano, freshly  grated 
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts or sunflower seeds

Cut zucchini noodles with noodle maker. Alternately  use a mandolin and slice both ways.
Salt zucchini  and toss gently.  Let rest in a colander for 10 or 15 minutes.

Mean while, prepare pesto.  Remove basil leaves from stems, discard stems and place leaves in food processor.  Add garlic,  olive oil and and process.  Add grated Parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds and process.  Add more olive oil if needed.  

Gently squeeze out excess water from zucchini noodles. Place in bowl.   Stir in pesto and serve.   

Note: my sister found a Taglialegui on Craig's List.

Andrea's Quinoa Salad

While Jean Pierre was busy making his zucchini spread,  Andrea was making this colourful Quinoa Salad.  She used a combination of golden and red quinoa and a multitude of summer herbs and vegetables  from the garden.  The end result was spectacular, to the point that my vegan daughter hid a secret stash at the back of the refrigerator to bring home.  

Andrea's Quinoa Salad

• 1/2 cup of golden quinoa
• 1/2 cup of red quinoa
• 1/2 red bell pepper 
• 1 medium sized yellow zucchini
• 1 medium sized green zucchini 
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• a handful of flat leaf parsley
• a handful of cilantro leaves 
• some fresh thyme
• 1 preserved lemon
• 3 scallions
• large handful of chives
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Rinse quinoa well to ensure not bitter.  Boil two cups of water. Add washed quinoa, reduce to a simmer and cover and cook for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat, and let rest for 4 minutes.  Remove lid and fluff with fork, then cool.

Chop red pepper, zucchini, scallions and chives, and place in large bowl.  Rinse preserved lemon and finely dice.  Add to bowl.  Add cooled quinoa, and mix.  Finely chop parsley,thyme, and cilantro. Add to bowl.  

Prepare dressing with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Add to bowl and gently toss.  Taste and adjust salt. 

Chill and serve. This tastes best the next day, when all of the flavours have had a chance to meld. 

Jean Pierre's Fire Roasted Zucchini Spread

Jean Pierre's Fire Roasted Zucchini Spread 

My friends, Andrea and Jean Pierre were in the country this weekend helping me prepare for my big barbecue.  While reviewing the menu, Andrea declared that I didn't have enough appetizers, and so after some discussion, Jean Pierre  suggested he take advantage of the abundance of zucchini, onions, peppers and garlic in the garden.  The end result was this fabulous spread with a bit of a kick. 

• 4 or 5 large zucchinis
• 2 onions
• 1 head of garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• olive oil
• 1 small habanero pepper, seeds removed
• 1 14 oz can of chickpeas
• salt and pepper to taste

Grill whole onions over open fire,  charring the exterior, over medium heat until insides are soft and sweet.  Chop zucchini into large chunks, salt, and set on paper towels to drain.  Grill over fire.  Remove seeds from pepper and grill. Roast a whole head of garlic at the same time until soft.

Chop the top off of the garlic head and squeeze out soft garlic into a food processor.  Add grilled zucchini, onion and pepper, chickpeas and lemon juice to food processor. Blend, slowly adding olive oil until a smooth consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   

Andrea with Jean Pierre preparing the Zucchini

Note:  Jean Pierre held back on the amount of hot pepper he put in the spread because of the diverse ages and backgrounds of the guest list.   

Nonna's Frittelle Fiori de Zucchine

Zucchini Flower Fritters

Nona with her Frittelle Fiori de Zucchine

Yesterday, my friend Christine and her in-laws visited me in the country.  Christine's in-laws are from Calabria, the toe of Italy. Her Nonna is most comfortable in front of the stove lovingly making the family favourites for a large extended family. I have fond memories of the fabulous meals she would produce when I helped with the annual ritual of putting down hundreds of bottles of tomatoes every fall.

Cleaned Zucchini Flowers

I walked with Nonna through my garden, hoping for advice, and she immediately focused in on the zucchini flowers.  Nonna told me that every morning her husband goes out to their garden and picks zucchini flowers only when they are perfect,  and stores them in the refrigerator until there are enough flowers to make Frittelle Fiori de Zucchini.  Later in the afternoon her husband walked through the garden and picked a zucchini flower, bringing it back to his wife and presenting it as a special gift.  

Zucchini flowers  are a special treat in the summer and the only reason I grow zucchini in my garden. I have cooked them a number of ways, however had never heard of, or tried this recipe, and so I was very pleased when Nonna offered to show me how to make it. I love the simplicity of this recipe, and the decadence of the flowers and the indulgence of deep frying.

Chopped Zucchini Flowers

• approximately 2 cups of large zucchini flowers
• 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of grated pecorino cheese
• salt to taste
• 1 cup of light vegetable oil, I prefer grape seed oil

Carefully clean inside and out of flowers, removing pollen, bugs and anything else that may have gotten into the flower.  I was being very gentle with the flower, until Nona got frustrated with me and took the flower away, turned it inside out and ran it under water to make sure that all the dirt was removed.  Remove the stem and leaves, and the pedestal.  Cut flowers into quarters the length of the petal, and then chop into 1/2 slices.  Nona told me her sister did not chop the petals and only quartered the flowers.  Put in a large bowl and dredge with the flower.  Stir in the water until a bit gooey.  Add cheese and salt to taste 

Dredging With Flour

Put oil in large cast iron pan and heat until it bubbles when a bit of batter is dropped into it.  Spoon a large spoon of batter into the hot oil.  

FrittelleCooking in Hot Oil

Flatten out with back of spoon and cook until golden brown, and then flip. Cook until golden brown, drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Grilled Peaches

It's peach season!!!  Local peaches, in six quart baskets, are now everywhere, at all of the markets and grocery stores.  The season is so short, and like strawberries, the local peaches taste so much better.  They are juicy and sweeter, I think, because they have ripened on the tree and not had to travel for days in refrigerated trucks. I do not buy peaches for the rest of the year, because there is just no comparison.

Bob and Denis were over for dinner and there was a fresh basket of peaches sitting on the counter, so we decided to grill them on the barbecue.  They were fabulous.  Bob ran to the corner store for ice cream, and Denis cleaned and added the red currents.  A perfect summer desert, of hot and cold, sweet and tart.

Grilling the peaches is very simple - cut the peach in half, remove pit, and grill face down, on a hot barbecue until caramelized.  It takes maybe 5 minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill.

Chilled Summer Pea Soup with Mint

I currently have a bounty of peas.  In addition to the peas from my garden,  there were two bags of fresh peas, one of sugar and the other snap peas in my box of vegetables from the farm.  Fresh peas from the pod are so fabulous and I wanted to capture that essence in a cold soup for dinner on a hot summer day. 


Peas from the pod remain sweet for only a very short time and then start to become starchy, so I needed to use as quickly as possible.  With both fresh mint and shallots from the garden, in combination with the peas, the freshness of this soup was hard to beat.  

2 shallots, finely diced
2 tablespoons of butter ( or olive oil, if vegan)
5 cups of shelled peas
2 cups of vegetable broth
4 or 5 leaves of fresh mint
1 cup of cream (or soy milk, for my vegan daughter)
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste




Sauté shallots in butter, until soft, but not coloured. Add vegetable broth and simmer for a few minutes.  Cool.  Briefly cook peas in boiling water, until softish, retaining some bite.  Rinse in ice bath to stop cooking.  


Combine cold broth, peas and mint in food processor and pulse until a smooth constancy.  Strain, add cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve, or store in refrigerator until ready to serve.  


Note, the peas become starchy very quickly, so do not store for too long.  

Three Types of Strawberry Jam

The sky opened up and it rained hard on Saturday morning, and all of the local gardeners and farmers were ecstatic.  It had been scorchingly hot, with no rain for a few weeks. My neighbour, Peter, referred to the storm as 'the million dollar rain'.  The local Saturday morning market was a bit sparse and so when I saw the flats of strawberries, I thought strawberry jam, either that, or tackle organizing the basement.  It was an easy decision.  Strawberry Jam.

When I got home I pulled out my Small Batch Preserving, by Margaret Howard,  and found a couple of recipes, one with sherry, and another with balsamic vinegar.  My mother had a fondness for Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry, and I had the remnants of a bottle from years ago in the cupboard.  The other recipe reminded me of one of my favourite deserts, strawberries with balsamic vinegar and crushed black peppercorns. 


After making these recipes there were still strawberries left over, and I thought a classic jam, and so I made what started out to be Plane Jane Strawberry Jam until, Andrea, who was visiting, suggested I add tarragon "just to add a bit of interest", so the third batch is French Tarragon Strawberry Jam.  

Three Types of Strawberry Jam

Balsamic and Peppercorn Strawberry Jam

• 8 cups of small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
• 4 cups of sugar
• 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of coarsely crushed peppercorns

Combine strawberries and sugar in large stainless steel pot.  Let it stand for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.  Add vinegar and bring to a hard boil and continue boiling gently for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add peppercorns.

Pour into large flat glass or enamel pans to 1/2 inch depth.  Place in oven and bake at 170F for 10 hours, or in a convection oven for 3 hours.  Stir occasionally.


Ladle into 8 oz sterilized bottles and screw on lids.  Process for 10 minutes.  Makes 5 bottles. 

Mom's Harvey's Bristol Cream with Strawberry Preserves

• 5 cups of cleaned and hulled small strawberries
• 4 cups of sugar
• juice of one lemon
• I pouch of liquid fruit pectin
• 1/2 cup of Harvey's Bristol Cream

Stir sugar, lemon and strawberries in stainless steel or enamel pot and let stand for 4 or 5 hours. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring constantly, and boil hard for 2 minutes. remove from heat, and add pectin and sherry.

Ladle into 8 ounce, wide mouthed, sterilized bottles and process for 10 minutes.  Makes 4, 8 ounce bottles.

Andrea's Tarragon Strawberry Jam

• 5 cups of strawberries, half slightly crushed, the other half cut in half
• 4 cups of sugar
• juice from 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 envelop of pectin

Mix berries, lemon juice and sugar and let stand for 8 hours.  Put in stainless steel pot and boil for 5 minutes.  Stir in pectin and cook for another minute.  Remove form heat and stir in tarragon.

Ladle into bottles and process for 10 minutes.  Makes 4, 8 ounce bottles

Rose's Outrageous Cherry and Chocolate Ice Cream

Rose, her brother and her father came over to pick cherries, cherries and more cherries from my very heavily ladened cherry tree, and then invited me for dinner the next night.  Rose, who at nine years of age, has mastered the fine art of making ice cream, made the most outrageous Cherry and Chocolate Ice Cream for desert, and  generously agreed to share her recipe

Rose's Outrageous Cherry and Chocolate Ice Cream,            photo by Rose

• 1/4 cup of shaved chocolate, Rose used Dark Callebaut chocolate from Belgium
• 2 1/2 cups of pitted Bing cherries
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of heavy whipped cream
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla, (if you are not a 9 year old you may want to substitute 1/4 cup of something alcoholic like Kier, Brandy or Amaretto to soak the cherries in to keep them from freezing solid)

Whisk eggs, and slowly whisk in sugar, add milk and cream and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture simmers.   Put mixture in ice cream maker and churn until almost stiff.  Add cherries,(if you have soaked them in alcohol, pour off any excess alcohol before adding to cream mixture) and chocolate and churn for one more minute.  Place in freezer and cure for a few hours.