Aunt Garrie's Tomato Soup Cake

Growing up, my Aunt Garrie made Tomato Soup Cake for family events.  It was something we always looked forward to, partly because of the novelty of a cake made with tomato soup, but also because it tasted very good; and so when she asked what she could bring to the barbecue, I suggested the Tomato Soup Cake.  This recipe was passed down from my great grandmother, to my grandmother, to my aunt, and now she is passing it on to the next generation.

Aunt Garrie with her Tomato Soup Cake with ice cream

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 10 oz. can tomato soup
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins or currants

Sift dry ingredients together.  Whisk  shortening and sugar until fluffy.  Dust raisins and nuts with flour.  Alternately add dry ingredients and soup beating well each time. Stir in nuts and raisins. Mixture will be thick.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes in a greased loaf pan, or 45 minutes in a ring pan.

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.

Grilled Lemon Rosemary and Garlic Flattened Chicken

Recently when Bill, Debbie and their son Matthew came for dinner, I grilled vegetables from my garden and this chicken that my neighbour raised, for dinner.  With the exception of the lemon and olive oil, everything I served for dinner was local.  

I first made this chicken while camping in Killbear Provincial Park a number of years ago. We arrived at our campsite late in the day and immediately started the fire after pitching the tent.  One of the great things about the older campgrounds in the provincial parks is that they have fire pits with grills to cook on.  Friends of ours were camping the first time and I was making dinner.  I prepped the chicken the night before at home, threw it in a freezer bag, froze it over night and packed it in the cooler for the trip north.  Small new potatoes, cut in half, thrown in the cast iron pan with some olive oil, coarse salt and tyme, and fresh corn on the cob that we picked up from a road side stand on the way north completed the dinner.

This summer has been so dry that there is a fire ban and so have had to use
the gas barbecue which is almost as good, but lacks the smokey taste of the fire. 

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 large head of garlic
• 2 lemons
• 1 bunch of rosemary
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley
•  olive oil
•  salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
• 1 large freezer bag

Cut the whole chicken down the centre of the breast and open flat.  Clean inside ribs, and salt.  Smash garlic cloves with side of knife and continue to mash with the side of knife until the garlic is paste like.  Rub half of the garlic into ribs of the chicken.  Finely chop rosemary and mix with the remaining mashed garlic. Lift up skin over breast and stuff rosemary and garlic mixture between breast and skin.  Carefully place skin back in place. Generously salt and pepper skin.  Place in large freezer bag with the juice of a lemon and refrigerate until ready to cook, a minimum of one hour, but overnight is better.  Grate skin of lemon and mix equal parts sea salt, and save for when chicken comes off grill.

Fifteen minutes before cooking turn the barbecue on high.  If you are using a fire, build a good bed of coals, and test heat by holding hand over fire. You should be able to hold it for the count of 3.  When the grill is hot, paint the grill with olive oil and place chicken, rib side down in the centre of the grill.   Place something heavy on top, like a cast iron frying pan to flatten the chicken. Turn grill down to medium.  Leave for 15 to 20 minutes depending on size of chicken and temperature of grill. Flip the chicken and weigh down again.  Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes and the skin is crispy and golden and juice runs clear.  Sprinkle lemon zest and salt mixture over chicken and tent and let rest for 10 minutes.

Finely chop 1 branch of rosemary, 2 branches of parsley and 1 clove of garlic.  Mix with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and juice from one lemon.  Serve with chicken.

Maple and Bourbon Planked Salmon

A number of years ago, I came across Ted Reader's "The Art of Plank Grilling" in the barbecue section of Canadian Tire.  I love this book and the kooky inventiveness combined with the practical 'how to' directions for preparing special plank applications.  I think, I drove most of my friends crazy for about a year, cooking everything on a plank.  Since then, I have evolved a few favourites that I always come back to. It continues to be my favourite method to barbecue salmon for a group because of the cedar smokiness and the moisture that the plank affords the salmon.  

Plank not soaked long enough will need additional spraying during grilling 

Making anything planked requires planing ahead, because, first you need the plank, which can be difficult to find, and secondly, the  plank needs to be soaked in water,  preferably overnight. I use a shallow glass roasting dish filled with water to soak the plank, weighing the plank down with another dish.

• cedar plank larger than piece of salmon selected
• large multi-portioned salmon fillet
• one lemon
• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of bourbon
• red chilli with seeds removed
• coarse sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• tablespoon of butter

Soak cedar plank in water overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours.  In the mean time, prepare glaze.  Combine maple syrup, bourbon in small stainless steel pot. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add chopped chilies and set aside.  

Heat barbecue grill to high. While the  grill is heating up, salt and pepper skinless side of the salmon, squeeze 1/2 of lemon on top of salmon, lightly paint top of salmon with glaze.  Set fish aside and let warm to room temperature while preparing the plank.  Place plank on hot grill.  Cover grill until plank begins to crackle, about 5 minutes, remove and sprinkle coast sea salt on plank.  Turn grill down to medium, then place salmon on plank and place plank back on grill.  Close lid and leave for 15 to 25 minutes depending on thickness of salmon. Be careful not to over cook. The plank will smoke, which provides the flavour, but if it starts to flame,  spray the plank with water.  When done remove from grill.  I place plank on large serving platter.  


Heat remaining glaze, add butter, and stir.  Squeeze other half of lemon on top of salmon, and drizzle maple/bourbon glaze with butter over length of salmon.   

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

Canada Day Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart

I currently have  strawberries and rhubarb in my garden. Strawberries and rhubarb are the quintessential early summer combination.  Rhubarb, technically a vegetable, is the very first thing from the garden and as long as it is picked regularly will continue to produce for most of the summer.  Strawberries come later, but are worth the wait.  There is nothing like Ontario strawberries fresh from the field.  They taste like a completely different fruit than the strawberries that come from the southern US and Mexico.

Growing up, we always had rhubarb in the garden, and would often pick buckets of strawberries in a "pick your own" strawberry field to make strawberry jam for the rest of the year, and then indulge in the left over bucket of strawberries, for the next few days -  strawberries and milk for breakfast, strawberry short cake,  strawberry and spinach salad, and my mother's favourite was always strawberry and rhubarb stew.  

It was Canada Day and I so it seemed appropriate to refer to Rose Murray's  book, " A Taste of Canada"  and her recipe for Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart for inspiration.  

Canada Day Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart

Pastry

• 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of cold unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons of ice water

9" tart pan with removable bottom

Sift together dry ingredients.  Cut butter into small pieces and put in flour.  Cut butter into flour until a light crumble.  Gradually stir in cold water adjusting amount until the correct consistency.  Form into flat ball, and roll and fit into 9" fluted tart pan. Prick bottom with fork, and cover with parchment paper, and weigh down bottom.  I use my daughters old marbles, but dry beans or rice also work. 

Bake at 425F for 8 minutes, Remove weights and parchment paper and put back in oven for another 5 to 8 minutes.  I protect the edges by reusing the parchment paper and placing it lightly over the tart.   Cool and remove from tart pan.

Filling

• 4 cups of chopped rhubarb
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of port
• 1/2 cup of black current jelly
• 4 cups of fresh hulled strawberries

Glaze

• 4 tablespoons of current jelly
• 1 tablespoon of port

Combine brown sugar, port and jelly in heavy sauce pan.  Add rhubarb and cook over low heat, storing until the sugar, jelly and port are fluid in constancy.  Turn up heat, storing often, until the rhubarb is a mushy constancy, about 10 minutes.  Cool.

In small pot, heat current jelly and port for glaze.

Fill shell with rhubarb mixture, arrange strawberries, point up in filling, and paint strawberries with glaze.  

This tart is fabulous on it's own, however whipped cream or vanilla ice cream as a compliment push this desert over the top. 

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.  

Tomato and Garlic Scape Tart

I made this tart for my friend Ann's potluck birthday party, and so, after a perfect weather weekend in the country, I came back to the city, tart in hand, to Ann's empty house with partially deflated balloons on the front porch.  I had missed the party by a day.  I have promised to make this again the next time Ann visits, hopefully with fresh tomatoes from my garden instead of from the store. 

I used garlic scape pesto, however you could substitute finely chopped garlic or shallots in its place. Traditional pesto made with basil would also be good, however I would substitute a milder cheese for the cheddar when using the basil version.

Pastry

Use your favourite sturdy pastry recipe. 

Filling

• a selection of tomatoes
• sharp cheddar cheese
• olive oil
• garlic scape pesto
• salt and pepper to taste

Slice large tomatoes into thick slices and salt, let rest on paper towels to drain off excess fluid. If cherry tomatoes are large, cut in half and treat the same way.  

Roll pastry into large circle about 12" in diameter.   Place on parchment paper, on baking sheet with out edges.    Cover centre 8" diameter of pastry with 1/8" slices of cheese.  Arrange tomatoes over cheese.  Mix olive oil and scape pesto.  Paint tomatoes with mixture.  Fold up edges of pastry to contain tomatoes.  Salt and pepper top.  Bake at 375F for about 40 minutes until tomatoes look done.  

A Variation on my Award Winning Cherry Pie

This year's bumper crop of cherries

There was a cherry tree in my back yard when I first moved in, and over the years it has matured into a large and beautiful tree that shades the yard and produces a bounty of cherries in June.  Time to make cherry pie. 

As a young girl, my mother decided I should be a home economist and in order to prepare me, entered me in baking competitions.  While other kids would practice the piano or go to dance lessons, or hang out and play, I would come home after school and practice baking.  I would bake the same recipe with a slight variation,  cut out a wedge, examine the consistency,  taste and then wrap up and put the experiment in the freezer and start all over again.  Cherry Pie was one of my Red Ribbon winners, and so, after not having made the recipe for years, I took down my old recipe book from the top shelf and baked it once more.


The recipe from my youth used frozen cherries, so working with fresh cherries required some adjustment, and then it was sweeter than I would bake it now, so I modified the recipe once again, and then I substituted Amaretto for the almond extract.  I am not sure it would win the red ribbon, however it does feel right now.

My less than perfect cherry pie.  I am definitely out of practice. 

Preheat oven to 375F

Pastry

• 2  1/2 cups of sifted pastry flour
• 1/2 cup of ground almonds
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2teaspoon of salt
• 3/4 cup of cold butter
• 5 to 6 tablespoons of cream
• 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract

Mix dry ingredients, and cut in butter.  Mix cream and almond extract. Gradually stir in cream mixture until mixture holds together.  Do not overwork.  Split in half and form into two flat balls.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate while preparing filling. 

Cherry Filling

• 5 cups of pitted Bing cherries
• 1/4 cup of Amaretto
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Add Amaretto and lemon juice to cherries and let rest for half an hour.  Mix sugar and corn starch together.  Add a bit of water to make paste.  Drain liquid from cherries, and mix juice with corn starch mixture.  Heat over hot stove until clear.  Add cherries and set aside.

Roll half of the pastry and place in 8" pie plate.  Add cherry mixture.  Roll other half of pastry and cut into strips.  Weave lattice on top of pie.  Cover edges of pastry with foil, and bake for 40 minutes. 

Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic scape in the garden today 

This past fall I planted 10 different types of garlic in my garden, not knowing which I preferred.  Unfortunately, the pen I used on the name tags washed off over the winter, so I still won't know which is my favourite and will have to be disciplined enough to save some of my favourite for planting later in the fall.  Lesson learned - keep notes, tags aren't good enough. 

On a positive note, I now have an abundance of garlic scapes.  In the past I would throw a few in a stir fry, or in a salad or sauté some as a side.  However over a hundred scapes at one time presented a challenge, until my I remembered my friend Denis raving about the pleasures of Garlic Scape Pesto, and I have to say after making this once, it will become an annual event.


Of course, I didn't have pine nuts in the cupboard or sunflower seeds for that matter, but I did have pumpkin seeds, so I gave it a try, and will definitely use again.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic Scape Pesto

• 2 cups of garlic scapes 
• approximately 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds
• 4 sealable small bottles for storing

Cut scapes into small pieces that the food processor can handle.  If any of the scapes have progressed to the hard flower stage, remove hard piece and discard.  Chop in food processor, adding olive oil slowly until the mixture is slightly more fluid than a paste.  Add about the same amount of grated parmesan cheese and pumpkin seeds as olive oil.  Process and add more olive oil until correct consistency.

Place in sterilized bottles, seal with olive oil, and store in refrigerator.  

I also made a vegan version with no parmesan cheese and twice the amount of pumpkin seeds and added some salt to compensate for the missing salt from the cheese.  

Wilted Greens on Vegetable Ragout on Quinoa

Monday was both a rough day at the office and a hot and steamy summer day, and I had planned on making my fallback quick and easy summer dinner, salad Niçoise, when my daughter arrived home and announced she had decided to become Vegan.  Salad Niçoise without eggs, cheese, anchovies and tuna is not possible!   And if adjusting for a vegan diet were not enough to deal with at the end of a tough day, the salad greens I had picked  from my garden  in the country on Sunday, had wilted, sitting in the car, in the sun, while I stopped at a friend's going away party on the way home. 

Time for a new strategy.   I checked the refrigerator, and decided on a vegetable ragout on quinoa.  As I was about to throw out the greens, my daughter suggested wilted greens - so  together - Claire and I made Wilted Greens on Vegetable Ragout on Quinoa, a vegan meal without having to resort to the dreaded tofu. 

Vegetable Ragout

• 1 large red onion coarsely chopped, approximatey 1 cup
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely  chopped
• oyster mushrooms, about the size of your fist
• a handful of shitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, sliced
• 1 28 oz can of whole stewed tomatoes, coarsely cut
• the end of a bottle of of wine, red or white 
• olive oil, quantity depends on your cooking style. I tend to use less
• salt  and peper
• a pinch of dried chile flakes
• a sprig of thyme
• a handful of fresh basil

Heat olive oil in a stainless steel pan.  Add onions and garlic and soften, set aside.  Sauté eggplant, mushrooms and red pepper.  Put all cooked vegetables in a large stainless steel pot and add tomatoes, chile flakes, thyme, and wine if you have some. if not, add a dash of balsamic vinegar and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes,   Add herbs, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer for a few more minutes. 

Wilted Salad Greens

• 4 cups of washed mixed salad greens
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• fresh herbs such as coriander, chives, 
• extra virgin olive oil, 
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste.

Heat stainless steel frying pan, add olive oil and sauté garlic and shallots,  add vinegar, greens and herbs, lightly cook until warm and wilted.  Do not overcook. Salt and pepper to taste. 

To serve, place cooked quinoa in bottom of bowl.  Ladle ragout over quinoa and place wilted vegetables on top.  Sprinkle with coarse smoked salt.

Pickled Asparagus with Lemon and Pepper

As spring progressed to summer and the asparagus season looked like it might be coming to an end,  I was running out of time to preserve asparagus.  At the same time my spring onions were prolific.  

Pickled asparagus with lemon and pepper

• 2 bunches, about 3" in diameter of freshly picked asparagus
• 4 to 6 spring onions including white part of stock,  (I grow multipliers in my garden which are perfect at the same time that the asparagus is ready to harvest) Alternately, often, young garlic with stocks are available at the market at his time of year
• 2 tablespoons of pickling salt
• 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups of white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• juice form 1 lemon
• thin lemon slices
• thinly sliced lemon peel 
• pepper corns

• 2 wide mouthed 1 pint preserving bottles, sterilized

Cut asparagus to 3/4" shorter than bottle.  Pack bottles with asparagus spears with tip down.  Include a two or 3 early spring onions including white part of stalks and 3 or 4 slices of lemon in each bottle. Add 1 teaspoon of pepper corns  and lemon peel to each bottle.In non reactive pot, bring vinegars, salt and sugar to a boil.  Add lemon juice.  Fill bottles to within 1/2 inch of top.  Screw on lid and process for 10 minutes.