My 1st Local Fresh Produce Delivery!

Wednesday afternoon was an exciting time. I rushed home from work eager to peak inside the cooler I left on the front porch to see what treats had been delivered. I knew I was to receive the "local produce basket" but what that meant, I wasn't quite sure.




It was my very first vegetable delivery by a local company (The Homefield Organic Food Co.)that delivers fresh local & organic produce grown on farms in our region. Some of the organic produce does come from further away (California/Mexico) so I chose not to have those items included in my order. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, I am trying my hardest to buy only local foods (including packaged goods). This is easy to do in the summer when produce is bountiful in this region - winter will be another story (stay tuned). I tried to do this last week at the local grocery chain and came home with a meagre selection of tomatoes, lettuce and mushrooms. Most other items were imported from far away places. The majority of packaged and canned goods were not local but I tried my hardest to stick to Canadian items such as cheese from Quebec and canned goods from Ontario.


I was completely surprise when I opened the lid of the cooler. For a mere $27, I got the following:



In case you can't see everything, here is a list:

• strawberries
• apples
• cremini mushrooms
• onion
• bunch of beets
• radishes
• lettuce
• zucchini
• cucumber
• rhubarb
• potatoes
• vine tomatoes
• broccoli
• snap peas
• AND, 2 organic chocolate chip cookies that didn't make it past the front porch

I have to say, that is a lot more veggies than we would normally eat in one week so I think I'll be doing some frozen meals or soups. Regardless, I am pleased as punch with this service and blown away by the quality of produce that is grown just down the road. Now I don't have to get up at 7AM on Saturday to go to the Farmer's Market! Homefield Organic Food Co. also delivers a plethora of other items such as dairy, eggs, bread, grains, pasta, cereal and pantry items (sauces, pickles, beans, jams and bulk foods etc.)

Last night, I made a vegetarian "baked surprise" (LOL) that turned out very well. I used my fresh tomatoes and cremini mushrooms (among other things) in that dish. We also had the local potatoes which I roasted with rosemary from my own window-box garden. Fantastic!

Tonight I will bake a strawberry-rhubarb pie and prepare a salad of beets and snap peas. Another post to follow with pics!

Next year we will be buying a share in a local CSA for the summer, but for now the Homefield Organic Food Co. seems to be a sure thing! Look for a similar service in your area!

http://www.homefieldorganics.com/

Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin

Wow. I never would have believed it but my husband has managed to amaze me with this one. He has claimed that this VEGETABLE recipe is now firmly planted on his top 5 list for favorite meals. Admittedly, this dish is so delicious that you completely forget it is cauliflower, but I am still quite shocked!

In my continued effort to not eat meat (again, a post is needed for this - soon, soon!), I am trying some new ideas at the dinner table. I saw this recipe on French Food at Home, with the ever delightful Laura Calder, before our vacation and vowed to try it when we got back. The episode was "Truckstop French". I changed a couple of things just slightly. The results? Amazing comfort food.

Link here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauliflower for everything you don't know about cauliflower.

Ingredients & Preparation: (from Laura Calder's French Food at Home, Food Network TV)

Serves 4 as a side

• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim and it was perfect)
• 1 x bay leaf (I used 3 as they were a bit old and not very fresh)
• 1 clove garlic split
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup grated gruyère cheese (I used extra old white cheddar and mozzarella)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste (I used white pepper - love the flavour)
• 1 lb. cauliflower florettes
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used Japanese panko crumbs instead - excellent!)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Make the sauce: Bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan with the bay leaf and garlic. Cover, turn off the heat, and let infuse, about 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick. Stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.

Heat the oven to 425°F/210°C. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt it, as for pasta, and blanch cauliflower until just shy of being tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Pat dry with a tea-towel. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the sauce and dump into a gratin dish. Scatter over the breadcrumbs (or panko) and Parmesan and bake until bubbling and gratinéed on top.

I served the gratin with some Indian-inspired lentils and a green salad. Supreme!

Pad Thai with Tofu

Super tired today. But, I still managed to get myself to the grocery store to buy some food for dinner. I wanted to do something quick and easy. Pad Thai with Tofu seemed to be the answer! I'm off meat for now and probably forever (more on that later - requires a separate post) so I cooked with tofu for the 2nd time in my life tonight. I've eaten it many times but never prepared it myself. Dinner was delish.

Ingredients & Preparation:

Serves 2-3.

• 1 egg, scrambled
• 1/2 "brick" of firm tofu, diced into little pieces
• 2 tbsps canola oil
• 1/2 package of broad rice noodles
• 1 package of pad Thai sauce, store-bought (A Taste of Thai brand is good)
• fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• green onion, diced
• handful of peanuts, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into quarters or smaller for garnish
• bean sprouts, optional

Cook your tofu in the oil for a few minutes until hot (add salt if you like). Set aside. Scramble your egg and set aside with tofu. Cook your noodles according to package directions. Heat the sauce. Mix the noodles with the sauce in a large serving bowl. Add the tofu and egg. Top with cilantro, green onion, peanuts and garnish with lime. Bean sprouts are good if you have them. I had them tonight but forgot to add them until it was time to eat.

Feel free to add some grilled shrimp or chicken to this dish instead of the tofu.

This is much better than takeout!

We are home from vacation - just checking in with some reviews!

I just got back from vacation yesterday so I am still fighting jet-lag and the fact that I am back at work isn't helping. While our vacation was not exactly a culinary adventure (picture a unfamiliar kitchen with no basic supplies in the pantry), we did have a few good meals. The following were notable spots that I recommend.

Coeure D'alene, Idaho - BRIX Restaurant. While most of you will probably never end up in Coeur D'alene, Idaho (one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been) I thought I'd recommend this place anyway! We only came in for a snack and drink but that was enough to let me know this kitchen knows how to cook! Great atmosphere with an open kitchen, exposed brick work, tin ceiling and most unexpected, a piano player. Excellent spot in the bar area to people watch & relax. The menu and other details are here http://www.brixrestaurant.com/restaurant.html.

Seattle, Washington - Serious Pie, a Tom Douglas Restaurant. This place is a cool pizzeria with shared tables, an open kitchen/bakery, friendly wait-staff , reasonable prices and the best pizza I've had in recent years. We shared 2 of the seasonal pies...one featured local morels, arugula pesto, and taula and the other was an unusual combo of penn cove clams, house pancetta, and lemon thyme. The crust is dynamite. Visit all Tom's locations here: http://www.tomdouglas.com/index.html

Seattle, Washington - Savor Seattle Food Tour @ Pike Place Market. In a word, this tour was "delicious". I have never eaten such variety in 2 hours before. Here is a sample of what we had...

The Market entrance...

A huge selection at Piroshky Piroshky

• Alderwood smoked salmon from the famous Pike Place Fish Market.
• Fresh seasonal produce (apples to eggplant)
• Locally-roasted coffee (not Starbucks!) and amazing herbal tea blends
• Cherry-inspired treats and chocolates
• Tom Douglas' coconut cream pie at Etta's
• Russian piroshky pastries from Piroshky Piroshky
• Artisan handmade cheeses from Beecher's
• Nation's best clam chowder (it was!)

• Hot old-fashioned doughnuts

You must go on this tour if you are in Seattle. Reservations are required and you can sign up on their website http://www.savorseattletours.com/pikeplacetour.htm. It is a great way to see the best of the Pike Place Market.

Crab at the famous Pike Place Fish market...

Victoria, B.C. - Lady Marmalade. At first glance this spot looks like a local coffee hangout and not much of an eatery, but this was by far the best breakfast we had the entire trip and probably the best in a few years. The decor looks like your great-gramma's basement but the look is all part of Lady Marmalade's charm. Daily specials change not only daily but hourly. Arrive early so you don't miss out of the offerings. I love their focus on local & organic fare.

The Good Morning Poutine with hollandaise is heavenly. I would eat it every day if I could...The special my husband ordered was a ginger bread chocolate french toast. Unbelievable. Service was fast and with many smiles. Coffee is local and roasted to perfection. I cannot speak to the dinner menu but if it is anything like breakfast you will be in for a treat.

Visit them here http://www.ladymarmalade.ca/.

PS - Looks like a Lady Marmalade will soon be opening in the East (Toronto)!

This is the massive piece of French toast from lady Marmalade.

Victoria, B.C. - Blue Carrot Cafe. This spot has bottomless cups of fair trade, organic coffee and some excellent home-made muffins and other baked goods. 188 Basion Square. Friendly staff.

Sweet Mango & Banana Wontons

What is better to end a meal than a deep fried wonton? These delicious little triangles are so simple to make...have them with vanilla ice cream if you prefer but they are amazing just as they are dipped in mango puree.

I am still in the process of clearing out the fridge and freezer so this was a quick, impromptu dessert. I was craving something sweet and this was the result - no recipe, just imagination!

Ingredients & Preparation:

• small wontons, cut in 2 on the diagonal
• about 2 cups of mango, diced
• 1/4 banana
• 1/4 cup of raw brown sugar
• 1 squeeze of honey
• 3-4 cups of peanut oil for deep frying
• icing sugar for dusting

Put the mango, banana, brown sugar and honey into a blender and puree until fairly smooth but not runny. Leave a few bits in it. Cut your wontons on the diagonal. Put a little of the mixture in the centre of the triangle. Wet the sides with a little water on your finger and fold over being careful to seal the edges. You should now have a triangular pocket.

Heat your oil up to 350F in a deep, heavy pot. Once hot enough, place 3 wontons in the pot. Let them turn golden one the 1st side, then flip over and do the same for the second. Let the wontons cool on a wire rack or on paper towel.

When ready to serve, dust with a little (or a lot!) of icing sugar. Serve with ice cream or a small bowl of the leftover puree. A perfect end to an Asian-inspired meal!

Empty-the-Freezer Seafood Chowder

We are going away on vacation soon and I'm in the process of using up all the things in my fridge and freezer. This is going to be a week without a trip to the grocery store so I'm sure my posts will be sporadic at best!

Yesterday afternoon I thought I'd try and make a seafood chowder - without a recipe in sight! I had scallops and some cod and whipped up pot of chowder - I was truly surprised that it tasted so good! I had to use frozen scallops which is sort of a sin but they were in the freezer and had to be used up at some point! Use fresh if you can and have the budget for it. Let's see if I can remember what I did...

Ingredients & Preparation:

Serves 6 people or so

• 2-3 swirls in the pot of olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 package of frozen scallops (I used a bag of bay scallops, which are the small ones and I can't remember the weight.)
• 2-3 fillets of cod, cut into small squares (mine was frozen so I thawed it ahead of time)
• 3 cups organic chicken broth
• 3 small Yukon gold potatoes (I used 5 piccolo potatoes as they were in the pantry), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons of butter (this is not necessary but I added it for that decadence factor)
• 1 cup 10% cream
• 1 cup homogenized milk
• white pepper to taste (black pepper is fine too but white is my preference with fish dishes)
• fine sea salt to taste
• fresh parsley

In a large pot, sauté onion in some olive oil until translucent. Add scallops & cod fish and cook until done. As soon as the scallops are opaque they are cooked. Be careful not to overcook. Your fish should be done at the same time. Add the stock and potatoes and cook for another 12-14 minutes until your potatoes are tender. Add the butter, cream, milk, salt & white pepper.

Take half of your chowder and puree it in the blender until smooth (I added about 1 tablespoon of flour to make it a bit thicker). I pureed all of my potatoes as I don't like chunky chowder but this is up to you and what your preference is...

Add the pureed soup back in with the remaining soup in the pot and stir. Add some fresh parsley and serve with a big slice of crusty bread.

Chorizo Corn Puffs (a spin on the classic corndog)

I received a new cookbook this week from my Mother-in-law which I am so excited about! It is the Surreal Gourmet Bites: Showstoppers & Conversation Starters. The recipes are all very whimsical and include such treats as pearls of wisdom, lucky duck, french fried polenta and bee stings. I am going to try and make quite a few items from this book as the pictures will be worth a thousand words.

Today I made something simple that didn't require the oven since it is so hot. This recipe is perfect for a day that may include baseball, squirt guns and swimming in the backyard pool.

It is a new take on the ballpark classic - corn dogs.

Ingredients & Preparation: (from Surreal Gourmet Bites: Showstoppers & Conversation Starters)

Dry

• 1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Wet

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil

Other

• 3-4 cups of peanut oil for frying
• 8 inches of chorizo , ideally 1 inch in diameter
• assortment of mustard

In a large bowl, mix all your dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix all your wet ingredients. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth (pancake batter consistency).

Pour peanut oil into a small, tall pot until 3" deep. Heat oil to 350F.

Peel and discard chorizo casing. Cut into 1/2 inch slices or form into little balls (which ever is easier for you).

Coat chorizo in the batter. Place 6 at a time in the oil and fry for about 1.5 minutes - turning half way through. Transfer to a paper towel and serve hot with the assorted mustard. I used traditional French's yellow mustard, Maille green mustard and Honey Mustard.

Serve as a light afternoon snack. Delicious with cold beer and sweet potato fries!

Creme Caramel

So this was a midnight experiment...I have no idea why I was inspired at such an odd hour to make my first creme caramel. I stayed up until 2AM so I could take some pictures once it set and then ate a piece of this delicious thing and tried to get to sleep while fighting the sugar high. Needless to say, I am tired this morning but it is Friday so I should survive.

I watched Laura Calder from French Food at Home make this dessert the other night on FoodTV and thought I just had to try it. My result was very good for a first go. Next time, I think I will use a deeper pan and perhaps regular organic sugar as mine didn't caramelize to the rich, dark colour I hoped for. I used organic Demerara sugar which has a great flavour but perhaps is too crystallized to caramelize properly. I don't really know though.

Ingredients & Preparation: [From FOOD TV, Laura Calder: French Food at Home (episode Classic Bistro Desserts)]

Serves 6-8 people

• 1 cup sugar (for the topping)
• 2 cups fresh whole milk
• 1 x vanilla bean (or vanilla extract if no beans available)
• 6 x free-range eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch nutmeg

Heat the oven to 325°F. Bring a full kettle of water to the boil, and turn off the heat (this is for the water bath later).

Dissolve the sugar for the topping in a saucepan with 1/4 cup water, and boil until it turns a dark, fragrant, liquid caramel. Pour into the cake tin and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside.

Pour the milk into the same saucepan, so that it laps up the caramel on the bottom and sides (this is the most brilliant trick for flavour!) Split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk, and add the pod. Heat to the boiling point, turn off the heat, cover, and set aside to infuse 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the nutmeg. Once the milk has infused, whisk it into the egg mixture.

Strain the custard over the hardened caramel and set the pan in a larger dish or roasting pan. Pour the boiled water into the bottom pan to come half-way up the sides of the flan. Transfer to the oven and bake until set, 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove the flan from the oven and from the water bath. Run a knife around the outside edge to loosen the flan. Cool completely – even chill, if you like. To serve, flip the flan onto a plate, pour over any caramel remaining in the pan. Serve in wedges.

Cook's notes: Use a very sharp knife around the edges. I learned the hard way and didn't have a smooth finish around the edges. Also, the straining step is key so you don't get bubbles in the custard. And ensure your dish that you flip the creme caramel on to is big enough and has a slight rim or you'll have a mess on your hands.