The Trials & Troubles on the Preserved Lemon Trail

I guess I have to start this post by declaring that I truly am an idiot! Actually, I thought my preserving lemon saga was crazy enough BEFORE I went looking for the recipe I used for my first preserving lemon experience back in 2008. First though, for those of you not familiar with the idea of preserving lemons (and Meyer lemons are preferred, but if you don't have access, ordinary lemons do just fine)...North African cuisines use them to add a brilliant dimension to their dishes -
tagines (stews) especially come alive.
Not to mention this Spicy Crab Spaghetti with Preserved Lemons that I adapted from Mark Bittman.
Or this Mediterranean Inspired Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Sundried Olives & Tomatoes & Preserved Lemons.

(Brief aside...I am hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup, so do send in your pasta dishes by Thursday. Just email me the link - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com)
Back to preserved lemons....they are also a wonderful surprise to a very special dressing for spicy mixed green salad. And the thing about these beauties is that a little goes a long way, meaning if you make a jar or two now, you'll have ample through the winter...and a jar full of brilliant yellow brings some much wanted sunlight and visions of an exotic land far away to even the coldest wintry day . But more about my .... hmmm...adventure...yes, that's the word.

This time around I wanted to use the interesting version from Preserve It! which is a terrific book for both the novice and the expert preserver. The preserved lemon photo on page 296 is gorgeous...whole lemons squeezed into a jar, pretty bay leaves slipped in between the glass and the lemons make it look as festive as it will taste. So I bought a bazillion lemons ( lots needed for the jams Joanna and I have bookmarked) and all of them were huge...too big in fact to fit whole into the 250ml or 500 ml jars (1 & 2 cups), so I went out and bought a box of 1 liter/quart jars...after all I do plan on making pasta sauces and...well...I'm not sure yet.
But still...the lemons were too big to fit, and I wanted to do them just like the book suggested... cutting 2/3 of the way lengthwise, and again at right angles so that I could stuff each lemon with coarse sea salt and keep it together. Truth is I didn't want to spend the $1 per organic lemon which were very small and probably would have fit into the jars.
So I did what a foodie friend of mine suggested (half-heartedly, I might add) of just cutting them in quarters lengthwise, sprinkling them with coarse sea salt and stuffing them into the jars before sliding in the bay leaves and, this time around a cinnamon stick and some cracked cardamom pods, all covered with the juice of some lemons. SOME lemons? Did you check out the photo at the top of the page? Nine and a half to be exact for 2 (1 litre) jars.
I couldn't just throw out those shells, so...fyi...did you know that 9 1/2 lemons makes 1 scant cup of fragrant lemon zest? Or that it freezes beautifully and a pinch or two added to so many dishes through the winter brings some sunshine to the dreariest of days.
But how does that all make me an idiot?
Well that first recipe back in 2008 from Gourmet Magazine calls for...you guessed it...cutting the lemons into wedges! And on the phone with my daughter this morning, she said "Oh, I could have told you that." So why didn't she????

Saturday Farmers Market - Halifax Style

This post is long overdue. Blame it on the move, blame it on spending time with family going to U-Piks, or just blame it on being overwhelmed and awed by all that is glorious at a farmers market and time spent on putting up jams.

View from the upper gallery

Here, finally is my pictorial journey of the brand new Seaport Halifax Farmers Market (new website is not ready yet, so I can't tell you all about the state -of the- art eco-friendly features in detail, but here are a few stats...4000 square metres (that's more than 13,000 sq feet) of vendor space which doubles the size of the old market, four large wind turbines on the roof, which will also features solar panels, geothermal heating, a second storey gallery for vendors as well, and a rooftop garden (the railings still aren't in place so we can't go up there yet).

That's the mouth of the Halifax Harbour heading out to the Atlantic Ocean. How many markets do you know with such a spectacular view? The market opened its doors for the first time August 7th and was crazy busy from the second the doors opened at 7AM. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite places to stop and shop.
Waldegrave Organic Farm has a stand outside the front doors. Among other things, I love their spicy mixed salad green mix. Getaway Farm Beef - with a lineup from the second it opened and still holds true four weeks later. Worth the wait for the most delicious beef anything...strip loin, skirt, flank and brisket are my usual staples.
Sweet Williams Country Sausages has one of the longest lines, so I try to hit it early. Whenever you go...I suggest the turkey fennel and garlicky lamb...or maybe I shouldn't tell you that so there's more for me. It's often our Saturday or Sunday lunch treat.
Mike's Fish Shop is in temporary quarters- and tiny spot for now. Peter and the gang will be moving into spectacular digs at one end of the market in October and will have, not only the best fresh fish & seafood for you to cook up, but a place to munch on fish & chips, lobster rolls and chowder (Peter used to be a chef before taking over Mike's years ago)...more about that when it opens.
That's Beverley at the Tangled Garden booth. I've written about it often. The best fruit & herb jellies, vinegars & flavored olive oil anywhere.
Ran-Cher Acres has the best goat cheeses ever and always a must have in my fridge - cayenne & garlic are our absolute faves...plus some goat Gouda, feta & curds along with eggs from free range chickens.
And of course you need some wonderful French breads to go with that...Julien's
or Boulangerie La Vendeenne (both delicious, truthfully, it just depends on which line is shorter)
Who in their right mind would go to a farmers market without some fresh produce?! My first stop is always Ted Hutten's Family Farm for really interesting Asian greens, the cutest baby eggplant, zucchinis...gorgeous chards and beets of every hue and variety.
Riverview Herbs has greenhouse tomatoes, cukes, and of course fresh herbs all year long. This time I actually bought some rosemary, oregano, thyme, mint & basil in pots for my windowsill.
That is just a small sample of food to take home and prepare yourself. What about food to munch on while you're at the market? Crepes? Omelets? Mexican? Asian? That's the folks at El Gallo serving up some delicious Mexican treats. Whatever you fancy, you'll find it. You can enjoy a munch on the upper gallery floor (there are benches for that much needed break) or outside on the terrace. I'm hoping that the roof garden will have some seating too.

And the new market is the perfect showcase for all the wonderful artists and artisans of Nova Scotia. I was so busy snapping photos that I didn't get their names...
Stunning photography
Paper & bound journals

one of a kind clothing ...not to mention jewelry, wood work, knitted & quilted items...the list goes on and on. And if none of these got you interested, there are another 100 plus vendors to check out.

See you at the market! No matter where you live, remember...local IS better.

No Pasta Yet for Me, But a Delicious Presto Pasta Night to Save & Savor

I must admit that I didn't make any pasta this week...well one with just some jarred pasta sauce to feed two little boys, so in my world that doesn't count. But I've lost five pounds in just a couple of weeks with only minimal slipping off the South Beach Diet wagon.

That said, I'll be bookmarking this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup - #178. Amy
of Very Culinary did a wonderful job. Her little intros are almost as delicious as each dish. I can't wait to give each on a try.

Thanks Amy for such a great job - any time you want to do it again let me know. As for the rest of you terrific PPNers....merci, gracias and ....well ....thank you in every language!

I can't believe that summer is done...okay perhaps not officially, but next week it's SEPTEMBER! Where did the Summer go? I'll be hosting PPN for the week, so send your entries to me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com. Will you be making one more Summer treat or already planning something Fallish?

Last 2 weeks in September are in need of hosts. Please let me know if you want to have some fun and take over the reins. October and beyond are wide open too.

Who Knew I'd Love to Make Preserves!

If even ten years ago, you would have told me that I'd be making my own preserves or baking my own bread, for that matter, (other than the annual Challah making, started when my oldest daughter, Joanna was six years old), I'd have laughed and laughed.

Don't get me wrong, I've always loved to eat interesting jams, jellies and other preserves. They make ordinary chicken, fish...whatever so incredibly delicious. It's just that the ones I used were made by others. They'd be the first things purchased at country fairs, farmers markets and on any vacation I've ever taken. And I'd relish them...pardon the pun.

That said, I've definitely become more aware...and more grateful to local farmers and purveyors for their bounty over the last few years. While I'll never be a 100 Mile girl, I definitely look for locally grown & made fare, first. Add to that, Joanna, who most surely was a farmer in another life...or at least got the farmer gene from her late grandmother (no, not my very citified mother). Joanna got me hooked on bread making (I particularly love Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day - the rye bread is awesome!) and going to U-Piks.

We've been doing apples for years...that's Boaz when he was less than a year old. Now he's three and a half and can't wait for apple picking season - another couple of weeks to go.
This is his little brother picking...make that mostly eating blueberries this past Saturday, but more about that in a bit.

I've already written about how the stars seemed to align recently with goodies from the Loblaws Grown Close to Home Campaign who partnered with Bernardin for the starter canning kit and several very lovely books about preserving what's fresh now to be enjoyed during the long bleak winter ahead. So I thought I'd share this weekend's adventure and the results, of course -.

Early Saturday morning - week three of the new Halifax Seaport Farmers Market...


I swear I'll write all about it in great detail very soon. In addition to the usual salmon from a temporarily pared down Mike's Fish Shop stall, some sausages from Sweet Williams - lovely turkey & fennel, plus garlicky lamb (the family was going to come to our place for dinner after blueberry picking), Ran-Cher goat cheese (this time they even had blueberry!) and steaks from Getaway Farm, I was looking for things to preserve.
Beets:
I knew I'd want to make a batch of roasted beets and more of Chef Craig's awesome Pickled Beets, even if I'm the only one who's going to eat them...my family really doesn't know what they're missing.
Carrots:

The Carrot & Cardamom Jam from Jams Jellies & Chutneys has been calling out to me since the book arrived back in July. I'll write the recipe up tomorrow, but my quick lick of the hot spoon tells me it's awesome.

I can't believe I started this post at 11 this morning and I still haven't told you about making blueberry jam with Joanna - it was our first attempt at the process and with only two major spills on the stove...it's hard to pay attention with two of the cutest little boys wanting to play.

Guess you'll have to come back for chapter two tomorrow. But the total count so far...22 jars of blueberry jam, 6 jars of apple ginger marmalade, 2 jars of pickled beets and 6 jars of carrot cardamom jam.

In the meantime, don't forget that Amy of Very Culinary will be hosting Presto Pasta Night. Hopefully I'll get the preserved lemons bottled up with enough time to create my pasta dish for her. Send your entries to amy (at) veryculinary (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by tomorrow night, so she can have the roundup ready for Friday.

Summer Bounty is at Hand

I have lots of great things to talk about, now that we're mostly settled in. I've just been having trouble figuring out exactly where to begin...and rather than starting at the beginning...what fun is that, I'll just jump around and hope you'll follow.

I've been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of the a number of Loblaw's Presidents Choice campaigns over the years....

but Grown Close to Home really sings to me. It's all about taking advantage of the season at hand and finding locally grown & raised food and isn't it nice to find a big chain of supermarkets going that extra mile and letting you know that they (and by extension, you) are supporting local farmers and producers. You'll find their local partners by region (here's one from Nova Scotia - Dean Haan Enterprises, on the site along with recipes, what's in season, and how to preserve it for the dead of winter.
For this campaign, President's Choice has partnered with Bernardin, the canning & preserving gods. Their site is awesome, especially if you're just starting to can your own (and worried you'll be killing off your loved ones if you don't do it just right). You'll find helpful tips for starting out and wonderful recipes.

Just to give you an idea of all the tools you'll need for canning... the 21 quart canner, four cute little jam jars, special tongs to take them in & out of the boiling water, a wide mouth funnel for pouring cooked jams into the jars without making a mess, a magic wand to get rid of bubbles and measure when to stop the filling process, a magnetic wand to touch the hot inner lids and put them in place, pectin and lots of sugar (Here's the PC organic sugar from crystallized organic cane syrup.

Marry that gift to three recent cookbooks I received (I'll be writing much more about each of them soon, I promise)...

Preserve It! which is a fabulous encyclopedia with easy to follow instructions, great photo tutorials, and tons of recipes. Joanna my own gardening daughter (more about her later) and I already have a bunch of recipes earmarked from simple blackberry jam (there are wild blackberries on their property...if only little Dov will leave enough for us to work with!) to Rhubarb Chutney, some apple ginger marmalade and blackberry & apple conserve. That's just the start.
Jellies, Jams & Chutneys is a beautiful books with lots of awesome recipes based on the seasons. First up for us will be Carrot & Cardamon Jam. I've been dreaming about it for a month, waiting for Jo to finish up with camp and come back to the city.

The Harrow Fair Cookbook: Prize-Winning Recipes Inspired by one of Canada's Oldest Country Fairs arrived the same day as my PC Grown Close to Home canning starter kit from Bernardin. Seriously...wouldn't you want to make some prize winning jams, pies and so much more right in your own home?

Time for me to drool through the books and plan future feasts. Soon I'll be spooning jam on some homemade bread and enjoying it along with the view from the balcony.

Presto Pasta Night #176 Roundup is Gorgeous

Huge thanks to everyone for a truly stellar Presto Pasta Night Roundup this week. Siri of Siri's Corner did a great job of hosting and pulling it altogether.

Our next Hostess with the Mostess is Katie of Thyme for Cooking - it's her fourth time doing it, so I know it will be terrific. Even I get to submit an entry this week....

Camp is over and the kids are back. Sharron, my baby, is here just for the weekend and heading off to Montreal to start a brand new chapter in her life...new city, and back to school, to boot. Since I wasn't sure what last nights plan would be, I didn't prepare anything "special" for dinner. Not to mention the fact that I wanted to be done with all the boxes in our living/dining/kitchen space.

(living room from the kitchen)

(dining area from the kitchen)

We left Joanna, Ezra and the boys - both very happy to be back at their home, and headed back to our place, trying to decide if we should order take out Thai or something. Somehow it seemed too complicated and we opted for me "whipping up" a take of, what Sharron calls " Mummy's Special Trademark Pasta" . It's a variation of things I always have on hand...pasta - this time multigrain spaghettini; shrimp, chorizo, lots of garlic, red chili pepper flakes and some olive oil, along with some extras. This time - arugula, coarsely chopped, cured black olives, sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) and the last 1/2 cup of white wine . While the pasta is boiling, heat some olive oil in a large skillet, saute the garlic over medium heat for a minute or so. Add the mushrooms and chorizo, saute until the mushrooms are golden, add the shrimp and everything else. Toss and add the drained pasta. Toss some more and eat!

And, because I...as usual, made too much for the three of us, we got to eat a special frittata this morning.
Basic frittata recipe... start by heating some oil in a small to medium sized oven-proof skillet (you want the dish to be a good inch or inch & a half thick. warm up the "filling" - in this case, last night's pasta), pour over the eggs and let set a bit before heading to the oven. Cook until set - 10-15 minutes. Somehow the eggs make the dish fresh and new. Bon Appetit.

Don't forget to send your Presto Pasta Night dish to Katie at Thyme for Cooking by Thursday, at thyme2 (dot)kate (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Presto Pasta Night Roundup Reminder in Advance

I'm jumping the gun today...Siri, of Siri's Corner, and our wonderful host for this week's Presto Pasta Night hasn't actually posted yet. I'm sure it will be awesome...I've had a sneak peak at some of the fabulous entries. So keep checking.

Normally, I'd be patient, and wait, like the rest of you, but today my kids & grandkids are coming home from camp and I'll be very busy....so....in advance....thanks everyone for playing week after week...even when I skip a week or two myself. And thanks Siri for hosting.

Next week one of my favorite food bloggers and long time PPNer is hosting once again...Katie of Thyme for Cooking. Send your entries to thyme2 (dot)kate (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Presto Pasta Night #175

Wow, it's been a month since I've hosted a Presto Pasta Night Roundup, and probably that long since I've done any pasta cooking...I blame it on the move. Now that we're more settled, I can't wait to try out some of these knock-out dishes. Since it's been hectic around here, to say the least, I apologize in advance if I've omitted your entry...there are still 200+ emails in my inbox and I haven't even checked the spam folder to see if any slipped through the cracks and ended up there. Just send me the link again (it will now be on top of the pile) and I'll add it in.

Thanks everyone for some truly spectacular pastas....common theme seems to be "intriguing", but you be the judge...

First in was Spinach Tiger with an awesome treat - Handmade Tarragon Pasta with with Chanterelle Mushrooms. One was of the fresh pastas was actually done without the aid of a pasta machine! I could only upload one of her gorgeous photos, but check it out and see if you can figure out which is which.
Next in was a very exotic dish from Nic of Lemon & CheeseLinguine with Snails & Sorrel. Sounds awesome to me - lover of snails that I am, but definitely one I'll have to make when my Honey is away.
Kate of Naki-Kate made a perfect dish for me...I am willing to share...it's a new pesto...new to me anyway...Carrot Pesto Pasta. It's a great dish not only for new moms like Kate, but perfect for the rest of us too.
And yet another intriguing dish...Abalone Noodle Soup, from Ann of Pig Pig's Corner.
Tigerfish of Teczcape always brings something wonderful and new to the table and this week is no exception. Check out her Braised Chinese Noodles (and her secret ingredient).
My good friend Val of More Than Burnt Toast invites us to join her Eat Challenge, inspired by the movie Eat, Pray, Love and to entice us she made this gorgeous Spaghetti con le Cozze.
PiExperiment has been hunting for the perfect Hamburger Macaroni and it looks like she found it. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
Janet of Taste Space, and recent PPN Host, shares this perfect Summer treat - Vegetable Pasta Salad with Lemon Basil Almond Pesto.
Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe comes up with yet another unusual dish...Mushroom & Rhubarb Soup...it certainly is different. I'm willing to give it a try, what about you?
Katerina of Culinary Flavors took her son to the grocery store...great story and a great resulting pasta dish...Carbonara a La Vache Qui Rit.
Julie of Get Healthy Cheap, is a first time PPNer and not only shared a tasty dish of Spinach Artichoke Pasta, she busts the myth that fresh food is too expensive. Check out her comparison.
Catherine of Living the Gourmet, shares this lovely Escarole with Cannellini Beans & Macaroni.
Katie of Thyme for Cooking and a PPN regular had an extremely crazy day...and yet still managed to share a wonderful dish of Turkey & Green Bean Pasta Salad with an unexpected guest..and us, of course.
Margaret of Tea & Scones shares a glorious version of one of my favorite dishes - Shrimp fra Diablo with Spinach. The photos alone will have you drooling.
Gay, my favorite Scientist in the Kitchen made some very fancy pasta from scratch - hats off ! Check out this mouth-watering Home Made Ravioli with Red Sauce.
Theresa, The Food Hunters Guide always has sweet potato gnocchi in the pantry - a staple I'll have to add after reading the recipe for her Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Capers, Tomatoes, and Italian Sausage.
Julie of Blukats AKA Misadventures with Miso, has had some trouble with a computer virus, but she finally got around to sharing a great version of a wonderful favorite of mine...Pasta Shells with Cauliflower, Anchovies & Fried Croutons. Now let's all wish away any lingering viruses.
Ever try to recreate a favorite restaurant recipe from your past? Julie of Little Bit of Everything found hers - Cincinnati Chili or as Guy Fieri of Food Network fame calls it - weird spaghetti.

Added...I don't know how I missed it, but Claire of Chez Cayenne made an awesome Spaghetti with Arugula & Basil Pesto that has me drooling.
I did manage a "throw together dish of my own tonight" - the only pasta on hand was orzo so with a little help from some gorgeous jumbo shrimp I keep on hand in the freezer for just such occasions, a heaping spoonful of homemade pesto ( a little more garlic to saute in the oil before searing the shrimp), and a glug or two of white wine...voila...

Next week we are lucky to have Siri of Siri's Corner. Please send your entries to info (dot) siri (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday.

Thanks everyone for your truly awesome dishes. Keep them coming!