Market Delights

Truth be told, although I did go to the farmers market this past Saturday, I was tired and not my usual self... which didn't stop me from shopping... just from taking pictures of my score. I was more into easy cooking and just chillin'. Even some of the meals got missed... photographically speaking that is. But I thought I'd share anyway... just to get you excited about eating local... whatever "local" means in your neck of the woods.

The Steamed Mussels, Scallops & Merguez above was made with a sweet sparkling wine - Nova 7 by Benjamin Bridge, a local Nova Scotian Annapolis Valley winery. The mussels & scallops were from The Fish Shop and the merguez from Sweet Williams Sausages... all found at the market. The baguette, ready to soak up the delicious broth (I had the leftovers for lunch on on Monday - awesome even after all the seafood was gobbled up) was from Julien's Bakery.

Pain chocolat wolfed down the second we made it home, and the delicious Good Hearth bread made for tasty ham & cheese sandwiches for lunch.
Brioche was saved for our usual Sunday ritual ... coffee in bed, reading, followed up by my Honey making French Toast with fresh thyme (from River View Herbs) and maple syrup - always local, I think this batch is still from Sugar Moon Farm.

It's only Tuesday, but I've already forgotten what lunch was. Supper, on the other hand is easy to remember... Sweet Potato Panko Crumb Haddock Fillets (I've made this a million times, and after 30 minutes of searching realized, I never wrote a recipe for it! I could do it in my sleep and so I guess that's the reason. No fears, though... recipe is now up and I'll have to take a picture next time. Served with a salad of spicy organic mixed greens from Free Spirit Farms, fresh herbs from River View Herbs and simple vinaigrette starring Balsamic Apple Cider Vinegar from Boates Farm.

Thought I'd end with last night's dinner - Getaway Farm Grass fed Strip Loin Steak on the BBQ served with sauteed fiddleheads, & mushrooms along with boiled new potatoes flavored with green garlic and very young Spring onions. The steak is so delicious, it needs absolutely no seasoning!!!

Now I'm off to aquafit class to work off some of those calories.

Chilean Barros Luco Sandwich at Fid

We don't go out to eat all that often. The best of three worlds... a great local farmers market (make that 2 right here in Halifax), fantastic cookbooks that frequently arrive here and, the fact that I really love to cook! ... mean I usually spend a lot of time in my own kitchen.

But today, an old friend and fellow food blogger Paige (Chef - Girl) was in town for a conference and we met for lunch to catch up. Our choice...fid resto - local by nature. Dennis & his lovely wife Monica make you feel as if you are part of the family, hanging out in their home. Which I suppose is truer than it seems, since they spend way more time in the restaurant (Dennis in the kitchen and Monica managing the front of the house) than they do at their real home.

Fid shows up year after year on The Coast Magazine's "best of food" list. And this year is no exception, taking "Best Lunch Special" and runner up in several other categories as voted by the readers of the magazine. So when a little birdie (ummm, make that Dennis, told me that they just started serving Barros Luco sandiches (I had no idea what they were), I had to try it out... even passing up the famous burger and the Pad Thai.

The meal... soup & sandwich $12 is a delicious steal! The soup is an Asian flavored broth with noodles and mushrooms and very tasty. The sandwich... layers of thinly sliced beef, melted cheese (not sure what kind), slices of perfectly ripe tomatoes and avocados on a soft bun and served with Fid's own pickles and a spicy sauce. I'm not sure exactly what the sauce is, so I immediately ran out to buy some Sriracha Hot Chili sauce that seems close.

A little history... when Monica & Dennis lived in Montreal they ate these Chilean sandwiches at a little place, now run by the second generation. And that's all they serve. Apparently, it's right around the corner from where my daughter lives, so I'll have to tell her about it. The recipe originated in Chile, and was named because it was a favorite of President Ramon Barros Luco. Check out Wikipedia for the story. Better still just head over to Fid if you're ever in Halifax. It's bound to become a standard. I wonder if The Coast gives awards for best dish... this one has my vote.

Still Savoring Market Goodies

It's Thursday and I'm still in awe of how crisp and tasty my Saturday farmers market purchases are. No soggy, wilted, slimey produce here! The spicy salad greens from Hutten Family farm make the base for this salad. The homemade croutons are from the Asiago Baguette we didn't actually get to eat on Saturday and is from Julien's Cafe & Bakery. The mint was from Riverview Herbs and the arugula and green garlic from Taproot Farms. The crumbled Dragons Breath Blue Cheese is hard to spot in the photo, but definitely added to the taste. The shrimp (with the "certified best aquaculture practices" logo) is from Sobeys, but there's always a stash in my freezer.

Spring Salad with Shrimp & Homemade Croutons

And dessert was also local and locally inspired....

Magnolia Grill's Rhubarb Crisp

Probably my most favorite restaurant in Lunenburg, is Magnolia Grill. That's not to say that the other restaurants aren't delicious... they are, but somehow, that's where we gravitate when we do a sunny day trip in that direction. So on a recent trip to the local NSLC outlet for some wine, I spotted their newest issue of Occasions Magazine and found this featured recipe - a perfect option for the bunch of rhubarb also bought at the market last Saturday.

Tonight I guess I'll use up the last of the mushrooms & merguez sausages and last of the spicy greens in a pasta... after all, I need to make room for this week's trip... only a day or so away. And segue to Presto Pasta Night. Tomorrow's roundup is being hosted by Trish of My Slap Happy Kitchen. You can join in the fun too. Just email your post with link & mention to Slap Happy Kitchen and Presto Pasta Nights to trish (at) slaphappykitchen (dot)com with a cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

Grilling Season & Cool Technology

It is grilling season... finally... although the rain and no cover over our heads mean it doesn't happen every day as it did when we lived in Toronto. There, we lived in a house with a back covered deck and we even grilled in the middle of winter. Here in Halifax, it's taken us three years to actually find a place we love with a balcony.
Our first purchase when we moved in last year was a Weber Q just like we had in Toronto. It's small enough to not take over the whole balcony. Cooking that first night, before anything was unpacked... grilled turkey fennel sausages from Sweet Williams Sausages purchased at the farmers market. In fact, we could actually take the Q with us for camping... if we ever decided to GO camping that is.
Nothing easier than grilling the first local asparagus. Just snap off the hard stem, drizzle with some olive oil and place on a hot grill, making sure to place the spears perpendicular to the grates. They just take a few minutes, turning once. To serve, just a few grindings of fresh black pepper and some sea salt with a bit of fresh lemon zest.
Another of my favorite sides this time of year... boiled baby new potatoes, that are tossed with some chopped green garlic, salt and some freshly ground black pepper to round out the meal.
And the star of this dinner... the Rosemary & Garlic Grilled Skirt Steak, it's similar to flank, but even more tender. Mine comes from the grass fed & finished beef of Getaway Farms here in Nova Scotia... because fresh and local always taste better!

Oh yeah... the technology part.... my epicurious apps. I have one on my iPhone and another on my iPad, after all the phone is with me when and wherever I go. The iPad, not so much. I've written all about why I love this app, but the most amazing and magical feature is the ability to save a recipe on one device and have it appear on the other automatically.

A Heavenly Springtime Pasta

It's hard to believe that it's been weeks since I whipped up some pasta. Blame it on the time of year. Spring to me is quick cooking ... or no cooking at all ... everything fresh and new and wonderful from the farmers market. My intention is always to make enough to have leftover grilled things to add to some pasta the next day, but... somehow... sigh... we eat it all up or add it to a brunch frittata.

That said, finally I get to share my latest Spring focused leftover pasta... With tons of shapes of pasta in my pantry - in addition to Costco's gigantic package of Primeluci Pastamade in Sicily with an assortment of penne rigate, elicoidali lunghi (think smallish rigatoni) and fettuccine (3 big bags of each)... I went with Colavita's farfalle (or bow ties, as I still fondly refer to them).

Nothing says Spring like dressing up and bows seem very festive to me. Add some bright color and ... voila! While the pasta was cooking, I just sauteed some mushrooms and garlic stalks ( they look like scallions, but are definitely garlic!), added some chunks of Spatchcock Pesto Chicken, the last half link of smoked Cajun Sausage - diced, last of the marinated roasted red peppers, grilled asparagus spears (left over from the latest skirt steak dinner), some fresh arugula. Heat that all through and add a dollop or two of more Pesto, a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes and some grated Parmesan cheese. Toss and serve. We had it hot last night and the left overs with a touch more olive oil, will be served cold for lunch. Lucky me.

I'm sharing this with Presto Pasta Night, this week's host for Presto Pasta Night... Trish of My Slap Happy Kitchen. You can join in the fun too. Just email your post with link & mention to Slap Happy Kitchen and Presto Pasta Nights to trish (at) slaphappykitchen (dot)com with a cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

What's your favorite Springtime pasta dish?

Spatchcock Chicken

Not the prettiest picture, I admit... And I'm embarrassed to say that with all my cooking, and my love of chicken, I only recently discovered Spatchcock chicken. I always thought it was ... don't laugh... some kind of fowl... like quail or squab. I didn't realize that it was a quicker method of cooking a whole bird! Instead of a usual roasting time of 20-30 minutes per pound, the whole process of roasting or grilling takes a little over 30 minutes! Cooks Illustrated Summer Grilling had a few wonderful stories and recipes. But the bottom line is... cut out the spine and flatten the chicken. How easy is that!

The article and recipe can be found at America's Test Kitchen. It's an Italian version made on the bbq using hot brick and indirect heat.
Unfortunately, my cute Weber Q is small - great for throwing in the trunk and grilling your own picnic lunch or camping dinner... but only one burner, which I suppose I could lower the heat, but decided to go another way... roasting at 500°F/260°C - no brick and my own Basil Pesto rubbed under the skin instead. It took about as long to prep the chicken as it did for the oven to heat up! The super simplest way to cook chicken ever!

Roasted Spatchcock Pesto Chicken

My latest book purchase... Canadian Living: The Barbecue Collection: The Best Barbecue Recipes from Our Kitchen to Your Backyard has a couple of options I'm dying to try too. And did I mention, that whatever your favorite way to roast a chicken... with herbs or spiced, do it spatchcock style and you can have a whole roasted chicken for dinner in a little more than 30 minutes!

Tonight's dinner will be some sort of pasta with roasted chicken, perhaps fiddleheads or asparagus - both awesome finds at Saturday's market. I'll be sharing with this week's host for Presto Pasta Night... Trish of My Slap Happy Kitchen. You can join in the fun too. Just email your post with link & mention to Slap Happy Kitchen and Presto Pasta Nights to trish (at) slaphappykitchen (dot)com with a cc to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Apocalypse or Not Farmers Market was Awesome

It is Saturday, May 21st and even if the world is supposed to come to an end at 6PM today, I decided to visit my two favorite markets anyway. And isn't it awesome to have not one but two venues ( Halifax Seaport Farmers Market and Historic Properties Farmers Market just a hop skip and jump away) to get local produce, fish and meat...not to mention cheese and bread and pastries and... I could go on forever, but I thought you might like to just take a look at what I found.

As you can see if you look closely... I've already taken a bite out of the delicious cinnamon bun from Julien's bakery. The Asiago baguette (at the top) will be used with the baked ham from Sweet Williams Sausages for lunch or will that be...

... the delicious lobster roll from Gerry Dunphy of Bridgewater
Even more exciting than that...if it's possible... it really is Spring here. Bushels and bushels of rhubarb...
and fiddleheads
and baby beets and their greens so good for sauteing.
still lots of three of my favorite harbingers of Spring... green garlic, garlic stalks (a little older plants - just eat the whites and you won't be able to confuse them with scallions - another favorite - because they really smell garlicky) and baby Spring onions that just look like big scallions... not to mention the bag of chives.
Speaking of herbs... there were lots of pots of every herb imaginable.
I bought some silver thyme & spearmint to join the others on my window sill and some bags of chives, rosemary and mint from Riverview Herbs
The first local asparagus was seen at the Noggins Corner stand. Naturally some had to come home with me.
I've been waiting forever for some Japanese Turnips so I could cook up a batch of Roasted Japanese turnips with honey for a wonderful book I have to write about - Cooking in the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes
I found them along with an awesome spicy mix of salad greens from Hutten Family Farm and this gorgeous purple kale and some of the other delights at the Taproot Farm stand.
Of course I bought some meat... what kind of carnivore would I be especially now that it's definitely BBQ time! More skirt steak from Getaway Farm (because they only pre order strip loin and I forgot to do that), turkey fennel & lamb pesto sausages (along with the ham) from Sweet Williams Sausages (they have stands at both markets!) and ground lamb for some awesome Lamb Burgers from Wood n Hart Farm. Hmmm spicy or Greek style?

And now... it's time to enjoy that lobster roll while I wait for two little angels to come visit. What's your favorite thing to look for at your local farmers market?

Healthy + Delicious + Easy = Perfect Cooking

On Sunday, I wrote about my lazy weekend, which seems to have carried right through to today. Perhaps my refound energy is because the sun finally peaked through the gloom. Perhaps it was the Blueberry Banana Smoothie I adapted from Mairlyn Smith's fantastic book Healthy Starts Here (I'll be writing about it tomorrow. It's so good that I couldn't wait to share the recipes).

I promised to share some of my latest recipe finds, so here they are....
The Family-style Vegetarian Chili (so named because it's mild enough for kids) was the best chili I've had in ages! Frankly, there are no words! It was mellow but very flavorful, none the less. And at Mairylyn's suggestion...
The Quick Quesadillas, made with leftover chili, were delicious.
Continuing on a healthy path with another Healthy Starts Here recipe... Greek-style Grilled Chicken, which I had to cook on my indoor grill... no sunny Greek islands here... at least not outside. The chicken, which I served with more greens from the market, some crumbled goat feta and a dressing of olive oil & lemon juice mixed with some garlic & fresh oregano (sticking with the Greek theme), brought the sunshine in...in spades!
Even the Ancho Chili Cranberry Brownies from Everyday Flexitarian (which I did write about) was filled with wonderful antioxidants and very healthy, in moderation... a term I'm not terribly familiar with.

I think tomorrow the theme will still be healthy, but perhaps a trip to India - since I just reviewed a great book - How to Cook Indian which has over 500 recipes - no exaggeration! Check out my take on it. How about Butter Chicken (my all time favorite Indian dish) with some more Aloo Gobhi (since I accidentally deleted the photos the last time) and perhaps Keerai Kozhambu (a spinach & dal curry) with some Naan bread (although I probably will end up buying some of that?

Where do you go on your imaginary vacation that really just takes place in your kitchen?

Even Lazier Sundays

If you thought yesterday was a lazy day... well this one starts off even lazier. We never left the house yesterday. In fact, it was early afternoon before I even got out of PJs. So I missed out on my usual trek to the markets....GASP!!! I know, it's quite unthinkable, but there it is and frankly there was still lots of goodies left from the week before.
Lunch was quesadillas made from some of the awesome meatless chili (I'll write about it tomorrow... too lazy today)and grated cheddar with a couple of spoonfuls of President's Choice Smokey Chipotle salsa.
I did manage to make some orgasmic ancho chili cranberry brownies (that recipe tomorrow too) that we munched while watching old movies on tv.
Grilled Asian Marinated Skirt Steak reappeared. I bought more LAST Saturday because it was that delicious the week before! Nothing better than Getaway Farm Grass Fed & Finished beef. I served it up with a very simple salad of beet greens, arugual and fresh mint & rosemary, still crispy and flavorful from my market trip last week. Drizzle with a little good olive oil, some champagne vinegar and chopped shallots and VOILA! And of course, more brownies for dessert!

I did miss our usual Sunday morning ritual of French Toast made with Julien's brioche, but I made a couple of fake Croque Madame sandwiches. Usually they're dipped in a bechamel sauce before grilling, but I was too lazy. So here's what I did instead....

1. Preheat a griddle or grill pan.

2. In a large bowl (more for the ability to lay the sandwiches in the mixture without losing any filling) beat 2 eggs, a little milk, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, some fresh thyme leaves (I think about a tablespoon) and some freshly ground black pepper.

3. I used 12 grain sandwich bread and spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on one side. Then I crumbled some Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese and topped with some roasted chicken (shredded or the thin sliced deli variety) and crumbled a bit more cheese. Put the sandwich together and dip in the egg mixture.

4. Cook on the griddle (I used my Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler so I didn't have to flip) until golden and crispy with the cheese oozing out.

Now I'm off to see what other lazy things I can do on a very foggy Sunday in Halifax.... obviously a road trip is out!

Weekend Frittata

There's something magical about a weekend frittata. I love lazy weekend mornings...staying in PJs until... well, until whenever! And I love the whole surprise factor of frittatas. In fact, I can't remember the last time I actually made one from a recipe, although I have been inspired by many. It's all about opening the fridge and seeing what "jumps out" and says "PICK ME!!!". And the truth is, they all look more or less the same when they come out of the oven... eggs and something smothered in cheese.
So the second surprise is when you cut into one... or make that BITE into one and see how well the surprise ingredients come together.
The basic recipe...

• Preheat the oven to 400F/200C and use a small skillet (serves one or two people... bigger pan for more people);
  


• Heat a little olive oil in the pan over medium high heat;
  


• in a bowl whisk eggs (2 per person plus one for the pan) and set aside;



• Chop interesting ingredients - today 1/2 red onion, sliced mushrooms, 1/2 Cajun smoked sausage, handful of spinach leaves, left over roasted & marinated sweet red pepper, fresh rosemary & oregano leaves (from my window sill garden), some freshly ground pepper;



• Sautee the veg etc., until soft and starting to brown, cover with egg mixture, stirring to incorporate all the filling and let set over medium heat (about 4 minutes in a small pan - a bit longer in a larger one) until only the center looks moist and not quite set;



• Add a handful of grated or crumbled cheese - sometimes I use goat cheese, other times Dragon's Breath Blue, Feta or Swiss... today was the last of the Kraft grated Quatro Fromaggio. Sprinkle a little paprika - today it was smoked;



• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and set.

And then let that first bite sit on your tongue for a minute and enjoy the marriage of flavors.

Now that you know my weekend breakfast treat... what's your favorite weekend breakfast?

Finally - Presto Pasta Night #213 Worth the Wait!

My apologies for both the double posting and the time it took to get this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup to you... we'll just blame Friday the 13th as the culprit and be glad the delay is over and done! A special thanks to Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes for her absolutely marvelous job of hosting, in spite of everything. But enough whining.... let's just dig in!!!

Presto Pasta Night #213

And thanks everyone for brilliant dishes. I can't wait to give each one a try.

Next week, our most excellent host will be Cassie, the Kitchen Alchemist. So put on your pasta thinking caps and send your entries to cassiecosmic(at)gmail (dot)com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by Thursday.

Deliciously Upsided Down Dinners

This has been a busy cooking week and some of the dishes are not exactly as they seem. Of course I needed a pasta recipe I didn't want to miss the Presto Pasta Night. This week our wonderful host is Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes . You still have some time to send your entries to tinnedtomatoes (at) googlemail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

I have an awesome new cookbook that I'll be raving about very soon and this Eggplant Manicotti caught my eye. The funny thing is... there is no real manicotti. The "pasta" is actually slices of eggplant with a very tasty filling.
Earlier in the week I finally got to make the Seared Lamb Chops with Sage, Anchovies & Capers recipe that I found in the NY Times a couple of weeks ago. The lamb from Wood 'n Hart farm was wonderful. The sage & fresh mint from Riverview Herbs, the beet greens and green garlic from Noggin Farms - all my favorite stops at the Saturday markets, rounded out the ingredients.

It was easy enough to saute the beet greens with a little chopped onion and olive oil, but I felt the need for another side... rice perhaps? But I needed a pasta dish, so my "rice" wasn't rice either... It was a very tasty Herb & Garlic Orzo that will be great as a main sometime soon.

So which of these dishes will Jacqueline choose... the pasta fake rice or the eggplant fake pasta? I guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow's roundup.

Slow Food NS Spring Dinner Recap

First off ... it was grand! 150 people attended this Slow Food Nova Scotia Spring Dinner community style...where getting to know your neighbors was easy over wonderful local wines served with food, showcasing local farmers and prepared by some of the province's best chefs and their crews who donated their time for the evening making sure we were all happy. Very long sentence, I know.
The wines, by the way were all donated by some fantasic NS vineyards and each was paired with one of the seven courses!
The dinner had two purposes...one to celebrate Slow Food Nova Scotia and two, to raise funds for a very worthy cause - Feed Nova Scotia. I thought I'd share the evening...course by delicious course...

MENU

Homemade Biscuits and Butter
Chef Kim Stacey, Emma’s Eatery
Curried Indian Point Mussel Chowder, Petit-de-Grat Snow Crab Cake, Preserved Peach Chutney
Chefs Craig Flinn & Darren Lewis, Chives
Wine: Benjamin Bridge, Nova 7
Riverview Arugula Salad, Broken Pommery & Roasted Garlic Dressing,Hazelnut Thyme Crisp with homemade Ricotta, Crispy Black Olives
Chef Paolo Colbertado, Jane’s On The Common
Wine: Blomidon Estate L'Acadie Blanc

Harpoon Caught Sword Fish, Salsa Verde, Wild Rice Risotto,Lobster Chili Oil
Chef Chris Velden, Ryan Duffy’s
Wine: Domaine de Grand Pre Seyval Blanc
Nova Scotia Lamb Shawarma, Tzatziki, Pickled Turnip,Herb Salad, Chickpea Socca
Chef Renee Lavallee, The Feisty Chef
Wine: Jost Vineyards Trilogy
Slow Roasted Windsor Valley Pork Belly, Local Sweet Potato
Chef Dennis Johnston, Fid Resto

“Jigg’s Dinner”…Granite Irish Stout Braised Beef Rib, Haddock Brandade,Savoy Cabbage, Fiddlehead Mustard Pickles
Chef Graeme Ruppel, The Brooklyn Warehouse
Wine: Gaspereau Vineyards Vitis
Noggins Warm Apple Pocket, Rhubarb Panna Cotta, Fox Hill Gelato
Chef Michael Howell, Tempest
Just Us! Coffe & Tea
Foxhill Cheesehouse Whole Milk

Kudos all around! I highly recommend you all checking out community dinners that celebrate your local farmers and the chefs who spotlight them.