A Fun Farm Visit

Monday was a teachers' PD at my grandsons' school and since it was a beautiful day, my daughter invited me to join them on a farm outing.  Another gorgeous drive to "The Valley". A visit to not JUST a farm, but a farm with tons of benefits.  Welcome to our trip to Noggins Corner Farm. That's Boaz beside Winnie the Pooh Pumpkin and his Honey Pot

Time For Decadence Nova Scotia Style

It's February and I'm not sure where January went but I am glad it's over.  Don't get me wrong, I love all the great Canadian seasons - including winter, although I am quite the hermit.   And why am I rambling you ask?

Canadian Chefs Congress in Nova Scotia

If you visit here often, then you know I love to promote local produce, fish and meat and the wonderful men and women who raise them and those who create the most amazing dishes using them.  And may I say that Nova Scotia is a fantastic place for foodies.  So how could I NOT tell you about an exciting upcoming event that, in the past has been open only to chefs.   This year Nova Scotia will be hosting the third  Canadian Chefs' Congress at Evangeline Beach in Wolfville from September 16-18th.  It's the single biggest food event in Nova Scotia's history!

Homage to Farmers Markets and Hardly a Dent in the Swiss Chard

Breakfast on a lovely, sunny Sunday morning consisted of an omelet, sounds so... ordinary.  And that is so far from the truth.

Perfect Day - Tall Ships, Chuck Hughes, Lamb Chops & Corn

Who could ask for a better Saturday - Sunny, but not broilingly hot;  The Tall Ships Festival in town; Taste of Nova Scotia's Food Fare By the Sea and a culinary demo & chat  by Chef Chuck Hughes (one of my very favorite TV Chefs); and an outing with the family.

A Quick Market Post - Imagine Cherries, Blueberries & Corn in July!

If you live further south and further inland to Nova Scotia, finding blueberries, currants and corn in July may be quite ordinary,  but here...

Weekends in Nova Scotia

It was Canada Day this past Sunday, but any lovely weekend in Nova Scotia is worthy of a driving adventure.  I thought I'd share our day trip up the Eastern Passage on our hunt for beaches.....

A Visit to The Zillig Family Farm

I just finished sitting here munching on perfect "farm fresh" eggs... literally... more in a minute... and just wondering how to write about our glorious adventure to a sheep farm yesterday.  

It was the perfect Spring day in the country - 12°C/54°F and brilliant sunshine overhead!  We even saw some crocuses starting to bud and trying to get a jump on the season.  It's only mid March and normally bitterly cold, grey and very wintry.  My daughter Joanna was on a hunt for organic sheep fertilizer for her garden and found some about an hour or so from Halifax.  So we turned the day into a wonderful adventure that surpassed any expectations we had.   But where to begin in the telling....

First to say that Marg Zillig is awesome, a gracious host and an inspiration. As usual my post will jump all over the place... this time starting at the end of the visit.  Marg (on the right) invited us in to her home and served us plum juice made from plums from her own plum trees! Not to mention the gorgeous and delicious cookies we all munched on or the dozen eggs she gave us to remind the kids where they come from...or the braid of garlic, Joanna bought.  Marg plants 1500-2000 cloves in her garden.   Joanna...75!

I need no reminders and I must say, to all my city friends... there is truly nothing like fresh from the farm eggs from free run chickens.

Perhaps I'll start with some history...the farm house (behind Joanna & Marg) was built in the 1700's just after the expulsion of the Acadians from the region.   Marg's dad, emigrated from Germany in 1953, and met her mom, Edith, also a German emigre, in Nova Scotia.  They both brought their farming backgrounds with them and bought the farm (at one time 250 acres, now at 175 acres and beautifully pastoral!) in 1958, had two children (Marg and her older brother) and farmed it ever since.   Marg has been running the farm on her own since her mom passed away in 2009 at the age of 94.

 Zillig Family Farm in Hants County, Nova Scotia is an Artisan farm, which means it's not certified organic, but pretty darn close.  Marg studied animal husbandry and agriculture at McGill University in Montreal, as well as in Europe.  She is more than knowledgeable, she is passionate.  We all fell in love instantly.

We were joined by some friends of Boaz & Dov and their mom, Zoey, and like all little boys... and girls, for that matter... there is nothing as much fun as running around, stomping in mud and playing with the animals.  So perhaps the best way to go is to follow the boys and hear what they had to say....

The geese, two ganders and four geese are in mating season, so the ganders (and their partners) had to be separated... the men are very territorial during mating season.  Can you imagine... these geese, especially the ganders are even louder than squealing little boys!  Boaz even covered his ears and told us just how loud they were.

On to the chickens...the excited boys, drove the chickens indoors... unintentionally, of course... and when Boaz pushed aside the netting to check out the coop and see the eggs, his first response was to hold his nose and inform us that the chickens smelled! ...a personal aside, having visited an industrial chicken farm, which really smelled so bad, I gagged...I can tell you all that this one hardly smelled at all.  We, of course had to have the discussion about the fact that all animals poop, just like us.  We're into toilet training, can you tell?

Boaz did ask Marg where the rooster was, but since these hens are layers, rather than breeders, there's no need for a rooster.  All we want are the delicious eggs!    We also saw a few ducks, that Marg keeps for eggs for those of us who can't tolerate hens eggs.

We passed the water fowl pond that Marg's dad dug years and years ago where Dov (our little one) found his favorite animal on the farm... a barn cat... a stray left by the side of the road a year ago and now lives happily on the farm.

On to the sheep...lots of ewes

and lambs that are just one month old.

and this was the best shot I could get of Marg holding a skittish lamb so the still squealing boys could pet him.

While Marg was telling us about the sheep.. their heritage, their wool, etc... the boys found a new place to play... the mountain of sheep ... fertilizer!

What a wonderful visit!  Joanna wants to become Marg, I just admire her and all the hard work that goes into tending the animals, the produce garden, I didn't even mention because it's all under a protective layer of hay, waiting for Spring to really arrive.

Thank you, Marg and to those of you who don't live on a farm... make a visit.  It's a fantastic opportunity  to learn about and appreciate where our food comes from.  Oh.... and Boaz' favorite animal... the puppy!

Nova Scotia - A Great Place for Eating

For the last couple of years I've been invited to attend the Nova Scotia Savour Food & Wine Show which showcases the best restaurants, vineyards, spirit purveyors and more that this province has to offer.  (That's the team from the Delta Barrington in Downtown Halifax, pictured above).  Being part of the Media group is a tough job ( I definitely suffer from lens envy of all those awesome cameras clicking away... my iPhone does capture the many delicious moments, but often through a blur as I move on to the next station).  Well, someone's got to show up, take some photos and eat, eat, eat...not to mention sip, sip, sip! And then write about my experience and make you all jealous and marking next February as the perfect time to spend in Halifax!   For some history about the event, I've written about my earlier experiences HERE, and HERE and HERE too.

This year there was an additional bonus... on top of being part of the media tour and having the opportunity to talk to the chefs, take photos.... not to mention taste all those dishes ... that's one of the brilliant chefs from  White Point Beach Resort plating the Star Anise & Espresso Panne Cotte...before the 730 plus guests arrived for the event.

This year, I also got to be part of a judging panel for a competition sponsored by Select Nova Scotia.  Eight of the Savour Chefs ( 55 exhibitors this year - represented restaurants, vineyards and more from around the province) presented their dishes starring local ingredients without us knowing which dish belonged to whom.

The judges, set up in the board room of Casino Nova Scotia where the event was held this year, were each presented with a plated dish and a score card.  We munched, and savoured and discussed and scored once the plates were practically licked clean and removed.  And then we were given another stunning plate with another score card and we repeated that process for the eight dishes.   The main criteria was to create a dish making the best use local ingredients and, in  addition to that, the scoring was on presentation,  taste and ... well.... the bottom line... they were all delicious, but we unanimously voted for ...

Butter Poached Lobster on a Brioche Crostini  with a heavenly aoili and you can see the drizzle of parsley oil on the side.  It turns out to have come from The Five Fishermen, definitely a place to visit while in Halifax, with one of the best wine cellars anywhere.

Our runner up favorite was a Salt Cod Fish Cake with Tartar Sauce made from local Chow Chow Pickles (a Nova Scotian traditional dish if ever there was one).  This simple dish was created by Chef Michael Howell and the rest of the team from The Tempest in Wolfville, NS

And these two dishes have stood out in my mind over the last few days.  They illustrate, in an instant, Nova Scotian cuisine.  The cod cake represents  quintessential  down home cooking that has been around for as long as Nova Scotia has been settled.  It is the essence of using local ingredients to make tasty, nutritious meals... pickling and preserving the bounty farmed and caught in the summer months for economical, dishes that waste nothing.   It is a combination of all that makes me smile whenever I drive down rural highways and see cars and trucks parked at the side of the road, with signs for smoked mackerel, salt cod, homemade pies and preserves.  It may be the farmers and fishermen who bring the bounty home, but it is the housewives who make them last through the long hard Nova Scotian winters.

But that is not all there is to Nova Scotia cuisine.  Although I do remember when my older daughter first attended Dalhousie University back in the early to mid '90's and my being a Toronto and Montreal food snob.  There really weren't very many fine dining restaurants that matched the service and creativity of those metropolitan cities.   That is definitely no longer the case.  The sophistication and elegance of fine dining menus is  presented by master chefs who have trained around the globe and found their homes in every corner of the province.   And while some fishing or farming family in rural Nova Scotia may not know about lobster risotto like the one presented by Clearwater

or  Tandoori Quail with Quail eggs served over fried vermicelli created by The Taj Mahal chefs, you can rest assured there is food for every palate and every pocketbook.

Did I mention desserts?   Check out the White Chocolate & Grand Marnier Creme Brulee (actually topped with a plump raspberry by the time the guests arrived).

and the Chocolate Hazelnut Phyllo Tarts both from Gabrieau's Bistro in Antigonish.

I suppose I could share more of my images with you, but most are blurry. I just wanted to put down my camera and use both hands for the feasting.    My one regret.... I didn't get a chance to eat everything I wanted to.

like mini lobster rolls from Murphy's The Cable Wharf

or savory (mushroom duxelles) and sweet (chocolate drizzled strawberries & custard cream) crepes from Chez Tess.   I guess I'll just have to do better next year.  And I didn't even get to mention any of the fabulous wines I got to sip!

I'd love to know if you have similar foodie events in your neck of the woods.   Oh... and did I mention that our culinary school students have won two gold medals at the Culinary World Cup  in Luxembourg in 2010?

Slow Motion Food Film Festival

I am a member of Slow Food Nova Scotia and volunteered to play a part (however small it was) promoting the  Slow Motion Food Film Fest that takes place this weekend in Wolfville NS.   


Imagine - 

• 29 films over three days
• 4 major events - The Slow Motion Barn Dinner (Thursday night),  Amazing Food Race (Saturday morning), Harvest Gallery South American Wine Tasting (ASaturday evening) and the Slow Motion Awards Ceremony (Free - Sunday afternoon 6:30 pm) with Hosts Ann MacKenzie (Film NS) and actor Jason Priestley
• Filmmakers attending from Manitoba, Ottawa, Quebec, Georgia, Nova Scotia, Italy and Brazil!
• The Canadian premieres of Perfect Sense (Ewan MacGregors newest film) El Camino del Vino ( Argentinian sommelier loses his sense of taste) and Blood Into Wine (Rock Band Tool frontman opens winery in Arizona desert). 
• The World Premiere of Land Awakening (Beautiful movie that explores PERMACULTURE)
• Contentious films that expose whats wrong with our current systems (DIVE! Milks Wars, Planeat, La Reine Malade)
• Inspiring films that give us hope (GROW! And This is my Garden, Voices of Transition).
• Foodie Favorites (El Bulli: Cooking in Progress, Chocolat, Big Night)
• And riveting films held over from The Atlantic Film Festival due to popular demand (Cooking History)

Please visit www.slowmotionfilmfest.ca for a complete schedule of events. Make it a weekend and catch a couple of films.



Chef Michael Howell, chef owner of The Tempest restaurant and President of Slow Food NS, is offering an Homage to Hollywood menu.  And other local establishments will be showcasing wonderful Food Film Fest related goodies.  


If you're in the neighborhood,  check it out.  I know you'll have an awesome time experiencing the films, the food and  the beautiful Annapolis Valley.  

Loving the Fall - Autumn at its Best

I have two favorite seasons...

Spring... for obvious reasons. Long, dreary, cold Winter is over!  Lilac & apple blossoms,

asparagus,

fiddle heads, just to name a few

And then there's Autumn - wait do you think I've forgotten Summer... not really.  Although I love the harvest and travelling through this lovely province that is Nova Scotia, I don't relish heat.  So Summer for me, is just a stopping point between my favorite seasons.

Fall, on the other hand, with its special bounty including a bazillion tomatoes, squashes and, most definitely apples.  I've been going apple picking with my daughter and her (now) husband for many years... even before we moved here.  That's Joanna in an apple tree a number of years ago.

It's always been fun, especially once little ones arrived.  I love the "testing" part to make sure we picked the juiciest, crunchiest apples in the orchard.

So yesterday was no exception.  We headed out to Elderkin's Farm Market & uPik in the Annapolis Valley.    Truthfully, the boys and I pooped out within 15 minutes.  It was incredibly hot out ... think mid-Summer...

 but that didn't stop my Princess from collecting 40  pound - you heard correctly!  The photo only shows 20 pounds and then she just bought 10 pounds of pears for us to do some chutney making.

The boys and I had a different favorite moment - eating ice cream after all the work was done!

Since we're on the subject of apples, I thought I'd share some of my favorite apple recipes

the Apple Crisp that's been in my family for at least three generations

Apple Cake, moist and delicious especially for a mid-morning snack

and my very favorite of all.... Normandy Apple Tart.

Since we'll be making some Pear Chutney this afternoon...I thought I'd share that too.

What's your reason for loving Fall?

YIKES It's Thursday - Almost time for Presto Pasta Night

Where on earth did the week go?!!! It's already Thursday and I'm hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup. I was wondering why I haven't received many entries. I know it's summer vacation time and everyone is busy having fun. But the fact is, I haven't written a post since LAST weekend!

I've made pasta a couple of times this week, and last weekend without having a chance to write about it myself. We had a fantastic outing at Hubbard's Beach just a short thirty minute drive from home, with our daughter, son-in-law and the two little boys, not to mention some of their friends. It was a glorious day... and my sunburn is still recovering.

Thanks to Kraft and their entertainment package, we enjoyed a lovely spread on the red blanket, and used the thermal lined bag to carry lunch which was then served in the cute bowls they sent as well. Unfortunately, we were having too good a time to take any photos worth sharing. Even this one of the pasta salad doesn't quite meet up to my standards ....

...for photography, that is. The recipe is simple... not really a recipe, exactly, just lots of ingredients that won't spoil in the heat. And let's see if I remember them... red peppers, zucchini, garlic scape pesto (I'll have to write that one up one of these days too), sun dried tomatoes - in oil, oil cured black olives, pinch of red chili flakes, good canned tuna, a little olive oil and a splash of lemon juice plus about 1/4 cup Dragon's Breath Blue Cheese. All that tossed with some extra rotini I made a few nights before.

Now.... even though I do understand that summer is here and the living is easy... doesn't anyone have a pasta recipe to send me by midnight so I can add it to the roundup? Just write, link to Presto Pasta Nights and Once Upon a Feast and send the email to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com. Don't forget to check back for the roundup right here tomorrow.

As for this weekend... if you're like me, you don't have any idea of what's on tap. So what will you have handy in your fridge or pantry to help you out? My younger daughter is coming in tonight for a short visit. My Herb & Garlic Spatchcock Chicken is in the fridge along with separate bags of roasted beets (separate so the light ones won't bleed red) and roasted Japanese turnips. Pasta, salad, frittata... all good little black dress options.

Taking Local to the Next Level

The family all got together at my daughter and son-in-law's Friday night... a typical event. And usually the dinner consists of as much local fare as possible. But Joanna has taken eating local to a whole new level.... she's planted an awesome garden... from seed and it's starting to reap a harvest. The herbs are in, as are the lettuces, spring onions and flowers on the squash and tomatoes mean the rest are sure to follow.

The grilled vegetables are from local markets. No photo because the one I took definitely did not showcase just how fantastic they looked and tasted. I'm not sure what marinade she used so I'm giving my standard for you to try. I was too busy playing with Batman & Spiderman to notice.

But the main reason for writing about taking eating local to the next level is the nine mackerel Joanna and her friend Jason caught the night before... from a dock about a 10 minute drive from her home at Terence Bay on the Atlantic Ocean. The photo might actually be from any of the fishing coves jutting in and out of the Atlantic near Peggy's Cove. When we first moved to Nova Scotia back in 2007, we did lots of exploring the coastline and falling in love with each fishing village we saw. Naturally I took a bazillion photos and just as naturally... I've spent the last 40 minutes hunting for them without success. Bottom line... imagine being able to fish so close to home. But I digress.

Jo stuffed the fish - after gutting and scaling, with spring onions & herbs from her garden (handfuls of oregano & mint) and after brushing with a bit of olive oil, Ezra grilled them on the barbecue. What an excellent team! Local new potatoes were simply boiled and tossed with butter and chives from the garden.

And the other reason for the post... I shared my last weekend's food adventures... Naturally, my eyes are always bigger than my stomach when I go to a local market and it was no different. So by Friday I still had mixed greens, these stunning sweet pea pods and sugar snap peas from the Hutten Family Farm (yes, they have a stand at the Wolfville market too) that I brought over. They were still so fresh, so crisp, so sweet, that we couldn't stop ourselves from munching.... forget about adding them to the salad.

The moral of the story... and the reason for the post... I know that some people say shopping at farmers markets and supporting local farmers is too expensive. So let me end with this question to you.... If you shop at a grocery store and buy salad greens, herbs, other produce like pea pods... how long do they last before you throw them out... or at least are so wilted, you have to pick through them to find barely a handful worth adding to your dish? How long before they lose that totally awesome just picked flavor? Three days? Two days? And then you have to go buy more. My score was a week old and still tasted like they had just come from the fields they grew in!And this week's score to really tempt you to support your farmers... flank steak & strip loin from Getaway Farms; bread & pain chocolat from Julien's; fennel, Japanese turnips, more peas from Hutten farms; lamb & eggs from Wood 'n Hart farm; a basil plant for my balcony garden from River View Herbs; strawberries... strawberry season is in full bloom around here; beets & young onions from Elmridge Farms.