Things to Remember in the Dead of Winter

The truth is I started this post at least three weeks ago and I've been adding a bit here and there always too busy enjoying the summer to actually finish the writing.  So now I'll just start at the end and work backwards.... The scene above was at one of my favorite locations in Halifax... The Seaport Farmers Market and the event, this past Sunday, was called the Incredible Picnic organized by many to showcase local chefs, restaurants and...most importantly... local producers.  And before I take you through some of the actual fruits and vegetables I'll be craving in January, I thought I'd share some highlights of the picnic.

Signs of Spring in Nova Scotia

Buds on trees, crocuses, tulips and daffodils standing at attention and best of all...glorious baby greens and rhubarb at the market...Ted Hutton and his farm always are my harbingers of Spring.

Here's what I scored today... that bunch of gorgeous purple baby mustard greens at the top of the post. They are almost too pretty to eat. Notice I said "almost".
The Hutton farm is famous around here for their unique vegetables and especially Asian ones like bok choy, above,
and these precious baby red bok choy that will taste delicious raw in a salad or quickly sauteed.
Naturally, Spring wouldn't be Spring without some ruby red rhubarb. Now I just have to figure out which way to fix it up. Rhubarb Crumble... a simple yoghurt with honey & rhubarb compote...or do I find the perfect recipe for a pie...no local strawberries though for my favorite - strawberry rhubarb pie. Hopefully the crops with overlap.

What's your favorite harbinger of Spring? I still haven't seen any fiddleheads at the market...my other favorite Spring food.

There's Nothing Like Eating Local - Especially in Spring

I've already shared breakfast after shopping at the farmers market this week. Now it's time for some lunch and dinner.

While true...lunch is not totally market fare...still a little too early for local red peppers and cucumbers, but the greens...baby romaine and cilantro are from Free Spirit Farm - FSC certified in Tatamagouche Nova Scotia and the mustard greens, baby beet greens and other herbs are from Riverview Herbs - hot house/greenhouse. I added a tin of tuna (not sure where it comes from) and made some delicious Creamy Dill Salad Dressing that brought it all together.

Dinner was even Passover friendly. I made Breaded Bluefish Fillets with plump and fresh bluefish from Mike's Fish Shop. Although I think I'll love them more with Panko crumbs once Passover is done. I roasted fingerling potatoes from Ted Hutton's Farmstand . I love their very earthy flavor especially when roasted with fresh rosemary. Stir Fried Pak Choi from Free Spirit quickly sauteed with some ginger, garlic and Asian garlic chili sauce to kick it up a bit had my Honey looking for seconds. Too bad I only bought one bunch. He said it was so good he would have been happy just eating that....major kudos for a die hard carnivore.

And my skirt steak from Getaway Farm is marinating as I write...but that's a story for tomorrow. See why I'm so happy Spring has come early to Nova Scotia (keep your fingers crossed that its' here to stay)? The sun is shining and I'm off for a walk...perhaps to Local Source a wonderful shop that carries lots of my favorite Saturday Farmers Market vendors...all...week...long!

Celebrations - Birthday & Passover Seders

Birthday treat ...

...finally a new photo with me and my girls - Sharron, Joanna and me

Ready for the Passover Seder

I mentioned before that my daughter Sharron was in for my birthday and it's been joyously hectic since her arrival. I thought I'd share some of the highlights...which always entails cooking and recipes.

Saturday morning at the market held an interesting discussion in the line at Getaway Farm about liver. Bottom line...you either love it or hate it...there is no in between. I love it, but never make it because my Honey ...well...he's in the other camp. So at least twice a year - for Jewish holidays, Joanna makes some chopped liver - no recipe, sorry and no picture either because...well, it never looks pretty. It's hard to find good beef liver in this town, so I was excited when I saw some and called my daughter (waking her up at 7 AM) to ask how much she needed..."Lots" was the answer so I took 4 pounds which was probably twice as much as we needed. No worries - those of us who do enjoy it at the Seder table on Monday had fantastic care packages to take home!

The afternoon was spent doing a little of the cooking for the Seder (I like to do everything as close to serving as is possible. So starting two days before is as early as I care to go.)...some fantastic Caramel Matzo Crunch from Marcy Goldman's A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking and of course I forgot to take a picture of that too. The rest of the day was spent visiting and organizing.

Sunday was my birthday and I opted to cook dinner for family and friends of Sharron's who are like family. My Honey thought we should eat out or order in... that I shouldn't have to cook on my birthday. Silly him - it's one of my biggest pleasures.

Cooking schedule for the day...

Chicken Soup & Matzo Balls

and Tunisian Date Cake for Monday's Seder

My Birthday Dinner - from one of my latest cookbook acquisitions -
Rose Reisman's Family Favorites: Healthy Meals for Those Who Matter Most
Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Syrup Dressing

And my own, thrown together, simple mixed green salad with a blueberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Dessert was just the birthday cake. Everyone seems to have a personal favorite....homemade with love, or store bought; ice cream cake or something baked. My family usually opt for something chocolate, and usually of the ice cream variety. I, on the other hand have to wait until my birthday comes around for the store bought (I'm talking grocery store) vanilla cake with white butter cream icing and hard candy roses (see top of post).

Boaz and Dov seemed happy with my choice too.

Monday morning and more cooking for the Seder...boiling a dozen eggs and whipping up Charoset for the ritual part of the meal.

Gefilte fish (I cheated)...bought frozen logs that you just put in boiling water, seasoned with a carrot and onion for an hour and a half.

Two giant Potato Kugels (One would have been plenty)
Roasted Asparagus - without the grated cheese garnish in the recipe, whipped up while everyone was eating their appetizers.

The rest of the cooking was perfectly prepared by Joanna and her able assistant, Sharron - too busy for a photo.
Roast stuffed leg of lamb, carrot tsimmis, salad, and of course the chopped liver.

Plus some candid shots....note the empty table...that's the ritual portion before we overindulged.

Ezra, Boaz, Joanna & Dov
The rest of us, pardon the blur. And what does a three year old do when he's not quite engaged in the Seder? He uses Grandma's camera...
Poppa's shoe and my favorite...
Self Portrait.

For those of you celebrating Easter this coming weekend, I hope yours is as wonderful as our past weekend was and may it bring you Peace and Joy. Oh...and what will you be serving anyway?

Remember that I'll be hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup - I even found kosher for Passover pasta. Send your entries to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.

Happy American Thanksgiving

Wishing my American friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you're spending it with those you love and ....on the off chance that you don't have all the dishes done for your dinner, here are a couple of fantastic side dishes from The Blackberry Farm Cookbook: Four Seasons of Great Food and the Good Life which is stunning and delicious. I'll be writing much more about it soon.
Even if you usually turn your nose up at Brussels Sprouts, you should give these Roasted Pecan Brussels Sprouts a try. The toasted pecans and the oven roasting with olive oil give the leaves a crispness and cut that often bitter flavor.
While this is not the prettiest photo I've ever taken, the Roasted Winter Squash Puree was unbelievably easy to prepare and (shhhh...don't tell anyone...) I must have eaten more than a portion during the "tasting"...even though it didn't need anything else to make it delicious.

These two sides are so tasty, I could easily forget about the turkey!

La Bomba is More Than it Seems

For at least the last year, I've become obsessed with eating local (as local as I can without becoming a fanatic)...shopping at farmers' markets and supporting local producers, paying attention to where food comes from at supermarkets, trying to "stick to the season" when I cook.


One of my new favorite cookbooks is Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm . What can I say?....well I've already said alot about it. I'll be reading it, rereading it and definitely cooking from it often. In fact, the first recipe I made... La Bomba has already made it's way to my table in two very different forms....a simple spread as an antipasto with a delicious rustic loaf of Julien's bread (top of post)



...and as a filling for a simple omelet. I've already sent some home with my daughter and son-in-law who were over last night for dinner and she can't wait to make it herself. It's a droolingly delicious marriage of so many Fall ingredients....eggplant, fennel root, roasted red peppers, olives, mushrooms, all sauteed with some garlic and spices that really will knock your socks off. I think my next dish will be with pasta.


And a quick aside about my market expedition today...it's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada...at 7:45 A.M. this morning the line ups were already longer than I'd ever seen them...especially at those vendors selling turkeys and "fixin's". We're getting together with "the Neighbors" and divvying up the meal. He's got the turkey in the oven as I write and I'm about to make some Harvest Soup, a Spicy Salad , Roasted Fall Veggies (Brussels Sprouts, beets, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, eggplant, onions and parsnip), garlic mashed potatoes, because what else would I sop up all his gravy with? And dessert will be a pumpkin pie, I'm told.


What are you doing for Thanksgiving...or whatever your next big feast?

Rosh Hashonah Festivities

This was the only photo I actually got of my dining room table before Saturday night's Rosh Hashonah dinner. The rest of the evening was even more blurry than this photo of the home made challah. And don't even ask me about the few days that followed. How could it be Tuesday already!!!

Dinner was lovely (if I do say so myself) and went off with only one hitch...my Honey developed a whopper migraine-style headache...too much light (it's all or nothing here) and loud voices (all having a great time, but echoing off the walls). He ended up missing dessert entirely and going to hide in the dark bedroom. But let's start at the beginning...
Even though every cell in my body was throbbing by the time I went to bed at 12:30, it was a wonderful day...which started at sunrise at the farmers market (6:45am). Many people questioned my decision to go, given I wanted to be at services by 9:30 and still had tons of preparation left to do before our guests showed up at 6:30 pm.

That said, once the dishes started showing up at the table, my decision to go to the market didn't seem quite so ridiculous. I've become quite the farmers market junkie and am usually disappointed when I can't get there. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could have one every day of the week?
The local heirloom carrots, new beets and young potatoes roasted with cremini mushroom (also local)
and the most glorious organic garlic ever and fresh rosemary,
turned into a wonderful roasted root vegetable dish to accompany one of my favorite New Year chicken dishes...
St Tropez Chicken, made with local free range chickens.

But wait,...I forgot to mention the soup course. Since I usually end up with the second night, I don't like to repeat the traditional chicken soup with matzo balls.

And this year I tried a wonderful Velvety Squash & Carrot Soup with Curried Mazto Balls that everyone enjoyed including Boaz and his brother Dov. The matzo balls were made with whole grain matzo meal and everyone thought they were meatballs, they were so dense and flavorful.
The special organic blend of "spicy greens" and baby romaine made the salad course quite the hit, especially with the Preserved Lemon Dressing which brought out just the right balance to the mix. Another stellar reason to visit the market! The salad was a perfect taste complement to the Tilapia in Tomato Saffron Sauce. The photo was of my practice meal the week before and the yellow beans were so tasty I had to buy more at the market. A simple "steam" in the microwave with a sprig of basil and then a spritz of lemon juice, grinding of pepper and pinch of salt...and who said, no one likes veggies. I served them with the main course this time.
All that's left to mention is the dessert...while I did plan on at least three, we ended up with just one...my favorite Normandy Apple Tart with apples we picked ourselves last week in the Annapolis Valley.

So was the worth getting up early to find local produce and chicken? You bet your life it was!
As for leftovers...not too many, but the challah made for some wonderful French Toast, whipped up by my Honey.

Chatting with Chef Michael Smith

Yes, I'm a little star struck...last week I spent an hour with Chef Michael Smith, one of my all time favorite celebrity chefs. We talked about his latest projects, his food philosophy, which is really very simple, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I've been a really big fan of Chef at Home for a long time ...it's actually in its sixth season and I have frequently been inspired after an episode, with the likes of these Star Anise Carrots that were heavenly, as were the slow oven roasted tomatoes I threw in the oven in less time than a commercial break. So it should be no surprise when Michael said that his job "is to help you impress yourself in your own kitchen"...couldn't have said it better myself.


And he's just finished season two of his latest tv series- Chef Abroad (I call it the National Geographic Foodie Special) with trips to Morocco, New Zealand, the jungles of Peru, Thailand...26 countries in the last two years! I've seen the Morocco show and am entirely jealous. You can almost smell the wonderful aromas in the spice shops and feel the frenetic energy as Michael helps out some local chefs set up their "restaurant"...you'll have to catch the episode, it was awesome. I can't wait to follow him on his wild food journeys around the world. When he says he has the best job ever, he's not kidding.

And if that's not enough for you, he's the ambassador and driving force behind PEI's Fall Flavours , a week long festival with over 150 culinary events. I'll be heading over for the opening weekend, September 25th, so stay tuned for my adventures. I'm already trying to decide what to wear!

Just check out some of the events for yourself...
Friday, September 25th
1pm-3pm Dipped in Chocolate - Island Chocolates Company located in the former general store in the beautiful seaside village of Victoria by the Sea will offer a chance to make molded chocolates, chocolate clusters and try their hand at hand dipping and learn some chocolate history.

6pm-9pm Family Style featuring Chef Michael Smith
Chef Michael Smith serves it up Family Style at this exclusive dinner and cookbook signing at the Culinary Institute of Canada for the launch of his newest cookbook, The Best of Chef at Home: Essential Recipe's For Today's Kitchen. Can't wait for that!

Saturday, September 26th
10am-1pm Morning Chef Calvin Burt in his amazing garden and home, nestled in the heart of North Shore Country, to learn how he goes from harvest to feast using vegetables, fruits, herbs and a stunning floral oasis.

Afternoon: The Handcrafted Beer and Wine festival is quickly becoming the event of its kind in the Maritimes.

6pm-9pm Roma Gala Heritage Feast -a spectacular menu featuring local PEI foods. and that's just the first weekend!

Okay, back to the interview.... his newest book...The Best of Chef At Home looks wonderful...I got a very brief peak and am eagerly awaiting my very own copy. I'll tell you all abou that once it's in my hot little hands.

So what did we really talk about....

Well given this superhuman activity I did ask him what his biggest challenge was and no surprise...balancing work and home. He adores his wife Rachel, who inspires him and his son Gabe, who is now 7 and feels blessed to live the life he lives...travel to exotic places and home in beautiful rural PEI. That said, it's hard to just pop in and out. The shows mean travel for a week at a time and that does break the routine at home. But he is lucky enough to be able to spend all of July and August, plus December with his family.

We did talk a lot about his food philosophy and the platform Chef at Home, in particular, gives him - to get us to reconnect with local sources of our food. In North America in particular, we've become disengaged from what we eat and where it comes from. But it wasn't until the birth of his son that he really altered his perception of food, and the fact that we need to get closer to the source. Bottom line...cook your own food...which he adds, means no processed food.

He loves Michael Pollan's philosophy..."eat food, not too much, mostly plants". Did I mention that most of the week he and his family eat vegetarian? Sound demanding? Sound hard to do...not really...just watch Chef at Home and you'll see why. Michael actually makes his own bread every day...the recipes for "City Bread" & Country Bread" are in the new book and take no time at all. Whisk dry ingredients together, add wet, let ferment overnight and bake in the morning. Easy as pie - or make that bread!

Naturally I couldn't end without asking him what's next....Heading the team of Chefs at the Winter Olympics in BC this winter! And after that, something much closer to home and helping us understand the connections between what's on our plates with where it comes from. The show will have lots of stories with some of his favorite producers like Robert Shaw who raises pasture raised beef and the 14 year old who raises chickens.

His guilty pleasure - French fries; Gabe's favorite meal...cheeseburger & fries when he's out and brown rice and lentils is his comfort food at home.

His final words of wisdom to us home cooks..."simple is best and use local, impeccable ingredients for an unbelievable difference in your meals".

Asian-style Baby Eggplant over Pasta

Ever have one of those days when you don't really know what you want and so a meal isn't a "meal" per se?
I had some gorgeous baby eggplants that I bought at the market (my good buddy Ted Hutton of Hutton farms has all sorts of interesting veggies) and he had the perfect recipe for it too.

Sauteed Asian-Style Baby Eggplants

Joanna had made delicious Lemon Roasted New Potatoes and I had to get the recipe.

So I munched on those things yesterday, along with cold boiled corn - no toppings, just the sweet goodness of corn on the cob, freshly picked.

Today, I realized that I'm hosting this week's Presto Pasta Night and that I should probably remind you all to send me your delicious dishes. Just send the link to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com. But what was I going to make to entice you?...Hmmmm... tossed the leftover eggplant over some cooked fusili and voila - delicious. I liked it better heated up - just a quick saute of pasta and eggplant with all its delicious juices, but it tasted quite lovely cold.

So what are you making this week?