A Jumble of Goodness

Between getting ready for next week's move and the heat wave we're experiencing, my mind is as jumbled as this photo. The days have been hectic and I seem to end the day in a blur. So I thought I'd share some random thoughts, photos and recipes.
Sharron was coming into town for her day off and I needed to make something light and delicious. The beautiful salmon fillets I picked up at Mike's Fish Shop at the farmers' market were to be the stars. Although most of my cookbooks and magazines are packed (my Honey packed 38 boxes of books while I was in Montreal, probably half were food related!!!). I did see a fantastic recipe for Tea Smoked Salmon on fineCooking.com

BUT... no time or energy for the whole affair...not to mention no BBQ. So I didn't do the delicious looking citrus-cucumber relish or actually tea smoke the salmon. What I did manage was to marinate the salmon (and some extra large shrimp) as directed - 1/4 cup Chinese dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp finely grated orange zest, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. I let the salmon marinate for about 20 minutes and quickly pan grilled them. When the salmon was grilling, I placed the shrimp in the marinade and as soon as the salmon was done (about 15 minutes), I grilled them too. Served over a simple mixed green salad tossed with a little apple cider vinegar and sesame seed oil.
Dessert was both simple and simply delicious. I love it when nature does all the work...strawberries (maybe the last of the season) and blueberries (definitely the first of the season), sprinkled with a tsp of granulated sugar...just enough to get the juices flowing.
And what could be more perfect on a hot, sunny summer's day than playing hooky from packing and spending it on the brand new dock at Joanna (Sharron's big sister) & Ezra's with Sharron and her friend Jasmine with a picnic lunch of leftover salmon turned into a magical salad made with fresh peppery arugula and other salad greens from Jasmine's garden and some Ran-Cher Acres Cayenne & Garlic seasoned goat cheese. Not to mention, the last of the strawberries & blueberries for dessert.
And more fun in the sun...we went strawberry picking with Boaz, Dov, Ezra (aka Daddy) and Sharron on Sunday.
That's daddy & the boys munching a little snack of homemade biscuits and cookies at Indian Garden Farms - a wonderful find for u-picking strawberries & raspberries. They were just bringing in their own green peppers to their on-site market (still warm from the field and sun) while the boys and I were identifying all the fresh produce. Dov did insist that the tomatoes were apples. Wait until he gets to pick some real apples in another month or so.
It is the end of the season so the strawberries were not that plentiful. Dov was our taste tester and he thought they were awesome. We think he ate his weight in berries.
That's Dov digging into a plate of spaghetti at Camp Kadimah, just reminding everyone that Presto Pasta Night is just around the corner. Don't forget to share your entries with Janet of The Taste Space, this week's wonderful host. Just send your link to saveur11 (at) yahoo (dot) ca with a cc to me - ruth (at) 4 everykitchen (dot) com. I just roasted a chicken (started at 7:30 am to avoid the heat that is sure to melt me later. I'm hoping to make a pasta with chicken, fresh rosemary, some mushrooms and a dash of white wine. I'm even going to cheat a little and boil up the pasta now so I only have to do a quick reheat at dinner time.

And now it's back to packing!

Eating for the Season

I have to admit that I occasionally eat fruit and vegetables out of season...okay, probably more than just occasionally. That said, there's nothing like the first fruits and veggies that herald in each season.

I've already mentioned fiddleheads and asparagus and I'm anxiously awaiting local strawberries. My grocery store options are still carrying California berries...giant, glorious red and ... tasteless. To my California friends...I know they're fantastic right out of your strawberry patches...they just don't travel well.

Which is my segue to talking about the Eat Real Eat Local Panel Conference I attended last weekend. I promised I'd share some very interesting discussions and facts presented. The most eye-opening was a survey conducted by the Harris/Decima Group for Hellmann's asking Canadians, from each of the provinces, which ONE food from their local ecosystem they would choose to support.

No surprise that Alberta would pick beef or that Prince Edward Island would choose potatoes, but the rest of the provinces surprised me. I mean, here in Nova Scotia, you'd think (well I did, anyway) lobster or other fish/seafood, but no...apples 21% followed by beef 16% and potatoes 6%. In fact, across the country ...apples won! 14%, followed by beef 13% and potatoes 11%. I realize that the survey was taken in February-March of this year when most of Canada is still cold and still eating lots of soups and stews and that most farmland is under a gazillion feet of snow. Still...we all found the results surprising.

And I'm pleased to say that Nova Scotians ranked higher than the National Average when it came to these questions:
I prefer to eat locally grown food...NS = 94%; NA= 86%
I pay attention to the origin of the food I eat...NS =71%; NA-68%Locally grown food tastes better...NS=76%; NA=68%
and my fave...
Do you try to eat more locally sourced food now than you did 2 years ago? ...NS=77%; NA=59%

On that note...I can't wait to head out the Halifax Farmers Market this Saturday and see what's fresh from the fields. Not sure what my chances are for strawberries, though. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Mixed Greens with Strawberries & Caramelized Nuts

Super Strawberry Tart

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar & Basil

Pictured at the top of the post, and frankly...what's better at the end of a meal or a snack?

What's local in your neck of the woods this week?