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  • Pumpkin Gnocchi

    Pumpkin Gnocchi

    The rainy days of fall have come at last and today even a bit of the white stuff. But thanks to our extended August weather my garden saw yet another expansion complete with an Asian pear tree, perennials, and flowering bulbs; plus I finally got the garlic planted. My focus has taken a small hiatus from planning out next year to filling my freezer with quick dinner options for the dark hibernating nights of winter.

    I don’t have kids but I ended up with pumpkins and carving them didn’t happen. I also had potatoes – go figure. So, I thought I’d channel my inner nonna, combine the two and make some gnocchi. To say I followed a single recipe would be far from the truth… more like scoured through a ton of websites and drew on certain elements from each to make one. Biased opinion or not I think it turned out pretty delicious. They are in no way gluten-free or dairy-free but rich in flavour and love.

    Step Uno: Roast your pumpkin – cook your potatoes

    • Cut your pumpkin into half, gut it and then cut it into wedges (save the seeds to roast). Place on a cookie sheet skin side down, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bake at 350°F for about an hour then remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Scoop out all the flesh and keep aside 1½ cups – freeze the rest for a rainy day. While your pumpkin is cooking place 3 medium sized russet potatoes into a pot and start to boil them. There is no need to cut or take the skin off just place them in whole! This will help you achieve the perfect texture – fork tender no more no less. Remove them from the water and allow to cool completely. When they’re ready peel the skin off and either grate the potatoes or use a potato ricer to process them.

     

     

    Step Two: Prepare your dough

    • In a large bowl add your pumpkin, prepared potato, 2 egg yolks, some fresh grated nutmeg, 1 cup of ricotta, ¼ cup grated parmesan, salt and approximately ½ cup+ of oo Italian flour. Now some of you are probably wondering; what the hell is oo flour? Basically, it’s more refined then normal flour and while it’s not necessary for this recipe I think it creates a superior, silkier dough and helps the pasta maintain chewiness once cooked. But use whatever you have on hand. I’d also like to mention that the flour amount will vary and this is where “channeling your inner nonna” comes in. As a friend recounted to me from her recent trip to Italy where she learnt to make pasta with a real live nonna, “they don’t measure – they feel; and just know when it’s enough.” Start with only ½ cup of flour and use a wooden spoon to bring all the mixture together, adding in flour as you go until the dough does not feel wet any more. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

    Step 3: Make your gnocchi

     

    • Cut a slice of dough off and roll it out into a rope about ½” thick. Using a sharp knife cut your rope into 1” pieces. Keep flour on hand for this stage as well, you don’t want your gnocchi sticking to the counter. Use a fork or a gnocchi board to gently roll your pieces, creating texture on top and a small indent on the bottom to catch your sauce. Continue this formula until all the dough is used.

     

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    Step Quatro: Cook & eat!

    • Bring some salted water up to a boil, working in small batches to cook your gnocchi. When they float to the surface they are done… it does not take long – do not leave them unattended. At this point the rest is up to you: skies the limit. Sauce them up with whatever your heart is craving. For this round I used A LOT of butter then some sage, chili pepper, garlic and toasted hazelnuts (plus a little extra pancetta I had on hand). Like with pasta I added a bit of the water the gnocchi was cooked in to make it extra saucy.

     

     

    Step 5: Freeze your extras

    • This recipe produces a lot of little gnocchi so I froze the extras in a single layer on cookie sheet lined with parchment (as seen in the featured image).

    In my kitchen I experiment just as much, if not more, as I do in my garden. I did not nail this recipe on the first try and it’s still not nonna’s gnocchi but it’s mine. It’s really about how the more I cook, the more I learn, the more I love to do it and the more I eat! And, let’s be honest, there are way worse problems to have then a full stomach and heart.

    Buon appetito!

  • Monkeying Around With Dessert

    Monkeying Around With Dessert

    Okay everyone, there’s something I need to get off my chest.

    I. Love. Food.

    I absolutely love it. I love everything about it. I love the act of eating. I love the sheer variety of foods to eat. I love the challenge of creating your own. And I especially love the joy around food.

    I work at the Blackbird Bakery and one of the things I love most is when people tell us how good our food is. When their faces light up and they say things like “I haven’t had an almond croissant that good outside France,” or “That was the best muffin I’ve ever had.” Something as simple as a really tasty muffin can make someone’s day, and that makes me so happy. I love when people gather at the bakery and chat over sandwiches and turkey pies, or start their day off on a positive note with a cheesy breakfast sandwich. There is something magical about how really good food can change our whole day.

    I have a friend who is a chef in Vancouver and primarily does catering for films. On a recent visit he told me how much he dislikes food, and how much he’d prefer it if there were a pill he could take instead of eating food. That made me so sad. Growing up I always had joy around food. I have so many happy memories around the making and eating of food, especially with family. I can close my eyes right now and conjure up the joy I would feel walking into my house after school and being greeted with the warm smell of freshly baked banana bread. Our family of seven had dinner together every night and I can still hear the buzzing conversation of all of us sharing our days over chicken cacciatore or my mom’s amazing chili. For me, food, family, and joy go hand in hand (in hand).

    So recently when I learned we’d be having a quick visit by my partner’s parents I knew I wanted to make a special dinner. It felt like a perfect opportunity to break out the fall flavours and use up some items in my freezer and pantry. I pulled out a chicken I had gotten from a friend here in Pemberton and made Maple Rosemary Chicken from the New York Times Cooking, with a simple rice pilaf that wouldn’t overpower the flavour of the chicken, and some roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon (because why do I only make this dish at Thanksgiving? It’s amazing.). But the thing I was most excited about was something tasty for dessert, and I wanted to make something that would shine. Something I hadn’t done before, because experimenting with food is fun. Continuing with the fall flavour theme, I decided to go for Maple Pecan Monkey Bread that I adapted from another NYT recipe, paired with a simple cream cheese icing. I’m happy to share it with you here:

    Maple Pecan Monkey Bread

    Brioche Dough:
    1 tbsp yeast
    3 tbsp warm water
    2 tbsp maple syrup
    1 1/2 tsp salt
    3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
    4 eggs, room temperature
    1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

    Maple Brown Butter:
    8 tbsp unsalted butter
    1/2 cup maple syrup
    1 tsp salt

    1/4 cup sugar
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 cup pecans, toasted

    1.Mix the yeast in a small bowl with 3 tbsp warm water. Add 1/2 tbsp maple syrup. Let sit 5-10 minutes to rise.

    Note: I tend to use Fleischmann’s traditional dry active yeast in my recipes, which requires a little proofing. If you are using instant yeast you can skip this first step and add the yeast directly into the flour/salt mixture, and add the warm water when you add the eggs.

    2. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed using the paddle attachment to blend. Add the eggs, remaining 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup, and yeast/water mixture. Use the paddle attachment until the dough starts to come together.

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    Ready to rise!

    3. Switch to the hook attachment and continue mixing on low. Add the softened butter in small chunks, a few pieces at a time, until fully incorporated. Continue mixing, stopping and scraping any stray pieces of butter on the sides or hook as needed, until the dough is smooth and elastic. This may take up to 10 minutes. Turn the dough into a buttered bowl and cover with a clean towel. Let rise until doubled in size, approx. 90 minutes.

     

    4. When you’re ready to assemble, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the dairy solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty. While stirring add the maple syrup and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring, then remove from the heat. Set aside while you get your dough ready.

    5. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Butter a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan. Turn your dough onto a clean work surface and roll into a thick rope, approx. 2 inches in diameter. Cut this rope into eight even pieces, and then cut each of those pieces into eight, until you end up with 64 small dough balls.

    Note: I didn’t have a Bundt pan so I used my tall tube pan that I use for angel food cake and it worked fine. You don’t need any flour for your work surface because of the amount of butter used in this dough. It should be soft and slightly greasy, but not sticky.

    6. Gently roll a piece into a small ball and dip in the cinnamon sugar, rolling it around until evenly coated. You can do multiple dough balls at the same time, but avoid overcrowding to ensure they are evenly coated with the sugar. Place the sugared balls in the pan and repeat until you have a single layer. Scatter some of the toasted pecans on top. Repeat this process until all the dough balls and pecans are in the pan.

    Note: Because I was using the large tube pan, I was only able to make two layers of dough balls. It doesn’t look like much, but when we do the second rise the dough balls will expand dramatically.

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    Ready to bake!

    7. Drizzle the maple brown butter all over the tops and sides of the dough balls. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm spot until puffed and the dough comes to about an inch below the top of the pan, approx. 30-45 minutes.

    8. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Uncover the pan and bake until golden brown on top, approx. 35-40 minutes. Put the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a large plate on top of the pan, grip both together, and quickly and carefully flip. The monkey bread should come away easily from the pan. Serve warm or room temperature.

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    And there you have it. Maple pecan monkey bread. I was very pleased with the way this recipe turned out. The edges are crispy and sweet, and the inside is soft and fluffy. A perfect combination. You could jazz this recipe up with some caramelized apples or bananas, or chocolate, or use almonds or hazelnuts instead.  This would be a great recipe to make with kids, who can help roll and dip the dough balls. You can serve this warm with just butter, or a little more maple syrup drizzled on top. I used a basic cream cheese icing, made with butter, icing sugar, cream cheese, and heavy cream. The possibilities are endless.

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    Happy cooking everyone, and enjoy the joy!

     

  • When Life Hands You Pemberton Pumpkins…Make Pumpkin Bread!

    When Life Hands You Pemberton Pumpkins…Make Pumpkin Bread!

    I am submitting my November entry early because I cannot bear to think people are going to chuck their Halloween pumpkins into the compost or attend a pumpkin-smashing event to get rid of their creations. As long as your carved pumpkin hasn’t been mauled by wildlife or is going moldy then why not consume it?

    What to do:

    Take your carved pumpkin and slice it into manageable pieces. Lay the pieces skin side down onto baking dishes with a couple inches of water in them. Bake at 350F until soft and mushy. Then scoop out flesh into a large bowl and cool. Then freeze in 2-cup portions. You can make pumpkin soup, muffins, or pumpkin bread. Here is a great recipe for pumpkin bread that is very moist and also freezes well. I adapted it from Susan Mendelson’s recipe from her 1980 cookbook Mama Never Cooked Like This (which also contains a delicious banana bread recipe). In short – respect your pumpkin! Its use extends far beyond decorating your porch on Halloween night.

    Pumpkin Bread (yield: 2 loaves)

    Ingredients:

    2 cups mashed cooked Pemberton-grown pumpkin (no need to puree first)

    2.5 cups spelt flour

    3/4 cup almond meal

    2 cups white sugar

    4 eggs

    1 cup grapeseed oil

    2/3 cup water (can use the water from bottom of pumpkin baking pans)

    2 tsp baking soda

    1.5 tsp cinnamon

    1.5 tsp nutmeg

    1 tsp cloves

    1 tsp ginger

    1/5 tsp salt

    1 tsp cardamom (optional)

    Method: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients well in stand mixer. Pour batter into 2 well-greased standard-size bread loaf pans. Bake 60-70 mins. Done when skewer inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean.

    **Note: this bread often sticks to the bottom when removing, so grease pans very well and consider flouring the pans too. Silicone loaf pans are a better choice than pyrex.

  • It’s never too early…

    It’s never too early…

    In fact, to my mind, I am actually late! For what, you ask. Christmas, I say. More specifically Christmas Cake, the traditional fruit, soaked in alcohol, version.

    In years past I have made my cake at the end of September and then spent the next few months feeding it before marzipanning and icing it in mid-December. A rich fruit cake can be made 2 to 3 months in advance and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Feeding a cake means that once every few weeks you make holes in the cake using a skewer and then pour an amount of alcohol over it, before re-wrapping.

    The recipe I always use comes from a cake decoration cook book that I purchased way back when! But the recipe works every time, albeit I always need to cook it for longer than suggested. I even used the same recipe to make my friends wedding cake!

    You need a little time for this recipe as you should ideally start it the day before you want to actually make the cake mixture to allow the fruit to soak in the alcohol overnight. Once the mixture is in the tin, the surface can be covered with clingfilm and stored in a cool place overnight if cooking is not possible on the day (there are no leavening agents to worry about). However, do remember to allow for a longer cooking time as the temperature of the mixture will be colder.

    I know that a lot of people don’t like fruit cake, but this recipe offers a moist cake with the delicious spices and and flavours of Christmas and is a must in my house. The instructions below are for an 8″ round or 7″ square tin, but if you want the recipe for another size tin let me know as I can provide details for a 6″ round, all the way up to a 13″ round tin!

    Ingredients

    • 325g raisins
    • 250g sultanas
    • 175g currants
    • 150g glacé cherries (the bright red cocktail ones)
    • 50g cut mixed peel (I omit this in favour of more cherries!)
    • 50g flaked (sliced) almonds
    • 2 tsps lemon rind
    • 2 tbsps lemon juice
    • 3 tbsps Brandy or Sherry
    • 275g plain flour
    • 2.5 tsps ground mixed spice
    • 65g ground almonds
    • 200g dark brown soft sugar
    • 200g butter or margerine, softened
    • 1.5 tbsp black treacle or molasses
    • 4 eggs

    Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 275F degrees and prepare the cake tin by double lining the inside of the tin with greaseproof paper, and the outside with a double thickness of brown paper. This will prevent the outside of the cake from bing overcooked.
    2. In a large mixing bowl place the raisins, sultanas, currants, glacé cherries, mixed peel, flaked almonds, lemon rind and lemon juice together with the Brandy or Sherry. Mix all the ingredients together until well blended, then cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave for several hours or, ideally, overnight.
    3. Sift the flour and mixed spice into another mixing bowl. Add the ground almonds, sugar, butter (or margerine), treacle (or molasses) and eggs. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth and glossy.
    4. Gradually add the mixed fruit to the creamed mixture and fold it in, using a spatula, until all the fruit has been evenly blended. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it evenly. Give the tin a few sharp taps to level the mixture and to remove any air pockets. Smooth the surface with the back of a metal spoon, making a slight depression in the centre.
    5. Bake the cake in the centre of a pre-heated oven. Test the cake to see if it is cooked 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time (total 2.5 to 3 hours for a cake of this size). If it is cooked, the cake should feel firm and a fine skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. If the cake is not cooked, re-test it at 15 minute intervals. Once cooked remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin.
    6. Once cooled, turn the cake out of the tin but do not remove the lining paper as it helps to keep the moisture in. Using half the quantity of alcohol as used in the recipe, spoon over the top of the cake and then wrap it in a double thickness of foil.
    7. Store the cake in a cool, dry place on its base with the top uppermost for a week. Unwrap the cake and spoon over another half quantity of the Brandy or Sherry. Re-wrap the cake well and store it upside down, so that the Brandy or Sherry moistens the top and helps to keep it flat. The cake will store well for up to 3 months; if it going to stored for this length of time, add the Brandy or Sherry just a little bit at a time at monthly intervals.

    I have a cake decorating “bake off” with one of my friends in the UK so I will provide an update once decorated so you can see the finished result too!

    Merry early Christmas! 😉

  • An Apple a Day

    An Apple a Day

    You already know that fall is my favourite time of the year. It also happens to be one of the busiest times of year for me at work. So busy that sometimes it feels hard to find a full breath. A breath that I can get behind: my normal rhythm. Yet one thing that constantly replenishes my soul is when my house if full of friends and family. It’s then that my breath returns to normal – no matter what. This is why every year I muster up some energy to host Thanksgiving dinner, even if all I want to do is sit in silence.

    Initially I thought I’d post some great, amazing Thanksgiving recipe the day after dinner but I could not find any words and you can’t force something that’s not there. Instead I chose to harness the good vibes from a room full of laughter, sing-a-longs, amazing food and love, to put my garden to sleep. It was the perfect remedy and the bonus? – I got to do it with my dad. However, I thought I’d share a recipe for a pie that usually graces my Thanksgiving feast but just didn’t have time to make. I mean I barely got the turkey in the oven on time and that only happened because my mom did it!

    This is apple season. When your parents show up with a massive bag of said fruit from a friend’s tree on the Island and you’re eating at minimum and apple a day, or two, but barely making a dent in the stock, you make pies.

    So, without further ado… here is Apple Cheddar Pie: an instant crowd pleaser and a delicious breakfast supplement.

    Step Uno: make your crust.

    2½ cups all purpose flour – TBSP sugar – TSP salt – 1½ cups grated white cheddar (kept cold in fridge until ready to use) – ¾ cup grated butter (frozen) – ½ cup ice-cold water (maybe a bit more)

    • Add the flour, salt and sugar to your mixing bowl and combine them. Then grate your butter into the bowl and add in your cheddar. Next start gently rubbing the ingredients through your hands; you’re aiming to get a “pea like” texture (you may recall me using this method in my previous pie recipe). Pour the water in and use your hands to bring the dough to together. I always end up turning it out onto my counter to finish kneading it. Separate the dough into two balls with one slightly larger then the other. Flatten them out to resemble small saucers and a place in the fridge for at least an hour.

    Step Two: prepare your apples.

    8-9 apples peeled, cored & cut into eighths – juice of half a lemon – cinnamon, nutmeg, ground clove – a sprinkle of cornstarch

    • Place your apples in a bowl, add in your preferred amount of spice, squeeze the lemon on top and sprinkle that cornstarch… then toss.

    Step 3: build your pie.

    • Preheat your oven to 375°F. Roll out the smaller disc on a floured surface, place it in your pie dish then add your apple mixture. Before rolling out your second dough disc and topping the apples with it, dot them with a bit of butter. Seal the edges together and then cut some shapes in the top crust or keep it simple with a few little knife slits that will allow the air to escape. Brush the pie with an egg wash (I forgot but you should really do it).

    Step Quatro: bake & wait.

    • Place the pie on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven. Let bake for a least an hour or until the crust is golden brown. Allow it to cool on a wire rake for an hour or more… I am not capable of this step. Not even a little bit.

    Step Five: consumption.

    • Serve this bad boy with some ice cream or nothing at all.

     

    So if you’re wondering what to do on this rainy weekend and have a bunch of apples, you should make this pie and fill your house with people to share it with.

    And don’t forget to breathe.

  • Down to the Dregs of the Apples…Use Them Up!

    Down to the Dregs of the Apples…Use Them Up!

    If you are not lucky enough to have effective cold storage, your harvest supply of apples may be looking a little tired right now. If so, I have two fantastic recipes that take advantage of less than perfect, small, slightly shriveled apples that you might be tempted to compost.

    Also, I made tarte tatin recently with a fresh supply of delicious coastal apples that were perfectly ripe, and freshly picked. The recipe was from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook and is available at the Pemberton Library. I adapted her Pate Brisee recipe by using spelt flour and the results were tasty!

    We are also onto the “dregs” of cricket chirping. Cricket chirping is one of my favourite sounds. They started in late July and almost mid-October I hear a forlorn cricket or two at night. They sound kind of lonely. Cheers to the persistent crickets who usher in shorter days and frosty weather.

    Here are two recipes to use when you have processed all your nice large apples and are left with tiny ones that aren’t much use. These recipes just call for tiny pieces of apple and you don’t need to peel them first. Also the tuna patties are super quick, and also portable for lunch on the go. The rice pudding recipe is cooked for 6 hours in the slow cooker and is so easy and a real treat on a frosty evening. One is fast, one is slow, but both simple and easy.

    Quick Tuna Burger Patties:

    2 cans drained flaked tuna in water

    ¼ cup real mayonnaise

    ¼ cup almond meal

    1 egg

    1 tbs Dijon mustard

    ½ tsp salt

    ½ tsp pepper, or to taste

    ¼ cup chopped fresh dill

    ¼ cup finely chopped apple, unpeeled

    Method:

    Mix all ingredients together and form into 6 patties. Fry on medium low heat in 2-3 tbs olive oil until nicely browned on each side. The longer they cook, the better they will hold together so don’t rush the frying.

    Slow Cooker Rice Pudding:

    2.5 cups whole milk

    ½ cup whipping cream

    1/3 cup Arborio rice

    1 tsp cinnamon

    ¼ cup white sugar

    ½ cup finely chopped apple, no need to peel first!

    1 tsp vanilla

    Method:

    Place all ingredients in a 2 quart soufflé dish and put that dish into a slow cooker crock. Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 6 hours. (Do not cook on high heat as the milk won’t cook as nicely.)

     

    Tarte Tatin recipe can be found in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, published by Clarkson Potter and available at Pemberton Library.

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    Rice pudding prior to cooking
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    Tarte Tatin: doesn’t look as good as a slice of pie, but the flavour is rich and texture is dense!
  • A zucchini recipe to be thankful for

    A zucchini recipe to be thankful for

    I know, I know! I’ve already written about zucchini, surely there must be some other ingredient I can use?

    Yes there is, but there was still some sitting in my fridge to be used up and Thanksgiving is just round the corner. Plus, I like to make cupcakes for all the boys and girls at my work, just to let them know that they are appreciated so having had success with my other zucchini cake and bread recipes I thought I’d give one more recipe a try.

    Zucchini CupcakesBesides, I am thankful that I had my granny to show me her love for baking and that I have people to appreciate the bakes that I try out on them.

    So enjoy these zucchini cupcakes, which have delicate pumpkin spice flavours and are so soft they melt in your mouth, topped off with a wonderfully fluffy cream cheese buttercream.

    I can’t think of anything better this Thanksgiving.

    Cupcake Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup finely grated zucchini (I actually used a cup!)
    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
    • 2/3 cup white sugar
    • 1/3 cup brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1/4 cup milk

    Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
    • 4 oz brick-style cream cheese
    • 3 – 4 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed

    Cupcake Directions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a muffin pan with muffin papers.
    2. Gently dab the grated zucchini with a paper towel to remove excess liquid. It shouldn’t be dry, but there shouldn’t be extra water.
    3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
    4. In a separate large bowl whisk together the oil and sugars until no lumps remain. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and milk.
    5. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then gently fold in the grated zucchini using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
    6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each about 2/3 full. Be careful not to fill them any more than 3/4 full.
    7. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-19 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
    8. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then continue cooling on a wire rack.

    Cream Cheese Frosting Directions

    1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft.
    2. Then mix in the cream cheese.
    3. With the mixer on low, beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar until combined.
    4. If needed, slowly beat in the rest of the powdered sugar a little at a time until the desired consistency and sweetness level is reached. If it gets a little too thick, then beat in the cream.
    5. Frost the cupcakes with a knife or using a piping bag and piping tip.

    If they last that long the cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen and thawed in the fridge overnight.

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  • Fall in Pemberton: a Full Fridge and Pantry!

    Fall in Pemberton: a Full Fridge and Pantry!

    Hello everyone and happy fall. Welcome back to routines and merino wool clothing! Yay!! There are lots of new faces walking around town. This makes me happy. A few years ago it seemed everyone was leaving this valley.

    This is the time of year that a ton of stuff is ripening: apples, pears, zucchini, beets, chard, winter squashes, Lillooet tomatoes (yay!) and grapes. Also hazelnuts – which are my kind of harvest: no weeding or watering!

    In light of the abundance of food ripe and ready at our farmers markets and our own backyards I have a seasonal recipe this month plus a few tips for newcomers.

    First the tips:

    In Pemberton, fall is the time that field mice want to find a warm and cozy place to call home for winter. They leave the fields and will set up nest in your home if they can. If you live near a field be extra vigilant. This is NOT the time to store cardboard boxes of granola bars or Stone Wheat Thins in your garage fresh from a Costco trip. Or for that matter, any paper towel or toilet paper. If a mouse and his or her relatives find a way into your garage, this nice supply of items will be destroyed. I know all about this from personal experience. Keep your TP in a dry and clean place in your house proper, not the garage. Keep cardboard packages of food in your kitchen cupboards, or, if in a pantry, you may want to consider storing these items in hard plastic salad boxes or Tupperware bins.

    Second tip: If you keep a yard compost bin and put apple trimmings in it or other fruit waste, your yard may attract bears. So at this time of year I usually avoid putting fruit waste in the compost bin, and use the compost bin for coffee grounds and other non-bear attractant compost.

    Finally: do not discard beet tops: Blanch them and freeze in Ziploc bags. They can be added to soups all winter – when you cannot face the depressing looking and expensive imported greens!

    Recipes: Pemberton Fall Samosas

    I recently made a fresh batch of samosas – this time using seasonal ingredients – any time I can use up large zucchinis I will. They were delicious.

    Dough recipe can be found here.

    Filling:

    1 large onion, small dice

    3 cups yellow zucchini, small dice

    2 cups chick peas

    2 cups cooked chicken, small dice

    2 cups cilantro, finely chopped

    ½ can full fat coconut milk

    2 tsp cumin

    2 tsp coriander

    2 tsp allspice

    1 tsp turmeric

    2 tsp salt

    2 tsp pepper

    Method:

    Make dough according to directions in this post. I use spelt flour instead of wheat.

    Make filling by sautéing all the veggies and spices, until soft and caramelised. After this has occurred, add your coconut milk, chick peas and chicken.

    Stir and cool.

    When dough is ready cut out 6-inch diameter circular squares of dough and fill with ¼ cup filling and fold dough over in a half moon shape and pinch the rounded side so it is sealed. You may have leftover filling to freeze for another batch later.

    Bake in a 350C oven for 30 minutes.

    These make great portable lunches and snacks!!

    For dessert:

    Track down Shelley Adams first cookbook: Whitewater Cooks, and make Joey’s Apple Cake. It is an amazingly moist and flavourful spiced apple cake.

    Another one to try is Tarte Tatin. Recipes can be found online. I made it recently but the pastry was not flaky enough for my taste, so I won’t share that one, but I am going to attempt a Martha Stewart version soon and see if it is better. Tarte Tatin is an upside down apple tart baked in a cast iron fry pan.

    Best of luck with your fall produce!!

  • A Recipe to Keep Vampires At Bay

    A Recipe to Keep Vampires At Bay

    A little garlic, judiciously used, won’t seriously affect your social life and will tone up more dull dishes than any commodity discovered to date.  ~ Alexander Wright, ‘How to Live Without a Woman’ (1937)

    It’s that time of year where garlic goes into every single meal. It’s nearly unbearable to stand near or around me, not to mention @therocketnarcissist. In fact, there are days that we don’t even want to stand near each other.

    But when you love garlic — and it’s garlic season — it’s so freakin’ hard to resist.

    A few days ago, we added a whole bulb of Russian Red (the real potent shit) to a black pepper & garlic stir fry (an homage to the dish that I so dearly miss from the good ol’days of Thai One On).

    It was fine. We were fine – sitting alone, in our living room post-dinner, not harming any noses but our own. That’s how it works. Couples who eat garlic together, stay together.

    You can never have enough garlic. With enough garlic, you can eat The New York Times. ~ Morley Safer

    Because garlic goes with almost any cuisine, we’ve had a chance to use up a horde of in-season vegetables that we pick up either at the Pemberton Farmers Market on Fridays or one of the two Whistler Farmers Markets.

    Recent hauls netted us several varietals of tomatoes and spicy peppers, plus basil, eggplant, broccoli, spaghetti squash, onions, leeks and zucchini.

    Now, legend has it that Pemberton villagers almost never resort to buying a zucchini due to the simple fact that even those with a documented plant-killing history can grow award winning zucchinis in Pemberton’s personal produce patches. But, for those of us living in Pemberton south south (aka. Emerald Estates), we’re well outside of the prime growing zone.

    Due to your zucchini glut, a recent call was made for ideas. And, I happily supplied a list of google-able dishes.

    But after reading “Zucchini Two Ways” I felt inspired to contribute an actual recipe. Although this pancake could be found almost anywhere (and your recipe might even be better than the one found here), the heavy-on-the-garlic toppings, inspired by “What’s All The Fuss About Garlic?“, really are what made this recipe special.

    I see recipes calling for one clove of garlic. One clove of garlic is not enough for any recipe unless it’s a recipe for, ‘how to cook one clove of garlic’ – even in this case use two. ~ Unknown

    Note to cooks: As mentioned in “Stop glorifying the summit and enjoy the climb: an astrological forecast for pasta makers”, I rarely follow a recipe or remember to write down specifics. So again, rustic, untested instructions follow:

    Pancakes

    1 cup all purpose flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    ¾ cup of milk

    2 tbsp butter, melted

    1 egg

    1 cup of grated zucchini

    Mix the dry together. Mix the wet together, including the melted butter. Squeeze the zucchini lightly to remove some of the juice.

    Mix the zucchini shreds into the flour. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until combined. I give a little flour if it’s too wet or add a little zucchini juice or milk if it’s too dry.

    Add fat (lard, butter or high-heat oil) to a cast-iron skillet on medium-high (our burner is a little weak, so you might go lower if you’re cooking on gas or a powerful cooktop). Place about ¼ cup of batter into the skillet, use a spatula to flatten & spread it out a bit. Add more batter, leaving enough space between pancakes to get your flipper in there.

    Flip once puffier on top and golden on the bottom.

    Sorry, from here you’ll have to use your judgment to determine when it’s time to serve. My pan tends to get hotter as time goes on, so I turn it down and leave them a little longer – until the inside is cooked. I might even crack one open to see if it’s done.

    Tomato “Salsa”

    1 cup of chopped tomatoes

    1 handful of roughly chopped basil

    2 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced (no. of cloves dependent on variety and personal preference, but we rolled the dice and went with 4)

    ½ lemon squeezed

    We used a variety of tomatoes that offered different flavours and textures. Simply chop them about the same size – we used a ½ of cherry tomato as the measure.

    Toss the ingredients in a bowl. It’s best when given a little time to marinate.

    Garlic is divine. Few food items can taste so many distinct ways, handled correctly. Misuse of garlic is a crime…Please, treat your garlic with respect…Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screwtop jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.  ~ Anthony Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly)

    Blue Cheese Dressing

    2 tbsp plain yogurt

    2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese

    1 tbsp honey

    Mix together.

    Top your pancakes and enjoy.

    August 2018 (7 of 7)

    ~

    Lisa Severn is going to the Whistler Writer’s Festival’s Cooks with Books: Passionate Locovore Edition — and she thinks you should too.

    ~

    Start a conversation about food with Lisa over @rhubarbstreet or look for more on Lisa and her co-conspirators… err… co-contributors.

    ~

    “Garlic Quotes.” found here https://www.torontogarlicfestival.ca/garlic-quotes/

    Images and recipes are by Lisa.

     

  • Sky Camp Kohlrabi

    Sky Camp Kohlrabi

    There’s something to be said for being in the right place at the right time.

    Over the consumption of tasty beverages at the Beer Farmers, my girlfriend was casually asked if she’d like to host a bunch of mountain bikers at Sky Camp (one of Tyax Adventures’ most balling backcountry locations). She was quick to mention that I could cook and would be a great addition to the hostess-with-the-mostest team and it took me about 0.01 seconds to agree to this union. As of yet I had only heard the tales of this remote location and recognized that it was an opportunity one should not shy away from.

    Allow me to create a visual for you: Board a floatplane that takes you deep into the South Chilcotin range to a fully set-up cabin. This location comes complete with wood-burning sauna, canoes/kayaks/paddle boards, hot showers, the sound of loons atop a lake full of trout, adventure Crocs, old school board games, guest tents stocked with flannel sheets & duvets and nothing else but the silent sounds of the forest. Everyone in favour of glamping, raise his or her hand! Easily 90% of you just did.

    A simple, delicious menu was drawn up for us and I couldn’t help but raid my garden for a few extras to tie in to the plan. My spare time has taken a hard hit lately (aka neglected garden) and there are a few species that have gotten massive due to this lack of maintenance – or someone has secretly been feeding them steroids. So, may I introduce to you the current, uncontested, and very underrated, heavy weight champion of my garden… kohlrabi.

    Out came the biggest bulb, a leek, the dried coriander seeds from my bolted cilantro plants and a cured garlic bulb; all grown in my backyard and all destined to become a side-dish served with salmon. What follows is a rough outline of how I cooked it via an old school propane oven.

     

    • Pre heat oven to 375°F. While that is happening, lightly toast your coriander seeds then grind them with a mortar & pestle to desired texture.
    • Cut the kohlrabi into ½” cubes and place them into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
    • Add in some sliced leeks, minced garlic, the ground coriander, salt & pepper to taste and then drizzle with olive oil; tossing to combine.
    • Pour the mixture into a cast iron pan and place in the oven for 30-45 minutes. Make sure to take the kohlrabi out of the oven and stir it around every so often to avoid burning.

     

    The key ingredient for making this dish tremendous, aside from the fact it was grown with love, is the company it was shared with. For some it was their introduction to kohlrabi and that alone makes it a success.

    Sky camp is a magical place: you arrive unplugged and leave fully charged.

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