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  • Best of Pemberton Fall Dinner: Pine mushrooms and deer burgers!

    Best of Pemberton Fall Dinner: Pine mushrooms and deer burgers!

    This is a good time of year for eating well in Pemberton. Hopefully fresh deer meat, winter squash, mashed Sieglinde potatoes, and sautéed pine mushrooms! A healthier plate will also include sautéed chard – but I prefer to save my blanched chard to add to chilli and soup when it goes down so harmoniously with bold tomato flavour and spices. I used to dislike pine mushrooms but my tastes changed a few years ago when I ate them prepared very simply. Sautéed in olive oil, then drizzled with a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and just a dash of gluten-free soy sauce…I can’t eat enough of them! Cheers to good fall meals using Pemberton’s finest local ingredients.

    Sautéed Pemberton Pine Mushrooms (serves 4 as a side dish, or 1 for a scrumptious snack)

    Ingredients:

    4 large pine mushrooms, well-scrubbed and clean

    2 tbs pure olive oil

    1 tbs fresh lemon juice

    ½ tsp gluten-free soy sauce

    Method:

    Scrub your pine mushrooms well.

    Slice VERY thinly into 2 mm slices. Thin slices are the key to flavourful and crispy pine mushrooms.

    Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Sauté mushrooms over medium heat until nicely browned and crisp. Turn off heat and add lemon juice and soy sauce. Enjoy!

    Pemberton Deer Burgers: (serves 4)

    Ingredients:

    1 lb ground deer meat

    2 tbs pure olive oil

    ½ medium yellow onion, fine dice

    1 tsp salt

    1 tsp pepper

    1 tsp prepared English mustard

    2 dashes hot sauce (optional)

    2 tbs chives, chopped.

    Method:

    Combine all ingredients. Form into patties. BBQ on high for about 10 minutes and flip burgers halfway through. Remove from heat when cooked through. Enjoy!

  • Soup for (F)all seasons!

    Soup for (F)all seasons!

    I just took the dog for a walk. It was chilly and windy. It was Fall in Pemberton.

    There’s only one thing for those kind of days and that’s a delicious, hearty bowl of soup with some fresh crusty bread, still warm if you can find it.

    I have two go to recipes. Roasted Butternut Squash, one of my all-time favourites, and Cock-a-Leekie which I love because it harks back to the Scottish side of my family and is quick and simple to make, well my version anyway!

    To make my uncomplicated variation all you will need is celery, leeks, carrots, potatoes and chicken breasts cooked together to miraculously become a wonderful warming soup.

    The traditional version includes other ingredients including prunes and oatmeal, and I have never made it this way, but the simplified version allows all the vegetables to shine – especially the leeks who are the stars of the bowl!

    Whichever version you attempt this will certainly warm you up on a cold Fall, or even Winter’s, day. Enjoy!

    Ingredients

    • 2 sticks of celery, sliced
    • 2 leeks, sliced
    • 2 carrots, sliced
    • 4 to 5 potatoes, diced
    • 2 chicken breasts, cubed
    • 1 to 1.5 litres chicken stock
    • Salt and pepper

    Directions

    1. In a large stock pot heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and add in the celery and leeks and cook over a medium-high heat to soften.

    2. Add in the carrots and potatoes.

    3. Pour over the stock.

    4. Add in the chicken.

    5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

    6. Bring everything up to boil and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes have softened and the chicken is cooked.

    7. Serve with fresh bread.

  • Pemberton Dairy-free Squash Pie

    Pemberton Dairy-free Squash Pie

    Even though Thanksgiving has passed, I still enjoy eating squash pie. I have tweaked a dairy-free version that I think is sublime!

    It can also made into tarts. Over the years I have developed a distaste for nutmeg and instead enjoy the taste of cardamom in my squash desserts. You can use pumpkin, acorn, butternut, or other types of squash in your pie filling. The key step is to strain your squash into a sieve to remove as much liquid as possible, for at least ½ hour. This will make a denser and richer pie filling.

    Pemberton Squash Pie:

    Ingredients:

    pastry for one 8-inch pie plate

    2 cups pureed Pemberton-grown winter squash

    1 cup brown sugar

    2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks

    1 tsp cardamom

    1/2 can full fat coconut milk

    1 tsp cinnamon

    ½ tsp ground ginger

    ¼ tsp ground cloves

    1/4 tsp salt

    Method:

    Make pastry and line an 8 inch diameter pie plate (I use a spelt pastry).

    Roast a large squash (your choice) in a 350F oven for 2 hours on a roasting pan filled with 2 inches of water.

    When squash is very soft, remove seeds and discard. Take flesh and puree in food processor. Put puree into a sieve and let strain over a bowl for ½ hour. Discard squash liquid, or use in another recipe, such as soup stock.

    In a stand mixer, add strained squash, sugar, eggs, spices and coconut milk. Blend well.

    Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate.

    Bake 375F for 15 minutes, then 1 hour at 350F.

    Pie is done when the filling jiggles only slightly in the centre of the pie.

    Turn off oven and cool with oven door half open.

    Cool completely and serve with whip cream if desired.

  • A good pick-me-up soup for Fall:

    A good pick-me-up soup for Fall:

    There are germs flying around Pemberton these days. If and when a bug hits, this soup will offer some relief. The key is homemade chicken broth which I try to always have on hand. I have posted my recipe for chicken broth before but I will do it again as it is so important. Carton broth is not an option for me!

    Chicken, vegetable and barley soup:

     Ingredients:

    8 cups homemade chicken broth (recipe to follow)

    3 Pemberton-grown carrots, chopped

    1 cup Pemberton-grown parsley, chopped

    4 stalks celery chopped

    ½ cup cauliflower, very finely diced (optional)

    1 large yellow onion, diced

    2 tbs pure olive oil

    1/3 cup pearl barley

    2-3 cups diced cooked Pemberton-raised chicken

    2 tsp pepper

    2 tsp salt

    Method:

    Sauté all veggies and parsley in olive oil over medium heat until nicely caramelised and soft. Add salt and pepper. Add chicken broth, barley and diced chicken. Bring to boil. Then simmer 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

    Chicken Broth:

    After roasting a whole Pemberton-raised chicken, remove meat or most of it.

    Place carcass and skin into a large stock pot. To this pot add about 4-6 cups of veggie trimmings.**

    Add ¼ cup of whole black peppercorns.

    Fill the stock pot with water.

    Bring to boil.

    Simmer 2-3 hours.

    Strain.

    Cool.

    Freeze in containers for later use.

    **I collect veggie trimmings each day and put them in a large Ziploc bag and store it in the freezer, adding to the bag each day. I usually add one full Ziploc bag of veggies to the stock pot. Veggie trimmings that commonly get thrown in the bag are: red pepper stems, carrot ends and peels, parsley and cilantro stalks, onion ends (not the brown peel), cauliflower stalks, fennel stalks, celery ends, acorn or butternut squash ends, wilted veggies, etc.) Do NOT add potato peelings or ginger root ends or peel – they will ruin your stock!

  • Peaches, from Peachland no less!

    Peaches, from Peachland no less!

    Recently we went on a bit of road trip, starting out by heading to the Canmore / Cochrane area and then heading down to Fernie and Nelson. Our last stop, while covering some 3,000 kms, before heading home was to Peachland. We found a lovely little AirBNB right slap bang in the middle of wine country! (Don’t worry we both sampled wine and brought some back with us! 😉 )

    However, it was our host that offered us the peaches, and right from her very own garden.

    (Did you know? Peaches have been cultivated in the Okanagan since the 1890s and are available July through September.)

    Anyway, who was I to say no? Of course, having received said peaches I had to find the right recipe with which to showcase them.

    Okanagan Peaches
    Okanagan Peaches

    I wanted to make some kind of pie and have been searching for the ultimate pastry recipe for ever. Well I think I finally found it with this recipe for a Rustic Peach Galette with Orange [and Ginger – which I didn’t add as it’s not my very favourite!].

    The pastry in this galette is melt in the mouth soft, explodes with the flavour of the oranges (even more so as I used the orange juice to bind it all together) and has a lovely crumbly texture. In fact, it was to die for – no exaggeration!

    The peaches were soft and not too sweet and really showcased the very best of the Okanagan.

    For all the above reasons, this recipe is a keeper and I would encourage you all to try making it before peach season is over. It is can be especially enjoyed warm from the oven with a nice helping of decent vanilla ice cream.

    Peach Galette
    Peach Galette

    Ingredients

    Pastry

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tsp granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
    • 1/4 cup ice water

    Filling

    • 4 peaches, sliced 1/2 thick
    • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
    • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp orange juice
    • 2 tsp grated ginger
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp butter

    Additional Ingredients

    • 1 egg
    • 2 tbsp milk
    • 2 tbsp coarse sugar
    • 1 small sprig basil
    • 1/2 cup ice cream

    Directions

    1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the butter, and using a fork crush and mix the butter into the flour until it is coated and becomes the size of small peas. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until it forms into a dough. Shape into a 1 inch disc, wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

    2. Preheat oven to 425°.

    3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, orange juice, grated ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, until smooth. Add the peach slices and toss gently to coat.

    4. Remove the dough and place on a large, lightly floured, piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough out to a 14-15 inch circle. Starting from about 1 inch from the edge, layer the peach slices on their sides clockwise, one at a time, ensuring they lay on top of each slightly. Continue, working your way to the centre of the galette until the galette is filled. The peaches will be higher in the centre than the edges. Fold the edges of the dough up in 2-3 inch sections, over top the outer layer of peaches covering them by about half. Dot the peaches with 1/2 teaspoon chunks of butter.

    5. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make egg wash. Brush a light layer of egg wash on the crust then sprinkle with coarse sugar.

    6. Place the galette on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for 20 minutes, until the peaches are bubbling and the crust is gold brown. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

    7. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few small basil leaves.

    Peach Galette
    Warm Peach Galette with vanilla ice cream

     

  • Pemberton Lunch Box Omelettes

    Pemberton Lunch Box Omelettes

    This recipe is inspired by the portable egg bites that Starbucks sells. With all the produce available at the Farmer’s Market or in your garden these make a very good high protein lunch! And they are easy to make. This recipe makes 4 omelettes but you could easily double or triple the recipe.

    Ingredients:

    1 tbs pure olive oil

    4 Pemberton free-range large eggs

    4 slices high quality thick-cut bacon, diced

    1 Pemberton-grown red pepper, finely diced

    1/4 Pemberton-grown yellow or white onion, finely diced

    4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and then sliced lengthwise into thin slices

    2 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

    1/4 tsp salt

    1/4 tsp pepper

    Method:

    Sauté onion and red pepper in 1 tbs olive oil until soft and slightly caramelized. Add cilantro, salt and pepper.

    Fry bacon in separate fry pan until crisp but not crunchy.

    Add bacon to veggie mix.

    Blend eggs in blender on high for 10 seconds. Or beat well with whisk or fork.

    Place a silicone muffin pan into a large pyrex casserole dish.

    Boil a large kettle of water.

    Place 1.5 tbs veggie-bacon mix into each muffin cup. Then pour 1/4 egg mixture into each cup. Place 2 slices of cherry tomato atop each muffin.

    Pour boiling water into pyrex dish so it reaches halfway up the sides of the dish.

    Bake in oven at 350F for 30 minutes.

    Cool.

    Enjoy!

     

     

  • Zucchini – again!

    Zucchini – again!

    It seems to be that time of year again! So many people I know are offering up their excess zucchini’s as they have too many and don’t know what to do with them!

    So when my neighbour put out a post saying she had some up for grabs I volunteered to take one of her hands. And it was a monster! So much so that I made to make up half as much again of the recipe I found. This meant that I could make four mini-loaves and one standard size loaf. Good job I’m a fan of zucchini bread.

    Besides, I gifted back two of the mini-loaves for her, and her family, to enjoy! 🙂

    The Mini Zucchini Loaf recipe I found included walnuts which I didn’t have on hand, but the pecans worked just as well!

    So, if you have any spare zucchini’s I won’t say no. 😉

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2-3 zucchini)
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 cup chopped walnuts

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two [or three] 5 1/2 by 3-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and then spray paper.
    2. To reduce the moisture, press the grated zucchini between sheets of paper towel. When most of the moisture has been absorbed, you can fluff with your hands or a fork and then set aside.
    3. In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
    4. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, almond extract and eggs and mix until well combined. Stir in the zucchini.
    5. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in nuts. Divide batter between the two mini loaf pans. If you have extra batter, you can drop liners into a muffin pan and make a few zucchini muffins.
    6. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Use a toothpick to test – if it comes out clean, it’s ready to take out. Let cool for about 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from the pan to cool completely.

  • Summer is for Hummus

    Summer is for Hummus

    Hummus is a fantastic summer staple as you can take it camping or somewhere with limited refrigeration and it won’t go off. It is full of vitamins and protein, and vegan to boot. It tastes great accompanied by Pemberton-grown carrots, and the secret ingredient is Pemberton-grown cilantro. You can also make your own tahini by grinding raw sesame seeds with a little olive oil in a high-powered blender.

    Cumin and Cilantro Hummus:

    Ingredients:

    2 cups cooked chick peas

    3 peeled Pemberton garlic cloves

    1/3 cup tahini

    Juice of 2 lemons (must be fresh)

    2 tbs water

    4 dashes tabasco sauce

    1 tsp cumin

    ¼ cup cilantro leaves

    1 tsp pepper

    1.5 tsp salt

    Method:

    Mix chick peas and garlic in food processor.

    Add tahini and all remaining ingredients until very smooth. Adjust water amount to desired consistency.

    Garnish with a few cilantro leaves. Enjoy!

  • Are the Pemberton Strawberries Ripe Yet?

    Are the Pemberton Strawberries Ripe Yet?

  • Dirty Apron – Cooking School

    Dirty Apron – Cooking School

    For Christmas my OH surprised with an experience of a 4-hour hands on cooking class at the Dirty Apron in Vancouver. Not, he hastily added, because there is anything wrong with my cooking, but that it may give me tips and the confidence to try new things.

    After Christmas I browsed on their website for available dates and to see what course I would like to try based on ingredients used and techniques I could learn.

    So on 12th May I headed to Beatty Street for my “BC Dine & Vine – Wine & Food Pairings From Our Own Backyard” class.

    Along with 17 other people I first sampled some freshly baked bread with sparkling wine before we got down to the real business at hand.

    Each course was individually cooked in front of us by our instructor, giving pointers along the way, ie how to hold the knife when cutting, how to know when your sauce has reduced enough etc, and then we were sent to our stations to cook each course ourselves. The ingredients were all provided, along with the equipment we needed, so all we had to do was cook everything and then we got to eat it, paired with a BC wine. And while we were eating the kitchen fairies came in and cleared everything away in preparation for the next course!

    There were four courses in all:

    • Spot Prawn Gyoza with Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
    • Crispy Seared Duck Breast with Orange Gastrique and Apple and Green Bean Sauté
    • Crisp Seared Salmon with Horseradish Crème Fraiche and Scallion Potato Rosti
    • Apple Almond Tart

    What did I learn? How to mince my own garlic so much that it was almost a paste, not to panic when water hits a gas flame (thank god I use an electric ceramic hob!), leave the ingredient in the pan and not move it around constantly (ie have patience) and it’s okay to cheat (ie buy store bought puff pastry!).

    If you ever get the chance to head down, either for a demo class or a hands on class, I highly recommend it. Even better if you can get a small group of you together, although I am sure that everything would pretty soon become a competition! 😉

    So, as promised, here’s the recipe for Spot Prawn Gyoza with Dipping Sauce:

    Ingredients

    (Makes 10)

    Gyoza Filling

    • 60 g Prawn meat (minced)
    • 15 ml Carrots (finely chopped)
    • 15 ml Leek (finely chopped)
    • 15 ml Celery (finely chopped)
    • 1 pc Green Onion (finely chopped)
    • 1 tbsp Chives (chopped)
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 15 g Ginger
    • 10 mL Yuzu Juice
    • 5 mL Soy Sauce
    • 5 mL Sesame Oil
    • 1 tsp Sugar
    • 10 BC Spot Prawns
    • 10 Gyoza Skins

    Classic Dipping Sauce

    • 30 ml Soy Sauce
    • 15 ml Rice Wine Vinegar
    • 15 ml Chili Oil

    Directions 

    (For steaming but can be deep fried)

    1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
    2. Heat a pan to medium-high; add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
    3. Place gyoza in pan and sear bottom.
    4. Turn heat down to medium and add ¼ cup of water and place lid on top to steam for 3 – 4 minutes.
    5. Carefully remove from pan with a spatula.
    6. Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix.

    Folding Gyoza

    1. Place a spoonful of filling off centre on wonton wrapper. Lay peeled Spot Prawn atop filling.
    2. Using fingertip moisten the outer edge of the wrapper with water.
    3. Fold in half, using fingertips to crimp the two sides together, creating a seam on top of gyoza.