brioche a tête

We had a cocktail party last week, and one of our guests, brought a gift of 2 bright red little paper bags. I did not peek inside when I received them, but put them on a counter while I whirled around, talking, cooking and partying. When my friend was leaving, I thanked her for the gift and she whispered, "we brought a little treat for you two, for tomorrow morning". I looked into the bag and there were 2 little golden buns, with currants and little pieces of candied fruit. They looked like brioche! The next morning, after more cleanup from the night before, we made our cafe au laits, and then bought out the little red bags. They were delicious. I don't know if they were real brioche, but they reminded me of brioche and I decided that brioche would need to be made before the holidays were over.

There is a mystique that surrounds brioche. Most of us have not had, nor have ever seen a "real" one. I did see a "real" one in France, a long time ago. The memory and taste memory have long since faded. I think I may have had facsimiles of these glorious little buns over the years, but don't think I have actually made them for a very long time.

Brioche first appeared as a written word in 1404, and has been surrounded in controversy since then. Gourmands have argued the true origin of the bread, and which region of France it came from. Marie Antoinette famous words were actually "let them eat brioche", not cake. The bread is made from an enriched yeast dough containing eggs and butter. Raisin, currants and candied fruit can be added to the dough. It can be made in various shapes, from tall cylindrical brioche mouselline, to the short and fat brioche a tête, which has a little ball on top like a hat. (like the ones I made). A similar dough is also used in other cuisines to encase Salmon Coulibiac and Beef Wellington.

Following is an adapted recipe from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Bakers Apprentice.

Sponge

1/2 cup unbleached bread flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 cup milk, warmed to 100 deg F

Dough

5 large eggs
3 cups unbleached bread flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Optional: Raisins, currants, candied peel.

1 egg, whisked for egg wash

The sponge: stir together the flour and yeast in a mixing bowl. stir in the milk until the flour is hydrated. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment for 20 minutes, or until the sponge rises and then falls when you tap the bowl.

The Dough: add the eggs to the sponge and beat with the paddle attachment on your mixer until smooth. Stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add this mixture to sponge and egg mixture and stir on low speed for about 2 minutes. Let this mixture rest for 5 minutes so that the gluten can develop. Mix on medium speed with the paddle and mix in the softened butter 1/4 at a time. After all the butter is incorporated, mix for 6 more minutes. Mix in the optional fruit at this time. The dough will be very soft and smooth.

Transfer the dough to a bag and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of four hours.

Cut the dough into 2 ounce portions and place into greased muffin pans. If you want the "little hat" you can put an indentation in the top of the bun and then place a small nob of dough in the indentation. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and proof until doubled in size (approximately 1 - 2 hours). When proofed, brush on the egg wash and bake at 400 deg F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Food & Fun

See Party Slideshow

We belong to a dinner club where we get together 6 or so times a year and cook and share food based on a theme. We have had some great themes and some great dinners. Last night the theme was "Be your favourite Food TV Chef". My husband and I were the Restaurant Makeover Team. We prepared a dessert selection. Nigella, Alton Brown and Trish Magwood were also in attendance.

French Onion Soup Recipe courtesy Alton Brown Show: Good Eats Episode: Cable in the Classroom

10 sweet onions (like Vidalias) or a combination of sweet and red onions 3 tablespoons butter Kosher salt 2 cups white wine 10 ounces canned beef consume 10 ounces chicken broth 10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered is best) Bouquet garni; thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley 1 loaf country style bread Ground black pepper Splash Cognac, optional 1 cup grated Fontina or Gruyere cheeseTrim the ends off each onion then slice from end to end. Remove peel and finely slice into half moon shapes. Set electric skillet to 300 degrees and add butter. Once butter has melted add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning. Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add consume, chicken broth, apple cider and bouquet garni. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler. Cut country bread in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute. Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Curried Asparagus Lemon Rolls - Party Dish

• 1 loaf (500g) white bread sliced length-wise
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (50 mL)
• 1 tbsp curry paste (15 mL)
• 1 x lemon, juice and zest
• 1 bunch of asparagus, blanched

Directions:

Curried Asparagus Lemon Rolls

1. Remove crusts from bread.
2. In a bowl, combine, mayonnaise, curry paste, lemon juice and zest. Reserve
3. Spread mayonnaise mixture on each slice of bread
4. Cut 3 pieces of asparagus to fit the width of the bread and place at one end of the bread
5. Roll bread up, to create a pinwheel.
6. Wrap each roll in plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. Can be made the night before.
8. Slice each roll into 6 pieces.

Rabbits & Painting

Rabbit Marbella with Valencia Rice

This morning, while sitting around in my PJ's, I was conjuring up the activities of the day and weekend. I had some rabbit (yes.....rabbit) in my freezer that was waiting for inspiration. Books came out. My husband was called into the kitchen from his bathroom painting job. "What about rabbit for supper?" "Rabbit!" he said. "I don't remember how to cut up a rabbit!" I had no less than 3 books that had diagrams on how to cut up a rabbit. The old Larousse Gastronomique that I got in Culinary School days has a series of pictures of rabbit from fur on bunny to nicely jointed pieces (EWWWW!). The new Larousse Gastronomique has a series of pictures of a butcher cleaned rabbit, cut into proper pieces. I found a recipe in Heidi Noble's Menus from an Orchard Table, a wonderful book by a couple in the Okanagan who have a winery and cooking school.

Rabbit Marbella is a braised dish that has its' roots in Andalusian cooking, using a combination of green olives, capers and prunes. These flavours are reminiscent of the influence of the Moors, who dominated that region in Spain for 500 years during the middle ages. As well, this dish has some resonance for me, as the dish Chicken Marbella, from the famous Silver Palate Cookbook, was a dish on the menu in a restaurant that my husband and I owned in the 80's.

The first coat of paint was finished, and then the rabbit was attended to. Adapted recipe as follows:

Rabbit Marbella

1 tbsp olive oil
l rabbit (about 3 lbs)
1 onion, large dice
1 large carrot, large dice
1 celery stalk, large dice
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
1 cup white wine (dry)
4 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper

Cut up the rabbit into about 8 pieces and season with some salt and pepper. Heat an oven proof saute pan or casserole dish with the olive oil and brown the rabbit until golden brown on all sides. Remove rabbit from pan and reserve. Saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the pan drippings until caramelized. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add the chicken stock. Add the chicken pieces to the vegetables and liquid and heat until boiling. Add the thyme and bay leaves and salt and pepper. Place the pan in a preheated 350 degree oven and let cook for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat comes off the bone.

Garnish

1 cup pitted dried prunes
1/2 cup spanish olives, pitted and cut in half
1/2 cup capers, rinsed
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup sherry
juice and zest of 1 lemon

Heat the sherry vinegar and sherry with the prunes until just hot and reserve to let the prunes plump up.

Once the rabbit is tender and comes off the bone, remove the meat from the braising liquid, and strain out the vegetables. Return this liquid to the pan and bring to the boil and reduce to less than half. While the liquid is reducing, remove the rabbit meat from it's bones.

Once the liquid has reduced, add the prunes, capers and olives, and then the meat. Heat through. Add the lemon juice and zest at the end. Season if required with salt and pepper. Serve with rice or polenta.

The old adage that rabbit"tastes like chicken" is quite true, however it tastes like flavourful range fed chicken, not the bland chicken that we all know. Hope you try this recipe! Use a nice farm chicken instead of the rabbit if you like!

Bitter Sweet

• Bison Tenderloin with Black Currant Red Wine Jus
• Goat Cheese & Thyme Potatoes
• Sauteed Zucchini

Today was a bittersweet day. It was the last day of a job at a great place. It was a day of cleaning up messes in desks and computers, and ensuring that you don't leave too many loose ends for your colleagues. There were many hugs and a few damp eyes (mine). When I arrived home, I was determined to cook something that honoured the day. Our local Sobeys has recently started carrying Alberta Bison. I bought some tenderloin last week and put it in the freezer for such an occasion. The next challenge was to find flavours and sides for the bison steaks.

Last summer, my 3 black currant bushes were quite prolific. I froze some, and also made some Cassis from some of the currants. The cassis recipe was from the Figs Olive Wine Blog. I found some inspiration for my sweet/sour black currant Pinot Noir reduction from the New Zealand Black Currant Cooperative . Instead of Pinot Noir, I decided to use a bottle of wine given to me as a parting gift from a work friend. It is Casillero del Diablo Carmenere. The reduction was a little too tart, so I added some of my homemade cassis and also some local honey to bring the bitter sweet flavours on par. I paired the dish with the great Thyme and Goat Cheese Potatoes that I featured this summer on my blog, but made them individually and unmolded them onto the dinner plate. Some Zucchini sauteed in Australian Coriole Vineyards olive oil, that was a parting gift from another work friend, rounded out the plate.

As you can see, a recipe is not really needed for an inspirational meal. You only need and inspirational day and an investigative spirit. Ciao!

The Homemade Creme de Cassis

Friday Night Rule

I have a rule on Friday nights. If the day/week has been particularly trying, I will make a decision not to cook anything, and everyone has to "fend for themselves". (My children are old enough that I will not be arrested from Child Welfare if I do not feed them.) The meal will consist of cheese and crackers, toasted bagels, or just chips and salsa. Today, feeling quite buoyant after leaving work, I stopped at my local Sobey's to find something to cook. Standing at the ready made pizza counter, I phone my 16 year old son to inquire on the pizza of choice for his repast. Then, going to the meat/fish counter, I spend quite some time deliberating on what I should buy. I tell the pleasant department manager, who I have seen on many Fridays, of my dilemma. I would like some beef tenderloin. Ahh... there is none today. I see a lamb rack behind the counter, and ask what it has been seasoned with, and if she has any in the back without seasonings. I do not like garlic powder on food and suspect this "seasoned" lamb rack may have the offending seasoning on it. I decide not to risk it and then proceed to the fish showcase. Beautiful scallops, some rainbow trout................ Scallops it is. Once home, I have to devise a menu with the scallops. Last Saturday, we went to the Strathcona Farmers Market and came away with some incredible fresh spinach, dark green and curly, like I have never seen before. This spinach needs to be sauteed! What else? I get a picture in my head..... a bed of polenta with sauteed spinach topped with pan fried scallops. That's it! Here are the pictures and a recipe of sorts.
Polenta

2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup polenta
fresh grated parmesan cheese

Bring water to the boil with salt and then stream in the polenta and stir for a few minutes. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to low until slowly bubbling. Let cook over low heat for approximately 30 minutes.

The polenta cooking in it's pan

Sauteed Spinach

1 shallot diced finely
butter
about 4 cups of fresh spinach
1/4 cup creme fraiche



Saute the shallot in butter until translucent, add the spinach and cook until wilted , then add the creme fraiche, and remove from heat.


While the spinach is cooking, get your saute pan hot. Pan fry the scallops, that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Saute on one side for a few minutes, turn and then finish until the scallops are done on both sides, but still slightly rare inside.

Dishing Up......

Stir in some fresh parmesan to the polenta. Place onto a plate and make a depression in the centre with a spoon. Spoon on the spinach and top with the gorgeous scallops. We enjoyed this with a great Austrian Gruner Veltliner. Superb!

Tomatoes Like Candy!

In my part of the world, frost sometimes comes early. Sometimes so early that you spend a lot of time thinking about why you live where you do. We had to pull out our tomatoes from our garden before the 15th of September. This meant that they have been ripening in a basket on my counter since then. When 30 small roma tomatoes are ripe at the same time, you either have to eat them morning noon and night, or else do something with them. I have had some success with oven roasted tomatoes in the past, so decided that this was going to be the activity today. I oiled a bakesheet with olive oil and preheated the oven to 400 degrees. I cut all the tomatoes in half and laid them on the bakesheet. I sprinkled sea salt and fresh pepper on them, and then some fresh thyme leaves from the garden (hardy little plants, they are!) I put them in said 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, and then turned it down to 300 degrees for about and hour and a half. Below, in pictures is their journey from fresh tomato, to roasted tomatoes (soooooo sweet that they taste like candy), to an omelet for lunch that had more of the hardy herbs and goat cheese. Very Satisfying!

A "New" Pan

I must be one of the few people in the world who does not own a non stick pan. I have read all of the articles on pan fumes killing canaries, and the material that most nonstick cooking surfaces are made of: Teflon, or polytetrafluoroethylene.

"PFOA is used in the manufacture of fluorine-containing polymers, materials such as Teflon that repel water and resist staining by oil and grease. In addition to nonstick cooking surfaces, consumer applications include microwave popcorn bags and pizza delivery boxes. Because PFOA -- a synthetic industrial chemical that as far as we know does not exist in nature -- is, according to the EPA, "very persistent in the environment, [has been] found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of the general U.S. population, and [has] caused developmental and other adverse effects in laboratory animals." Although research on the environmental and health implications of PFOA has been fragmentary and no correlation between PFOA exposure and human cancer has been found, calls are being made in the United States and as far away as Australia to ban the chemical entirely. "

SHEESH! Sounds awful risky! Having read articles like the above, I decided to abstain from the non-stick cooking world. Until yesterday......

We have a social club at work that has periodic raffles to raise money for said club. I buy the raffle tickets and have never, in one year, won any prize. This week, the prize was a very good quality teflon pan. It is a heavy gauge pan that purportedly can go in the oven and can caramelize food quite nicely. I won the raffle. I thought that if I was going to use a teflon pan, it should be a top quality pan. I went out on a limb........ Tonight I decided to try out the pan. This is what I came up with.

Seared Scallops with Rose Beurre Blanc

We came back from B.C. with a nice rose wine made from pinot grapes from le vieux pins in Oliver B.C. The rose tints the shallots and the sauce a beautiful pink. Be sure to saute the shallots until translucent.

Sauce
1 large shallot, diced very fine
1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1/2 cup good quality rose wine
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp whipping cream
salt and pepper
zest of 1 lemon


Saute the shallots until translucent, in some of the butter. Add the wine and vinegar and reduce until syrupy. Remove from heat. Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking until butter is melted. Add the whipping cream and keep warm until required. Season with the salt and pepper and very fine lemon zest. If the sauce splits, add a few drops of hot water and whisk or blend to repair.

Scallops

2 to 3 large sea scallops per person
Salt and pepper

Season scallops and sear in a good quality non stick pan. Sear the first side for less than 2 minutes. Turn scallops to sear other side. Scallops should be not quite done in the centre, just like a medium rare steak.

Spoon sauce onto plate and then place scallops on top

We served these scallops with some zucchini that was tossed with fresh thyme and butter. Delish!

Goat Milk Chronicles - Episode 3

Today is August 31st. Between my last Goat Milk post and today, I have had some unexpected things happen that has left the milk languishing in the fridge. Only 1 thing left to do. Goat Milk Riccota. I followed the directions on a cheese making site and had good results. Here is the link.
http://njnj.essortment.com/cheesemakingre_remb.htm

The ricotta went into a nice Papparadelle and Ricotta dish that I found on Lex Culinaria's blog.

The Goat Milk Chronicles - Episode 2

Well, there is some more goat milk gone today. I got a call from my husband, letting me know that his latte tasted weird this morning, until he figured out that he grabbed the goat instead of the skim. They both had blue caps! 2.5 more litres to go!

Glorious Potatoes

The weather was still chilly today. The sun came out but fall is definitely in the air. It was a good day to make chicken stock and to cook something in the oven. While in the Naramata area, I bought a cookbook called Menus from an Orchard Table. This book is written by Heidi Noble, from Joie Wines and Farm Cooking School. Heidi and her Husband, Michael Dinn are newly transplanted to the Okanagan, and have opened up a winery, and cooking school on a Naramata orchard property. This is a "must do" for my next trip to the area. For now, I am enjoying their story and Heidi's book and will make sure that I cook my way through many of the menus.

One recipe that caught my eye today was a Potato, Chevre and Thyme Gratin. It was, as they say "a keeper", and I can think of so many dishes that would go well with these potatoes. Following is an adapted recipe.

Goat Cheese and Thyme Potatoes

Serves 4

1 cup whipping cream
1 large clove garlic smashed
1 bay leaf
4 stems of fresh thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 small chub of soft goat cheese
5 Yellow fleshed Potatoes, peeled.

Heat up the whipping cream with the bay leaf, smashed garlic clove and the thyme sprigs until just boiling. Remove from heat. Let infuse for 15 minutes while you prepare the potatoes. Remove the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and garlic. Add the goat cheese and stir. Let the goat cheese warm up in the cream, and then whisk until smooth. Using a mandoline or food processor, slice the potatoes thinly. It is important that the potatoes are uniform in thickness, as this will ensure that they cook evenly.

Layer the potatoes in a baking dish (9 X 9) . Salt and pepper this layer. After 1 layer, pour over 1/3 of the cream mixture. Repeat for 3 layers, ending up with cream on top. I placed some fresh thyme on top. Cover the dish with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about half an hour. Remove foil and press down the potatoes with the back of your spoon to release the starch into the cream. Do this a few times, while the potatoes are baking. The total cook time is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Test with a sharp knife that the potatoes are tender. Turn on the broiler in your oven and let the potatoes brown on top. Let sit for a few minutes and then cut into squares and serve. This will go great with any grilled or roasted meats.

The Goat Milk Chronicles - Episode 1

On our recent trip to the Okanagan area, we had the opportunity to visit Carmelis Goat Cheese. They are a small, family-owned boutique dairy and make all natural cheeses with no additives or preservatives, in the traditional European style. It is a little gem of a place, perched up on a hillside, overlooking Lake Okanagan. They will welcome you with a taste of all of their cheeses and also have a selection of goat milk gelato which was a delightful surprise. Super creamy, without the fat content of cow's cream, their freezer showcase was brimming with at least 20 flavours, beautifully garnished. I was so intrigued by this gelato, I vowed to try to make some at home. As we looked in on the goats before we left the shop, I said to them.......I'm looking for goat milk when I get home.

Well, I found some shopping at the Italian Centre Shop. It is from Fairwinds Farm in Fort Macleod Alberta. It has no additives and is hormone and pesticide free. I BOUGHT 4 LITRES. Now, the reason for the title of this entry is: what am I going to do with it all before the expiry date of September 1st?

Entry # 1

Goat Milk gelato was an easy one. I found a recipe for regular vanilla gelato and substituted the goat milk for it.

For those of you with an ice cream machine, here is the recipe

2 cups goat milk
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean

Heat up the cream, milk and sugar in a sauce pan until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. If you are using the vanilla bean, slit it open and scrape the seeds into the milk before you heat it up. Let cool to room temperature, and then chill overnight. Freeze in machine according to manufacturer's directions.

Aurore Sauvignon Blanc 2006 and Spaghetti Frittata

We had the opportunity to visit an up and coming vineyard in the Oliver region called leVieux Pin. Our friend, who has settled in Naramata, took us to the winery to meet one of the owners. This winery has tastings by appointment, and we were able to call and give a few hours notice to set up a tasting. Dry farming, minimal fertilizer addition, high-density plantings and low yield production are some of the tenets of this vineyard. They harvest the grapes by hand and this particular vintage claims to have had only 15 hours of irrigation during it's growing season. If you have been to the region, you will see that it is almost a desert in this area of B.C., so 15 hours of water does not seem like so much!

We had a taste of this wine last night and enjoyed it's fruity almost sweet character. Today, I wanted to see if I could pair it with a light lunch and test it's compatibility with food. Trouble is, my fridge was almost empty and I did not feel like going out for the "big grocery load up" yet. I have tomatoes ready in my garden, and a sage plant the size of a shrub. There was a few nubbins of goat cheese kicking around in the cheese drawer, and some pasta from last night's hurry up supper when we arrived home. I decided to make a Spaghetti Frittata. I won't print a recipe here, but will give the list of ingredients, so that when you find that your fridge is bare, you know that it really is not!

I warmed up olive oil in a saute pan, and then threw in some fresh garlic and a handful of fresh sage leaves. I let this sizzle away for a few seconds, and then added the leftover spaghetti to heat through. Next, 3 eggs, whipped, with some fresh chives, the goat cheese, and chopped fresh tomato. I stirred this around until the edges started to cook, turned down the heat and warmed up the broiler. It sat on the stove top for about 10 - 15 minutes, and when it was almost cooked all the way through, I ran it under the broiler. We ate this lovely little lunch in our almost finished gazebo. My husband had to come down off the roof from nailing shingles to partake in this repast. The wine tasted even better with the lunch than it did last night.

Peach Melba Muffins

I don't know what possessed me to let 3 beautiful Okanagan
peaches rattle around in a huge cooler with 20 bottles of Okanagan wine. But, they were pretty beat up this morning and I thought the best thing for them would be muffins.

I have just returned from a 7 day trip to the VERY SUNNY Okanagan. I say this with much emphasis, because it was raining at home when I left and raining when I got back. We spent our days of +30 degrees laying on beaches, touring wineries, traversing canyons, ogling fresh fruit and produce, and reveling in the laid back atmosphere of the Okanagan. We had a beautiful lunch on the patio at Lake Breeze Winery in Naramata, and a dinner at Passa Tempo, a restaurant at the Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Spa.

The peaches were bought at one of a million roadside fruit stands that line the road between Osoyoos and Penticton. The Elephant Island Framboise is from a great fruit winery on the Naramata Bench area above Penticton. I also purchased a nice dry cherry wine that I am looking forward to pairing with a meal.

These muffins are Peach Melba muffins, which are reminiscent of the traditional Peach Melba dessert that was one of the many coupes I learned to prepare in culinary school. This classic dessert was created by Auguste Escoffier, to honour Dame Nellie Melba, an opera star of the late 1800's.

Peach Melba Muffins

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp Framboise liqueur
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3 oz melted unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh peach, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a muffin pan with non stick spray.
Toss the raspberries, 1 tbsp sugar, and the Framboise, and let macerate for about 30 minutes.

Stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter and milk together. Stir into the flour mixture until just moistened and lumpy. Fold in the peaches.

Spoon batter into 9 muffin cups, not filling them to the top and reserving about 1/4 quarter of the batter for the top. Spoon a few raspberries onto each muffin, and then top with the rest of the batter.

Sprinkle the almonds, that have been tossed with the remaining 1 tbsp sugar, onto the muffins. Bake about 25- 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out dry. Cool 5 minutes in the pan and then remove from pan to continue cooling.

Enjoy!

A Turn in the Weather

Who's responsible? I'd like to know how the weather could suddenly change from a month of positively Mediterranean to FREAKIN' COLD! I am on day 5 of a month off and am just a little peeved at the weather. I know.......grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.........

It's a good thing that I have all the fixings in my fridge for a great summer borscht! I was lucky enough to find golden beets as well as regular ones. I have so much dill in my garden that "volunteered" from last summer that I could open up a borscht factory. For those of you "not in the know" of gardening jargon, volunteer plants are the ones that pop up anywhere from seeds that you did not get rid of in previous years. It's a true sign of a laissez faire gardener, who doesn't dead head the blooms of the plants before they spread their seeds. They should be treated like the weeds they have become, but as they are yummy little plants, I leave them around and then pull them out as required. Manicured gardens do not have many volunteers!

There are as many borschts as there are cooks. This version is my version today, as this is what I had available to me in my fridge and garden. Enjoy!

Summer Borscht

1 small onion, diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 - 2 litres chicken stock
about 1 dozen small or 4 medium beets
1 large potato
1/2 large or 1 small zucchini
Salt & Pepper
fresh dill springs
fresh thyme springs

additional or optional: green and yellow beans, cabbage, diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

Pre-boil beets to loosen skins and then peel and roughly chop. Chop all vegetables to the size that you desire, however, a rustic soup such as borscht is nice with chunky vegetables.

Saute onion and carrots in vegetable oil. Add the stock, thyme, tomatoes, beets and potatoes, and bring to the boil. Cook until all are almost tender. Add the rest of the vegetables (the zucchini and beans if you are using them). Cook some more and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the fresh dill. Serve with a splash of vinegar if you wish, and/or a blob of sour cream or creme fraiche.

Figs in Edmonton

I have a "thing" about the South of France and Italy. The climate, cuisine, wines and laid back culture all strike a chord with me. I long for the day when I can spend a month in a rented house, shop in the local markets, and soak up the sun and vibe.

My husband took a tree pruning class a few winters ago, where the expert gardener said, " why have an ornamental fig as a houseplant when you can have an edible fig?" The fig seed was planted. I purchased a brown turkey fig this spring. The tree had these great huge leaves that I have only seen in books (covering the nether parts of various people).

About a month later, the figs started budding. The tree had about 20 figs on it. The figs took about 2 months to mature. About a month ago, just before I started harvesting the fruit, I noticed that the leaves were getting brown and shriveled. I saw that evil spider mites had infested the tree, and were hell bent on "taking it down". Even the new leaf buds were lunch for the mites. We decided to move the tree outside. With daily showers, and the wind in it's branches, the fig seems to have recovered. The leaf buds are now able to emerge, and it may just make it.

Pictured above is the last fig from the tree. Below is the simple dish that we made by broiling the fig crop with Lola Canola Buckwheat Honey drizzled over. Buckwheat honey is very dark, with a molasses appearance and flavour. We ate the dessert on our piazza (patio) in front of the forno (fire).

Market Day

It was raining cats and dogs today. This was the day that I was going to check out the St. Albert Farmer's Market. It is a great market. Many producers and artisans were displaying their bounty. Those dedicated souls were huddled under their tents and we dedicated souls were trudging around trying to stay inspired. Pictures were out of the question because of the downpour. When I shop at a market, supper that day is usually pretty exciting. What to make.......what to make.

I had a small salmon available and a new fish basket to try out. This fish basket is a stainless steel cage with handles that you can flip on the barbecue so your fish does not tear or break. I went out to the garden and got a selection of fresh herbs. I stuffed them into the cavity of the salmon with some slices of lemon and thinly sliced shallot. Smoked sea salt and pepper, and then on to the BBQ. Boiled new potatoes and yellow beans rounded out the meal, and a satisfying shopping trip turned into a satisfying meal.

Avoiding the Dark Side

I got home from work today and the age old thought popped into my head. What am I going to make for supper? As usual, the little person that whispers in my ear said "avoid work at all costs". The picture of my open refrigerator runs through my head. Hot dogs, fresh cherries, cheese....... vegetables..........no.....not the vegetables. Hot dogs it is! My 2 teenage boys will certainly not mind. Unfortunately they survive on only a few food groups; processed meats being one of them!

While I was tidying up in the kitchen I started hearing things from my refrigerator. "Cook me!" "I belong in a soup, please help me!" I opened up the fridge and there they were:

• 3 kinds of peppers
• Summer carrots from the Farmers Market
• Zucchini
• Half an onion
  
• tomatoes that were too ripe to stay at room temperature
• leftover chicken stock
  

I looked outside.....Fresh basil, oregano and thyme.....

They're ganging up on me! What is a girl to do? Minestrone.

It really only took about 15 minutes to make. I threw the chopped vegetables with onion in a pot with some olive oil. Sauteed it and then tossed in the stock, tomatoes, herbs and some small pasta. Cooked it for about 8 minutes. Salt and pepper, and then half a can of fava beans. Another 5 minutes cooking and there it was....smiling at me from the pot. It said "you must avoid the dark side....Making good food doesn't take that long".

We ate the soup on the patio with a crusty baguette and a nice Chilean Rose. What more can you ask for?

Sour Cherries

When we planned our backyard, we decided that we would plant trees that would give us good things to eat. We looked for fruits that were not so common to our northern climate. Horticulturists have come along way with fruit trees that can withstand our brutal winters. We have planted black currants, sour cherries, saskatoon berries, pears, plums and apricots.

This summer is very warm, and even though our trees are still small, they are supplying us with a little fruit. The black currants are going into jam and into a homemade creme de cassis liqueur. The sour cherries have been a real delight. It has been so hot that I did not want to bake a pie in the oven. Instead, I took the cherries outside onto my patio, fired up the barbecue side burner, and made a warm cherry sauce to put over vanilla ice cream. It was glorious. Sweetened with sugar and touched with kirsch, it was this side of heaven. I am planning on the next batch to be preserved in some grappa that should be ready by Christmas. Who needs to move to the Okanagan?

Saskatoon Foraging

There is something that is satisfying about foraging for food. It's not that you have got something for nothing. It is the fact that there are still things out there in the wild that you can pick and eat. I have gladly paid for saskatoon berries when I can find them. But, they are hard to find in stores. I have fond memories of my mom and dad taking us out to pick saskatoons and wild blueberries in Northern Saskatchewan.

I have had the good fortune of finding a wild saskatoon patch withing walking distance from my backyard. I take my little pail, and off I go down a steep embankment to pick the delightful little gems. The season is short, only about two weeks, so time is of the essence. Last Saturday, I went down at about 7:30 a.m. It was a gorgeous morning. I always feel I am doing something a little bit naughty when I am picking, so I make sure I am well away from walkers and gawkers. (or is it that I don't want to share?) I had been picking for about 15 minutes when I heard a loud snuffling sound. Is that a bear I thought? (irrational thoughts can pop into your head at any given time, you know) I looked up and saw a deer literally bursting out of the bush and bounding off down toward the creek. It was so quiet that I could hear him snuffling and jumping for a full five minutes as he went on his way.

I returned to my berry picking, fully satisfied that the natural world in my little corner was intact, and that I was going to make a very good pie with the saskatoons as soon as it was cool enough to bake.

Guests From Out of Town

When an occasion to cook for guests that come from the other side of the world presents itself, one must take up the challenge. My uncle and aunt are members of Friendship Force, a group that hosts guests from other member countries , as well as travel to their homes as well. My aunt was not up to the challenge of hosting the dinner, so I offered my home for the event. The guests were from Turkey. This was the only thing that I knew about them. I needed to come up with a menu that they would enjoy, but focus on Alberta and Western Canadian products. This was the menu:

· Grilled Eggplant with Alberta Goat Feta & Mint

· Carmelli’s Goat Cheese (B.C.)

· Sylvan Star Gouda

· Chilled Roasted Beet Borscht with Dill

· Grilled Arctic Char

· Roast Alberta Lamb

· Baby Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs

· Summer Salad with First Press Canola Oil Vinaigrette, Yellow Tomatoes & Cucumbers

· Fresh Rhubarb and Bleswold Yogurt Cream Tarte

The dinner was a great success. The guests were delightful. I was so pleased they had a chance to experience some real Canadian cuisine, made with ingredients from Alberta producers. We served wines from the Okanagan , which everyone enjoyed.

Brunch for a Rainy Day

In the summer, when the kitchen is warm, I don't do much baking. The garden and the patio keep beckoning me to attend to them. (The garden actually attends to me, as it keeps me balanced and in touch with what is really important in life) After 10 days of hot weather, a little cool front blew in, and with it some rain. It happened to be a Sunday, so I was home from work, and wondering what I could make for brunch that would brighten our spirits. These little inspirational cooking sessions always come with one codicil.....only use whatever I have in my home and garden! I took stock:

Fridge:
1/2 container of soft goat cheese (the kind that is in the little pyramid)
Eggs
Butter
Yummy Bleswold yogurt (2 kinds)
2 melons
Tomatoes
Edgar Farms Asparagus (3 bunches!)
Sour cream (2 containers....I better use some up quick!)
Proscuitto

In my garden (many things not ready for eating yet, but managed to find some things)
Rhubarb
Italian Parsley
Mint ( 3 kinds!)
Thyme
Basil

Freezer:
Last bag of frozen raspberries from my brother-in-law's raspberry patch

Pantry:
Always an adventure going into my pantry, as there are things that I forget I have!
Now the inspiration:

• Raspberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Rhubarb Tarte
  
• Shirred Eggs with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese,
  
• Asparagus and Saffron Yogurt

Rubarb Tarte: Recipe by Colleen
Pastry:
Pasta Frolla
Pasta Frolla is a cake like short pastry that Italian cooks use for crostate (a closed tart made with any kind of jam and or pastry cream)

280 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
140 grams cold butter cut up into small pieces
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Put dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process briefly. Add the butter and pulse again until it is mealy. Add lemon juice, and zest, and the egg and egg yolk . Pulse until it comes together. Divide into 2 disks and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least half an hour.

Filling:

500 ml plain yogurt (natural style, no thickeners)
Put the yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth and let drain for a few hours
1/2 cup Whipping Cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon Zest
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 oz limoncello liquer

Whip the cream and sugar, until soft peaks. Add in the drained yogurt cheese, and the lemon zest. Whip in the limoncello.

Rhubarb Topping
4 cups chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup white wine
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp cold water

Place the rhubarb, sugar and white wine in a baking dish, cover and bake in the oven for approx 30 minutes. Drain off the liquid into a saucepan and cool the fruit. Bring the liquid to the boil in the saucepan and then thicken the liquid with cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp of cold water. Bring back to the boil until clear and thick. Add back the fruit, and the vanilla and chill until ready to use.

Roll out the Pasta Frolla between 2 sheets of parchment, chill again to firm it up and then line a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with the dough. prick the bottom with a fork and bake blind in the oven until golden brown. Cool.

Assemble the tart:

Spread the yogurt filling in the cooled tart shell. Smooth the top. Spoon on the cooled rubarb topping. Chill for a few hours to set.

Shirred Eggs - Recipe by Colleen

I had my father-in-law make me 12 stainless steel rings, about 4 inches around and 3 inches high a few years ago. I knew they would be handy in the kitchen, but did not have the inspiration to use them yet. Today was going to be the day.

I toasted 4 slices of bread and then used the rings to cut through the toast. I left the toast round inside the ring. If you don't have rings, cut circles to fit into a large muffin cup that the sides are sprayed.

Herb & Goatcheese mixture

1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp fresh mint
60 grams soft goat cheese

Put the herbs into a food process and process until almost smooth, Add the goat cheese and pulse until it comes together.

Sauce
Mix 1/4 cup plain yogurt with a tiny pinch of saffron, and a little lemon zest and juice

Cook the asparagus using your favourite method of cooking asparagus.
Put the dish together.

Spread the cheese herb mixture over the toast (in the ring or muffin cup).
Place the rings on a bakesheet. Layer a slice of proscuitto over the mixture, coming up the sides to form a cup.
Crack an egg into each ring or cup. Bake in a 350 deg oven for approx 20 to 30 minutes until the eggs are the desired doneness.

Remove the eggs from the rings, arrange on plate with asparagus spears, broiled tomato and drizzle yogurt saffron sauce over the asparagus.