Mostly Market Meals

Between booking a trip to Greece this fall, fighting a head cold, and work its been a busy week, so I thought I would seize this opportunity to post instead of working through lunch as I usually do.

Despite the challenges Sunday's attempt to feature produce from the market went over well.  Suzy's Black Cap rasppberry pancakes were a big hit with our brunch guests: Toby, Lisa, and their son Q as well as our family.  Each little piece of fruit was a flavour bomb that went perfectly with the fried batter and maple syrup.

Aija and Suzy helped with the prep in the morning, and then while the rest of the family napped in the heat of the afternoon I wrapped dinner up - four salads to keep things cool. 

They were:

• Haystrom Farm yellow bean salad marinated in a Chateau-Neuf-de-Pap vinegrette.
• Healthy Choice Farm Carrot and Edamame Salad (including Ben Sosnicki's garlic).
• Fresh from the Farm cucumber and yogurt salad (a hot weather favourite)

• Haystrom farm potato salad (including Haystrom Farm peas, Potager du Kanada radishes and Small Potatoes Farm parsley)

All complemented with a Fresh from the Farm traditionally smoked Mennoite sausage and some leftover tzatziki and pita for the girl.  It was just the thing for a hot day, and the leftovers carried us through a week featuring the hottest weather on record for Toronto (and it's not even midsummer yet!)

So, the update done, some recipes will follow over the weekend.

Stay cool!

The Land of Plenty

Beans, raspberries, potatoes, apricots, onions, garlic,
broccoli, olive-cilantro bread, chocolate cookies, cheeses,
radishes, and carrots, oh my!

Forecasts of a drought that may stretch into the decades in the American Southwest, famine in Africa, and other news of the world frequently reminds me of just how fortunate we are to live in Canada.  In particular, our weekly trip to the Withrow Park Farmer's Market truly drove home that we truly live in the land of plenty.  So, I count myself fortunate to be able to lay out this weeks spread before you.  A summer waxes towards peak so does the variety of produce available.  Apart from the usual suspects, we purchased from a couple of new vendors who are part of the Farm Start Program at Brampton's historical McVean Farm.  The radishes come from Iqbal Mauthoor, who came to Canada from Mauritius 25 years ago dreaming of having his own farm.  The carrots are Manmeet and Rupinder Singh's, and the product of generations of farming experience in India now transplanted to Canada.  I wish them both success in their endeavours, and am looking forward to some of the produce they have coming up.  We're also planning on seeing them and Laurel next Sunday at the McVean Farm 2011 Open House.

I need smaller hands...

The perfect batter!

It's also worth noting that a very special offering at the market drew us out the door early this morning.  Growing up on the north shore of Owen Sound we had wild raspberries growing up and down both sides of the quarter-mile lane way.  I still have fond memories of harvesting the small, tart black and red berries as a boy until one year they just didn't come up.  Imagine my delight when Roberta posted that the Riverdale Meadow Community Garden would be selling Black Cap raspberries grown only a couple of kilometres from my home.  It's often said that things aren't as good as you remember, but in this case that is most certainly wrong.  We purchased three litres.  While I stowed away half in the freezer for enjoying this winter, Suzy prepared a batch of batter to develop overnight for pancakes for Sunday brunch tomorrow.

While chatting at the Market today Roberta asked if I'd be interested in presenting a meal made entirely from market produce.  After some consideration today, tomorrow night's dinner will feature a, "mostly market meal," where all but some naturally smoked Mennonite sausage from Fresh from the Farm will come from our purchases at the market today.  I'm still working out the details, but it will be simple, it will be fresh, and it will be colourful!

Suzy's Strawberry Adventure

Suzy and Nyls set forth to Fresh from the Farm this morning on the promise of freshly picked strawberries from an old order Mennonite farm.  The trek proved worth the effort as it yielded up a flat of berries that taste like only local Ontario produce can.  No tasteless, woody California strawberries grown on sterilized soil a yard deep and shipped a 2700 miles for us!

The return leg proved to be a bit more of a challenge between Nyls and the load in her shopping cart, which also included eggs.  Despite having three delicate loads she made it home safe and sound.

After Christian Cameron popped by for a pot of tea and a Portuguese custard tart, we whipped up a quick dinner of rotini with Canadian bacon (also from Fresh) as well with green onions, peas, fresh herbs from the garden, and goats cheese was in order, and then the kids were off to bed.


Some of the berries suffered in transit, and there was not going to be a moment to lose in preparing them.  Suzy and I set to work, and between another flat of strawberries for freezing, a bowl for breakfast, and quite a few that made their way into our bellies, the job was quickly done. 

Lavender Lemonade - Pretty in Pink?

12 cups 50 calories/cup

I've always wondered what the point of pink lemonade was.  The off the shelf kinds don't seem to taste any different, nor should they, as the various red dyes used to colour them are flavourless.  When we set off to make lavender lemonade last night my imagination painted the finished product... well... lavender.  Imagine my surprise when it turned out a lovely pink colour, with a delightful lemon-lavender flavour, if not colour.

Make:
Lemonade
holding back two cups of water.
In a heat proof cup or pot add
1/4 cup of dried lavender
2 cups boiling water
Steep for ten minutes, and pour through a sieve into the lemonade.  Press the lavender to get all of the liquid into the lemonade jug.  Stir, chill, and serve with ice.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Well, it's official.  Despite my best efforts over the weekend the pump on the dishwasher is officially pooched.  That said, the new water filter is in, and there is a shiny new sink in the master bath, so I'm going to chalk it up as a win. 

Now that is a beautiful bird!

While there was a lot of unscheduled maintenance going down on the Hotel Cavell, meals still had to be cooked.  Sunday dinner in particular requires a special effort, with leftovers planned to make for easier weeknight dinners.  For this one I promised Suzy her favourite; roast chicken with rice.  The chicken was a six pound roaster from Fresh from the Farm, which cannnot be beaten for the quality of their meats.  The bird was prepared using the Joy of Cooking's recipe straight out of the book (with the optional lemon in the cavity) as it is both foolproof and delicious. 

How am I supposed to stir and take
a good picture at the same time?

The excitement came when the bird was out and resting, and it was time for the gravy to be made.  A certain young man decided at that very moment that it was time to be fed, and Suzy was left with her hands full.  The sky was falling, as now I was tasked with making the gravy, which is her specialty, requiring home-made stock from the fresh giblets and neck, carefully separated pan drippings, and the juice from carving the carcasse (my specialty... I'm good with knives...)  Despite my trepidation, and under her careful supervision, the deed was done, and everything turned our perfectly.

The lavender and tea steeping.

Sunday passed on to Monday, and the realization that we were actually entertaining twice this week: Tuesday and Thursday hit.  Fortunately, Suzy has ordered a sushi platter for tomorrow night, so we just whipped up a couple of pitchers of drinks.  We're trying out a couple of new things, including lavender lemonade and an herbal tea called Fruit Explosion from the Tea Emporium for iced tead. 

We'll see how they are received!

Some Call it Tzajiki

1 Quart
25 Calories per Tablespoon

We have a cookbook in our collection called, "The Best Book of Greek Cookery," by Chrissa Paradissis.  It's annotated on the flyleaf, "Bought on the ship Stella Maris, June 26 - 73 in Greece," in my grandmother's precise handwriting.  Jean Cioran was a world traveller, cook, baker, and and talented crafter of stained glass, fabric, and metal, all packed into a five foot tall, ninety-eight pound package.  Recipes from the book prepared by her hands served as my introduction to Greek food as a child. 

Thirty-eight years down the road we find ourselves living in Greektown on the Danforth, home of hot and cold running Greek restaurants, supermarkets, and specialty stores, which makes cooking out of this little gem as easy as can be.  My daughter loves tzatziki as much or more than she does guacamole, and so yesterday Aija and  I prepared a batch from my grandmother's modified recipe for, "Cucumber Dip, or Tzajiki."

To make this recipe my grandmother had to make and press her own yogurt, I can go to the corner and buy it from a Greek lady not so dissimilar from her, all things considered. 

In a large bowl combine:
2 medium english cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped
1 pint of pressed yogurt
2 tbsps of olive oil
2 tsps of lemon juice
1 tsp of coarse salt
2 tsp of chopped dill
1 tsp of chopped chives
2 cloves of fresh garlic, mashed

Chill overnight to allow the garlic to mellow and serve with pita, roasted meat, fish, or vegetables, or crudites.

Jean would always ask if you wanted more when you were done a helping.  If you said no she would look hurt and say, "what, you didn't like it?"

To Market, To Market



Lettuces, garlic, snow peas, potatoes, onions, and oyster mushrooms... Oh my!



Roberta, the market manager.

Saturday has come around again, and 8:30 saw the family heading off to the market to see what has come into season.  No plum buns, plum cakes, or fat pigs were to be had, but as summer has come in, there are plenty of things starting to turn up on the tables at Withrow Park.  We quickly filled up our bags with snow peas and new potatoes from Dave at Haystrom Farm, Ben Sosnicki provided lettuces and fresh garlic, and Laurel's Small Potatoes stand had green and purple new onions and oyster mushrooms.  We also picked up a couple of new cheeses from the Montfort Dairy to try out, a goat's milk cheddar and a herbed brie.  We also checked out a new vendor, This Ain't Your Momma's Bread.  While gluten etc free aren't really our bag (baby), we did pick up a loaf of their very nice looking bread for a friend of Suzy's who's coeliac to try out.  We're looking forward to serving them all up over the next few days.  I had a pleasant follow up conversation with Roberta, and she will be adding a link to this blog on the market site.  What fun!