Cook up some local kale

This week I read a new article in Eat Magazine by Candice Schultz which reminded me that locally grown kale is available here in Victoria all year long. Actually in my case it is currently growing in my (shared) backyard. Kale is currently one of my favourite vegetables but until I moved to Canada a few years ago I was not familiar with it. After moving to Edmonton in the middle of winter I was quickly motivated to learn how to cook with kale. The pickings at the farmer’s markets in the winter months are pretty slim: kale, squash, potatoes, and parsnips. While I enjoy starchy root vegetables I was keen to add some fresh greens to my menu. I asked the vendors how to cook kale and was told that you can add it to stir fries or boil it. Boiled kale was not particularly inspiring and my initial attempts at sir-frying it were not very successful. The resulting kale was tough and chewy and was slightly burned on the edges. (I have subsequently learned that while kale in the summer months is soft enough to stir fry directly in winter months the leaves are tougher and usually require the addition of a few tablespoons of water.) Shortly after these initial unsuccessful attempts at cooking kale I discovered the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook and their recipe “braised winter greens with garlic and balsamic vinegar.” This yummy recipe makes a lovely side or a delicious light meal when served atop a bowl of steamed rice. This success inspired a continuing exploration of ways to use kale in my cooking. Some of my current favorites include a blackberry and kale salad,  kale, bean and tomato soup and of course kale with garlic and balsamic vinegar. I have copied these below for you to enjoy. If you have some favorite kale recipes I’d love to know about them.

Keep warm and enjoy your (locally grown) greens!

kale with garlic and balsamic vinegar

(slightly modified version of recipe in Rebar cookbook)

Ingredients:

Large bunch kale

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp red chill flakes (or crushed dried chilli)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1) Wash & chop greens.

2) Heat oil in wok, add garlic cook till golden and then add chilies and greens and 2tbsp water. Toss, sprinkle with salt and then cover wok to allow the steam to collect and help the  greens to wilt. Uncover and toss until greens are cooked.

3) Add vinegar to greens and toss. Then remove greens with tongs and allow remaining juices to reduce.

4) Pour reduced juice over greens and serve. Crack pepper over top if desired.

Kale and bean soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil

6-8 garlic cloves (crushed or minced)

1 large onion, chopped

4 cups kale, chopped if fresh (you can use frozen 2 or 3 pkgs. or if canned use 2 to 3 cans)

4 cups vegetable broth

2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans white beans

1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes or 1 cup chopped tomato

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

salt and pepper

1 cup of chopped parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil then add garlic and onion. Sauté until soft.
2. Add kale and sauté until wilted.
3. Add 3 cups of the broth, 2 cups of beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Blend the remaining beans and broth until smooth. These will help thicken the soup. Mix into soup.
5. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Serve & top with parsley.

Massaged kale with blackberries salad

Massage kale with olive oil and salt to break it down. Sprinkle blackberries, pumpkin seeds and some shaved pecorino or crumbled goat cheese on top. Serve immediately

How to make quince paste

Quince from Lifecycles

My first foray into quince paste happened quite by accident. Last fall (08) I was searching for quince to make slow baked quince as part of a brunch with friends I was planning. I looked in all the local supermarkets and my hands came up empty. But one day while dropping off some fruit at Lifecycles I learned that they had quince! Yay I said and I approached them to see if I could purchase six quince from them. Their response was that they would only sell me a large box of less than perfect quince. I agreed but when the box arrive I found myself thinking “what on earth do I do with such a large box of quince?” After a few searches on the internet I settled on making a few jars of quince jelly and some quince paste. I find that making quince paste is relatively easy and the resulting product is delicious so this year I purchased more quince and embarked on another quince paste making adventure.

The most difficult part of making quince paste is preparing the quince, which are very firm and difficult to chop. Once you’ve chopped your fruit, the remaining steps are simple and not very time consuming. One of the really lovely things about cooking quince paste is the aroma. The kitchen fills with a fruity scent that reminds me of herbal essences shampoo, but is sweeter.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 pounds quince (I picked mine through LifeCycles Fruitpick)
• 1 vanilla pod, split
• 2 strips (1cm by 4cm each) of lemon peel ( no white pith)
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• About 4-6 cups of granulated sugar, exact amount will be determined during cooking

1 Thoroughly wash the quince to remove all the fuzzy. Then peel and chop roughly. Place chopped quince in a bowl of water. Set the cores aside in another large clean bowl of water for two hours. You will use this water later.

After two hours remove the quince cores from your bowl of water and discard. Place quince pieces in a large saucepan. Add the “quince core water” to the saucepan so that the fruit is barely covered.  Add the vanilla pod and lemon peel and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the quince pieces are fork tender (20-40 minutes).

Raw quince with lemon peel and vanilla pod

2 Strain the water from the quince pieces. Take out the vanilla pod and discard but keep the lemon peel with the quince. Purée the quince pieces in a food processor, blender, or by using a food mill.

Making quince puree with the food-mill

3 For the paste you will need equal quantities of sugar and quince. Measure the quince purée. If you have 4 cups of purée, you’ll need 4 cups of sugar. Return the quince purée to the large pan and add the sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the lemon juice.

Quince puree and sugar

4 Continue to cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-1 1/2 hours, until the quince paste is very thick and has a deep orange pink color. Test by dropping a little of the mixture on a plate to see if it sets to a jam-like consistency when it cools.

5 Preheat oven to a low 125°F (52°C). Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper (do not use wax paper, it will melt!). Grease the parchment paper with a thin coating of butter. Pour the cooked quince paste into the parchment paper-lined baking pan. Smooth out the top of the paste so it is even. Place in the oven for about 8 hours to help it dry. Remove from oven and let cool.

Unset quince paste

5 When I turned my quince paste out I found that the underside was still not set. I simply returned the quince to the baking pan so that the uncooked part was on top. I returned the pan to the oven for three more hours until the paste was fully set.

6 To serve, cut into squares or wedges and present with the spanish Manchego cheese. To eat, take a small slice of the quince paste and spread it on top of a slice of the cheese.

7 Store by wrapping in plastic film and keeping in the refrigerator. Quince paste also makes a nice gift. To present as a gift, put a piece of the paste in a small plastic or wax paper gift bag.

Manchago cheese with quince paste

Quince paste gift!

Watch out my friends, you will be bombarded with my quince paste soon!!!

Ps. to learn a little more about quince read a recent article in Eat Magazine http://www.eatmagazine.ca/article/2009-11-09/quince

Kid friendly Crumsby’s Cupcake Café: Estevan Village

Crumsby's Cupcake Cafe

image credit: Mama in the City

While recently shopping at Estevan Village (2500 block Estevan Avenue) with a friend and her little girl I got the chance to visit Crumbsy’s Cupcake Cafe. I have wanted to try this new cafe since earlier this past summer I spotted its sign advertising cupcakes and its pretty, seaside holiday inspired decor. My long anticipated visit lived up to my expectations. When we stepped inside we found customers sipping tea served in brightly coloured ForLife teapots while lounging pretty outdoor style furniture finished in matt white paint. The holiday furniture is beautifully complemented by the brightly painted blue and yellow walls and the whimsical decorations, such as the tin picture above, perched on shelves.

Tea is served in cute ForLife Teapots

As the name of this cafe suggests Crumsby’s sell a range of cupcakes – in child and adult flavors – as well as mini-muffins in interesting flavors (raspberry oatmeal and lavender lemon). My friend and I both choose a mini-cakes which were delicious while my friend’s little girl had a healthier muffin.

For parents a highlight of Crumsby’s is the play area located  on one side of the cafe. A lot of thought has obviously gone into this space which is furnished with beautiful wooden toys, a large chalkboard and child sized furniture. While my friend and I chatted, drank tea and munched our lovely cup-cakes her little girl played very cheerfully. Indeed she was having so much fun when she thought her mum was coming over to take her home she bolted to the other side of the cafe. What ensued was a very amusing chase around the cafe until eventually the little run away was captured. Luckily for her it wasn’t time to head home. It was muffin time!And she seemed to enjoy the muffin very much. It seems that this little girl is not the only one to appreciate the play area as the cafe was mainly packed with mums and dads with little ones.

While Crumsby’s has many attractions for parents it is definitely a place that the childless will also enjoy. If you want to see a little more of the charms you can check out some lovely pics of the cafe interior and its changing flower displays taken by one of the women who works at the cafe. (see FlickR) or just check out the cafe itself, with or without a little one in tow!

image credit: Mama in the City

Details:

Crumsby’s Cupcake Café 250-595-2221. 2509 Estevan Ave.

Celebrate the apple season with apple based desserts

Apple Sorbet

Last week I participated inLife Cycle’s fruit pick/fruit tree program’s last pick of the year. It was a perfect fall day and the apple trees were glorious. Now I have another 30KG of apples to use up. So over the next few weeks we’ll be making more apple butter, apple chips and some apple based desserts. One of my favorites, which I first tried this summer, is apple sorbet. It is simple to make and delicious either on its own or served with pie. In the summer I made this with spartans with pink flecked flesh and the sorbet turned out a strinking pink (see pictures). I’m keen to try it again with a tarter apple. Another favorite, which I first made last fall, is Cinnamon Baked Apples with Hazelnut-Fennel Brittle. I got the recipe from Eat Magazine which I think is one of the best sources of recipes for seasonal, local produce.

To make this simple apple sorbet all you need is:

• INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/4 pounds eating apples , quartered, cored and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup apple juice or cider
• Apple chips (you can buy them at your local supermarket or make them)
• EQUIPMENT
• Ice-cream maker or shallow metal or plastic container
• Medium saucepan
• Sharp knife
• Fork
• Measuring cup

Over a medium heat combine  apples, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cook until apples are tender. Press the mixture through a metal sieve placed over a bowl. Discard apple skins and stir in apple juice (or cider) and another 1/2 cup water. If making without an ice cream machine, pour into a shallow container and freeze 6 hours, scraping with a fork once or twice to break up crystals. (Or if you do as I did and completely forget about it for 12 hours you may need o take a vegetable masher to it to break it up again! – see pics). If using a machine, churn until firm enough to scoop. Garnish with apple chips.

To make Cinnamon Baked Apples with Hazelnut-Fennel Brittle you need:

INGREDIENTS

• Hazelnuts, whole, toasted and skinned, 1 cup
• Granulated sugar, 1 cup
• Water, 1/4 cup
• Babe’s honey, 2 tbsp
• Salt, 1/4 tsp
• Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp
• Baked Apples
• Brown sugar, 3/4 cup
• Ground cinnamon, 2 tsp
• Apples, 8 medium, such as local Gravenstein, Spartan, Jonagold,Rome Beauty or Spy
• Butter, softened, 8 tsp

EQUIPMENT

• Parchment paper
• melon-baller
• 9X13-inch baking dish
• thick-bottomed medium sauce pan
• sharp knife
• measuring cup

INSTRUCTIONS

brittle

For the brittle, coarsely chop hazelnuts. Measure out 1/3 cup and set aside. Finely chop remaining nuts and set those aside for the apples.

The best way to approach brittle is not to rush and to keep the heat moderate. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a thick-bottomed medium sauce pan, stir sugar with water, honey and salt over low heat until dissolved. Increase heat to medium and let boil and bubble until light amber. Occasionally (and carefully) swirl pan to prevent any dark spots. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour onto parchment. Tilt baking sheet to spread out as thin as possible and sprinkle with chopped nuts and fennel. Let cool completely. Break into shards.

apples

For the apples, in a bowl, mix brown sugar with cinnamon and finely chopped nuts. Trim bottoms of apples so they sit flat. Core apples, using a melon-baller. Peel a 1/2-inch ring around the cored opening. Stuff apples with cinnamon sugar mixture. Press 1 tsp butter into top of each.

Place in a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pour in 1/4 cup water. Cover and bake in preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until very tender, 10 to 20 more minutes. Pierce with a sharp knife to check they are soft all the way through. Serve with vanilla ice cream and tuck in shards of brittle.

recipe credit: Eat Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate the apple season

Spartan apple sorbet

making apple rings from spartans: notice the pink flecks!

local apples

selection of apples picked locally

Apple season is in full swing and we are thoroughly enjoying it.  I used to think that I disliked apples. The slightly dry and powdery texture and watery taste I experienced did nothing for me. But a trip to the Edmonton farmers markets a few years ago transformed my opinions. I realized that what I HATE is the apples sold at large chain grocery stores. Since that revelation I have happily discovered more apple delights. As a volunteer fruit picker with the Lifecycles fruit tree project I have picked giant apples (perfect for apple butter), winter banana apples (also perfect for sauce or apple butter or apple rings), small tart crab apples (perfect for blackberry and apple preserve),  spartans with  pink flecked white flesh (perfect for munching, sauce or sorbet)  and many more wondrous varieties. Apple celebrations continue this Sunday Sep 27 at Sea Cider: http://harbourliving.ca/event/apple-day/

Salt Spring Island Fall Fair

Cake decorating

Fall vegetables

Fall fair chicken wings

Last weekend we checked out the Sooke Fall fair. It took me back to my childhood years living in the country. There was the baking and the knitting, some of it beautiful but much of it in colours and styles that, well let me just say I would never pick. There were pale yellow cardigans, patchwork jackets in all shades of purple and mauve, and pale pink acrylic adult toques. Um. Then there was the pumpkins and zucchinis which were fascinating in their shapes and sizes.  And of course there was music and chickens, and preserves and music. This coming weekend we are checking out the Salt Spring Fall Fair which I’ve been told is a lot of fun. Apparently there is: “a Zucchini race; pies are lined up with little bites taken out of them (jury reports); and pigs are running around with prizes attached to their bums.” Who could miss that?! For all the details see:

http://www.saltspringmarket.com/salt_spring_island/fallfair.htm

Opening & exhibition: Monday’s ninth annual Photo Contest

Monday mag has recently announced the winners of their amateur photo contest. You can see the pics here: http://mondaymag.com/articles/entry/arresting-images/ The opening receiption is tonight. Details of the opening reception and exhibition:

Monday’s Annual Photo Contest
Opening reception 6-9 p.m.
Friday, September 11
Show runs to Wednesday, September 23
10 am-5 pm Monday-Friday
Community Arts Council Gallery,
G6-1001 Douglas (at Fort)
381-2787 • info@cacgv.ca

Victoria Arts & Culture Fair

This Sunday at the Victoria conference centre you can find out about many of the arts and cultures organizations in our fair city for FREE. You can find out more about their schedules for the upcoming season and find about about entrance or ticket costs. Sounds like a great way to learn more about the variety of arts and culture on in this city.

http://www.vicacf.ca/index.html

Check out a fall fair!

This is the month to attend some old style country, agricultural fairs. This labour day long weekennd Saanich is holding its fall fair (see http://www.saanichfair.ca/ for details). Sooke is holding their fall fair on Sep 12 & 13th fair (see http://www.sookefallfair.ca/). The Sooke fair took me back to my childhood years living in the country. There was the baking and the knitting, some of it beautiful but much of it in colours and styles that, well let me just say I would never pick. There were pale yellow cardigans, patchwork jackets in all shades of purple and mauve, and pale pink acrylic adult toques. Um. Then there was the pumpkins and zucchinis which were fascinating in their shapes and sizes.  And of course there was music and chickens, and preserves and music. This coming weekend we are checking out the Salt Spring Fall Fair which I’ve been told is a lot of fun. Apparently there is: “a Zucchini race; pies are lined up with little bites taken out of them (jury reports); and pigs are running around with prizes attached to their bums.” Who could miss that?! For all the details see:

http://www.saltspringmarket.com/salt_spring_island/fallfair.htm

On the same weekend is the Luxton Fall Fair which is apparently the oldest fair on the island. To find out all the details check out their website (Sep 18, 18 -20 http://www.luxtonfair.ca/).

Visit sunwing farms!

Tomato, basil and ricotta salad

Sun Wing farms, growers of fabulous tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers a( and a few other things) will be closing for the winter in a bit over a month. If you get a chance I’d suggest heading out there and picking up a selection of their lovely tomatoes for some late summer salads. Find out more about sunwing at: http://www.sunwingtomatoes.ca/

Some cucumber and tomato salad recipes (based on NY times 101 salad ideas)

Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic vinaigrette.

Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice.

Slice cucumbers thin, toss with red onions and salt, then let sit for 20 to 60 minutes. Rinse, dry, dress with cider vinegar mixed with Dijon mustard; no oil necessary.

Cook whole grape tomatoes in olive oil over high heat until they brown lightly, sprinkling with curry powder. Cool a bit, then toss with chopped arugula, loads of chopped mint and lime juice.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/18/5-farmers-markets/