Sunday Dinner

Faegan likes to play outside with his dad on the weekend.  This frees me up to do what I like best - cook.  Once again pears are featured in this recipe and the result was outstanding.  By far one of the best soups I have ever made.

SWEET POTATO SOUP with Roasted Garlic and Pear

600 grams organic  sweet potato

1 ripe organic pear, cored and diced

1 head of organic garlic

1 Tbsp organic salted butter

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 cups water or stock

1 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp sea salt

pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Roast sweet potato in it's jacket until soft.  At the same time, slice the top off the head of garlic and roast it in the oven by placing it in a covered oven proof pot or in some foil.  It is done when it is mushy and easy to squirt out.  

Saute the onion in the butter in a large soup pot until the onion is soft.  When the roasting is complete, add the sweet potato, garlic, water, thyme, salt, pear and pepper to the pot.  Bring to a light boil and then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until pear is cooked.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or minced chives.

RAW WILTED KALE SALAD with Pepitas, Arame and Carrot

1 small bunch of organic kale, deveined and chopped

1 organic carrot, shredded

1/2 organic red pepper, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup arame seaweed, soaked in warm water

1/8 cup organic sunflower seeds

1/8 cup organic pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 Tbsp organic sesame oil (not toasted)

1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp organic tamari soya sauce

Method:  In a large bowl, drizzle the tamari over the kale and massage it into the leaves with your hands.  Add the other ingredients and toss.

CHEESE AND ONION TWIST

20 g organic butter

1 large onion, chopped

250 g organic whole wheat flour

250 g organic unbleached white flour

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp pepper

125 g organic butter

125 g shredded organic cheese

1 organic egg, lightly beaten

300 ml organic whole milk

1 organic egg beaten with 2 Tbsp organic whole milk for glazing

1 1/2 Tbsp organic sesame or poppy seeds

Method: Preheat oven to 425* and grease a cookie sheet.  Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook onion over a low heat for 10 minutes without browning.

     Put flour, salt, baking powder, mustard and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Stir in the cheese then add egg and milk. Stir until mixture clumps around spoon, then continue mixing by hand until a rough dough forms. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.

     Divide dough in half, then divide each half into three.  Roll each portion into a long rope about 45 cm long.  Press three rolls together at one end then braid.  Join final ends .  Make second loaf the same way.

     Transfer braids to the tray and brush the surface with the egg/milk, and sprinkle with the onion and sesame seeds.  Bake until golden brown about 30 mins.

Autumn Sunday Brunch

Most Sundays we tend to eat a hearty brunch.  It is the only morning of the week that Scott is home for breakfast so I like to prepare something special.  Since we live kind of far from the city and the great brunch restaurants like Jane's on the Commons, Saege and Fid, we like to eat food that makes us feel like we've gone out for breakfast.

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST - Two Ways

SAVOURY

2 organic eggs

1/8 cup organic whole milk

4 slices homemade organic whole w

heat bread

salt and pepper

organic salted butter

Optional Fillings- dijon mustard, sliced red onion, olives, chutney, pesto, hot peppers, green or red peppers, capers, smoked salmon, smoked turkey, ham, bacon, tomato, variety of cheeses, salsa, pepperoni, salami

For this brunch I made two kinds of savoury sandwiches:

 1) smoked turkey breast, organic swiss cheese, dijon, thinly sliced red onion

2) dijon, swiss cheese, red onion thinly sliced, cherry tomatoes

Method: Whisk the egg, milk, salt and pepper together in a medium size bowl.  Assemble the sandwiches, making sure that there is dijon on both pieces of bread and that you start and end with cheese when you are layering.  The dijon and melted cheese keep the sandwich from falling apart when you dip and fry.

     Preheat oven to 200*.  Heat a medium sized cast iron skillet over med-low heat.  When hot, melt 1/2 Tbsp of butter in the skillet.  Dip assembled sandwich in the egg mix and place one face down into butter and cook about 5 minutes over a moderate flame until the cheese starts to melt, the toast is nice and golden.  Flip over and cook another 5 minutes until melted thouroghly.  

SWEET

4 slices homemade organic whole wheat bread                      

1 organic pear, cored and thinly sliced

3 Tbsp organic chocolate hazelnut spread

2 organic eggs

1/8 cup organic whole milk

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp organic cinnamon

a few blueberries or other fruit for garnish

Whisk the egg, milk, 1 Tbsp of maple syrup and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.

Coat one side of each slice of bread with the chocolate spread.  Add a layer of the sliced pear. Sandwich the bread together and dip in the egg mix.  Melt the butter in the skillet and fry each side until golden brown and warmed through (about 8 minutes).  Drizzle with maple syrup and fresh blueberries.

Pastry, Two Ways

Part of the challenge of living "in the country" is that we have limited access to food supplies. There is an Atlantic Superstore in Porter's Lake which is 10 minutes away, and they do offer some organic foods, but no organic meat.  So when we run out, we make do with what we have until I make my weekly trip into Halifax to restock.  That is why we place bulk orders with local organic farmers for beef, lamb and chicken.  We are in the process of organizing one of these orders at the moment, so until then, we buy in small quantities.  Today was one of those days where the only thing I could think of to make with what we had on hand was quiche. Which led to me making whole wheat pastry, tripling the recipe so I could make a pie too.

PASTRY DOUGH

1 3/4 cup organic unbleached pastry flour

1 cup organic whole wheat or spelt flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

90 g (6 Tbsp) chilled organic unsalted butter

120 g (8 Tbsp) organic palm oil

8 Tbsp (120 ml) ice water

     Combine the flours and salt in a bowl.  Cut in the butter and palm oil until it resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle in the ice water and mix until the dough holds together.  Form into two balls and place in a covered dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

     Lightly flour your counter surface and then pat the dough out and flatten about 6".

     Roll out the dough to a size slightly larger than your pie plate.  Press the dough lightly into the plate.  Trim any excess dough, leaving just enough to slightly tuck under once we assemble the pie.  

    ** If you are using this pastry for a recipe that only requires a bottom crust, divide recipe in half and fold the overhanging pastry inwards, leaving a double crust along the side and a rounded edge on top.

QUICHE with Broccoli, Mushroom, Zucchini and Swiss 

1 cup chopped organic broccoli

1/2 cup organic mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup organic zucchini, sliced

1/2 cup organic onion, chopped

5 organic eggs

1/3 cup organic whole milk

1 cup organic Swiss cheese, grated

1 tbsp olive oil or organic butter

sea salt and pepper

1 pastry dough, uncooked in a pie plate

Preheat oven to 350*.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the oil.   Saute onion, broccoli, zucchini and mushroom for about 5 minutes or until soft.  In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs well until adding the milk and salt and pepper.

Fill the bottom of the pastry dough with the cheese.  Add the sauteed vegetable on top of the cheese.  Then pour in the egg mixture.  Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until the egg has set and the quiche is lightly browned.

Prep time: Crust takes 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to chill.  Filling takes 15 minutes to make.  

        

AUTUMN PEAR PIE with Crystallized Ginger

8 medium sized organic pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup

6 pieces crystallized ginger, diced

grated zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

double crust pastry

Method: Make the pastry and preheat oven to 325*.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon filling into pie shell.  Gently place remaining dough circle on top of filling.  Roll edge of top crust gently under bottom crust and press edges to seal.  Pierce top crust decoratively in several place to allow steam to escape.  Bake 45-60 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is beginning to brown.

Prep time: Crust takes 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to chill.  Filling takes 5 minutes, assembly takes 5 minutes.

We needed a little salad to go with the quiche so I decided to use up some leftover quinoa we had in the fridge.  Scott warned there may be frost tonight, so I went into the garden to harvest all the red tomatoes, green pepper, green onions and cucumbers so they wouldn't die in the cold.

QUINOA SALAD

3 cups organic quinoa

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 cup minced endive

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 parsley, minced

olive oil

umeboshi vinegar 

red wine vinegar

sea salt and pepper

Combine the vegetables and quinoa in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, vinegars, salt and pepper.

Welcoming Autumn One Bite at a Time

In our house we take food seriously.  Food to me is more than a way to stave off hunger, it is a celebration of life each day as we gather around the table at supper.  It is the only time in the day that our family is all together.  Over a delicious meal we reconnect as a family, sitting in a circle with a candle lit and sometimes when the mood strikes me, I cut some seasonal flowers to bring to the table.  I try to remember to slow it down, take the time, relax and commune with the energy I am about to receive.  It is from this place of love that I invite you to journey with me as I share recipes, stories and images with you from our kitchen on our little homestead by the sea....  

     Admittedly, it is me who takes food the most seriously.  I love food - cooking it, eating it, shopping for it, growing it, harvesting it, sharing it and on and on.....Food for me is also my activism.  My aim is to be socially responsible by supporting organic agriculture, local seasonal producers and businesses that are conscious about the impact our food choices have on the health of ourselves and generations to come. Actions speak way louder than words, and where we spend our money has a big impact.  There are a few guidelines I have created to help me make good choices when it comes to food: 

1. Avoid non-organic corn, soy, canola and wheat.  Odds are if it isn't organic, it has been genetically modified.  This also applies to meat and dairy products- farmers feed animals food that contains GMO's.  For more information about why GMO's are best avoided please visit http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/genetic-engineering

2. Avoid hydrogenated and modified vegetable oils.  These foods cause heart disease.  For more info visit http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/index.html

3. Avoid processed foods as much as possible.

4. Eat locally

5. Eat organically

6.  Eat more raw foods.

7. Make your own food as much as possible.

8. Grow your own food, raise your own animals.

9. Eat seasonally

GIVING THANKS

     I've recently begun the ritual of giving thanks for our food before we eat.  The idea of blessing our food before we eat has always appealed to me.  Now that I have a child, it is especially important to me that we take the time to appreciate all that has gone into the creation of this food.  That means we remember and acknowledge the farmers, we give thanks to the animals who have been sacrificed so that we may eat, to the elements of earth, sun, wind and rain, as well as the person who took the time to create a delicious meal for us to enjoy.  Most of all we acknowledge that awesome creative energy that is behind everything which can only be described as "Wahe Guru" ( I am in ecstasy when I experience that indescribable wisdom!) which takes place with each and every bite.

SAMPLE MEAL BLESSING

Blessing on the blossom, blessing on the root

Blessing on the leaf and stem, blessing on the fruit.

    

Recent autumn recipes:

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Although these can be enjoyed anytime of year, I made these a couple of days ago and I can't stop eating them.

1/3 cup organic salted butter

1 cup organic natural peanut 

butter

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (or any biscuit crumbs)

3 generous tablespoons organic agave syrup or honey 

1 cup organic milk chocolate

1/4 cup milk

12 cup paper muffin shells

In a small pan over medium heat melt the butter.  Then stir in the peanut butter, cookie crumbs and sugar.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of this mixture into muffin tins lined with the paper shells.  Put in the freezer until hard.  In anot

her pot melt the chocolate and milk together, stirring often.  Then spoon the warm chocolate mix onto the hardened peanut cups. 

 Set in fridge 6-8 hours before serving.

                                             

AUTUMN PEARS

Last Saturday at the Halifax Farmer's Market I picked up two huge bags of organic pears from Boate's Apple Farm.  This is the third year in a row that I have done this.  They are such delicious pears once you let them ripen on the counter.  But what do you do with sooo many?  Every year my Excalibur dehydrator gets a workout when I slice tray after tray of pears for making dried pears. Great on their own or in trail mix.

By the way this picture only shows half of the pears I bought, the rest are in 

the fridge in the basement to slow 

down the ripening process.

DRIED PEARS

Method: Peel and core pears.  Slice each paper vertically into 4-6 slices, place on dehydrator tray and dry at 105 * for about 10 hours or until they are dry!

Store in a mason jar.