FEAST OF THE DEAD

You’re Invited to Join Us For An Ancestor’s Feast this Halloween

SAMHAIN  Saturday October 31 5:30 pm

     Translated into English, Samhain (SOW-WIN) means the end of summer, and marks the Celtic New Year and the end of the harvest season. The gardens have ceased to produce, and now there is nothing left but dry and dead stalks. The perennials have gone dormant so that they may return to us in the spring. Animals have been brought in from the pastures for the winter, and meat has been cured and prepared to last us through the cold months. The herbs have been gathered, the grain has been picked, and the pantry is stocked with the multi-hued jars of preserves. The harvest is over, and now it's time to settle in for winter with the coziness of a warm fireplace, heavy blankets, and big pots of comfort food.

     Samhain is when the earth literally dies for the season and the time in the wheel of the year where we contemplate the endless cycle of life, death, and eventual rebirth. Symbolically, the pagan celebration of Samhain marks the end of the Old Year and the beginning of the New. Fires are lit to brighten the darkening days of autumn.

     This time was considered by the Celts to be a “crack between the worlds.” As time passes between one year and another, it belongs to neither, standing beyond the confines of normal reality. It is believed to be the one night when the veil that separates our world from the next is at its thinnest. A time when the spiritual and material worlds touch for a moment, allowing the dead to mingle in the world of the living. Their spirit and memory are welcomed and celebrated with a feast attended by their kin. Traditionally, the Feast of The Dead, was a festival of remembrance, honouring those who had left this world. On the eve of Samhain, people would leave their houses lit throughout the night to help the dead find their way along the dark path from the tomb. And once these travellers arrived, they were welcomed and refreshed with food and drink. Many prepared a feast, and set a plate at the table for their dead relatives. 

     Please come and honour and celebrate your ancestors with a special feast with us! At this time it is customary to prepare your ancestor’s favourite foods for dinner, as is the custom in Mexico where the spirits are greeted with offerings of food and things that the person enjoyed in life. It is believed that the spirits consume the essence and the aroma of the foods that are offered. When the spirits depart, the living consume the food and share it with their family, friends and neighbours. You might also like to bring a photo of your dearly departed. We will also have a bonfire going with “healthier” marshmallows and “healthier” treats for the kids. Please RSVP to let us know if you will be joining! Costumes encouraged…..

     The invitations were sent, the preparations were made, and the guests arrived. It was a relaxed and enjoyable dinner party with the wee ones going nuts playing and gorging on their "treats" - bags of organic lollipops and gummy bears.  My children only receive candy on holidays - a compromise I can live with, and which makes the candy (and holidays) special. 

     For the feast I honoured both my Greek and French Canadian ancestors by preparing a classic French Canadian Pea Soup, (made even better with the addition of smoked pork hock from Mirella Rose Farm), Turkey Kokinisto with Rice and Maroulosalata using Nappa Cabbage instead of Romaine Lettuce. This meal was feeling a little one sided as my husband Scott's family wasn't being represented so we agreed making Grandma Hazel's classic old school Easy Cherry Cheesecake was in order - but we needed a serious recipe redux to make it REAL food style or no one would eat it. Much to my horror Scott exclaimed Hazel would punch me in the face for doing that.  Uh oh.  I did it anyway. And it was good - so, so, so good that even our gluten free guests had to try a piece. Now I apologize but it's been kind of hectic around here and I just didn't get the photos of the delicious dishes that I would have liked so I am going to borrow a few images so you get the idea. Luckily I did take a few of the Cherry Cheesecake on Instagram though!

Photo from Food.com

CLASSIC FRENCH CANADIAN PEA SOUP

with Smoked Ham Hock

1 pound dried yellow split peas 

1/2 pound smoke ham hock, cut into pieces

3 quarts chicken stock

3 medium onions, chopped

2 carrots, cut into cubes

3 bay leaves

3 celery stalks, chopped

sea salt and pepper

Method: Wash and drain the peas. Heat some butter or oil in a large soup pot and sauté the onion, carrots and celery. When the onion is translucent, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 1 hour. Bring to a boil again, lower heat and let simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until peas are cooked. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste. 

Photo from Jamie Oliver.com

GREEK TURKEY KOKINISTO 

with Rice

2 large turkey legs and thighs, skin removed (or 1 chicken cut into pieces)

5 Tbsp butter or olive oil

2 onions

sea salt and pepper

1 small can tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried Greek oregano

water or chicken stock

Method: Preheat oven to 350*. In a large casserole dish, heat butter and saute the turkey until golden on each side. Remove from pan and then sauté the onion until translucent. Return the meat to the pan, along with salt and pepper, tomato, bay leaves and oregano. Add enough stock or water to just cover the turkey. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Check liquid to make sure it measure 3 cups, if necessary add more water. Stir in the rice and shake the casserole to mix it in and continue to bake uncovered for 20 minutes longer, or until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed. Remove from oven and serve hot with feta cheese.

NO BAKE CHERRY CHEESCAKE DESSERT

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup raw wheat germ

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 Tbsp local honey

Method: Preheat oven to 350*. Whisk flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Put butter, coconut sugar, and honey into a bowl and using a mixer, mix until light and fluffy (2-3 mins). Reduce to low and and add the flour mixture until combined.

Turn the dough out on a floured surface, and divide into quarters. Roll out each piece between two pieces of parchment paper into rectangles about 9"X6".

Trim the outer edges if desired and divide into three 6"X3" rectangles, scoring each piece in half and lengthwise and crosswise to form crackers. Chill in freezer for 20 minutes.

Remove from freezer and pierce each cracker with the tines of a fork. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment and bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then make cookie crumbs in your food processor.

CHERRY PIE FILLING

4 cups organic frozen cherries

1/4-1/2 cup local maple syrup

1/4 cup organic corn starch

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Method: In a large saucepan, combine the maple syrup, cherries, half the water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  Dilute the cornstarch with the rest of the water and whisk until smooth. Slowly add to the hot cherry mixture and cook stirring until nice and thick.  Allow to cool.

WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM

1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk 

1-2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method: Chill your coconut cream or milk upside down in the fridge overnight. Also chill a large mixing bowl 10 minutes before whipping.

The next day, remove the can from the fridge without tipping or shaking and

remove the base of the can. Pour off the liquid and reserve the cream. Place cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until

creamy. Then add vanilla and maple syrup and mix until creamy and smooth - about 1 minute. 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbsp coconut sugar

1/4 cup melted organic butter

2 cups coconut whipped cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

8 oz organic cream cheese, softened

28 oz cherry pie filling

Method: Grease a 9 X 9 baking pan. In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and the coconut sugar. Spread in the bottom of the pan to form a crust. 

Mix the whipped coconut cream and then add the cream cheese and vanilla a little bit at a time. Taste for sweetness and add maple syrup to taste. Smooth on top of crust. Top with cherry pie filling.

Cover and chill at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.

SUPER SIMPLE (and fast) BROTH

I am just about to make a bit pot of turkey soup and wanted to let you in on an amazing tip:  pressure cookers make the BEST broth.  I even amazed myself last night when after Christmas dinner I proceeded to pick all the turkey meat off the bones, put away leftovers, and still have the energy (and desire) to make broth.  The reason for this my friends, is that I was dying to try making broth using my pressure cooker because I knew it would only take 30 minutes.  What?!  That's right, you can make the awesome, nutrient dense bone broth that we all know is so good for us, in as much time as it takes you to watch a sitcom on tv.  I know, I know, I even posted a vlog detailing the 12-24 hour bone broth marathons I used to have - but no longer.  I am a pressure cooker convert.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this was the best turkey broth I have ever made.  It even looked beautiful, a lovely golden yellow.  So, if you are out there with a fridge full of turkey and a carcass just begging to be made into soup, try using your pressure cooker - I swear you will thank me.  

TURKEY BROTH (that will raise the dead)

Okay, so just to pre-empt this recipe, my pressure cooker is big, but not huge, so I had to divide the carcass and only put half in my pot.  Don't worry, the other half is tucked in the freezer for another cold winter day when I am in the mood for soup.

1/2 organic free range turkey carcass

1 large organic carrot, chopped

2 organic leeks or onions, chopped

2 organic celery stalks, chopped

1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

organic black pepper, ground

optional- bay leaf, thyme

Method:  Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker pot, close lid and bring to high pressure, lower heat just enough to sustain pressure (like 1 or 2 your stove dial) and let cook for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow the pressure to subside on it's own.  Strain and reserve stock for soup or freeze.  Another tip:  I like to freeze my stock in stainless steel bowls in the freezer and then I either forget about them and the bowls stay in the freezer until I make soup, or I tip the frozen stock chunks out and store them in a freezer container until ready to use - no plastic!)

HOT ROCKING

We rocked it New Year's....hot rocked it that is, or rather hot stoned.  My $3.99 Value Village purchase of a Hot Stone Grill a few year's ago finally got a workout.  Luckily all the parts were in the box because I didn't actually check it until the morning of the dinner party (uh oh!).  

I had no idea how the thing worked because I'd never seen one in action, but luckily it was pretty straight forward and actually not all that different from a fondue really.  You see you have a stone platter with handles that gets placed into a cold oven and then warmed up to 400* for half an hour.  

The three little fondue style fuel pots then get lit, which gives you just enough time to grill enough food to feed 4 adults.  Now, I'm not so sure it was the greatest idea to host this kind of dinner party with two four year olds and two almost one year olds in attendance, but hey, we survived despite the chaos of it all. 

 Even though my whole house was filled with smoke from grilling indoors, I think I'm addicted to the hot stone grill!

*The 2012 New Year's Hot Stone Grill Menu*

Mini  Greek Lamb Patties

Scott's Wild Turkey - Tandoori Style

Miso Marinated Scallops

Balsamic Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

Red and Yellow Bell Peppers

Asian Style Noodles and Salad

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream and Waffles with Warm Chocolate Sauce (that seized)

GREEK LAMB PATTIES

1 pound ground grass fed lamb

1 small organic onion, grated

1 clove organic garlic, minced

1/4 cup organic whole wheat bread crumbs

1 organic egg

1 tsp dried organic mint

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Combine all ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes, then form them into small, flat patties.

MISO MARINATED SCALLOPS

1 pound wild scallops, tough bit removed

2 Tbsp organic white miso

1 Tbsp organic sugar

2 Tbsp mirin

1 tsp organic sesame oil

Method:  Combine all the miso, sugar, mirin and oil in a bowl and whisk.  Add the scallops and allow to marinate for a few hours.  Remove from marinade and grill.

TANDOORI TURKEY

1 1/2 pounds organic turkey breast, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup organic yogurt

1 Tbsp organic lemon juice

1/2 Tbsp organic minced garlic

1/2 Tbsp organic peeled and minced ginger

1/2 Tbsp organic ground cumin

1/2 tsp organic ground coriander

1/8 tsp organic ground cardamom

1/8 tsp organic ground cloves

1/8 tsp organic ground black pepper

1 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Method:  Marinate the turkey in a bowl with all of the above ingredients except salt, which you add just before cooking.

TURKEY PAILLARDS

When you need to get some frustration out, think Turkey Paillards.  One huge turkey breast is cut into medallions, then you bang the hell out of it with a cast iron skillet till they're nice and flat.  Tastes great, grilled with a side of grilled asparagus.  Happy long weekend!

TURKEY PAILLARDS

1 free range, pasture raised turkey breast

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 Tbsp fresh oregano

1/2 Tbsp Tom's Spice

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

zest of 1 organic lemon

2 cloves organic garlic, smashed and minced

Method:  Prepare turkey breast as described above.  Lay in a baking dish and season with herbs, oil and spice.  Warm up barbeque and then grill about 1-2 minutes each side.

Dinner with Friends

Our neighbours Terry and Serena came over for dinner tonight.  We take turns making dinner for each other, and tonight I made one of my favorite meals - Breaded Turkey Cutlets with Barbecue Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Salad and Tiramisu.  Scott thought I was nuts, coming home after a long day at the Farmer's Market and busting out the baking paraphernalia to make Lady Fingers from scratch.  What can I say, I am a purist and didn't want to buy the packaged ones from the Italian Market that had junky stuff in them.......

BREADED TURKEY CUTLETS with Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 pasture raised or organic turkey breast, cut into 1" slices (about 8-10 slices)

3 organic eggs

1/3 cup organic flour

3 1/2 cups fresh organic whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 cup organic vegetable oil

sea salt and pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese

Method:  Place two pieces of the cut turkey into an open ziploc bag and using a heavy cast iron fry pan, flatten the turkey by banging them on a counter.  Combine the breadcrumbs, some sea salt and pepper, and the cheese in a large bowl.  Place the flour in a separate bowl.  Whisk the eggs in another.  Heat a large cast iron pan with about 4 Tbsp of the oil over medium heat.  Dip each cutlet in the flour, shake off excess, then dip into the eggs, letting all the excess drip off, and finally dredge in the breadcrumbs.  Cook the cutlet for a few minutes on each side until nice and golden.  Keep warm in a 200* oven.  Add more oil to the pan for each batch of cutlets.

BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup organic ketchup

1/3 cup organic coconut sugar (or maple syrup)

2 Tbsp organic lime juice or apple cider vinegar

2 cloves organic garlic, minced

1 organic onion, finely chopped

4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Method:  Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.  Serve over the turkey cutlets and mashed potatoes.

TIRAMISU

1 tub organic low fat cream cheese (250g) at room temperature

1  cup local maple syrup

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp brandy

1 cup brewed very strong organic coffee

1/4 cup brandy

2 cups organic whipping cream

1/4 cup organic cocoa powder

1 batch homemade lady finger biscuits

Method:  Lightly oil a medium sized spring form pan.  Combine the coffee, 1/4 cup brandy and 1/4 cup of the maple syrup in a bowl.  Beat the cream cheese and maple syrup in the bowl of your mixer at medium high speed until smooth and creamy.  Add the vanilla and the 2 Tbsp of brandy.  Beat again until fluffy.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Whip the cream on high speed until stiff.  Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with spatula and blend well.

     One at a time, dip each lady finger in the coffee and line the bottom of the pan.  Spread half of the cream mixture on top, sprinkle with half of the cocoa.  Repeat.  Cover pan with a plate and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

HOMEMADE LADY FINGERS

4 organic egg yolks

1/2 cup organic sugar

4 organic egg whites

pinch of sea salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup organic flour

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Put the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on medium high speed for about 8 minutes. Remove from the bowl and whisk the egg whites until stiff.  Add the egg whites, flour, salt and vanilla to the egg yolks and sugar, folding to mix thoroughly.  Fill a large pastry bag with a 3/4" plain tube piping tip.  Pipe fingers about 4 1/2" in length on to the baking sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm on the outside, soft in the centre and starting to slightly brown.  

Leftovers You Love

I have fond memories of my mom always making soup from leftover turkey the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas. So in keeping with this tradition I picked all the turkey off the bones and made a great stock which served as the base for this Greek soup which can be made with turkey or chicken stock.

AVGOLEMONO (Greek Egg Lemon Soup)

6 cups turkey stock

1/2 cup organic short or long grain brown rice (or use white rice or orzo pasta)

2 organic eggs

1/4 cup organic lemon juice

sea salt and pepper

2 cups leftover turkey

Method:  Bring stock to a boil over high heat.  Add rice, lower heat and simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes for brown rice (15-20 for white or orzo).  Reduce heat.  In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks.  Using a hand blender, beat the egg whites until they are frothy.  Then mix in the yolks.  Add the lemon juice.  Slowly, pour a few ladlefuls of stock into the egg mix. Then pour this into the soup stock.  Add the turkey pieces and stir. Heat without boiling for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Be sure not to cover the pot with a lid or it may curdle.

Giving Thanks

This was my fifth time roasting a turkey and I decided to try brining.  A couple of years ago my friend Paul did this with his turkey and itwas by far the tastiest, moistest turkey I ever ate.  I decided to try using maple syrup instead of white sugar for my brine, and used up the last of the fresh sage from the garden along with some garlic and thyme.  The result was an excellent tasting turkey, but I think I slightly overcooked it.  All the guests who like white meat claimed it was very moist and didn't thing it was overcooked at all!  It was also a very dark turkey which I think was due in part to the honey in the brine.  Aside from forgetting to turn the oven on for the first hour of cooking, the feast was a great success!  My favorite part, as always was the stuffing.  It is the same recipe my mom made every Christmas and Thanksgiving and I will never tire of it. The pumpkin pie made with the freshly roasted pumpkins from the garden was AMAZING and I am mad at myself for having made tofu pumpkin pies for so many years.  The real deal traditional pies are great!

MAPLE BRINED TURKEY with Whole Wheat Savoury Stuffing

1- 16 pound pasture raised turkey
1 1/4 cups coarse sea salt
1.25 litres boiling water
150 ml local maple syrup
8 litres cold water
5 tsp organic whole peppercorns
20 bay leaves
4 organic apples, sliced
2 organic onions, sliced

bunch of organic thyme

bunch of organic sage

6 cloves organic garlic, peeled

1 carrot

2 organic celery stalks

Stuffing:

5 cups organic whole wheat bread, cubed

3 Tbsp organic poultry seasoning

1 organic onion, chopped

2 organic celery stalks, chopped

2 cups organic mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pack of organic bacon, sliced

1/4 cup each minced organic parsely, thyme, sage and marjoram

sea salt and pepper

organic butter

Gravy: 1 cup organic chicken stock or white wine

2/3 cup organic unbleached white flour

6 cups water

Method for Stuffing:

Preheat oven to 350*. Place cubed bread in a pan and toast lightly in the oven for about 15 mins.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon, onion, celery and mushrooms to pan.  Saute until the onion is soft and the bacon begins to brown, then add the seasoning and some salt and pepper.  Fry for about 2 minutes, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add the herbs and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Method for Turkey:

Rinse turkey in cool water.  Combine the boiling water, salt, and maple syrup in a large heat proof bowl.  Stir until salt is dissolved.  Add the cold water, garlic, peppercorns, vegetables, and herbs in a large stainless steel stock pot and immerse turkey in the brine for at least 12 hours (I did ours for 18).  Then remove the turkey and pat dry, placing it in a stainless steel roasting pan, on a little rack.  Tuck the wings under the bird so they don't burn while you roast the turkey.

   

Stuff the neck part first, careful not to pack it in too tightly.  Using large toothpicks pin the flap of skin to to the turkey to keep the stuffing in.  Turn it over and stuff the back end (make sure the gizzards and neck are removed!), leaving a nice pile of the stuffing sticking out for picking on as the bird roasts.  Tie the legs together with cooking twine.  Rub the turkey with salted butter and sprinkle with some black pepper.  Place it on the rack and add the carrot, celery and onion to the bottom of the pan along with the neck and 2 cups of chicken stock.

     Preheat oven to 350* with rack in lowest position.  Tent the bird with foil to prevent  browning too quickly.  Roast 1 hour then baste it every 30 minutes with pan liqiuds until a thermometer reads 125*, about 3 hours.  Remove foil and continue to roast until thigh reaches 175*, about 45 minutes.  Tent it again if it browns too quickly.  Transfer turkey to platter to rest while you make gravy.

Gravy: Place the pan on the stove across 2 burners.  Bring pan liquids to a boil over a high heat. Cook stirring until liquid has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Keep cooking, stirring until the vegetables have browned, about 5  minutes.  Add the stock or wine, cook, stirring constantly until syrupy, 1-2 mins.  Add the flour, cook stirring until flour is incorporated and browned, about 2 minutes. Slowely add 6 cups of water; bring to a simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Continue cooking until gravy reaches the consistency you like.  Pour gravy through a mesh sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep warm. 

After turkey has rested about 20 minutes, remove the stuffing and carve.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE

1 whole wheat pastry crust, unbaked

1 1/3 cups cooked organic pumpkin puree

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup organic cream

1/2 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp organic cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh grated organic nutmeg

1/8 tsp organic grated ginger

3 organic eggs

1 Tbsp organic unbleached white flour

1 tsp sea salt

Method: Preheat oven to 350*.  Blend all ingredients together.  Pour into pie shell and bake for about 45-60 minutes.  Let cool before serving.