Must Love Peas

Beautiful pea shoots from Mission, BC.

I am a big fan of happy collisions, and one of the summer’s best is the collision of halibut season and pea season.

Yes, it is that time of year. Peas planted in the March cold are sweet and ripe and halibut is plentiful.

I’m convinced that the arrival of both of these delicious foodstuffs is part of a grand cosmic scheme to inspire fine dining chock-full of healthy goodness. (The food gods do want us to be healthy and happy!)

Last week hubby and I (another happy collision!) collaborated on a made-in-July summer dinner inspired by a find of fresh pea-shoots at the local Farmer’s Market. Not only that, my sadly neglected June issue of Bon Appetit magazine just happened to feature a mouthwatering recipe featuring peas, pea shoots, and halibut. Spooky, I know. Another collision.

My fresh peas (and some back-up frozen ones) make a happy addition  to the pea & spinach puree

The dish starts out with a puree of peas and spinach. A super-healthy combination that comes out a rich, deep green. Fresh peas – which I just happen to have in my very own funny little garden – are added, and at the last, as the halibut is grilling, fresh pea shoots are wilted into the puree. (On points, I’d probably omit this last step and just serve the pea shoots fresh on the side. They seemed to give the puree a certain ‘weediness’, and they are so pert and delicious on their own).

Halibut on the grill. OMG.

A mixture of finely sliced lemon rind, shallots, parsley (from the garden too!) and olive oil makes a kind of a gremolata/salsa to top the fish that gives it a real boost. There is this bright, fresh pea puree taste combined with the buttery-smoky halibut, and then the sparkly sharp lemony salsa kick. Yummy.

Salsa-y gremolata tops the fish. Oh my.

This meal is elegant, summery and uber-healthy. Plus clean. Yes, I am still on my cleanse (ten weeks and counting!) and this dish alone could convince me to stick with it.  Of course, you must love peas. Which I do. 

Peas and halibut – so happy together…

Spring Things

It’s wet on the west coast. Cold, too. My peas are up and the beans are starting – but oh my! It’s cold in the garden. I just returned from our home-away-from-home in sunny Scottsdale and it is spring in the desert, too. Different though. Very different. How? Glad you asked.

Sunny.
Dry.
Blue, blue sky.
Hot.

Did I mention sunny?

One of my favourite trees around the pool at our complex in Scottsdale. See that sky? Blue.

Lots to see and do, too. If you’re inclined. Mostly, I was reclined – by the pool. Because it was hot. Did I mention hot?

Here we are on a tour of Taliesen West – Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home/studio/school. See how everyone is clustered into that litlle wee patch of shade? Because it is hot. And sunny. (The elegant looking woman in the white hat is my mother-in-law. How does she do it? Elegant in shorts and a shirt.)

Here is what we are all looking at. Taliesen West. See that sky? Still blue.

Of course it wasn’t all fun and games. We had to paint the condo. Well, Painter-Don did. I was busy. By the pool.

Here’s Painter-Don waving to all you blog readers. Is he sweating? He should get by the pool! ….it’s hot.

And did I mention sunny? It’s sunny, too.

Here I am. By the pool. I can’t figure out why I am so happy looking. Oh yes. I’m by the pool. It’s hot. And sunny.

Aunty O’Valerie’s Soda Bread

Yes, April is well upon us and I haven’t posted the new Recipe of the Month (ROM) yet! I’m quickly reposting the March recipe and then saving it with the ROM tag, so you can always find it if you want (and really, you should want it – it’s fab!) April’s Asparagus will be next!

Aunty Val’s Irish Soda Bread

Aunty O’Valerie. (Not exactly as pictured) This bread is a breeze to make and is an absolute must-have with homemade soups and stews. I recently served it warm from the oven alongside vegetarian chili to my visiting nieces and it was a hit. The girls eagerly tore into it – (girls after my own heart *sigh*) – and wisely preferred it to a store bought olive bread also on offer (no surprise to me. Ahem.).

This is one of my dear Aunty O’Valerie’s stand-by recipes and has become one of mine, too –  as have so many of her recipes. I offer it to you just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

2 c whole wheat flour


2 c white flour


1 tsp baking soda


1/2 tsp salt


2 c buttermilk


1 egg


1-2 Tbsp sugar


1/4 c oil (canola)

Sift dry ingredients together. Mix in wet. Shape dough into an oval on a greased baking sheet (the dough will be sticky so use flour on your hands). Slightly score the top. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour in the middle of the oven.

This recipe can be successfully doubled – just be sure to use two baking sheets. 

Soda Bread (pretty much as pictured)

Asparagus!

This amazing pic is by Jenn Co-McMillan at Alchemy Photographic Arts. Check out her work on her blog 365 Days of Alchemy (on my list).

This post is dedicated to Lisa S, for her perseverance, foodiness, and generally being a good sport. She has hounded me (in the good way) for this recipe. I think it is a perfect one to launch spring – and yes – you know what that means: ASPARAGUS SEASON.

Asparagus is my one weakness (ahem) and this is my favourite way to serve it. This recipe is from the amazing Diane Clements of The Tomato Cafe restaurant fame (among other things – like being an Olympian!)

Asparagus Nicoise Salad

Asparagus
Tomatoes
Nicoise or calamata olives
Capers

Dressing:
3 T red wine vinegar
2 t Dijon mustard
2/3 c olive oil
salt + freshly ground pepper to taste

Trim and cook asparagus until just al dente. Plunge into an ice bath to prevent continued cooking.
Drain and lay out on paper towelling to absorb any moisture. (at this point it can be refrigerated until later or even overnight)
Whisk together vinegar and mustard, add olive oil and mix well. S + P to taste.
Seed and chop 2-4 ripe tomatoes
When ready to serve lay out asparagus on a pretty platter, spread chopped tomatoes, 1/2 c olives (drained) and 2 T of capers on top of asparagus. Drizzle salad dressing over all or pass dressing at the table.

Et Voila!

Marvellous Marmalade: A Cure for the Winter Blues

Yes, I know I promised that I would blog about bread – and I have (in a way) – by posting Aunty O’Valerie’s Irish Soda Bread recipe as the Recipe of the Month. Which is soooo totally appropriate for March –  yes?

Agreed, then. BUT. Just one thing.

Before we get to blogging about bread there is a foundation that needs to be put in place.

Yes. Jam.

That’s what I’m saying. We can’t even begin to talk about bread without jamming about jam. (Well, marmalade to be precise!) For, after all, what is bread without jam? Nekkid. That’s what. Of course there is BUTTER. (Thanks for pointing that out.) And it is true that I could easily devote an entire post to the virtues of butter, but for now it is jam that will carry the day.

Last week, I attended a marmalade-making class. Seriously. Can you imagine my happiness when I received a flyer from the local Community Kitchens coordinator (none other than my dear friend, Cie, she of previous blog posts about brunch) promoting local preserving workshops? What luck!

Cie, along with the amazing Kathy Marven (a marvel) of de la Bouche Specialty Foods have teamed up to offer three canning workshops this spring: Marmalade, Winter Chutnies, and Spring Jams. My oh my. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway) I’m signed up for all three. Apron and camera in tow.

The class was one of the best things I’ve done all year. Cie and Kathy talked about the history of marmalade and the Seville orange trade – (Sevilles in season now, btw) and then Kathy demonstrated the method and technique of making a sparklingly beautiful Pink Grapefruit Marmalade. 

Outside, it was a filthy night. Inside, we snugly circled the demo table while the preserving kettle bubbled away on the community stove and the tang of citrus stung the air. We passed around odd-looking peeling and preserving tools, taste-tested oranges and lemons and conspiratorially swapped favourite canning stories as though trading national secrets.

We finished with the Great Marmalade Taste-Off. We compared the evening’s batch with two or three of Kathy’s other specialties and a couple of store-bought brands. Hands-down winner? You guessed it.

And we each went home, fully contented, with our own jar.  A perfect pink cure for the winter blues.

Next up? Toast and jam. In my jammies.

To find out more about Community Kitchens, click on the link.


de la Bouche Specialty Foods can be found at the Haney Farmer’s Market (May-October) or via email: delabouche@telus.net

Seville Oranges are VERY SOUR.

Attention Blog Readers:  Would you like to follow or comment on this blog? Visit my new page How to Comment and there you will find instructions for setting up a google identity. Cheers!

The Friends of Facebook Love Song Jamboree

Last week, inspired by a post from the Vancouver Observer, I asked my Facebook friends to post their favourite love songs in time for Valentine’s Day.  I kicked off the request by posting two of my faves, “Dance Me to the End of Love” and “I’m Your Man” by the inimitable Leonard Cohen, who some say sounds like a week of hard road, but whose dark, gravelly forest of a voice gives me shivers (the good kind) and whose poetry simply breaks me open.

I admit it. I have a weakness for love. I prefer it to a lot of other things. Too many to name. So, in honour of Saint Valentines Day, I am posting my official Friends of Facebook Love Song Jamboree.   I offer it with a wide-open heart and a million thanks for sharing these intimate, haunting, romantic, beautiful, tender, evocative and even quirky-charming tunes. The VERY BEST part of putting together the playlist is the glimpse it’s given me into the romantic musical preferences of my Facebook community. As I listen to the songs (pretty much daily since I started building the list) I find myself fondly connecting the song to the sender, and in true Valentine’s spirit, getting the message.

My heart has swelled, my eyes have brimmed, and my poetic little soul has been wailing “At Last” in true Etta James style, as I connect to my deep, abiding, and often neglected, love of spoken word, poetics and lyrical renderings.

I am poet. Hear me roar.

Your songs and postings stirred a voice within me. I hear it whisper (in a voice not unlike Leonard’s)…
“Be Mine”.

Please visit the page Love Song Jamboree to see the Valentine’s playlist. then visit iTunes and create a list for yourself.  Spend some time playing it for that special someone. You.

Transitioning to 2011

Delightful dessert – mince tarts, shortbread and eggnog ice cream. (Yes, it’s true. swoon.) Mince tarts are a heavenly leftover during the lollidays.

I love this time of year, because it is so FULL of possibilities. Just as I am full. Of home-cooked food – including plenty of favourite cookies and tarts – and brimming over with renewed relationships, strengthened family ties and enough gifts and trinkets to keep me happily occupied during those precious days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve – the ones where the furthest I need to go is from couch to fridge in my new Christmas jammies to make a turkey sandwich, and all my needs appear to be met effortlessly. (Oh – to hold this state as I go about my day-to-day life the rest of the year!)

The decorations are sleeping all snug in their boxes…

Don’t you love those days? The lollidays, I call them. Just quietly letting the old year come to close while I moodle and tinker, snooze and dream. Fuelled of course by the comforts of flannelette and seemingly endless chocolate (my only two weaknesses).  And nipping at the heels of the lollidays – a bright, shiny new year to play with!

2011. For me, the turning of the year is a time to release regret and let go of any disappointments, failures or unmet expectations of the previous year and to look forward to learning, growing and engaging with the emerging opportunities that the new year brings.

This year I am embracing technology – I finally made the switch from PC to Mac and I also got myself an iPad. *GRIN* so I am riding the touch-pad learning curve and finding ways to put technology and social media at my fingertips (ahem) to serve myself and my clients.

Vision Board 2011 – Living on-purpose. Inspiring awareness, connection and community.

Swimming, yoga and a renewed vigour for housecleaning are also on the list. Yes, that’s right. Housecleaning. Its part of my 2011 fitness plan and a way I actually like to move my body. And with those extra scrub-brush induced endorphins I’m planning to maximize my moodling – writing, drawing, dreaming.

And my vision for 2011 is full permission to have a glorious life, where well-being is found in the little things and contentment breeds abundance and joy.

I am saying ‘yes’ to loving every inch of my life.

What are you saying yes to in 2011?

With Apologies to Clement C. Moore

‘Twas two nights before Christmas and all through the house, every nook, crook and cranny is getting a douse;
The groceries are stashed in the cupboard and fridge – there is no spare space – not even a smidge!
The cookies are nestled all snug in their tins and nephews and nieces have cooky-crumb grins
And I in my PJs, and hubby in his, are just settling down to a deep reminisce.

Here are some of our favourite glimpses of Christmas 2010:

The Great Shortbread Bake-off! Three family recipes…

Best ever holiday punch, plus Aunty Val’s ice star!

Vicki’s Hot n Spicy Nuts – ready for gifting!

The cheese board – yum!

The pre-Christmas concert brunch table – good food, good music.

And wishing you a joyous, contented and connected holiday season. Here is a little Christmas video card – celebrating relationship and the holidays. Best wishes to you and yours!

http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1293081532&f=a1VaJyc1mTwIbqXNIctigg&d=65&m=p&r=w&i=m&ct=And%20to%20all%20a%20good%20night.&cu=&options=

Cunning Cannisters

I love happy little projects. The kind of activities where I find myself humming along while I dream them up, or while I start to put them together.

For many years I have had a beautiful set of pottery canisters. They were made by Betty Warren of Texada Island, a potter who was a dear theatre friend of my mothers. My mom had the cannisters for years and when I moved out she passed three of them on to me. One had been broken along the way, and of the three that remained, one had a chipped lid. I loved them and used them in all my kitchens right up until this year. Another lid is chipped and the set is looking weary. I still use them in my cupboards to store dried beans and back-up sugar for jam-making, but they have become decidedly shabby *sigh*.

First, I replaced them with a second-hand set of copper ones from the local Value Village. They worked well enough but were a bit ‘kitschy’ for me. I’ve got my eyes open for a perfect set, but in the meantime, I decided that I’d like glass. This summer, while out stocking up on new jam jars (how is it these jars never really make it back? I know they are being lovingly reused somewhere…), I came across large glass canning jars from Bernardin. Now as most of you know, I have an imaginary French Country kitchen, so these jars gave me a little frisson of excitement.

And, I suppose, since I acquired my first set of cannisters when I was 17, I reverted back to my broker-than-broke, first-out-on-my-own days and came up with a happy little decoration project to make a temporary set of glass cannisters to hold my day-to-day staples. This is a perfect simple fall project and a great idea for cash-strapped students or others who might be on a budget. And I offer it here, as November really settles in and we are well and truly in deep autumn.

Select a fabric you love. (Mine is 100% cotton gingham that I purchased in a market in Provence). Measure according to the canning jar lids. Use pinking shears to cut.

Trace a circle around the lid with a pencil. Trim along line with pinking shears. Using an old craft paintbrush (one you don’t mind throwing away) coat the lid with Mod Podge (I LOVE this stuff – it’s my one weakness – you can use it for all kinds of craft projects) and while still wet, attach the fabric circle. Coat with another layer of Mod Podge. Let dry and and add rings and lids to jars. Voila!

 

Another side benefit of this project is that when I finally do find my perfect replacement cannisters, I can re-use the jars to preserve some kind of delicious monster foodstuff. Next year’s squash, perhaps?

And as an extra fall bonus, here are a couple of links to some great canning sites. Dreaming up next year’s harvest!

http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/home/1.php

http://www.punkdomestics.com/

 

Soup: Soul Satisfying Food

There is something about a pot of home-made soup simmering on the stove that gives me comfort. In fact soup-making is my one weakness, and it doesn’t take much in the way of motivation to get me started. I keep organic chicken stock in the pantry, and save and freeze veggie cooking water, and of course any bones or remnants of roasted fowl or beast end up in the stock pot or frozen for later use. I have actually been known to invite a dozen people over for turkey dinner, just so I can save the carcass. Seriously.

I make soup by instinct, and my instincts usually tell me that the fresher the better for your veggies and that butter and cream are great additions to just about anything you have on hand. Yes, I am channelling Julia Child. And this doesn’t just apply to soup. I was moved to make the soup that is the topic of this blog after buying some gorgeous bunches of celery and a basket of fresh mushrooms at one of the last Farmer’s Markets of the season.

 

This particular soup really needs garden or farm fresh celery. It has a much more delicate stalk, more abundant leaves and its taste is incredibly pungent, and – well – celery-flavoured. Now is the time to get the last of it.

And mushrooms. These beauties are from the Shan Ming Mushroom Farm in Maple Ridge B.C. They are gorgeously flavoured – musky and earthy. And just-picked (plucked?) fresh.

Because I cook by instinct, these measures are approximate, but they should get you through to a beautiful, flavourful autumn soup that marries celery and mushrooms in a creamy, delicious fall meal. My basic rule is keep tasting. Adjust as it moves you!

1/4 c butter
2 c fresh celery stems & leaves, chopped
Medium onion, chopped
3-4 lge King Oyster mushrooms – stems chopped, tops sliced
6-9 button mushrooms – sliced
Bunch of Enoki mushrooms – long stems chopped, otherwise leave whole
(Or any other mushroom combo of your choice)

1/2 c white wine

3 c chicken or vegetable stock

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 c heavy cream

Melt butter in bottom of  your favourite heavy soup pot. Add chopped onion and lightly saute for 3-5 mins. Add chopped celery and leaves. Add sliced mushrooms (reserve Enokis). Sweat these together covered until celery is soft and mushrooms are limp. Salt and pepper to taste. Add white wine and simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken or vegetable stock (or both) and simmer for about 30 mins. Add the Enokis just a couple of minutes before you add the cream. (about five minutes before serving). If soup is bubbling, reduce the heat before you add cream. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with love.