Not always wanting to prepare and serve the “same old-same old” type of salad, this one should and will peak your interest again. Get ready to take the leap.
- 2 ripe pears (Bartlett for their juicy quality)
- 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 head frisee, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 head Belgian endive, leaves separated
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 3 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled….well, as best you can!
Peel and core the pears and slice in wedges, place in a bowl and sprinkle with the lime juice, tossing to cover.
Add all the greens and toss to combine.
Now add the oil, salt and pepper, crumbled goat cheese and lightly toss to mix.
Serve on a pretty plate and add a parmesan cheese cracker, recipe follows.
Parmesan Crackers
Grate enough cheese to make 2 small or 1 medium size ‘cracker’ per plate. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and make mounds of cheese.
Spacing should be maybe 6 crackers per cookie sheet. Place in a pre-heated oven of 375 degrees.
Bake until the cheese melts and turns a golden colour. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few moments before transferring to a rack to cool. They will be crisp but fragile.
When serving salad, just lay a couple of the crackers on the side.
Ah, Shucks….you did it again! Wine, anyone?
Roasted Garden Beets With Orange And Grated Ginger
The addition of oranges to some vegetables just heightens the flavour,and along with this recipe the added grated ginger really awakens your taste buds. Besides the kids will really love these.
The challenge is to try and find some yellow beets as well. This way you get colourful beets to serve. Just ups the ante for being called “the best”.
- 4 medium beets (about 2 lbs) trimmed and scrubbed
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 medium orange
- 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. sherry
- 1/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger or more if you like ginger
- 1/4 cup pecan halves, broken lengthwise
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lay a large piece of tinfoil on a cookie sheet and place the beets in the center. Drizzle with 1 tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil around the beets and roast until tender when pierced with a knife. This should take about 1 hour. Let stand until you can handle.
With a zester, remove 1/4 of the orange rind in long thin strips. Peel the remainder of the peel and white pith with a sharp knife.
Remove segments from half the orange and cut in half crosswise and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the orange and place 1 tbsp. in a small bowl and add the vinegar, sherry, ginger and whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Peel the beets, quarter them and toss with the dressing. Mix in the orange pieces, zest and pecans, reserving some to sprinkle on top as a garnish.
Not only will the kids love these so will everyone else. You may have to double the recipe…..everyone will want seconds. Enjoy!
The Autumn Martini
Living in an area where thousands of apples are growing and now being harvested, makes one think that a special drink should be posted. Maybe this is it….
- 1 part Grey Goose Vodka
- 1 part sour apple schnapps
- 1 part pomegranate juice
Pour all ingredients into shaker filled with crushed ice and shake well. Pour into chilled martini glasses and add a slice of apple to garnish.
This drink should smell like a red delicious apple.
Yummmmmm………….
Avocado and Pomegranate Salad
Now THIS is different. With the use of dark rum and fig balsamic vinegar, it is refreshing and really neat – both in ingredients and flavours.
- 2 navel oranges
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. dark rum (in the salad, not you)
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 6 oz. argula, washed and dried
- 1 oz. cilantro leaves, washed and dried
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced, brushed with some lime juice so they don’t turn brown.
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Use a sharp knife to remove the skin and white pith from the oranges. Over a small bowl to catch the juices, slice the oranges in 1/8 inch rounds.
In a small bowl combine 1 tbsp. of the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and rum. Set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine the arugula and cilantro, toss with about half of the dressing. Arrange the orange rounds and avocado slices on top of the greens, and lightly drizzle the remaining dressing over the orange slices. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the salad. Serve.
Voila! Again, you gave a spectacular presentation to the lowly salad and came away looking like a rock star. Good for you.
Yummy.
Artichokes With Fresh Tarragon
This is one vegetable that many people have not tried. This is a simple and certainly easy to prepare so why not? Damn I can do this…
- 3 lemons, cut in half
- 4 globe artichokes (about 3/4 lbs. each)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
- 1 bunch fresh tarragon
Fill a bowl half full of cold water. Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the water and the lemon halves. (this will prevent the artichokes from discolouring).
Trim the artichoke stems to 1 inch and peel the dark green outer layer. Trim 2-3 inches from the top of each artichoke and pull off the tough outer leaves until the tender yellow ones appear. Using a spoon, scoop out the purple choke, discard. Slice the artichokes lengthwise about 1/3 inch thick and place in the lemon water.
In a large skillet, combine the oil and juice from remaining lemon. Drain the artichokes and add to the skillet along with the garlic, salt, peppercorns and 3 cups water.
Arrange all but 1 sprig of tarragon on top of the artichokes and bring to a boil. Boil until only a trace of water remains (about 15 minutes).
While that is cooking, chop the leaves of the remaining tarragon. Transfer the artichokes to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining tarragon.
Yum…
Saturday Lunch
Today we are having my cousin and her husband for lunch. It is a simple lunch consisting of silky squash soup (recipe on site), Mediteranean sandwich made with focaccia bread from our favourite local bakery (Osoyoos) and homemade strawberry angel food cake.
The table is set (royalty, you know). It is nothing to put on some flowers, cloth napkins and, simple charger plates. See what happens? You are showing you care and that they are important (they are).
The soup is fantastic and we wanted to show them what wonders their homegrown squash can do.
The sandwich is one of the signature sandwiches that Don makes. They are fabulous and served with a little coleslaw. Yummy!
Dessert is a homemade angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Uh….sorry, the dessert was eaten before we remembered to take the picture. It was sooooooo yummy!
What more can you possibly ask for? A glass of wine perhaps and finish with a perfect cup of tea/coffee. Great way to spend a Saturday, catching up with life, telling misshaps from growing up (always) and just enjoying the company.
Roasted Fennel and Potatoes
It is Fall and the weather is becoming cooler. A wonderful way to celebrate the changing season is to roast some ‘comfort foods’ for dinner. This is easy and has wonderful flavours to complement any dinner.
- 2 fennel bulbs, washed and trimmed
- 4 red potatoes (about 1/2 – 3/4 lbs), cut in half
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled , cut in half lengthwise, then quartered
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
Heat oven to 425 degrees and preheat the roasting pan to allow the veggies to attain a crisp, golden crust.
Cut each fennel bulb lengthwise into 6 wedges. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and toss with the olive oil to coat.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven, and place the vegetables cut side down and return to the oven to bake for about 30 minutes. Do not turn the vegetables over, and cook until tender and golden brown.
Serve immediately.
Turkey Pot Pie
Don made turkey soup from scratch and we have almost finished that and then, after we ate turkey for about a week, he made 10 turkey pot pies. 4 large ones (feeds 2) and individual ones. They are so darn yummy. The dishes are our own and the two little turkeys were made by my (at the time) very young granddaughter, Sydney.
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery sticks, peeled and diced
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 1 garlic clove, mashed
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half cream
- 1/2 tsp. majoram
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. sage
- 1/2 tsp. tarragon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup peas
- 4 cups cooked turkey, chopped in 1 inch cubes
In a large pot, saute the first 4 ingrediednts until soft, and add 3 tbsp. flour and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes.
One cup at a time, add the chicken stock to deglaze and thicken the sauce and then add 1 cup half and half cream. Now add all the dry ingredients and bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the corn, peas and turkey and simmer for about 8-10 minues until all is tender. If it is too thick, add a little more stock.
Fill baking dishes or a couple of 9 inch pie plates with the filling and top with your favourite pastry recipe.
Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove and let cool on a rack.
If not eating right away, wrap with saran and then tin foil and place in the freezer until the next time you get a turkey craving.
Yummy!
Sweet Potato Gratin
Time to find different ways to serve potatoes of any kind, and this is a pretty good way to do it.
- 2 tsp. butter
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- pinch of salt
- pinch of ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled and sliced in 1/8 inch rounds (if you must..) just kidding!
- freshly grated asiago cheese for garnish
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 4 ramekins with butter and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. Add the potatoes and onion slices and toss to coat.
Using clean hands, arrange alternately the potato and onion slices and pack them tightly. Pour the cream mixture over them, filling the ramekins 3/4 full. Sprinke the tops with grated asiago cheese.
Place the ramekins on a parchment lined cooking sheet and bake until tender and starting to brown (about 45-50 minute).
Remove from the oven, set on a rack to cool for 5 minutes and then serve. You should serve the ramekin on a plate and add whatever the meat and vegetable you are preparing.
Always remember to make the plate look attractive as we eat with the eyes first, then the food.
Without further ado, pour a glass of wine, pat yourself on the back and remember to repeat…damn I did this. Everyone will think you are an absolute genius.
Scallop And Shrimp Stew
The seasons are slowly changing and this might help you feel better….
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed really well
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp. finely chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1/4 inch pieces
- generous pinch of ground cumin
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups choppped tomatoes (ones in carton are best consistency)
- 1 cup Chardonnay
- 3/4 lbs. shrimp, shelled, deveined and tails left on
- 3/4 lb. scallops, muscle removed
- 3 tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
Slice leeks in half lengthwise and slice in 1/2 inch dice
In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the leeks and garlic and saute, stirring constantly until translucent (about 5-6 minutes). Add the jalapeno pepper, carrots, seasonings and salt, lowering heat to low and cook until the carrots are tender (3-4 minutes).
Now add the tomatoes, wine and 1 cup water and bring to a boil and once again,. lower the heat and cook 5 minutes longer.
Stir in the shrimp and scallops and cook until opaque (about 4-6 minutes). Please do not over cook or they become like rubber.
Remove from the heat, sprinkle the parsley on top and serve with rice or wide egg noodles and a salad. Oh yeah, don’t forget the Pinot Gris -perfectly chilled, of course. Enjoy!
Silky Butternut Squash Bisque
This is truly a super winner! You may think you don’t like squash, BUT give this a try and I promise you, you will make it often.
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (1″ – 1 1/2″)
- 2 stalks celery, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 50 g butter
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 250 mls whipping cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a large baking sheet, place cubed squash in one layer and bake for 45 min. Let cool, remove from pan and deglaze.
Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add 2 tbsp. vegetable stock. Now add the celery, onions, garlic, carrots and stir, cooking until soft.
Add the flour and continue stirring and cook a further 2 minutes. Add the stock , cream, squash and deglazed juice. Bring to a boil then turn down the temperature and simmer for about 50-60 minutes.
With a hand held emulsifier, (I call it a motorboat blender) blend until very, very smooth and strain*, making sure to press it all through. If there is any pulp, simply discard. Garnish with Creme Fraiche (recipe below).
* If you use your blender, you may have to strain this bisque, otherwise, it is not necessary. It is sooooooo smooth.
Creme Fraiche
- 3 parts whipping cream
- 1 part buttermilk
Stir together until well combined. Put in a glass jar or container, cover with saran wrap and poke a few holes in the saran. Sit it on the counter for 2 nights then refrigerate for up to 1 week. (If this is summertime, only sit it out for 1 night).
This is truly sumptuous and oh, with the left over buttermilk, maybe your perfect husband will make pancakes the next day. Yup! mine did. Gotta love that man!
Lamb Chops With Fresh Fig Chutney
We are over-the-moon with figs ‘cuz we grow our own. We both love them sooooo much that, when the kids gave us one for a house-warming gift, we were ecstatic. You can change the figs for prunes if you can’t find any in your area.
- 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 6 shallots, peeled and cut in half, lengthwise
- 1 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp. dried cranberries
- 18 figs (or prunes), ends cut off and halved
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh sprigs of rosemary
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 lamb chops (2 per person), 3/4 inch thick
- 1 tbsp. good quality olive oil
Melt the butter in a pan, over medium heat, add the sugar and shallots and cook until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add the vinegar and cook until evaporated.
Add the stock, fruit, 1 tsp. of the chopped rosemary and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.
Season the chops with salt and pepper and remaining rosemary. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat, add the chops and saute until brown on the bottom. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook until meat thermometer reads 110 degrees for medium rare and they are evenly browned. Another 3 minutes more.
Garnish with some fresh rosemary sprigs and serve with the warm chutney, garlic mashed potatoes and chilled salad and, of course, a lovely red wine.