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June 2006, Volume 1 Issue 6
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In This Issue:
Welcome to the June Foodletter
Alan's Recipe of the Month
Supplier of the Month
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Welcome to the June Foodletter
Where does the time go? Here it is, nearly the end of June and I swore I would have this letter out in good time. Blame the summer heat....
Changes in the store continue. We've rearranged the shop space. We needed more shelves to hold the new products. While we were at it, we put a table for two on the porch. We've spent many happy hours out there, watching the world go by and enjoying the cool breezes. When friends stop by for a visit, we bring coffee out. It's much nicer than sitting inside; somebody keeps turning on the ovens!
On my morning walks down Station Road, I take note of the progress in the corn fields. Corn is about the only crop I can identify. There's also a field full of the prettiest shade of green imaginable. I've no idea what they're growing, but it always makes me smile to see that colour.
My lack of ability identifying plant life nearly got me into trouble earlier this month. Last year we had a nice crop of hollyhocks at the side of the building. I thought I knew what the leaf-shape looked like, but Alan informed me that something was taking over the east side of the building and I might want to take a look at it. Well, obviously, they weren't hollyhocks - they were taller than I am. Stronger, too! My neighbour, Jack, informed me that, no indeed, I was growing burdock, "A very bad weed".
That night there was a notice in the paper informing residents of our township that noxious weeds had to be removed by the end of the week, or there would be fines. They fought back like only bad weeds can, but I think I've got them all out. In the process, I found this year's crop of hollyhocks. The unexpected joys of the beginning gardener...
If you can't join us on our porch soon (and you're welcome to), I hope you can at least make time to sit on your own. Except for our New Zealand readers. It's too chilly right now, you'd best wait till summer!
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Alan's Recipes of the Month
Picnic Time!
Time to get outside and enjoy the lovely summer weather. These recipes travel well and taste great.
Roasted Potato Salad
Ingredients
2 Red Peppers (or one red and one yellow)
2 lbs Small New Potatoes, red or white or a combination of both, washed and cut in half
2 T Olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata Black Olives, pitted and roughly chopped
4 oz Soft goat or sheep milk cheese
Handful Chopped, fresh herbs - any or all of the following - basil, tarragon, chives, thyme, sweet marjoram or your favourite
1 oz Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 oz Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
Slice the top and bottom off the peppers; place skin side up on a baking sheet. Slice the remainder of the peppers in half vertically and cut out the seeds and membranes. Place them skin side up on the baking sheet along with the tops and bottoms. Place the sheet under the broiler until the skin darkens and blisters. Carefully place the peppers in a paper bag and close up the top (this helps the skins come off using the steam given off by the peppers). After a half hour, or so, remove the peppers to a cutting board and scrape off the skins. Roughly chop the peppers, or cut into thin strips. Set aside until ready to assemble the salad.
Place your roasting pan in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes in the olive oil and add to the hot pan in the oven. Roast until the potatoes are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside - anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. To keep the potatoes crisp as they cook, do not salt them until they are done.
Make the vinaigrette by mixing the mustard and the vinegar together. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Or place all ingredients in a squirt bottle and shake vigorously.
When the potatoes are cooked, place them in a mixing bowl, add salt and pepper and then the vinaigrette - toss together. Allow this to cool.
Assemble the salad by adding the rest of the ingredients to the potatoes. Toss gently. Chill until you're ready to go.
Primavera Pasta Salad
Ingredients
1 lb Best quality dry pasta, 3 colour fusilli makes a good impression
1 cup Fresh asparagus, cut into one inch lengths
1/2 cup Shelled fresh peas
1 cup Sugar snap peas, or snow peas, cut into halves or thirds
1 bunch Fresh Basil, chopped or torn into pieces
1 bunch Spring onions, sliced thin
1 oz Glen Farms Double Raspberry Dressing (or 1 oz best quality raspberry vinegar with a couple of raspberries mashed into it)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 oz Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Bring one gallon of fresh water to a boil with 2 tablespoons of salt in it. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the pasta is cooked, drain into a colander and sprinkle with olive oil - shake it around so that all the pasta gets coated lightly. Pour the pasta out onto a clean counter, tabletop or baking sheet (old restaurant trick). Spread it out and let it cool. Do not (ever) run the pasta under cold water to cool it - you wash away flavour when you do this. The pasta will cool in about 10 minutes and the olive oil will keep it from sticking either together or to the counter it is sitting on.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil and add the asparagus. When the pot starts to return to the boil, add the peas. When the pot starts to return to the boil, add the sugar snap peas. When the pot starts to return to the boil, drain the pot and add the vegetables to a bowl of ice cube chilled cold water. This stops the cooking (and in the restaurant biz is called 'blanch and refresh').
Make the vinaigrette by mixing the raspberry dressing with the mustard. Add the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Or place all ingredients in a squirt bottle and shake vigorously.
To assemble the salad, place all ingredients in a bowl and toss gently. Top with the sliced spring onions and chill until ready to eat.
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup White sugar
1/2 cup Dark brown sugar
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 lg Egg
1 cup Plus 2 tablespoons of All-purpose flour
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cups Chocolate Chips (real semi-sweet ones are good, bitter sweet is better if you can find them),(in other words, lots of chips!)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Stir the softened butter until it is smooth. Add the sugars and beat really well (until most of the sugar is melted into the butter and isn't so grainy). Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat it in.
Whisk the flour, soda and salt together. Add the chips and mix thoroughly.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently, but well. Careful not to overmix.
Drop by the spoonful (or use an ice cream scoop for even sizing) onto baking paper lined cookie sheets and bake in the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes. Look for the edges to be a little crisp and the centres to be set.
Cool on a wire rack and enjoy.
Got any food questions? Email Alan and he'll try to help you out.
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Supplier of the Month (Sort Of)
One of the things I love about owning a shop, besides seeing all my customers, is that, when things are quiet, I get to do a lot of reading.
Just recently, Alan and I went to the launch of Frontiers and Sanctuaries, by Stratford writer Marianne Brandis. It's an amazing book, part memoir, part biography, about her mother, her family and their experiences in Holland during World War Two and afterwards in Canada. Even though I know Marianne and knew how the story turned out, I couldn't put this book down. The writing is lyrical, humourous, suspenseful. If you're looking for your summer read, and like something with more intelligence than the usual "beach book", I highly recommend Frontiers and Sanctuaries. It's available in Stratford at Fanfare books or through Bookstage www.bookstage.com
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Cheers!
Barb & Alan
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