Seasonal Ontario Food

Well, I'm going to confess; I made this in the winter with frozen peas and saved it for now. In a funny sort of way there are lots of things that can be made in the winter but late spring and early summer are difficult. I'm also a little ahead of things here; the peas are starting to form but are not yet ready to pick. Soon, though! And I think things are a tad later than usual this year. 

 

Snow peas will be ready before shell peas, and they would work well in this recipe. I do see snow peas used in Turkish cooking regularly, so there's that. It's hard to come up with recipes for snow peas that are better than steaming them and serving with a dab of butter, but this is lovely and would make a nice change.

 

Serve this with rice or pita; it will also go well with any kind of simply grilled fish, chicken or meat. It would also be delicious with poached eggs. 

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time 

NOT including shelling the peas

 

 

1 medium onion

1/4 to 1/3 orange or yellow bell pepper

1 clove of garlic 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bay leaf

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon rubbed mint

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or to taste)

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

2 cups shelled peas

Peel and finely dice the onion. Wash, trim, and dice the pepper into pieces just a little larger than the peas. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onion, pepper, and bay leaf. Cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. 

Add the minced garlic and remaining seasonings and mix in well. Let it cook for a minute, then mix in the crushed tomatoes. Simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.

Add the peas and be sure they are all down in the liquid. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the peas are tender. (If using frozen peas, note that 4 minutes will likely be enough, and the same goes for snow peas.) 

Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Circassian Chicken.

These were so yummy! We had no trouble (do we ever?) eating them all ourselves, with rice and peas on the side. If you were serving other Indian dishes with them, though, they would go further. Also they would go further if you are not the complete piggies that we are. You could cut the recipe in half but I suspect you could easily keep half in the fridge for cooking the next day. 

I liked the touch of red pepper, but it's not particularly traditional. Next time I might broil the peppers a bit before threading them on the skewers; they stayed pretty crisp even when the chicken was cooked.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes to prepare chicken and marinade

2 to 24 hours to marinate

15 minutes to cook

 

 

4 to 6 cloves (1 head) garlic

2" piece of ginger

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 to 1 teaspoon hot red chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

2 tablespoons very thick yogurt

the juice of 1/2 large lemon

   OR 1 large lime

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 or 3 (600 grams; 1.5 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken breasts 

1/2 large red or orange bell pepper OPTIONAL

Peel and slice the garlic, and put it in the bowl of blender with the ginger, also peeled and sliced. Add the spices and salt. 

Wash and dry the cilantro and mint. Trim the stems off the cilantro, chop it coarsely, and add it. The mint leaves should be picked off the stems and the stems discarded, except for the tender tips. Add the yogurt and purée the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Scrape as much of it out as you can into the container in which you are going to marinate the chicken. 

Add the lemon juice to the blender and process to wash down the sides. Pour it into the rest of the marinade and add the oil. Mix well. 

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add them to the marinade and turn them to coat them in it. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. 

If using bamboo skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes first; several hours is better so I try to remember to start soaking them as the chicken begins to marinate. Thread the chicken on the skewers, keeping as much marinade on them as possible. If you like, put bite-sized pieces of red or orange bell pepper in between each piece of chicken. Lay them on a broiler pan and spoon half the remaining marinade evenly over them.

 

Broil for 5 to 6 minutes per side (2 sides) until cooked through. When you turn them over, spoon the remaining marinade over them before broiling again. Serve at once with rice or naan, and the vegetable dishes of your choice. 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Pizza Crackers. 

It's still greenhouse cukes, of course. We're only just planting ours today. Mint, parsley and cilantro are all up and useable by now, however. I didn't use any cilantro here, but you could. Other optional additions: a few chives and/or radishes now, melon or watermelon later in the season.

 

4 servings

20 minutes prep time

 

 

the juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

a pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

 

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl or jam jar. 

2 or 3 small greenhouse cucumbers

100 grams (4 ounces) feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 or 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

 

Wash, trim, and chop the cucumbers. Crumble the feta and mix it into them. Wash, dry, and chop the mint and parsley.  

Toss the salad with the dressing. This can be done up to an hour ahead to allow the flavours to blend, then sprinkle the salad with pumpkin seeds just before serving it. 

Last year at this time I made Potage Argenteil - Asparagus Soup.

There are a lot of versions of this simple but substantial German salad; here's mine. You can eat it as-is, but I think it is most often eaten piled on a good sturdy slice of rye bread as it's almost as close to being a sandwich filling as it is to being a salad. I'd be happy to put it in a wrap with a leaf or 2 of lettuce and call it lunch, certainly. But one of my favourite things in the summer if I can round up a few eaters, is to have a salad buffet with a variety of salads, and this would make an excellent candidate for that. Also nice with a bowl of soup on the side.

 

4 servings

15 minutes prep time

 

1/2 teaspoon honey 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons dill pickle brine OR apple cider vinegar

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix the honey and mustard in a small jam jar or bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise, then the brine or vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that other ingredients in this salad are salted - it's better to under-salt, and have to pass salt at the table than to overdo it here.

 

1 1/3 cups slivered radishes

2/3 cups slivered Gruyere, Emmentaler, Gouda or similar cheese

1 slice dill pickle

2 tablespoons minced chives OR green onion

3 tablespoons minced parsley

 

Wash, trim, and sliver the radishes. Cut the cheese into similar sized and shaped pieces. Dice the dill pickle fairly finely, and wash, dry, and mince the herbs. 

 

Mix everything together and toss with the dressing. Serve with buttered rye bread.

Last year at this time I made Baked Trout with Creamy Leek & Dill Sauce.

Last time I was in a civilized place - and apparently my definition of "civilized place" is "has a Chinese/Asian grocery store" - I stocked up on tau pok. It freezes extremely well, and I freely admit it is my favourite form of tofu. In spite of consisting of deep fried chunks, it is really not greasy and the resulting chewy/airy texture is terrific. If you think you don't much like tofu and it is the texture that puts you off, this is a good way to try it again and see.

There are a number of traditional recipes for stuffing and steaming tau pok. My take on it combines things from 2 popular versions, mostly as a matter of expedience; other than the tau pok itself these are all ingredients I can get around here. 

I found the oyster sauce added a necessary punch of saltiness to these - in spite of the fish sauce, they were not really salty in themselves. If you don't have any oyster sauce, add a bit more fish sauce or double the salt in the filling.

 

16 to 20 pieces

1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

assumes puffs are steamed in 2 batches

250 grams (1/2 pound) ground pork OR chicken

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon arrowroot OR corn starch

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2/3 to 1 cup finely chopped green onion OR chives

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil to oil dish

1 package (185 grams; 6.5 ounces) fried tofu puffs (tau pok)

about 1/2 cup chicken stock

oyster sauce

cilantro 

Put the ground meat in a bowl with the fish sauce, salt, pepper, and arrowroot. Peel and grate the ginger, and add it. Wash, dry, trim, and chop the green onions or chives very finely and add them. Mix everything very well. 

Set up your steamer; it should hold the stuffed tofu in a dish. Mine would only hold half at a time so I set up 2 dishes to go into it. Lightly oil the dish or dishes, and turn the heat on under the steamer. If you are doing it in two rounds, be sure there is plenty of water in it, or that you can add boiling water to top it up if needed. 

Meanwhile, stuff some tofu. Cut a slit in one side (top) of each puff and put in a bit of the filling You can stuff in more than you might think and I found it useful to score off the bowl of filling to make sure it was being more-or-less evenly divided. There were 18 puffs in my package, but they are plainly hand-cut and varied a bit in size so quantity may not be exact either. Arrange them in the oiled dish(es) in a single layer, stuffing up. Place them in the steamer and pour a little chicken stock on them; just enough for them to be sitting in about 1/4" of it. Steam for 20 minutes. If you have a rack or similar thing that can go under the plate to be steamed, and which has handles to allow it to lift the plate out, that is very helpful.

If you have a second dish, check the water level, and steam it for 20 minutes with a little chicken stock in the same way. 

These will be very hot when they come out, and the spongy tofu holds some of the broth to burst out and burn you when bitten, so let them sit for a full 10 minutes before serving. Garnish them with a drizzle of oyster sauce and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, if you like. 

Last year at this time I made Sorrel Soup.

I've found myself poking around at Portuguese recipes quite a bit the last few months. It started with a (continuing) interest in Spanish recipes, and not surprisingly there is some degree of overlap. Portuguese cuisine is a bit different though, and it has some really delicious dishes. 

 

For one thing, my impression is that Portuguese bread and pastry baking is the better of the two. This dish would usually be made with corn bread - mostly wheat, in spite of the name, but with enough corn flour in it to turn it golden and give it a marvellous flavour. Alas, while you can find it at Portuguese bakeries in larger cities there is none around here. Where you find good bread, you also find recipes to use up the stale leftover bits. 

 

This is usually made with black-eyed peas, but navy beans make a good substitute. Despite the simple technique and very short list of ingredients, we thought this was really delicious. For our bread crumbs, I used two ciabatta type rolls and they were fine, although I do regret that corn bread. 

The Spanish also make a lot of "Migas" (crumbs is what it means) dishes, but I have yet to see one with beans, and while cilantro seems to be quite common in Portuguese cuisine (which for some reason surprised me) it is rarely used by the Spanish. Likewise, Piri-Piri hot sauce is a popular Portuguese condiment but the Spanish rarely apply any kind of chile to their food beyond a little very mildly hot paprika.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the beans and greens

 

 

1 cup dried navy beans OR black-eyed peas

4 cups chopped turnip or rutabaga greens, OR kale OR spinach OR rapini (raab)

200 grams (5 ounces) diced stale bread

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

3 tablespoons olive oil 

a little minced fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

 

The beans should be cooked in advance in the usual way; cover in water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and soak for at least one hour. Drain, replace the water, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer until tender OR cook them in an Instant Pot for 5 to 7 minutes, with natural pressure release. 

 

The greens should also be cooked in advance; wash them very carefully and pick them over, then wash them again. Plunge them into boiling water or steam until just wilted, then rinse in cold water. Drain them again; in fact, squeeze them to remove excess liquid. Chop finely. 

 

It is possible and even reasonable to speed this dish up considerably by using tinned beans (one tin of the beans of your choice) and frozen greens - you will want about 300 grams or 10 ounces. This also makes it a good dish to make in the winter.

 

NOW, let's get started: peel and mince the garlic. Peel and chop the onion finely. Slice the bread, and crumble it into pieces about twice the size of a bean. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and let it soften and get fairly translucent, then add the bread crumbs and toss well. Cook gently for several minutes, turning regularly, until they are dry and toasted in spots all over. Add the garlic and mix it in well; give it a minute to cook. 

Add the drained beans and chopped greens. Mix in well, and let everything heat through. You may wish to add a little of the cooking water from the beans or the greens. The finished texture of the dish may range from fairly dry and crisp through moist, through almost soupy - it is a matter of taste. I prefer a drier texture, and my bread was not that stale to start with, so I did not add any but you must use your own judgement - it is that kind of dish and all the proportions are also somewhat up for grabs. 

Serve it as a meal by itself for 2 people, or serve it as a side dish with grilled meat, poultry or fish for up to 4 people. A poached or fried egg on top would also go very well.

Last year at this time I made Chicken Pozharski.

Here is a lively take on one of my favourite ways to prepare pasta: the pasta and some vegetable are cooked together then dressed with something richer and perhaps fried. In this case not fried, so much as infused into a generous but not too greasy amount of olive oil. (If your anchovies come with a certain amount of oil, by all means start with that when you measure the oil.) All the flavours are very strong, but in spite of that they get along with each other excellently. I used whole wheat pasta - I mostly do these day, on the rarish occasion I eat pasta at all - which can be a bit robust for more delicate sauces but which mingles well with all these equally robust ingredients. Use whatever pasta you like, though. 

 

Rutabaga greens are, as I've said before, the best (non)turnip greens, but turnip greens could be used, or Swiss chard, kale, or collards in their season. Rapini or broccoletto too, would be good, meaning this is a dish that can be made any time there are good, astringent greens around. Spinach? I think it's a little too refined to be ideal for this hearty dish, but it would work well enough if that's what you can get. Apply it with a little heavier hand, maybe. 

I'm saying 20 minutes, which is about the time for the water to come to a boil and then cook the pasta and greens, but if your greens are at all obstreperous about needing picking over, allow a little longer.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) rutabaga greens

6 to 10 cloves of garlic

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

freshly ground black pepper to taste

25 grams (1 ounce; 1/2 small tin) anchovies

225 grams (1/2 pound) pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

 

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Wash and trim the greens, and chop them. Peel and mince the garlic, and put them in a small bowl with the chile flakes and pepper. Drain and mince the anchovies. 

When the water boils, add the pasta and set the timer for 1 minute longer than the recommended cooking time. When the pasta has 6 minutes left to cook, add the green, mixing them in well. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a smallish skillet. When it is hot, mix in the garlic with the spices, and the anchovies. Allow them to sizzle gently in the oil until very fragrant, then remove from the heat and set aside. 

When the pasta and greens are cooked, drain them well and return them to the pot. Toss them with the hot seasoned oil and toss well to combine. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Cipollata.

Classic meat and potatoes, the Turkish way! I see a lot of versions of this on Pinterest, with the meat portion and potato portion shaped in different ways, but the dish overall consisting of all the same parts. The dishes get different names, but really, it's these components in some configuration. 

The easiest way, and the most like a classic shepherd's pie, would be to press the meatloaf mixture into a shallow baking pan, and then when the time comes, pour on the sauce then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. I've seen that done. But this shaping the meat into individual cups to hold the potato topping is even more common, although the exact shape varies quite a bit. For some reason Turkish dishes often are made into a group of clearly delineated portions like this. Perhaps it's so that if you have a large family, you know the dish will make it all they way around the table without running out because the first people to be served take too much? Or maybe I'm over-thinking it. 

At any rate, these were cute, not hard to make, and a very satisfying take on the theme of meat and potatoes. I used lamb, which is always the proper meat to use in a shepherd's pie; otherwise it's technically a cottage pie although few people seem to stick to that convention these days.

 

4 to 8 servings

2 hours. This is going to take 2 hours, with 1 1/2 hours being prep time.

 

freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika

2 teaspoons rubbed dry mint

Grind the salt and allspice berries, then mix all the remaining spices with them in a small bowl.

1 medium onion

1 small carrot

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 medium red pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

500 grams (1 pound) ground beef OR lamb

1 large egg

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a baking pan. 

 

Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and shred the cabbage. Deseed the pepper and dice it finely. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the onion and carrot until softened. Mix in the little bowl of spices. Add the garlic then the cabbage, and cook, stirring until just wilted down. Transfer it all to a mixing bowl and let it cool. 

Mix in the ground meat and the egg by hand, until you have a smooth evenly blended mixture. 

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, and form each one into a ball. Then press in the middle and shape each ball into a shallow bowl. Place them in an oiled baking pan, that fits them snugly but in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (the time necessary to cook the potatoes).

Last year at this time I made Vietnamese Style Noodle Salad.

I was a bit startled to write up this post then go to last year's date and see that I had made something extremely similar then. The thing is though, I make a lot of fried patty things; usually some variation on Vegetable Patties. They provide carbohydrate, protein, and vegetable all in one dish. Sometimes I make a little salad to go with them, but usually it's just the patties, and they are lunch; quick and satisfying. 

 

Some sort of sauce is nice to finish them off. I don't make the Apple Butter Chutney much anymore, alas, as it has too much sugar, so it's usually garlic-yogurt or a mix of half and half chile-garlic sauce and mayonnaise. The yogurt is probably the best choice for these, as it was with last year's iteration. Leftovers? Not too carby for most people to put them into a bun with some sauce and a slice of tomato and lettuce leaf. If you want to reheat them, a minute or so on each side in a hot skillet is better than the microwave.

The only salt that should go in is with the wild rice; halloumi is salty and will provide ample more. I keep meaning to rinse halloumi before I use it, just to see if it could be a little less salty.

 

4 servings

1 hour to cook the wild rice plus time for it to cool

20 minutes to make and cook the patties

 

3/4 cup wild rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups water

Place the wild rice, salt, and water in a rice cooker, and cook. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

1 medium carrot

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1/3 cup minced parsley OR cilantro

250 grams halloumi cheese

1/4 cup potato starch

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed savory OR thyme

2 large eggs

mild vegetable oil to fry

 

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the carrot and onion gently over medium heat until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly. 

 

Wash, dry, and mince the parsley or cilantro. Grate the cheese. Add both to the mixing bowl of vegetables, along with the cooked and cooled wild rice, with any clumps in it broken up. Add the potato starch, seasonings, and eggs. Mix well. The mixture will be very loose and lumpy, but don't worry. Once you get it into the pan and cooking, it will rapidly become more co-operative.

 

Heat enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large skillet, and ladle spoonfuls of the mixture in. Spread them to form neat, 1/2" thick patties. For the first 30 seconds or so, you can push the edges inwards to form neater shapes. Then cook them over medium heat for a total of 3 minutes per side, until firm and well browned. Add a little more oil as you turn them or if making new patties, if needed to prevent sticking.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made... uh, this is embarrassing, actually... Carrot-Halloumi & Dill Fritters with Garlic Yogurt. Very much the same principle, with a slight change in ingredients. This one would also go well with Garlic Yogurt.

Everybody knows Swedish Meatballs! And they're delicious, no question. But rich, very rich. You would expect the Danes - who make some wildly rich dishes themselves - to try to out-do them, but in fact this popular Danish meatball dish is fairly restrained, especially if you use ground chicken. Or turkey. I didn't list it but more because I was running out of room than because I don't think you could use it. So this is really more suitable for cooking on a regular basis, and it's also quicker and easier to make.

Just like any Canadian "curry" from the past, it calls for an apple to add a little sweetness. A touch of lemon then sharpens it up. It's usually served with rice, but potatoes or noodles would be good too. Just add a green salad or vegetable to finish your meal.

 

4 servings

45 minutes prep time

 

 

500 grams (1 pound) ground veal, chicken, OR pork

1 small onion 

1 large egg

3 tablespoons wheat flour OR toasted barley flour

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, optional

a little milk if needed

2 or 3 tablespoons minced parsley, if possible

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Put the meat into a mixing bowl. Peel and mince the onion, and add it, along with the egg and all the seasonings. Mix well and form into 20 or 24 equal balls. 

Bring the broth to a boil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Gently add the meatballs and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

1 small onion

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large apple

3 tablespoons wheat flour OR toasted barley flour

2 tablespoons Madras curry powder

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

the juice of 1/2 lemon OR 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Meanwhile, peel and mince the onion. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently. While it cooks, wash and core the apple, and cut it into dice. Add it to the onion to sauté. Stir regularly. 

When the onion and apple are softened, sprinkle the curry powder and flour over them. Mix in well and let cook for another minutes until no dry powder is visible. Season with the salt and pepper. 

Scrape them into the pot of meatballs, and mix in gently but well. Add the lemon juice. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened.

Serve at once over steamed rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Spinach Tortilla Wraps. 

Like most stews, there's nothing complicated about this; it just needs a little advance planning. Get the split peas and lamb cooked the day before; put everything together and simmer the next day for perfect winter comfort food. Getting towards the end of the season for that, I hope, though. It looks like after a slow start spring is finally gathering some steam. 

The recipes I looked at used lamb shank and coarsely chopped cabbage so I followed suit. However, I think that this would be just as good and certainly less expensive to make with lamb stewing meat, with or without bones although bones are better if you can find it. If you are buying your lamb from a butcher you maybe able to score some soup bones. Even a little beef bone would be better than none. In fact, if lamb is not an option I would make this with beef and still expect it to be really very good.

 

My lamb shanks were the biggest I've ever seen, so I used two for the three of us, cutting off the meat and removing the bone before serving. There was enough left over for Mr. Ferdzy and I to have it for lunch the next day. So smaller pieces of lamb are better, in my opinion, and also I would chop the cabbage more finely. With those minor changes, this is one of the best stews I've had in quite a long time. 

 

This is traditionally made with dried limes, but good luck with that. I just put in a little squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end. 

You can serve it with rice, or bread on the side. It's definitely soupy/stewy, so in any case be sure to supply spoons.

 

4 to 6 servings

2 hours 45 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

1/2 cup split yellow peas

2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 tablespoon olive OR mild vegetable oil

2 kilograms (4 to 6; 2 pounds) small lamb shanks

OR 1 kilo bone-in stewing lamb

water

1 teaspoon salt

 

Put the split peas, water and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a rice cooker and let them cook. Alternatively, put them in a pot and simmer gently until the peas are softened. Stir regularly. 

 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the lamb evenly. Put it into a heavy-bottomed stew-pot with 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover, and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until cooked through. 

OR put it in an Instant Pot with 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 30 minutes then allow it to release naturally.

 

Both of these can be done up to a day ahead. 

1 tablespoon coriander seed 

3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons cumin seed

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 or 3 bay leaves 

Grind the coriander, peppercorns, and cumin with the salt. Mix them in a small bowl with the remaining spices and set aside until needed.

 

2 medium-large onions

6 cups chopped cabbage

2 cups crushed tomatoes

the juice of 1 medium lime

chopped cilantro of parsley to garnish, if possible

Peel the onions and chop them fairly coarsely. Wash, trim, and chop the cabbage. 

 

Add the spices and cooked peas to the meat, in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently for half an hour, stirring regularly. Add the onion and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cabbage and lime juice and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the cabbage is done. 

If you can serve it garnished with a little chopped cilantro, so much the better. 

Last year at this time I made Onion, Mustard, & Red Pepper Bulgur.

Greenhouse peppers at this time of year; but keep this dish in mind for late summer and early fall as well. Really, this is something I would happily eat all year long, as long as I could get the peppers.

 

I know I usually refer to them as chick peas, but this dish is so distinctly Spanish, it's going to have to be garbanzos. I also have to say that if you have an Instant Pot, there is no reason not to be cooking beans from dried. If you really have to use canned beans, though, you will need 2 cans.  

There was none around at the moment, but a little parsley on top would have been ideal.

 

4 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 40 minutes prep time 

NOT including cooking the chick peas

 

1 1/3 cups raw chick peas

  OR 3 1/2 cups cooked chick peas

1 medium onion

1 to 3 cloves of garlic

1/2 large red bell pepper

1/2 large orange bell pepper

1/2 large yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons sweet OR smoked Spanish paprika

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

600 grams (1.5 pounds) chicken pieces

1/4 cup barley OR wheat flour

salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil  

Cook the chick peas by putting them into a pot and covering them generously with water; bring to a boil, then turn it off and cover them. Let them soak for one to several hours. 

Drain the chick peas and either return them to the pot and re-cover with plenty of water and a teaspoon of salt then boil them gently until tender, or cook them in the Instant Pot - I give them 8 to 10 minutes with natural release. If cooked on the stove top, they will need 1 to 2 hours.

When you are ready to start the stew, peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, core, and chop the peppers into dice a little larger than a cooked chick pea. 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced. Add the seasonings and mix in well, then the chicken stock and vinegar. Let this mixture simmer while you prepare the chicken to be added. 

Coat the chicken in the flour, into which the salt and pepper have been mixed. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and fry the chicken on all sides until nicely browned. Add the pieces to the pot of chick peas. Use a little of the cooking broth to de-glaze the skillet, and add it back into the stew. 

Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is well done and everything is thick and stewish. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve. 

Last year at this time I made Strawberry Sponge Pudding.

Frozen puff pastry (not to mention all the other ingredients) makes this dish rich and elegant, but it's very simple to make. A crisp green salad is all it needs to be a complete meal, and balances out the richness very well. It does well made ahead, so it would be good for entertaining, but it can't be made too far ahead, or the pastry will go soggy. It's not this recipe - that's a hazard of puff pastry generally. A couple of hours is good though.

You could also make small versions of this; it would make an excellent appetizer or hors d'oeuvre. In that case, though, I'd expect to use twice as much puff pastry as the total area covered with the filling would diminish every time you make the tarts smaller. Expect 18 (3 x 3 squares) or 32 (4 x 4 squares) little tarts. Baking time would be a few minutes less as well, so start checking them sooner. 

I dithered a bit about making this with blue cheese; if anyone ever tries that I'd love to know about it.

 

6 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep time 

plus allow some time to cool

 

 

4 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) Belgian endive

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon sugar

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Wash and trim the endives, and cut them in half lengthwise. 

 

Heat the butter in a skillet large enough to hold them in a single layer, and cook them over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Keep a lid on the skillet while they cook. As soon as they are turned over, sprinkle them with the sugar and season with salt and pepper.  

Once they are done, remove them from the heat and let them cool, at least enough to handle.

 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon wheat flour

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup whole milk or light cream

125 grams (4 ounces) cheese such as

   Gruyere, Gouda, Friulano - something tangy but melty

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

a few good grates of nutmeg

1 large egg 

Heat the butter, flour, and mustard in a saucepan and mix until they form a smooth paste; let it cook for a minute or two then mix in the milk or cream, a little at a time, to form a smooth sauce. Add the cheese, grated or cut in dice. Stir to melt it, and add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The amount of salt to add is going to depend very much on how salty the cheese is, but in general this dish calls for shakes of the salt shaker and not any kind of spoonfuls. 

When the cheese is melted, remove the pan from the heat. Allow it to cool enough that you can beat in the egg without the egg being in danger of cooking.

 

225 grams (8 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed 

a handful of walnuts

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment. Spread half of the cheese sauce over it, leaving an inch and a half to 2 inches all around. 

 

Slice the cooked pieces of endive, discarding the solid centres, and arrange them over the cheese sauce and pastry. Dot the remaining cheese sauce over them, and spread it out evenly.  Sprinkle with walnuts, and with the Parmesan cheese. Fold up the edges of the pastry to form low sides.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until set and nicely browned. Let cool to at least just warm, or to room temperature, before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Carrot, Halloumi, & Dill Fritters with Garlic Yogurt.

We really enjoyed these but as with a lot of dishes that include a carb, protein, and vegetables and yet don't seem quite sufficient to be the entire meal, I am at a bit of a loss as to how to classify them, and what to serve them with. They might make a nice appetizer, or if you want to serve them as a main course I think a bit of salad might be a good choice to accompany them; maybe this cold spinach salad. If you are serving a crowd, they could also just be one of an ensemble of other Korean dishes.

 

12 small omelettes - 4 to 6 servings

30 minutes prep time

2 bundles (100 grams) bean thread (cellophane) noodles

2 to 4 green onions

1 small carrot

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

5 large eggs

mild vegetable oil to fry

parsley to garnish

chile-garlic sauce to taste

 

Put a small pot of water on to boil, then boil the noodles for 5 minutes. Drain them well and snip or cut them into short segments. 

 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and finely chop the green onions. Peel and grate the carrot. Mix these in a mixing bowl withe the drained noodles, and season with the soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and sugar.  

Break in the eggs and whisk until well blended. Heat a griddle or frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. Ladle in the egg mixture to form small omelettes. Once the bottoms of the omelettes are set, fold them in half, and cook until done, turning them over as required. Once they are set and very lightly browned transfer them to a serving plate, and continue cooking more omelettes until they are all done. Add more oil as required. 

I put the parsley on just to give a touch of colour, but it went really well with them. Maybe next time I will put some right in. Chile-garlic sauce provided the finishing touch.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Pizza Strata.

I'm giving instructions for making this as 1 large pie, but I actually made one medium pie (for my mother and I) and a couple of individual pies (for Mr. Ferdzy). This will all make sense when I also tell you that the medium pie was made with chopped lamb liver (could have use beef, or chicken for that matter) and the smaller ones had regular ground beef in them. The kind of meat you use in these is really very flexible; it just has to be chopped up fairly finely. 

This is another relative of the Russian pies made with some combination of yogurt/sour cream/mayonnaise, and no complaints here. It was lovely. 

As with the meat, the herbs can be changed around. If there's anything that's immutable, I'd say that lots of onions are required. 

It feels strange publishing a Russian recipe at the moment, but let's try to remember that people are not their nation's politics. I'd like to share a story I heard of a woman in our town, a friend of my mother-in-law's. She used to go around and share her history with high-school students. She came from Poland (I think), and was a teenager during WWII. When the Russians came in from the east, she was on the road as a refugee. She was seized by a band of Russian soldiers, raped, and left to die in a snow-bank. A little while later another band of Russian soldiers came along, who pulled her out and gave her medical treatment and took care of her until she could get to a better situation. 

Let's remember that every society has its smashers and its menders. Let us be on the side of the menders and support them wherever we can find them.

 

8 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

 

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup thick yogurt

 

Mix the spelt flour with the salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Grate in the butter, pausing to dust the flour over it every so often. Rub the butter into the flour until evenly distributed but still in little lumps. Mix in the yogurt to form a ball of stiff dough. Cover and set it aside.

 

3 medium onions

3 cloves of garlic

1 medium carrot 

1 tablespoon bacon fat or mild vegetable oi

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Peel and chop the onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and grate the carrot. 

 

Heat the fat or oil in a large skillet and cook the onions and carrot gently over medium heat, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced. Add the garlic and seasonings. Add the ground or finely chopped meat, and cook until browned but still with a fair bit of pink showing. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Wash, dry, and chop the herbs. 

Roll out the pastry to fit your pie plate(s). Spread the filling out in it evenly, and sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

1 cup thick yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the mayonnaise into the yogurt, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Season with the salt and pepper, and whisk again. Pour this evenly over the prepared pie(s). Shake them gently to settle the topping into the meat. 

Bake at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes for a single pie, or for 30 to 35 minutes if you have made 6 single pies. In any case the filling should be just set in the middle, and show some brown spots. 

Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving; also fine at room temperature.

This is as simple a little lentil soup as one could make; but very tasty nonetheless. Summer savory and paprika are typical seasonings in Bulgarian cuisine. When I first discovered this, I exclaimed "I'm a Bulgarian cook and didn't even know it!" 

 

Well, not quite. But I have gotten more interested in Bulgarian cuisine this winter, as you may have noticed. This is not quite the original Bulgarian soup as I found it, but close enough. The original did not have the vinegar added as it cooked, but vinegar was mixed with garlic and salt and swirled though the finished soup. I prefer to add it to the soup in good time to allow it to mingle and mellow, and to use a more Turkish finish of garlic yogurt. Since the Bulgarians also use garlic and yogurt in quantity, I'm sure I am not the first to do so. If you don't want it you don't have to; but we thought it a very good addition.   

I'm saying 15 minutes prep time, but you can't wander away for the hour of cooking - it does want stirring every so often.

 

2 to 4 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

2 teaspoons summer savory

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

 

In a small bowl; set them aside.

 

1 large onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 medium carrot

2 tablespoons sunflower OR olive oil

1 cup green or brown lentils

6 to 7 cups of water

3 to 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar OR white wine vinegar 

 

Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and dice the carrot finely. 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cook the onion and carrot gently over medium heat, for 5 to 10 minutes,  until softened and very lightly browned. Mix in the garlic, give it another minute, then add the lentils and 4 cups water. 

Simmer gently for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until the lentils are tender. Add more water as it cooks down to keep a thick but soupy consistency. When the lentils seem to be done, add the seasonings and the vinegar. Simmer for a further 15 minutes or so, again stirring regularly and maintaining the consistency. 

Serve plain, or with a dollop of Garlic-Yogurt. 

I like to kid myself that things made with dates are "low sugar" but I'm afraid they are mostly just delicious. Still, this has a lot less sugar than most cakes.  

Like quite a few cakes with a lot of fruit in them, this can be a bit awkward to mix at the end, because the fruit seems so excessive to the quantity of batter, hence the slightly odd instructions for a combination of layering and mixing. It all works out fine in the end though, and this makes a tasty end to a meal, a good snack, or even a breakfast treat. 

Because of the amount of apple chunks in this it will not store outstandingly well. As usual, I can't say I find that a problem... it just has to be eaten. Too bad; so sad.

 

12 to 16 servings

1 hour - 15 minutes prep time

 

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 large eggs

1/2 to 1 cup diced dates

4 medium apples

1/2 cup milk or light cream

Measure the spelt flour and mix in the baking powder and salt. Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and beat in the honey. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Chop the dates, discarding the pits, if any. Peel, core, and dice the apples fairly finely. 

Mix about half the flour into the creamed butter etc. Mix in the milk or cream, then the remainder of the flour. Mix in the dates. Because of the very large quantity of apples going into this, I found it easiest to spread about 1/3 of the batter over the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of the apples over this, and press them gently in. Mix the remainder of the apples into the batter and scrape it all into the pan. Spread it out evenly, pressing down slightly to remove any air gaps. 

Bake at 375°F for about 45 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch (done). Let cool 5 minutes then remove from the pan to a rack to finish cooling. 

Keeps for several days well-wrapped and refrigerated.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Roasted Onions with Sherry & Vinegar. 

There are a lot of Spanish potato dishes made with this technique but somewhat varying seasonings, with a wide variety of names, often reflecting the locale where the variant is typical. The technique in question is to fry the potatoes first, then stew them in a sauce. The sauce will almost always contain paprika, and I have yet to see a version without garlic, so I am calling this Potatoes in Garlic Sauce. 

 

I put some chorizo in this, because the first version I saw had it, and I got a little fixated on it. Many recipes don't call for it, and I don't think it is at all required, especially since good chorizo can be hard to find. (I got President's Choice, because it was all I could get, but I'm here to tell you that it is best described as bad chorizo.) 

 

Tasty food is described in Spanish as "rico", that is to say; rich. High calorie foods, preferably in the form of meat, have traditionally been regarded as what food should be; perhaps not surprising in an impoverished place with more grazing than arable land, and a lot of labour to be done. In reality though, a dish like this would have been vegetarian much more often than not. The oil and potatoes still keep it plenty "rico". 

I've seen this technique in Hungarian dishes as well; if you want to go in that direction, omit the saffron, go a little lighter on the garlic, and use Hungarian paprika. If you want to put in sausage, use a dry smoked Hungarian sausage instead of the chorizo, and there you are. 

To my amusement, this reminds me of a favourite dish from my high school days, when I would order French fries with gravy from the school cafeteria, then douse them generously with vinegar and ketchup. I haven't seen leftover French fries in, uh, two years at least, but should such a thing ever reappear, I think toasting them up in a skillet and finishing them in a sauce like this would be a very reasonable way to have them.

 

I forgot to toast my flour; it should be done before you get started. I don't think it was a dire omission. 

 

2 to 4 servings

1 hour - all working time

 

600 grams (3 or 4 large) potatoes

2 to 6 cloves of garlic 

1 medium onion

125 grams (1/4 pound) good dry chorizo

1/4 to 1/3 cup mild vegetable OR olive oil 

Wash and trim the potatoes; peel them if you like. Cut them into thick (1/4"/1/2 cm) slices, placing them in a large bowl of cold water as you work. Let them stay there until you are ready to start cooking. 

Peel and trim the garlic, and cut each clove into 3 slices. Peel and chop the onion - set it aside. If using chorizo, chop it into medium dice. 

Heat the oil - enough to cover the bottom of the pan by the thickness of the potatoes - in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic cloves and let them fry until a pale straw gold, stirring to keep them cooking evenly. This won't take more than a minute or two. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a food processor or (more traditionally) a mortar. 

Lift the amount of potatoes you can fry at once from the water, and pat them dry. Fry them in the oil until a good golden brown on both sides; turn them as needed. Transfer them with the spoon to a plate as they cook, adding more dried potato slices to take their place, until they are all done. This is a slow process; allow 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of your skillet and how brown you want them. Even if you like them fairly pale, they do need to come out of this process about half cooked so don't rush them - turn down the heat instead.

 

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Spanish paprika (de la Vera)

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1 teaspoon toasted barley OR wheat flour

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar OR white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water OR broth

1 tablespoon chopped parsley, again

 

While the potatoes fry, chip away at making the sauce. To the garlic add the washed, dried, and roughly chopped parsley, the salt, paprika, and saffron. Grind to a relatively smooth paste. Then add the flour, mix, and stir in the vinegar. 

 

Once all the potatoes are cooked and removed to a plate, drain the oil out of the pan. Don't wash it; in fact leave just enough oil to now put in the onion and cook it until softened and lightly browned. Add the seasoning purée to the pan. Use the water to swish out whatever utensil you made the paste in, and add that to the pan as well. Gently return the potatoes to the pan. Simmer for a further 15 or 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened to coat the potatoes. Serve at once, with the remaining chopped parsley sprinkled over the top. 

Last year at this time I made Balsamic Carrots.

Here's a quick and simple soup to make, and it can be eaten at once or it will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge - in that case you might not want to add the cream until you are re-heating it. I'm calling fairly softly for both the curry powder and chile-garlic sauce; taste it and add more if you like, but I'm mindful that it's far easier to add more than to fix it once you've added too much, and both of those are subject to a high degree of personal taste modifications.

I didn't put any in, but it occurs to me that a tablespoon or 2 of maple syrup would be very good in this.

 

4 servings

1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

 

450 grams (1 pound) rutabaga

2 bay leaves 

3 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons Madras curry powder

1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 10% cream

Peel the rutabaga and cut it into dice. Put it into a heavy-bottomed 2 litre (quart) pot with water to cover it by an inch. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and boil steadily for 40 to 45 minutes until tender. There should be about a cup of cooking water left once they are done, but check the pot several times during the cooking period to ensure it does not run dry - add a little more water if necessary. 

Remove and discard the bay leaves. Purée the rutabaga with the cooking water, then leave it in the blender while you melt the butter in the cooking pot. Add the curry powder and let it sizzle in it for a minute or so. Add the puréed rutabaga. Swish out the blender with some of the stock, then add it to the pot as well. Taste, and season with chile-garlic sauce and salt to taste; adjust the amount of curry powder now too if you think it needs a little more. 

 

Bring the soup up to a simmer, then add the cream. Continue heating the soup until it is on the edge of simmering again, then serve at once. As always with cream soups, don't let it boil again for fear of curdling.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Pickled Onion & Lentil Salad with Beet, Feta, Nuts, & Cabbage.