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.

Well so much for the theory that spring is on the way. It is, I guess, but so far, not so good. I did manage to scrounge a little spinach, sorrel, and mache (corn salad) from the garden just before the cold settled back in; enough for a salad with a little help from some lovely local greenhouse lettuce I've been able to get this winter.  

Greenhouse tomatoes aren't quite so good - I notice they have changed from just a year or two ago, and now stay very firm, not to say outright hard - but they taste okay, and even though I'm using them less often, they really did add to the colour and texture of this salad. I used 2 medium tomatoes and did not think them too prominent; if you are a tomato lover you could add another.

We both really liked the dressing, and I think I will be making it fairly often. It's a fairly standard tahini sauce, spiced up a little. 

If you don't want to cook the onions, it's a good idea to salt them and let them drain for 15 minutes before rinsing and draining them well. At least, the older I get the better an idea I think that is. If you are up for eating raw onion, good for you.

 

4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the lentils & onions 

(15 minutes PLUS cooking and cooling time)

 

 

Cook the Lentils & Onions:

1 cup brown or green lentils 

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 or 2 medium onions

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Rinse the lentils and put them in a rice cooker with the water and salt. Turn on; cook. Let them cool completely before assembling the salad. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

Peel the onions and cut them into slivers. Cook them gently over medium heat in the oil until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add them to the lentils to cool.

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (to taste)

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup tahini 

the juice of 1 large lemon

a little water as needed

 

Grind the cumin with the salt, and put in a small bowl with the pepper and Aleppo pepper. Peel and mince the garlic and add it. Add the olive oil and mix, then add the tahini and mix thoroughly until as smooth as you can get it. Slowly add the lemon juice, a little at a time, to make a smooth paste. It should be the consistency of thick cream; add a little water, a teaspoon at a time and mixing well after each addition, until this is achieved. 

3 to 4 cups mixed shredded salad greens 

 - lettuce, spinach, sorrel, mache etc.

1 to 3 medium greenhouse tomatoes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Wash and dry the greens, and shred or tear them up fairly small. Wash and core the tomatoes, and cut them in dice. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro. 

Mix the onions into the lentils well, then layer them with the greens, tomatoes, and dressing on a serving platter. For best looks, finish with a sprinkle of tomatoes and a drizzle of the dressing. You may not use all the dressing; in that case put it in a little jug to be passed for anyone who would like extra. 

Last year at this time I made Coconut Beef & Cabbage Curry.

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.

Does this look like a make-do dish of forlorn frozen veg? No, no it doesn't. I've made essentially this before, when all the vegetables were in season, and it is extra-delightful then; no question. But frozen beans and canned tomatoes are perfectly fine, teamed with winter potatoes and alliums and gently stewed. This version was seasoned with more of a Greek twist (cinnamon) versus my original more Italian take, to which you should revert if you prefer it. 

 

I've been cooking more with whole cinnamon lately. It's definitely a little more luxurious, but it does provide different results from using the powdered. Don't forget to pick it, and the bay leaves, out before serving. Unless, as in this household, they are redeemable for prizes (generally a kiss from the cook).

 

2 to 4 servings

 

 

3 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) potatoes

1 large onion

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1" piece of cinnamon

1 or 2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup water

2 to 3 cups frozen green beans, thawed

the juice of 1/4 lemon, optional

Wash and trim the potatoes, and cut them into chunks. Cover them with water and boil for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion a little coarsely. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot, over medium-high heat, and cook the onion until softened and reduced. Add the cinnamon - split in half if you can -, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and garlic. Mix in and cook for another minute or so. 

When the potatoes are done, drain off all but about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then add them with it. Add the tomatoes and simmer the stew gently until the potatoes are nearly done. Add the chopped, thawed beans and simmer until they are done to your liking (for me, that's about 5 minutes). Add the lemon juice in the last few minutes of cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Red River Rye Bread. 

I found this simple little soup in an old Canadian cook book. Most of them contain recipes which now fall somewhere between thoroughly obsolete and utterly boring, so it's always a bit of an exciting moment when I find something that looks serviceable. However, a little while later I found the same recipe in a just slightly older cook book called French Household Cooking, put out by Country Life in 1908. Tsk, tsk.

 

The first recipe was much simplified in transition, and it changed again in my hands. I thought it needed some goosing up in the way of seasonings and some acid to sharpen it. The original made use of late summer produce, and I'm sure it's delicious fresh from the garden, but it makes a quick, easy and tasty winter soup with frozen beans and canned tomatoes.

 

4 to 8 servings

30 minutes prep time NOT including cooking the beans

 

3/4 cup of white beans, cooked

     (about 2 cups cooked white beans)

2 cups bean cooking water OR chicken stock

2 cups diced potatoes

2 cups diced canned tomatoes

2 cups diced frozen green beans

1 medium onion

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons bacon fat OR butter

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed basil

2 tablespoons vinegar OR lemon juice 

The beans need to be cooked in advance; or you can use a tin. Save the bean cooking water for the soup, unless you are using chicken stock. 

Scrub and trim  the potatoes, and peel them if necessary. Cut them into large dice and put them in a heavy-bottomed soup pot with 2 cups bean cooking water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until tender. Mash coarsely right in the broth. 

Add the white beans, the tomatoes, and the green beans chopped into short lengths. Set the soup to simmer. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion finely. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the fat or butter in a skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. Add the garlic and basil, and cook for another minute or so. Add these to the soup, and deglaze the pan with a little of the broth, adding it back in when you are done.

Season the soup with salt and pepper as needed, and add the vinegar or lemon juice. Let it simmer for a few minutes until the raw scent of the vinegar (if that's what you used) is gone. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Lentil, Buckwheat & Walnut Loaf. 

Stewed cabbage; with potatoes if you like. I made Sweet Potato Roti and another dish with turnips, so I left them out. This is a simple but lively Indian-style dish, which I made as part of a meal that I will be posting about all week. It goes together very quickly, once the measuring and chopping have been done. It's amazing too, what a little spicing will do to give a new look to good old winter stand-bys.

 

4 servings

45 minutes prep time

 

 

4 cups chopped cabbage 

1 medium onion

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 medium potatoes, optional

Chop cabbage and onion, mix by hand with salt and drain for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain them very well. Dice the potatoes into 1" chunks.

 

1" piece of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes (to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Peel and mince ginger and garlic. Mix everything in a small bowl. 

 

Cabbage rolls are a bit fiddly to put together, but there is something delightful about receiving your food in a neat little package. It's a present! Usually they are the main course, and contain meat or at least some kind of substantial protein or grain, but I thought I would do something a little different, and make them a vegetable side-dish. I have to say, I really loved them! 

 

The fiddly-ness is mostly chopping vegetables, and once you've made enough cabbage rolls to have the stem-shaving down, they are really quite quick and straightforward to put together. All the work also happens at the front end, so you have lots of time to work on the rest of dinner while these are in the oven. Mind you, I think something relatively simple is a good plan for serving with these - chops, steak, plain baked chicken (thighs could go in at the same time as the cabbage rolls), broiled fish, grilled tofu - they are going to be agreeable with a lot of different things. 

The dill pickle brine and paprika make these piquant, and I have to say the sour cream or yogurt really finished them - I don't know that I would describe it as optional. I didn't actually use a turnip, as I had a kohlrabi in the fridge that won't last as long. You could use some rutabaga or celery instead if you preferred. You could make them more substantial with about a cup of cooked rice, quinoa, or other grain added, but in that case you will need a few more cabbage leaves and should be prepared to apply the pickle brine and tomato sauce with a slightly heavier hand.

 

3 to 4 servings

1 hour 45 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

6 to 8 large whole Savoy cabbage leaves

1 medium carrot

1 medium-small turnip (or similar)

1 medium onion

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste, possibly salt

1 teaspoon rubbed savory

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

1/2 cup dill pickle brine

3/4 to 1 cup tomato sauce

thick yogurt OR sour cream to serve

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Carefully remove outer leaves in good condition from a large cabbage. Shave the stems down to as close to the thickness of the rest of the leaf as you can. Once the water boils and you have your leaves ready, blanch them in batches until just softened, then rinse them in cold water to stop them cooking any further. Drain well. This can be done up to a day ahead. 

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and grate the turnip. Peel and chop the onion. Clean and chop the mushrooms. Peel and mince the garlic. Other than the garlic, this too can be done up to a day ahead. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking (lasagne) pan which will hold the cabbage rolls snugly. (Should be 1.5 litre/quart, or 8" x 10"). 

Put the oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the prepared vegetables and cook until softened and reduced in volume by half. Stir frequently. Season with pepper, savory, and paprika when close to done. You may wish to add a little salt, but it will depend on how salty the dill pickle brine is. 

Remove the vegetables from the heat, and allow them to cool enough to handle. Divide them amongst the prepared cabbage leaves, rolling them up and placing them in the oiled pan. Pour the dill pickle brine and tomato sauce over them evenly, and bake for 1 hour. Check them half way through the cooking time, and if they look like they are drying out, cover them with some foil. 

Best served with a dollop of thick yogurt or sour cream. 

Last year at this time I made Buck-"Meat" Balls (or Patties).

This Italian dish is usually served at room temperature, as an antipasto, but it is also delicious hot as a main course. You could throw some other things into it, if you liked. Anchovies are a common addition, believe it or not. Good quality Italian tuna must not be quite as salty as what I buy at Costco, although to be fair, once the other ingredients were in it was not as salty as I feared it would be, and it could have absorbed an anchovy or two, especially if it was served as an appetizer. Capers or chopped olives could be used instead - just a few of them. 

I made a double recipe, and with three of us eating it, there was enough left over for another generous serving. The exact quantity of peppers is hard to pin down - it will depend very much on their size and configuration. Use tiny ones for an appetizer and larger ones for a main dish. If you use large peppers such as Red Shepherd, use smaller specimens of them  - they can get large enough that just one could swallow up an entire batch of the filling. 

You could omit the cheese if you don't want it. If you do use it, it should be a somewhat mild and lower salt cheese - aged cheeses tend to have a lot, and I think would be a bit too much with the tuna. I used Friulano, which I really like - it has all the delightful boingy qualities of mozzarella, with a more interesting flavour. I also threw in a few leftover potatoes to fill up the gaps around the peppers; if you want to add potatoes to your pan they should be at least par-cooked to be done in the same amount of time as the peppers.

 

2 to 3 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

 

6 to 8 small apple peppers (such as Doe Hill)

OR 3 or 4 medium sized peppers (such as Bell or Cubanelle)

OR 2 larger peppers (such as Red Shepherd) 

Wash the peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise in each pepper, then down and around the stem. Remove the stem and any seeds, etc, from the core of the pepper, leaving a hollow shell. Be careful not to break them. 

Broil them under the broiler until slightly softened and blackened in spots. Turn to broil them evenly. Set them aside to cool while you make the filling, and turn the oven to 375°F.

1 tin (133+ g drained) chunk or solid tuna

1 slice stale bread

1 medium egg

1 small tomato (about 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped)

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 

the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground black pepper to taste

75 grams (3 ounces) Friulano, mozzarella, ricotta or similar mild cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

Drain the tuna and put it in a small mixing bowl. Cut or tear the bread into coarse crumbs, and add them to the tuna. Break in the egg. Peel (if you like) and dice the tomato, and add it to the bowl. Wash, dry and mince the parsley, and add it. Season with pepper, and mix well. If the mixture does not seem moist, you may need to add a little water - just a spoonful. It should be moist, but not wet, and hold its shape. 

 

Grate or finely dice the cheese, and mix 2/3 of it into the stuffing. Divide the stuffing amongst the peppers, and lay them in a shallow baking pan that will hold them fairly snugly, and which has been greased with the olive oil. Divide the remaining cheese over the peppers, and cover the pan, with foil if it hasn't got a lid. Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F for 30 minutes, then remove the lid (or foil) and bake for a further 15 minutes. These can be served hot or at room temperature, as a main dish or, if you have stuffed a number of smaller peppers, as an antipasto or appetizer.  

Last year at this time I made Cauliflower and Pepper Sauté.

We're cleaning up the garden and gleaning the last few eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. Hence this dish. Not too much to say about it; it's a tasty dish of chickpeas stewed with vegetables. It takes some time but is not too heavy on the work requirements. Serve it with some rice or bread as a meal in itself, or a little salad on the side would add some greenery and crunch. 

 

3 to 4 servings

1 hour 30 minutes plus - 45 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the chick peas

 

3 cups cooked chick peas

500 grams (2 medium; 1 pound) eggplant 

1 medium onion

1 medium red OR green pepper

3 to 4 cloves of garlic

500 grams (4 medium; 1 pound) tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons minced parsley

Cook the chick peas - you will need about 1 1/2 cups raw - by soaking them for several hours to overnight, then changing the water and simmering them for 1 to 2 hours until tender. I've been cooking them in the instant pot for 8 minutes, but I soak them in boiling (to start) water for only a couple of hours - 5 or 6 minutes will likely be enough if you soak them overnight. This can be done up to a day ahead.

 

Put a pot of water on to boil. 

Wash, trim, and chop the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. (You could peel it first if you like.) Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, core, and chop the pepper. Peel and mince the garlic.

Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer them to a bowl of cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel and chop them. 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a shallow 2-quart pan that can go from stove-tip to the oven, over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until softened and lightly browned all over, turning as needed to cook all sides. Transfer them out of the pan for the moment. 

Add the remaining oil to the pan, and add the onion and pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and spices, and stir in until fragrant; about another minute. Add the tomatoes and mix in well. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Mix in the cooked chick peas and eggplant, adding a little of the cooking water if the tomatoes don't look like they will be juicy enough. There should be just enough liquid to keep the chick peas from drying out as they bake, and you can add more as they cook if necessary, so err a bit on the side of caution. Add the lemon juice. 

Bake the chick peas for 45 minutes to an hour, until moist and saucy, avoiding both soupiness and dryness. Stir several times and check the liquid level as they cook. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve. 

Last year at this time I made Melanzane alla Pizzaiolla.

Apparently this dish, which is sort of the Egyptian version of fast food hamburgers, was invented in the 1970s by a butcher named Hawawshi, who sold them in Cairo from a cart. 

 

It's a simple mixture of spiced meat with some vegetables, stuffed into pita bread halves (in Egypt they use a slightly thicker but similar bread called baladi; if you can get it you should use that) and baked or grilled until the meat is cooked. 

 

Many recipes call for wrapping the mixture in a homemade bread dough, but it's at least as common just to use pre-made bread. I was perfectly happy with whole wheat pitas. I've made these a couple of times, once right on the parchment and once on a rack to keep them out of the oil that exudes as they bake. It helped, but didn't make as much difference as I expected, so if you don't have one, don't worry. Some people call for cooking these in a panini grill. I haven't tried that, but I plan to. Also, you can fill these and freeze them for later. Thaw in the fridge before cooking. 

 

Keep the vegetables as dry and well-drained as you can to keep the hawawshis from getting soggy. Be sure when you are filling them to get the meat spread right to the edges, and in a thin, even layer. For this reason, cut and open all the pitas before you start filling - it will be hard to get them open properly otherwise.   

 

4 servings

50 minutes - 20 minutes prep time 

 

1 small onion

1/4 large red or orange pepper

1 medium plum (paste) tomato

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint OR 1 teaspoon rubbed dry mint

3/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (to taste)

400 grams (14 ounces) ground beef OR lamb OR blend

2 large OR 3 medium pita breads

a little olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. If you have a rack you can put over it, it's a good idea to keep the hawawshi off the paper.

 

Peel and chop the onion finely, and put it in a mixing bowl (along with everything else, up to the pita bread). Wash, trim, and chop the pepper finely. Chop the tomato finely, and salt it - set it aside to drain. It should be quite dry when added to the bowl. Wash and dry the herbs, and chop them finely. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds and add them with all the other herbs.

Add the beef or beef and lamb mixture, and mix well by hand.

Cut the pita in half and gently be sure they are completely open. Fill each half with a proportionate quantity of the filling, pressing it right up to the edges in a thin, even layer. Brush each filled half pita lightly with olive oil and lay it gently on the rack (or parchment paper, if you haven't got one). 

Once they are all filled and on the tray in a single layer, bake them for 15 minutes at 400°F. Turn them over and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp and browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Cauliflower Fritters.

Everybody knows Arroz con Pollo, but as I point out to the edge (?) of tedium, I need to avoid too much arroz. Barley is a much healthier choice, and fortunately it goes with chicken just as well as rice. It does make it slower to cook, but not really any harder. 

 

This was one of the dishes my parents learned to make when we lived in Mexico when I was very young, and it has remained a favourite with everyone ever since, and has also become much more widely known. 

You can make this all winter - it's a great winter dish - with greenhouse peppers, pickled Jalapeños, and canned tomatoes but there is no doubt it is particularly nice at this time of year when all those things can be had fresh from the garden.

 

1 cup barley

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups water

 

Put these into the rice cooker and cook. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

 

450 grams (1 pound) red peppers

3 small red onions

1 to 3 Jalapeño peppers

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

1 kg (2 pounds) chicken pieces

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 cups crushed or chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 cup water OR chicken stock

 

 Wash, core, and dice the peppers. Peel and chop or sliver the onions. Wearing gloves, wash, core, and dice the Jalapeños. Peel and mince the garlic. Blot the chicken dry with a bit of paper towel. 

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or stove-top safe casserole. Brown the chicken pieces well, then transfer them to a plate. If there is excess fat left in the pan, drain if off until there is just enough to sauté the vegetables. 

Sauté the peppers and onions until softened and partially cooked. Add the Jalapeños and garlic and cook for another minute or two. Then, add the tomatoes and water or stock. Mix well. Add the barley and mix it in well, then nestle the chicken pieces into it, so they are mostly submerged but the top layer of skin stays out to get crispy. 

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 50 minutes to an hour, until the chicken is done. Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes, then serve. 

Last year at this time I made Chicken 65.

I've made this three times in the last couple of weeks. The first time I had no intention of posting it - it was so plain and basic. But I enjoyed it a lot, and wanted to make it again, so I decided to make it and post it. Unfortunately, that effort turned out to be on one of the days we had a tornado warning, and while we did not have a tornado, it was so dark that I could not get a good picture. 

So here it is, the lucky third time. It's getting late enough that the zucchini are coming to an end, but hopefully there are still a few around. You can use whatever kind of white fish you like, really. I've been serving it over some drained whole grain ramen noodles and really enjoying the combination, but rice or quinoa would also be an excellent choice. I have been seasoning it very lightly - all the veggies are fresh from the garden and so good just as they are, and I don't want to overwhelm the fish. You could certainly season it up a bit, though, if you like. Italian seasonings? Curry powder? Something else?

 

2 servings

30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

 

 

2 medium (225 grams; 1/2 pound) tomatoes 

2 medium (400 grams; scant pound) zucchini

1 small onion

1/2 red or orange pepper

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 bay leaf

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 fillets of whitefish OR 4 perch fillets (about 450 grams; 1 pound)

 

Put a small pot of water on to boil which will just cover the tomatoes. When it boils, add them and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer them to the sink and run cold water on them until cool. Peel them, chop them, and set them aside. 

 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and dice the zucchini fairly finely. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the pepper. Peel and mince the garlic. 

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and pepper, with the bay leaf, and cook until softened, reduced in volume, and lightly browned; between 5 and 10 minutes. Stir regularly. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Add the garlic and cook it in for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes. Mix in well. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few spoonfuls of water or tomato juice. 

 

Lay the fish fillets over the top of the vegetables and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat if it seems to be bubbling a bit too madly. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until the fish is done. Serve with rice, noodles, or quinoa. 

Last year at this time I made Cream of Cauliflower Soup.

Somebody described this in a Guardian food column, and it sounded so good. When I searched for it, up came a number of versions. This one has it elaborately folded into 4 slices of light toast, like a cross between a club sandwich, a toasted Western, and origami. A toasted Eastern, maybe, and all the better for the extra flavours. People generally do seem to eat them in a sandwich, perhaps with sliced tomato or cheese, perhaps with Green Chutney, although honestly, ketchup gets mentioned much more often.

 

I did my usual (now) thing and put in a little potato starch for better holding and folding, but you don't have to. Most versions seem pretty unspiced for an Indian dish, just calling for salt and pepper, but a little cumin and turmeric will liven it up if you feel deprived. Some versions just put the raw vegetables straight into the eggs, but a few minutes spent softening them up beforehand will definitely improve it. Really, it's a pretty straightforward omelette but the combination of onions, chiles, and cilantro is delightful. I wouldn't pass up on the tomato either, but make sure it's a fairly dry one (or use the juice in place of the water) AND chop it very finely, or it won't set properly.

 

2 omelettes

30 minutes prep time

 

1 small onion OR 2 shallots

1 small hot green chile

1/4 yellow or red sweet pepper

1 small tomato (optional)

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

 

Peel and chop the onion or shallots. Wash, trim, de-seed, and mince the chile and sweet pepper. Core and chop the tomato, and drain it well if watery. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, dry, trim, and chop the cilantro. 

 

Heat the oil in a flat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion (shallots) and peppers. Cook until softened and slightly browned; several minutes. Add the garlic and mix it in, then add the tomato. Cook until the tomato is just softened, then stir in the cilantro. Transfer the vegetables into the bowl of whisked eggs, and mix them in. Wipe the skillet with a piece of paper towel to clean off any remaining bits. 

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon potato starch (optional)

4 large eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the water and potato starch in a small mixing bowl. Break in the eggs, whisking after each one goes in. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and turmeric. 

Heat half the oil in the cleaned skillet, and pour in half the egg mixture with the vegetables mixed in. Cook until mostly set, then fold it in half. Press gently to work any uncooked egg to the edge of it to finish cooking. Transfer it to a plate. Wipe the skillet again, add the remaining oil, and repeat with the remaining egg and vegetable mixture. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Peperoni con la Mollica.

It's not zucchini season without some stuffed zucchini! It's not zucchini season without some ratatouille... so this, I suppose, was deliciously inevitable. 

This is a little more fiddly than just making ratatouille, but not by too much. Mostly it's blanching the zucchini. I've taken to doing this whenever I stuff zucchini, because it makes them cook so much better. They are easier to carve out, too.

 

You could use leftover ratatouille for this, making it a little different from the first time around, and a more elegant presentation than leftovers usually get.

If I had been on the ball (I was not on the ball; what else is new?) I would have put some parboiled potatoes coated in oil in the empty spaces in my pan and roasted them with the zucchini. Next time! We had these with steamed brown rice and hot tomato sauce poured over them. 

I'm assuming people will eat both halves of a zucchini, but this would also make an attractive appetizer course in a multi-course meal in which case one half per person would be plenty.

 

3 to 4 servings

2 hours - 1 hour 15 minutes prep time

 

 

3 large (500 grams; 1 pound EACH) zucchini

OR 4 medium (300 grams; 10 ounces EACH ) zucchini

2 or 3 medium tomatoes 

1 medium onion

1 small yellow or red pepper

1 medium (300 grams; 10 ounce) eggplant

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed basil OR 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon rubbed oregano

225 grams (1/2 pound) feta cheese

1/3 cup fine bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan 

2 cups hot tomato sauce (optional)

Peel and chop the onion. Wash, de-seed, and chop the pepper. Wash and trim the eggplant, and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until softened, stirring regularly, then add the eggplant. Drizzle over the remaining oil, mix well, and cook for about 10 or 15 minutes until the eggplant is quite soft and slightly browned in spots. Mix in the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Meanwhile, scrape out the centres from the zucchini, leaving the 1/2" shell. Chop the scraped out flesh. Chop the peeled tomatoes. Add them both to the eggplant, etc, and mix in well. Cook for a further 20 minutes to half an hour, until the mixture is moist but not watery. Stir regularly to prevent sticking. 

When the ratatouille is close to ready, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan that will hold the prepared zucchini shells snugly in a single layer. 

Crumble the feta cheese and mix it into the ratatouille. Divide it equally amongst the prepared zucchini halves. Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F

 

Increase the heat to 400°F.  Mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the stuffed zucchini. Return them to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until well browned. Serve with hot tomato sauce, if liked.

Last year at this time I made Acelgas Guisadas - Spanish Stewed Swiss Chard.

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian eggplant dish, and apparently sufficiently precise in the ingredients called for that any variations can usually be traced to a particular location. However, since I am nowhere near Sicily, as usual I don't much care about that, and put in all the features that sounded good to me. 

The result is a tasty dish with sweet and sour tang and a salty hit from the capers or olives. It looks stewed - it is stewed, really - but it is served more as a salad, or you can pile it on nice crusty bread. It's popular to serve it with tuna, to make it more of a main dish. In that case I would omit, or at least reduce, the capers or olives. Ideally, it should be good tuna packed in olive oil, but if not, drain it well and drizzle it with a little olive oil, then mix it into the caponata.

 

 6 to 8 servings

1 hour prep time - allow time for cooling

450 grams (1 pound; 2 medium) eggplant

2 stalks of celery

1 medium onion

1 small yellow or red pepper

2 or 3 medium tomatoes

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons raisins

1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon capers OR 2 tablespoons chopped olives

Put a pot of water on to boil. Wash, trim, and cut the eggplant into smallish bite-sized pieces, and put them aside.Wash and trim the celery, and chop it. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, core, and chop the pepper. Put these 3 things aside as a group. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for one minute, then rinse them in cold water. Peel them and chop them, keeping them separate. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet. Toss the eggplant in it and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly browned. Once it is going well, drizzle over another tablespoon of olive oil. I found it helpful to add about a quarter of a cup of water in the middle of the process to help it cook down. This will take about 10 minutes. When the eggplant is well cooked, transfer to a bowl. Wash out the pan if it is very brown and crusty. 

Heat the final tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and pepper, and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. Again, I added a quarter cup of water to speed the process and keep things moist. While this cooks is a good time to clean and shred the basil leaves.

Add the garlic and mix it in for about a minute, then add the tomatoes and mix them in well. Let them cook in for several minutes then add the vinegar and raisins. Mix in, and cook for another couple of minutes until the raw vinegar odour is cooked off. Everything should look well-done and quite amalgamated. Transfer the caponata to a storage container. Mix in the basil and capers or olives, and let the caponata cool to room temperature. It can now be served, or keep it refrigerated until wanted and bring it back up to room temperature before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Broccoli Salad with Vaguely Thai Peanut Dressing.

Well really, this is in fact a standard guacamole recipe, just chopped coarsely enough to be a salad rather than a sauce. Of course it depends on avocados, which are not exactly local, but almost everything else is straight from the garden. 

 

Naturally, if you want actual guacamole, just mash the avocados and chop everything else quite finely. Omit the olive oil 

 

And while we are on the topic of guacamole, here's a tip for cheater's guacamole: mash your avocados and then add prepared tomato salsa a very little at a time until you have a good balance. Add a little Mexican hot sauce to taste. Much better and fresher than buying prepared guacamole and hardly more work. 

 

We had the family over for a weekend visit and this was very well received. Why not; it's delicious!  

4 to 6 servings

20 minutes prep time

 

1 tablespoon finely minced pickled Jalapeños

1 small clove of garlic, minced (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

the juice of 1 medium lime

a pinch of salt

 

Mince the pickled peppers. Peel and mince the garlic, if using. Put them in a small bowl or jam jar and add the remaining ingredients; whisk or shake together. 

 

1 small sweet onion OR 3 green onions

1/4 sweet red, yellow, or orange pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

3 large firm-ripe avocados

1 medium-large ripe tomato

lettuce leaves. 

 

Peel and chop the onion (or wash, trim, and chop the green onions). Wash, trim and chop the pepper. Put these in a strainer and sprinkle with salt; let them drain for about 10 minutes. Rinse well and drain again. 

 

Wash, dry, and chop the cilantro. Put it in a mixing bowl. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Cut the flesh in slices in one direction then again in the opposite direction to form small squares. Use a large thin spoon to scoop them from the shells, and add them to the mixing bowl. Wash, core, and chop the tomato, and add it. Add the well-drained onion and pepper. Mix well, and toss with the dressing. 

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them in a serving bowl. Pile the salad onto them and serve at once.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Frittata di Pane e Pomodori.

Basically, this was made by trawling the fridge and cupboards, and assembling the items found. Zucchini are starting up, beans are in full swing, I wish the tomatoes were rolling in, but not quite yet. If they were I would definitely have liked to use some. 

 

This was a full meal for the two of us. You could serve it as a side dish, maybe keeping the feta cheese down a bit, or you could add chicken or sausage and make it even more substantial. 

 

2 to 4 servings

1 hour - 45 minutes prep time

 

2 cups unsalted chicken stock, vegetable stock, OR water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup bulgur

Put the stock and salt into a pot and bring them to a boil. Add the bulgur, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes. 

 

2 medium zucchini 

2 cups chopped green or yellow beans

1 medium onion, with the greens if possible

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth

OR 2 cups peeled and diced fresh tomato

100 grams (4 ounces) feta cheese

Wash, trim, and dice the zucchini. Wash, trim, and chop the beans. Peel and chop the onion, keeping the greens (if available) separate. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely softened and lightly browned. Add the onion and continue cooking for a few minutes more. Add the garlic (and onion greens, if available), mixing it in and letting it cook for about a minute. 

Add the bulgur - there should be no liquid left by now, but if there is, add it too - and the green beans. Add the broth or chopped tomatoes. Mix everything well and reduce the heat to medium-low. The dish should just be simmering. Let it cook for between 5 and 10 minutes, then sprinkle the diced feta cheese over it. Cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes, until the feta is melted (it won't lose its shape) and the liquid is absorbed. 

Let the dish rest for 5 minutes, then serve. 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Favosalata - Greek Yellow Split Pea Dip. 

I'm not calling this tuna casserole; it may be A tuna casserole, but it is not THE tuna casserole famed in song and story.  On the other hand, no gummy canned soup or inadvisable carbs. Lots of zucchini, which should now be rolling in, although I bought this lot as mine is behind. It's a tad on the rich side, and if I didn't find carbs as inadvisable as I do, I'd serve it on toast. You could also just cut back on the cheese a bit. 

Unusually, we didn't quite manage to eat it all. Leftovers went into a breakfast omelette, where they were very tasty. 

I have a nasty case of tendonitis at the mo, so that's all she pecked out wrote.

 

2 to 4 servings

1 hour - 20 minutes prep

 

625 grams (1.5 pounds) zucchini 

1 medium onion, with greens if available

1 large tomato

6 to 8 button mushrooms

2 garlic scapes OR garlic cloves

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1 teaspoon rubbed basil

1 teaspoon rubbed thyme

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash, trim, and cut the zucchini into bite sized pieces. Peel and chop the onion, including the greens, if you have them (but set them aside from the rest of it). Core and chop the tomato. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Chop the scapes finely or peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the zucchini, mushrooms, and onion until softened and slightly browned, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Add the onion greens, garlic, and seasonings and cook for about another minute. 

Transfer the vegetables to mixing bowl.

1 tin (133 g drained) solid tuna

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 to 1 1/2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs 

150 grams (5 ounces) grated old Cheddar cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9" x 13" or similar shallow baking (lasagne) pan. 

Drain the tuna and add it to the vegetables along with the mayonnaise and bread crumbs; mix well. Mix in about 2/3 of the cheese. Spread all this evenly in the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top. 

Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F, then let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Ham & Kohlrabi Stew with Peas.

It's another very simple salad, with radishes, and yet fairly different from other radishy salads I've made this spring/early summer. This one is popular from southern Mexico through much of Central America.

 

You will need to have some leftover cooked beef, or else to make a trip to your local deli counter. The chewier it is, the finer you should chop it, and in general this salad is best with everything chopped fairly finely. Tomatoes will be from the greenhouse at this time of year, but they are an important part of the salad. 

Are we eating a lot of fast and easy salads at the moment? Yes, whenever possible. I am not at all impressed at how hot and dry it is already, apart from that vicious round of frost about 2 weeks ago. Salads definitely hit the spot. Also, got to eat that lettuce (and those radishes) fast - I don't think they will last well this year.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking or cooling the beef

 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon rubbed oregano

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped pickled Jalapeño pepper

the juice of 2 limes OR 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

 

Mix everything in a small bowl or jam jar, and set aside until needed. 

2 cups diced cooked (roast or steak) beef

2 cups diced red radishes

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped chives OR green onion

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro 

2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1 or 2 large red tomatoes

1 small head lettuce 

Trim and dice the meat. Wash, trim and dice the radishes. Wash, dry, and mince all the herbs. Wash, trim, and dice the tomatoes. Mix all these in a bowl, and toss with the dressing.

Wash and separate the lettuce leaves, and dry them well. You can chop them and add them to the salad, or serve the salad over them; whichever you like. 

Last year at this time I made Balkan Yogurt Soda Flatbreads.

Reduced carb crackers have been a very handy thing for me. I've been making these ones off and on all winter, and while they are really very good they gave me a lot of trouble to perfect. I started by putting cheese in them, but they have so many other flavours going on that it could hardly be tasted, and at the price of cheese, that's a waste. Eat your cheese on top of the crackers. Then, I modeled them on other crackers I make including the oven temperature, and they would go from not done to scorched in a couple of minutes - eventually I figured these need to be cooked longer at a lower temperature. It's all the dried vegetables in them. On that note, I think it helps to have the dough rest for 10 or 15 minutes to allow them to absorb a little of the water, so don't preheat the oven until the crackers have been rolled out.  

These are allowing me to use up the backlog of years of dried tomatoes and peppers, but if you don't dry your own and can't find dried peppers (dried tomatoes should be much easier) you could try the mixed dried vegetables sold by Bulk Barn. Because of the flax seed, flavours in general are a bit muted; it may seem like I'm putting in a lot of spice but it is required.

 

36 crackers

1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

 

1 cup chick pea flour

1 cup whole spelt flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup flax meal

1 teaspoon fennel seed

2 teaspoons rubbed oregano

1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chile flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons dried onion flakes

1/4 cup dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 cup dried sweet peppers, finely chopped, optional

1/3 cup mild vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

a little spelt flour to roll out

Measure all the dry ingredients into a bowl. If you start with whole dried tomatoes or peppers, chop them very finely first; a food processor will not make them too fine - they should be in quite little bits, almost ground. 

Line a large baking tray with parchment. 

Mix the oil into the dry ingredients until it is evenly distributed. Mix in the water to form a smooth dough. It should be pliable, but neither soft nor sticky. Put it on the parchment  - it is best to move it back onto the counter from the baking tray - and roll it out thinly and evenly until it fits the dimensions of the tray. Score it with 5 lines in each direction with a pizza cutter to form 36 crackers. Poke holes in each cracker with a fork. 

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until they look dry, and fairly crisp. Keep a close eye on them starting at the 25 minute mark. They will continue to crisp up a bit as they cool. Once cool, store in a cool, dark, and air-tight spot (cookie tin). 

Last year at this time I made Strawberry Crisp.