October 20, 2016

Green tomatoes three ways: fried, jam, salsa

Fall produce is not only about pumpkins and root vegetables. One of the things I look to with anticipation is the arrival of unripe green tomatoes at the produce stands at our local markets. With tomato season basically over, the green tomatoes that would have otherwise been left to ripen on the vine are now picked early to allow them to ripen on you kitchen counter, if you can wait that long. Buy the green... View Article

October 17, 2016

Spaghetti squash with crisp crumbs

Spaghetti squash is a fun variety because its flesh breaks into spaghetti-like strands. It has a mild flavour that lends itself to different finishing touches, from tomato sauce to olive oil, pesto etc. I kept this recipe simple by tossing the cooked strands with olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper and parmesan then topped it with crunchy bread crumbs that I first sautéed in a little olive oil. You can serve it in a bowl or... View Article

October 16, 2016

Roasted white pumpkin puree with candied nuts

With all the oranges, golds and reds of fall, the grey”ish” white pumpkin (some are pure white), aka ghost pumpkin, probably gets neglected and that’s unfortunate. In spite of the colour of the rind, its flesh is golden and sweet, much like sweet potatoes and other squashes and it complements other seasonal foods. The white pumpkins are a cultivated variety, shaped like a regular pumpkin and if harvested on time retains its pure white colour.... View Article

October 13, 2016

Sweden – Stockholm and Göteborg, the markets and what foods to try

Sweden is special. Wide open, elegant, beautiful and stylish, everything I encountered there suited me perfectly well: the food, the beautiful people, clothes, home decor, architecture, canals and surrounding sea and archipelago, it was just my scene. By the time we got to Sweden I was well versed in how to make the most out of shore days on a cruise and was off the boat first thing in the morning to explore. The city took... View Article

October 11, 2016

Grilled baby bok choy

Rice and vegetables are one of my go to things when preparing a quick lunch or light dinner. You can make it literally in minutes with no advance preparation. With the change of weather I brought inside the summer grill pan that we use in the outdoor kitchen and looking for something fun to make on it I pulled out the baby bok choy from the fridge and decided to grill them instead of stir... View Article

October 5, 2016

Finland: Helsinki for foodies

With my affinity for the Mediterranean, the Scandinavian countries have not been on my radar until now. We visited three of them earlier this month and the sheer beauty and elegance of the cities, the architecture, the people, the archipelagos surrounding the coastline and yes, the food, were extraordinary. Finland (Helsinki) especially was fascinating, set as far north as I have ever been to (before visiting Iceland). I had a special childhood connection to Finland and... View Article

September 21, 2016

Beans for burritos

My sister-in-law Barbara gave me this bean recipe for burritos she makes weekly for her family. She in turn received the recipe from another close friend, Nadine, and the two of them have been making it for years. I am not sure where the recipe originated, but I heard that someone’s mother passed it along. Both gals make this in a pressure cooker and I have been following their method, but I have also tried... View Article

September 19, 2016

Vin Santo stone fruit compote

How fun at the end of the summer to gather the best ripe stone fruits and a few others, shower them with a bottle of Vin Santo and simmer them together to a sweet perfection that you can then serve chilled in glass bowls. This to me is one of end of summer best treats. It is a dish I grew up with (minus the Vin Santo) where it was called a fruit soup. It... View Article

September 16, 2016

Vegetables in parchment

Cleaning up the fridge today.  I chopped up all the vegetables to similar size chunks, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and piled them into parchment baking bags together with a few stems of thyme. Seal the bag and bake at 400F for 30 minutes. If you want to dry them out a bit you can cut the bag open and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so, or just place the bags... View Article

September 14, 2016

Corn and potato soup

When you buy corn by the dozen for only 2 people sometimes you have a few cobs left over. What I do then is scrape the kernels off the cob and use them in salads, with grains, in tacos, or as here, in a late summer corn and potato soup. This soup can be made with cream, creme fraiche or vegan with cashew cream. Take your pick. It’s a beautiful soup either way you do... View Article

September 13, 2016

Cabbage-apple slaw with mint, candied hazelnuts and lavender

Every now and then I enjoy a good cabbage salad but not necessarily with mayo dressing. This is a fresh and crisp cabbage salad with sweet and tangy dressing made with cider vinegar, maple syrup and creme fraiche. Since we want to layer flavours and textures I chop in a few fresh mint leaves and scatter fresh lavender flowers on top. One thing I enjoy with many salads is the crisp and nutty flavours and... View Article

September 12, 2016

Swiss chard with lentils, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil

I am cleaning up my garden before leaving on our trip. It can get cold here and I didn’t want to come back to frozen vegetables and forgo the fun of picking my own vegetables and cooking them fresh. I had a large amount of sorrel, both green and red and I gave it a whirl in the food processor with olive oil, then filled glass jars with the “pesto” and put it in the... View Article