September 21, 2015

Quinoa with roasted carrots and walnuts

I cook with seeds and grains often and thought I’d make something with quinoa for dinner. A trip to a produce stand nearby yielded a beautiful, lush shallot and a bunch of carrots that were so fresh the soil was still clinging to them. I wanted to keep things simple so I cooked the shallot in a little olive oil, added the quinoa and stirred to get it coated with the oil. I then cooked... View Article

September 17, 2015

Pasta with radicchio two ways

Pasta is a comfort foods that I turn to again and again. I have learned to make simple pasta dishes with only a couple of ingredients that taste good and leave you satisfied. This particular dish makes use of the purple radicchio that we usually tear or shred into into a salad. It has a slightly bitter taste and a sturdy texture that stand up to a quick saute and goes particularly well with simple... View Article

September 17, 2015

Italian Language and Culture with Gian Marco Litrico

Looking to discover you inner Italian? Here is how. Gian Marco Litrico offers classes that are so much more than just learning the language. With Gian Marco you will learn how to think like an Italian, how to cook Italian dishes  and how to have an appreciation for Italian art, music, style and life. The classes are conversational and structured to be fun and informative, allowing you to progress at your own pace. The goal is... View Article

September 17, 2015

Fresh pea soup with creme fraiche

Fresh peas have a short season and I wasn’t expecting to find any on my last market trip but what do you know, here they were. They looked crisp and fresh so I bought a large bag and brought them home. I sat with a bowl like an old fashioned mamma and shelled the cute little peas wondering what to do with them. By the time I finished shelling I knew they were going into... View Article

September 16, 2015

Sunshine Farm Tomato Festival

I have written about Sunshine farm before here and here and wanted to share the lovely experience we had this weekend at the much anticipated annual Tomato Festival held at their farm. Each fall Jon and Sher Alcock and their family host a tomato festival on their organic farm, opening the doors to local foodies and food enthusiasts who snap up the tickets to the sold out event. The festival is held in their front... View Article

September 10, 2015

Late summer corn chowder

This was one of the best corn season I remember in the Okanagan. Almost every day I picked up delicate and sweet cobs of corn with pearly, crispy, juicy kernels at local markets, still cool from early morning picking.  It was a memorable treat all summer and I have not tired of it yet. My quickest and easiest method for cooking corn is in the microwave. I place the husked cobs in a sturdy ceramic... View Article

September 9, 2015

Grilled scallions with Salibitxada sauce

When we were in Spain we  were lucky to be in Barcelona during the calçot season and I wrote about the experience here. Calçot is a type of scallion or green onion, only it is grown in a special way that makes it much thicker, more like the size of a slender leek. It is a specialty of Catalunya and the Calçot from Valls in Tarrragona (a province of Catalunya) has a a DOC status... View Article

September 8, 2015

Bruschetta with heirloom tomatoes

This is a recipe that needs no introduction. It’s one of the most popular  dishes to come out of Italy but if you travel you’d know that almost every country has a version of this delicious bread and tomato dish. In Spain they have the delicious pan con tomate, where they rub a tomato over a grilled piece of bread. We had this for breakfast throughout out two months stay in Spain and i am... View Article

September 7, 2015

Plum galette

A galette is a French style open-face freeform tart with the edges of the pastry folded casually up part way to contain the fruits. A crostata is an Italian version usually made with jam filling but also with fruits. This is one of my no-fuss go to desserts when there are nice fresh fruits that need a little pastry to become dessert. Because it’s free form you don’t need to worry too much about the... View Article

September 3, 2015

Fig and gorgonzola flatbread

I can never resists fresh, ripe figs when I see them. More often than not I enjoy them fresh on their own but I also make a few things with them. They are nice roasted and served with salted orange caramel, added to salad or on top of a pizza. One thing to keep in mind about figs is that unlike other fruits, they don’t ripen sitting on your counter. They have to be picked... View Article

September 3, 2015

Heirloom tomatoes with olive oil, basil and burrata

Vine ripe summer tomatoes are the sine qua non of my kitchen. Can’t be without them and regularly buy more than I can use. After all there are only two of us eating here, yet I buy enough for an army. You want to come over? You’d think that at my age (almost 30….NOT) I’d learn some balance but as the saying goes, A BALANCED LIFE IS A LIFE WITHOUT PASSION, and I cannot be... View Article

September 2, 2015

Endive and beet salad with coronation grapes and gorgonzola

The bitter endives and sweet roasted beets go together nicely in a salad, balanced by the sweet and pungent gorgonzola and candied nuts. I make shredded salads like this quite often, combining whatever vegetables I have with the contrast of crunchy, sweet nuts.  My system is to keep a couple of bags with candied nuts in the freezer so I can take a few when I need them and add to the salad without the... View Article