April 14, 2012
Asparagus – spring One of the sure sign of spring is beautiful, crisp and green asparagus popping up at the farmers markets. It’s true that you can get asparagus almost all year but there is nothing like farmer’s market asparagus in season. Asparagus is a branch of the lily family. It is planted deep in the ground and has a short growing season limited to a couple of months, barely. Asparagus is planted in trenches... View Article
April 13, 2012
The tangy goat cheese adds a wonderful element of flavour to the polenta and combines nicely with the mushrooms and spinach. Serve this as a main course vegetarian dinner followed by a roasted vegetables salad or a green salad for a lighter meal. A glass of crisp white wine is in order here. Ingredients: 1 recipe basic polenta but using goat cheese instead of Parmesan (see posting in this category) 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons... View Article
April 13, 2012
Here is a twist on the traditional pasta primavera. Same topping, finished with cream is served on top of a bowl of steamy, creamy polenta. A few shavings of Parmesan or pecorino finish this up nicely. Polenta is so easy to prepare and so versatile, I am surprised it hasn’t caught on more in every day cooking here. Ingredients: 4 cups water 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 cup cornmeal 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup grated... View Article
April 13, 2012
This is a delicious but less familiar winter squash. If you haven’t tried it I suggest that you do. It is easy to handle, cook relatively fast because it is smaller and the rind softens as it cooks and becomes an edible part of the squash, unlike any other. For this dish I combine the roasted squash with roasted chestnuts and parsnips. The deep flavours were similar and complimentary. I drizzled over a wonderful little... View Article
April 13, 2012
A match in flavour, colour and texture, carrots and parsnips are a treat to cook together. I leave the carrots whole and then cut the parsnips to match. Try and match the shape and size of the vegetables so they cook at the same time. If you don’t have baby carrot use regular carrots and cut them in half lengthwise, keeping some of the green tops if possible. I especially like to roast them as... View Article
April 13, 2012
Vegetables are so fun to cook. Most of us cook and serve them on their open but mingling them can produce a fun unexpected and delicious combination of textures and flavours. Cabbage can be combined with potatoes, grains and other vegetables. It is a part of almost every international cuisine and is good flavoured with Mediterranean, Asian or eastern European flavours. I slightly undercook the cabbage and kale because I like to retain their colour... View Article
April 13, 2012
For this tartine I roast the fennel first and then pile it on a long slice of Poilane bread between layers of crumbled goat cheese. I then bake it in the oven for a few minutes to lightly melt the cheese and warm up the tartine. The fennel can be roasted a few hours in advance and kept at room temperature until you are ready to proceed. Save some fennel fronds for garnish, or use... View Article
April 13, 2012
A hearty lentil soup is comfort food for anyone with a Mediterranean palate. I make it in many different ways but it’s all variations on the same theme of aromatics (onion, garlic, carrot, celery) sautéed in olive oil and then the lentils are added with stock and cooked until softened. I sometimes add a grain such as rice or barley. Sometimes I add roasted peppers or another vegetable and sometimes I even add thin pasta,... View Article
April 13, 2012
Barley and beans is a nice combination for either soups or salads. See the salad category for the salad version of this pair. I often have cooked grains in the fridge and it’s easy to make a quick and delicious soup with them. Barley however cooks quickly so this soup can be prepared on a short notice. You can use vegetable stock but I find that chicken stock gives it a wonderful flavour. Ingredients: 3... View Article
April 13, 2012
I found these giant white pumpkins at a farmers market in Kelowna and brought them home to Calgary at the end of the summer. After sitting on my kitchen counter for a couple of weeks observing the scene, they ended up being cut in half, rubbed with butter, sprinkled with brown sugar and roasted in the oven until tender soft. We ate one half just at it was, scooping the sweet flesh out of the... View Article
April 12, 2012
I call this chopped leaves salad because I cut the greens with a knife into bite size pieces rather than break them by hand. It’s a good salad to make when you want to use the crisp green outer leaves of the romaine lettuce or larger leaves of red leaf or other salad greens you have in your fridge. I usually try to use the tender inner leaves for most salads but in this case... View Article
April 3, 2012
Thin layers of starchy potatoes are baked with a layer of sliced tomatoes in the middle. I sprinkle some grated cheese a couple of times as I layer the vegetables and finish with a cup of cream poured over the whole thing. The starchy potatoes absorb the cream and the tomatoes in the middle provide another layer of flavour and texture. I slice the potatoes on a mandolin type gadget (see Kitchen Gear tab), so... View Article
