celery root parsnip soup with porcini toasts
November 13, 2011
Nothing says fall quite like root vegetables and soup. Try this earthy concoction of celery root and parsnips infused with porcini to ground you in the season as the leaves fall, the days get shorter, and we start to naturally turn inward and hibernate. The toasts on top are an extra, but an absolutely essential one in my books as they add texture, flavour, and substance.
For the soup:
a large handful of dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
3 tbsps olive oil
4 medium onions, sliced
3 large parsnips, cleaned and cubed
1 small celery root, peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
6 cups veggie stock
a couple sprigs of thyme, destemmed
sea salt and pepper
For the toasts:
a handful of dried porcini mushrooms
a small bunch of parsley, destemmed
1 garlic clove, peeled
a small handful of roasted pecans
sea salt and pepper
bread
Bring the wine and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat. Add the handful of dried porcini mushrooms and let sit until rehydrated.
Meanwhile, heat up olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and let simmer until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Add cubed parsnips and celery root and sauté until parsnips are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add porcini with their soaking liquid, garlic, veggie stock, sprigs of thyme, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about 40 minutes until vegetables are very soft and cooked right through.
While the soup cooks, prepare the topping for your toasts. Soak a handful of dried porcini in hot water. Once done, remove them from the water, squeeze out excess liquid and chop them with parsley, garlic, pecans, and a little sea salt and pepper.
When the soup is done, pureé in a food processor and return to the dutch oven, adjust seasoning. You can add the left-over porcini liquid from the toasts if you want to adjust the consistency as well. Toast some interesting bread and then cover liberally with your porcini, nut, garlic topping. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve the soup piping hot with the porcini toast floating on top.
sweet potato chili
November 3, 2011
Last week I saw 3 or 4 different recipes for sweet potato chili in different places. Weird but wonderful. I decided to shamelessly follow the trend and post my own. Sweet potatoes go over big in our house, and as we head into the depths of fall, it’s always good to have a recipe on hand that can warm the heart and brighten up even the darkest of November nights. And don’t be jealous of my authentic vintage red Dansk dish, this chili looks good in any pot especially with a healthy garnish of cilantro and green onion.
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
1 full bulb garlic (about 8 cloves), minced
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups corn (fresh or canned)
1 cup kidney beans, cooked
1 cup black or funky heritage beans, cooked
4 cups stewed tomatoes
some slow-roasted tomatoes if you have them
1 sweet potato, chopped
sea salt and pepper
cilantro, chopped
green onion, chopped
Heat the oil in a heavy pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and saute for about 8 minutes until they turn soft and brown. Stir in the garlic and spices. Reduce the heat and cook until everything turns fragrant, about 2 or 3 minutes but be careful not to burn the spices. Stir in the corn, beans, stewed tomatoes, sl0w-roasted tomatoes (if you have them, if not don’t worry), and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes until flavours meld and the liquid boils down a bit. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve alone or alongside some rice. Garnish liberally with chopped cilantro and chopped green onion.
curried roasted garlic carrot soup
October 30, 2011
This recipe is from my new friend Ninja, aka Eric Baxter, but mostly just Ninja. I met him at Vicki’s Veggies market stand at the Brickworks farmers’ market. We talked all things garlic, and bacon, and celeriac. He convinced me to buy a 5 pound bag of carrot seconds (you know, the ones that aren’t pristine but still fresh and tasty). I agreed as long as he gave me a soup recipe worthy of the organic vegetables I was buying (he’s a chef you know!). And, you know what? Ninja totally came through for me. He emailed me this insanely good recipe on this auspicious day before Halloween. I’ve made a huge pot and will feed it to the troops tomorrow night before they head out on their trick-or-treating-sugar-bender.
For the roasted garlic:
2 heads garlic, top cut off to expose cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper
Place heads of garlic on a sheet of tinfoil, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake in a 350 degree oven until soft and starting to brown on top.
For the curry spice:
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp mustard seed
Combine in a pan and toast, tossing or stirring constantly over med-high heat until fragrant (may smoke a touch). This should take about 2 – 4 minutes. When done, let cool and then grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
For the soup:
2 heads roasted garlic
2 large onions, sliced thinly
5 lbs carrots
2 tbsp curry spice
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 litres veggie stock
salt and pepper to taste
In a soup pot over med heat add oil, once hot add onions with a pinch of salt, cook low and slow until caramelized, this should take 25-30 minutes, but it’s worth the time.
Rough chop carrots, toss in a large bowl with olive oil and light salt and pepper, place on a cookie sheet on parchment paper and roast in a 400 degree oven until slightly caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
When onions are carmelized add the spices, cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, add carrots, and squeeze roasted garlic in, cover with veg stock and simmer until carrots are very soft. Depending on carrots this will vary from 30 minutes to an hour, they should be almost falling apart.
Using a blender (immersion or standard) purée soup. Caution: if you are using a blender take the center piece out of the lid, place lid on firmly and cover with a folded kitchen towel, otherwise the gases cannot expand and you’ll have a terrible, hot mess!
Adjust soup consistency with vegetable stock (or water if you have to), it should be thick but not pile up on itself, season, and garnish with carmelized carrots and olive oil. Enjoy!!!
mushroom sauce with porto and balsamic
October 27, 2011
I found this recipe in the Globe and Mail years ago. It hails from Lucy Waverman and I return to it again and again and again.We love mushrooms in this house. We spring out of bed on Saturday mornings to get to the farmers market to find specialty ‘shrooms like the ones above. I don’t know their name, or their particular qualities, but does it really matter? They are mushrooms, they are beautiful, and they are happy companions to any other mushrooms we thrown in the sauce with them. If you can’t find any unusual mushrooms, just use the regular offerings from your grocery store and you’ll still be happy with this fabulous sauce dripping over your mashed potatoes, on pasta, or even on toast with arugula and pine nuts.
1 pound mixed mushrooms
3 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup veggie stock
2 tbsps Port
2 tbsps chopped parsley
salt and pepper
Trim mushrooms, removing stalks if you are using shiitake, and chop. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until they begin to lose their juices, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add balsamic and stock and bring to boil. Reduce until liquid practically disappears and then add Porto. Saute 1 minute longer, sprinkle with salt and pepper and parsley.
ratatouille with polenta and rosemary
October 24, 2011
Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice. Polenta is known to have been eaten by the Roman legions; known as pulmentum they would eat it in either a porridge or in a hard cake like form. A happy Mediterranean marriage, this recipe brings the two together in a meal that harkens to the good-ole-days when vegetables were fresh, food was simple, and everyone enjoyed the comforts and pleasure of the table with good friends and the gifts of the gods.
Ratatouille
4 large tomatoes
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 large onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch together in a 4-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.
Coarsely chop tomatoes and transfer to a 5-quart heavy pot with garlic, parsley, basil, and 1/3 cup oil. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down and sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
While sauce is simmering, toss eggplant with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large colander and let stand in sink 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook onions in 3 tablespoons oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook bell peppers with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with onions. Add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook zucchini with 1/4 teaspoon salt over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer zucchini with slotted spoon to bowl with other vegetables.
While zucchini are cooking, pat eggplant dry with paper towels. Add remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) to skillet and cook eggplant over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add vegetables, remaining teaspoon salt, and black pepper to tomato sauce and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool, uncovered, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Polenta
6 cups water
1 tsp sea salt
2 cups organic corn grits
In a large, deep pan over high heat bring water and sea salt to boil, gradually stir in the polenta. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently to prevent sticking until the mixture is very thick (about 30 minutes). Stir in more salt if needed. Oil a square medium-sized pan or loaf pan, spoon in polenta, and let set for 10 minutes. Invert onto a flat plate. The polenta will unmold and hold its shape.
Cut polenta into thick slices and serve hot, smothered in ratatouille and chopped rosemary.
farinata
October 16, 2011
I’m a little confused about what farinata actually is. If you google it, most links lead you to the conclusion that it’s a chickpea flatbread like socca. Yet my new cookbook on Tuscan cooking has it as a stew from Pistoia, a region of Tuscany just west and north of Florence. It doesn’t really matter as recipes are regional by their very nature, and adaptable, and transformable, and personal. So my farinata is a polenta stew – the epitome of peasant, homegrown, comfort food. Picture a little stone house in a Tuscan valley with a small kitchen garden outside full of fall bounty like carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, and herbs. Now add a little wine, a few beans, some polenta and you’ve got a meal that will warm the bellies of the whole family. Cheap. Easy. Filling. Tasty. With leftovers for lunch in the field the next day.
1 1/2 cups dried borlotti beans (or another kind of dried bean), soaked overnight in water to cover, and drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 oz cavolo nero cabbage
4 tbsps olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup dried polenta
chopped herbs including thyme, rosemary, oregano
sea salt and pepper
4 tbsps grated pecorino cheese, optional
Place beans in a large pot with plenty of water, one garlic clove, sage leaves, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook beans until tender, seasoning with salt towards the end of the cooking time (this is important – if you add salt too early your beans won’t cook).
Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the cabbage and simmer for about 5 minutes until cabbage is tender. Drain and chop.
Heat olive oil in a heavy dutch oven or large pot and add the onions. Cook until tender. Add carrot, celery, and garlic. Saute until tender. Add tomatoes and chopped herbs. Let simmer for about 3 minutes. Add white wine and let it reduce by about 1/2.
Drain the beans, discard the sage and bay leaves, reserving the cooking liquid. Place half the whole beans in the dutch oven with the other other vegetables. Mash half the beans and garlic clove with a potato masher until they turn into a paste. Add them to the dutch oven along with the cabbage and 2 cups of reserved cooking liquid from the beans.Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
Pour 4 1/2 cups of the rest of the remaining cooking liquid into the dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper and then sprinkle in the polenta. Cook, stirring regularly and adding more cooking liquid or water if necessary, for 40 minutes, until thickened and cooked through.
If you want to make this farinata true Tuscan style, stir in 4 tbsps grated pecorino cheese. Either way, ladle into bowls and serve with crunchy artisanal toast and a glass of wine from the region.
roasted chickpeas with paprika rosemary and thyme
October 15, 2011
I think everyone understands the 3:00 PM energy crash. If you eat well it’s not as severe but, regardless, I think we all need a little pick-me-up mid-afternoon whether it’s a fabulous tea, smokey honey roasted almonds, or these amazing roasted chickpeas with paprika, rosemary, and thyme. The recipe hails from Heidi Swanson’s super natural every day complete with a few tips like making sure your chickpeas are as dry as possible before roasting, using three paprikas for depth of flavour, and adding these tasty morsels to stir-fries, soup, and salads. I’m not sure mine will last until dinner as I’ve eaten half the bowl just sitting here writing this blog post.
3 cups of cooked chickpeas or 1 1/2 cans of chickpeas rinsed and dried
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 425 with a rack placed in the top third of the oven. Put the dried chickpeas onto a baking sheet as pictured below and roast for 10 minutes. Shake the pan and roast for another 8-10 minutes, until the chickpeas crisp up. Keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
While chickpeas are cooking, make your sauce. Combine olive oil, paprikas, salt, lemon zest, rosemary and thyme into a mixing bowl.
mushroom barley ragout
October 2, 2011
Yesterday, Fall and I met for the first time of the season at the back door. I went out to take out the garbage and there she was – crisp cool air, red and orange leaves dancing about in the wind, low saturated light. I had been wanting to try this recipe from Ottolenghi’s Plenty and decided that in honour of Fall’s arrival, I would make it for lunch. Barley is such a warming grain, hearty and comforting. And its the perfect companion to mushrooms and wine in this rich ragout that I have a feeling will take us through to spring. Serve it beside a piece of toasted baguette or hearty sourdough bread for a quick, easy lunch or super.
1/2 cup pearl barley
3/4 oz dried porcini
3/4 cup hot water
4 cups mixed shiitake and button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra
Salt and black pepper
Simmer the barley in plenty of water for 50-70 minutes, until tender but with a bite. Drain and set aside.
Put the porcini in a bowl with the hot water. Put the fresh mushrooms in a hot pan with the oil, garlic and thyme, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for four minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble away for five minutes, then add the porcini and soaking liquid, season, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and barley. Season to taste.
Serve over some flatbread, toasted baguette or just straight up in a nice big soup bowl.
breakfast quinoa with lemon zest and poppy seeds
September 26, 2011
I was chatting with my new friend and colleague, Meaghan Calcari from San Francisco, and she mentioned that she has quinoa every morning for breakfast. Don’t get me wrong – I love my dulse in the morning and will stick with it – but I thought for a change it might be nice to try something different. So taking my inspiration from Meaghan I cooked some up this morning topped with maple syrup, and toasted almonds. You could also add dried cranberries, and a dusting of cinnamon. This super-food is super yummy!
Super-food? For those of you that don’t know, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is really the superhero of grains. Actually, technically it’s not a grain but the seed of the Goosefoot plant. It’s used as a grain and substituted for grains because of its grain-like characteristics. The Inca have cultivated it in the South American Andes since, oh, about 3,000 B.C. In fact the ancient Incas called quinoa the “mother grain” and revered it as sacred. That alone makes it a super-food, but alongside being sacred it’s easy to prepare, has a great nutty flavour, and is packed full of protein, amino acids, calcium and iron. Need I say more? Eat up!
1/2 cup coconut milk
about 1 cup water
1 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp. fine-grain sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup or to taste
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
dried cranberries
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the coconut milk, water, and quinoa to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the mixture, stirring often, for 5 to 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is creamy but still retains some texture. If the liquid in the pan is absorbed before the quinoa has fully cooked, stir in more water, 1 tbsp or so at a time, until done. Stir in the poppy seeds, lemon zest, and maple syrup. Serve hot in individual bowls topped with the toasted almonds. Serves 4.
black pepper tempeh
September 21, 2011
This recipe seems to be getting a lot of air time. It’s Heidi Swanson’s from super natural every day. It just occurred to me how wonderful it is to be able to go on the web, look up a recipe, and find dozens of versions from all over the world. Perhaps I should have clued into the amazement of this earlier but, alas, I didn’t and it’s a pleasant discovery. All the variety, individuality, creativity, uniqueness, and collective interest is wonderful. One recipe I found added mushrooms to this dish which is something I wondered about adding last night but didn’t – more from laziness than anything. But I agree with whoever that person is that added mushrooms wherever they are – great idea.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
15 small cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup water, plus more if needed
8 ounces tempeh, sliced pencil-thin
12 ounces cauliflower, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
In large skillet over low heat, combine the coconut oil, shallots, red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger. Cook slowly, taking care not to brown the ingredients and stirring occasionally, until the garlic cloves are soft throughout, about 15 minutes.
While the garlic is cooking, whisk together the shoyu, cane sugar, and water in a small bowl.
Increase the temperature under the skillet to medium-high and add the tempeh. Gently stir to get it coated. Add the shoyu mixture and stir again to coat. Cook for a minute or two, then add the cauliflower. Stir and cover. Cook for about 3 minutes. Uncover, turn the heat up even more, and cook until the cauliflower and tempeh starts to brown. If you need to add more water to prevent sticking, add 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove from heat and stir in the black pepper. Taste, add more pepper if you like, and serve immediately.
v:gourmet 
