Oven-Dried Tomatoes

What to do with a surplus of little sweet tomatoes from the garden?

Our daytime temperature is falling fast, but we’re still getting large handfuls of sweet grape tomatoes from the garden every day. After seeing the price of sun-dried tomatoes at the grocery store ($4.00 for a small bag? and look at the preservatives!) I decided to try my hand at making my own.

I researched a few recipes, but all of the “good” ones seemed to start with “Fire up the dehydrator….” Not being in possession of such a device (and not wanting to spend days babysitting tomatoes sitting out in the sun), I went with the oven method. It was amazingly painless and easy.

Summer Garden Bruschetta

Unfortunately, this summer was not great for our garden. We had a late start due to a cool spring, a wicked windstorm in early August, and just not enough days of sunny and hot. (The heat wave we saw in late July helped, but it was a little too late and too short to do any real good.)

Not all was lost; we got a few ears of corn, a handful of beans and lots of zucchini. The sugar snap peas did well, but that was due mostly to the long cool spring. However, I was especially pleased with the performance of the grape tomatoes. I had received the seeds as a gift from a friend in California, and they did quite well despite the coolish weather.

One evening I’d collected a bowlful of the sweet little fruits, and I decided to make a tomato bruschetta. At its simplest, bruschetta is just toasted bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil, but most North Americans have come to associate bruschetta with the tomato-topped bread commonly served in restuarants. I have to say that I love tomato bruschetta with a firey passion, and I was excited to try my hand at making some at home.

I was kind of winging it with the recipe, so please take all actual amounts with a grain of salt, and feel free to adjust to taste! I’ve noticed that a lot of recipes call for peeling the tomatoes (there’s a photo walkthrough here), I didn’t feel it was neccessary. If you can’t find grape tomatoes, you can substitute cherry tomatoes as they have a similar sweetness. Also, I used garlic-infused olive oil; you can use regular extra-virgin olive oil and increase the garlic to two cloves if desired.

You’ll need:

* 2-3 cups chopped grape tomatoes
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil
* salt & pepper
* Italian seasoning (use the dried stuff your mom got for you)
* 1/8 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
* 1 loaf crusty French bread

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Slice the bread into 3/4″ to 1″ slices. Toast the slices in a toaster oven until they’re just slightly golden. (You can use your large oven if desired; just set the slices directly on the oven rack, and watch closely!)

In a large mixing bowl, gently mix tomatoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and salt/pepper. Drizzle with garlic-infused olive oil and mix again.

Cover two baking sheets with aluminium foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Brush slices with garlic-infused olive oil - don’t be stingy! Spoon tomato mixture onto bread slices. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes, or until bread edges just start to turn brown.

Possible variations: endless! Try adding chopped red onion, or wilted spinach, or topping with mozzerella cheese instead of mixing in the parmesan.

Farmers’ Market Haul

We’ve been making regular visits to the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market (which totally gets bonus points for putting the apostrophe in the right place) throughout the summer. It’s huge and sprawling on Saturdays, while on Wednesdays it easilly fits under the main white tent. Unfortunately, I’m only off work every other weekend (which limits how often we can get down there), and the market is completely on the other end of the city from us (it’s about an hour and a half round trip).

This is the selection we got on our last trip, about two weeks ago.

That’s 13 ears of corn, five little eggplants, four gorgeous leeks, three purple peppers, two yellow melons (no idea what variety they were, but they were VERY sweet), four onions and five carrots.

One of the criticisms I’ve heard about shopping at farmers’ markets is that the food is expensive. First of all, we don’t shop at a farmers’ market out of cost considerations. My first concern is the freshness and taste of the produce. When was it picked? How far did it travel? How was it raised? The St. Norbert Farmers’ Market has a certification process to ensure that the vendor grew or made the product they are selling… And of course, it never hurts to talk to the farmer!

Price is really a secondary concern for me, but having heard the common complaint that farmers’ markets are too pricey, I checked it out. What you see in the photo above cost us about $16. (The melons were $2.50 a piece, so excluding those we got all that food for just $11.) The next time we were at Safeway, I priced out the same produce (having to substitute muskmelons for the yellow melons). The price there was about $20, even after we took our membership discount into account.

So! If you go to a market, shop around and compare prices before buying. And even if your market is priced about the same as your grocery store, think about what you’re gaining in taste and quality.

Technical Difficulties: Please Stand By

So, two weeks ago my hard drive blew up. Yes, the new one.

After over a week of tears and sweat, I am back up and running once more. Profiles restored, photos relocated, passwords remembered. It’s amazing how much stuff is kept in these little boxes… And this time, I’m running on a RAID 1 so I’ll have a backup if I lose a drive again.

Stay tuned! I hope to have a new post up soon! :)

Baked Eggs

One of the problems I’ve run into with trying to cook for just me and my husband is the size of recipes. Most recipes are designed for families or larger groups, and scaling these recipes can be a bit fiddly. (For example, how do you add 2/3 of an egg?) We make use of our leftovers by taking them to work for lunch the next day, which is convenient, but it’s always nice to find a recipe that is designed just for one or two people.

One of the breakfasts that I enjoy making for us on weekends is baked eggs. This is infinitely scalable: since each egg is cooked independently, you can make as many or as few as you need (so long as you have enough ramekins.) Typically I will make two eggs per person, and add some toast and fruit on the side for a nice rounded meal.

You will need:

* 1 egg
* salt & pepper
* Parmesan cheese
* 1 TB milk or cream (optional)
* cooking spray

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Spray a ramekin with cooking spray, making sure to get the sides as well. (If you don’t have any ramekins, you can also use custard dishes, like the one holding the kiwi in the photo above. Just make sure they are oven-safe.) Crack the egg into the ramekin. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmesan.

(Optionally, you can also add the milk or cream at this point. I stopped doing this a while ago and haven’t really missed it. Some people may want to try this, though, if they prefer creamier eggs.)

Set the ramekin on a baking sheet and place in the oven. (You can bake several at a time this way.) Bake for 15-18 minutes. Watch them carefully, and remove them just when the yolk is set to your liking. (I like mine runny.) If they bake for too long, you will end up with rubbery hockey pucks.

Folklorama on Foodtv.ca

Folklorama is over for another year! It was a blast as usual (although I’m still wondering what happened to the First Nations pavilion this year. Were they not able to get a sponsor? I really hope to see them back next year, as they are always one of my favorite pavilions.)

You can read my post about two pavilions - Mexico and Tamil - over at Food for Thought on Foodtv.ca.

I’ve been looking around town for tostada shells ever since we went to the Mexican pavilion because I would love to make my own tostadas. In my Very Much Younger years, I worked for a while at a Taco Bell, and the tostadas were one of my favorite menu items. Does anyone have a lead for me?

Sydney’s at the Forks (aka, The Fancy Side of The Forks Market)

I’ve been to a lot of restaurants, but there are very few which make me sit back and go “wow.” It takes a unique combination of environment, service and food to knock my socks off, but when it happens I can’t help but think, “We are so coming back here again.”

We first visited Sydney’s at the Forks a few years ago. I had heard some good things about it, and we went there for our anniversary. We have been back several times since, all on special occasions, because our experience has always been superlative. I’m afraid that I’m going to run out of synonyms for “great” in this review because I love this restaurant so much.

Sydney’s offers a prix-fixe, 5-course dinner. The menu for the month is published on their website, so you can pick your selections before arriving at the restaurant, or you can ask your waiter what he recommends. If you need a wine recommendation, ask the sommelier for help: every wine he has suggested for us has been excellent.

The set meal consists of an appetizer, a starter, a sorbet, an entrée, and a dessert. Each course typically has five different choices with an option of an add-on or a special choice for an additional fee. For example, the main course offers exotic game such as red deer or elk instead of the other choices. A selection of breads with spreads made in-house is also presented at the beginning of the meal. The menu sounded a bit restricting when we first visited the restaurant, but I quickly realized that even with only five choices for each course, the decision was really difficult!

I have never been disappointed with anything that I’ve ordered at Sydney’s. The last time we went, I chose “boneless loin of Berkshire pork stuffed with goats cheese & sun-dried tomato, wrapped in prosciutto then finished with a basil pesto.” I had read an article about the Berkshire pork and when I saw that Sydney’s was offering this delicacy, I knew that I had to try it. The pork was incredibly juicy and flavourful, and the cheese and pesto finished it wonderfully. On a previous visit, I chose a dessert of chocolate fondue with fruit and angel food cake for dipping; my husband was almost embarrassed at how much I was ooh-ing and aah-ing over the richness of the dessert.

The service has always been impeccable, and is one of the reasons we find ourselves returning often. We were astonished once to find that the sommelier remembered our two previous wine selections - especially considering that our visits had been about six months apart! Our glasses are never empty, and the staff work hard to make sure we’re never wanting for anything and that each visit is memorable.

If you ever find yourself looking for something “fancy” for dinner to celebrate a special occasion, I highly recommend giving Sydney’s a try. Please don’t overlook the restaurant because it’s at The Forks Market (a site generally focused on family entertainment): this hidden gem, located on the second floor of the market, is an oasis in the bustling and busy venue. Treat yourself!

Mexi-Wraps

Sometimes, you don’t want to do anything fancy.

As much as I love cooking with fresh ingredients, there are many times when it just seems like a huge chore. Sometimes I’m too busy. Sometimes it’s too hot. Sometimes I’m just feeling lazy. Fortunately, the cave man invented a device called a “can opener,” which - when used properly - can yield everything from diced pineapple to crushed tomatoes to creamed corn! I love technology.

All joking aside, this recipe has become a favorite of mine when I’m asked to bring something to a pot-luck. These wraps are easy to prepare the night before an event, they’ll be relatively safe sitting out on a table for a few hours, and are finger-food friendly. As a bonus, if you’re struggling over what food to bring if there will be vegetarians among the guests, this will fit the bill (so long as they are not vegans, as there is cheese in the recipe.)

You’ll need:

* 1 398ml can (about 14oz) refried beans (with or without the green chilies)
* 1 400ml jar (about 14oz) jar nacho cheese (I like medium heat)… you’ll only need half the jar
* lettuce
* 1 tomato
* 1 ripe avocado
* 1 TB lemon juice (optional, see below)
* 1 package large flour tortillas

Empty the can of refried beans and half of the jar of cheese into a glass bowl. (Put the rest of the nacho cheese into the fridge.) Mix well. Microwave the bean and cheese mixture on high for about 1 minute and mix again.

Stop! At this point, you have made a tasty chip dip. If you don’t want to make wraps, you can just serve the dip with chips and be done with it.

Wash and dry the lettuce; cut the leaves into strips that will lay flat. Wash and de-seed the tomato; slice into thin, long slices.

Skin and de-seed the avocado (there is a good tutorial here). Put the avocado into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add the lemon juice and mix well. (The lemon juice is optional and is basically there to keep the avocado from browning. If you are serving the wraps right away, you can skip the the lemon.)

Place one tortilla on a paper towel and microwave on high for 10 seconds. This will soften it and make it easier to work with. Spread your bean and cheese mixture on the lower 2/3 of the tortilla. Put a few strips of lettuce on top of the beans. Smear some avocado on the lettuce, and place slices of tomato on top of the avocado. Be careful not to put too much stuff in, or else you’ll have a hard time getting the wrap to stay closed!

Now, roll the wrap up, starting at the bottom where your lettuce and stuff is. Wrap tightly, but not so tightly that the tortilla tears. Some of the bean mixture should “squish” up towards the top, which will help you seal the last part; if it doesn’t you can dab a bit more bean mixture on the top bit to make it stay closed.

Ideally, you should wrap your wrap (hahaa) in plastic wrap and cool in the fridge for about an hour, but if you’re pressed for time you can skip that. (Just be aware that your wraps will be fragile if they aren’t chilled first.) Slice your wrap into 1.5-2 in sections, and pierce each slice with a toothpick for easy handling. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing! You can try adding some hot sauce or sour cream to your wraps as well; if you try that, let me know how it goes!

Meatless Tacos

A few years ago, I visited a health food store and picked up a bag of TVP. The cashier rang it up. While she was putting it into a bag, she paused and said, “What exactly do you do with this stuff?”

Texturized Vegetable Protein (aka “TVP”) is a soy replacement for ground beef. You used to only be able to find it at health food stores, but recently I’ve found it in large grocery stores such as Safeway and Superstore. Organic food markets might also carry it. It usually comes in a prepackaged bag, although I once saw it sold in bulk. TVP is always sold dry, and you have to reconstitute it and flavour it before or during cooking.

My favorite use for it is tacos, and I use my mother’s recipe. My husband, an avowed carnivore, actually prefers these tacos to traditional beef tacos.

You will need:

* 1 cup dry TVP
* 1 TB soy sauce
* about 1 cup boiling water
* 1 TB olive oil
* 1 onion, diced or minced
* 2 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)
* 3 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
* hard taco shells
* taco fixin’s (shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, hot sauce, etc)

Place dry TVP into a medium bowl. In a Pyrex glass measuring cup, put soy sauce, then fill cup to the 1 cup mark with boiling water. Pour the soy/water mixture over the TVP and stir well, making sure all the grains get wet. Set aside for 10 minutes.

In a medium frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until just hot (not smoking!). Add onion and sautee until onion is limp and well-cooked. Add reconstituted TVP to frying pan and mix well. (You may need to add another glop of olive oil if the mixture seems dry. It will dry out slightly in the frying pan.) Add garlic and chili powders to taste.

Spoon TVP mixture into taco shells. Put 4 filled taco shells on a plate and microwave on high for about 20-30 seconds. (This is optional, but it makes the tacos nice and hot, and they aren’t quite as fragile while you’re filling them with the lettuce and cheese.) Fill with any desired taco fillings and serve.

Strawberry Jam

(Whew, back up and running finally! Sorry for the delay!)

There’s something about home-made jam. When we decided to go strawberry picking this year, I already had one thing in mind for the strawberries: jam. But how do you make jam. I had no idea. So… Internet to the rescue!

Bernardin, friend to Canadian home canners everywhere, provided me with everything I needed. (Actually, it turned out that the pectin I’d bought also had recipes inside.) I found the recipe I wanted, and got to work.

And wow… what a lot of work. However, two (or was it three?) hours later, I had 12 jars of fresh strawberry jam (as well as a Tupperware container of “leftovers” which went directly into the fridge) and one jar of “foam jelly.”

I actually did the jam in two batches, and I messed up on the first one. I accidentally added the sugar at the same time as the pectin. I realized my mistake too late, but pressed on anyway. I’ve only noticed one difference in the two batches: the first batch has all of the fruit chunk floating near the top of the jar, rather than being spread evenly throughout. No worries, though - I’ve marked those jars as the “mistake batch,” but they seem to taste just as good as the correct batch. (A good stir should solve that problem, anyway.)