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So I broke my weekend rule regarding alarm clocks and set it for 7am Saturday morning so we could be on the road to Orangeville by 8am. Since I live my life by the clock the rest of the week, I really try not to on the weekend. I'm not sure who I think I am kidding. I am up anyways....but it's an entirely different experience to roll over and look at the clock bleary eyed rather than being woken up by an obnoxious alarm screeching you out of your weekend slumber. I didn't want to arrive too late to the farmer's market and find everything picked over. Hence the alarm. We arrived a little after 9am and the market was in full swing. It wasn't a very large market but the vendors that were there had lovely things to sell. We bought raspberry jam, rhubarb-ginger jam, sausage rolls, purple snap peas, spices and really good pecan butter tarts. Orangeville is home to the "Art Walk of Trees". We picked up a map guide of the tree carvings at the market and set out to find a few that interested us. Now honestly, I'm not sure why they call it the "art walk"....trek seems more fitting. I would still be there wandering if I had wanted to see all 58 trees! Having said that it was fun figuring out where we were going to see the next one...a treasure hunt of sorts. The "Kiltie" was in a cemetery. The "Hobbit house" was down a side street on the front lawn of a home. The whole thing was kind of quirky and I loved it. My husband and son were good sports about it. They even found a few that they liked. On the way home we stopped at the Stouffville flea market. I have bought a few old cups and saucers there over the years and was hoping to add a few more to my collection for the tea party I have brewing on the back burner...more on that later Dear Reader. We grazed our way through the day Saturday with our goodies from the market. We weren't feeling very hungry at all when dinner time rolled around. I scrounged around in the fridge and came up with a beautiful salad. I chopped up romaine lettuce and fresh basil and added baby spinach leaves. I had unusual brown tomatoes (called Kumatoes) that I wanted to try so in they went along with some sliced strawberries and bocconcini cheese balls that I cut in half. Finally, I drizzled the salad with balsamic vinegar which made the strawberries sing sweetly. Beautiful to look at and eat! It was fresh and tasty and befitting of our day at the market.
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I just couldn't seem to find my way here this past weekend. It must have something to do with the heatwave we are having! That and the nasty sunburn I managed to get in under an hour last Saturday. You would think I would know better....after all I come from a long line of pasty white Brits. Ah well. Here we are a few days later and at least now I can have an inkling of warmth in my shower and my back no longer appears radioactive. Lesson learned. Again. So about this heatwave. It started last Sunday and we are still in the thick of it. The Belfast-born, big, burly man I call my husband doesn't tolerate the heat very well and on that note declared the oven off-limits the last few days. We have been living off the bbq and consuming alarmingly large amounts of salad to avoid any real cooking. We are all quite fed up with it and looking forward to the promised balmy 26 degrees this Sunday. That will be considerable cooler than today's fiery 43 degrees! So with barely an appetite amongst us last weekend I decided to make an appetizer for dinner that wouldn't require much time at the stove or bbq. I made ricotta cheese from scratch. Who knew it was so easy to make cheese at home in no time at all? You will never buy store bought again once you have made this. Imagine it in your favourite lasagna....oh my. I added chopped herbs and a bit of green onion to it and spread it on toasted baguette slices. Divine. My husband suggested sliced cherry tomatoes or roasted red peppers on it. Next time. Oh yes. There will be a next time. It was too good not to make again....and again...and try different toppers. The variations are endless! Promise me Dear Reader you will try this! Homemade Herbed Ricotta Adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten 4 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream ( I used 35% whipping cream) 1 tsp salt 3 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 tbsp fresh dill 1 tbsp fresh chives 2 green onions, sliced salt and pepper to taste Pour the milk and cream into pot and add the salt. Stir mixture and bring to boil over medium heat. You will see it start to thicken and coat the sides of the pot a bit. Once full boil has been reached, turn off the heat and stir in the white wine vinegar. Let stand for a minute or two while it curdles. You will see the texture change and separate into thick lumpy parts and milky whey. While you're waiting the minute for the cheese to curdle, line a colander with dampened cheesecloth (you can find this at the dollar store or any decent grocer). Place the colander over a deep bowl. Pour the curdled mixture into the cheesecloth lined colander and allow to drain. This should take about 20 minutes or so depending on how dry you want the ricotta to be. I like to be able to spread it so 20 minutes worked well. It you like a crumbly feta-like texture let it go for 25 minutes. So once it had drained to a nice spreadable consistency, I added the chopped dill, chives and green onions and mixed it all together really well. Season well with salt and pepper. It needs salt...don't be afraid. I sliced up a crusty baguette and brushed each slice with olive oil. I had my husband toast them on the bbq because in my house, anything to do with the fire breathing dragon in the backyard is what I call a "boy job". I'm a bit afraid of the bbq....one bad experience lighting it that involved eyebrows and arm hair. Enough said. Once they were toasted, I rubbed each slice with a clove of garlic then spread the ricotta onto each piece. It was a perfect respite in the heat. Crunchy baguette, creamy ricotta, fresh herbs....a symphony of texture and taste in a few bites! This Saturday I am dragging my darling to a farmer's market in Orangeville. I am also going to see the "Art Walk of Tree Sculptures" while there. There are 58 tree sculptures.....I can't wait to see the Kiltie up close! I hope to have lots to share with you on Sunday!
Sorry to be a day late with the promised risotto recipe Dear Reader. As you may have heard, we had some wild weather in Toronto on Monday afternoon resulting in flooding and power outages. Instead of posting, I sat in the dark for hours with hope in my heart that the lights would come back on. It did quite late that night.....we were fortunate....there are some areas still without power and another storm headed our way this evening. This risotto recipe is the simplest, most basic recipes. But in this case, basic does not mean bland or boring. The depth of flavour from this combination of simple ingredients is, well, astonishing. You probably think I am being a bit over-dramatic, I mean after all it is rice right? Nope, wrong you would be to think such a thing Dear Reader. It had the carnivores at my house demanding seconds of it and not the meat. Unheard of at my house. Now don't be afraid....I know risotto has a reputation for being difficult. It really isn't if you follow a few rules. Always use a large saucepan and never put a lid on it while cooking. Use Italian Arborio rice and stir, stir, stir. Your risotto should have a creamy consistency with tender grains of rice that still have a bit of bite left in them when done cooking. You can do it! Risotto in Bianco Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, (first revised edition since 1974) 3 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, minced 7 cups chicken stock (low sodium) 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups Italian Arborio rice 2/3 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper Place chicken stock in pot and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the minced onion and stir until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the 2 cups of Arborio rice to the onions. Continue stirring the rice and onions until the rice grains have a white dot in the centre of each grain, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the white wine and continue stirring to prevent sticking. Once all the wine is absorbed, you can start adding the chicken stock, one cup at a time. It is important to allow the rice to absorb the liquid before each addition. Once all of the chicken stock has been absorbed, remove risotto from heat. Stir in one tablespoon of butter. Gently fold in the parmesan cheese. I use the whole cup! Also, splurge on the good stuff, not the nasty pre-grated powdery parmesan. It makes all the difference! Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish or as many as 8 as a first course. Pour yourself a glass of white wine and enjoy!
I am a weary, worn out woman tonight Dear Reader. I must admit I nearly didn't post tonight...but then I seen that thirteen of you have visited the site looking for me today and I felt guilty, and, well, quite chuffed that you are getting to know me and my schedule. I didn't want to disappoint you. My cousin Andrew got married this weekend! The celebration began at a cocktail party thrown by his parents on Friday night at their home. A few months ago, Marjory, (Andrew's Mum) had asked me to "hold her hand" while planning the party and to give her a hand the night of the event. It was to be held in the back garden, weather permitting. Sound familiar? The rain came down in buckets most of the afternoon making it feel even more hot and humid. Fortunately, the rain did stop, and the sun came out just as the boys were constructing the tent for over the deck. Marjory had outdone herself with the menu. There was sushi, salmon spread, homemade ricotta for dipping the crudité, homemade sausage rolls, chicken satays, shrimp cocktail, mini quiche, cheese and fruit. It was a beautiful spread. Marjory had a cake made that resembled the artwork (done by Andrew) for the wedding invitations. It was lovely. The icing was perfect...not cloyingly sweet and the cake was moist. The party went off without a hitch....although we did forget to put out the endive leaves for the salmon spread and ricotta. Marjory woke up at 3am and remembered them then. Oh well. I don't think they were missed. She had the evening well in hand and I got to be her cheerleader.
The wedding was Saturday at Nyood, a restaurant/bar that Andrew and Sheryl had booked for the evening. The ceremony was held upstairs and overseen by their good friend Aldwin. I was really struck by the number of friends this young couple have that they have known since high school. Family and friends travelled from Ireland, San Francisco, Scotland and the Philippines to be witness to their special day. It is a tribute to the value of these relationships. It was a beautiful wedding that somehow managed to be intimate with over one hundred guests and it was clear to all of us there, that these two chose well in each other. They definitely will have a happily ever after. So that was my weekend Dear Reader and now I am off to bed. All that dancing tired me out. Check back in a day or two.....I have a wonderful risotto recipe to share with you. I have been enjoying this nice long weekend....celebrating Canada's birthday as well as my own. I have been spoiled and pampered by my brood. You'll soon notice a few changes around here Dear Reader. My son gave me my domain name for my birthday! In the coming days, my blog address will change to www.mycupboardlove.ca Very exciting stuff...As part of the gift, he also upgraded my blog so there will be some new bells and whistles coming (just as soon as I figure them out!) From my other son, there was also a new cookbook added to the collection, Ad Hoc At Home, by Thomas Keller. It is quite the tome. He has already bookmarked recipes for us to try and most of them involve bacon. It's a food group, right? He certainly thinks so. My sweetheart surprised me at work a few days before my birthday with a phone call and simultaneous email that said "what do you think??" He had sent me a picture of a desk. He said that he knows from me that writers need a "space" and thought it would be great if I had this desk which he was going to get right there and then if I liked it. I usually post on Sunday evenings from the corner of my sofa with my laptop and a glass of wine. A lucky girl am I. Since this has been the summer of rain so far, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen this weekend puttering about. For Canada Day, I decided to make butter tarts. Whether its made with raisins, currants or nuts, we Canadians claim this pastry filled with sugary goodness as our own. Who better to consult for an authentic recipe than Canadian Living? Gooey Butter Tarts Adapted from The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook For the pastry: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed 1/4 cup shortening, cubed 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vinegar ice water For the filling: 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 egg 2 tbsp butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp vinegar pinch of salt 1/4 cup raisins, chopped pecans, or shredded coconut (I used raisins) Combine flour with salt in large bowl. Using two knives, cut in butter and shortening until dough resembles fine crumbs. Whisk egg and vinegar together in liquid measuring cup. Add ice water to this mixture to equal total of 1/3 cup. Gently pour over flour mixture while stirring with fork until pastry comes together. Gather dough into ball and flatten into disc shape. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. While the pastry chills, prepare the filling. In bowl, whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, butter, vanilla, vinegar and salt until well combined. Set aside. Lightly flour countertop. Roll out pastry to 1/8" thickness. Using a 4" round cookie cutter (I used a pint glass) cut out 12 circles. Reroll scraps if need be. Divide raisins (or currants or coconut, if using) into the pastry shells. Spoon filling into each until three-quarters full. Do not overfill. (I did and a few were difficult to get out of the pan once baked.) Bake in oven at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until filling is bubbly and puffed and pastry is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for one minute. Run a knife around each immediately to loosen and prevent sticking. Slide spatula under each and transfer to rack to cool. Enjoy! They were gone in record time at my house. Yesterday, I was on the ball and planned ahead for today's brunch. I had made a pork loin roast with potatoes and carrots for dinner. I prepared extra potatoes for a frittata recipe I had found on Martha Stewart's website. I have to tell you....for something so easy it was outstanding! I think it would be great if you had company for breakfast or served it with a side salad and a glass of white wine for lunch. It got rave reviews from my gang of carnivores... quite a feat Dear Reader. Potato-Onion Frittata Adapted from marthastewart.com 1 pound small new potatoes (about 8) 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 small onions, diced salt and pepper 1/2 cup sharp white cheddar, grated 10 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream Boil washed and unpeeled potatoes until tender when pierced with knife, approximately 12-15 minutes. Drain and let cool. Once cooled, peel and slice potatoes into 1/4" slices. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil over medium heat in 10" ovenproof skillet. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Once onions are translucent, add potatoes, stirring gently. Continue to cook until potatoes are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and cheese together. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over potato mixture in skillet. Dollop with sour cream and swirl through egg mixture with the tip of a knife. Cook until edge has set, approximately 2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are set, about 12-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and invert frittata onto plate or cutting board. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Once inverted, the top of mine appeared a little well done in spots. These turned out to be the best bits....kind of caramelized. The creaminess of the sour cream against the potatoes was divine. This one is definitely a keeper, a recipe that will become a family favourite I'm sure.
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