It Was A "Bean" Of A Weekend

How does it go? Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat,the more you ....well, I think you get the gist of it! I recently went back to my homeland (yep, good 'ol Shawville, PQ) and had the most fantabulous weekend! Not only did I get a break from the suckling piggy (my very large and always hungry 6 month old) but also got to enjoy some amazing cooking and tons of baked beans.

Now, do you think that perhaps I am just asking for trouble by eating beans all weekend? Hardly now. How could I resist the rich and sweet baked beans at Murray Street KWC in Ottawa? Molasses baked beans with succulent duck confit all topped off with baked eggs and duck fat fried bread crumbs? Yowza, it was a wonderful start to my Saturday! But my beans weren't the only amazing thing about my meal. Zoe, the ever adventurous 2 year old that she is, ordered headcheese. Doug, had the "whole cow challenge". Both of these dishes blew us out of the water! Doug's dish came in the form of a chicken fried steak served with some fresh, free range fried eggs and a side salad. Perfect. Zoe and her headcheese; now that is a story in itself! The flavors of this delicacy blew us all out of the water, and Zoe certainly enjoyed the homemade crostinis and "baby pickles" as she called them. My only wish would have been that we could have returned for dinner, but alas, the big boy back home and a pot of baking "feves au lard" were awaiting us.

My second foray into baked beans on this weekend came in the form of my momma's famous "feves au lard". Different from the Murray Street beans, by way of salted pork belly and lard, instead of their sweeter version. My mother makes these in her special bean pot, and they have "bean" a favorite in the Lavallée home since God only knows when! These salty baked beans always remind me of going to my grandmother's house on holidays and enjoying a big bowl of them doused in brown sugar. Yes, you read right.

There are two schools of thought on the "feves au lard". (See the recipe below). Those of us who put brown sugar on them, to get a salty, sweet bowl of beans, and those (like my better half) who opt for ketchup. Anyway you garnish your beans, these stink makers are worth eating.

Whether you enjoy the sweet, molasses infused version of baked beans or the French Canadian "feves au lard", my only advice to you: do not make any plans that have you and other people confined in close quarters! Happy tooting to you!

LOUISE LAVALLEE’S FEVES AU LARD

• 900g (2lbs) white navy beans; soaked over night
• 454g (1lbs) salt pork; cubed
• 225g ( ½ lbs) lard
• 2 onions; peeled and left whole
• Salt and pepper

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain the next morning and place in a ceramic casserole or bean pot. Add the ingredients and cover with cold water. Place foil over the top and bake in a 175 (350) oven for 3 to 4 hours or until soft. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid and that the beans do not dry out. Serve with brown sugar, ketchup or chopped raw onion.

Sunday Night Dinner #7: Kitchen Sink Soup

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....wait, that's just a typical Sunday at my house! I don't think I need to go into any detail as to what happened on this last Sunday; I had dragged my sorry ass into the kitchen to make us a somewhat healthy and hot meal, blah, blah, blah. The only saving grace on this particular Sunday was that we had made a trip to the Dartmouth Market the day before and had scored a few gems; tatsoi and loads of basil from my favorite Mennonite farmer, and the last of the sweet corn from Noggins. The rain had decided to pay us a visit in Halifax (hard to believe!) and the chill was setting into all of our bones. The only sustenance that I could muster up was a good 'ol kitchen sink soup; aka, the soup of soups, the king of kings, the thing that dreams are made of.

Into my giant green Creuset pot, chopped bacon,onions and garlic started to dance and were screaming out for more friends to join them. A handful of isreali couscous, fingerling potatoes and the last of the yellow teardrop tomatoes decided to join the fun, and brought along their friend Mr. Basil. A splash of chicken stock that had been hiding in the freezer and a slow simmer for an hour, the kitchen sink soup was almost ready to be consumed.  A sad looking piece of cauliflower and a few ears of corn and the tatsoi were added to the giant pot of bubbling goo. Off the heat and into big white bowls where it was topped off with little croutons made from our week old bread and a shaving of Old Growler cheese. This steaming bowl of goodness was by far the most favorite of my recent dinners, and it was all made with the goodies that were lurking in the cupboards and fridge, just waiting for their time to shine.

Sunday Night Dinner #6: Cold Udon Salad

This past Sunday was extra special to us here in Dartmouth. Not only was it the season finale of "Mad Men", but it was my 36th birthday! I  had but one wish on this blustery Sunday - to sleep in until 7am! But to no avail, as the lil' people must have sensed something and decided to wake us up at 5:30am.

After many pots of coffee, a birthday party with cake (not for me, but for my nephew Henry who turned 2) and some horrible Sunday afternoon TV (Top Gun was on again!), you would think that I would have gotten a break from cooking for one day. Especially since it was my "big day"! But apparently that option did not exist in my household. With Zoe nipping at my heels wanting her black marker, and Philippe going squirrely in his Jolly Jumper, I told Doug we needed to get outta the house and make a trip to Heiwa Oriental Market on Chebucto Road in Halifax to load up on some provisions for dinner.

It is always a pleasure to go visit Heiwa. The staff is super friendly and as a bonus, they're able to entertain Little Miss Drama (that's Zoe) while we browse all of the amazing Korean and Japanese products. Mary, one of the owners, quickly attended to Miss Drama, and offered her some roasted seaweed and rice snacks. Zoe gladly accepted. Philippe got placed in the corner to stare at Pocky boxes and chopsticks, while Doug & I ran around trying to decide what we needed. For starters we grabbed some udon noodles, wakame, and fried tofu . We also picked up a container of Heiwa's own extra spicy Kimchi.  A few more goodies and a bottle of aloe vera juice and we were off.

Back at home, the kids were bathed and put to bed by daddy dearest while I whipped up a dinner that was to be enjoyed during some prime time TV watching. The line up included East Bound & Down, Dexter and Mad Men.

To prepare this salad, I tossed some cooked udon noodles with mirin, soy sauce and ginger; fried tofu, red pepper and edamame beans. I poached some shrimp, reconstituted some dried shitake mushrooms, steamed some market fresh tatsoi and added them to our salad our salad. A sprinkling of the Japanese red pepper mix was added at the end to spice up our noodles and then we collectively headed towards our couches to pack it in for an evening of relaxation.

Now that I have turned the dreaded "36", I have come to realize that simplicity in cooking is the only way that I want to go. Goodbye to ring molds, tweezers and hypodermic needles...this lil' lady is takin' the simplicity route from now on! Now, what will happen to me when I turn 40? Stay tuned!

The Jarring Continues - Pickles & Chow

I know that I've already written about the whole pickling/preserving deal, but for the past few weekends, while my crack head kids have decided to behave, I've actually gotten some pretty cool pickling done and wanted to share it with y'all. My first weekend, I managed to get a batch of Corn Relish and Green Tomato Chow done. Thanks to Doug for his chopping skills!

This past weekend, while everyone was gorging themselves with turkey and pumpkin pie, I was a busy lil' bee and pickled some amazing heirloom carrots, cauliflower, candy cane beets and beans. I know that this isn't earth shattering, but I have to admit that being in the kitchen, without having the looming task of cooking and feeding for family was absolutely FANTASTIC! It meant that I could concentrate just on pickling.

Thanks to the Dawnabelle's blog for giving me some inspiration! Check out her posts on pickling and preserving, they're pretty neat.

So, without further ado, a recipe to keep you all in the pickling mood!

Green Tomato Chow

• 5lbs green tomatoes; rough chop
• 3lbs onions; thinly sliced
• 2 cups coarse salt
• 1lbs white sugar
• 1lbs brown sugar
• 1C water
• 2tbsp celery seeds
• 2tbsp mustard seeds
• 4 bay leaves
• 1tbsp coriander seeds
• 2tbsp turmeric
• 1tbsp chili flakes
• 2 green peppers; chopped
• 2 red peppers; chopped

Salt the tomatoes & onions and pace in a container overnight. Next day, drain and rinse in cold water. Place the onions and tomatoes in a pot with the water and sugar; cook for 1 hour. Add the spices and peppers and cook over low heat for another 2 hours (stirring occasionally). Pour the chow into sterilized jars (I used a mix of 1C (250ml) & 2C (500ml) jars). Put covers on and process in boiling water for a further 10 minutes. Now it's time to CHOW DOWN!

Sunday Night Dinner #5: Fried Green Tomatoes

With the way that I have been starting my Sunday posts, people are probably starting to think that I am a major crab nebula and that I spend my Saturday nights shakin' it up. Of course, this past Sunday was no different. After getting a rude awakening at 5am after being out at a humongous Lebanese wedding the night before (yep, late night filled with dancing in high heels and pounding back the drinks as if I didn't have two small kids at home). I had high hopes of making green tomato chow on Sunday, but my head was feeling like it was wrapped in cotton baton. I decided to forgo the chow and focus on a few simpler items: fried green tomatoes, corn relish and horseradish aioli. No, I wasn't feeling "girly" and I wasn't wishing that I was hanging out with Kathy Bates at the Whistle Stop Cafe, I just felt the need for some interesting fried food to coat my poor belly... and it just so happened that I had 6lbs of green tomatoes.

First I made a corn relish. This was an easy peasy recipe. It was done and cleaned up in about 45 minutes. Fresh corn, onions and celery cooked down in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seeds, mustard and salt. Red and green peppers, a jalapeno for kick. The relish then went into the sterilized jars for another quick cook. This recipe made 8 250ml jars of pure corny bliss! This condiment paired perfectly with our tomatoes.

Doug had asked me if I could make him some horseradish aioli to dip his tomatoes into (he is a horseradish junkie). I obliged of course only because he is the father of my children! One whole egg and a yolk into the food processor along with some salt and pepper, juice of a lemon and a few good spoonfuls of horseradish. Buzz it up and slowly pour in the canola oil as it processes; putting in the oil until it reaches the point that YOU want (for this one I wanted it to be thicker).

I sliced the green tomatoes (only picking the hardest of the bunch so that they didn't turn to mush) gave them a quick salting and dredged them in flour. Next they went into an egg wash and finally a mix of cornmeal and bread crumbs. The breaded tomato slices were then placed in a shallow pan of canola oil for a quick dip. I cooked them for about 4 minutes flipping them once. I carefully removed them from the hot oil and let them drain on some paper towel before digging in. They were crunchy, salty and oozing with green tomato goodness. After the tomatoes cooled down, Doug and I quickly attacked the plate that was still on our kitchen counter; not even bothering the get plates, cutlery or sitting down at a table like normal people.

So another Sunday, another great meal and I can't wait until next week when my Sunday post will be about Thanksgiving!

Horseradish Aioli

• 2 eggs; 1 only yolk & the other whole
• 1 clove of garlic;minced
• 1 lemon; juice & zest
• salt & pepper
• 2 tbsp horseradish
• 1 C canola oil

Put the egg and yolk in food processor with the garlic, lemon zest, juice & salt and pepper. Start to process and slowly add in the oil and keep going until it reaches the right consistency for you (I like mine a little bit in the runny side). Stir in the horseradish.

This makes about 1 - 1/2 cups and keeps in the fridge for a week.

Jar Fulls of Goodness

It is that time of year again. Labour Day weekend has come and gone, the kids are back at school, and the farmers’ markets are full of bounty. Right now, you can find everything from cucumbers to tomatoes, beets to beans and many fruits like apples and pears. Now, I know, even as a chef, all this goodness can be a little overwhelming. How can anyone possibly be able to use all these ingredients, let alone find space for them in their pantry? Well, what I am about to divulge to you is by no means a secret; it's pickling and preserving. That's right! It's the time of year to grab all those goodies and start experimenting. Go grab yourself some jars, hit up a market, grab your grandmother by the hand and get yourself involved in a pickling party.

I know that there are many preserving experts out there; everyone has a momma, grandmomma or friend who partakes in this every year. Why my own mother-in-law, a Miss Kathy, took it upon herself a few years ago to pair up with a friend of hers who was a pickling master and made her first batch of Mustard Pickle (and what a batch it was!). If you think preserving might be too daunting a task, there are several companies in the Halifax area who sell amazing prepared pickles at the Seaport Farmer's Market. A few of my favorites are Pat's Preserves and Tangled Garden. I am also pretty sure that there are many of you out there, who are fortunate enough to have a seasoned "pickler" in your family. If so, take advantage of this and spend a weekend with them learning the ropes!

A good example of a restaurant that takes all of this goodness in is Les Fougères in Chelsea, Quebec. The owners, Charlie and Jennifer Part, are known for their pickling and jam making prowess. If you have ever worked there (as I did many moons ago), you become privy to their "secret" recipes and their way of doing things. Many a night I was bound to the stoves at Les Fougères, blanching and peeling tomatoes, chopping and salting cucumbers, and mixing large batches of spice mix. Their pickles and preserves are so popular, that they now produce them in larger quantities for people to purchase from their onsite shop to take home and enjoy.

Whether you are a seasoned pro at the pickling game, or are giving it a go for the first time, enjoy this time of year and hit up your local market. This time, be prepared to grab that ten pound bag of beets and turn them into the sweet and sour pickled variety, or take the bumper crop of beans and make a spicy pickled version. Anyway you jar it, you know it's gonna be good!

Here are a few simple and easy recipes that work for the first timer or the expert! Happy pickling.

Bread And Butter Pickles

• 4 quarts small to medium cucumbers; washed
• 3 medium onions; thinly sliced
• 1 red & 1 green pepper; chopped
• 1/2 cup coarse pickling salt
• Ice cubes

Syrup

• 3 cups vinegar
• 5 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 2 tbsp mustard seed

Combine cucumbers, onions, peppers and salt. Cover with ice cubes and let stand for 3 hours. Drain well. Rinse with cold water & drain again. Combine all syrup ingredients in a large pot. Add pickle mixture and bring to a boil. Place in sterilized  jars and seal.

This recipe comes from the book "Eleanor's Recipe Collection No. 2" and is written by my old Home Economics teacher, Eleanor Never Hayes, from Shawville, Quebec.

East Indian Tomato Relish

• 20 ripe tomatoes
• 4 large onions; chopped
• 4 large red & 2 large green peppers; chopped
• 4 tbsp salt
• 4 cups cider vinegar
• 4 cups sugar

Blanch and peel the tomatoes; coarsely chop. Combine tomatoes, onion, peppers & salt in large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 1/2 hour. Add vinegar & sugar and continue to cook for 2 hours; stirring occasionally and cook until desired thickness. Put into sterilized jars and seal.

This recipe comes from the "A Year At Les Fougères” cookbook (many a night I made this recipe!)

Sunday Night Dinner #4: Spicy Vegetatian Curry

Ok, ok, I know. I missed the last Sunday Night Dinner post, but I have a good excuse. Great people were over for an authentic Nova Scotia dinner and somehow too much wine was consumed and no pictures or writing took place. Can you blame me? Hopefully not. One of our guests actually blogged about his experience in Nova Scotia, which included some details from our dinner (blog post here).

On this past Sunday, I was feeling the after effects of doing a dinner at Sugar Moon Farm the night before (meaning my body was hurting) and the thought of stepping back into the kitchen repulsed me (yes, I know I say this every week). Hey, don't I ever get a night off? Seeing as all I consumed the day before was slow roasted pork belly, Mary's Bread Basket cinnamon buns and a whole lot of wine, I thought that I needed something to get the "gunk" out.

After making a quick trip over the bridge to "220 Volts" to pick up my favorite chutneys (tamarind, green chili & coriander), some paneer, okra and chickpeas, I felt comfortable with the thought of making some super spicy, ring of fire worthy vegetarian curry. Before I could get stated, I had to get the kids to bed...which could be a whole other blog post!

I got some ginger, garlic and onions  sweating in a hot pot with oil. I added some black mustard seeds, cumin, coriander and tumeric. The heady scent emanating from the kitchen actually got Doug off the couch to check things out. Eggplant, fresh tomatoes, cilantro and coconut milk were then added to the pot. I simmered the contents for 20 minutes before throwing in potatoes, okra and chickpeas. After another 15 minutes, I added my tamarind, green chili and coriander chutneys. I finished of the curry with cubed paneer, peas and lime juice. I paired the curry with some fragrant basmati rice cooked with whole cloves. This spicy, hearty curry was exactly what the doctor ordered!

Sitting in front of the television, eating my dinner with a humongous glass of white wine at my side, my Sunday night was nearly complete. Now all I needed to make this a perfect evening was the newest episode of Mad Men and the season premier of Eastbound and Down. Sometimes folks, it's all about the simple pleasures in life.