My Market Inspiration

This is the time of year when inspiration can still be lurking in my closet, just waiting for the sunshine and flowers to arrive. But, give me a solid day at the farmers' market and a lil' bit if old fashioned sunshine and that inspiration can manage to emerge for a few hours.

On this particular day, while child #1 was away from the house on a 'field trip' with our friends, Scott and Joy, and child #2 quietly enjoying a nap, I was able to whip up a quick and beautiful meal of flank steak, carrot salad and slow roasted fingerling potatoes with lemon and garlic.

The steak, purchased at the market the day before, was marinated overnight in Worcestershire, lemon juice, rosemary and olive oil. After quick broil (BBQ's still in the basement) and a much needed rest, the meat was thinly sliced and ready to serve. Simple and delicious.

Next was my carrot salad. You've seen it before in a previous post. This is my go to salad these days. It is super easy, only needs a few key ingredients, makes use of produce still in season and it's delicious!

Last, but not least, was the potatoes - the star of this dinner! These gorgeous french fingerlings from Elmridge Farm, were sliced and slowly roasted in a mixture of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. The only word to describe these potatoes which were cooked for 2 hours in a low oven, is succulent!

Needless to say, the peak market days are still many weeks away, but with a little imagination, some lovely seasonal produce and some great company there is still much to be inspired by at this time of year!

Maple fans rejoice!

Looking for something to do April 16th? Perhaps a night of food and wine? Meet some interesting people? Well if that sounds like a super fantabulous night then you are in for a treat!

I will be doing my 8th Chefs Night at Sugar Moon Farm. Yes, count 'em, 8. Oh the excitement! (Read about a couple of my other Sugar Moon diners.) A night featuring local and seasonal Nova Scotian cuisine with a lil' maple scattered throughout.

Still not sure? Check out the menu below.

Sugar Moon Farm Spring Dinner April 16th, 2011

Soup of Wild Rice & Mushrooms with Maple Syrup 

Salad of Maple Roasted Tomatoes, Pea Shoots, Old Growler Cheese and Sweet Williams Shoulder Bacon

Wood n' Hart Lamb Roasted with Maple Syrup and Rosemary, with Buttery Mashed Potatoes, Maple Roasted Onions and Tomato Chow

My Famous Pudding Chomeur

There are still some tickets available, so make sure to email Quita at the farm to book yours today: www.sugarmoon.ca.

Life Gives You A Carrot? Make A Salad.

An ongoing issue at my house is the fact that I do not like salad. There, I said it, and believe me when I tell you that I have not made friends with salad. Unfortunately, my most manly and handsome husband thrives on eating salads, and makes an attempt every night to get me to eat one. It isn't a hate for salads, or even the ingredients that go into one, but just the word...salad.

On a recent hectic and empty fridge evening, the dreaded "S" word came up in conversation. "Come on", he said, "no", I replied. "Please? For me?" How could I say no to the big, brown puppy dog eyes. With lightening speed, and a vengeance that was like no ones business, I tore apart our dismal fridge and came out with a carrot, a very sad looking bunch of cilantro, a handful of walnuts and sunflower seeds and the remnants of Zoe's bowl of raisins.

Before Doug could pour me a very large glass of wine from the box, I had concocted a miracle. Behold, the grated carrot salad.

My red heirloom carrot, grated and mixed with chopped cilantro, roasted walnuts and sunflower seeds and those pesky raisins. Add a vinaigrette of honey, olive oil and white wine vinegar, S&P and you have yourself one gorgeous salad. Simple, fresh, delicious and dirt cheap!

Sexy Salsify

It was on a recent Saturday morning trip to the Halifax Brewery Market, that I was pleasantly surprised to see salsify amongst the vegetables being sold by Ted Hutten of Hutten Family Farm.

I had been introduced to salsify back in my Toronto days when Anthony Walsh, Executive Chef of Canoe, brought a box of it into the kitchen and asked me to cook with it. I had never seen or heard of these long black roots, nor did I expect them to have a beautiful white inner flesh. Anthony explained to me that they were salsify, also known as goatsbeard or oyster plant (they have an oyster-esque flavor), and that they were quite special. He peeled one for me, and the white flesh was amazing, but he proceeded to explain to me that the sticky sap that came out upon peeling was normal and that they had to immediately be put in acidulated water (water with lemon or a type of acid) so that they would not turn brown. So, speed peeler in hand I proceeded to peel with a vengeance and set them in the lemon water. "Now what?", I asked my chef. Well, he told me that I could roast them, or puree them, or even turn them into a fancy soup. But, he did caution me, these black roots were very expensive, so one mistake and the price of this case was coming out of my pay! Aargh! Ok, let's roast them I said. Cut into large pieces, I placed them in a hot pan and browned them with some butter and salt then covered them with a rich and unctuous veal demi-glace. Popped into the oven and roasted for ten minutes, these goatsbeards melted in my mouth!

I am sure that many of you don't keep veal demi in your fridges, nor do I, so with my Ted Hutten salsify, I ended up placing them in a rich lamb stew, with a few other market vegetables that I had bought on that Saturday. If you get a chance to purchase a few of the tubers, please do so and experience the salsify for yourself!

Terrible Two's Carrot Muffins

These days, I find myself fighting with my 2 year old on a daily basis. Is it because she is knee deep in the terrible two's? Perhaps. But one of the biggest issues we have is her "choice" in what she now wants to eat.

This is coming from my perfect child whom I bragged about because she ate everything and anything. Well, times have changed and so has my game plan. Now, the tofu is hidden in a smoothie, the peas are perfectly placed in mashed potatoes and the broccoli is buzzed up with a banana. A new trick that has brought me a little bit of peace and quiet is the carrot muffin.

I know, just because it is a muffin, and it contains carrots, does not necessarily mean it is healthy. Well, being aware of this, I don't want it to be! Yep, bring on a treat that contains carrots, apples and raisins and I'll turn a blind eye to the amount of fat involved if it makes her happy. If Zoe screams at me 'cause she wants one, well let us not let the lil' lass wait.

Here is a quick carrot muffin recipe that has kept the peace at my house lately, and hopefully will do the same for yours!

Terrible Two's Carrot Muffins

• 1 1/2C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1C oil
• 2tsp vanilla
• 2C flour
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1tsp baking powder
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 2C  grated carrots
• ½ C  raisins
• ½ C chopped walnuts
• ½ C coconut
• 1 apple; grated

Cream together sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and fruit. Mix and spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 400°F for 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Consume with your kids!