Strawberry season is in full swing here in Ontario. I was finally able to get out strawberry picking on Canada Day this past Sunday at Barrie Hill Farms and picked about 20 pounds of berries in a hour. I admit, I had help. Simon picked a few and Timothy was there in a purely supervisory role and to keep my mom in line. I was too tired to make jam on Monday since we had just returned from an extra long weekend away in Niagara Falls and then to visit family in Barrie. The dogs enjoyed their holiday at Nana […]
Notes from my Freshman Canning Summer
Preserving is addictive. I started canning with a rhubarb jam that I had been thinking of and before I knew it I was ordering pound after pound of rhubarb from Bailey’s. When strawberry season hit, I knew I was in trouble. I made so much jam last summer that I sold a lot of it at a Christmas craft and jewelry get together that my mom held at the end of November. I remember being in the kitchen sweating over my stove berating myself about why I have bought so much fruit and then ordering more the next day. I […]
Apple Spice Pancakes
This is definitely my go-to pancake recipe that I make for Timothy and me on weekends. There is a good amount of apple in the batter and they aren’t as doughy as some fluffy pancakes can be. I decided to add some barley flour for some extra taste and for something a little different. I had originally bought the barley flour because it was a main ingredient in some really nice cookies I made from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook. If you don’t have barley flour, or don’t know where to get it (or can’t be bothered), then using only all-purpose flour will be […]
Blueberry Maple Ice Cream
I bought an ice cream maker earlier this week and I have now discovered what will replace last month’s obsession with making jam. I bought the ice cream maker out of the goodness of my heart because my husband is going gluten free for a little while and also giving up beer, so I thought I would give him a treat. I continue to enjoy a cold beer now and then on our newly minted patio and I felt bad for him that he couldn’t have a treat. The ice cream maker that I got is a Cuisinart that I […]
Preserved Cherries with Brandy
I ordered a box of cherries from Bailey’s last week but unfortunately due to the wet spring their supplier wasn’t able to come through. It was too bad but I ended up getting a bunch of cherries from Martin’s Family Fruit Farm instead. It was my first visit out there and I came home with a flat of black raspberries too – more on that in the next post. It turns out that Timothy loves cherries. He ate so many that I was worried he would have a big stomach ache. That kids can really pack away the fruit though. He […]
Swiss Chard with Garlic Scapes and Cultured Butter
It is two weeks now into our CSA share with Transpire Organic and I have a new favourite veggie – sautéed swiss chard. I am by nature a very picky eater and you couldn’t have paid me to eat wilted greens when I was little, but I thought I would give it a go. When I served myself this dish for the first time last week I was quite trepidatious as I brought the fork to my mouth. I was worried it would be like spinach, but it wasn’t at all. Swiss chard has a mild flavour unlike spinach, which […]
Crème Fraiche & Brown Sugar Scones
I really wanted something to eat my jam with. I was content with just toast but I left a brand new store-bought loaf on the edge of the counter before I went out and guess who got it? George just couldn’t help himself and pulled it off the counter. I was very disappointed to discover that Buffy also got in on the action and likely ate much more of the bread than Georgie. She was hiding under the bed when I got home, consumed with guilt and likely a sore belly. BTW – you don’t want to know how I […]
Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Crème Fraiche
I made this Sunday night in a flurry of inspiration and a desire to use up some things in pantry. This is quite a simple soup recipe with not too much chopping and everything went into one pot. The chipolte chile pepper made this soup pretty spicy which my husband loved. Adding some creme fraiche to the pureed soup mellowed the spiciness slightly but it was still damn hot. If you like things a bit milder, you could use half a chili pepper and still get the smokey heat that chipotle gives. If you aren’t familiar with chipotle chile peppers […]