Home for Dinner

King of the Koubassa

2012-02-01T11:31:00.000-06:00

If you love koubassa like I love koubassa, you've got to attend King of the Koubassa -- the annual blind taste taste and voter's choice sausage awards extravaganza held every February in Saskatoon.

You might call it the Oscars of the sausage world -- but no, Oscar Mayer won't be there because only Saskatchewan koubassa is allowed! Entries come from excellent butchers across the province. The defending champion is the Saskatoon Co-op. I'm rooting for my personal favourites, Emco Meats and the Smokehaus.

When: Thursday, Feb. 9, 7 pm

Where: Prairieland Park, Saskatoon

Cost: $25

Tickets: picatic or 1-866-300-2666

Proceeds support the Red Cross anti-bullying program

Tomorrow: Amy's tips for a successful King of the Koubassa.

It's Chili on News Talk Radio

2012-01-28T11:47:00.003-06:00

I'm talking chili and other winter comfort foods with Richard Brown of News Talk Radio. Listen on podcast: www.newstalk980.com/cjme-podcasts

(scroll to Jan. 27, 2012)

Talking Comfort Foods on New Talk Radio

2012-01-27T15:41:00.000-06:00

What makes a winter comfort food? Unfussy, familiar, frugal, warm your tummy, preferably one pot and, if I plan it right, leftovers for another meal. And add to that -- local ingredients for some "close to home" comfort.

In Saskatchewan that includes...

Oatmeal porridge or oatmeal jam jams.

A hardy pot of soup.

Warm German potato salad or...

Chili -- Start with two or three different meats. I like to use venison, if I have some in the freezer. Add to that some pork or lamb. For extra flavour, some tasty cooked sausages such as Italian or koubassa. How much? Perhaps a pound of each, give or take.

Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks. In a heavy pot, saute the meat in hot fat (butter, oil, bacon drippings or drippings from a roast). Salt and pepper the meat. If using venison, a couple of crushed juniper berries will taste nice. Cook the meat quickly until browned all over. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and continue until all of it is browned, including the cooked sausages.

Into the hot fat -- one big onion, a clove or two of garlic, perhaps a bell pepper and/or two sticks of celery -- all of it nicely chopped. When it's softened you can add a good sprinkle of crushed dried herbs -- sage, oregano, thyme, etc. Add the chili (fresh or powdered) now.

I like to add a good handful of dried Saskatchewan chanterelle or porcini mushrooms that have been softened in very hot tap water. Save the water.

Put the meat back into the pot with the onion mixture. Add 10-12 tomatoes -- I like to use my frozen garden tomatoes but canned tomatoes will do fine. Add two cans of beans and their water. Any beans will do such as black, navy, kidney, romano, chickpea or a mixed blend. Add the mushroom water. Top up with more water so that the meat is just barely covered. Simmer covered for a few hours. Taste and add more salt, pepper and chili as needed. Add more water as it cooks off.

When the meat is no longer chewy, but melts in your mouth, the chili is ready to eat. Chili is always better the next day (and the next day after that) so I try to make it the day before I intend to eat it. You'll notice that the leftovers get better and better each time you warm it up! Now that's comforting...

Top Chefs at the Market

2012-01-20T16:40:00.014-06:00

I love to shop at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, but it's way more fun to eat there. Take the new Executive Chef Series at the market, which kicked off Thursday evening with a lovely, fresh, local and oh-so-yummy meal prepared by Chef Anthony McCarthy.

Dinner began with carrot ginger soup topped with fresh-picked sorrel. On a cold winter's night, a little bit of fresh green tastes so amazing. The salad was so simple and so delicious: one perfect cocktail tomato with dash of basil purée, a circle of balsamic reduction and a sprinkle of powdered - yes, powdered - cold pressed canola oil.

Next, smoked whitefish with lemon pepper and horseradish cream, nestled onto a "sheaf" of fresh cut pea shoots all dolled up with hemp oil dressing and nutty hemp seeds. (During the course of the evening's conversation I learned how to grow pea shoots at home, so here's to a little winter gardening...)

The entrée featured a shaving a waygu beef rolled around a filling of wild boar, next to a gooey cheesy lentil risotto and silky roast vegetables. A light dessert was in order: sea buckthorn gelato (my favourite!) with a compote of berries and chocolate paté.

The next event in the Executive Chef Series is Thursday, February 16, with Chef Brent Lloyd. Check it out on the farmers' market website.

Slow Food Canada

2012-01-06T11:51:00.000-06:00

I've hit the big time - Slow Food Canada!

My recipe for Cherry-Blueberry Cobbler was featured in the recent Slow Food newsletter. Check it out online.

Are you a member of the Slow Food movement? Would you be interested in started a "convivium" for Saskatoon and area? If so, let's talk...

Local Food Talk

2012-01-04T16:43:00.000-06:00

It's the middle of winter, the days are frigid and the nights are long. So, what's for dinner?

Eating off the local bounty can be a challenge outside the summer season, but not impossible. I'll be sharing some ideas for eating locally all year round.

When: 7 pm, Wednesday, January 11

Where: Cliff Wright Library, 1625 McKercher Drive.

Come share your inspired winter local meal ideas! Sponsored by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society

Book Website

2011-12-12T17:30:00.000-06:00

My book Prairie Feast has a new website. Please check it out: prairiefeast.com

A Menu for the Chili Season

2011-12-08T16:55:00.003-06:00

Breakfast:
Oatmeal porridge - sweetened with Saskatchewan maple syrup

Lunch:
Grilled cheese sandwich and a few carrots (Co-op cheddar which, I'm told, is made locally)

Dinner:
Venison Chili - flavoured with juniper berries picked in a nearby park

Pumkpin Muffins

2011-12-02T16:31:00.012-06:00

My Halloween pumpkin met a happy ending, first in pumpkin pie and then in muffins. Yes, that pumpkin went down smiling...

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Mix the baking soda into the pumpkin. Cream the oil and sugar, add the eggs one at at time and cream well.

Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour to the eggs and stir just until it's mixed and no more. Add the pumpkin and blend just until it's incorporated.

Scoop into muffin tins. (I line the muffin tins with silicone cups.) Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Jack-o-Lantern Pie

2011-11-25T09:10:00.057-06:00

Our Halloween jack-o-lantern has become our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. American Thanksgiving, that is, since my better half is from south of the 49th. You can never be thankful enough...

That previous Saturday, America's Test Kitchen cooked the "perfect" pumpkin pie. I tried their recipe and it was the best pumpkin pie I've ever made. (The other one is a distant memory...) So, if you've still got a pumpkin hanging around, give it the pie treatment.

If you follow America's Test Kitchen, you know the recipes are long and detailed -- full of technique and the reasons behind it. So, follow this link for the full recipe. Note: I didn't use candied sweet potatoes, but instead used a good three cups of pumpkin puree. I baked the pumpkin and pureed it before using it in this recipe.

Further note: After pressing the pumpkin custard through a sieve, there was about a cup of pulp left over, which I will bake into pumpkin muffins this week.

Food Bank Challenge and Concert

2011-11-16T17:42:00.000-06:00

I'm loving this blow-by-blow video record of food bank challenger Jarred from the band All of the Above... Start with episode one and work your way through to episode six where Jarred invents "ritzdogchos" with the dwindling contents of his food hamper. Hilarious. Can't wait for episode seven tomorrow. Saturday is the fundraiser concert Songs for Supper at the Refinery. See it on facebook.

Harvest Dinner for Eight

2011-11-13T10:10:00.054-06:00

Dinner for eight is pretty much at the maximum limit of my culinary abilities. Even at that, I'm apt to forget something in the fridge or in the wine cellar. That's said, there's nothing I love more than to cook for a table full of hungry, happy friends...

Pear and Squash Soup

A velvety blend of pears from Dick and Verna's tree, plucked by hand and canned to perfection in a light honey syrup, paired with the earthy flavours of acorn squash grown in my community garden plot, spiced with a generous dash of Chatty's curry.

Beet and Walnut Salad

The beets were pulled from my garden just days before dinner (and just before a hard frost) roasted and served in the classic pairing with walnuts and goat's cheese, topped with a raspberry syrup vinaigrette. Many thanks to the lady at the end of the street for letting me pick her raspberry bush at its peak in August.

Hunter Stew (see recipe below)

Otherwise known in Italian as 'Cacciatore,' I love this stew for its earthy blend of herbs, mushrooms and a hardy free-range chicken. Served with noodles, which my husband rolled while I set the table.

Apple Pie

Oh my gosh... This was one of the best apple pies I've ever made. Must be the locally-grown apples I purchased last Saturday at the farmers' market.

Recipe for Hunter Stew
Cut a whole chicken into pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pot. Brown the meat on all sides. Remove chicken from pot.

To the oil add 1 chopped onion, 2 sliced red peppers and 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Sauté until soft. Pour on 1/2 cup of dry red wine and simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Add a mix of herbs to your taste: sage, oregano, thyme and/or rosemary. Return chicken to pan.

Add 10 homegrown tomatoes, fresh or thawed. Toss in a handful of chopped chanterelles (reconstituted dried mushrooms also work well). Add enough water to just cover the contents of the pot, place the lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 2 hours. If it gets dry, add more water. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Meanwhile, cook a pot of broad noodles. Remove the chicken from the stew to a platter. Place some noodles in each bowl, douse with the sauce and pass the chicken on the platter.

Note: Since I was serving eight and one chicken was not quite enough, I added several Italian sausages which I had pre-cooked, browned and cut into chunks.

Gold Medal Plates Update

2011-11-08T19:18:00.012-06:00

Read the full account of Gold Medal Plates' Saskatchewan stop written by food and wine aficionado, James Chatto. James has a lovely way with food words... don't you agree?

This podium shot includes bronze medalist Trevor Robertson of the Radisson Hotel (left), silver medalist Ryan Marquis of the Delta Bessborough (right) and the happy guy in the middle is gold medalist, Anthony McCarthy of the Saskatoon Club. (photo by CJ Katz)

And the winner is...

2011-11-06T20:27:00.001-06:00

Chef Anthony McCarthy of the Saskatoon Club is the winner of the Gold Medal Plates chef competition in Saskatoon last night. He did amazing things with a morel mushroom! Yummm. Now he'll represent Saskatchewan at a national competition in February.

I was so fortunate to sit at the judges' table. Here I am pictured with my judging colleague, Dee Hobsbawn-Smith. All the chefs created such amazing dishes... I've never eaten so well!

Saskatchewan Menu - Chocolate Overload

2011-11-01T08:25:00.014-06:00

I'm eating healthy today to counterbalance all that leftover candy. Today's menu exemplifies the ordinary, everyday opportunities to eat locally:

Breakfast
Toast and jelly (Christie's Bakery bread and my raspberry jelly)

Lunch
Grilled cheese and tomato sandwich (Co-op Cheddar and a garden tomato)

Dinner
Sausages (Co-op) with sauerkraut (Kissel cabbage) -- and far too many mini chocolate bars!

Gold Medal Plates - Sneak Peak Alert!

2011-10-31T21:09:00.000-06:00

Here is what's on tap Saturday night at Gold Medal Plates, the most fantastically delicious Olympic fundraiser in the nation. Need tickets? Buy them online.

Anthony McCarthy – Saskatoon Club, Saskatoon

Braised organic beef and cambozola gnocchi, fois gras and black truffle filled morel, corn coating, butternut squash puree, garlic chips, cabernet franc syrah demi glace. Wine: Cab Franc/Syrah – Nichol Vineyards (Naramata)

Brent Lloyd – Simple Chef, Saskatoon

Lake Diefenbaker Steel head trout on a walnut and truffle suppli (Italian risotto cake) with beet confit. Finished with a gremola oil. Wine: Pinot Gris – Haywire Wines (Summerland)

Derek Cotton – Bliss Restaurant, Saskatoon

Togarashi Sugar Crusted Salmon, Gold Beet Vanilla Puree, Lime Marshmallow, Preserved Grapefruit. Wine: Gewürztraminer – SYL Ranch/Vincor (OK Fals)

JP Vives –La Bodega, Regina

THE TUNAMI Seared yellow fin tuna, with a duo of honey/wasabi aoli and chili/lime aoli, spring salad with heirloom tomatoes and a light drizzle of pepper fused sesame oil, finished with fried vermicelli crystal lightly powdered with sweet ginger dust. Wine: Fats Johnson Pinot Noir – Ganton & Larson Prospect Winery (Okanagan)

Kevin Dahlsjo – Sublime Catering, Prince Albert

Lamb 3 ways. Wine: Blind Trust Red – LFNG (Naramata)

Leo Pantel – Conexus Arts Centre, Regina

Sous vide Wild Boar loin with Lindeman’s Smooth Lambic apple brewed infused foam, Salsa Verde, Deep Fried Black Mission Fig and Foie Gras Ice cream. Wine: Tantalus Riesling

Martin Snow – Creek Bistro, Regina

Apple cider braised boar on a heirloom 'yellow yellow' potato and cabbage 'bubble and squeak' in a prosciutto cup served with heirloom purple carrot, mustard and apple sauce, and topped with a prairie cherry dressed pea shoot, sunflower sprout and hempseed salad, garnished with golden beet chips and gingered red carrot. Wine: Orofino Riesling – Dunham and Froese (Oliver)

Ryan Marquis – Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon

Truffle scented sous vide Rabbit saddle, Cauliflower Parfait, red beet and white chocolate puree finished with balsamic truffle reduction and a green onion oil. Wine: Adieu Pinot Noir – La Vieux Pin (Black Sage Bench)

Trevor Robertson – Radisson Hotel, Saskatoon

A deconstructed Osso Bucco with Marrow Foam Buffalo Mozzarella and Italian Sausage stuffed Arancini With Asparagus Mouse and Rosemary cream. Wine: QWAM QMPT Syrah – Nk'Mip/Vincor (Osoyoos)

Vince Lapointe – TravelLodge Hotel, Saskatoon

Confit of duck with grilled pears sided with a sour cherry compote and Sauvagine cheese. Sweet bread and pancetta ravioli complemented with a roasted pumpkin sauce. Apple smoked wild boar tenderloin wrapped with Northern Saskatchewan wild mushrooms. Accompanied with beet puree and a dried fig port glacé. Wine: Cab Franc Rose – Peninsula Ridge (Beamsville)

Saskatchewan Menu - Comfort Food Sunday

2011-10-30T21:09:00.025-06:00

Breakfast, lunch or dinner - our table was set with local comfort food today!

Breakfast: bacon and eggs (farmers' market)

Lunch: Four Grain Soup (wheat, barley, lentils and wild rice) with venison pepperoni and chanterelle mushrooms. Thanks, Rick, for the venison!

Dinner: Reuben Egg Rolls (Kissel sauerkraut)

Reuben Egg Rolls

10 egg roll wrappers

10 thin slices Swiss cheese

1 1/2 cups sauerkraut

10 thin slices corned beef

1 tsp crushed caraway seeds

1 egg beaten

Canola oil

Russian or Thousand Island dressing for dipping

Place an egg roll wrapper on the counter in a “diamond” shape, point toward you. Place a slice of cheese on the egg roll wrapper. Place a rolled-up slice of corned beef on top. Add about 2 tbsp sauerkraut and a pinch of caraway. Fold the bottom point over the filling and fold in the sides. Brush the surfaces of the wrapper with beaten egg to seal. Complete the roll, sealing the edges. In a saucepan, heat one inch of oil to 350F (medium high heat). Fry each egg roll until nicely browned on each side. Drain on paper towel and serve warm with dipping sauce.

Cooking for Gold

2011-10-28T09:50:00.000-06:00

I won't make it to the Olympic Games in 2012, but I will make it to Gold Medal Plates.This is the swankiest, tastiest fundraiser in the country for our Olympic athletes. And it's back in Saskatoon on Saturday, Nov 5!

Here's the list of chefs who are competing for gold:

Ryan Marquis - Delta Bessborough Hotel, Saskatoon
Anthony McCarthy - Saskatoon Club, Saskatoon

Derek Cotton - Bliss Restaurant, Saskatoon
Kevin Dahlsjo - Two by Dahlsjo, Prince Albert
Vince Lapointe - Travelodge Hotel, Saskatoon
Brent Lloyd- Simple Chef, Saskatoon
Leo Pantel - Conexus Arts Centre, Regina
Trevor Robertson - Radisson Hotel, Saskatoon
Martin Snow - Creek Bistro, Regina
JP Vives - La Bodega, Regina

Lucky me - I'm one of the judges. Also at the judges' table is Chef Dan Walker of Weczeria, last year's gold medalist. Read last year's report and buy tickets at the official Gold Medal Plates website.

Sauerkraut, mon petit chou chou?

2011-10-27T21:51:00.000-06:00

I didn't grow up with sauerkraut, so it's not part of my culinary tradition. But I think, deep down inside, it is part of my ancestral heritage going back to the "Old Country" in Germany and Russia. So, I was excited to discover we have a thriving sauerkraut industry here in Saskatchewan.

Kissel Cabbage is located in Lumsden. It processes tens of thousands of cabbages yearly, which are grown nearby at Craven. I recently bought the sauerkraut and sour cabbage heads (which are used for making cabbage rolls). You can find them in grocery stores across Western Canada. Check it out: Kissel Cabbage.

A Vote for Good Food

2011-10-26T07:29:00.000-06:00

This election, put your vote where your mouth is!

I Vote Because Food Matters is a non-partisan education campaign to raise awareness about food as an election issue. When you vote on November 7th, we want you to think about the importance of food. Talk to your candidates and tell your friends and family. By taking action on food we can create a Saskatchewan with a healthy economy, healthy environment and healthy people.

For a list of food-related questions to ask candidates, visit I Vote Because Food Matters on facebook.

Saskatchewan Menu - Rewards of Canning

2011-10-25T09:28:00.046-06:00

I dipped into my "stash" and opened a jar of preserved raspberries. I remember the day in late summer I picked these raspberries on a friend's farm -- hot and dry and blessedly mosquitoes free. Although... I would gladly run a phalanx of mosquitoes for sweet canned raspberries on a crisp fall day.

Today's Saskatchewan menu:

Breakfast: Muesli with yogurt and raspberry preserves.

Lunch: Four grain soup and Christie's rye bread.

Dinner: Rye bread with sliced sausage (Emco) and garden tomatoes (my dad); zucchini chocolate cake.

Saskatchewan Menu - Fish and Biscuits

2011-10-24T21:47:00.002-06:00

Recycle, reuse and re-enjoy! When it comes to leftovers, that's my motto. Tonight, I took leftover trout and vegetables and turned them into pure comfort food: Fish and Biscuits.

Breakfast: Homemade muesli with yogurt.

Lunch: Chickpea Fruit Salad (leftovers from Friday's Auction Dinner) and Zucchini Chocolate Cake.

Dinner: Fish and Biscuits.

Start with leftover Trout on a Bed of Vegetables. Simmer the fish skeleton for an hour in 3 cups of water with some of the leftover vegetables, adding a bay leaf and a few peppercorns. Drain, reserving the liquid and composting the rest.

Bring the fish stock to a simmer in a large skillet. Whisk in 2-3 tbsp of flour. Add the leftover vegetables -- about 4 cups -- and leftover fish -- about 1 cup. (Crumble the fish and make sure all the bones are removed.) Season with salt and chopped fresh tarragon. Add a bit of water if needed.

While that simmers and thickens, make biscuit dough. I used a recipe from Joy of Cooking. Roll the dough and cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter.

Pour the vegetable mixture into a baking dish. Arrange the biscuits on top. Sprinkle with chopped dill. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, until the biscuits are just slightly turning brown.

Dining with the Stars on the Airwaves

2011-10-23T23:30:00.003-06:00

If you're hooked on Dancing with the Stars (and even if you're not) you'll enjoy the new hit TV series -- Dining with the Stars.

These 13 episodes were recorded in restaurants around Saskatchewan and feature local chefs cooking with local produce. Each dinner includes a local celebrity and some of the farmers who provided the food. (Also celebrities in my books!)

The series was created by the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate -- Food Miles Campaign. It's showing on Access Cable in Regina (Sundays at 7:30 pm) and Shaw Cable in Saskatoon (Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 pm.) Here are the episodes for each week:

#1 October 23rd – The Saskatoon Club - Saskatoon
#2 October 30th – The Creek in Cathedral Village - Regina
#3 November 6th – The Fainting Goat - Regina
#4 November 13th – The Banbury House Inn - Wolseley
#5 November 20th – The Abbey – Regina
#6 November 27th - Two by Dahlsjo – Prince Albert
#7 December 4th - Beer Brothers – Regina
#8 December 11th – The Willow on Wascana – Regina
#9 December 18th – The New Ground Café – Birch Hills
#10 December 25th – Weczeria – Saskatoon
#11 January 1st - Calories – Saskatoon
#12 January 8th – The Radisson Plaza Hotel Saskatchewan – Regina
#13 January 15th - Craik Eco Centre - Craik

Pictured: Chef Moe Mathieu's steak tartare - Episode 13.

Prepare to be hungry!

Saskatchewan Menus - Auction Dinner

2011-10-22T10:18:00.080-06:00

Last spring, I provided an auction item at a fundraiser for the McClure Foundation that included a copy of my book Prairie Feast and dinner at my house. Yesterday was the big day...

Appetizer

Cold cuts from Emco Finer Foods --
including their award-winning koubassa.

Prunes wrapped in bacon. The prunes weren't local, but the bacon was purchased from Wingeier's at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.
Sliced tomatoes -- from my garden

Bread from Christie's Bakery -- baguette and German rye

Main

Trout from Wild West Steelhead (purchased whole at the SaskMade Marketplace) baked on a bed of carrots, onions, parsnips and celery. The vegetables came from the farmers' market and my dad's garden. Tarragon from my herb patch. (recipe)

Wild rice. Purchased at the SaskMade Marketplace.

Chickpea and Fruit Salad. (recipe)
Canned chickpeas labelled "Product of Canada." Apples from Petrofka Bridge Orchard. Cumin from a local farmer. Chili powder and garlic from the farmers' market. (Instead of peaches, I used nectarines from the farmers' market and the vendor from B.C.)

Dessert

Apple pie with cheddar cheese. I picked the apples from a tree in the neighbourhood. Armstrong cheddar made locally by Saputo.

Juliette Cherry liquor from Living Sky Winery.

Thank You Rick and Joy for a wonderful evening!

Saskatchewan Menus - One day at a time

2011-10-21T08:10:00.023-06:00

I was recently asked, "What do you eat?" Seems some people can't imagine what a local diet looks like. So, now and then, I'll post our daily menus with sources (and some recipes) as inspiration to all Saskatchewan locavores. Starting with...

Breakfast: Cheerios. Saskatchewan is the largest supplier of oats to the big brand name cereal companies, so even though Cheerios are made in the U.S., they are a taste of Saskatchewan.

Lunch: Re-heated wild rice. Leftovers from another meal, seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The wild rice was harvested near La Ronge and purchased at the SaskMake Marketplace

Dinner: Pasta with tomatoes and basil. Purchased pasta labelled "Product of Canada" -- the durum wheat is grown in Saskatchewan. Tomatoes and basil from my garden.

Garden tomatoes ripening in the kitchen.

Community Gardens not just for Good Food

2011-10-02T17:00:00.000-06:00

Over the summer, U of S students studied the benefits of community gardens in Saskatoon and found it's not just about good food. Community gardens also feed our social, psychological and cultural well being.

According to the researcher Natasha Haskey:

“After the study I thought, wow! A community garden can have this kind of impact on people. Imagine what we could do with all the empty land around Saskatoon…"

Yes, indeed. Read the full article in On Campus News.

How do I love lentils...

2011-09-27T03:13:00.010-06:00

... let me count the ways.

#1 - Lentil sprouts on a tuna salad sandwich. Sprouting the lentils adds a whole lot of nutrition to an already nutritious food, plus turns a tuna salad sandwich into a vector for my local diet.

I discovered this lovely combination last week while taking the Food Bank Challenge. My food hamper included a tin of tuna and enough lentils to feed a battalion.

Want to sprout your lentils? Follow these instructions.

Lentils Anyone?

2011-09-26T14:39:00.001-06:00

Someone asked me recently, "Where do you source Saskatchewan-grown lentils?" The good news is, any lentil for sale in the grocery store (canned or dry) that is labelled a 'Product of Canada' is primarily grown in Saskatchewan. Currently, there are three kinds of lentils in my pantry:

Red split lentils (centre)

Diefenbaker Seed Processors of Outlook packages lentils under its label Kashmir Valley. I purchased these at the Medina grocery store on Central Avenue in Sutherland. See the Kashmir Valley product list.

Small green lentils (right)

These were included in my food basket when I took the Food Bank Challenge earlier this month. According to the Food Bank, they were donated by a local farmer.

In have also sourced green lentils from Grandma Lou's, which are grown and packaged on the McDougall farm near Moose Jaw.

Black 'beluga' lentils (left)

These were a gift from a farmer. However, you can buy these and other lentils at the SaskMade Marketplace on 8th Street in Saskatoon.

Tomorrow... one of my favourite ways to enjoy lentils!

Food Bank Challenge

2011-09-19T19:36:00.002-06:00

It's over (at midnight)! We ended our one-week Food Bank Challenge with lentil burgers. Pretty darn good and appropriate to this blog, since the lentils came from a local farm.

So, here are some guidelines for the next time I'm asked to donate an item for the Food Bank:

1. Avoid foods that have to be cooked. No Stove Top Stuffing.
2. The exception to 1. is foods that are cooked simply in boiling water. Pasta is good. Include a sauce.
3. Give tinned fruit. There was no fruit in my food basket. What I wouldn't give for a tin of peaches right now.
4. Don't give food you wouldn't eat yourself. That goes for cheaper quality brands.
5. Don't give food that is about to expire. I've eaten a lot of old bread this week.
6. Include something quick and filling for that bread - peanut butter, jam, cheeze whiz, nutella...
7. Think of the children. Give them a healthy treat - raisins, cheese sticks, etc.
8. Energy bars might be a nice touch. Tasty, quick, filling, easy.
9. Desserts. [Cancel #9 - I've since learned there are no cookies or other desserts in Food Bank baskets.] I haven't eaten sweets for a whole week, except in pre-sweetened oatmeal poridge. My sweet tooth is pouting...
10. Be generous.

Want to know more? Read the Food Challenge blog.

Food Bank Challenge

2011-09-15T22:15:00.001-06:00

Day 3 of the Food Bank Challenge and I'm snacking on uncooked Stove Top Stuffing. Sheesh... Tonight I canned 10 jars of corn salsa. Thankfully the Food Bank diet lasts just one week!
foodbankchallenge.com

Food Bank Challenge

2011-09-13T18:02:00.003-06:00

It's Day #1 of the great Saskatoon Food Bank Challenge! For one week, participants are eating off the contents of a typical food basket. It looks like plenty of food -- but the wrong food. Lots of bread but no fruit. Quite a few veggies but little protein. (It's a misconception that every food hamper contains peanut butter!) No sweets what-so-ever.

As for locally-grown food, I'm pleased to see potatoes, carrots and lentils. Still, I've pretty much exchanged my local diet for a poverty diet. But just for a week. Check out the Food Challenge blog.

The Season for Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2011-09-12T08:06:00.003-06:00

There is one very large zucchini left in my garden. I'm seeing how big it will grow before frost forces it indoors. And then I can make even more zucchini chocolate cakes!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp.
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, room temp.
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups grated zucchini

Handful of chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

Sift the flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into bowl. In another bowl, beat sugar, butter and oil until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk, with three additions of each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.

2011-09-05T22:37:00.000-06:00

I'm enjoying a daily cup of chaga tea. I've read that it will cure many ailments, but I'm mostly enjoying the woodsy flavour. One sip and I think instantly of waking up on a spruce covered island somewhere north of La Ronge.

My friend Curtis (who picked this chaga in northern Saskatchewan) told me to grate the chaga before boiling it, but it's hard to grate, so I've been plunking the whole chunk in a pot of water and boiling it whole. I wonder how many times I can boil it before I boil out all the goodness? And the taste of the forest...

Patio Party at the Farmers' Market

2011-09-01T13:43:00.000-06:00

You know it's local when the Saskatoon Farmers' Market hosts a party. It's this Sunday 5-8 pm. The number of patio days left this summer are numbered, so take advantage of this opportunity!

Off to the Food Bank

2011-08-30T09:35:00.000-06:00

Have you even been to a Food Bank? Not me. But I'm about to...

It's the Saskatoon Food Basket Challenge. For one week, I'll be living on the offerings of a typical food hamper. No cheating! (Well, I'm allowed a few select 'cheats' just to keep things interesting.)

Check out the Food Challenge website to see the other challengers and follow our progress on Sept. 13-20.

Apple Season

2011-08-29T08:18:00.001-06:00

We paid a visit to the Petrofka Bridge Orchard, a short drive north of Saskatoon. The orchard store sells fresh-picked apples, dried apple rings, apple cidre vinegar and soft apple cidre.

(directions to orchard)

And here's the apple tart I made with the apples from Petrofka Bridge Orchard. In France, it's famously known as Tarte Tatin because its creation is credited to a certain Madame Tatin. It's super easy and super wonderful with fresh tart apples.

Tarte Tatin

(Upside Down Apple Tart)

The number of apples needed for this tart will depend on their size and that of your baking pan.

3 tbsp water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp butter

6-8 apples

One square puff pastry

Heat water and brown sugar on medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring until brown and syrupy. Stir in butter until melted. Pour into an 8 or 9 inch baking pan.

Meanwhile peel, quarter and seed the apples. Arrange the quarters, core side up, nestled tightly in the syrup. Roll the puff pastry wider than the baking pan. Place over the apples, tucking in around the edges.

Bake 375F for 50 min. If the pastry becomes too brown, cover with tinfoil. Cool one hour, cover the baking pan with a plate and flip the tart onto the plate. Serve with ice cream or crème frâiche.

Canadian Culinary Book Awards

2011-08-04T11:58:00.001-06:00

My book, Prairie Feast, has been shortlisted for a Canadian Culinary Book Award! It's nominated in the special interest category for books about food that are not cookbooks. The finalist will be awarded at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto on November 7.

See all the finalists on the official awards website.

Read Saskatoon Dinner

2011-07-31T18:42:00.000-06:00

Scenario: Read 'n' Feed charity auction for literacy in Saskatoon. Auction item: An all-Saskatchewan dinner at my house. Bonus: Wines supplied by Dr. Booze, local wine columnist (aka James Romanow). The result:

Appetizers

Seared Flat Iron Carpaccio (recipe)

Chickpea Chilli Fruit Salad (recipe)

Tomato Tarts with Mustard Creme Fraiche

Palate Cleanser

Sea Buckthorn Gelato (source)

Main Course

Lake Diefenbaker Trout baked in salt (recipe)
Wild Rice and Dried Cherry Salad (recipe)
Grilled baby zucchini

Dessert

Raspberry Mille Feuille (recipe)

Verdict: I cooked all day in the summer heat, but it was worth it! Thank you Gen and Glen, Dave and Judy, for supporting Read Saskatoon and coming for dinner.

Lake Diefenbaker Trout

2011-07-21T18:12:00.001-06:00

Whole 5-pound trout now available at the Sask Made Marketplace on 8th Street in Saskatoon. $25 each. Thanks, Ken!

Flat Iron Carpaccio

2011-07-09T20:21:00.000-06:00

Carpaccio requires a tender, tasty steak. Many recipes call for fillet of beef (the tenderloin) but I've discovered the pleasure of a flat iron steak from Benlock Farms, available at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.

Pictured: Beef Carpaccio with Chickpea Fruit Salad

The beef is served close to raw, so you want to buy from a trusted source where the meat is guaranteed to be clean and fresh. And in my kitchen, I prefer it to be raised in Saskatchewan.

Seared Angus Flat Iron Carpaccio

Collect a handful of fresh herbs - oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary and a small bit of parsley. Chop very finely.

In a mortar and pestle, smash together one clove of garlic, two big pinches of rock salt and eight peppercorns. Add the chopped herbs. Drizzle in just enough olive oil to make a paste that will cling to the meat. Rub the mixture onto both sides of a semi-thawed flat iron steak. Wrap in plastic wrap. Before cooking, freeze the meat for two hours.

Heat a cast iron pan on high. Add the steak and cook until each side is well done, 5-7 min. per side. The steak should still feel quite raw inside when pressed with a finger. Cool, wrap and refrigerate until serving time.

With a sharp knife, shave the beef across the grain in very thin slices. Arrange on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with tender arugula leaves and shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve with sliced baguette.

Where is your dairy from?

2011-07-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a snapshot of the dairy products in my fridge. Each one carries a number identifying where it was packaged. So, where have they travelled from?

Dairyland Cremo (4015) - Saputo, Saskatoon, SK
Formost Milk (3907) - Formost, Winnipeg, MB
Apetina Feta (3610) - Amalgamated Dairy, Summerside, PEI
Dairyland Sour Cream (4015) - Saputo, Saskatoon, SK
Bari Ricotta (1900) - Saputo, St-Leonard, QU
PC Bocconcini (1900) - Saputo, St-Leonard, QU
Astro Yogurt (1545) - Parmalat, Toronto, ON
No Name Mozzarella (1680) - Saputo, Mont-Laurier, QU

Check what's in your fridge with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Moose Jaw Festival of Words

2011-07-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to be invited to Moose Jaw's Festival of Words - July 14-18. I'll be presenting my book Prairie Feast at several events:

Fri., July 15, 1:30-2:20 - Library Reading Room
Sat., July 16, 12:15-1:15 - Community picnic in Crescent Park
(see poster below)
Sat., July 16, 4:00-5:00 pm - Yara Community Gardens
Sun., July 17, 11:20-12:10 - Library South Room

I'm open to other opportunities, so if you'd like to get together, send me a note!

New Burger on the Block

2011-07-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Jerry's Food Emporium is showing off its new Artisan burger menu. Jerry and his wife Elyse treated me to a sampling: lamb with Greek topping (on the left), vegetarian (in back) and the classic Angus burger (in front).

Jerry tells me the Angus beef burgers are made from scratch with nothing added but his seasoning blend. The meat is sourced on the prairies. The difficulty in sourcing only Saskatchewan beef, he says, it that there is no appropriate slaughtering facility in Saskatchewan. In other words, Saskatchewan cattle go somewhere else (such as Alberta) for processing, where meat from various origins is mixed together. The same goes for lamb. It would be nice (for our restaurants and our farmers) to have processing facilities here in Saskatchewan.

As for those yummy fries, no, they're not made with Saskatchewan potatoes - yet. Jerry uses only Kennebec potatoes for their flavour, texture and thin skin. He says he can't get them in quantity in Saskatchewan but is working with a local farmer to change that. Go potatoes...

Conclusion: It's hard to eat local in local restaurants for various reasons (from regulatory structures to processing facilities to sheer quantities) but it's nice to know that some restaurateurs like Jerry's are making an effort to tap the local bounty.

Now, check out Jerry's ice cream!

Don't waste rhubarb!

2011-07-01T09:55:00.000-06:00

Easier said than done! My rhubarb is suddenly soooo prolific. I canned four jars a rhubarb in honey-water for my winter enjoyment. But for quick eating, here's my favourite recipe for rhubarb muffins. I've had this recipe so long, I don't recall where it originated. I make it several times every summer.

Rhubarb Muffins
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup chopped rhubarb
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Topping: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in the rhubarb. In a mixing bowl, blend sugar and oil. Mix in egg, buttermilk and vanilla until well blended.

Pour the contents of the mixing bowl into the flour-rhubarb mixture. Blend with a wooden spoon as briefly as possible, just until the flour is incorporated. Spoon the batter into a 12-muffin tin (oiled or lined with paper cups).

Mix the topping ingredients together. Sprinkle evenly on top of each muffin. Bake at 350F for 20-25 min.

New Weczeria

2011-06-30T13:05:00.000-06:00

Chef Dan Walker "soft" opened his new location of Weczeria on Tuesday evening and we were there! The food was great and the atmosphere is urban funky.

Note the lacy windows and the lighting made from mason jars. There's also a lot of reclaimed barn wood and old farm windows. Designer Adam Pollock did a great job in a style dubbed "modern root cellar." Now, if only some of those mason jars were filled with preserves and pickles!

We were a party of six so we ordered one of everything on the small but perfect menu (which came to the table on a chalk board propped on a chair). Apps: I'm partial to Dan's gnocchi, which are light as pillows. The beef tartare was fab, too. Mains: well, I'm crazy for slow cooked pork and it was perfect. Pictured is the pickerel on wild rice with blueberries.

A peek in the gleaming new kitchen. Wezceria is now located at 820 Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon. It's the same great food - high on creativity and local flavours - in a more personable atmosphere.

Ice Cream with Local Flavours

2011-06-28T18:40:00.000-06:00

My food column in today's Star Phoenix explored the delights of locally-made ice cream with Saskatchewan-grown flavours. Strawberry swirl, raspberry chocolate chunk, cherry fudge, apple pie, saskatoon berry and much more...

I featured four options in Saskatoon:

Prairie Sun Orchard makes ice cream with fruit from its own orchard. It doesn't get more "back to the land" than that! Available at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market and at River Landing. Pictured is Meaghan Reynolds serving me an ice cream cone at the River Landing kiosk.

Homestead Ice Cream on Victoria Ave. has several local flavours on tap, some of them seasonal. Ice cream aficionado Lynn Davey enjoys making ice cream, frozen yogurt and sauces with city-grown fruit delivered by patrons to her back door. Why waste good fruit?

At Jerry's Food Emporium on 8th St., there are several local flavours on the ice cream/gelato menu. Owner Elyse Proulx-Cullen learned to make gelato in Italy. Jerry's flavours are also sold at Saskatoon Co-ops, City Perks Cafe, Casino Regina and the Yellow Fender in Christopher Lake. The sour cherry gelato is yummmm.

Finally, my favourite: sea buckthorn gelato by Northern Vigor Berries. Sea buckthorn is a small orange berry with a tart tropical taste. It's made on contract at Jerry's and sold by Northern Vigor at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.

Do you know a place to get locally-made ice cream with Saskatchewan-grown flavours? Send a comment and let us know!

Shelagh Rogers and Me

2011-06-27T11:11:00.000-06:00

Tune in to CBC Radio One today at 1 pm for The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers recorded at my house in Saskatoon. Shelagh chats with four award-winning Saskatchewan authors - Allan Casey, Dianne Warren, Jo-Ann Episkenew and me!

The program repeats Saturday at 4 pm.

If you're not in Saskatchewan, check the CBC website for program times in your area.

Shishliki on the Lamb

2011-06-16T11:49:00.001-06:00

So there I was, dashing along Hwy #5 to Kamsack, when I spied a sign for shishliki. So, I turned in. It was a sheep farm and the shishliki was made by the farmer. Who could resist? I bought a few packages before heading on my way.

Shishliki is marinated lamb or pork done in a style that was brought to Saskatchewan by immigrants from Russia. It's a popular delicacy in the Canora-Yorkton area. In fact, Sat., June 25 is Shishliki Day in Veregin.

I made shishliki once myself using venison and this recipe from the old Time-Life Foods of the World series. Darn good...

Down Under meets Up Here

2011-06-03T09:00:00.015-06:00

Sometimes, we find common ground in the funniest places. Bec Hardy is from Kuitpo in South Australia and I’m from Saskatoon – both of which have strong temperance movements in their history. Which we discovered over a glass of wine...*

Bec’s wine, to be exact. She’s the daughter of Geoff Hardy, one of Australia’s most innovative vintners. She was in Saskatoon with her new husband, Richard Dolan, to showcase the wines from their K1 vineyard. (K1 stands for the 1^st vineyard in Kuitpo, pronounced Kypo, which is now an upcoming wine area.)

(* Temperance movements are opposed to all “demon” alcohol.)

Lucky for me, we sampled the wines over a stellar meal prepared by Chef Ryan Marquis at the Delta Bessborough. Chef Marquis is a champion of local food and the meal was a lovely showcase for both the wines and the bounty of Saskatchewan.

We enjoyed quail balentine and sour cherry sauce with K1’s 2007 Gold Label Merlot. The wine absolutely charmed the cherry sauce, or was it vice versa?

Next, strip loin with fingerling potatoes (pictured) and wild mushrooms with K1’s 2008 Silver Label Cabernet Tempranillo. “It was a very challenging year because it was so hot,” says Bec. Well, I’d say they rose to the challenge. Yummm...

Interestingly, Bec and Richard were on their honeymoon. So, I’m glad they got to spend a night in the Chateau Bessborough. Their cross-Canada tour included several food and wine dinners with local chapters of the Opimian Society, which has exclusive access to K1 wines in Canada. Here’s the dinner in Vancouver.

Learn more about the Opimian Society.

Duck eggs...

2011-06-01T20:23:00.014-06:00

from the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. I like that they're blue.

Parmesan Crust Asparagus Quiche

1 lb asparagus

1 tbsp butter

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

Small bunch of chives, chopped

5 duck eggs (or extra large chicken eggs)

1/2 cup cream (or half and half)

Salt and pepper

3-4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

12 pansy flowers (optional)

Snap off the thick ends of the asparagus. Discard or compost the thick ends. Choose 12 spears and trim to 4 inches (10 cm). Grill or roast the 12 spears until partially cooked. Reserve these spears for the garnish. Chop all the remaining asparagus into 1/2 in. (1 cm) pieces and steam until partially cooked.

Melt the butter in a pan. Sauté the onion, red pepper and chopped asparagus. Toss in the chives. Meanwhile, use a fork to whip together the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Grease a pie plate with a bit more butter. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese, pressing it into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Spread the onion mixture over the parmesan cheese. Top with the grated cheddar. Pour the eggs over all. Using a fork, press the cheese below the surface of the egg mixture.

Lay the 12 asparagus evenly on the top of the quiche like the spokes of a wheel. Set a pansy between each spear. Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes. The quiche is done when a knife inserted into the centre comes out dry.

High Plains High Praise

2011-05-30T10:51:00.001-06:00

Prairie Feast has been shortlisted in two categories of the High Plains Book Awards recognizing books about life on the great plains of North America. Not many Canadian books are nominated, so I'm thrilled to be recognized by our American counterparts. The awards ceremony is October 15 in Billings, Montana. I always love an excuse to go to Montana...

Lunch on the Radio

2011-05-25T17:21:00.002-06:00

Guess who came for lunch today? CBC Radio host Shelagh Rogers and three Saskatchewan authors: Allan Casey, Jo-Ann Episkenew and Diane Warren. That's me on the right, beside Shelagh.

We were taping a one-hour episode of The Next Chapter focusing on award-winning writers from Saskatchewan. After our interviews, we all sat down to dinner: asparagus quiche (pictured), salad greens (including a few baby weeds) with fiddleheads, burbot fish cakes with Sue's Zucchini Relish tartar sauce, Saskatchewan chickpea hummus, bread from Christie's Bakery and rhubarb berry crisp for dessert with a choice of my homemade cherry gelato and maple ice cream.

The program airs June 27 and July 2 on CBC Radio One.

Healthy cup of tea?

2011-05-18T10:50:00.017-06:00

If you can identify this chunk of stuff, you're probably healthier than I am!

It's chaga, a fungus hacked off a birch tree somewhere in Saskatchewan. It was given to me on a recent trip to Ness Creek by my friend Curtis, who's collecting and exporting Saskatchewan chaga. According to Curtis, his America buyer says it's the best chaga on the market.

Chaga (as it's called in Russia) is said to be extremely high in antioxidants and, therefore, good for whatever ails you. Curtis says it cured his arthritis.

He instructed me to scrape off some chaga (it's very hard) and infuse it to make a powerful tea. I hear the kettle whistling...

You can contact Curtis through facebook.

Maple Walnut Ice Cream

2011-05-17T13:22:00.000-06:00

What do you do with a jar of super thick straight-from-the-farm cream and a jug of Saskatchewan maple syrup? Ice cream! Want to try Saskatchewan maple syrup? Contact Leprechaun Taps.

Fiddlehead Anyone?

2011-05-16T13:40:00.001-06:00

Right now, in woods across Saskatchewan, tiny fiddleheads are emerging from the earth. And we get to eat them!

I'll be placing a bulk order for fiddleheads from the Nipawin area. If you're in Saskatoon (or close) and would like to order a pound or more of fiddleheads, let me know. ($9 per lb.) Send me a message with your phone number. Fiddleheads are done for 2011, but maybe next year...

Saskatchewan Fruit Wine

2011-05-04T12:42:00.049-06:00

We sipped our way through rhubarb, cherries, apples, black currents and saskatoon berries at a wonderful fruit wine night at Souleio in Saskatoon.

The fruit wines and the apple cidre are lovely elixirs produced locally by Living Sky Winery, while the berry-flavoured spirits are made in-house at Souleio. Pick your favourite fruit and enjoy!

"We don't want to hide the fact that it's fruit wine.

We want it to taste just like the fruit!"

- Sue Echlin, Living Sky Wines

The evening began with a presentation from Tyler Kaban, grad student at the University of Saskatchewan, who's made it his passion to breed a grape hybrid (using indigenous grapes crossed with wine varieties such as shiraz and pinor noir) that will thrive on the prairies. We'll be hearing more about that in the future...

Prairie Feast at the Legislature

2011-05-03T05:29:00.031-06:00

Live in Regina? Come down to the Legislative Library on your lunch hour next Wednesday - I'll be reading from my book, Prairie Feast. Celebrate all the good things this land has to offer!

Wednesday, May 11
Noon - 1 pm
Legislature Library, Room 234 at the Legislature.

Hope to see you there! More details on this event poster:

Spring - Here's Proof!

2011-05-02T21:21:00.000-06:00

The young lambs are frolicking on the farm of Mark and Lynn Lane near Regina. Catch the action on this you-tube video from the farm. Check out all the farm's organic offerings on the website of FarmGateFoods.

Sweet Spring - Maple Walnut Salad

2011-04-25T06:07:00.001-06:00

Maple Walnut Salad

In the right season, this salad can be made almost entirely with local ingredients. See the sources below.

2 apples

7 cm chunk (3 in) English cucumber

1/2 head butter lettuce

2 tbsp finely chopped red onion

3 tbsp dried cherries

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp milk

2 tsp apple cidre vinegar

Dash salt

Peel, seed and chop the apple. Chop the cucumber to the same size as the apple. Chop the lettuce into ribbons. Mix the vegetables with the onion, dried cherries and walnuts. Make the dressing by stirring together the mayonnaise, maple syrup, milk, vinegar and salt. Toss the dressing with the salad just before serving.

Sources
Apples: There are several apple orchards around the province, such as the Petrofka Bridge Orchard north of Saskatoon. Of course, they won't have apples until August.
Cucumber and Lettuce: Currently available at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.
Red Onion: Also at the Farmers' Market later in the summer and, I'm sure, many other markets around the province.
Dried Cherries: I received these dried cherries from a friend. They are not yet commercially available, but may be soon. Check with the Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association. Or, try drying them yourselves in cherry season (August).
Walnuts: Not local!
Mayo: If you're a good cook, make your own mayonnaise with local eggs and canola oil.
Maple Syrup: Two sources for Saskatchewan maple syrup, both at Kamsack:
Gerry at Leprechaun Taps: 306-542-4220
Allen at Assiniboine River Taps: 306-590-8333
Milk: Dairyland brand in the grocery store.
Apple Cidre Vinegar: A new product from Petrofka Bridge Orchard, also for sale at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.
Salt: Buy Sifto salt, which is mined in Saskatchewan near Unity.

Spirited Fruits

2011-04-17T11:09:00.000-06:00

If you like fruits with spirit, you're sure to like this... Souleio Foods is presenting its "orchard" of fruit spirits including Carmincello (made with Saskatchewan's Carmine Jewel cherries), Citronello and Creme de Cassis (black current) along with its two newest fruit spirits, Simply Sinful Haskap and Misaskwatomina Saskatoon Berry. These spirits at made in-house at Souleio and most of them (expect the citron) are make with locally-grown fruit.

Taste, nibble and learn more about fruity spirits from the folks at Living Sky fruit winery and the U of S plant researchers who bred these fruits for Saskatchewan.

When: Saturday, August 30, 7 pm.

Where: Souleio Foods, 265 3rd Ave. South, Saskatoon

Tickets: $20 in advance only -- call 978-8102

See you there!

First tomato of spring

2011-04-16T21:24:00.000-06:00

Isn't it perfect? Tomatoes have arrived at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market. But be warned -- you must get there early (well before 9 am) to get the first tomatoes of spring.

Dinner tonight - pepper venison, fried potatoes, salad with lemon vinaigrette and (not shown) Fresh Air Flavours rhubarb relish. Every bit of it from Saskatchewan!

Saskatchewan Maple Syrup

2011-04-13T21:49:00.000-06:00

Freezing nights, warm days. Perfect weather for tapping maple trees. Here's Gerry and Russ tapping a grove of Manitoba maples near Kamsack, Saskatchewan. By the end of the day, it will be maple syrup -- Saskatchewan style.

Instead of galvanized steel pails, they're using a much less expensive (if less picturesque) alternative - milk jugs. Then it's into the steaming sugar shack to be cooked down to syrup. It takes about 40 litres of sap to produce one litre of maple syrup!

Yumm... blueberry pancakes and Saskatchewan maple syrup. This 500 ml bottle is $14. To purchase some for yourself, call Gerry Moriarty at Leprechaun Taps, Kamsack. 306-542-4220.

Birth of a Bottle

2011-04-06T20:12:00.001-06:00

Hot off the press -- 3 Day Dog hard apple cidre, the newest offering from Living Sky Winery of Perdue, Saskatchewan. I had a chance to sample this lovely liquid apple at the exclusive Dine with the Stars dinner with Chef Moe Mathieu. (Read more about that elsewhere.)

Back to the hard apple cidre... The organic apples were sourced in BC (the Saskatchewan apple business isn't quite ready for this volume or price-point). It was fermented and bottled locally. Proof? Watch this cool video on you-tube shot at Paddockwood Brewery in Saskatoon.

Wondering about that name? Read the explanation on the back of the bottle. Available at the Saturday Saskatoon Farmers' Market -- $4 per bottle.

Ply me with lemons...

2011-03-29T21:51:00.000-06:00

I do a bit of public speaking and, for that, I am often rewarded with a special gift. But few gifts could be as rare and special as this collection of Saskatchewan-grown lemons (and one lime) presented to me at the Saskatchewan Food Summit earlier this month.

The lemons were grown by my friend Nair -- carefully bred and selected to produce bush lemons that grow indoors in low-light prairie conditions. Check out the labels -- the one called "Centurion" will be released to the public to mark the centennial of the University of Saskatchewan next year. And a sour time was had by all...

Raw Food, Local-Style

2011-03-28T20:55:00.028-06:00

Food and my home town. What a great combination! I was honoured to be included at a special dinner at the Craik Eco-Centre on Sunday. Chef Moe Mathieu and his crew of culinary students created a fabulous, colourful, local, raw meal. That's right -- from golden beets to ground beef -- quite uncooked.

It was the final of 13 dinners organized by SOD (Saskatchewan Organic Directorate) to showcase the local and particularly organic bounty of Saskatchewan. The series called Dine with the Stars features chefs, farmers and Saskatchewan celebrities.

Now, the 13 dinners are being crafted into 13 video episodes, coming soon to a TV or computer screen near you. Check the SOD website for further details.

Chef Moe (second from left) with his talented students!

Cheese Please

2011-03-27T21:23:00.003-06:00

Finally, I got my hands on some of the lovely cheeses made by Chapel Cheese of Ravenscrag, down in southwest Saskatchewan. Thanks to a chain of hand-delivery (3 degrees of separation from the farm) I sampled the Heritage Havarti and Coulee Caerphilly last night.

Here they are pictured with charcuterie from Pulvermacher Butchers in Bruno and Model Meats in Watrous. I'm a huge fan of Pulvermachers pepperoni (on the left).

At Chapel Cheese, Jim's herd of heritage breed cows will begin milking again soon, so there'll be a new batch of cheese to sample. I smell a road trip on the horizon...

New Saskatchewan Fruit

2011-03-26T08:19:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to list all the fruits grown in Saskatchewan, so here's a new one: goji berry. It's a super healthy berry from China and Tibet. My friend Nair is growing goji berries on his acreage south of Saskatoon. His goji berry and mango jam is delicious.

There, another berry ticked off my list!

Locally Grown in Watrous - March 24

2011-03-10T09:02:00.000-06:00

Locally Grown

March 24 - 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Watrous Curling Rink

Information to help you respond to the demand for locally grown food:

“Food Centre Programs and Resources” - Erin Hiebert, Coordinator, HACCP Development Program, Saskatchewan Food and Industry Development Centre Inc

“Develop an Entrepreneurial Skill Set” - Monica Kreuger, Praxis School of Entrepreneurship

“Gaining Perspective: Local Food and Market Claims” - Chantal Jacobs, Provincial Specialist, Organic Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture

“SAVI: Funding for Agri-Value Business” - Francine Brule, Provincial Business Management Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture

“Farm Gate to My Plate: Feeding the Appetite for Local Food” - Amy Jo Ehman, Author of Prairie Feast

“Farmers Markets” - Deb Claude, Saskatoon Farmers Market

“Financing for Your Business – Understanding How Your Bank Can Help You Grow” - Stacey Markowsky, Royal Bank of Canada

“Fruits and Vegetables for the Prairie Climate and Indoor Citrus & Fruit Trees” - M.P.M. Nair, Indoor-Citrus Breeder and Master Gardener

Please pre-register before March 21 by calling (306) 946-3220

Registration $35.00 A delicious lunch featuring locally grown products will be served.

Delivered by Saskatchewan Agriculture in partnership with the Nokomis Agricultural Society Inc.

New Beer in Town

2011-03-03T14:37:00.019-06:00

I had a chance to sample a new Saskatchewan brew last night. It's a Belgian type made locally by the Shiny Penny Brewery, a new venture by two local beer connoisseurs, Chloe Smith and Cedric Dauchot (who hails from Belgium).

They plan to open the Shiny Penny Brew Pub in Saskatoon later this year. Keep tabs on their progress on their facebook page. Can't wait!!

Local yogurt, please

2011-03-03T13:09:00.012-06:00

Can’t get to the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market for locally-made yogurt? Here’s a great option: Dairyland’s Saskatoon Berry Yogurt. It's made in Saskatoon with milk from Saskatchewan cows.

This yogurt was the inspiration of Sandy Purdy, owner of Prairie Berries saskatoon berry orchard at Keeler, Saskatchewan. It includes saskatoons from several orchards and is for sale across Western Canada in stores that carry the Dairyland brand. (Co-op)

“Yogurt is a healthy food and berries are healthy, so we thought, if we pair berries with yogurt we’d have a really healthy food,” says Sandy.

Last year, she stepped into the Dragon’s Den on CBC television and came away with a financial offer to help market saskatoon berries further afield. The broadcast garnered a lot of interest from across Canada (and even the United States) which she is hoping to parlay into deals with more food companies, including Dannon, the world’s largest yogurt maker.

Good luck, Sandy!

Yogurt at the farmers' market

2011-03-01T12:37:00.001-06:00

Love berries? Love yogurt? You'll really love this creamy berry yogurt available at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.

Gerry Hounjet makes the yogurt using live yogurt cultures and locally-grown berries, including saskatoon berries from the family orchard at Grandora. There are 15 different flavours and flavour combinations, including mixed berries, vanilla and good old plain.
The sugar free yogurt is sweetened with stevia.

Gerry sells about 300 containers of various sizes per week. You’ll see lots of folks, especially children, spooning down the small personal sized yogurt for a market breakfast.

So, what’s his most popular flavour? “I’d like to say saskatoon berry because we grow them ourselves,” says Gerry, “but honestly, sour cherry takes preference.”

Yogurt, please

2011-02-28T07:36:00.002-06:00

We Canadians are hungry for yogurt. According to StatsCanada, our yogurt consumption more than doubled from 1998 to 2008 - from 2.4 litres to 5.4 litres of yogurt per person per year. It was just .03 of a litre in 1960!

According to Dannon, the largest maker of yogurt in the world, Canadians eat twice as much yogurt as our American friends.

Since we love our yogurt, perhaps you'd like to try making your own. It's easy. There are many websites explaining the process. You might start with this one: Yogurt Everyday.

When I make yogurt, I buy Dairyland milk (it's from Saskatchewan cows) and a good, plain natural yogurt (not low-fat) with live cultures. I leave the yogurt to incubate on the counter in an insulated soup thermos. Make a couple batches at home until you find a process that works best for you. Let me know how it goes...

Good Grapes!

2011-02-17T12:32:00.000-06:00

Want to grow and stomp your own grapes? Learn the art of growing and breeding grapes for the prairies with Tyler Kaban, a passionate grape breeder at the University of Saskatchewan.

I recently paid a visit to Tyler and his grapes (since it was winter, in the greenhouse at the U of S). Those are his grapes in the picture. Tyler is looking for folks around the province willing to grow his grape varieties to see which ones do best in real prairie conditions.

The seminar is April 1. Information and agenda will be posted here as they become available.

Crowning the King of Kovbasa

2011-02-11T12:12:00.001-06:00

The 2011 King of the Kovbasa was crowned last night in Saskatoon. After a blind taste test and secret ballot (by 500 discerning palates) the unanimous winner was the koubasa made by the Saskatoon Co-op Marketplace on Attridge!

It was also my personal favourite. My top three included the koubasa from Emco Meats in Saskatoon and the Smokehaus in Martensville. Which, I might add, are also my personal favourite koubasa when I'm not blind taste-testing.

It's always a colourful sight as great platters of sausage are ceremoniously carried into the hall by members of the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble dressed in traditional Ukrainian folk costumes, accompanied by lively accordion music and rhythmic clapping from the crowd.

This was the tenth annual King of the Kovbasa -- definitely a highlight of the culinary calendar in Saskatoon!

Menus Gone Local

2011-02-09T12:14:00.022-06:00

Dining out just got easier. The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate has compiled a list of restaurants in the province that go out of their way to offer local and/or organic food on their menus. Check out the list in SOD's online dining directory.

An apple a day

2011-01-29T09:58:00.002-06:00

So, you haven't canned, frozen or dried a bunch of Saskatchewan fruit for winter enjoyment?

Try this -- dried apples from Petrofka Bridge Orchard. $3 at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.

Also available at Souleio and the Bulk Cheese Warehouse.

Know your oats - Oat vocabulary

2011-01-27T13:49:00.021-06:00

When can you eat cookies for breakfast? When they're mostly oats! But first, a lesson in oat vocabulary.

• Oat groats or whole oats are the oat seed with the outer hull removed. They take the longest to cook and are often pre-soaked.

• Steel-cut oats (also called Irish oats or Scotch oats) are oat groats cut into smaller pieces. Also pre-soaked.

• Rolled or old-fashioned oats are whole groats flattened in a roller. They cook more quickly than groats.

• Quick oats are steel-cut groats flattened in a roller. Because they are small and flakey, they cook quite quickly.

• Instant oats are precooked so they can be prepared simply by adding hot water and are often pre-flavoured and sweetened.

Learn more about Saskatchewan-grown oats from my article in Star Phoenix.

Chocolate Oat Clusters

Gleaned from the website of Only Oats, a gluten-free oat processor in Regina.

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

6 tbsp cocoa

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

On medium heat melt butter, sugar and milk in a saucepan until it boils, stirring often.

Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Remove from heat. Drop by the spoonful onto wax paper. Cool completely.

Ode to Oats

2011-01-25T22:39:00.061-06:00

Did you know? Canada is the largest exporter of oats in the world, and much of those oats are grown here in Saskatchewan.

The bulk of Saskatchewan's oats are shipped to the United States and processed into the brand name cereals and granola bars you find in the grocery stores.

You can also buy oats from smaller local companies, like the package of organic oat groats (in the picture) that went into my morning oatmeal. The brand is Willow Creek, which is based in Watson, Saskatchewan.

Apple Honey Oatmeal

Find local dried apples at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market.

1/2 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups water

1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried apples, chopped
1 tbsp honey

The night before, mix steel-cut oats with water and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 min. Remove from heat, cover and leave out overnight. In the morning, add another 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, cinnamon and dried apple. Cook, stirring, until desired porridge consistency is achieved. Stir in the honey and eat!

Dining with the Stars

2011-01-18T08:31:00.015-06:00

Our taste buds were dancing with the stars at Dine with the Stars - a wonderful initiative of the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate.

SOD paired up top chefs with local celebrities and some of our best farmers to stage a series of dinners around the province focussing on organic Saskatchewan-grown foods.

I had the privilege of attending Dine with the Stars at Weczeria in Saskatoon, where Chef Dan Walker performed for a select group including star authors Yann Martel and his wife Alice Kuipers. The menu:

Golden Beet Soup

Pear and Apple Salad with Blue Cheese

Rye Gnocchi with Pastrami Cream

Northern Pike with Wild Rice and Blueberries

Crème Brulée with Sour Cherry Compote

Dine with the Stars dinners were recorded and will be broadcast at a later date. Watch here for details.

Saskatchewan Food Summit

2011-01-12T06:47:00.002-06:00

Interested in shaping the future of food in Saskatchewan? Attend the first Saskatchewan Food Summit March 2 & 3 in Saskatoon. The summit will examine the barriers, challenges and solutions to beefing up the local food economy. You'll find the agenda and registration information on the U of S website. See you there!

Berry Smooth

2011-01-06T06:19:00.002-06:00

Want to eat more Saskatchewan berries? Try a smoothie.

This luscious smoothie for two contains:
1 banana (this is optional, but I like it)
2 big spoonfuls of yogurt (Dairyland yogurt is made locally)
1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries (available occasionally at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market)
1 spoonful frozen lingonberries (also purchased at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market)
12 or so frozen raspberries (picked myself last summer)
Squirt of honey (Saskatchewan honey, of course)
2 teaspoons ground flax (ditto)
Milk as required to blend to a drinkable consistency.

Perhaps it's the little girl in me, but I think a smoothie tastes better with a straw!

Sucking lemons

2011-01-05T16:57:00.034-06:00

Ug. Bad cold. But a good excuse to drink my tea with a slice of Saskatchewan-grown lemon.

Sorry, I can't tell you where to get your hands on these lemons because they're not for sale -- yet. They were bred by a local horticulturist specifically for indoor growing on the prairies. The plan is to make them available within the year, so watch here for details.

Read more in this article I wrote for the Star Phoenix,

Sweet start 2011

2011-01-04T05:52:00.025-06:00

With my commitment to fill the year with Saskatchewan fruit, I've ditched the maple syrup in favour of locally-grown fruit syrups, such as this wild blueberry syrup from Over the Hill Orchards, which we ate this morning on french toast.

Over the Hill Orchards has a store in Lumsden. In Saskatoon, their products are available at the Saskatchewan Made Marketplace and online store. Yummmmm...

Apple Rosemary Jelly

2011-01-03T20:52:00.000-06:00

I had time over the holidays to make a batch of apple rosemary jelly, which goes very well with pork chops, sausages and anything venison. I picked the apples from my neighbour's tree, which hangs abundantly over my back fence, and made the juice last summer. The rosemary isn't local -- my friend Colin brought it back from his property on Hornby Island. Oh well, it's hard to be pure Saskatchewan in the middle of winter...

To make Apple Rosemary Jelly, follow instructions for plain old apple jelly, adding a generous sprig of rosemary to the jelly as it's cooking in the pot. Remove the rosemary before pouring the hot jelly into jars. Before placing the lids, add a small flourish of fresh rosemary to each jar.

For a quicker method, buy a jar of apple jelly from the farmers' market. Melt the jelly in a saucepan, adding some fresh rosemary for flavour. Clean the jar and pour the jelly back into it to cool. Voila!

A Fruity New Year

2011-01-01T09:53:00.051-06:00

Every year, I make a food-related New Year's resolution. I find these resolutions are much easier to keep! So, my 2011 resolution is to eat more Saskatchewan-grown fruit: to beg, buy, u-pick, forage and by any other possible means try every fruit that grows in Saskatchewan and discover great ways to serve it. And to post it on this blog, of course...

Here's a list of fruits that are grown in Saskatchewan, as far as I know (additions welcome): Apple, Apricot, Black Current, Blueberry, Buffalo Berry, Cherry, Chokecherry, Cloudberry, Cranberry, Crowberry, Elderberry, Goji, Gooseberry, Grape, Haskap, Lemon, Lingonberry, Pear, Plum, Raspberry, Saskatoons, Seabuckthorn and Strawberry.

Soup Challenge 2010

2010-12-31T18:26:00.001-06:00

Whew... just finished Soup #52... thus completing a year's worth of Saskatchewan-based soups. Over the month of December I cooked up:

Week 49 - Lentil and Sausage
Week 50 - Pork Shish Kabob (made with leftover shish kabob)
Week 51 - Chicken Noodle (which became...)
Week 51 1/2 - Chicken Carrot and Chickpea
Week 52 - Christmas Ham Spilt Pea Soup (made with leftover ham)

So, I must decide my new food resolution for 2011...

Delicious Christmas Gift

2010-12-29T20:13:00.005-06:00

I always say the best gifts are edible, so I was delighted to receive this basket from Over the Hill Orchards for Christmas. The basket includes jelly, toppings and chocolates made with Saskatchewan-grown cherries, blueberries and saskatoons. I'll write more about each item as we open and enjoy it.

Over the Hill Orchards is a venture of Dean and Sylvia Kreutzer, who live near Lumsden. Their primary fruit crop is the sour cherry developed at the University of Saskatchewan, which they sell under the trademark of Prairie Cherry. I love their packaging and think it's a great "ambassador" for the new wave of professional food processing in Saskatchewan.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching so why not give a "bottle of red" to your special someone. Check out the range of products on the orchard website.

Ukrainian Christmas at the Farmers' Market

2010-12-25T10:43:00.021-06:00

Saskatchewan is so special we get two Christmases!

Ukrainian Christmas falls on Friday, January 7, and the farmers' market is celebrating with a locally-sourced Ukrainian Christmas feast on Sunday, January 9. Dinner starts at 6 pm and includes the traditional twelve dishes and performance by the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble. $25 adults/$15 for children 12 and under. Buy tickets here.

Raw Milk Debate - Pasteurization

2010-12-13T08:25:00.004-06:00

There are many public health warnings about drinking fresh, raw milk that has not been pasteurized. Learn about these risks before making your personal decision. If you would like to learn more about pasteurizing milk at home, see these links:

University of Guelph
Michigan State University
Mother Earth News

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

When I get fresh milk from a farmer I make this cheese, but you can also use milk from the store. Citric acid is the acidity of lemons in powdered form available from drug stores.

16 cups whole milk
1 tsp. citric acid in 1/4C cool water
1tsp. salt

Put the milk in a thick-bottom stockpot. Stir in the citric acid solution and the salt. With the burner on low, heat the milk until it reaches 190 F. stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t stick to the pot. As it nears 190 F. you will see curds forming in the milk. When it reaches 190 F., take it off the heat and let the milk sit for ten minutes. Pour the contents into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Drain for about an hour. This cheese can be used in any recipe calling for ricotta. It also freezes well.

Make Ricotta Cheese Pie.

Christie's Bakery on Broadway

2010-12-12T18:27:00.000-06:00

Just in time for winter! A lot of folks have been wishing for years that Christie's Bakery would open a second location in the Broadway Area. Yeah finally!!

It's called Il Secondo and it's all about good coffee, real bread and authentic Neapolitan pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. I warn you, this is not pizza for those folks who want gobs of meat and cheese on a big chewy crust. This pizza is all about thin exquisite flavour. It would not be an exaggeration to say this is the best pizza I have ever tasted. Really!

I'll also warn you that Il Secondo closes at 6 pm, so don't tarry.

(While there, check out the rustic beam over the pizza oven and note the similarity to the beams in my new kitchen. Yes, they're from the same tree!)

Terra Madre Day in Saskatchewan

2010-12-10T17:28:00.000-06:00

John and I celebrated international Terra Madre Day at the New Ground Cafe in Birch Hills, near Prince Albert. Now that I think of it, every day is a Terra Madre Day at the New Ground Cafe, where Jenni fills her chalkboard menu with the local bounty.

Two years ago, Jenni attended the Terra Madre symposium in Turin, Italy. This symposium is held by the Slow Food organization to celebrate and encourage the preservation of local food traditions all over the world. She's an excellent ambassador for Saskatchewan.

Here's her Terra Madre lunch. It was all good but I'm still dreaming of that fabulous soup!

Jenni's got some delicious events planned this month:

Thursday Supper Dec.16th: A Vegetarian Celebration!!!! My favourite type of cooking and a wonderful gift for the vegetarian on your list. Starts at 6 p.m..

Saturday, December 18th: 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Egg Nog Red River French Toast, Carrot Rhubarb Muffins, Santa's Rocket Fuel Chili and Bannock. NEW GROUND CAFE' SECOND ANNUAL MINI COOKBOOK will be finished and available for sale. Reserve your copy ahead of time as I think I'll only have time to make 50. Also available...NGC Bannock Mix, Naughty Biscotti with Wild Hazelnuts and Dark Chocolate in a mug with Cocoa Camino Fair Trade Hot Chocolate Packets and gift certificates in any amount.

Thursday Supper, December 23: TBA

Friday, December 24th: Our annual Christmas Eve brunch!!!! Served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. A combination of all the favourites from our December brunches, with some surprises. Reservations required as this is a popular event. Only one rule, you have to be jolly!

If you'd like to get the New Ground Cafe e-newsletter, drop a note to Jenni at newgroundcafe at sasktel dot net.

Soup Week 47 - Faba Bean

2010-11-26T16:51:00.041-06:00

Larry Marshall, an organic farmer from Shellbrook, gave me a yogurt container filled with his dried faba beans. Like so many crops we grow in Saskatchewan, faba beans originate in the Middle East. (Rumour has it, faba beans were found in the ruins of Jericho, circa 6200 BCE.)

Also known as broad beans, they are gaining popularity among Saskatchewan farmers who practice crop rotation (planting different crops on the land each year, usually in a four-year cycle) thanks in part to new varieties developed at the University of Saskatchewan specifically for our growing conditions.

I wish I could tell you where to buy Saskatchewan-grown faba beans, but as far as I know, they are not available in stores.

Raw Milk Debate

2010-11-25T17:06:00.000-06:00

Folks who would like to buy raw milk directly from the farm may be interested in meeting Michael Schmidt, a dairy farmer from Ontario and crusader for the direct sale of farm milk. Mr. Schmidt was prosecuted for selling his milk, but was acquitted in court. However, selling raw farm milk is, for the most part, illegal in Canada. (Read the National Post article.)

Mr. Schmidt is giving a presentation in Regina: Dec. 5, 2 pm at St. Mary's Anglican church (corner of 15th Ave. and Montague Street). For more information, please contact Jana Kutarna (306) 586-0887.

Soup Week 46 - Beans and Wieners

2010-11-17T22:05:00.000-06:00

Suddenly it's cold, and hubby's working outdoors in the snow. Here's the view from my new kitchen window. Obviously, this man needs soup.

Soup Week 45 - Fish soup

2010-11-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

Leftover Lake Diefenbaker trout, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes - and a fish stock made the day before with the fish head. Never discard a fish head...

Soup Week 44 - Memories of Meadow Lake

2010-11-02T13:59:00.000-06:00

I picked up this bag of Yukon Gold potatoes in Meadow Lake while at a book event for Prairie Feast. Then John got overly ambitions and cooked up a mess of mashed potatoes.

I will confide, I'm not a big fan of mashed potatoes, so I turned them into soup. Add onions, bacon and chanterelle mushrooms and, well, those mashed potatoes were mighty good. I hardly noticed them!

My Saskatchewan soup project is in the home stretch -- just a handful of weeks to go in my New Year's resolution to cook 52 soups, one for each week in 2010.

Gold Medal Plates Saskatoon

2010-10-31T15:33:00.003-06:00

What a foodie fantastic evening! Ten chefs outdid themselves with wonderful creations and, I'm proud to say, every one of them filled their menu with Saskatchewan ingredients - from pickerel cheeks to wild boar belly, from lentils to wild rice cracker, from black pansy syrup to pea shoot foam.

I had the wonderful opportunity of sitting on the judge's panel. A tough decision, to be sure, but the clear winner was Chef Dan Walker of Wizceria, a restaurant in Saskatoon's Broadway district. Here are pictures of the winners with mouth-watering descriptions by fellow judge, the food and wine writer James Chatto.

Taking the gold medal by a unanimous decision of the judges was Chef Dan Walker of Weczeria Food and Wine in Saskatoon, by far the smallest restaurant in the competition. His strip of wild boar belly was perfectly textured – crisp where it needed to be, unctuous elsewhere, and richly flavoured. An almost undetectable scattering of crumbled pecans added an extra dimension. Beneath the belly we found some pulled leg meat from the boar, moist and sapid from a well-seasoned marinade. Two purées – one of carrot, the other of jerusalem artichoke – were delightfully lightweight but also full of flavour, matched by crisps made from the same vegetables. Two soft, pan-fried potato gnocchi were exemplary in texture and useful for mopping up a finishing flourish of green herbal oil. The winning wine was a great match – a wine that has already captured gold elsewhere in this year’s campaign – Rockpile 2008 from Road 13 winery in the Okanagan

The silver medal was awarded to Chef Ryan Marquis of the Delta Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon. Front-and-centre on his plate stood a hen’s egg shell filled with a spectacularly luxe foie gras crème brûlée that many of the judges deemed to be the single most delicious item of the evening. Beside it stood a big square-cut slab of smoked pork belly with a maple molasses glaze and more dots of the black, deeply flavoured glaze decorated the plate. A stripe of parsnip purée and a crisp parsnip chip represented the vegetable kingdom. Chef’s wine choice worked well – the awesome 2008 Nota Bene from Black Hills winery in the Okanagan, British Columbia.

Our bronze medallist was Chef Anthony McCarthy of the Saskatoon Club. He braised Berkshire pig cheeks to the point of tenderness and sauced them with the braising liquid and a pork demi-glace made from the pig’s bones. The lean meat stood beside a small and elegant pirozhki filled with a purée of semi-dehydrated Prairie Sensation apples, touched by a subtle hint of black truffle. A fava bean purée added lovely colour to the plate and a delicate apple cider cream picked up the flavour of the pirozhki. Chef had twisted a very crisp, lightweight strip of crackling into the Q of a pig’s tail and the dish was finished with a couple of perfect little golden chanterelles foraged in the Whitefox area by a gentleman called Lorne Terry. “Call it ‘pork and beans,’” said McCarthy. So we did. The wine was a good match – the dry, aromatic 2008 Pinot Blanc from Peller Estates in B.C.’s Okanagan valley.

This was the first Gold Medal Plates chef's competition held in Saskatoon, and it raised the most money in the history of Gold Medal Plates - $400,000 for elite athletes. Way to go S'toon!

Soup Week 43 - Lentil Carrot Bacon

2010-10-29T19:50:00.001-06:00

Grandma Lou's lentils in another pot of soup. I must admit that I accidentally burnt the soup (of course, who would burn soup on purpose?). To overcome the burnt taste, we added bacon, carmelized onions and honey. Not bad!

Prairie Feast Book Review

2010-10-28T20:07:00.015-06:00

Author Shelley Leedahl had nice things to say about my book. Read the full review online.

“Prairie Feast: a writer’s journey home for dinner” is a literary, culinary, and, dare I say a cultural tour de force... I ate up her every word.

Another lovely review was published in the Edmonton Journal. Read it, too!

Soup Week 42 - Grandma Lou's Lentils

2010-10-27T20:42:00.000-06:00

Grandma Lou is a good cook, and she has the lentils to prove it.

Grandma Lou (aka Louise McDougall) farms with her family near Moose Jaw. They have packaged their lentils, chickpeas and flax under the label of Grandma Lou's, complete with recipes.

I made Grandma Lou's lentil soup, but since I can't stand to follow recipes, I substituted chanterelle mushrooms for the potatoes and instead of celery, I used carrots (orange and yellow), then spiced it with a bit of cumin. Voila - délicieux!

Check out Grandma Lou's website for purchasing information.