Stinging Nettle Wonton

MMMMMM. mushrooms bacon sauce plus orties.

Vive la Vinaigrier!

This fresh jelly is made of Sumac, maple water, and a touch of cedar. It is delicious, sweet, acidic, and refreshing, and made with spring ingredients available within miles!

The Begingings of Fresh Meals

Red lentil paté wih frech asparagus, and a fried piece of sourdough dipped in zataar. Mustard pickleheads to garnish.

Can Away!

It is that time of year again....
We have Food!!!!! And no sooner than do we have food, do we can. Why do we can? Because we CAN! Food food FOooOd! Yum Yum Yum. The last few days have been about persevering through the preservation. While looking for a summer job (hopefully surrounding l0cal food) I have tried out the following conservation reçettes:
Cedar Jelly
Cedar Syrup
Mustard Pickled Fiddleheads
Oil Packed Asparagus
and
Fermenting Asparagus
Nothing is more fulfilling than, not only having exciting new ingredients, but knowing that I have them for longer than even the season allows. Trying these new recipes will hopefully allow me to find my favorites by the end of each veggie's season, and then go canning mad.

Leftovers the happy chicken made...
One of the best things about using a whole bird or animal, is the amount of flavour you can infuse into other foods. Suddenly you have stock for delicious winter soups, and gravy for your mashed potatoes. There is nothing better than stuffing and veg from the pot... NOTHING BETTER.

Meditation

a veiny piece of meat
chars on a grill,
smoke flies as juices expell
flesh singes darkness and witchcraft
into food.
flavour of bone and heart
of grass and light and wind,
milk and oat.
taste the consciousness.
enjoy it
or leave the poor thing alone.

L'Idée a Germé

Lentil Sprout Handroll with Thick Chili Sauce and Pine Nuts

Sprouted Hummus with Lemon Flesh and Roasted Garlic

I think sprouting grains and beans is a great way to keep food tasting fresh and delicious in the winter. It adds a much needed taste of the garden and a sort of "new growth" texture to a seemingly frigid season. Many dishes lend themselves well to the newly developed sweetness of the sprout and they don't have to be raw: the gastronomical applications are endless.

Invitingly Wintery Parsnips with Ketchup and Cashew Caper Cream

Diastatic What?

What is that smell? Is it roasting cucumber? Is someone barbecuing a cantelope in my Kitchen? Jane is that you?
A couple of years ago, I read about a technique in bread making where one takes sprouted grain, lightly roasts it, and dehydrates it, grinding it into a flour and adding a small portion to bread recipes. The flour is supposed to help convert carbohydrates into sugars more easily digestable to yeast. At first it all seemed too much work for a layperson (non-baker) to go through for a good loaf of bread, but since my knowledge and practise of sprouting has taken off, I realized that it was time to give it a try. If not only for the joy of the ritual, but the bread that would result. The smell of the grain is intoxicating; sweet and fresh, it's not what most of us think of when we think of wheat. It is changing my whole perception of a grain - for the better.

Kitchen Staff

Winter Feast

While it may seem silly to start a blog about local food d'içitte during the winter (as there isn't much of it), I can't think of a more appropriate time to explore the riches of our land and find ways of creating much loved foods that are locally sourced. I cry a little bit inside when the only winter kale available at my grocer is from California. I am certain that we can make a real effort to eat locally during the winter, and in doing so, support local farmers and business people that are doing something good, remarkable, and even noble. In short, making it easier and even more enjoyable year after year.

Mushroom Apple Cheddar Sage Sourdough Pizza

Sprouted Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Sourdough Beer Burger Buns