Archive for July, 2009

July 1st is Canada Day. A holisY to celebrate all that makes Canada the best place to live. But since 2004, food activist  and passionate advocate for Canadian food, Anita Stewart has been promoting the Saturday of the August long weekend as "The World's Longest Barbecue". How can it be the longest barbecue? Simple, Canadians are lighting their barbecues from coast to coast to coast, grilling Canadian-produced food to recognize and support our farmers, fishers and everyone else who delivers our edibles. And drinkables.

Stewart's yearning to make the day more than a barbecue, Canada Food Day, if she succeeds, is a more focused name. And of course, this tribute is not just about firing up the grill and celebrating local and seasonal foods to keep farmers et al in business. It's about community, getting together to share what we  have plenty of - lucky, aren't we!

To be part of Canada Food Day, aka The World's Longest Barbecue, all you have to do is go to Stewart's website, sign up and describe the menu you're having on Saturday. (I suspect if  you have the party on Sunday or Monday Steward won't quibble. But there is something electric about people sitting down together all over Canada. A virtual picnic without all the technology.) On Stewart's site you'll see the outline of what she would like to know about your dinner so write about what's on the menu, andy regional food or special dishes worth mentioning, where the food came from with information about the producers if you know them. It's the stories that will make the difference, so be sure to include details. Canada Food Day sounds like fun, and the good part is that it will help make a difference. Log onto www.anitastewart.ca. To quote Anita, "Large or small, every celebration is important!"

So...what am I planning? Well, as I'm from Stratford in the heart of Perth County, good food and farming, I'm grilling (or roasting) a loin of pork. Not with thyme, mustard, salt and pepper as my mother would have done as befitted her era and Celtic roots, but porchetta-style, with herbs of an Italian provenence - less Stratford than Toronto where porchetta sandwiches are widespread, and wonderful.

To go with, Island Potato Salad from Anita Stewart's Canada, The Food/The Recipes/The Stories, (Harper Collins, 2008, $34.95), see above,  and since I know we need vegetables, corn on the cob - straining to be the Canadian national vegetable. Again, not just butter, salt and pepper, but with a wash of exotic spices as discovered in Toronto's Little India by Andrew Chase, food editor of Homemakers Magazine. All the recipes follow.

Barbecue Loin of Pork with Porchetta Flavours

To make sure the herb and fennel flavours penetrate the whole loin, the meat is butterflied, then rolled. The instructions may seem long, but if you're looking for great flavour, press on! The step-by-step photos should help - just leave yourself enough time when you're tacking the recipe for the first time. 

1 pork loin centre roast boneless (single loin), about 3 lb (1.5 kg)

3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh rosemary

4 tsp (20 mL) minced fresh sage

3/4 tsp (4 mL) fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp (15 mL) dry white vermouth

. Place roast, fat side up, on large cutting board. Starting at right side with knife parallel to the board, cut loin in half almost but not all the way through.

. Open like a book.

. Starting in centre of opened loin, and with your knife parallel to board, cut in half on left side almost but not all the way through. Open the flap like a book, extending the surface of the meat.

. Repeat on right side. Open flat. Cover with waxed paper; pound with mallet or rolling pin to as even thickness as possible. Set aside.

. In small skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat; fry garlic, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large bowl; stir in rosemary, sage, fennel, salt, pepper and vermouth.

. Spread about three quarters of the garlic mixture over inside of loin, leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) border along 1 short end. Starting at the other end, roll up firmly toward border.

. Tie with kitchen string at 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals. 

. Place in the large bowl with the remaining garlic mixture; turn to coat all over. Cover and marinate in the fridge, turning occasionally, for 2 hours or up to 1 day.

. Place drip pan over 1 burner of 2-burner barbecue or over centre of 3-burner barbecue. Add enough water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up side of pan. Heat burner or burners not over drip pan to medium. Grease the grill over the drill pan. 

.  Place the rolled loin on the greased grill over the drip pan. Grill, turning every 20 minutes, until meat thermometer registers 160° (71°C), about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. 

. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil; let rest for 15 minutes. Snip and pull off the string; slice across the grain.

. Makes 8 servings.

Tip: You can also roast porchetta on rack in small roasting pan. It takes about 1 hour at 375°F. (190°C). Skim pan juices and serve with slices of porchetta.

Tip: This roast is almost better cold - and it slices more thinly. 

Bilingual, and trusting signage at a P.E.I. roadside potato trade.

Island Potato Salad

Stewart credits Joy Shinn who developed the recipe when she was working with the Prince Edward Island potato marketing board, Food Trust.  To go with the porchetta that serves 8, I made one and a half of the recipe written below, and because it is going with pork, substituted 2 roasted sweet red peppers for the prosciutto. I did not use honey. 

2 lb (1 kg) P.E.I. potatoes (5 to 6 medium)

4 slices prosciutto

3 green onions, sliced diagonally

Dressing:

2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey

1 tbsp (15 mL) grainy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup (50 mL) canola oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

. Place washed potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Cook, covered, over medium heat until fork tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain and let cool Peel and quarter or, if large, dice coarsely. Place in serving dish.

. Arrange prosciutto on rimmed baking sheet; place under broiler and broil until crisp, about 6 minutes, turning partway through cooking. Let cool, then break into small pieces.

. In serving bowl, combine green onions and prosciutto to potatoes.

Dressing: Whisk or shake together the vinegar, honey, mustard and oil until blended. Pour over the potato mixture; toss gently. Season to taste with salt and top with a good grinding of pepper. 

. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Indian-Spiced Corn on the Cob

8 corn cobs, husked

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander

3/4 tsp (4 mL) each salt and ground cumin

Pinch cayenne

1 lime, halved

. Brush corn cobs with oil. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning frequently, until kernels are tender and lightly grill-marked, about 10 to 15 minutes.

. In small bowl, stir together coriander, salt, cumin and cayenne. Rub corn with cut sides of lime; sprinkle with spice mixture.

Makes 8 servings. 

For a little inspiration - here are some top notch Canadians and Canadian products. Enjoy them all.

Chef Chris Aerni, owner with his wife Graziella of the Rossmount Inn near St. Andrews New Brunswick. The Inn's renowned food starts with the large garden Aerni cultivates on a sloping hill behind the Inn.

A shore lunch beside Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. Those are whitefish fillets browning on the griddle.

The historic building that houses the Saint John market makes it one of the most handsome markets in the country. Lots of inspiration here for your Canada Food Day menu.

By the Bay of Fundy shore there's a great choice of seafood.

(more...)

There's something very special about summer weekend mornings away from home. For me, it's at a cottage - but depending on where you live in Canada, the spot of ultimate relaxation could be called a chalet, a camp, acreage  - or a place in the country. What counts, is being out of the city, preferably by the water, breathing the proverbial fresh air and working up an appetite as your mind starts to focus on the day.

It's a time when you can give the high-fibre cereal a day off, and forget about the usual grab and go fare. Weekend mornings are the time to putter in the kitchen, make a batch of muffins, and once they're in the oven, put on a pot of coffee, pour some blueberries into bowls and sit down to visit - read the paper.  Or enjoy the view.

Nobody needs to be told that muffins are popular in Canada - even though we  love our doughnuts. But doughnuts are for getting in the car while muffins are about getting out an egg and milk, checking baking supplies and not worrying about getting out of your pyjamas...for a little while yet. 

The recipes I've chosen to showcase weekend muffins represent two kinds of muffins - the first , the Cherry Orange Muffins, make no pretense at being earnest - just fabulous to look at, and great to serve when there's company. The Honey Bran Muffins fall into the sort-of -health-oriented with bran cereal, milk and eggs. For neither recipes do you need to be a pastry chef to succeed - or require a lot of equipment, although muffin pans are useful.*

Another point to think about as you whisk up the dry ingredients.  Muffins may be the entry point into baking, i.e. easy to tackle, but in terms of appreciation and compliments, they rank right up there with fancy almond chocolate croissants. Hot from the oven with butter and honey, muffins have a knack of making most people weak in the knees - as they ask you to pass another one...or two. 

Cherry Orange Muffins

This recipe is a framework with which  you can indulge your talents for culinary improv. It calls for orange rind, juice and dried cherries. But, replace the cherries with blueberries, wild ones are best and they can be fresh now or frozen later and you have a whole new muffin. Ditto for dried cranberries or halved fresh or frozen cranberries, golden raisins or currants or chopped walnut or pecan halves. Or even chocolate chips if you so desire - but do call them cupcakes when you go that far. 

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder

1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 large egg

1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely zested or grated orange rind

1/2 cup (125 mL) each orange juice and milk

1/4 cup (50 mL) canola oil

1 cup (250 mL) roughly chopped dried cherries

Topping:

3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely zested or grated orange rind

. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease; set aside.

. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

. In separate bowl, whisk the egg until smooth. Whisk in the orange rind, orange juice, milk and oil. Pour over the dry ingredients; sprinkle on the cherries. Mix with a wooden spoon just until dry ingredients are moistened.

.  Scoop into prepared muffin cups. 

An ice cream scoop, or a "disher" as it's known in restaurant kitchens, is a neat way to scoop the batter evenly into muffin cups. A #16 disher, slightly heaped, fills typical muffin cups perfectly.

. Topping: In a small bowl, toss the sugar and orange rind together. Sprinkle equal amounts over the muffin batter.

. Bake in the centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until beautifully domed and golden, about 18 minutes. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes for the still-delicate structure to firm up. Serve immediately, or let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, wrap individually in plastic wrap and enclose in airtight container and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

. Makes 12 muffins.

* Instead of muffin cups, it is possible to bake the muffin batter like a snacking cake in a 9- x 9-inch (2.5 L) square metal cake pan at the same temperature, but for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Kitchen Tip: a large navel orange yields 2 tbsp (30 mL) coarsely zested orange rind and about 1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice. If there is not quite enough juice, simply add a bit more milk so that the liquid in the recipe totals 1 cup (250 mL). 

Honey Bran Muffins

There's no doubt that muffins taste better when hot. So, if you do make muffins ahead and store them at room temperature for a day or two, reheat in a toaster oven. If the muffins come straight out of the freezer, unwrap, cover loosely and microwave on high until steaming hot, about 20 seconds.

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) 100% Bran or All-Bran cereal

1 cup (250 mL) raisins, preferably golden or Thompson, or currants

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/3 cup (75 mL) canola oil

1/4 cup (50 mL) liquid honey

2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

1-3/4 cups (425 mL) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg**, or ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnut halves

8 walnut halves, optional

. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners or grease; set aside.

. In medium bowl, stir together the cereal, raisins and buttermilk; set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla.

. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Pour bran mixture over dry ingredients; sprinkle with chopped  walnuts. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Stop stirring when the last of the dry ingredients meld into the batter.

. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling to top.

. If using walnut halves, cut in half lengthwise; centre one per muffin on muffin batter.

. Bake in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until domed, deepened in colour and firm to the touch, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes; serve immediately or let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, wrap individually in plastic wrap and enclose in airtight container and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

. Makes about 16 muffins.

** So Why Use Freshly Grated Nutmeg?

Like all spices, nutmeg starts to lose its unique flavour as soon as it's ground or grated. To maximize nutmeg's aroma in a recipe like Honey Bran Muffins, I recommend buying whole nutmegs - sometimes still in their shells and wrapped in mace, but more often already shelled and ready to grate. A few years ago whole nutmegs were hard to find, but now they are available in Indian and West Indian shops, specialty food and bulk stores. They are worth searching out.  

Freshly grated nutmeg. Store the rest of the whole nutmeg, with the grater in an airtight jar in a cool dark spot in your kitchen.

Cracker, jam and cheese update! A dab of Honeyed Figs holds a chunk of Bleu Benedictin on a cracker shard.

I can picture my father-in-law. Back from church and enjoying his once-a-week lunch  - an indulgence of soda crackers spread with strawberry jam, thick enough to anchor a slice of old Cheddar cheese. In one way he was way ahead of his time - something sweet with cheese is so-the-thing-to-do now - only it's more likely to be fig jam from Spain, or a lovely spreadable guava or pear paste, even a wine paste from Australia. 

But on the other hand, he was a traditionalist in his choice of crackers. Not that there was much choice when he was forming his taste buds almost a century ago in Hespler, what's now Cambridge, Ontario. In those days, it was soda crackers - or soda crackers. And come to think about it, there was Cheddar...or  Cheddar... Good Cheddar. 

Just as we consumers have fallen hard for a wondrous variety of cheese in the last few years, so we have opted for some pretty interesting crackers. Wheaty biscuits with an edge of sweet for blue cheese, crackling neutral water crackers for Brie. And flat-breads densely sprinkled with seeds - poppy, sesame and flax, to name a few that go with creamy goat. Clever entrepreneurs have figured out that where there is cheese, there will be crackers, and they will provide the most interesting ones.

This was clear at a recent meeting of the Ontario Cheese Society, held at Hart House on the campus of the University of Toronto. As you might expect, there was a cheese tasting at lunch with a sampling of crackers, and as the day's finale,  a cheese sampling and market. With crackers.

The standout crackers, Evelyn's Crackers, were long, almost paper-thin rectangles with real granary flavour. Evelyn's Crackers are made with various flours - spelt, Red Fife, for example, and various seeds, not by preschooler Evelyn, but by her parents, a professional cooking couple, Dawn Woodward and Edmund Rek.  In Toronto you can find the crackers at specialty stores and farmers' markets. Right up there in interest were the County Natural Dried Ida Red Apple Crackers made very simply - thin slices of apples, dried - as producer Gurth Pretty of  Cheese of Canada exclaims, "that's it".

Then there's the double baked slightly wavy crackers. There may have been others making these very thin double-baked crackers, but it was Lesley Stowe, chef, caterer, cookbook author and generally exceptional all-round foodie in Vancouver who first marketed them on a large scale. At about $7  a 150 g package, they are on the pricey side of soda crackers, but in the estimation of people whom I have seen slathering or slicing cheese over them,  worth every penny.

A selection of cracker, Margaret's Artisan Bakery on top left, and Honeyed Figs to go with a Canadian bloomy-rind Camembert-style cheese at left, a Bleu Benedictin (centre) and a lovely wedge of washed rind Oka at top right.

But back to the crackers, a way to make your own, and the 21st century update on a sweet preserve to go with cheese. My father-in-law might even have abandonned his strawberry jam for the Honeyed Figs.

Your Own Homemade Crackers

Crackers: "a brittle, dry, unsweetened, usually salted flat-bread, which first appeared in North America in the 18th century, named for the sound it makes when broken, often eaten with cheese."  This definition comes from The food encyclopedia  (Jacques L. Rolland and Carol Sherman, Robert Rose, $49.95). Soda crackers are leavened with baking soda and cream of tartar.  The recipe for homemade cracker below doesn't use any leavening, and for flour, a mix of all-purpose flour and the new hottie in the flour world, Red Fife whole wheat flour. You can use other whole wheat flour - they will treat your nose to a wholesome granary fragrance. 

There's a range of golden to golden brown crackers. Once you break them into shards, the colours blend beautifully.

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) whole wheat flour, Red Fife is available

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) room temperature water

1 large egg white

1/3 cup (75 mL) sesame seeds

Sea salt, optional

. Grease 2 rimless baking sheets or line with parchment paper: set aside.

. In a food processor, pulse together the all-purpose flour, 1 cup (250 mL) of the whole wheat and salt. With motor running, add water in steady stream until dough forms ball. Pulse in as much of the remaining whole wheat flour as necessary, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until dough is no longer sticky. Whirl for 1 minute. 

. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead into a smooth ball. Cover with turned-over bowl; let rest for 30 minutes.

. Cut dough, like a pie, into 6 wedges.

The domed bowl keeps the surface of the dough moist and tender.

. Leaving remaining pieces covered with the bowl, use your fingers to shape each wedge into a rough square.

After its rest, the dough is relaxed and ready to roll.

. Roll out 1 piece on floured work surface to very thin rectangle, about 14 - x 9-inch (35 x 23 cm), slightly thinner is possible.

. Place on one of the prepared pans.

. Beat egg white with fork. Very lightly brush egg white over rolled out dough. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds, and if using, sea salt.

. Bake in centre of 450 F° (220°C) until cracker is golden brown and blistered, about 7 minutes, turning baking sheet halfway through baking time. Let cool on rack.

. Repeat with remaining dough, egg white, seeds and salt. Break crackers into shards to serve. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 week. Recrisp in oven if necessary.

. Makes about 48 pieces. 

Honeyed Figs

With a blue cheese especially, or with an aged Cheddar or Gouda, the "something sweet" to balance the cheeses's saltiness can be this quick fig preserve. It keeps for up to 3 weeks in the fridge. 

18 figs (12 oz/375 mL), blond Smyrna or Calimyrna

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) freshy squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup  (50 mL) liquid honey

. Snip off tough tips from figs. Snip into thin strips.

. In a small saucepan, stir together the figs and orange juice. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring a few times,  until most of the juice has been absorbed by the figs, about 10 minutes.

. Stir in the honey; simmer covered for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, covered.

. Scrape into airtight container and refrigerate for up to three weeks.

. Makes a generous 1 cup (250 mL) Honeyed Figs.

Tip: To prevent the figs from gumming up the scissors, wipe the blades lightly with canola oil. Repeat as needed while snipping. 

Soda Crackers: It is true that soda crackers are still available in their familiar red box in every supermarket. They  remain delicious crumbled over cream of tomato soup, and any time of any day with cold butter and runny honey.

July is paradise in Canada. So much fabulous fruit it's hard to know where to bite.  We've finished off the spring harvest, strawberries and rhubarb, flirted with raspberries and currants, and now it's cherry time. Summer! 

I'm not talking about cherries that have flown in or come by truck from far away- I'm talking cherries grown in Canada, often more available in farmers' markets than supermarkets. For lazing on the porch, eating out of hand, and pit spitting, sweet cherries get the nod.

On Saturday at the St. Lawrence Market, sweet black cherries - often called Bing cherries although there are many varieties, and creamy white cherries with pink blush on their cheeks, were the fruit of choice. They're almost crunchy, their cheeks full of sweet juice

For baking, tart red Montmorencies are the tried and true, but cooked into a sauce provide a tangy backdrop to meats and poultry, especially smoked duck and pork loin.

The Friday before, as an appetizer for an weekend of cherry baking and eating, my destination was Cherry Lane, a fruit farm and cherry processing operation located near Vineland, off the Queen Elizabeth Highway in Ontario's Niagara Peninsula. In the orchards, tart Montmorencies were hanging off the branches in easy-to-pluck clusters. A misty rain made their ruby translucency glisten. It was hard not snapping dozens of pictures - from every angle the cherries were so dazzling. And in spite of their being "tart" cherries, they were sweet enough for several swipes at the clusters.

Steps away, and outside the processing building were a dozen or so giant bathtub-size bins of just harvested cherries, cooling in ice water, lined up for pitting and packing.

I followed the cherries as they were shaken to remove stems and any leaves, meticulously examined for imperfections and colour - nothing but cherry red satisfies - mechanically pitted, given another thorough examination,  then packed into 5 lb or 11 lb plastic pails.

In many chain stores from mid July to early August, cherry keeners can buy the pails of freshly pitted sweet and tart cherries to divide and freeze for their favourite desserts and preserves, or buy the cherries already frozen. At Cherry Lane, the cherries are fresh now, frozen later, some with sugar, some without and are available at the farm's retail outlet. If you have ever looked for one of these pails in a supermarket, in say, September, you're out of luck. With home grown cherries, act fast and give yourself a pat on your back for your forethought.

Check www.cherrylane.net for information about their packed fresh and frozen cherries, dried cherries, and their Concentrated Tart Cherry Juice, touted for its healthful benefits and its terrific taste in a glass with sparkling soda water, or in a cherry vodka martini - complete with whole cherry.

Cherry Streusel Carrying Cake

Summer weather and fancy cakes with icing and filling just don't match - at least when I'm making dessert for a crowd. Something simple is better for that potluck barbecue party or brunch get together. I recommend this 13- by 9-inch (32 x 23 cm) sour cream butter cake topped with cherries and almond streusel. You can use already pitted tart cherries or dark sweet cherries, or pit your own. If frozen, let cherries  thaw in a sieve, reserving the juice for another use.

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

Dash almond extract

2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) each baking powder and baking soda

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 cup sour cream

Topping:

2/3 cup (150 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, softened

1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced almonds

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) pitted tart cherries, halved

. Grease 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan; set aside.

. Topping: In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. With a pastry blender or fork, mash in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in the almonds; set aside. 

. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and almond extract. 

. In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir into butter mixture a third at a time, alternating with the sour cream a half at a time.

. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with cherries, then topping.

. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

. Let cool on rack. The cake is divine when still a little warm from the oven. (Make-ahead: Cover and store  at room temperature for up to 1 day.

. Makes 16 servings. 

Cherry Dark Chocolate Brownies

Want to stand out with your contribution to the big buffet at the family reunion? Or be the favourite weekend guest at the lake? Take a pan of brownies. But not just any brownies. Try these, fudgy ones, with pleasant diversions of chunks chocolate and dried tart cherries in every bite. All these luxurious brownies need is a dusting of icing sugar - but you can go all the way when you're entertaining and guild the lily with the silky ganache topping below.

8 oz (250 g) bittersweet (dark) chocolate

3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar

1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, cubed

2 tbsp (30 mL) water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

3/4 cup (175 mL) all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each baking soda and salt

1 cup (250 mL) dried tart cherries

. Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square metal cake pan with parchment paper or grease; set aside.

. Chop chocolate, ideally aiming at double the size of chocolate chips. Divide in half and reserve separately.

. In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, butter and water; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add half of the chocolate and stir until melted. Let cool for 20 minutes.

. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.

. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and salt. Add to the batter, stirring just enough to combine. Sprinkle surface with remaining chocolate and dried cherries; stir to combine evenly.

. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth the top.

. Bake in the centre of 325°F (160°C)oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack. (Make-ahead: Remove from pan; wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

. Cut into 24 squares. 

Ganache Topping: Place 3 oz (100 g) chopped bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, heat 1/3 cup (75 mL) whipping cream with 1 tbsp (15 mL) corn syrup until boiling. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let stand for 3 minutes; spread over cooled brownies. 

. Brandied Cherries

I find it hard to resist putting up a few jars of brandied cherries. They take virtually no time to make  and are the kind of gift that actually gets eaten, especially over holiday times. Fish the cherries out of the brandy in which they have been soaked and serve as is with after-dinner coffee, or spoon cherries and brandy over good vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or over a dollop of mascarpone cheese. The recipe originated with the  mid 19th century English food star, Isabella Beeton.

7 cups (1.75 L) perfect sweet black cherries, about 2 lb (1 kg)

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

1 bottle (750 mL) brandy 

. Rinse cherries and let air dry spread in a single layer on clean tea towels.

. Snip off half of each cherry stem. Prick each cherry with a darning needle or toothpick.

. Pack into 7 (250 mL) canning jars packing as compactly as possible without bruising the cherries. Top cherries in each jar with a rounded 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the sugar. Fill with brandy to cover the cherries, leaving just enough headspace at the top to put on the disk.

. Seal tightly with new disk and bands. Turn each jar over, shake gently and set upright. Let stand for a day, turning and gently shaking the jars occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.

. Store in a cool dark spot for at least 2 months or up to 1 year, turning jars occasionally when you go to your cool cupboard to admire your store of brandied cherries. 

. Makes seven 1 cup (250 mL) jars.

At Cherry Lane, even the pits are recycled as fuel.

And why not? A little over a week ago I sat down to a wedding dinner at Langdon Hall Country Inn, on a hillside overlooking the Grand River in Cambridge, Ontario. Chilled bowls arrived, cupping the most beautiful green pea soup, slashed across the top with a bold stroke of creme fraiche and a trail of what turned out to be prosciutto crumble. 

"This chef", I thought to myself, "loves vegetables. He lets them speak for themselves'. The soup was icy cold as behooves a warm evening and at the first spoonful there was silence at our table. Even the bride and groom focused their bliss on the perfect essence of peas - delicate but summery, a touch sweet yet refreshing. Nothing spoiled its simplicity.

Executive Chef Jonathan Gushue proved his admiration for vegetables as the meal progressed, and graciously agreed to share his simple but splendid summer soup. I have served it twice in the last week, to surprise that it's so good... and surprise that it's made out of peas! As for getting the right peas for the soup, if, unlike Langdon Hall which has gardens that provide fresh peas to the kitchen, a good produce store, roadside stand or farmers' market is the best bet for buying fresh peas in their pods. Lacking all of the above, choose frozen peas - one of the few vegetables that freezes well. Avoid the multi-sized peas and zero in on the packets of small peas. They retain the lovely sweetness of summer and are worth the extra pennies.

You can make your own bold design on the top of the soup with a plastic squeeze bottle filled with creme fraiche or sour cream.

Chilled Sweet Pea Soup

Serve in wide bowls, white if possible,  so the creme fraiche and crumble make a dramatic statement. You don't need a lot of soup - a half to three-quarters cup  (125 to 175 mL), depending on your bowls,  is plenty to start a summer party dinner. 

1 tbsp (15  mL) butter

3 shallots, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

4 cups (1 L) water or vegetable broth

4 cups (1 L) shelled peas

1/2 tsp (2 mL) vegetable oil

3 thin slices prosciutto 

2 tbsp. (30 mL) fine dry but fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup (75 mL) creme fraiche or 30% sour cream

. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic; fry gently, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. 

. Add the water; cover and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the peas; cover and bring back to the boil. Boil for about 4 minutes or until peas are tender. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

. Puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a stand blender or with a food mill. Set a sieve over a large bowl; set the bowl in the bottom of the sink. Being careful not to burn yourself, pour the pureed soup into the sieve. Press the soup through the sieve, working the mash well to get as much of the tender peas through the sieve as possible. This gives the soup its texture. 

. Chill soup; cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Taste, adding salt if desired, keeping in mind the prosciutto crumble scattered over the top of the soup.

. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Over medium heat, saute the prosciutto until crisp. Let cool; pat off any fat. Chop coarsely and whiz in a clean coffee grinder or small food processor until the prosciutto is in very fine almost whispy pieces; set aside. (Note that you can chop this finely, but it won't be quite as delicate as Chef Gushue's.

. In a small dry skillet, toast the breadcrumbs until golden; combine with the prosciutto. (Make-ahead; cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

. To serve, check the soup for thickness and saltiness. If you used vegetables broth the soup will not need any salt, but made with water, it will. Also check for thickness; whisk in cold vegetable broth or even milk, if a thinner soup is preferred.

. Ladle the soup into chilled bowls. Swirl with a generous stroke of creme fraiche and a line of prosciutto crumb crumble. Serve any remaining crumble to add to the soup.

. Makes 6 servings. 

Tip: Use a small plastic squeeze bottle with a wide opening tip for stroking the soup with creme fraiche.

Fresh Pea Mash - aka Fresh Pea Crostini

This slightly rough puree atop homemade toasts or melba toasts evolved out of an idea volunteer historic cook Vi Cardella suggested for an appetizer menu served at an Ontario Wine Society event at Campbell House Museum in Toronto. Suits vegetarians, is not expenseve, and in cooking world where so many cooked dishes are brown, these emerald green crostini stand out - for looks and for taste. One-bite size is recommended.

Spoon the seasoned mashed peas on toasted baguette, garnish and pass around. Or, spoon the mash into a bowl, topped here with sour cream or creme fraiche and sprinkle with snipped chives. Guests can dig down and scoop up enough to mound on crackers or melba toast. For the picture I sliced a whole wheat baguette and with a cookie cutter, cut out rounds which I crisped in the oven. A little rustic looking, but tasty.

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter

1 shallot, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 cups (750 mL) fresh peas, or frozen small peas

2 tbsp (30 mL) water, vegetable or chicken broth (for non vegetarians),  (approx)

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1/3 cup (75 mL) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (real Parmesan cheese)

1 tbsp (15 mL) sour cream and mayonnaise

20 slices ficelle or thin baguette, whole wheat if available 

Garnish:

1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream

Fresh chives, and chive blossoms, if available

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic; mix well. Cover and sweat* the vegetables to soften them, and encourage them to share their suble flavours with the peas.

. Stir in the peas and water. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until peas are tender and broth has evaporated, about 5 minutes.For fresh peas you may need to add more broth to keep the peas moist.

. Add the cheese, stirring to encourage it to melt in with the peas. Let cool slightly; puree in food processor until still slightly chunky. Whirl in the sour cream and mayonnaise. (Make-ahead: Transfer to airtight container and let cool in refrigerator. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 1 day). 

. Meanwhile, toast the slices of ficelle just until golden; let cool. Spoon pea mixture onto toasted slices, Top with a dollop of sour cream and a dusting of snipped fresh chives, and possibly some separated chive blossoms.  

. Makes 20 pieces.

* Sweat: to cook over low heat in oil or butter to draw out juices and flavours of a food, usually vegetables, without browning. A cover is usual when sweating vegetables for a soup, stew or mixture like this mash of peas.

Pea Mash Crostini with Mascarpone

Instead of layering the pea mash, sour cream and chives onto a toasted slice of ficelle, spread the toasted slice with mascarpone or cream cheese (about 2/3 cup (175 mL), add the pea mash and garnish with  chive flowers, snipped chives or thinly slice green onion, the white part for contrast. If you fancy a red and green colour scheme, finely dice enough red onion to make 1/2 cup (125 ml). Soak in cold water for 15 minutes; drain and pat dry. use to garnish the pea mash. 

What You Need to Know about Fresh Peas in their Pods

. Choose crisp bright green pea pods that are well filled with medium-size peas. Avoid a combo of bulging pea pods and thin hardly filled pods. The peas will be of different sizes and will not cook evenly.

. Plan to cook fresh peas the day you buy them - the longer they are from harvest the more of their sugar has turned to starch. If life deals you a delay in enjoying the peas, wrap the pods in a clean kitchen towel, enclose them in  plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 2 day. Won't be quite the same, but better than no fresh peas at all.

 . Cook peas, covered, in 2 inches (5 cm) boiling water until  tender, about 2 to 5 minutes. Or steam for about 8 minutes.

 . 1 lb (450 g) whole peas in their shells yields about 1-1/3 cup (325 mL) shelled peas.  

Shelling peas is fun to do at the end of a warm afternoon, on the back porch, and with kids who will eat almost as many peas as they shell and drop into the pot.

Red currants and gooseberries provide the natural pectin that sets the jam.

When it comes to jam,a totally unprofessional poll indicates that red jams out sell jams of other colours. Take that peach jam, apricot conserve and blueberry spread! But other fruits can take heart - each makes superlative preserves, and while they may not get gold as the most popular pick, there are plenty of people who wait all year for apricots - and I count myself among them.

That said, last Saturday at the St. Lawrence Market, locally grown strawberries were the big seller. Yes, there were the first raspberries and red currants and gooseberries, but it was remarkable the number of flats of strawberries being carried off by shoppers. And I suspect, unless the market-goers were all having a few dozen friends over for shortcake, that jam was on their mind. 

Jam was on my mind too - a companion to the Seville Orange marmalade I make in the winter. In addition to strawberry, I also like to make one called Summer Berry Jam, but it goes by other names, Four Fruit and Jewel Jam are familiar. Luckily this jam is a little elastic in its ingredients, and while the mix you will find in The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook calls for red currants, sour cherries, strawberries and raspberries, the recipe works with the currants, both berries plus gooseberries. That's what I made on Saturday, as there were no sour red cherries at the Market. Both recipes follow.

A potato masher is the most useful for mashing berries, about 1 cup (250 mL) at a time. It presses out the juice, but leaves chunks that give texture to the finished jam.

Summer Berry Jam

Worth every minute you spend in the kitchen. This is the original, and very red jam. As a general rule, you need to double the volume of whole fruit to obtain the volume of crushed or chopped berries and cherries.

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) crushed stemmed red currants

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) chopped pitted sour cherries

3/4 cup (175 mL) crushed hulled strawberries

3/4 cup (175 mL) crushed raspberries

3-1/2 cups (875 mL) granulated sugar

. In large Dutch oven, combine currants, cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Bring to a boil, stirring almost constantly with a long wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low and simmer very gently, stirring fruit occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. 

. Stir in the sugar; bring back to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring. Boil vigorously, stirring constantly until setting point is reached (see below), about 10 to 15 minutes.

A rolling boil is one that can't be stirred down. Much of the foam you see in the photo will disappear as the jam comes to the setting point.

. Remove from heat; stir well. Let jam settle; with a metal spoon skim off any foam around the edge of the pot. 

. Using a funnel and 1/2 cup (25 mL) measuring cup, fill prepared 1 cup (250 mL) canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch (5 mm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs and bands. Boil on rack in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. (See Canner Basics below).  Turn off heat and let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes for the boiling to subside. Remove and let cool on rack.

. Makes about 5 cups (1.25 mL).

Summer Berry Jam #2

The procedure is exactly the same, with the following ingredients: The jam is still very red.

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) stemmed, whole red currants

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) quartered, topped and tailed gooseberries

1 cup (250 mL) crushed hulled strawberries

1 cup (250 mL) crushed raspberries

Always include at least one smaller jar among the ones filled with jam. There may not be a whole cup (250 mL) to fill one of the larger jars, and the smaller 1/2 cup (125 mL) is perfect. Any more left over is for the cook and friends to enjoy on toast the next morning.

Strawberry Jam

What's very agreeable about this jam is that does not have a hard set so familiar in jams set with pectin. It's more like the confiture you find in a little pot beside your baguette and croissant in France (just dreaming). The familiar 1 L green punnets in which berries are often sold contain about 4 cups (1 L) berries.

8 cups (2 L) strawberries, hulled

4 cups (1 L) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh lemon juice

. In a wide bowl and using a potato masher, lightly crush 1 cup (250 mL) of the berries at a time; measure fruit to make 4 cups (1 L).

. In large Dutch oven, combine crushed berries, sugar and lemon juice; stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring very often. Boil hard, and stirring often until setting point is reached (see below), about 10 minutes. 

. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes; with a metal spoon skim off foam from around the edge of the pot. Stir well. 

.  Using a funnel and 1/2 cup (25 mL) metal measuring cup, fill prepared 1 cup (250 mL) canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch (5 mm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs and bands. Boil on rack in boiling water canner for 10 minutes. (See Canner Know How below).  Turn off heat and let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes for the boiling to subside. Remove and let cool on rack.

. Makes about 5 cups (1.25 mL).

Setting Point

Before boiling the jam, chill 2 small plates in the freezer. To test, remove the jam from the heat. Drop 1/2 tsp (2 mL) jam onto plate and let cool. Run the tip of a spoon or your finger through the jam. If the surface wrinkles, the jam is ready to jar. If still syrupy, return plate to freezer and pan to heat. Continue boiling and testing every few minutes until a satisfactory wrinkle is reached, always using the coldest plate.

Canning Know How

. Check your supply of canning jars, ensuring that  you have enough new lids and that the jars are free of cracks and nicks. Grocery and hardware stores stock these in the summer. Be sure to buy enough to see you through the season into the fall and winter if you make marmalade.

. Wash, rinse and air-dry the jars. Set the lids aside in a bowl. Have the bands handy.

. Fill a boiling water canner about 2/3 full with water. Place jars on rack, , lower rack, cover and heat. The jars should be hot when filled but do not need to be boiled/sterilized. Time this heating to coincide with the time the jam is ready to be jarred. 

. A few minutes before filling the jars, pour hot, not boiling water over the lids to soften the sealing compound. Do not boil the lids or bands.

. I find a funnel with an opening large enough to let chunks of fruit through into the jars the most useful, as well as a half-cup (125 mL) dry measuring cup for scooping the jam into the funnel. Place the funnel in the jar. As you pour the hot jam into the funnel, lift the funnel to avoid messing the rim of the jar with the jam. Leave the headspace recommended in the recipes - usually 1/4-inch (5 mm) for jams. If some jam does get onto the rim, dampen a piece of paper towel and wipe the rim clean.

. Centre warmed lids on the jars. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight. 

. Return jars to canner. Lower rack and cover. Add additional boiling water if necessary to cover jars by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Cover and bring to the boil; boil for specified time, usually 10 minutes for jams.

. Turn off heat. Uncover and let jars stand in canner for 5 minutes.

. Lift up rack with jars. With canning tongs, transfer jars to rack to cool and set for 24 hours

. Check that lids curve downward. Refrigerate any that do not and use within 3 weeks. If you have followed the rules of new lids and intact canning jars, and respect the headspace,  it will be very rare indeed if a jar does not seal. 

. Wipe, label and store the jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year. You can haul them out from time to time to gloat over the summer sunshine you have captured in your jams. And of course, you can eat the jam or give it away to favoured friends and family.