Archive for September, 2009

Ketchup aux Fruits

In Quebec, one of the most beloved relishes is Ketchup aux Fruits. Not smooth nor nearly as red as commercial burger-topping ketchup, Ketchup aux Fruits is more like chili sauce - only with late summer fruits in partnership with tomatoes. It's the sauce every grandmother made, each with her own little variation on the tomato, peach, pear, apple, celery and onion theme.

Ketchup aux Fruits is not the only artisanal fruit product at the market in Quebec City.

Just how a relish that calls for peaches, not a commercial crop in Quebec, came to be so much part of a Quebec culinary repertoire is a mystery. But how good it tastes with tourtiere is no mystery - it's sweet and tangy, with a touch of spice providing a perfect foil to rich pastry and meaty filling.

The other place where Ketchup aux Fruits or Fruit Chili Sauce is a tradition is southern Ontario, a part of the country where peaches from the Niagara are an every summer experience. In both places, visible chunks of fruit are part of the relish's charm. Given that recipes for Fruit Chili Sauce have been being published for decades, it's no surprise to now find this bicultural bilingual recipe shared across Canada.

Here's the recipe that make me think of the jars in my grandmother's fruit cellar on a farm near Mitchell Ontario. The Quebec counterpart may have included celery for texture, possibly using white vinegar and brown sugar. Some even fiddled with the fruit, using plums to replace some of the peaches.  But it all ended up as Ketchup aux Fruits or a good Fruit Chili Sauce.

Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce)

8 cup (2 L) peeled chopped ripe tomatoes

2-1/2 cups (625 mL) peeled diced onions

2 cups (500 mL) peeled, pitted and diced peaches or pitted diced  nectarines

2 cups (500 mL) peeled cored and diced pears or apples

3/4 cup (175 mL) seeded diced sweet red pepper

2 cups (500 mL) cider vinegar

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar

2 tsp (10 mL) salt, regular or sea salt

1/4 cup (50 mL) mixed pickling spice

.  In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, stir together the tomatoes, onions, peaches, pears and sweet pepper. Stir in the vinegar, granulated sugar and salt. Tie the mixed pickling spice in a 6-inch (25 cm) double thickness square of cheesecloth. Nestle in the pan. 

. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until thick, the chunks are tender and the liquid is no longer watery, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the spice bag, pressing its juices back into the pan. 

A wide relatively shallow Dutch oven is perfect for cooking relishes, especially it it's like this one with a thick cast aluminum pad under its bottom.

This is a satisfying thickness. The Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce) has boiled down to about two-thirds of its initial volume.

. Pour into prepared 1-cup or 2-cup (250 or 500 mL) preserving jars, leaving 1/2-inch (2 cm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs, and bands. Boil in boiling water canner for 20 minutes. (See Canning Basics below). 

. Makes about 9 cups (2.25 L) Ketchup aux Fruits (Fruit Chili Sauce).

Canning Basics: 

. Ensure that you have enough preserving jars in perfect condition. Wash, rinse and air dry. 

. Always use new lids. Place in a bowl and five minutes before filling jars, cover the lids with hot, not boiling water to soften the sealing compound. 

. Before starting to cook the Ketchup aux Fruits, fill a boiling water canner about two-thirds full; add the preserving jars, letting them fill with water. Cover and start to heat about 30 minutes before preserve is ready to jar. 

. Using canning tongs, move the jars from the canner to a tray beside the stovetop. Increase heat under the canner to bring the water closer to the boil while filling the jars. 

. Using a funnel and a 1/2 cup (125 mL) metal dry measuring cup, fill the jars to within 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) of the top. If you've used the funnel and scoop chances are there won't be any salsa on the rim of the jars. Or, not much. But inevitably, some will slop over; wipe any off using damp paper towel.

This method of filling jars is so much neater than using a ladle, or filling a big pitcher and pouring into the jars.

. Place the prepared discs on the jars, and with a firm but not forced motion, screw on the bands until resistance is met, then tighten just to finger-tip tight. Note the lids in the red bowl in the background. They are covered with hot water.

Canning tongs in action, gripping the jar and its hot contents safely.

. Use canning tongs to transfer the filled jars safely to the rack in the canner. Lower rack into the water. Add more boiling water  if necessary so that the jars are covered by 1 inch (2.5 cm).

. Cover the canner; bring the water to a vigorous boil. Time the boiling from this point. 

. At the end of the boiling time, turn off the heat. Remove the cover and let the boiling subside. Lift the rack and with canning tongs, transfer the jars to a rack or folded thick towel.

. Let stand for a day; wipe, label and check each jar. Properly sealed jars have lids that have curved down. Jars with lids that didn't snap down need to be refrigerated and relished within 3 weeks. But before you think you'll lose half your preserves, note that if you have used new lids, real preserving jars and respected the headspace and sealing gospel given above, it will be extremely rare that a jar doesn't seal properly. 

Salsa came on with an explosion in the early 90s. For years Canadians had been chopping up their tomatoes and onions with a soupcon of peppers, simmering it down with sugar, vinegar and spices and calling it chili sauce. All of a sudden a tangier, hotter and more aromatic sauce became a great big commercial success - and a home canner's sauce of choice. Salsa.

Not the dance and probably more accurately called a pico de gallo. But the sauce came labelled salsa ("salsa" means sauce in Spanish), and salsa it's stayed. One of the first recipes I tried and published in the magazine became the Cooking Lesson. It was straightforward and didn't require a lot of exotic ingredients to make a mildly hot and pleasing relish. Letters from readers told the story of it success among home canners and repeated phone calls every preserving season reminds the test kitchen how many readers have enjoyed our "Peppy Salsa". 

We can only imagine how many readers have spooned the salsa over grilled cheese or macaroni and cheese, rolled it up with fajitas or added it to zip up dips and quesadillas. While the pepper crop is at its most gloriously crisp and colourful, and late harvest tomatoes still available, it is wise not to waste a moment getting into the kitchen to make at least a modest supply of your own salsa. You'll be glad in December when you wrap the jars labelled "Christmas Salsa" and offer them to your best friends. Think ahead and include a recipe so your friends can make their own next summer. Maybe they'll follow your example, and share.

A word of warning, invest in rubber gloves when seeding and chopping hot peppers.

You may say that you can handle the heat, but in this salsa recipe you are working with 8 oz (250 g) jalapeno peppers and the heat accumulates to the burning point. And you never know, even if you're sure you're never going to touch your eyes or lips, you will. That fatal touch will cause your eyes to water, your mouth to burn. You will be miserable. So, before buying the peppers and tomatoes, get yourself either the looser and more awkward dishwashing rubber gloves or the form fitters available in drug stores and some supermarkets. 

While you can "chop" the vegetables, dicing or cubing them makes for a more attractive sauce.

Tried and True Salsa

When peeling a large quantity of tomatoes, cut a largish but shallow "x" in the bottom of the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes, top down, in a heatproof bowl or basin. Cover with boiling water and let stand for up to 60 seconds or until tomato skins loosen especially at the "x". Lift out with a slotted spoon, chill briefly in cold water and peel.

Prepping vegetables for any salsa, sauce or relish is rather time consuming. Try to have some diversion - a friend who will help and then share the spoils, a favourite program or movie or the music that matches the salsa beat.

Ingredients:  

6 large jalapeno peppers (8 oz/250 g)

8 cups (2 L) peeled and coarsely diced tomatoes (about 8 to 10 large, 4 lb/2 kg)

3 cups (750 mL) coarsely diced Cubanelle, Anaheim or mild banana peppers (3 large, 3 lb/1.5 kg)

2 cups (500 mL) diced onions

1 cup (250 mL) diced sweet yellow or red pepper

4 large cloves garlic, peeled and diced

2 cups (500 mL) real apple cider vinegar

1 can (5-1/2 oz/156 mL) tomato paste

2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp (15 mL) salt

2 tsp (10 mL) paprika

1 tsp (5 mL) each dried oregano and ground cumin

1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh coriander

. On a cutting board and wearing rubber gloves, cut jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scrape out seeds and membranes. Trim off stems; dice finely to make 1 cup (250 mL). (A little extra won't go astray, but will make the salsa a little hotter.)

. Place the jalapeno peppers in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or saucepan; stir in the remaining vegetables - the tomatoes, Cubanelle peppers, onions, sweet yellow pepper and the garlic. Stir in the vinegar, tomato paste, granulated sugar, salt, paprika, oregano and cumin. 

. Bring the salsa ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is no longer watery and individual ingredients are cloaked in the tomato sauce, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Stir in the coriander now, or add a little chopped fresh coriander to salsa when you serve it. The flavour will be fresher and more pungent - for coriander lovers a dream come true. 

. Pour into prepared 1-cup or 2-cup (250 or 500 mL) preserving jars, leaving 1/2-inch (2 cm) headspace. Seal with prepared discs, and bands. Boil in boiling water canner for 20 minutes. (See Canning Basics below). 

. Makes about 11 cups (2.75 L) salsa.

Canning Basics: 

. Ensure that you have enough preserving jars in perfect condition. Wash, rinse and air dry. 

. Always use new lids. Place in a bowl and five minutes before filling jars, cover the lids with hot, not boiling water to soften the sealing compound. 

. Before starting to cook the salsa, fill a boiling water canner about two-thirds full; add the preserving jars, letting them fill with water. Cover and start to heat about 30 minutes before preserve is ready to jar. 

. Using canning tongs, move the jars from the canner to a tray beside the stovetop. Increase heat under the canner to bring the water closer to the boil while filling the jars. 

. Using a funnel and a 1/2 cup (125 mL) metal dry measuring cup, fill the jars to within 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) of the top. If you've used the funnel and scoop chances are there won't be any salsa on the rim of the jars. Or, not much. But inevitably, some will slop over; wipe any off using damp paper towel.

. Place the prepared discs on the jars, and with a firm but not forced motion, screw on the bands until resistance is met, then tighten just to finger-tip tight. 

. Use canning tongs to transfer the filled jars safely to the rack in the canner. Lower rack into the water. Add more boiling water  if necessary so that the jars are covered by 1 inch (2.5 cm).

. Cover the canner; bring the water to a vigorous boil. Time the boiling from this point. 

. At the end of the boiling time, turn off the heat. Remove the cover and let the boiling subside. Lift the rack and with canning tongs, transfer the jars to a rack or folded thick towel.

. Let stand for a day; wipe, label and check each jar. Properly sealed jars have lids that curved down. Jars with lids that didn't snap down need to be refrigerated and relished within 3 weeks. But before you think you'll lose half your preserves, note that if you have used new lids, real preserving jars and respected the headspace and sealing gospel given above, it will be extremely rare that a jar doesn't seal properly. 

The lids are all curved down and the jars, now cool enough to label, will be stored in a cool dark spot until needed for gift giving, or to partner with the perfect extra old Cheddar and Dijon mustard grilled cheese sandwich on really chewy whole grain bread.

Early in the 1990s, the Canadian Living Test Kitchen received a letter from reader Emilie Dore.

Emilie wrote that she had been invited to a party, a Hallowe'en party if my memory serves me right, and asked to bring finger food.

Her inventive mind took the request literally, and using an icing sugar-based vanilla cookie dough, shaped the dough into long ovals, pressed a whole almond into one end for a fingernail, and near the other end, used the back of a knife to mark knuckle creases. Into the oven, and out came the cookies. And here's where finger-shaped cookies turned into witches' fingers.

You probably all know that nuts stuck into a cookie are like  loose teeth, and as soon as the cookies are jiggled, the nuts falls out. How well this looseness worked for the ensuing Witches' Fingers! Emilie Dore removed the almonds, piped a good blob of red decorator gel into the cavity and replaced the almonds. The gel held the almonds secure, but more important, oozed up around the almond fingernails, creating truly gruesome looking fingers. Witches' Fingers. 

Canadian Living published the recipe, and in the same year, the magazine moved from Yonge and Eglinton to Yonge and Sheppard in Toronto, with two different test kitchen facilities in the intervening months as we waited for appliances, flooring and cupboards in our lovely new kitchen. In the packing up and unpacking, Emilie Dore's letter was lost, as was credit for Witches' Fingers. 

In the meantime, her recipe became the Hallowe'en recipe for countless Canadian Living readers, and many others, including bake shops and catering facilities that baked as many fingers as they could, and saw an eager public buy them all up in a trice.

I can't tell you how delighted I was to be contacted by Emilie Dore a couple of years back. She emailed me introducing herself, and asking what we could do to let readers, and especially her family know that it was she who devised the fabled Witches' Fingers. The Canadian Living website did just that, and when in 2008 we published The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book, I took the opportunity to give credit to Emilie Dore for introducing us to Witches' Fingers. 

In late summer 2009, I was invited to appear on the cooking stage. Book 'n' Cook at Toronto's Word on the Street, as it turns out, yesterday September 27. With the line-up organized by Emily Richards and MCd by the Cookbook Store's Alison Fryer, the stage attracted a large standing-room only crowd of food and word enthusiasts. In my thinking about what to demonstrate, my mind went to Witches' Fingers. With October on the horizon, ideas for parties leading up to Hallowe'en are always needed, and what better way to entertain party goers - you may think only kids, but teens and adults love these fingers too, than to prepare a batch of dough and invite participants to shape their own fingers, see them baked, do the squishy-gel-under-the-nail-step, and then get to take a few home. 

And yes, even though many in the Word on the Street audience were familiar with Witches' Fingers, some were horrified to see  them for the first time, and everyone was able to learn about the reader who shared her Witches' Fingers with Canadian Living Magazine readers.

Even when the flour has been incorporated, the dough is still too soft to shape. The refrigerator is your friend.

Witches' Fingers

1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened

1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1 tsp (5 mL) each vanilla and almond extract

2-3/4 cups (675 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder

3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt

3/4 cup (175 mL) whole blanched almonds, about 65

1 tube (19 g) red decorator gel

. Line 2 rimless shiny baking sheets with parchment paper or grease; set aside. (Parchment is recommended.)

. In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar until blended. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract, beating until the batter is smooth.

. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir half into the butter mixture, then stir in the remainder to make a soft smooth dough.  

. Flatten into a disc; wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

. Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, and keeping the remainder refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonfuls (generous 5 mL) into elongated ovals, about 2-1/2 inches (6.25 cm) long. Press an almond firmly into 1 end of dough for a nail. Press the dough to thicken slightly in the middle to create a wider knuckle. Using the back of a paring knife, press across in 3 places to form knuckle wrinkles. Place on prepared baking sheets leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) between fingers. 

. Refrigerate fingers on baking sheets until firm about 45 minutes.

. Bake 1 sheet at at time in the centre of a 325°F (160°C) oven until pale golden underneath and the almond has darkened slightly, about 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on pan on rack for about 5 minutes.

In spite of the chilling, the cookies spread. Be sure to leave space between the raw fingers.

. Lift up almonds, 1 at a time. Squeeze red decorator gel into the cavity (aka nail bed) and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath and frames the fingernail. Transfer to racks to cool. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

. Makes about 60 cookies. 

Important Tip: Red decorator gel is available in supermarkets with the decorator collection of sprinkles, icings and coloured sugars in the baking section. Get your tube as soon as possible as red seems to be scarce.  If red is not available, talk to your store manager as soon as possible. Otherwise, you are going to have to persuade your children that witches' blood is green, or heaven help us, blue.

Chocolate Witches' Fingers

. Make as directed for Witches' Fingers with the following easy changes.

. Replace 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the all-purpose flour with cocoa powder.

. Instead of whisking the dry ingredients, you need to sift the cocoa with the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift twice or until the dark cocoa and white dry ingredients are perfectly blended.  

. To bring out the chocolate flavour, you can replace the 1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract with vanilla bringing the vanilla up to 2 tsp (10 mL).

When making a batch of cookies, I find it easier if I measure out all the blobs of dough (bottom), then shape them into rounds before forming the elongated oval. The final step, top, is pressing in the almonds and marking the knuckle.

Almost any early fall fruit or fruit combo makes a fine crisp - ideal for entertaining.

Every once in a while I get a desire for a certain dish.With cool nights and the first golden leaves falling to the sidewalk, my hungry thoughts turn to deep-dish crusty-topped fruit crisps. Kind of fruit is optional - I could never choose one I think is the best - it's a choice based on what's in season at the market -  in my fridge or on the counter.

It was with crisps on my mind when I was planning a shower to honour the daughter, Jennifer and new granddaughter, Lily, of my friend Sandy Hall. (She is the home economist who was so much part of my early cookbooks and recipe testing.) There were to be a dozen around the table for dinner last week and a crisp for dessert just fell naturally into place.

This dessert meets all the criteria of an entertaining dish - you can make it ahead. Simple - a crisp is simplicity itself - no complicated steps or sauces to worry about when you're making the appetizers and mains.  But what's most important is the taste. Even though humble, a crisp never fails to charm guests. People scrape their bowls, then look up, signalling that seconds wouldn't be out of the question. Good vanilla ice cream is de rigueur.

The crisp recipe I use as a guideline comes from The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book, published last year by Transcontinental Books and now in its second printing. I treat the recipe as a template, with substitutions an ongoing option for the filling. What's divine about this recipe is the topping. This is not a crumble with rolled oats, sugar, butter and flour forming soft layer over the fruit. A real crisp has plenty of the soft butter, sugar and flour mixture to create a crunchy roof over the fruit. 

Pear and Cranberry Crisp

With lovely looking Bartlett pears at the market, this crisp is right in season. Since pears are always harvested green and hard, it's wise to buy them ahead of time and let them ripen in a single layer at room temperature. Pears will need 4 to 5 days to change from green to gold and soften enough to give to a light pressure at the base.

Bartlett pears particularly will become maddenly fragrant. Be sure you can stand the temptation. A wise baker buys an extra pear, to satisfy that desire for a fresh pear out of hand, or in case the usual calculation - 1 large pear = 1 cup (250 mL) peeled, cored and sliced pears, falls a bit short. 

6 cups (1.5 L) sliced peeled and cored pears

2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved

1/4 cup (50 mL) liquid honey

1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour

Crisp Topping:

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened

1/3 cup (75 mL) slivered almonds, optional

. Grease an 8-inch (2 L) squared glass baking dish or other shallow heatproof baking dish with the same capacity; set aside.

. In a large bowl, toss together the pears, cranberries, honey and lemon juice. Sprinkle the surface with flour; toss to coat the fruit evenly.

. Scrape the pear mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish; set aside.

. Crisp Topping: In a separate bowl, blend the flour and brown sugar. Using a fork, mash in the butter until the topping is crumbly. Stir in the almonds, if using. Sprinkle evenly over the pear mixture.

. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until topping is golden brown, pears translucent and the filling bubbling up around the edges, about 1 hour.

. Set on a rack to cool enough to serve, about 45 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely. Set aside for up to 8 hours. Reheat gently before serving.) 

. Makes 6 servings. 

Apple Crisp

A Canadian classic. The early crop apples available at the market tend to be ones that break down and become saucy in a crisp. By all means, if you like this kind of crisp, go for these harbingers of the Canadian apple harvest. Cortlands, then Golden Delicious and finally Northern Spy are my picks for crisps - but almost any fresh apple will make a just-a-little-more kind of dessert. If you do use a sweeter apple like the Golden Delicious or Gala, up the lemon juice a little to compensate for their lack of pucker power. 

 Make according to the method above using the following filling ingredients: 8 cups (2 L) sliced, peeled and cored apples, 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar, 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) nutmeg. The topping remains the same, although you might like chopped walnut halves instead of the slivered almonds.

Baby Shower Fruit Crisp

Because juicy fruit crisps tend to run over the top of a baking dish, a wise baker sets the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch the drips.

For this dessert, I checked the fruit I had in the fruit basket  -lovely late season peaches, purple prune plums and ripe pears, plus, from the fridge, a combo of wild and cultivated blueberries.  They measured:  7 cups (1.75 L) sliced peaches, 5 cups (1.25 L) sliced plums and 2 cups (500 mL) each blueberries and chopped peeled pears. (All fruit is pitted or cored). I tossed the fruit with 1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar mixed with 1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour, and 2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice and scraped the mixture into a 14-inch (35 cm) oval baking or gratin dish.

For the topping I thought doubling the ingredients was a good idea, but even with my love of crunchy, I had to reduce the quantities to about 1-1/2 the original. So I measured out 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) packed brown sugar and 3/4 cup (175 mL) soft butter. 

The crisp required about 1-1/2 hours baking time at 350°F (180°C), and for the first hour, I covered the top of the dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the crisp from over browning.

It served the dozen guests easily. Those who didn't have seconds requested take-home plastic containers of crisp for breakfast the next morning.  It's great with yogurt and you can almost imagine that it's healthy. 

For a nectarine and plum crisp, combine 4 cup (1 L) each pitted and sliced nectarines and plums with 1/3 cup (75 mL) packed brown sugar and 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour. No need for lemon juice or spices. Use the same topping as for the Pear and Cranberry Crisp.

. It was one of those dreamed about early fall  mornings when Rose Murray and I pulled into the Old Fairgrounds in Stratford ,Ontario. Impressive white presentation tents bookended two long rows of smaller  tents. These 50 some tents, festooned with banners and flags, were stocked with garlic . In bags, bunches and braids, for cooking and planting, whole, pickled, chopped, in fudge, jellies and relishes.  Plus ceramic garlic roasters, presses and keepers. For the generalist, there were just picked eggplant, peppers, golden honey, country pies and coffee. These lines of tents were open for shoppers to browse, and also to form a wide walkway for garlic lovers to stroll or sit, savouring the day.  And with the sun shining brightly, it was as if we had arrived at a colourful medieval fair where all the jousting was edible. 

It was the Stratford Garlic Festival, the third annual, created by the Stratford Kiwanis Club as a fundraiser for its community programs. I had been asked to do a cooking demonstration, and with Rose, both of us former high school teachers, having a crowd soaking up our every word of cooking wisdom is irresistible. Besides, we're garlic enthusiasts, and as I'm from Stratford, the Garlic Festival was a way to support the community and to meet family and old friends. 

The garlic was indeed impressive. During a walk-around before our demonstration, both Rose and I became the proud owners of garlic braids - so beautiful it's a shame to break them apart, but we will. A wonderfully stinky time in the kitchen is ahead of us both. 

The Garlic Festival wasn't just about buying garlic, it was very focused on learning more about all aspects of garlic, its health benefits, its place in literature, notably in Shakespeare, and naturally, how to cook with the stinking rose. A good number of attendees had come for garlic growing advice, for example from Warren Ham who was himself inspired to grow garlic 19 years ago by an article by the dean of garlic growing, Ted Maczka, the Fish Lake Garlic Man. Among the crops that the Ham family grows on August's Harvest, their 50-acre farm north of Stratford, is garlic seed to supply individual growers, farmers and seed houses.

And once the garlic has grown and been harvested, so the thinking goes, it's a shame to simply give away the crop a few heads at a time or to sell it all trimmed and pristine. How much more impressive the garlic will be if it's braided.

So thought the Kiwanis Club organizers who asked garlic farmer Bryan Mailey to show a crowd of over 300 delighted attendees just how you have to place the bulbs and their stalks and twist to get an attractive braid.

One of his own braids - with 9 or more bulbs is Mailey's gift of choice - and who wouldn't want to receive a braid featuring firm fat heads of garlic  to hang in the kitchen as decoration and inspiration for cooking. Say for a lovely appetizer featuring goats cheese and roasted garlic.

Roasted Garlic Strudel

Roasting garlic sweetens and tames its intensity. Here roasted garlic and fresh herbs play off creamy goats cheese. Slice and serve on small plates as a pass-around appetizer, or cut the slices thicker and serve on dressed salad greens for a sit-down starter. The strudel is best when freshly baked and just cooled to room temperature.

1 head garlic

1 tsp (5 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) soft goat cheese 

2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp (30 mL) thinly snipped fresh chives or green onion tops

1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh rosemary or thyme

1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper

4 sheets phyllo pastry

1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, melted

. Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper or leave ungreased; set aside.

. Trim the tips off the the garlic buds. Place garlic, cut side up, on square of foil. Drizzle with oil. Wrap loosely and roast in 375°F (190°C) toaster oven or oven until golden and tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool. (Make-ahead: Wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

. Squeeze roasted garlic into a medium bowl. Add goats cheese and mash until combined. Stir in the basil, chives, rosemary and pepper; set aside.

. Place 1 sheet of phyllo pastry on work surface, keeping remainder covered with a damp towel to prevent the sheets from drying out. Brush the sheet with butter. Top with a second sheet of phyllo; brush with butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo, and almost all of the butter.

. Spoon the goat cheese mixture along 1 long side, leaving 1-1/2 inch (375 cm) border on each side; fold these sides over.  Roll up firmly but with a little slack.

. Place seam down on the prepared pan. Brush all over with remaining butter. With a serrated knie, score top diagonally though phyllo into 8 to 12 portions. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.)

. Bake in centre of 375°F (180°) until golden and filling has started to  push up through the score marks. Let cool on pan on rack for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours before slicing along score marks. 

. Makes 8 to 12 servings. 

Tip: To make the top surface of the strudel more attractive, you can sprinkle it with a little sea salt. Maldon is a good choice. Or, over the surface of the first buttered phyllo sheet, sprinkle finely chopped basil or parsley. Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo and filling according to the recipe. When you roll up the phyllo, the outside will have an attractive pattern.

Stratford Garlic Festival 2010: For more information about the 2009 Festival, check out www.stratfordgarlicfestival.com, and when available, next year's Garlic Festival slated for Saturday September 18, 2010.

Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival, September 26 and 27, 2009.

So, you missed the Garlic Festival. You still have a chance to taste what this city located in a one of Ontario's finest agricultural areas has to offer. Lots! Bring your appetite and enthusiasm. Both will be matched by what the Festival has on the menu - and on tap.

There will be a Farmers' and Artisans' Market, a traditional pork roast, free outdoor concerts in the park along the Avon River, craft beer, Ontario wine, and demonstrations with tastings in the Stratford Chefs School's Learning Centre. On Sunday,  Savour Stratford Tasting features local and celebrity chefs such as Jonathan Gushue (Langdon Hall),  Jamie Kennedy of JK Kitchen and Jeff Cump, a graduate of the Stratford Chefs School. Cump has been getting loads of press recently, not only because of his commitment  and leadership in Slow Food and raves for  his food at the Ancaster Inn where he is the executive chef, but as the co-author of  Earth to Table - a magnificent cookbook published by Random House.

For full details about Savour Stratford, including a calendar of events, musical entertainment, location and tickets, visit www.savourstratford.com

In wild blueberry country the blueberry plants are like a carpet on the fields and hills, a carpet of blue and green. The photo is courtesy of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.

I have had the pleasure of picking wild blueberries - and who wouldn't want to pull the dusty berries off low-slung bushes like the ones above. Most of my picking, however, has been in Ontario where the season starts early - mid to late July and involves sweaty hours under the sun, an ear cocked for the rustle of black bears engaged in some berry harvesting, all the while swatting flies and mosquitoes. Blueberries picked under those conditions have incomparable flavour.

The Ontario harvest is tiny compared to berries gathered in blueberry fields in Quebec, especially the Lac St. Jean area, and in Atlantic Canada, notably around Oxford in Nova Scotia. In these areas the harvest is later, finishing in early September. While much of the blueberry harvest goes to frozen blueberries, wild blueberries have become more and more popular fresh in season, and for a price, consumers can dig into a bowl of wild blueberries - or sprinkle a few on ice cream or yogurt.

Blueberries, like apricots, take on another dimension when cooked - hence all the blueberry muffins, pancakes and handsome double-crust pies that are icons of Canadian home cooking. But wild blueberries, special in themselves, deserve a dish that shows them off - hence the Wild Blueberry Bundt Cake. 

It all starts with a bowl of fresh wild blueberries. 

 Wild blueberries tend to be small and intensely flavoured. 

Wild Blueberry Bundt Cake

Whether you're using one of the handsome decorative bundt cake pans, or a tube or angel food cake pan, this cake is simply a stunning looking dessert. The important aspect of the pan is the volume of batter it holds - 11 to 12 cups (3.75 t 4 L) are the figures that matter.

The finishing touch? More wild blueberries snuggled into the centre of the cake.

Let the eggs, orange juice and butter all come to room temperature before starting the cake.

Note that the butter and flour needed to coat the cake pan is extra to the ingredients listed below.

1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 large eggs, separated

1 tbsp (15 mL) finely grated orange rind

3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt

1 cup (250 mL) fresh blueberries

Glaze:

1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 cups  (50 mL) orange juice

. Using a pastry brush and soft butter, grease a 10-inch (3 L) Bundt pan or angel food cake pan.

Soft butter is ideal for coating all the ins and outs of a decorative cake pan.

Sprinkle about 1/3 cup (75 mL) flour over inside of pan. Rotate the pan, tapping as you turn the pan until the entire surface of the inside of the pan is covered with flour. Turn pan over and tap smartly to remove caked flour and leaving the thin film of butter and flour over the entire surface of the pan. Return any excess flour to the flour canister. 

If when you tap out excess flour you find a spot that missed the initial greasing, use you pastry brush to lightly grease that spot; dust the area with flour again and tap out excess.

. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup (250 mL) of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, then the orange rind. 

. In separate large bowl, and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until firm glossy peaks form. Set aside.

. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With wooden spoon, or mixer set a lowest speed, mix dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with orange juice, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of juice. The batter will be quite stiff.

. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter.  

To fold in, cut down through the centre of the batter, and bring your spoon back up along the inside of the pan. Your spoon should always be in contact with the batter while folding.

. Fold in remaining egg whites. Sprinkle blueberries over the batter; gently fold into the batter using as few strokes as possible.

.Scrape into prepared pan, pressing batter into the crevices; smooth the top. Tap the pan smartly on the counter to make sure the batter is well gets into all the pan's nooks and cranies. 

. Bake in the centre of a 350°F (180°C) oven until a cake tester or skewer inserted into centre comes out clen, about 55 minutes. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes to firm up the cake structure.

. Glaze: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or in glass measuring cup in the microwave, bring the sugar and orange juice to the boil, stirring. Boil for 30 seconds; let cool. 

. Loosen cake from edges of pan. Place a rack over the cake pan; gripping the rack and pan firmly with potholder-proteced hands, turn the cake over and onto the rack. Let cool.

Just waiting to lift the cake pan to see if the cake is intact!

. With a pastry brush, brush glaze evenly over cake. Transfer to cake plate. If desired, fill centre with fresh blueberries - you will need about 2 cups (500 mL). 

. Makes 12 slices.

The glaze adds an appealing sheen to the cake - but if you're in a hurry, skip the glaze and dust the cake lightly with icing sugar.

Jamming with Nicolette Novak is fun- not work.

I met Nicolette Novak during peach season about 20 years ago. Not an unusual time to meet a tender fruit farmer in the Niagara Peninsula, expecially one who bonded with me in two respects: a dual passion for preserving and baking, especially, fruit pies. The location of our rendez-vous? Nicolette's retail outlet along the Queen Elizabeth Highway where her business focused on baskets of ripe-picked local fruit, homemade fruit pies and preserves. 

 It was around preserving that we got together in mid August for a day of jamming. Nicolette's life has shifted in the last two decades. From fruit farmer, Nicolette has created a a whole new business based on her passion for where she grew up and lives - The Twenty area of the Peninsula, Beamsville being the major centre of this fruit and wine region. Her enterprise is called The Good Earth, and while its roots are cooking school and catering, with tutored taste travel, it now encompasses weddings, picnics in the orchard, a line of pantry products, notably preserves, apricot jam, for example, plus stocks and other cooking items you may not have time to make at home, take-away lunches, a model 3-season garden, vineyards and a winery. The Good Earth  has had an enormous role in nurturing young chefs in the region and bonding locally grown food to the ever-growing wine industry. 

The Good Earth operates year round in a large airy and country-smart compact new"barn", appropriately set in the Novac orchards. Early on Nicolette built an outdoor barbecue area where her teaching chefs, notably pit boss Mike McColl conduct classes all-good-weather-long. I recommend that you check out www.goodearthcooking. com for a list of the upcoming special events and fall classes with resident chefs Isa DiIorio and Patrick Engel plus a sprinkling of local chefs. Soon Nicolette will be posting news about her new winery.

But back to that morning in August when I arrived to find a flat of just-picked apricots waiting our time, knive and long wooden spoons.

The Good Earth Apricot Jam 

Apricot jam just happens to be about my most favourite jam - not that I grew up with it. I was smitten years ago as a grad student, my first day in Paris, when breakfast in the tiny oh-so-chic hotel (I was easily awestruck - it was my first trip abroad) consisted of a big bowl of strong coffee and hot milk, a crackling length of baguette with sweet butter...and apricot jam. Hard not to think of Paris without my mind slipping into reveries of apricot jam. 

For a chunky apricot jam, start with halved or quartered apricots, depending on the size of the apricots, and look for apricots clearly on the firm side.

Nicolette's Apricot Jam is suitably Paris-style  soft set - not like most of the commercial apricots jams set firm enough to slice. Her jam is meant to drool over a slice of toast, buttered baguette, croissant or hot scone. The ratio is basically 4 parts prepared fruit to 3 parts sugar. Add some water to help soften the fruit, and lemon juice for tang and set, and you're jamming.

The fastest way to measure out ingredients is with a small scale.

4 lb (2 kg) washed, quartered and pitted apricots

3 lb (1.5 kg) granulated sugar

1 cup (250 mL) water

1/4 cup (50 mL) lemon juice

. Wash and air-dry 15 (1 cup/250 mL) canning jars with new lids. Set out all canning equipement: tongs: funnel: metal 1/2 cup (125 mL) measuring cup. Fill a boiling water canner about 2/3 full of water. Arrange canning jars on rack; cover and set over low heat to warm to steaming. Set 2 small plates in the freezer. Place new lids in a heatproof bowl; cover with hot water a few minutes before filling jars with jam. Do not boil lids or bands.

. In a large preserving pan or Dutch oven, stir together the apricots, sugar and water.

This flared, heavy-bottomed preserving pan is from Lee Valley.

. Set over high heat and stirring constantly, bring to a rapid foamy boil. Add the lemon juice. Boil hard until the seething mass is reduced by a generous quarter, apricots begin to soften and break down, and syrup surrounding them thickens, about 15 minutes for this quanitity of fruit.

The Queen of Jam wills the apricot jam to set. Note how vigorously the jam is boiling and how important it is to use long-handled wooden spoon to stir the jam. It keeps your hands and arms away from molten spatters.

. Nicolette is such a pro at jamming that she doesn't need the Wrinkle Test*, but if you aren't as experienced as she, check out the information below. Instead, as the jam cleared, we both listened for the now big bubbles to crack and pop as she stirred, indicating that the liquid had thickened as it reduced. We also did another witch-over-the-cauldron-style test: we stirred the jam with a long wooden spoon, then held the spoon high above the pan, parallel to the pan and watched the jam drop off the spoon back into the pan. Early on the jam flowed off quickly, then it started to hesitate, finally hung in a single drop from the bottom side of the spoon. At that point the jam was done.

. Remove from heat; skim off any foam and let settle for about 5 minutes, stirring.

. Using the funnel and metal measuring cup, fill the hot jars with jam to 1/4-inch (5 mm) from the top. With a damp paper towel, wipe any jam slopped over the rim. Cover with lids and bands, screwing on bands until you meet resistance, then tighten just a tad more to finger-tip tight. 

.Using preserving tongs, set as many filled jars as will fit onto rack in boiling water canner; lower rack. Add boiling water if necessary to bring water level at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) above tops of jars. Cover and bring to boil.

. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; uncover canner. Let boiling water settle for 5 minutes. With preserving tongs  transfer jars to a rack or folded towel to cool. Repeat boiling any jars that didn't fit into the boiling water canner the first time round. 

. Do the usual wipe, label and storage in a cool dark place until the morning when you want to bathe your breakfast in a touch of Niagara summer - or a memory of Paris. The cafe au lait, crusty baguette and sweet butter are optional, but recommended. 

. Makes about 14 jars, 1 cup (250 mL), of jam. 

Tip: Nicolette used very snazzy preserving jar with a single-piece lid. All of her jars sealed to perfection. If by chance any of your canning jars with the two piece disc and band don't pop and seal, store that jar in the fridge and enjoy its contents within about 3 weeks. 

* Wrinkle Test: set two small plates in the freezer when you're assembling your jars and equipment. When a preserve has been boiling and from the pull on the spoon feels as though it's thickening, do a test with one of the plates. Remove the preserve from the heat. Dribble about 1/2 tsp (2 mL) preserve on the plate; let the preserve on the plate cool, about 2 minutes. Run the tip of a spoon through the preserve; if the surface wrinkles, the preserve is set. If the dribble is runny, return the plate to the freezer and panful of preserve to the heat. Boil hard, stirring constantly until the preserve on the colder plates of the 2 plates wrinkles. 

Peach Conserve

There is a little problem with apricot jam - the season is short, and alas, fresh apricots may not still  be available. You may have to wait until next summer to make a batch of Nicolette's Good Earth Apricot Jam. Peaches to the rescue, in a heritage recipe  that like apricots, makes a very soft-set preserve. The word "conserve" in the title of a preserve indicates a jam-like preserve with citrus fruit. There are sometimes spices as well, but not in this conserve. The original peach conserve recipe  I found hand written by my aunt Bessie Babb of Sebringville, Ontario, included maraschino cherries - and even though I don't usually include them, I've offered them as an option - in her honour. 

2 medium navel oranges, Cara Cara if available

1 large lemon

2 cups (500 mL) water, approximate

8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped peeled and pitted peaches, about 9 large peaches that fit into a 3 L basket, or about 4 lb (2 kg)

6 cups (1.5 L) granulated sugar

Optional additions: 1/2 cup (125 ml) slivered maraschino cherries and/or 3/4 cup (175 mL) slivered blanched almonds

. Wash and air-dry 9 (1 cup/250 mL) canning jars with new lids. Set out all canning equipement: tongs: funnel: metal 1/2 cup (125 mL) measuring cup. Place 2 small plates in the freezer. Fill a boiling water canner about 2/3 full of water. Arrange canning jars on rack; cover and set over low heat to warm to steaming. Place new lids in a heatproof bowl; cover with hot water a few minutes before filling jars with jam. Do not boil lids or bands.

. Scrub oranges and lemon. Cut our stem and blossom ends, and any blemishes. Cut oranges in quarters; slice crosswise very thinly, discarding any seeds. Pare off lemon rind: cut into very thin strips about 1-inch (2.5 cm) long. Squeeze lemon to make about 1/4 cup (50 mL) juice. Set juice aside.

. Place orange slices, lemon rind strips, squeezed lemon halves and water in a Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a very low simmer. Cook the citrus fruit, stirring occasionally, until rinds are very tender, almost mushy when pinched, about 55 minutes. Watch carefull and add more water if necessary to keep the rinds steeping in water. When finished, there should be a shallow pool of water keeping the rinds juicy. Remove the squeezed lemon rinds. Let them cool enough to squeeze any liquid  back into the cooked rinds. 

. Stir in the peaches, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly; boil hard until conserve is reduced by a generous quarter, about 20 minutes. 

. Remove conserve from heat; let cool slightly. Either whiz about a third of the conserve with an immersion blender ( a Nicolette Novak trick to give body to soft-set preserves) or scoop out 3 cups (750 mL) of the conserve and puree in a blender. Return pureed conserve to pot. Add cherries and/or almonds, if using.

. Bring back to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring constantly until thickened and setting point is reached, about 10 minutes.

. Remove from heat;  let settle for about 5 minutes, stirring.

. Using the funnel and metal measuring cup, fill the hot jars to 1/4-inch (5 mm) from the top. With a damp paper towel, wipe any jam slopped over the rim. Cover with lids and bands, screwing on bands until you meet resistance, then tighten just a tad more to finger-tip tight. 

.Using preserving tongs, set as many filled jars as will fit onto rack in boiling water canner; lower rack. Add boiling water if necessary to bring water level at least 1-inch (2.5 cm) above tops of jars. Cover and bring to boil.

. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; uncover canner. Let boiling water settle for 5 minutes. With preserving tongs  transfer jars to a rack or folded towel to cool. Repeat boiling any jars that didn't fit into the boiling water canner the first time round. 

. Do the usual wipe, label and storage in a cool dark place.

. Makes about 8 jars, 1 cup (250 mL), of jam. 

Because some of the conserve was pureed, the spread has a very pleasing thickness. It is almost sauce-like.

Tip: This conserve, while lovely in all jam uses, is also quite a nice topping for rice pudding, ice cream, vanilla pots de creme, mascarpone cheese or drained yogurt.