Now what???

  
We arrived home Tuesday night from beautiful San Francisco, after an exciting week of learning, volunteering to practice our skills, sightseeing, and eating and drinking lots of delicious food and wine. It was snow, rain, and freezing rain all around us when we woke up. Back to reality with a thump!

We’re pretty grateful de such opportunities – and to be back home – so no complaints. The fridge was pretty bare. We did hav lots of carrots, and some ginger and apples. There’s always a stock of broth on hand (pardon the pun). So before rushing out to shop, I considered what was at hand. Plenty of fixings for a tasty carrot soup. While I got ready for work, I chopped and roasted three large carrots at 400F with a quartered apple, a little walnut oil and some maple syrup (about a tablespoon or 15ml of each). It doesn’t matter if they are fully cooked – they’ll finish off in the soup. 

When you’re ready for soup, bring the carrots to the boil in a litre (4c) of water with 2 or 3 coin-sized pieces of fresh, peeled ginger. When the carrots are soft, purée the lot with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Add 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (or one can, drained) and stir over low heat, just until hot enough to eat. 

Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dollop of fat free yogurt, or some fresh chopped herbs.

The Journey Begins

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Good Morning! Those of you who know us as walkablefeast, news flash! We’re headed for the coast. Today we are getting ready for moving day, when we will head for Nova Scotia. Our new home takes us from the urban centre to a less walkable country property. But our commitment to local food and local providers is not diminished. After fuelling up on some homemade Ontario strawberry jam, we’ll begin chronicling the foods we encounter as we drive cross-country…and ultimately land in our new space near the sea. We’re now eatcoastal, and things are about to get a whole lot saltier around here.

A Long Day's Dinner

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We took a well-deserved day off on Friday, golfing in beautiful Northumberland. Then we visited friends in Kingston and took the slow road home through Prince Edward County, including a few winery stops and a delicious lunch at East and Main in Wellington.

By the time we arrived home, though, all we wanted was a simple meal and a rest. This is what we cooked up: a stalk of celery, a small onion and a garlic scape, sautéed with a diced chicken breast. To that we added a splash of wine and a couple of diced fresh tomatoes. With a few ribbons of basil from the garden, it was a relaxing and satisfying meal. There’s no place like home.