Month: June 2011

Summertime, and the Grillin' is Easy…

As farmer’s market begins and more seasonal products are available, the menu plan needs to be flexible. What looked good today? What was a great deal? What was fresh?

This week we had some chicken thighs in the freezer. But asparagus is really the star, and it’s everywhere. So we made our usual chicken marinade of olive oil, lemon, pepper and garlic, and let the thighs rest a bit. We put similar flavours on the asparagus. Everything went on the grill, and the meal was rounded out with some delicious short grain brown rice from Better Bulk, which had been pre-cooked and frozen. A quick heating in the microwave (or steaming on the stovetop) and we were ready to eat.  Relaxing and easy, without over-heating the house as the spring temperatures ramp up for summer.

The Urban Farm is Growing!

Back in the winter, we started a few seeds. We’re not willing to accept that city living means you can’t have some self-sufficiency in your food chain.

So here’s our progress so far. Peas are starting to climb up the trellises. Lettuce and chard are growing, with a second crop underway. Radish, carrots and beets are mostly lurking under the ground, with the exception of a few carrot seeds that must have lain dormant over the winder and now are growing.

Not featured in this photo, except for the corner of one leaf, bottom right? Great, Great Grammy Hergett’s rhubarb, imported as a root from Nova Scotia.

Thyme for Simplicity

We like Eggs Benny as much as the next guy. But sometimes you want simple and delicious. With all the fresh herbs popping up in the urban farm, this is a tremendous breakfast, full of flavour. If you’ve just baked a batch of bread to be used for toast, more’s the better.

Start with some great eggs – we like the Rowe Farm ones from Better Bulk. Chop up a couple of tablespoons (30ml) of thyme, and add a splash of milk. Whisk the whole thing together with a fork.

Cook with a dab of butter over medium low heat, stirring, stirring, and stirring. (It’s that patience thing again!) Serve with a tomato, because it just looks (and tastes) great.

Pork Chops Grilled Right

Pork Chops on the barbecue are an acquired art. It’s so easy to char them to a cinder, or dry them out, or undercook. (Mom would say, “either a burnt offering, or a bloody sacrifice”). But Steve’s got it down to an art. I admit it, I’ll cook almost anything. And gender lines are pretty well meaningless when it comes to division of work around here. But there are two territories where we never cross the line. I don’t grill, and his only involvement in breadmaking the occasional dough-watching or ingredient selection.

These ones turned out delectably moist and tasty as usual. The secret, he says, is patience. And not flipping too early. A good lesson in many endeavours.

Summertime Grilled Asparagus

It’s starting to taste a lot like summer…it might be a spring vegetable in some parts, but it takes ages before we reliably see it here. When we do, we like cooked almost any way at all. But probably our favourite is with some lemon zest and juice, a little pepper, a clove of garlic, and some olive oil. Toss it on the grill and voila, it’s magic!

Farmers' Market Season has Arrived!

Now I know summer is really going to get here! The East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market is finally open.

Clearly the farmers have had the same problems we’ve had with the garden – cool temperatures, and not enough sun. But there were a few early veggies to be had, and some rhubarb. As for us, we bought a delicious looking rack of lamb from the Belanger brothers, Peter & Josh. By the time we arrived their veg were pretty well sold out.

We also swung by Montforte and picked up some cheese – oh, what a surfeit of delicious dairy flavours. Today we went for an oozing packet of ripe deliciousness (camembert?) with herbs, and some nice hard cheese for grating.

Last stop, Better Bulk for some whole wheat flour – gotta get some bread going before the heat returns. It’s going to be a tasty week.