By some stroke of luck (or creepy global warming phenomenon) we are still eating corn.  It's almost the end of September and there are still fresh corn cobs in my kitchen.
I spoke to the farmer I buy my corn from at the market - yeah, like we're so tight.  We 'talk' and everything - vacations, sky, weather - and he told me that we might (and that's a big MIGHT) get another week but it's hard to say.  So I decided to take what might well be the last of my fresh corn and get all creamy with it.  It's going in my freezer.  I'll super appreciate this in February when I'm making Shepherd's Pie or something... it's going to be amazing.
We've had a good run with corn this year.  I've put it in everything.  We've been consistently going through about 1 1/2 dozen cobs of fresh corn a week.  Sometimes that's all we have for a meal - mostly because nobody cooked anything and the fridge is empty and the corn is pretty easy to get ready in about, Oh, say 5 minutes or so.  This kind of overkill has happened before.  I tend to get these obsessions.  Last year I was obsessed with Green Beans.  I grew them (still do) and bought them as well.  I curried them.  I make them salad.  I almost pickled them (some people put their foot down at that one).  They went into pasta, potatoes and rice.  They got parboiled and tossed in butter then sprinkled with salt.  They got served with Sausage and Tomato with parmesan on top.  Green beans and bacon is a combination created by the gods.  I think you get the idea.  Everything I made seemed to inspire the addition of green beans.


This year it's Corn... and eggplant.  Never in combination however.  I've now successfully grown my own eggplant.  One Eggplant.  One baby that I've saved from the raccoons and squirrels.  They found every other eggplant except for this one and I think that by the time it was discovered it was too big and heavy for them to get... or whatever... I don't know if there is anything too big and heavy for raccoons.  Either way, it's still hanging to the plant for all it's worth.  It's so sacred to me right now that I've afraid to pick it.  I've done lots of other things with eggplant over the last couple of months it's still a distant second when compared with my corn obsession.


This is probably the last hurrah.  And what a hurrah it is.  This was so easy.  Too easy almost.  It's so easy that you wonder why you didn't try this before.  You wonder why you ever bought canned creamed corn - which D used to be obsessed with BTW.  This might just inspire him too - It gets you thinking about all of the things that would go well alongside.  I bought a chicken just because the thought of a well roasted chicken, dripping with juice and caramelized, crispy skin sounded like just the thing to have with creamed corn.  The truth is that there are about 3 freezer bags of creamed corn in my freezer now.  The new 'creme de la creme' of my freezer hoard.  If creamed corn inspires this kind of eloquence from me now, in September (!), just imagine what my reaction will be come February.


Creamed Corn adapted from Alton Brown@FoodNetwork
yield: about 3 - 3 1/2 cups or about 4 cans worth

8 ears of fresh corn
1/2 onion, diced small
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped
2 tbsp cornmeal
1 cup cream
dash of pepper sauce or cayenne (optional)
pinch or two of parmesan cheese (optional)

De-Kernel each cob of corn: I usually use an angel food cake tin.  Place the top of the cob in the hole of the baking tin.  Hold the stem of the cob and cut down each side.  Use a sharp knife and the kernels will come away easily.  Run the blunt edge of the knife back down over each cob scraping off any left back flesh or juice.
Set the corn aside.
Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat.
Add in the butter, salt and the onion.  Cook just until the onion begins to get transparent.  Add in the corn (if you need to add a little more butter here don't sweat it) and stir well.  Heat for about 5 - 8 minutes or so, turning down the heat a little if needed.  The corn should be well coated with butter and the colour will be a little brighter.
Add in the honey, turmeric, herbs and cornmeal and mix well.  Cook for another 4 minutes.
Add in the Cream and turn the heat down to low.
Add in some pepper sauce and a pinch of parmesan if you wish.
Check the taste and adjust if necessary.
Cook on very low heat for another 15 - 20 minutes.
Cool slightly and serve.  (or cool completely and pour into freezer bags - smallish portions in each bag - to save for a very lucky winter day)

Because this week has brought with it a lot more than I had originally bargained for...


Because I have an awesome recipe for homemade creamed corn that took almost no time to prepare and I didn't get one single picture of it and I'm not sure I'll see corn again until next August (but I'm keeping my fingers crossed)...


Because sometimes the only thing that cheers me up is the thought that I can sit for a few minutes in the park, looking at the farmer's stalls and watch my kids eat and play...



Life is short... Breath Deeply and Live it Well.

The difficulty that I have when it comes to canning is multi-tasking.  Normally I'm a decent multi-tasker.  Not great.  Not twenty-balls-in-the-air kind of multi-tasking but maybe five balls.  The strange thing is when I start canning the ability to multi-task gets flung out the window and I'm completely and utterly enveloped, distracted and obsessed with the process going on right in front of me.
I don't eat.
I don't talk.
I don't listen to music (that's a big one).
I don't answer the phone (not so big).
I don't cook.
This leaves certain other people who live in the same house as I do in a bit of difficulty.  First problem: Although I'm not the only person who cooks here, I am the primary person.  Things just get thrown off when I'm not kind of delegating at the very least.  Second Problem:  Canning takes up space, both counter and stove and even oven sometimes.  In order to eat food must be prepared - even if it's just toast - and I'm in the way, standing, stirring, staring into the pot enraptured by the bubbles.
A couple of weeks ago, while doing the tomatoes, I didn't eat for the whole day.  Finally, at about 8pm,  it was just kid #2 and I.  I broke my roll and walked out to pick up a pizza and bring it home.  Kid #2 ate more pizza than I'd even seen him eat before and I'm not too embarrassed to tell you that I ate almost a whole medium pizza by myself.  That's just how it gets.  Today I'm finishing up some blueberry and gooseberry jam and making some tomatillo salsa.  Uh Oh.
I've determined to try to improve.  If I can prepare ahead then, even if I don't eat, the rest of the clan can  fill their belly's with something good.  This recipe is a great make ahead because it actually improves with age.  It's a kind of mishmash of ingredients but it ended up being 'interesting' enough for the adults and 'not interesting' enough for the kids.


I'm not sure where your multi-tasking limit is.  I'm learning.  Learning limits is hard and sometimes painful.  When it comes to the food stuff though this dish made things a lot less painful.  I'm going to go now and finish up some jars now and all the while I'll be trying to get my brain off the idea that a couple of more bushels of tomatoes would get me loads of ketchup and salsa for the year (what is wrong with me - two weeks ago I never wanted to see jars and tomatoes and funnels again).  The Fam will be chowing down on this awesome food.  Happy All Around.


Beef and Orzo Bake adapted from BBC GoodFood Magazine
serves 4 - 6

1 lb stewing beef (or lamb which would be even better)
2-3 tbsp lemon juice (I used one lemon)
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 heaping tbsp grainy mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 good pinches of pepper
2 cinnamon sticks about 2 - 3 inches long each (do not use ground cinnamon for this one)
1/2 cup onion, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, quartered
1 1/2 red pepper, thickly sliced
1/2 tsp (1 good pinch) saffron
1/3 cup ketchup
3 cups fresh tomato, chopped
2 cups chard, chopped
1 2/3 cup orzo
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup parmesan, grated


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a heavy baking dish - one that has a lid -  (I used one of the Le Creuset Dutch oven thingy's - I got it from a yard sale) add the beef, lemon, Worcestershire, Honey, grainy mustard, salt, pepper, cinnamon sticks, onion and garlic.  Mix so that the beef is well coated.  Cover and roast for about 30 minutes - everything should be bubbling well and smell great.
Remove from the oven.
Add in the the rest of the ingredients but save half of the parmesan.  Again, mix well so that the orzo is mixed into everything and the liquid should cover everything.
Cover and bake again for 15 minutes.  Remove the cover, sprinkle the other half of the parmesan on top and bake uncovered for another 15 - 20 minutes.  Test to make sure that the orzo is done.  It should be bubbly and the cheese just browning.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

I totally know that we're all back to school and everything.
I know that even when we were in Vermont in August that some of the trees were showing signs of starting to be tinged with red.
I know that you probably had to grab a sweater when you went out the other night.
I know that when I jumped on my bike two days ago that I thought I would die in my short sleeve t-shirt.
I know all of that but I still can't let go of summer.  It still is summer... just a little.
I know because:
It's not my birthday yet.
I'm still sweaty after biking or running during the day.
My Mom hasn't contacted me about Thanksgiving dinner yet.
The new season of TV hasn't started yet.
There are still lots of tomatoes and corn at the market...


When I saw the corn there I knew that I just had to buy it.  When I spoke with the farmer he told me that this is probably the last of it.  The cold nights mess with the sugar in the corn too much and it goes all bland and boring.  A whole dozen cobs of corn came home with me tonight.  Along with tomatoes and nectarines, and locally made cream cheese (with chili peppers... come on) and more potatoes than I know what to do with for 4 dollars.  It was all a little heavy but totally worth it.  Totally.
So, if you have some corn that needs love and attention and you want to continue deluding yourself into believing that summer will continue forever then please try this recipe.  It is seriously one of the easiest and tastiest things that I've made in about a week... no joke.


Just for the record, I took some while it was still warm and spooned it onto some lettuce, topped it with some halved cherry tomatoes and drizzled with just a little homemade mayo.  Divine.  I love you summer.


Corn, Potato and Green Bean Side adapted from 'The Kitchn'
serves 4

3 1/2 cups potatoes, cut into about 2 - 3 inch cubes
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups green beans, cut into 3 - 4 inch lengths
2 cups fresh corn kernels
3 slices of bacon, diced
3 - 4tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt to taste

Bring a medium/small pot of water to a boil.  Add the potatoes and simmer at medium heat for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes are just barely softened.  Scoop out the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Place the green beans in the same water and simmer for about 3 minutes or until just beginning to soften.  Drain the water from the beans and add the beans to the potatoes.
Heat a wok or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add in the bacon and cook for about 4 minutes or until the bacon is getting brown and crispy.  Add in the butter and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add in the onion and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the corn kernels, the cooked potatoes and green beans.  Turn the heat down just a little.  Toss regularly.  Add in a little more butter if the mixture gets too dry.
Add a pinch of salt, honey and the lemon juice.
Check the tastes and adjust if necessary.
Serve

Over the course of the weekend that I was wading my way through 3 bushels of tomatoes (which you may have noticed I'm still a little traumatized by) my friend T came over.  As soon as he walked in he got in there and started helping.  That was awesome because D wasn't around to help at that particular moment and also because I was nearing the end of both the tomatoes and my sanity.
Although he grew up on a farm T had never participated in the canning process.  He talked about having entire days where the boys went out and picked as many __________ (fill in the blank with whatever vegetable you want) and the girls and Mom would get it ready to either freeze it or can it.  So it was kinda a girls job to get things canned.  T was curious about the whole thing and totally ready to get in there and figure it out for himself.
It got us to talking about all of the preserving/gardening/hunting/husbanding/surviving thing.  We agreed that not just a generation ago (ok - let's say 60 years give or take) it would have pretty much everybody that knew how to can or preserve.  Everybody knew what to do with the vegetables at the end of the season.  Everybody knew how to save seeds for next year.  Everybody knew how to make jam or preserves.  And the list goes on.  Whether or not they did it themselves, they knew someone who did and wouldn't have died of starvation if the local grocer went out of business.  The rise of the 'low fat' craze meant that we could no longer rely on the old standby's that got us through in the past.  We had to have the right kind of oil for cooking, margarine can't be made at home, low fat sour cream is not the stuff that comes out of a cow and most certainly tofurky or turkey bacon either.
It also became a status symbol to eat things that came from a large processing company rather than from  a farm.  I remember being in love with chef boyardee ravioli because that's what my Mom bought (my brother love spaghetti o's and beefaroni).  It meant that you could afford it.  It meant that you didn't have to make it yourself.  I get it.
What happened however, is that we forgot.  We've forgotten a lot.  Some people I meet don't even know how to make rice (no joke - and I take that very seriously).  T and I talked about how important it will probably become that those things be remembered again.  The making of butter by hand, the awesomeness of raw milk that you can skim the cream off the top of, the great feeling you get when you open that jar of jam in January and it's... beautiful (and good for your immune system too).  It's sad that those things have been forgotten to be sure but what's more... it's dangerous.  It's important to know that we don't need to buy them from a grocery... we have the option of doing it ourselves... and we know how to do it.


That's why I want to teach my kids about all this stuff.  Canning, freezing, growing, preserving, making from scratch and using what's around us and not's thousands of kilometres away... because it's important to know that you have options.  It's important to be able to fend for yourself.  It's empowering to know that you can provide for yourself and that you can make bread.  More than ever I appreciate that I can do this.  That I can put the ingredients together and knead it by hand and my kids can watch me and they can smell the bread baking and know it didn't come out of a bag.  Bread is important and we haven't had enough of it throughout the summer.  Now that it's cooler... bread is back and this loaf was pretty damn near perfect.


Red Fife Honey Bread adapted from Betty Crocker
yield: 1 loaf (can easily be doubled)


1 1/2 cups Red Fife or Whole Wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh orange zest
6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature


Combine the warm water, yeast and brown sugar.  Stir and set aside in a draft free spot for about 8 - 10 minutes.  The mixture should be foamy and have almost doubled.
Butter or grease a medium sized non-reactive bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the Red Fife flour and 1 cup of the all purpose flour.  Form a well in the middle of the flour and add the honey, salt, orange zest and butter.  Add in the foamy yeast mixture.  Stir to mix well until it forms a wet dough ball.
Turn out the dough ball onto a lightly flour surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is silky and smooth.  Add in the rest of the all purpose flour as needed.
Place the dough into the buttered bowl.  Cover with a clean cloth and set in a warm, draft-free spot for about 50 - 60 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
Butter or grease a loaf pan.
Remove and knead down just enough to form into a loaf.  Place the dough loaf into the loaf pan.  Cover with the clean cloth and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for another 45 - 50 minutes or until the loaf has risen over the top of the pan and looks like it's the size it should be.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake the bread for about    minutes or until the top is nicely browned and it sound hollow when you knock on it.
Cool before slicing.

It's been quite a week.  I wrote a few posts ago that I was feeling scared about this blog.  At one point was even looking for a way to sabotage it because I felt like it was becoming something.  I've muscled through that urge - I don't think that I'm alone in that desire to sabotage something potentially successful in one's life.  It happens all the time.
Somehow, it's easier to swallow something 'failing' because you helped it fail rather than someone or something else being the cause of the failure.  It's kinda of like it failed because I wanted it to rather than because it was crap or people didn't like it.  I denied them the opportunity before they had a chance to make a decision.  It's weird.  Remember when you were like fifteen and you 'liked' someone.  You were afraid to tell them (or maybe you weren't) because they might not or probably don't like you back.  Then when you think about it years later you think you were a twit because who cares if you told them, they shoulda had a chance to decide themselves... maybe they didn't feel like you were 'ick'.
When I came home from work earlier this week I met an email sitting on my computer.  It was from this website that I upload my recipes to called 'recipes.ca'.  They were asking if I would allow one of my recipes to stand as their recipe of the day.  It was a great feeling.  Getting recognized someway somehow is a hell of a thing.  It's giddy-making, it's addictive - I can't imagine how it would feel to win a serious award for my blog.  I don't know how I would react to that.


Meanwhile, I'm reading this book which I've been devouring like a starving animal.  It's coinciding with a work situation that's giving this book a run for it's money.  It's got me thinking though about how much of life happens in one's head.  I say this all the time to my voice students.  How you sing has more to do with how you think about singing than it has to do with any physical gift or ability.  More and more I think that statement extends to all areas of our lives.  Whether or not I can do something is really much less important than whether I think I can do it or how I can talk myself into being able to do it.  'Fake it till you make it'.  Yup - that's kinda what I'm talking about.  If I think that I can do it then eventually I'll convince myself and others around me that I can do it as well.  It's a bit of a con-game right?  I've always had that nagging feeling that I'm really faking _________ (whatever... fill in the blank) and that I'll get found out for the fraud that I am.  I'm losing that feeling though.  Confidence, age and experience are dulling that for me.
I'm not going to develop these thoughts any further at the moment 'cause I've kinda run through what's in my head and I've got bread to make... maybe more will come later.


In the glow of my recent recipes.ca boost I've gotten all fancy and made a meal that includes two dishes but that's totally worth the effort - by effort I mean more than one pot not difficulty.  The polenta (which  for some reason has always been conveyed to me as something time consuming and tricky to get) was so easy that I wonder now why I've taking so long to really go for it.  It's like cheesy savoury pudding.  The ragu... well who doesn't have a butt load of veggies needing attention right now.  It's a pretty forgiving recipe and will do with whatever you've got hanging around but I would recommend at least one vegetable that will soften and go almost mushy-like (eggplant or zucchini) and do not leave out the tomatoes.  Used canned ones if you have to but the garden or farmer's market ones will leave you breathless.


Eggplant and Tomato Ragu with Cheesy Polenta adapted from 'myrecipes.com' and Giada de Laurentiis

Ragu:
4 tbsp oil or lard (might need a little more if the eggplant dries out too much)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, cut into strips
2 red pepper, cut into strips
1 medium (3 1/2 - 4 cup) eggplant, chopped
3 cups tomato, chopped
 2 cups (4 leaves) chard, chopped
1/2 cup fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives, oregano, etc.) chopped OR 3 tbsp dry
2 heaping tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
dash of pepper sauce

Polenta:
4 cups broth
1 3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon zest
5 tbsp butter

Heat a large wok or dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the oil or lard and throw in the garlic, green pepper, red pepper and eggplant.  Sauté over medium heat for about 7 - 8 minutes.  The eggplant should be getting soft and starting to brown slightly.
Add in the chard and mix.  Continue to cook together for another 5 minutes.
Add in the tomato, herbs, honey, salt, pepper and pepper sauce.  Mix well, turn the heat down to medium/low and cook together for another 10 - 14 minutes.
Check the tastes and serve with the polenta.

Polenta:
In a large pot or dutch oven heat the broth to boiling (I used some leftover water that we boiled corn in and added a veggie boullion cube as well).  Turn the heat down to medium/low and add in the cornmeal and whisk well to get rid of any lumps in the cornmeal.  Simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the cornmeal is still quite soft but has thickened up quite a lot.
Turn the heat off completely.  Add in the cheese, milk, salt, Worcestershire, honey and lemon zest.  Stir to mix and let the parmesan melt completely.  Stir in the butter.
Serve with the vegetable ragu.

I want to eat more ice cream really really badly but instead I'm going to write a blog post and hope that by the end of the post I've completely forgotten about the delicious stuff sitting in the freezer.
Once I started canning last weekend it was hard to stop.  There is something about having the canner going and everything kind of in gear that makes you think that since it's all started.
There are quite a few reasons for my sugar 'need' at the moment.  First off, I'm trying to quit.  Ok, not quit but slow down.  I just don't like being in a position of need or desperation when it's just a substance like sugar.  Friendship.  Sex.  Champagne.  Those are things that I don't mind 'needing' but sugar... nah.  So I'm cutting back a bit.  Secondly, work has been a bit harried lately.  I'm not going into details because I think talking about work in my blog post is totally boring.  Who wants to hear dumb details about that.  Needless to say, school is back - I'm back - the kids are back - and work is back - and the hustle is back.  Lastly, I'm feeling a little giddy.
When I arrived home from work today there was an email message sitting in my 'inbox'.  It was a request from one of the websites I add my recipes to.  They were requesting the use of one of my recipes as their 'recipe of the day'.  They would post it on their facebook page and on twitter and all that stuff.  I know it's not a big thing but it's a big thing.  It's flattering and all that.  It adds to my feeling of this space being something 'legit'.  I'm not sure what to do with that though 'cause it's not like it's gonna be my job or a huge money maker or anything.  But it's still cool to feel appreciated and 'legit' and to have my stuff in demand.  Right.


So needing to veer dramatically from the sugar thing and all the reasons for my craving, I'll jump rather clumsily back into the canner.  I've been canning outside this year.  Using the burner on my bbq.  It's mostly worked beautifully save for the overfilling that I did once resulting in the whole canner of boiling water and the bbq falling over and spilling all over the back.  So once that sucker is up and running it's best to make the most of it.  I took some of the fruit that I had frozen from fresh out of the freezer and whipped up some quick blackberry/black raspberry jam.  And I made this stuff.  I picked up the strawberries from the farmer's market and learned that apparently there are 'everbearing' strawberries.


I can't wait to taste this jam.  It smelled fantastic when I was making it.  I dipped my finger in a time or two and it was divine but it's supposed to be even more 'divine' if you wait for at least a month to crack it open.  It won't be a problem since I've still got a half dozen jars of jam from last year to finish up.  I'm really excited about this one though.  The addition of balsamic vinegar and cracked peppercorns just intrigued me.  It's definitely a small batch jam so if you're really into it you might want to double it up.  I got three small jars.  But go ahead, smell up your kitchen, sterilize some jars and boil yourself up some water.


Strawberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Cracked Pepper
adapted slightly from 'We Sure Can'

4 cups strawberries, hulled, washed and halved
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice (fresh only)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp cracked pepper

Day 1:
Combine the strawberries and the sugar together in a non-reactive container.  Stir and set in the fridge for about 24 hours.

Day 2:
Sterilize about 3 small jars and seal lids.
Combine the strawberry/sugar mixture with the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in a heavy bottomed pot.
Heat over medium heat.  once the mixture begins to boil remove the strawberries and continue to let everything boil together.  I let mine boil for about 25 minutes because I didn't want a thick jam.  If you want a thicker jam let the mixture boil a little longer and test for doneness adequately (cold plate test, etc).  After the liquid has boiled down then add in the strawberries again.
Remove from the heat and ad in the little bit of cracked pepper.
Place the lids on the jars and boil in a boiling water bath for about 12 minutes.  Place the sealed jars under a warm cloth for about 12 - 24 hrs.
Stores for up to a year.  Apparently if you wait for at least a month before using then the jam is even more 'divine'.