I don't have many photos for this stuff.  How many pictures do we all want to see of green tomato chutney in a jar? 
The reason I made tomato chutney is because I already had way too many jars of green tomato salsa.  There is only so much salsa you can eat.  Really.
Talking about green tomatoes is kinda boring though.  I think it should be enough to say that all my green tomatoes are gone from my tomato plants and from my fridge.  Sunday morning was spend seeing to that.  Done.
Now on to more interesting things.  Well, more like random things.

I can't believe that it's Wednesday already.  I'm having trouble keeping up with how quickly weeks are flying by.

All of a sudden I woke up with a pretty nasty case of Plantar Fasciitis yesterday.  Looks like I'm cycling and doing yoga for the next few days.  Jeez.  What's totally weird is that I have no clue what I did.

I walked through the 'Occupy Toronto' camp with my kids the other day.

I'm going to start reading this book - D is reading it at the moment and keeps saying things like 'Ok, listen to this' or 'You've got to read this book' ... So I'm gonna.

Kid #1 got a lightsaber when he was out for Hallowe'en.  So he became Spider Man with a lightsaber.  Cool.  He hasn't turned it off since.  It's Wednesday.  Here they are Kid #1 as a zombie and #2 as a very muscular spider man.



A couple of weeks ago Kid #1 got to tape a tv special with her choir for Russell Peters.  Coolest part:  she got to meet Michael Buble and they all got their picture taken with him.  Awesome.

I feel like I haven't seen my friends in forever and I'm trying not to let it bum me out.  I'm going with my BFF  KT to NYC soon though so that's gonna help a lot.  I'm broke so we're totally going to find cheap fun stuff to do and if you have any cool ideas PLEASE let me know.

...
So yeah, if you have green tomatoes that have been sitting around for a bit, looking for some lovin'  Well, give this a try.  It sounds good to me.  If I taste it and it bites I'll let you know but how wrong can some tomatoes and sugar go, right?



Green Tomato Chutney adapted from 'Food in Jars' and 'Lara Ferroni'
makes about 2 (scant) 500 ml jars

10 cups (or so) green tomatoes (any variety) coarsely chopped
1 med onion (red or cipolini) finely diced
1 jalepeno pepper finely chopped (deseeded)
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp freshly ground ginger
4 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 dashes of nutmeg
1 dash of allspice

1/2 cup (medium handful) of raisins or currants

Throw everything except the raisins into a non-reactive pot (I used a ceramic covered caste iron pot) and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hrs on low heat.
Add in the currants and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, sterilise 2 clean 500 ml jars (put them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes) and prepare the water canner.
Once the chutney has cooked down (should be about 1/2 of the volume as when it started) carefully ladle the chutney into the jars leaving at least a 1/2 inch at the top of each.  Seal with the lids and place in the water canner.  Boil for 10 - 12 minutes.
Remove from the canner and cover with a clean cloth.  Let it rest for about 24 hrs.
Enjoy with meats, cheeses or crackers or sandwiches or... whatever.

I'm not trying to be a total smart ass but this soup looks like barf in a bowl.
And just in time for Hallowe'en.
It doesn't taste like barf though. . . fortunately.
I tasted really good in fact.
Here's my take on Hallowe'en BTW.   'Cause I'm sure that you're all very curious, you're just afraid to ask.

I DON'T CARE.

It's awful.  I'm a poop.  If it makes any difference to you, I almost care as little about christmas.  Whateve.  It is what it is for me.  No more.  No less.
It's not about warding off bad spirits anymore.  Which I think is kinda cool BTW.
It's all about kids dressing up and getting candy (not bad at all).  It's all about teenage girls looking way older and sluttier than I'm comfortable with.  It's all about adults going to parties.  It's about fun and parties.
So, as I've mentioned before, I'm not baking spooky witch hats or goblin eyeballs.  I'm not cooking up a pot of boiled brains for dinner.
Just soup.
Plain old barfy looking soup.


It's good soup.  It's cheap too because parsnips are cheap people.  And seasonal.  And good for you.  Pour a little maple syrup in there and you've got fall comfort food covered.
Now I've got to sit down and figure out how I'm going to survive the hours between school tomorrow and when we leave the house to take Kid #1 and #2 out to collect all this candy that sits beside the refrigerator for the next 11 months (yup - just put the last of it in the bin on the weekend).  I've got a couple of survival ideas but I'm not sure if I would still be in good enough shape to walk up and down the street.
I plan on having a nice big gloopy bowl of this stuff before I go either way.


Maple Parsnip Soup adapted from 'Simply in Season'
serves about 6

5 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs (or about 5 med/lg) parsnips chopped
1 lg onion, diced
1 clove garlic
5 cups veg or chicken broth (I used a combination)
3 dashes of nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 - 1/3 cup maple syrup
1 lg tbsp dijon mustard
salt to taste

Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.
Add in the butter and turn the heat down just a bit.  Add in the parsnip and the onion.  Let those cook together in the butter for about 7 minutes.  Stirring regularly so they don't get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add in the garlic and cook for another 4 minutes.
Add in the broth.
Simmer over low heat for another 10 - 15 minutes.
Once the parsnips are very soft puree the soup using either a hand blender or placing the soup in a regular blender.
Once the soup is back in the pot and on the heat, add in the nutmeg, milk, maple syrup and dijon mustard.  Mix well.
Check the taste and and salt to taste.
Serve with yummy focaccia bread (see my last post) or warm rolls and be thankful that you are inside.

So Guess What.
Yup...
You guessed right.
The cranberries and apples (and now add some plumes in there too) are still in the fridge.  They still need to be 'dealt with'.
Just for fun let's add about 7 pounds of green tomatoes to that.
Yup.  All there.  Sitting in my fridge.  Wondering when they're going to turn into something wonderful.
Since I'm surrounded by piles of paper from school, work, mail and anywhere else you can imagine, and since I'm also trying to dig my out of a mountain of laundry that never seems to disappear AND since I'm feeling pretty beat up from lack of sleep (poor kid #2 was up a lot last night moaning with a soar throat and cough - guess what though... today he's fine... I'm the mess)... I'm just giving up, raising the white flag, rolling over, putting my head in the proverbial sand, shoving it down so deep that not even I'll ever find it again.
It's too depressing... and the sun is shining today.  That's not going to happen much in Toronto for the next little while (read:  about 3 1/2 months).  I'm going to forget all that crap I just wrote about and go and get out for a while.
But not before I tell you what I did with myself yesterday...


I'm so excited because I love food like this.
Simple.
Pretty.
Tasty.
Utilising scissors.


Who's not going to love squidgy flatbread with awesome stuff on the top?  I made soup to go with it and that was the best idea ever.  The soup is coming next and let's just say there's a little maple surprise in there.   We all ate until our bellies were full and we felt so good about it.  A little indulgence can go a long way.
I'm apologising in advance to you all for the lack hallowe'en recipes.  You won't find any cut-off finger cookies or eyeball eggs or whatever the hell everybody makes at this time of year.  Not because I'm a bah-humbug (although I am that) but because I'm damn lazy and I don't want to eat food that looks like something other than food.  There... I said it.
Enjoy the Focaccia.


 Focaccia with Cavalo Negro Kale and goat cheese adapted from 'Simply in Season'

1 cup warm water
1 tbsp (or 1 packet) active dry yeast
pinch or two of sugar

Mix together and let the yeast dissolve and grow for a few minutes.

Add:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp oil (I used canola)
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Mix until smooth.
Add:
1 3/4  - 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Stir until it forms a stiff dough (I added about 1 1/2 cups of flour all at once and then the rest little by little).
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes.  Dough should be smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased bowl and let it rise about 55 minutes or until doubled in size.
Remove from the bowl.
You now have two options
Option 1:
chop about 3 cups of Cavalo Negro kale (or regular kale)
fold into the dough and knead into the dough only until it's distributed evenly.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes and then pat and stretch onto a greased cookie sheet.  Rest the dough for another 10 minutes.
Option 2:
Pat and stretch the dough onto a greased cookie sheet.
Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Gently press about 3 cups of chopped cavalo negro kale (or regular kale) into the dough.

Finish:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Sprinkle about a 1/2 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes and 1 cup of goat cheese (in chunks is what I like) or feta onto the dough.
Add a sprinkle of parmesan or other cheese if you wish (I added just a little).
Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes or until golden on the bottom and the cheese is melted on the top.
Cut with SCISSORS.

Kid #2 - the self portrait (no jokes)

Can I just tell you that I've been wanting to make this for the longest time.  I have finally gone and made it but I feel a little guilty.  I feel guilty a lot.  I think it's partly because of my strict religious upbringing (not a bad thing at all people) and the other part... damned if I know.  I'm learning to live with my guilt.
Today I feel guilty because I have exactly two pears, three apples and a pint of cranberries that need my attention.  I just don't feel inspired to do anything with them just yet.  Maybe I should just suck it up and boil them all together and call it a day... Hey, that's not a half bad idea.  I haven't got a clue how that would turn out  - cranberry/pear/apple jam???  Either way... guilt aside... I just had to make this.  Now that I'm older I'm learning to deal with my guilt by
a) Accepting it and realizing that it's a part of what makes me wonderful... and weird.
b) Completely pushing it out of my mind by way of chocolate and cocoa and espresso powder mixed with sugar and eggs.

random shot by kid #2... still life feet

I know that I've been inundating you with all things chocolate and I promise that I'll start to smarten up very soon (although I've got this other brownie recipe that I've just got to try soon too - ack).  The appeal for me is the comfort food factor.  I don't know if I would serve this to guests.  I'm not saying that I wouldn't, I'm just not sure.  It doesn't have that wow factor that dinner guests might be expecting.  It seems and little too simple and rustic.  But jeez does it taste good.  Like amazing.  Here's a wonderful example of how wonderful this is.
I was going to take a slice of this with me to work today.  I decided not to because
a)  I don't really want anyone at work to know about it. (I'm sure that I don't need to explain)
b)  If I saved the experience for when I got home from work in the afternoon, well, the afternoon would just be that much sweeter.
c)  The mere possibility that the slice might get damaged at all being transported in my back pack was unthinkable.
The moral of my story is:  If you're feeling guilty about something... anything and you want to completely forget about the guilt and just get on with your life (guilt shoved far far away) then you've found your answer.
Thank me later.


Double Chocolate Loaf adapted from 'Baked Explorations'

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp instant espresso powder
2 lg eggs
1 lg egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz dark chocolate (60 - 72%) coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan (yeah, I measured mine just to make sure)
Place the brown sugar into a mixer bowl.  Sift in the cocoa and flour.  Add in the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and espresso powder.  Mix everything just until it's combined at the bottom of the bowl.
In another bowl mix together the eggs and egg yolk until blended.  Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Mix just until combined.
Begin mixing the dry ingredients and slowly adding the wet ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hr - 1 hr 10 min (mine was good after an hour).
Cool about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack.

If there is a better way to celebrate making it to Friday other than changing into the most comfortable pair of track pants that you own and laying on the couch watching 10 minutes of your favourite soap opera while eating one or two of these... then I certainly don't know about it.  For the record, all I can stand watching is 10 minutes of any soap opera.  But I've found that 10 minutes is all I need to catch up.  It might be once a week that I'll get my ten minutes in... it might be once a month... doesn't really matter,  I still get adequately caught up.  10 minutes and the tv goes off.  It's a beautiful thing really.
IF there is a more productive and satisfying way to spend 10 minutes and 3 egg whites than making these cookies... then I certainly don't know about it.



I haven't made meringues before.  The idea never really appealed.  Plus they sound fancy and finicky.  They're not.  They're easy... And FAST.  I couldn't believe how quickly these came together.  Here are some scenarios that came to mind after I found out how easy this recipe is and how few ingredients it needed:
Scenario 1:  You decide - like an idiot - to have people over for dinner.  A last minutes kind of thing.  Instead of making yourself crazy trying to find the perfect cake or sweet for dessert you could make these.  provided you have about 2 hrs to kill before they arrive.
Scenario 2:  You want to have some cookies in the freezer (or not even in the freezer) ready for a 'just in case' people come over occasion.
Scenario 3:  You made ice cream 3 days ago and have been consistently forgetting to put the egg whites left over in the fridge.  What do you do with them now?  Make these of course.
Scenario 4:  You want to prove to your friends and kids that cookies without flour can actually work.  Make these.
You know, I could go on but I won't.  I think you get it.  I'm still in a little bit a shock over the whole experience.

So here I am on friday night, after school, after work, with one kid upstairs throwing a tantrum because she has homework to do on a friday (I'm evil.  Everything you've heard is true.), the other kid is already naked and wrapped up in a blanket (don't ask), I've got two hours to kill before I go out with a couple of friends and leave the 'crazy' that is my house right now, I'm in my track pants, on the couch, watching GH and letting crumbs from two of these cookies drop onto my shirt... like a total friday night bum.


Chunky Chip Meringues adapted from (Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy by Alice Medrich)
made about 20 cookies for me but they were pretty big

4 oz dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup lightly toasted pecan pieces
3 lg egg whites at room temperature (maybe even for a day or two at room temperature)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar


Line two cookies sheets with parchment.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a stainless steel mixing bowl (absolutely clean and dry).  Beat at med/high speed until the whites are creamy and hold a little shape when you lift the beaters. Continue beating at medium speed and add the sugar a little at a time.  I took about 3 - 4 minutes to do this.  The egg whites should form stiff peaks after this.
Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and the pecans.  Fold in only until everything is combined.
Drop heaping spoonfuls (I used about 2 tbsp at a time - maybe a little more) onto the parchment.  These don't spread so you can place them quite close together.
Bake 10 - 15 minutes (until the cookies begin to look golden at the edges) then turn the oven down to 200 degrees F.  Rotate the pans (I forgot to do this p.s.)  Bake at 200 for another hour and a half (yup 1 1/2 hrs).  Turn off the oven the let the meringues cool completely before storing.   Will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 months (!)

I'm making up for lost time.  It's been a while since I've posted two savoury recipes in a row.  But here it is... number two.


Speaking of number two, let me tell you all a little bit about my third half marathon experience that happened last Sunday.
You see, the night before we had dinner guests which in retrospect might not have been the greatest of ideas but hindsight is always 20/20.  I made this squash stuff.  I also made the baked beans and sweet potatoes in my previous post.  I also made some asian vegetables (remember my Hoisin Sauce fetish of late???)  I was pretty hungry and I also knew that I would be doing this big run the next day.  So I decided to really let myself tuck in.  I ate a lot.  A lot of baked beans.  And squash... which is delicious by the way. Like so good that I had seconds.
I didn't have a good night after that though.  I stayed up too late (I didn't drink too much this time though... learning my lesson there at least).  Kid #2 got up twice during the night.  And I felt awful.  Like I had basically given myself a baked bean enema.  So not cool.
When I got up the next morning... race day... I didn't even feel like eating.  I did though.  I ate two eggs.  Not bad at all.  I also drank my favourite cider vinegar and honey concoction.  I drank too much of it though.  I felt so bad and I thought it would help.
I pee'd a lot before leaving for the race but by the time I got there I had to again.  Well, there was just nowhere to go.  I determined to get through the race fast.  Which I did... for the first 16 km.  But then I really needed to pee.  There were only 3 cans at the place where I stopped... and there was a line-up.  Oh Jeez.  I waited about 4 minutes (maybe more... I was in distress at that point and was having trouble keeping clear).  4 minutes is a long time in a race.  A LONG time.  I really pushed it again after that but I was angry with myself and then I started to feel kinda sick (from pushing it probably) and then I couldn't go on... I hit a wall at about 18 k.  Fortunately, at about 20 k (remember the race is only 21 k) my BFF KT was waiting at the side of the course and was cheering me on.  - How blessed am I?  She was also waiting at the 4k and 6 k mark as well.  THE BEST - If she hadn't been there I just might have walked the rest of the way... or walked straight to the subway station and gone home, who knows.  At the end of the day even though I lost all that time I came in at 2hrs 3 min.  I really wanted to crack the 2 hr mark and I would have if I'd been smarter, if my head had been clearer and if I hadn't been up all night dealing with the baked bean enema.  I'm focussed on keeping going though - next one in May.


Eat this squash.  Squash is good for you and delicata squash is so pretty and the skin is so tender that you can eat everything skin included.  I like the sweetness of the squash being offset by the savouriness of the filling.  It works for me.
The moral of this post... if you are running for an extended period of time (say longer than 10 minutes) then you might want to hold off just a bit on the baked beans, or any beans really and also not drink too much an hour before you start running.  Live and learn and pass it on.


Stuffed Squash
serves about 6

4 squash (I used acorn and delicata) cut in half and de-seeded
butter

4 cups cooked rice (could be brown or white - or even another grain)
4 med pork sausage (I used honey/garlic), casings removed
1 med onion, diced
2 lg cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp bouillion (about 1 cube)
dash of Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 cup each parsley and chive
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 med carrot shredded
1 small green pepper diced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded (plus a little extra for the top of each squash)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet.  Slather each piece with some butter.  Bake for about 20 minutes uncovered.
Meanwhile,
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add in some oil (of your choice) and throw in the onion, garlic, green pepper and shredded carrot.  Cook until the onion is just becoming golden (about 5 - 7 minutes).  Add in the sausage and cook until the sausage isn't clumped together anymore.
Add in the bouillon, Worcestershire, parsley, chives and salt.  Mix well.  Add in the cooked rice and stir to combine.  Check the taste and adjust as necessary.  Add in the cheddar and parmesan and mix well.
Fill each squash half with the rice/sausage mixture until it's a little more than filled (I like mine piled just a bit).  Sprinkle some remaining cheddar on the top of each one.
Bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove and cool for about 5 minutes.
Serve.

When I was a kid I often bit off more than I could chew.  I don't mean that as a figure of speech.  I really couldn't eat what was in my mouth sometimes.  It was probably glutinous... but I was a kid, right.  There were other times when my eyes were just way too big for my stomach.  Too much food on my plate.  It got me in trouble on many fronts.  First of all, my parents were pretty big on the 'no wasting food' thing.  So leaving back food that you had purposefully put onto your own plate was punishment worthy.  Secondly, if I did eat everything on my plate then I just plain ate too much.  Sometimes I did the same thing with candy or chocolate... and I would feel sick later.  I still have trouble stomaching fig newtons or mint flavour chocolate because of that.
I've scaled back a lot on the eating too much or putting too much on my plate thing.  I'm still really bad at piling too much on my plate in the figure of speech way though.  I have trouble saying no (although I'm getting better/working on it) and I think that I can accomplish way more than I am really comfortable with. Quite simply, sometimes I just try and do too much.  I like to think that it's born out of a healthy self esteem but I suspect otherwise.
Case in point, this weekend.  Every moment of the weekend is booked with something.  Some moments are booked with two somethings.  One of those somethings includes me running for two hours straight.  Not a huge deal in and of itself but when I have to ask my body to continue moving afterwards in any significant way it becomes a huge deal.  So, with all of those somethings happening, we decided that this would also be a good weekend to have some people over for dinner.
Wait... What?
Yeah I can do it (read: NO I can't but now I have to because now that the idea is out there I'm not going to back away from it... and I probably suggested it myself anyway)
So... I'm doin' it.
What do you do for dinner when you don't really have any time to make that dinner?
You make comfort food.



Enter unBaked Beans and Baked Roots (Potato and Sweet Potato).
Make beans in the morning before first something starts.  Let it simmer on very low heat.
Come home after about the third something and heat up the oven.  Rinse off any crap from the potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Poke some holes in them with a fork.  Throw them in the oven.
You get the idea.
They bring some wine and everybody comments on how yummy and rustic and cozy the dinner is.  You're a hero and once again, you've proven to yourself that you can do even more than you thought (cue another self esteem boost).


I won't lie to you, I'm still thinking about all the additional somethings that are coming but I'm not going to hesitate to pat myself on the back for pulling off a winner.



Unbaked Beans (and baked Potato and Sweet Potato) adapted from 'More with Less'
serves 6 - 8

3 cans (384ml size) Navy beans undrained
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbsp mustard (I used dijon)
2 tsp salt (more to taste)
2 lg tbsp brown sugar
dash of pepper sauce
3 slices bacon chopped
1 med onion, sliced thin
2 lg cloves garlic, minced

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan or dutch oven cook the bacon, onion and garlic together over medium heat. Once the onion and garlic are slightly browned then add the beans.  Mix lightly.
Add in the rest of the ingredients.
Heat until it's simmering.   Turn the heat down to med/low (or even low) and cook for about 3 - 4 hours.  Add extra liquid only if and when you need to.  Check the taste and adjust if necessary.

For the last hour of cooking:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and poke about 4 med/lg potatoes and place in the heated oven.
For the last 30 min. of cooking:
Wash and poke about 4 med/lg sweet potatoes and place in the heated oven with the regular potatoes.

After the last hour:
Check that the potatoes are done.
Remove from oven and slice the potatoes open.
Ladle the beans into the baked potatoes.
Serve, placing a bowl of the beans on the table so that people can add extra if they like.
Also serve with sour cream or plain yogurt, cut chives or green onions and extra pepper sauce.