lemon thyme ice cream

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I have been buying kitchen gadgets for over thirty years. I own every conceivable pot, pan, knife, peeler, mold – you name it; I own it. I have worn out three stand mixers and four food processors. And yet despite being a crazed collector of anything cooking related, I have never owned an ice cream maker. I bought one and gave it to my mom for Christmas ten years ago. Last summer she regifted it to me. She said I would get more use out of it. Adorable! only my mom can return my gift to her and make me feel delighted. I really was over the moon. For some reason, I could never get my head around buying myself one. Which makes absolutely no sense given that I am the proud owner of an electric spice grinder, pasta machine, meat slicer, panini press, deep fryer…you get the picture!

Last summer I played around with all sorts of fruit combinations in our almost daily ice cream fest. After dinner one night Ralph actually said to me, “all we have for dessert is homemade ice cream?” Not in a grateful kind of way but in more of a ‘that’s it?’ kind of way. The ice cream wasn’t the only chill he got that night!

I love the favour of lemons. I particularly love it combined with sugar. This past weekend, while I was weeding my herb garden, I caught the beautiful aroma of my lemon thyme. It’s magical. Sort of a spicy, lemony fresh scent. I thought about chopping some up to throw into a batch of vanilla ice cream but I didn’t think that I would like frozen bits of grass in my velvety frozen dessert.

Later in the afternoon, while I was sipping a cup of tea, I had a culinary epiphany! Perhaps ‘epiphany’ is a little dramatic but definitely exciting. I would infuse the cream with the lemon thyme – just like making tea – then strain the herbs and use the heavenly scented lemon thyme cream to make this summers first batch of ice cream.

If you do not own an ice cream maker, buy one. They are inexpensive and an absolute ball to use. Trust me – I wouldn’t trade mine for anything!!! Sorry Mom, you can’t have it back…

Lemon Thyme Ice Cream

serves 8

2 cups heavy cream, scalded

1 ounce lemon thyme, leaves and tender green stems [ no woody bits ]

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups heavy cream, chilled

Stir sugar into scalded cream until dissolved

Place lemon thyme in medium-sized bowl and pour hot cream and sugar mixture over top

Allow the herb to infuse the cream for 1 hour

Strain the herb from the cream mixture then place liquid in refrigerator until well chilled

Combine cream/sugar mixture with additional cream and vanilla extract

Follow the manufacturer’s directions from your ice cream maker.

It’s summer in a bowl!

Thanks for reading

as solid as rock

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And so begins another summer of good old-fashioned quality ‘Hooton family time’. When the girls were little, Ralph and I thought that it was important that our daughters understood the meaning of ‘hard work’ and how many hands could make light work. Ralph dubbed our family work projects as ‘good old fashioned quality family time’. They still run and hide when we use this phrase!

We are finishing the patio area on the south side of the back shed. When I say “we”, what I mean is Dad is the boss with Ralph and I doing as we are told.

Two summers ago, Dad leveled our back shed with hand jacks – no joking. He actually lifted our 100-year-old sagging shed by hand. After it was solidly level, it was shingled and stained. During the construction time, Dad salvaged a granite step from the north side of the house that had sunk deeply into the earth after a century of being trod upon. I love the word ‘trod’ – it sounds so old-english.

Saturday morning the salvaged 1500 lb granite slab was being repositioned to its new home. With the help of our tractor, they were able to bring the stone to the edge of our patio. The challenge was to put the stone in its new resting place without disturbing the new cement walkway or the granite patio frame.

Once the slab was in the patio area, the real work and nail-biting began. They worked while I bit my nails.

They used two logs to position the stone into place. I was thinking – pyramids…

As I watched my husband work alongside my dad, my mind wandered back to the beginning of my life with Ralph. Windbreaks, wharfs, decks, hand carved oak head boards for three little bears, remodeling Sister’s Italian Foods, the farm… My dad’s boundless love and generosity is as solid as granite.

It is all that I have ever known.

I made this dessert after a long day working in the hot sun. It’s quick, simple and you can’t stop eating it! Trust me – the sour cream may sound a little out there but combined with the brown sugar – you will be using your fingers to lick up the last of it after the fruit is gone.

Pineapple with Brown Sugar and Sour Cream

Use as much fresh pineapple as you want with brown sugar and sour cream for dipping.

Cut the pineapple into bite sized pieces.

Place the sour cream and brown sugar into 2 sperate bowls

Serve with toothpicks.

Thanks for reading.

banana split bread and a dive bombing hummingbird

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I love making banana bread.

Not because it is effortless or because it’s delicious. Banana ‘anything’ completely appeals to my frugality. You have to use over ripe bananas. The more disgusting the bananas look; the better they will be in whatever you are baking. If a banana in my house has so much as a blip on it, my family turn up their noses! When the girls were little, I ended up with a lot of rejected bananas and not enough time to use them up – UNTIL…

A friend of mine told me that she kept her ripe bananas in the freezer until she was ready to use them. They continue to ripen as they freeze and then once frozen will keep until needed for baking. Thaw them overnight to make sure that they are at room temperature, peel them [which is extremely gross] then follow your recipe. Use the brown liquid from the thawed bananas as well as the fruit.

I got up early Saturday morning so I could get a jump-start on the day. I love the light at that time of day for photographing my food. While I was setting up my equipment on our veranda, I heard a roaring sound inches away from my head. It was a hummingbird. It was dive bombing me so that he could get near the banana bread. The sweetness from the peanut/skor topping must have sent him into attack mode – I kid you not!

He may look delicate but when banana bread is at stake he turns into a World War 1 ace fighter pilot. It was hilarious.

Happily, he went back to his feeder and we got to enjoy the warm Banana Split Bread. I used some of the flavours from Dairy Queen’s classic banana split when I wrote this recipe. Sinful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Banana Split Bread

preheat oven 350*F

Butter and flour two 9×5″ bread pans

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

6 large ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice, allow to curdle

1 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cups finely chopped salted peanuts

1/3 cup skor bits

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat eggs with sugar until very thick – about 10 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add oil in a steady stream.

Stir in bananas, curdled milk and vanilla.

Fold in flour mixture and chocolate chips

Divide batter between pans, spread evenly.

Mix peanuts and skor bits together and sprinkle over the two breads

Check at 60 minutes, toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Cool loaves for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Turn loaves right side up and cool completely.

Thanks for reading.

apple blossoms were her favorite

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A hawk scans the fields near a lonely country church that sits on a farm five minutes from my house.

The church is flanked on one side by a small apple orchard.

It’s Victoria Day and the weekend that I long for my Nanny Ekstrom.

The apple blossoms are in full bloom.

The scent of her Avon apple blossom fragrance filled my childhood.

 As apple blossom petals floated in the morning breeze, I wished she was with me.

Time doesn’t always heal…

Thanks for reading.

waiting for my kid

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The moment that Meaghan told me that she was leaving home defined the beginning of a new mother daughter connection. We would learn to condense our relationship into meaningful but limited periods of time. I can’t believe that four years have passed since she and Theo graduated from university, packed up Theo’s car and drove across Canada in search of work.

They will be home in a couple of months for one week. A lot of love will be jammed into those seven days interlaced with all of their favorite treats.

I have experimented with all sorts of new dishes – it helps calm me while I wait for her to get here!

The last time that I was in Calgary we ate fish tacos at a fast food joint which left me with a slight case of food poisoning.

Despite ending up face first in the toilet bowl, I loved the idea of a fish taco.

When my girls are home, we tend to dine ‘family style’. It allows me to sit and enjoy them as much as possible instead of having to constantly get up and down from the table. This meal is simple to prepare, fresh and delicious!

Adapted from My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family &Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow

FISH TACOS

FOR THE SALTED CABBAGE
1/2 very small green cabbage, coarsely grated
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch Maldon sea salt

Combine everything together and let it sit for 20 minutes. The cabbage will wilt slightly, but will keep its crunch.

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 small red onion, peeled and very finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Maldon sea salt
1 lime, 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

Combine the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro in a bowl. Season to taste with salt, zest, lemon and lime juice.

FOR THE LIME CREMA

1/2 cup sour cream

1 lime, juiced

Mix ingredients.

FOR THE FISH TACOS
Safflower, for frying
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup beer
Coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into finger-sized pieces(about 2 inches long and 1/2-inch thick)
Corn tortilla

Pour 2 inches of safflower oil in a large pot or fill your deep-fat fryer.

Heat to 350°F.
Combine the flour, beer, a pinch of salt, and the pepper together in a large bowl. Dredge the fish in the batter and gently place in the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry for 3–4 minutes, turning here and there, until nicely browned. Remove to a paper towel–lined plate, sprinkle with a little salt, and repeat with as many batches as necessary until you’ve cooked all your fish.

To serve, warm the corn tortillas on both sides in a skillet with just a bit of oil or butter. Serve a stack of them alongside all your fillings. To assemble, spread a spoonful of lime crema on a tortilla, lay 2 or 3 pieces of fried fish on top, scatter generously with pico de gallo, a bit of salted cabbage, and some guacamole.

I totally get Meggie’s curiosity for life. I just wished that it hadn’t extended further than my front door!

Thanks for reading.

my mother’s day at the farm

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It was a quiet day.

A day of talking about life with my daughter Sara.

We tried to pick fiddleheads but found we were a week late.

Old time farmers have a lovely saying. ‘When bilberry blossoms are as big as a mouse’s ear, it’s planting time.

Sara and I roamed all over the farm.

It’s time to plant.

Thanks for reading.

in her words

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From my daughter, Kaitie…

I am my mother’s daughter.
Mom came to visit me this weekend in Toronto. She hates it. Well, she doesn’t hate it,but she prefers that I come home. She likes me in my bed at home.
When she comes to see me, we always end up doing the same thing. Talk, eat, drink and talk some more. It is important to us that we know exactly what is going on in the others life. I love my daily phone calls about what we had for dinner, how our day was and the details of our lives that we want the other to know. Sometimes she throws her hands over her ears in protest “Kaitie, there are some things a mother just doesn’t need to know”.
I don’t care, I tell her anyway. She needs to know.
She landed on Friday and we went and sat on a patio and started what would end up being a 72 hour catch up session that I could only handle with my mama.
Mom always gets excited to go to little grocery stores to see what gems we can find that are not so easily found on the East Coast. I love watching her walk around looking at the food, dreaming up menus and dinners. I’ve watched her do this since I was a little girl, and I still love trailing behind her watching her magic.
To say that my mom taught me to cook is a bit of an understatement. My mom taught to me love food. For our family, dinner was always something that was done together. Even if we were making a Kraft pizza we made it together, dancing around in the kitchen, teasing each other, laughing (sometimes crying). She taught me the basics, but she also showed me the freedom of cooking. How to put ingredients together without following a recipe. Using just what you had on hand. She is always learning something new and always teaching me something new. We try things, and sometimes they seriously fail. But we still laugh about them. As a family so many of our stories are around dinners we had as kids.
As an adult, watching her dance around my tiny kitchen in Toronto makes me love her even more. When we cooked together this weekend it made me laugh how easily we work with each other. Anticipating the others next move or needs before any words were said. I guess being her sous chef my whole life has made us the perfect partners.
She teaches me with the same gentle guidance she has my whole life.
She makes me calm. She fixes all my broken pieces. She reminds me to breathe.
I will always be my mothers daughter.
Soft Shell Crab with Garlic Chili Butter
serves 2
4 soft shell crabs, cleaned
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 hot chilies, sliced fine
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm olive oil
Add butter and heat until frothy
Meanwhile, mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl
Dust crab with flour mixture on both sides
Add to skillet and saute on both sides until crispy – 2 minutes per side
Remove crabs to serving plate
Remove skillet from heat and quickly add garlic and chillies allowing the heat of the skillet to release their fragrance
Pour butter mixture over crabs
Sprinkle with lemon juice and zest
Enjoy – shell and all!