Monthly Archives: May 2011

Rhubarb Cobbler and Apple Blossoms

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Life is busy on the farm. When I decorated the farmhouse last summer, I decided to forgo curtains because every view is spectacular and I couldn’t bare to cover it up. The down side to all of this eye candy is that the sun rises at 5:10 am and shines directly into our bedroom window. As much as we would like to sleep until 7 am, our feet hit the floor around 5:25 am and the day begins!

The funny thing is there never seems to be enough time in the day. After hurting my shoulder last summer by being too enthusiastic in my garden restoration, I promised myself that I would work at a more reasonable rate this year. So far I have been true to my word, but it takes longer for me to get things done. However…

Today Ralph, Dad and I are heading up river to hand load seven tons of stone for our garden wall and patio. My Dad can build anything and, happily for Ralph and I, loves the farm as much as we do. He will be here in five minutes so my post is short today! The apple blossoms popped yesterday so I am pumped to drive through the orchards that line the Saint John River valley.

I created this cobbler Sunday night and we loved it! It is easy peasy and really delicious.

RHUBARB COBBLER

serves 6

preheat oven 425*F

4 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 1/3 cup white sugar

Toss together and place in six cup casserole dish…set aside

In a large mixing bowl mix together:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Using a pastry blender cut in to flour mixture:

1/4 cup cold butter, until the mixture resembles coarse meal

Drop a large egg into a cup measure and beat well…then add enough buttermilk to bring liquid to 1/3 cup

Stir liquid into flour/butter mixture…mixture should be stiff and a little wet

Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and drop by large spoonfuls on top of sugared fruit.

Sprinkle the tops of the dough mounds with sanding sugar or granulated sugar

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream…

Thanks for reading.

Chocolate Cake with Violets with a Twist

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Hello again!

When I first started to write this blog, my friend Judith, predicted that, on days that I could not write I would feel panicked! She was right. Every day since my last post, I have wanted to write but other obligations have kept me from it. I’m back and happy as a clam!

Last Wednesday I made Christie’s birthday cake. She turned 50 this year so I wanted something special. I chose a recipe from the ‘New Basics Cookbook’ by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. Their intro for the recipe reads, “This sinfully luxurious cake deserves to be called a gateau - make this special dessert for a special person” I thought, ‘perfect’!

If you have lots of time or if you are a competent multi-tasker, try this recipe. I was working on a project, soon to be announced, so I had lots of time to spend on her cake.

Christie and I have been celebrating our birthdays, for over ten years with two other women. Every year on our birthdays, we have dinner together. We alternate hosting or we dine out. For Christie’s birthday, we decided to go to a new Thai restaurant called Splash. I was at the farm so I would drive into the city once the cake was done.

The cake turned out beautifully. I picked wild violets, to decorate it, just like her grandmother used to. I wrapped up the cake, put the flowers in water and off I headed to the party.

Thank goodness I left early. I did not consider the fact that I drive a Ford Ranger…a standard! As soon as I started down the driveway, I knew the cake was in trouble. We rattled and shook all the way to town. All of the motion caused the glaze to break and the next thing that I knew the pastry cream was oozing out from the sides of the cake. By the time I got to the city, it looked like a chocolate blob! A whole day spent preparing a beautiful cake that after a truck ride looked like a disaster… I had 30 minutes to figure out what to do!

Ramekins to the rescue. I cut four circles out of the cake and placed them in single serving ramekins. I decorated them with the violets and headed to the restaurant. I arrived first and asked our waiter  to serve them with a little whipped cream at the end of our meal. He was wonderful! When he brought them to the table, they were on doily lined dessert plates and piped with whipped cream.

Christie was delighted so mission accomplished.

MOUSSE CAKE

serves 8

preheat oven 325*F

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature

4 eggs, separated, room temperature

PASTRY CREAM

1 cup milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 egg yolks

1/2 vanilla bean

1 tablespoon butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

GLAZE

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Butter and flour the bottom and sides of an eight inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper. Butter and flour the waxed paper; shake to remove the excess.

Prepare the cake by combining 3/4 cup of the icing sugar with the cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Mix well.

Cream butter with an electric mixer until light . Add the yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add cocoa mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, beat until smooth.

Beat the whites until frothy. Slowly add the remaining icing sugar, beat until stiff and glossy. Gently fold the egg white mixture into chocolate mixture until smooth, Transfer into prepared cake pan.

Place the cake pan in a larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water coming half way up the sides of the smaller pan.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middles of the cake comes out clean.

Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack and allow to cool. Then refrigerate it, still in the pan, until firm, four hours or as long as overnight.

To make the pastry cream, combine the milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and the seeds of the vanilla bean in a medium-sized sauce pan. Place it over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt.

Place pastry cream in a bowl and cover and cool. Then refrigerate it for one hour.

To prepare the glaze, heat the cream to a simmer in a heavy sauce pan. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature; it should be thick but still pourable.

Unmold the cake and peel off the waxed paper. Place the cake right side up on a work surface, and using a sharp knife, carefully cut it in half horizontally. Cover the bottom with the chilled pastry cream and replace cake top.

Set the cake on a wire rack[to catch the drips] Spoon the glaze over the cake, and spread it over the cake, and spread it over the top and sides. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and refrigerate until glaze is set, about two hours.

Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

Thanks for reading.

Spring Vegetable Soup

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Last year, at the end of summer, Dad and I discussed where we would be building our new vegetable garden. We have a lovely flat meadow directly behind our house which receives full sunlight all day. It is close to the potting shed so, I thought it would be a perfect location. Dad cleared away all of the sod leaving a fairly large bald patch of earth ready to be tilled. With all of the rain that we have had this spring, my newly chosen vegetable garden site is a muck hole and will probably remain so until August! Dad has a very clear memory of telling me that area could be a wet spot. I told him that I do not remember him saying anything of the sort. His response, “you’re kind of hard to dissuade once you get excited about something” I find that hard to believe…lol! So my enthusiasm has come back to bite me in the butt. We are not that far behind, given the weather and the soggy ground. The veggies new home will now be in front of the house on a slight down-hill grade – same beautiful all day sunlight. This photo was taken on a foggy morning!

Mom and I drove up to Scott’s Nursery yesterday to see what vegetable starter plants were available. Obviously, buying starter plants totally outs me as a novice farmer! As you drive along Route 102, you can see all of the greenhouses full of sprouts awaiting transplanting. All in good time…

This summer I am going to try to grow red bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, leeks, tomatoes, swiss chard, lettuces, garlic, artichokes, eggplant, squash, zucchini, red onion, corn, green beans, celery, peas, spinach, beets, cukes, carrots and sun flowers! I will be keeping you posted on my journey. I can’t wait to get started.

I developed this soup  last spring when I had nothing in the fridge but vegetables. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Spring Vegetable Soup

6 servings

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 small red onion, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 lb slender green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lbs peas, shelled

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

3 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 grated parmesan

3 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

3 chive shoots, snipped into small garnish pieces

In soup pot heat oil over medium…gently saute garlic, celery and onion for 10 minutes

Add half of the asparagus, beans and peas to soup pot…stir well to coat with oil…cook for 10 minutes

Season with salt and pepper…cover with chicken stalk…bring to a boil

Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes

Add remaining vegetables and simmer for 5 more minutes this technique gives you some nice crunch

Scald cream and then slowly stir into soup…stir in fresh mint and parmesan

Ladle into bowls and garnish with chive snips.

I mentioned a few posts ago that I am participating this year in a fund raiser called the Fundy Food Festival where monies raise benefit our local Boys and Girls Club. It’s only a few days away and I want to remind any of you that live in Saint John to consider supporting a great cause. It’s a wonderful evening of sampling food created by our local chefs!

Thanks for reading.

Rhubarb Cake Farmhouse Style

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Last summer, Dad and I transplanted a 50 year old perennial garden. No easy task let me tell you! Luckily, we have a tractor which made the first part of the job possible.

There were peonies, irises, Homestead lilies, Solomon’s seal, roses and a snowball shrub all over grown and intertwined. Dad dug them out of the ground with the help of a backhoe and then deposited them in large, weed infested clumps, beside the old hen house. Next, we had to remove the sod surrounding the hen house and turn over the soil. This was all done with the help of the tractor. Then came the hard part. I had to divide every plant either by hand or by saw. It took three weeks of nine hour days to separate, de-weed and replant.

This is kind of a long intro to actually get to my point… There was a beautiful well-established clump of rhubarb behind the hen house. During the plant transfer and sod removable, big gangly messes of roots were accidently pulled out of the ground. The roots belonged to the rhubarb. I was heart sick! I was sure that I had killed the rhubarb patch that had stood a very long test of time. That is until I came along! Dad had told me not to worry. He said it is practically impossible to kill rhubarb and he was right. When I tentatively peeked around the back of , what was the hen house and is now my potting shed, there in full display was the beautiful patch of rhubarb.

 

I love rhubarb in anything…stewed, pie, jam, chutney, sauce. Rhubarb is very tart so it is impossible not to add sugar which then turns it into a treat! This particular recipe has been around longer than my rhubarb patch. It belonged to Kaitie and Meg’s great grandmother. She made it every spring with the first young stalks of rhubarb from her garden. It is truly an old fashioned country style cake and absolutely delicious! Be sure to read the entire recipe before you start, to ensure there are no surprises.

GRAM’S RHUBARB CAKE

Serves 10 – 12

Preheat oven 350*F

Butter and flour an eight by eight cake pan – set aside

½ cup butter

1 ½ brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 ½ cups rhubarb, cut in ½ inch pieces

Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy then add egg and vanilla…beat well

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Alternate flour mixture with buttermilk, in thirds, as you blend into the butter mixture ending with buttermilk.

Save 2 tablespoons of flour mixture to dust over cut rhubarb. Make sure the fruit is well covered then fold into batter

Place batter in prepared cake pan.

Mix 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with ½ cup brown sugar and then sprinkle evenly over top of cake batter.

Place in oven and check at 53 minutes by inserting a wooden toothpick in centre of cake. If it comes out clean the cake is done.

Let cake cool for 10 minutes in cake pan sitting on a cooling rack then remove from cake pan and allow to cool before cutting.

Blue Eggs and Slaw

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We are officially ‘at the farm’. It is amazing how transformative it is to move from the centre of the city to the centre of our farm!

Ralph has a list three miles long of chores and small jobs that he would like to accomplish this summer. I, on the other hand, am quite schizophrenic when it comes to the farm. One minute I am pulling weeds and then without noticing I am on the tractor removing sod. Ralph and I have distinctly different styles to approaching work and so, happily, leave each other to it!

I have a potting shed that used to serve as a hen-house which we renovated last fall. There is another out building on the other side of the house which Ralph wants to turn into a bunk house for our future grandchildren…yikes! Girls, notice that I said, “future”!

Anyway, as I was working in my flower garden I could see Ralph knocking on the door of the, soon to be bunk house, and calling to – I wasn’t sure who… As I approached him to see if he was loosing it he signaled for me to be quiet. The next thing I knew a robin flew out through the doorway. We quickly went inside to take out the tools that Ralph needed and have a  peek at the tiny blue eggs that ‘mama robin’ had been guarding. There they were in a beautifully constructed delicate straw nest.

Blue Eggs Protected

It’s quite enchanting to see your six-foot four – 230 lb husband turn in to a little boy right in front of your eyes. That robin could not have chosen a safer place to build her nest for her arriving family The renovation will wait until the chicks are ready to leave the home…

I have been playing around with recipes for cabbage slaw by using different combinations of mayonnaise, citrus and herbs. Last night’s invention was simple and yummy! Because I love being in the garden more than I love being in the kitchen I happily will use good commercial products to speed up my meal prep time.

SLAW WITH LEMON AND MINT

serves 6

1 small green winter cabbage. core removed and shredded finely

2 large carrots, trimmed, peeled and grated

1/2 white spanish onion, peeled and sliced thinly

Toss vegetables together in a mixing bowl and set aside

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together

1 cup of commercial mayonnaise  I used ‘Miracle Whip’ 

zest and juice of 1 lemon

a handful of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped

Add dressing to vegetables and toss well.

If you like a little heat add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

I really love writing this blog and would be tickled to have your feedback – good or bad!

Thanks for reading.

Hot Fudge Sundae due to the Rapture

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dusk on the pond

With all of the cooking that I do, it is important for me to watch my family’s calorie intake or we will end up looking  like the Klumps! Yesterday I threw caution to the wind and splurged. I figured, if it’s all over tomorrow, we may as well go out in style.

One of the things that Ralph and I always take a little time adjusting to is the lack of conveniences available when you are in the country. So when, all of a sudden, you have a hankering for a hot fudge sundae and find yourself an hour away from the nearest DQ either you make it yourself or you try to ignore the craving.

Given that the Rapture was upon us, we decided to go for it! I suppose our mutual love for DQ delights come from growing up in small town Canada. A trip to the DQ was a mind-blowing, not to mention, gastronomic experience. I still get excited at the thought of a peanut buster parfait!

Obviously having an ice cream maker is crucial to your success. My mom gave me hers because she found that she did not use it very often It is one of those kitchen gadgets that tend to collect dust but when you need one it is fantastic to have it on hand.

There are a kabillion recipes available for homemade ice cream. Trust me, you will never run out of willing samplers so experiment. I love pure vanilla ice cream with no embellishments covered in slightly warm chocolate fudge sauce. It is absolute heaven to me…

Follow the directions for your ice cream maker. It will be necessary to have your freezer chamber and stir paddle frozen so give yourself at least 1 day lead time. I keep my equipment in the freezer all of the time just in case the mood strikes.

 VANILLA ICE CREAM

serves 4

2 cups heavy/whipping cream

1/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix until sugar is dissolved.

Pour the mixture into the freeze chamber through the opening in the view dome while the machine is running. My machine took 12 minutes but every ice cream machine manufacturer is different so keep an eye on it.

sugar, vanilla and heavy cream

When it is ready the ice cream will be at a soft serve consistency. If you like your ice cream firmer, take it out of the freezer chamber and place in a freezer safe container until you are ready to serve.

vanilla ice cream churning

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

makes 2 cups

Place 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips in a metal bowl and set aside.

Scald 1 cup of heavy/whipping cream and immediately pour over chips. Allow to sit for 30 seconds and then whisk until smooth.

You can add 1 teaspoon of whatever flavouring you like ie vanilla, framboise, brandy etc…I like mine straight up!

Hot Fudge Sundae for two

Thanks for reading.

I Don’t Like Apples

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As you know, I am really pumped about being auctioned off with Axel Begner to help raise money, during the Fundy Food Festival, for the Boys and Girls Club. In part because it will be a blast to be in the kitchen with Axel but more importantly, for the kids from the Boys and Girls Club. I see them everyday, making their way to school or playing outside on the sidewalks. The neighborhood that I live in houses two very different worlds. The world that many of the Boys and Girls Club members belong to is one of extreme poverty.

Several years ago, I served on our municipal council. It was during that time that I had the opportunity to understand, a little more, about the lives of children growing up in poverty. Rather than bore you with stats, I will share with you a few of my experiences from a cooking course for teens that I developed and taught. I was given some guidance by the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, Debbie Cooper, to ensure that the kids would at least give the course a try. She advised that I not assume the teens would have any great knowledge of fresh ingredients or that they had ever been exposed to any kind of nutritional guidance in their homes.

Armed with that information and a very small budget, I came up with a program that would focus on one main common ingredient cooked in three different ways. I wanted the class to be interactive, rather than me lecturing, so Debbie provided each child with an apron and a pairing knife. As we were using the club’s kitchen, there were lots of bowls and spoons and miscellaneous kitchen utensils available for us to use.

The first day of the course I could feel a sense of resistance from the teens. At 13 and 14 years old, the thought of putting on an apron was humiliating. They scoffed at the half bushel of apples sitting on the work table. I heard a resounding, “I don’t like apples”…  

We started with baked apples. I taught them to carve out the core of the apple with their pairing knives. It was so interesting to watch as they cut into the fruit and smelled the delicious aroma. We stuffed the apples with brown sugar and a little piece of cinnamon bark. The conversation about cinnamon bark was priceless… As the apples went into the oven, a few of the girls sheepishly put on their aprons.

I wanted to see if they really didn’t like apples or simply had not been exposed to them. So, as we were making the apple sauce, I started to chew on one of my apple peelings. My conversation stayed focused on the safe mechanics of peeling with a knife. One by one, each student started to eat their own peelings. By the time we were finished preparing the apples for the sauce, there were no peelings left. They loved them!

The applesauce was cooked at the same time as the baked apples were coming out of the oven. The smell in that kitchen was fantastic and the kids were having a ball.

The third way we used the apples was in a crisp. In two hours, they had gone from not liking apples to peeling, cooking and devouring half a bushel.

I spent four weeks with those boys and girls. As each week passed, they became more confident and adventurous with our food conversations. They were fascinated that food did not start out frozen or in a tin. I have always believed that being able to feed yourself well is one of the most important skills we can possess. When I say ‘well’, I do not mean extravagantly but rather healthily. It is not difficult to prepare delicious, healthy meals, if you are taught to cook. I understood that those kids had far bigger problems to worry about than whether or not they were eating instant potatoes or homemade mashed. Still, I like to think that, at some point in their lives, those skills will serve them.

APPLE CRISP

serves 6

preheat oven 375*F

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Mix together and place in a greased eight inch baking dish

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup Quick Oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup soft butter

Stir together flour, brown sugar and salt in medium-sized mixing bowl…cut in butter using pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal…gently toss in oats

Sprinkle flour mixture over fruit and place baking dish in oven.

Bake 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

Note: Most Apple Crisp recipes use cinnamon and nutmeg but I prefer the pure flavour of the apples. Feel free to add whatever spices you like… 

Thanks for reading.

Raspberry Cobbler and Springtime Showers

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Last spring, we were up to our elbows in renovations with the farmhouse. We missed everything that was happening outside. We really didn’t start to discover our land until half way through July. I wanted to make sure that did not happen again this year so I have everything dusted, washed and ready for us to move back in!
old apple tree with robins

While I was spring cleaning, Mom came up to stay over night with me which translates into a long walk through the woods, a yummy supper[complete with dessert which she provides] and a BBC mini series marathon!

the pine grove and Molly

The rain would not let up so we braved the weather and headed out in our rubber boots! Rainfall in the forest causes the light to have an ethereal cast.

frais des bois or strawberries of the wild/wood

It was magical discovering all of the new growth. Our meadows are laden with tiny wild strawberries which I intend to turn into jam when they are ready to pick.

 

raspberry cobbler ready for the oven

 Mom prepared a raspberry cobbler which she adapted from the old Betty Crocker version. It was sinful!

RASPBERRY COBBLER

serves 4

preheat oven 400*F

4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup brown sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Combine ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Allow fruit to come to a gentle boil while it thickens…stir often.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut in 3 tablespoons of firm butter until it resembles coarse meal…add 1/2 cup whole milk…mix well…batter will be damp

Place hot and thickened fruit in a greased eight inch casserole dish… drop 6 equal spoonfuls of batter on top of fruit then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of white sanding sugar or granulated sugar.

Place in oven and check at 25 minutes…top should be golden and fruit bubbling.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream 

Just out of the oven

Thanks for reading

Fiddlehead Primavera Pasta

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fiddleheads unfurling on river's edge

There is something very satisfying about foraging for food. I love picking wild raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Yesterday was the first time that I have ever picked fiddleheads.

fiddleheads in the rain

My great-aunt and uncle live beside our farm. They have been a constant source of information about our new community. Emma grew up here. She actually lived in our farmhouse from the time she was a toddler until she left home. Her father left the farm to her brother who then sold it to the family that we bought it from. Emma and George moved back to the community 25 years ago luckily for us because they have become our guardian angels! They know this land intimately and generously share that knowledge with us.

Sunday evening, Emma offered to take me fiddlehead picking the following morning. It was pouring rain but we were determined. She took me to a beautiful spot near the farm where we picked gorgeous, green fiddleheads. It was wonderful!

I love fiddleheads anyway they can be prepared. Mom was coming for dinner so I decided to use them in a pasta dish…

fiddleheads cleaned and ready to cook

Linguine Primavera translates to Linguine Springtime. It does not get more ‘springtime’ than this!

serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

8 spears of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 cup of fiddleheads, trimmed and cleaned well!

1 yellow bell pepper, cleaned and diced

28 ounce tin of best quality Italian plum tomatoes

1 handful fresh basil, leaves picked then chopped

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 ounces soft chevre, divided into 4 equal pieces 

16 ounces dried linguine, preferably Italian

Place a large skillet over medium heat…add olive oil…when  the oil is hot add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

Add diced chicken and saute 5 minutes, stirring often

Meanwhile bring a large pasta pot 2/3 full of water to a rolling boil and add pasta. Cook as per package instructions…

Add the fiddleheads, asparagus and peppers to the skillet with the chicken and continue cooking for 4 minutes

Place the plum tomatoes into the sauce after you have gently crushed the tomatoes with your hand. It’s more like squashing the tomato but you are still leaving it in 1 piece. Pour the juice from the tomatoes into the skillet…add the basil, salt and pepper.

Continue cooking the sauce until the pasta is al dente. Add the pasta, straight from the cooking water to the skillet…toss well and plate. 

Place a piece of chevre on top of each plate and serve.

I love Reggiano Parmigiano so I grate some on top but it is not necessary.

fiddlehead primavera with chicken and chevre

I have taken poetic licence with my ‘primavera’ by adding chicken and chevre but I think it is worth it!

Thanks for reading.

An Italian Feast with Axel and me

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Whenever I design an elaborate Italian menu, my goal is always to balance flavour, texture and color. The most important consideration is taste. It would be easy to throw together a bunch of familiar dishes with big bold flavours. The problem with that approach is over kill. By the time your guests reach the third course, they are starting to have difficulty distinguishing what they are eating. I like to use a slow build approach that allows my guests to gently move from subtle flavours, that excite and ready the palate, to bold and complex flavours. The meal then becomes a complete and whole experience leaving your guests happily satisfied rather than uncomfortably stuffed!

Balancing the meal’s textures ensures digestive ease and provides crunch and snap. Including fresh vegetables, grains and  herbs, to an elaborate meal of pasta, meats and cheeses will ensure happy guests.  

Color is critical! We eat first with our eyes. If a dish is dull and grey, it is unappetizing. Therefore, no matter what it tastes like, we are influenced by our first impression.

Italians are masters of balance. They use Nature as their guide by pairing foods that come from the same season and region: then embellish with treasures of wine, cream and cheese.

The dinner that I have designed for Axel and I to prepare will be served during the summer. Local vegetables will be in abundance, so we will start our evening, celebrating the earth, with a selection from the garden creatively served.

The next course will be a hand made pasta. Summer and pesto are interchangable. Nothing is more delicious than just picked basil pesto tossed with roasted tomatoes and steaming hot tagliatelle.

During formal Italian dinners there is a course between the first and second called Piatto di Mezzo in-between plate. It always consists of an elaborate vegetable presentation.

The ‘secondi’ or second plate is meat or fish served alone. If a vegetable contorni is served, it is on a seperate plate. I have chosen a leg of lamb stuffed with vegetables and cheese.

The cheese course is served with fruit to cleanse the palate and balance the richness of the cheese.

Italians are not big dessert eaters often preferring a glass of Vin Santo with contucci small bicotti. However, when in Rome… In Saint John, we love our desserts so I chose a classic!

We will finish, in true Italian style, with tiny steaming cups of espresso…

 

Aperitivi

Prosecco con nocciole tostate con timo e sale – Ice chilled Prosecco served with roasted hazelnuts tossed in thyme and sea salt

Pane di Toscano con EVOO – Handmade Tuscan bread served with extra virgin olive oil

Antipasti di Verdure

Pomodoro fiorentino al forno – Roast tomatoes with garlic and thyme

Zucchini scapece – Marinated then fried zucchini

Fagiolini con prezzemolo – Green beans with parsley and red wine vinegar

Peperoni riieni – Roasted yellow bell peppers stuffed with bread and parsley

Finocchio trifoliate – Braised fennel

Primo Piatto

Tagliatelle al Pesto – Handmade pasta tossed in basil, garlic, pine nut sauce with smashed and roasted grape tomatoes

Piatto di Mezzo

Sformato di spinachi con animelle – Warm spinach flan with pan seared sweetbreads

Secondi

Arrosto ripieno cosciotto di agnello – Roast leg of lamb stuffed with grilled artichokes, anchovies and rosemary

Fromaggi e Frutta

Selection of imported Italian cheeses served with seasonal local fruit

Dolce

Tiramisu – Layers of espresso and Tia Maria soaked ladyfinger biscuits and mascarpone chesse topped with shaved chocolate

Espresso

Thanks for reading.