Tag Archives: carrots

Cream of Roasted Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup – sans cream

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I remember when I first introduced this style of soup at Sister’s. I had a soup line-up for days! My customers were fascinated with the idea of cream soup without the cream. It made them feel like they were being decadent without the worry of too many calories. Although, given that I was also serving pizza, lasagna, focaccia sandwiches and pasta… I can safely assume that most of my customers did not spend a lot of time calorie counting.

You can use whatever combination of root vegetables that appeal to you. I have combined carrots with parsnips, potato with turnips, multiple winter squashes, beet with potato, sweet potato with carrot – you see what I mean…

The creaminess is created by pureeing the soup with an immersion blender. This is the quickest and easiest way to ’cream’ the soup but you can also use a food processor or blender and puree in small batches, as well.

Root vegetable soups freeze perfectly which makes them a personal favorite for last-minute entertaining. If your soup is already made, you can spend some fun on the garnish. Sauteed jumbo shrimp, seared sea scallops wrapped in pancetta, crusty ciabatta crostini with melted gorgonzola or a simple sprig of whatever herb you used in your soup. Floating any of these examples in the middle of the soup bowl lifts your soup to a higher level!

Another fun thing to play around with is your liquids. I have used chicken broth for this recipe. You can also add orange juice, apple juice, white wine or whatever flavour you would like to create.

This soup recipe is healthy, delicious and easy to prepare.

Cream of Roasted Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup

serves 4-6

Preheat oven 325*F

12 large carrots

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 medium onion, peeled and halved

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

3 sprigs fresh thyme

5 cups chicken stock

Place vegetables in shallow roasting pan large enough for the veg to fit snugly but not stacked. Pour enough chicken stock to just come to the top of the veg.

Add sprigs of fresh thyme then cover pan with aluminium foil.

Place in oven for 90 minutes or until veg are very soft.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Remove thyme sprigs.

Place pureed veg and stock in a small stock pot.

Using an immersion blender, thoroughly puree vegetables.

Add enough additional chicken stock to acheive the desired consistency.

In total, I used 5 cups of stock – you may use more or less – you decide!

Taste for seasonings and add freshly chopped additional thyme.

Heat thoroughly and serve.

Thanks for reading.

Carrot Cake in the Saint John City Market

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I wish that I had a penny for every time that I have baked a carrot cake.

In 1987, my best friend, Christie and I promoted our new catering company, Larkspur and Sage, by displaying our food on a bench in the Saint John City Market. The market is in the center of the uptown area which made it a great place to incubate a new business.  Lots of people living and working in close proximity gave us a captive audience.

We would start baking daily at 4 am to be ready to set up for 9 am. I was living with my uncle Joe at the time. He and his wife kindly allowed us to, completely,  take over their kitchen. It would be illegal today to sell food from a home kitchen. It might have been then…

We were working 18 hours a day. If anything could be done the night before, we would take advantage of the opportunity to save a little time in the morning.

In 1987, the market was not heated. We dressed in blue jeans, long johns, wool socks, several sweaters, gloves with exposed fingers and heavy coats. We would often finish our day, at the market, with frozen fingers and aching bones.

But we started every day ready and raring. Each morning, we would load cut glass cake pedestals, vintage bone china platters, Depression glassware, thrift shop silver serving treasures, lace tablecloths, bolts of heavy cotton, kraft paper shopping bags, white card board cake boxes, serving utensils and flowers on to our display bench. Once everything was set up, we brought in the treats.

Our intension had been to use the display to inspire catering bookings. Pete Luckett was selling produce one stall down from us. One morning he came by and asked if he could buy our display of individual creme brulees. There was a dozen custards! We could not resist the fun of selling ‘the goods’ – from that day on, we sold out every day!

Our display featured coconut cream pies, dark fruit cakes, plum puddings, lemon curd tartlets, intricately cut sugar cookies, chocolate buttercreams, war cakes, creme brulees,  fresh fruit tarts, apple galettes, tea biscuits, mile-high lemon meringue pies - yikes – no wonder we were tired.

Keep in mind, this was happening 25 years ago… The term ‘foodie’ had yet to be coined.

It was the holiday season. We were hoping to book cocktail parties so the food that we prepared was in miniature including the desserts. The largest cake that we baked was six inches in diameter.

This carrot cake recipe created one of our most popular sweets.

Desserts tend to be very trendy but carrot cake remains on everyone’s comfort food list.

Carrot Cake

adapted from  The Silver Palate Cook Book

preheat oven 350*F

Grease two 9″ layer cake pans lined with parchment paper.

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 cups corn oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

1 2/3 cups pureed cooked carrots, drained

3/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.

Add oil, eggs and vanilla.

Beat well.

Fold in pecans, coconut, carrots and pineapple.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes.

Cool on a rack for at least 3 hours.

Frost and fill with Cream Cheese Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

4 cups icing sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Beat together until light and fluffy.

Add more lemon juice, if icing is too stiff.

Our days were long and hard and wonderful. We loved working together, creating beautiful food.

Where has the time gone…

Thanks for reading.

Is it Coleslaw or White Cabbage Chiffonade in Apple Cider Cream?

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I love menus.

Ralph thinks that I am extremely gullible. When we dine out, my favorite part of the evening is reading what the kitchen has to offer. Next is the lovely anticipation of seeing how the written word materializes on my plate. There was a time when restaurants used descriptors like ‘homemade’ or ‘old-fashioned’ to excite our palates. Those words today are a clear signal that the talent in the kitchen might be a little pedestrian. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good, ‘old fashioned’ turkey dinner but I want it prepared by my mom!

Last night I prepared Buffalo-style chicken wings served with coleslaw. As I stood slicing the cabbage, I started to elevate the lowly cabbage salad to an exciting ‘new’ vegetable sensation. White Cabbage Chiffonade in Apple Cider Cream was my first try. It sounded a little too phoo-phoo for me to have created it. My style is more rustic. Hand-cut Cabbage Slaw with Just-pulled Carrot Thinnings in a creamy apple vinaigrette. Clearly, if I was writing my own menu it would be a bit of a read. People would probably be full before they even ordered!

This salad is delicious and absolutely effortless to prepare. It is critical that you slice your own cabbage. No offence to the pre-packaged ‘coleslaw mix’ but it just doesn’t cut it…hee hee. Local cabbage is available and fabulous. The carrot thinnings that you see in my photo were pulled two minutes before I took the shot. If you do not have a veggie garden, head to your local farmer’s market. Carrots are in abundance.

I serve this salad with fried chicken or hot wings to balance the health quota of our meal. As much as I would love to serve french fries, my nutrition metre won’t allow it.

Hand-cut Cabbage Slaw with Just-pulled Carrot Thinnings in a creamy Apple Vinaigrette

serves 2

1/4 large firm white cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a large bowl, combine vinegar, honey, sour cream and salt.

Add sliced cabbage and toss well.

Allow salad to marinate for at least one hour before serving at room temperature.

Now that I look at my recipe, I could describe my coleslaw as ‘Hand-cut Cabbage Slaw with Just-pulled Carrot Thinnings in a creamy Apple and Wild Flower Honey Vinaigrette’

Yikes, you really have to know when to stop.

Thanks for reading.

Romance Under the August Moon

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It’s a remarkable thing to share your life with someone. To have and to hold…

I remember, so clearly, the day that Ralph asked me to marry him. It was not romantic.

We were standing in my great-aunt’s dining room. Ralph asked her to join us. When she arrived, he simply turned to me, took both of my hands in his and said, “marry me”.

The room started to spin. This was not how I had pictured his proposal. Every drop of self-doubt and every irrational musing, I could conjure up, swirled around me. I am not sure how much time had passed but, when I had steadied, Ralph was still holding my hands and my great-aunt was wide-eyed with anticipation. I agreed.

I asked him later why he had wanted my aunt present while he asked me “the big question’. He said, “I wanted a witness”. I kid you not! He wanted a witness – clearly romance was not a priority for Ralph.

Catapult twenty years ahead… Saturday night the most glorious full moon graced our pastures.

It had been a wonderful day. The farmer next to us had taken the hay off of our southern fields which is a beautiful thing to behold. The tractor creates long neat rows of hay ready to be bailed. The golden hue of the hay against the blue of the river and sky and the green rolling hills of the Kingston Peninsula in the background, is stunning.

Later in the day, we had wonderful guests for a delicious country-style dinner. After dinner we sat out on the veranda and chatted as the moon rose. We all marvelled at how spectacular it was. The conversation was completely enchanting and left us looking forward to their next visit.

After they had left, Ralph and I walked over to the newly mowed pasture. As we stood in the moon light quietly absorbing the beauty of the moon’s reflection across the river, Ralph said,”would you marry me again”

With only the moon as our witness…

One of the vegetable dishes that I prepared for our dinner was Baked Carrots with Garlic, Thyme and White Wine. Young carrots are in abundance at the farmer’s markets. This recipe is one of our favorite ways to enjoy freshly picked carrots.

Baked Carrots with Garlic, Thyme and White Wine

Allow 3-4 small carrots per guest

Trim the carrot tops and scrub the carrots thoroughly.

Prepare a double lined piece of aluminium foil - large enough to hold the carrots and fold into a packet.

Place the carrots in the centre of the foil, sprinkle with sea salt, 2-3 cloves of garlic per 15 carrots.

Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons dry white wine.

Top with a fresh sprig of thyme.

Fold packet so that there are no air leaks.

Place in oven for 40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Careful when opening the packet as the steam will be very hot!

Thanks for reading.

Thai Shredded Carrot Salad with Spicy Herb Rubbed Grilled Pork Chops

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Ralph is determined to raise our own meat. Yikes! I have visions of me feeding adorable little animals, making sure that their every need is met and then…

As much as I am loving life in the country, I am not sure that this is a leap that I can make. Don’t get me wrong – I love meat but, I happily delude myself as to where it comes from by purchasing it nicely cut and packaged. I am not sure that I want the opportunity to name the meat on my plate.

None the less, when we were at the market on Saturday, Ralph had a great chat with farmer Terry Mierau. Terry and his wife Monique own Cedar Lane Farm where they grow free-range eggs, pasture raised chickens, turkeys and pork, home garden vegetables, fruit and maple syrup. He loved the idea of us raising our own meat but suggested that we start with laying hens. I giggled to myself picturing Ralph, in our imaginary chicken coop, feeding the hens – not! It would be me.

I am interested in laying hens but I worry about coyotes. Last summer a young coyote killed eleven feral cats that were living in our barn. It was horrible.

Terry advised that once we were comfortable with the hens we should then get a couple of pigs. Apparently, pigs are very social and don’t thrive alone. Then we could grow some lamb and beef. “And then you’ll need a milking cow” he laughed “it will completely change your life because you will never be able to leave home again”! They need to be milked twice a day.

Ralph and I are still in discussion. I will keep you posted.

We bought beautiful thick pork chops from Terry and some new carrots from the London family garden.

Spicy Herb Rubbed Pork Chops

serves 2

2 - 1 1/2″ thick pork chops

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayene

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix spices and herbs together then rub evenly on both sides of chops. Allow the chops to sit for at least one hour before grilling.

Place chops on a hot grill – high heat

Grill 6-7 minutes per side.

This salad recipe has been adapted from a local Thai restaurant to suit our palate. Play around with it so that it becomes perfect for you!

Thai Shredded Carrot Salad

serves 2

4 medium carrots, shredded

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 red Thai peppers, seeded and minced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

Shred your carrots either coarsely or fine, which ever you prefer

In a medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients then add carrots and mix well.

Place covered in refrigerator and allow to marinate for one hour.

Divide between 4 serving plates and garnish with chopped peanuts.

Thanks for reading.