Tag Archives: recipes

Recipes, Salad

Summer Vegetable Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

During the summer, we eat salads of crisp raw summer vegetables with great regularity, as the main vegetable portion of the meal, especially if we are cooking outside. A bit of fresh bread and something off the grill rounds out the menu nicely. Cucumbers are a nice addition to this as well, either in as well as or in place of the carrots, in which case I usually serve a creamy dressing instead of the vinaigrette.

1 lb assorted coloured carrots
1 lb assorted coloured peppers
1 lb mixed cherry tomatoes

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup basil, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, minced

Wash and peel the carrots and slice thinly on a slight bias.
Wash the peppers, core and seed them, and dice into 1 inch pieces
Wash and stem the cherry tomatoes and halve them if large (1 inch diameter or more)
Combine all vegetables in a bowl and mix well.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing, season to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Toss salad with enough vinaigrette to coat the vegetables lightly and serve immediately.(Any extra dressing may be kept for a few days in the refrigerator)

Bread, Recipes

Walla Walla Onion and Basil Foccacia

Foccacia bread is one thing that I make very frequently, as it is an easy, satisfying compliment to just about anything. (Leftover, it makes fabulous croutons, diced, tossed in olive oil and baked until golden brown). Allow 2 1/2 hours for preparation, rising, and baking. I use instant yeast for most things at home, as you just add it to the dry ingredients rather than having to activate it first. If you want to use active dry yeast instead, you will have to add the sugar and the yeast to the warm water, rather than the dry ingredients in the recipe. Amounts are the same. For the most accurate baking results, weigh the dry ingredients, as flour density does vary, and too much flour will result in a heavy dough.

550 ml very warm (hot to the touch) water (2 1/4 cups)
60 ml olive oil (1/4 cup)
1kg flour (6 1/2 cups)
20 g salt (4 tsp)
45 g sugar (3 tbsp)
25 g instant yeast ( 3 tbsp)

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp cornmeal or semolina

1 medium Walla Walla onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 tbsp coarse salt

Combine water and olive oil in a mixing bowl and set aside
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast
Add dry ingredients to wet, and knead in an electric mixer with the dough hook for 10 minutes , until smooth and elastic to the touch. (alternatively, you can prepare the dough in a bread maker using the dough setting, or by hand if you’re feeling particularly vigorous)
Coat dough ball with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and place into a large bowl, cover, and put into a warm place to rise. (45 minutes-1 hour, depending on the temperature)
Once dough has risen to double its original size, punch it down, re-cover and allow to rise a second time. (30 minutes or so)
Transfer dough to a lightly floured board and roll out into a rectangle 12 by 16 inches ,or the same size as a baking sheet.
Spray a baking sheet lightly with nonstick spray and scatter with cornmeal or semolina (this gives it a nice crust and prevents sticking)
Cover and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F

While dough is rising, slice onion very thinly and sauté in olive oil until golden.
Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
Chop basil and set aside.
Once the dough has finished its pan rise, spread the onions all over the top, scatter with basil and coarse salt, and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 F oven, or until it sounds hollow when tapped on the top

Remove from oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Slice into large squares and serve.

Entree, Meat, Recipes

Rack of Pork with Raspberry Hazelnut Glaze and Plum Apple Sauce

When preparing a marinade for pork I always try and strike a balance between sweet, sour, salt and spice, as all are complimentary to the flavour. My preferred method for marinating is to put the meat in a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients, add them to the bag, zip it shut, removing all of the air so that the marinade gets all around the meat, rubbing it well, and then placing the bag in the fridge for a couple of hours. I have found that this way, you need only a small amount of marinade to cover the meat, and it penetrates the flavour in further.

1 rack of pork (4- 5 lb)

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup hazelnut oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp agave syrup (or honey)
1/2 tsp Old Bay spice (or pinch cayenne)

coarse salt
steak spice

Place pork in a large resealable bag. Combine vinegar, oil, mustard, syrup (or honey), and bay spice (or cayenne), and add to bag. Zip shut, removing as much air as possible , and place in refrigerator for 2-6 hours to marinate. Remove from bag, reserving marinade, and transfer to a sheet pan. Season well with salt and steak spice (you can use your favourite blend, or make our own, recipe follows)

Place pork, bones down, on a preheated barbecue over medium indirect heat and cook, cover down for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes, until it registers 140 F on a meat thermometer.
Remove from heat, allow to rest in a warm spot for 20 minutes, and carve into individual chops.

Steak Spice

This will make a nice sized jar, mix well, grind as needed and use to season meats and poultry.

3 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp green or pink peppercorns (dry)
1 tbsp Szechuan pepper
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp dill seed
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp yellow mustard seed
1 tbsp brown mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp chili flakes

Recipes, Sauce

Plum and Apple Sauce

12 plums, pitted and halved
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
pinch cinnamon
pinch cloves

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot, bring to a simmer, and cover.

Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour, until very soft.

Puree and strain.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until needed

Dessert, Recipes

Peach and Almond Crumble

Fruit crumbles, crisps, cobblers, and the like are the staple of easy summer desserts. I like to add almonds to my crumble topping, especially with peaches and apricots, but you may use rolled oats instead if you prefer, or are preparing the dish for someone with a nut allergy.

Topping

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sliced almonds

Filling

2 lb peaches
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup cornstarch

Combine butter, sugar, flour, and almonds and mix with fingers until well combined, but crumbly still.
Blanch peaches in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, plunge into cold water, and remove skins.
Halve peaches, remove stones, and dice into 1/2 inch pieces
Toss with brown sugar, spices, and cornstarch, and place into a 2 quart round or square casserole dish.
Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit, and bake for 45 minutes, until browned, bubbling slightly, and fruit is tender.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream or whipped cream