Apple & Maple Vinaigrette

May 6th, 2013

Fresh baby lettuce @vickiveggies farm

1 cup sunflower oil
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
1 shallot, finely diced
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon Dijon grainy style mustard
1 tablespoon tarragon, finely chopped
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and let sit for one hour for all the flavours to incorporate. Or alternative, place in a mason jar with a lid and shake a few times.

Shake or whisk again, just before serving. Remainder can be stored in a tight fitting glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Tags: apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs, maple syrup, Prince Edward County, salad dressing, vicki veggies farm, vinaigrette

Flank Steak Marinade

May 18th, 2012

3/4 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a blender/food processor.. Take your flank steak and sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper on bother sides. Place in a glass dish and pour over the marinade. Flip over and ensure both sides are covered. Seal with plastic wrap and place in the frig overnight (or at least 8 hours).

Bring to room temperature before you place it on the BBQ.

Tags: BBQ, beef, flank steak, maple syrup, marinade

Maple Corn Fritters with Greek Chive Yogurt

March 21st, 2012

Fritters:
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 ½ cups Ontario corn (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. sunflower oil
pinch of salt
1 cup Spelt flour
½ cup all purpose flour
2 tsps. Baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup sunflower oil
2 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
1 ½ cups maple cheddar (or regular old white cheddar), grated

3 tbsp. oil & 1 tbsp.of butter for frying

Topping:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. finely chopped chives

In a large fry pan, melt the butter and oil and add in the corn and onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from pan and cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients thoroughly. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture and stir till just incorporated. Add in the cheddar, corn and onions.

Reheat the pan and add in some oil and butter. Drop one tablespoon of the batter at a time into the fry pan and fry till golden brown on one side (2 minutes). Flip over and press down slightly to create a flat surface. Cook for about 2 more minutes till done. Place fritters on a serving platter and keep warm till all complete. Makes about 50.

Mix the yogurt, maple syrup and chives. Place about a teaspoon of this topping on each fritter just before serving.

Tags: chives, corn, fritters, maple syrup, Ontario, Prince Edward County

Maple Ice Cream

February 3rd, 2012

Maple Ice Cream in the making.....

Ingredients

4 large egg yolks (organic or free range preferred)
2/3 cup Ontario Maple syrup
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup homo or 5%
1 tsp of Vanilla Bean Paste ( pure vanilla extract)

Heat water in a double boiler or a medium size pot that a bowl can fit comfortably on. Heat the milk and cream (do not boil). Whisk the maple syrup, vanilla and egg yolks in a glass bowl and add a bit of the warm dairy mixture to it. Slowly pour the warmed egg mixture into the large pot of dairy and stir gently till it coats the back of the spoon (about 10 minutes) on medium low heat.

Stain and place in glass bowl, let cool to room temp and then place with a lid in the fridge for at least three hours, preferably overnight.

Pour mixture in an ice cream maker till semi frozen (about 15 minutes, as per machine instructions) then place in a container with a lid in the freezer for at least an hour before serving.

Tags: homemade, ice cream, maple syrup, Ontario

Spiced Carrot Orange Lentil Soup

January 16th, 2012

SERVES 4
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups sliced onions
4 cups chopped carrots
1 cup red lentils
4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons maple syrup
zest of one orange
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh coriander

Heat a large pot over medium heat and melt the butter and oil. Stir in the onions and cook for about 15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Add in the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Rinse and add in the lentils and vegetable stock. Cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes till all ingredients are tender.

Remove the solids with a slotted spoon from the pot and place in a blender to puree. In another large pot on low heat, place the puree and add in orange juice, zest, and maple syrup. Slowly add in the hot stock to you reach the desired consistency, one cup at a time. Stir and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Tags: cumin, lentil soup, maple syrup, Prince Edward County, soup

Terroir Apple Maple Vinaigrette

May 27th, 2011

1 cup sunflower oil
¾ cup Campbells Orchards apple cider vinegar
1 shallot finely diced
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves or chives
1 tablespoon Dijon grainy style mustard
3 tablespoons County maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and let sit for one hour for all the flavours to incorporate. Or alternatively, place in a mason jar with a lid and shake a few times.

Shake or whisk again, just before serving. Remainder can be stored in a tight fitting glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Tags: apple cider vinegar, chives, maple syrup, Ontario, Prince Edward County, salad dressing, Tarragon

County Mushrooms with Spinach & Chevre

April 28th, 2011

15-20 cremini or white mushrooms (Wellington Mushroom Farm)
1 cup soft goat cheese (Fifth Town Artisan chevre – Plain Jane)
2 cups finely chopped fresh Spinach (Vicki’s Veggies)
1 small sweet onion (finely diced)
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley or chives
1 tbsp. Ontario maple syrup
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Ground pepper and salt to taste

In a fry pan, saute the onion in butter and oil till golden brown (about 10 minutes on medium heat). Add the spinach and cook anther few minutes, till soft. Add maple syrup and stir. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.

In a bowl, place the goat cheese and herbs. Mix in the spinach mixture and stir till it is thoroughly incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to cover this and place in fridge for a few hours for the flavors to incorporate (but you can use it right away)

With a damp paper towel, wipe off each mushroom. Remove the stem and with a small knife cut off the top of the mushroom a bit to make a flat surface for the cheese.

Scoop about one tablespoon of the cheese mixture on each mushroom and shape it so it looks like a small dome on top.

Place mushrooms on baking tray and cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Serve on its own or on individual plates, place three on a bed of baby spinach and drizzle with some balsamic vinegar for a great appetizer.

Tags: appetizers, fresh herbs, Goat Cheese, maple syrup, mushrooms, Ontario, vicki's veggies

Corn & Maple Cheddar Fritters with Maple Greek Yogurt

March 4th, 2011

¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 ½ cups Ontario corn (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. sunflower oil
pinch of salt

1 cup spelt flour
½ cup all purpose flour
2 tsps. Baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup sunflower oil
2 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
1 ½ cups maple cheddar (or regular old white cheddar), grated
Oil & butter for frying

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. finely chopped chives

In a large fry pan, melt the butter and oil and add in the corn and onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from pan and cool for 5 minutes.

Mix the yogurt, maple syrup and chives. Place about a teaspoon of this topping on each fritter just before serving.

NOTE: you can also bake the batter in small tart pans for 20 minutes @400 degrees.

Tags: appetizer, cheddar, corn, fritters, maple syrup, Ontario

Maple Season launched in Ontario

February 26th, 2011

I had the honour this week to perform the first “ceremonial” tapping to mark the launch of the maple syrup season in the province. Members of the Ontario Maple Syrup Produers, media and guests gathered at Terry & Vickie Gervais’s farm, Trillium Ridge Sugarworks ( Mah- Kwan Kadeek), located in Tyendinaga Township, just outside of Belleville. We gathered around an campfire in their woods and opened the event with a traditional Onkwehonwe blessing from Kim Maracle. It was a smudging ceremony used by all First Nations people. She gave a few words of thanks in Kanienkehake (Mohawk language) to the Creator and to the animals, trees and the wahta (sweetwater). Her ceremonial props included eagle feathers, sage, sweetgrass, cedar and ceremonial tobacco. We also got to participate and had an opportunity to throw some tobacco on the fire. Following the ceremony and remarks by MC Ron Hubbs (Hubbs Sugarbush and Sweetwater Cabin in Prince Edward County) & other guests, the tapping event came next.

With a power drill in hand, I had the priviledge of drilling the first hole and hammering a tap into the tree (no thumbs lost).We were then treated to some local sausages, homemade maple baked beans, pancakes and of course, maple syrup. There was a real sense of community throughout the morning, with the shared appreciation and acknowledgment that our first crop of the season had a long and special Canadian heritage.

Terry & Vickie also named their farm, “Mah-Kwan Kadeck” from the language of the Maliseet Indians of New Brunswick. It translates to the place where maple sugar is made. Most Indians living near the inland waterway of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Valley produced maple sugar as their basic source of sweetener many years before the Europeans arrived. An Indian male was usually in charge of boiling sap while his wife and children assisted by gathering wood. Sap was placed into hollowed basswood logs. Hot stones were then placed into this sap, causing it to evaporate until only maple sugar crystals remained. Forty drops of sap make one drop of maple syrup. In the beginning it was birch bark containers and log troughs. It then moved to wooden buckets and iron kettles. Today, maple syrup producers use plastic pipelines and modern evaporators.

No matter the method, I’m thankful for this sweet crop and look forward to cooking many dishes with Canada’s first natural taste of Spring. (more photos on Facebook – From the Farm Cooking School)

Kim Maracle preparing for the smudging ceremony

Tags: First Nations People, maple syrup, Ontario, smudging ceremony

Baked Mushrooms with Apples & Chevre

September 5th, 2010

15-20 cremini or white mushrooms
1 cup soft goat cheese (I love Fifth Town Artisan chevre)
1 small apple (finely diced)
1 small sweet onion (finely diced)
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley or chives
1 tbsp. Ontario maple syrup
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
Ground pepper and salt to taste

In a fry pan, saute the onion in butter and oil till golden brown (about 10 minutes on medium heat). Add the apple and cook anther few minutes, till soft. Add maple syrup and stir. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool.

In a bowl, place the goat cheese and herbs. Mix in the apple mixture and stir till it is thoroughly incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. It’s best to cover this and place in fridge for a few hours for the flavors to incorporate (but you can use it right away)