I love leeks. I love potato leek soup, it's one of my favourites. I love how leeks remind me of the Netherlands and when I first saw them in the markets there I was surprised to see how long they were compared to the puny ones we seem to get in our grocery stores. I remember admiring how often they were picked up and put into grocery baskets. I'm still curious to know how exactly they prepare their leeks.
Last Sunday when I was strawberry picking with the boys, I saw a mountain of tall and plump leeks at the farm. Knowing that they freeze well and knowing that a bunch of 2 (maybe 3 if you're lucky) small leeks in the winter can go for upwards of $4 (not to mention they come from Mexico or further...) I thought to myself, hmmm... let's buy 10. So off I go with my 10 giant leeks, sand and dirt and all. Cleaning leeks is a pain. Cut off the tips, slice them in half, peel them back and scrub, scrub, scrub and scrub.
I'm so tired this week that that bag of leeks could have stayed on my counter until the weekend. Lunches were made and I was about to go plop myself in front of the mind-numbing tv but I thought that those leeks just needed some attention. They took about 20 minutes to slice and clean, plus an extra 10 to chop them up and stuff them in freezer bags.
It's madness, really, to think that I spent 30 precious weeknight minutes cleaning and chopping leeks for some creamy soup sometime in January. I suppose that in my quest to eat locally, it's a small time investment for big winter taste payoff. While it's true that I would probably walk past the imported leeks this winter, I would probably buy the yellow Ontario onions instead. Mmm... French Onion soup...
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Two week whirlwind!
Back to the work routine now for the past two weeks and I can honestly say, I am exhausted. I actually passed out on the couch after dinner tonight because my legs were throbbing from running around all day and standing in the kitchen getting food ready for the week. I felt like my grandpa dozing off like that!
Today I took the boys strawberry picking. In September you might ask? Well yes! They are in season and pick your own is so fun! While everyone was out picking apples ~ cause that's what we do in September, right? ~ we were alone in the field and had our pick of the finest and reddest and warmest berries. My oldest asked me why we were going to freeze these berries for the winter because the grocery store has berries year-round, so I explained about how they have to come from Mexico or even further because nothing grows under the snow. I explained that they're picked when they're not quite ready and they get on a plane and then on a truck and then to the store where they sit cause we don't buy them, we'll have some in the freezer ;)
These past two weeks have been a time crunch challenge. Up at 5, out the door by 6:30. Full day at the office, full day at home, in bed early and up again the next day. September is such a busy month and there's always some kind of party on the weekends, like a birthday or a wedding, but it's also such a fantastic month for harvest. At the farm today I thought to myself how lucky I would be if I actually loved beets because there was an entire shelf of reds and oranges and yellows and purples. I did manage to bring home a small bushel of leeks though - also for the freezer - cause this year I am learning all about kitchen shortcuts and freezer meals. I've managed to make it to the Farmer's Market once and the Farm three times in addition to my regular grocery store run. The boys think it's cool that we can get our produce from somewhere other than the grocery store and I think so too ;)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Apple Overload!
On Saturday, the boys and I went apple picking. It was the birthday party activity for one of my best friends' daughter's 5th birthday. There were about 24 kids and almost as many parents. Hubby had to stay behind and do some techy work at the birthday party house but I figured that with all the kids there, my kids would just hang with the others and I could chat with the other parents... but alas... no. The older two took off as soon as they got their baskets, the youngest - Flip - decided to walk away from the party. Finally, with much coaxing (I gave him an apple) he sat down while I filled his basket. Basket was full in 10 minutes flat. Son #2 - Mac - came to join us with an empty basket, he needed mommy's help to pick the apples off the tree. Basket full: 5 minutes. Son #1 - JJ - had a full basket too and after 20 minutes, we were ready to go. But... the apple picking "activity" was for an hour so we had 40 minutes to fill. The other kids were all playing together and the parents were all hanging out, while I was chasing after Flip. Don't get me wrong, running around after my kids is fun, but what you should know is that my Flip is almost 2 and is the size of a 3 1/2 year old. He's heavy to carry and I often have to carry him but too much carrying and out goes my back for 3 days. But I digress...
We left the orchard with two huge bags full of apples, more then we could count (or at least more then Mac could count). There are enough apples in my kitchen to make a freezer full of crisps and pies and crumble and ... so I posted on Twitter that I needed some apple recipe ideas and sure enough I got a response. Check out this link for apple butter: http://eclecticrecipes.com/crockpot-apple-butter/ Can you believe it? Apple butter in the crockpot! Here's the catch: I have never made a preserve. Last year I had every intention to make strawberry jam but chickened out at the last minute and bought the freezer jam pectin. It was still yummy but just not the same. So we arranged a #cancan Tweet-up at my place where my friend and I would get a canning tutorial in exchange for some apple butter. This morning I learned to sterilize my jars, how to fill them and submerge them in the pot of boiling water. I would never have attempted this on my own for the first time. I definitely recommend having someone experienced to teach you the important steps in canning. You could read the step-by-step in a book but you know how it is, a question that needs to be answered right at that very moment would not be addressed, like: "why has my water turned an apple colour?" "Oh! a lid has popped off! That's never happened to me before!" Of course not, because these wacky things only happen to me and everything is always an adventure. No big deal, she takes the jar out and that one gets tossed. Had I been alone with the book and the steps, I'd be looking through the index for Qs & As or tips or I'd be Googling what to do with the rest of the jars... Turns out, it's no big deal! There's no stress in preserving, just make sure everything is very, very clean! I now have 7 jars of very yummy apple butter all preserved and waiting for the middle of winter to be opened and enjoyed on some toast or maybe mixed in with some plain yogurt. I also have 2 still very full bags of apples and some cider left over so I might just make another batch... but not tonight, cause tonight I have to go to bed early. Back to work tomorrow after 12 great weeks of summer vacation :)
We left the orchard with two huge bags full of apples, more then we could count (or at least more then Mac could count). There are enough apples in my kitchen to make a freezer full of crisps and pies and crumble and ... so I posted on Twitter that I needed some apple recipe ideas and sure enough I got a response. Check out this link for apple butter: http://eclecticrecipes.com/crockpot-apple-butter/ Can you believe it? Apple butter in the crockpot! Here's the catch: I have never made a preserve. Last year I had every intention to make strawberry jam but chickened out at the last minute and bought the freezer jam pectin. It was still yummy but just not the same. So we arranged a #cancan Tweet-up at my place where my friend and I would get a canning tutorial in exchange for some apple butter. This morning I learned to sterilize my jars, how to fill them and submerge them in the pot of boiling water. I would never have attempted this on my own for the first time. I definitely recommend having someone experienced to teach you the important steps in canning. You could read the step-by-step in a book but you know how it is, a question that needs to be answered right at that very moment would not be addressed, like: "why has my water turned an apple colour?" "Oh! a lid has popped off! That's never happened to me before!" Of course not, because these wacky things only happen to me and everything is always an adventure. No big deal, she takes the jar out and that one gets tossed. Had I been alone with the book and the steps, I'd be looking through the index for Qs & As or tips or I'd be Googling what to do with the rest of the jars... Turns out, it's no big deal! There's no stress in preserving, just make sure everything is very, very clean! I now have 7 jars of very yummy apple butter all preserved and waiting for the middle of winter to be opened and enjoyed on some toast or maybe mixed in with some plain yogurt. I also have 2 still very full bags of apples and some cider left over so I might just make another batch... but not tonight, cause tonight I have to go to bed early. Back to work tomorrow after 12 great weeks of summer vacation :)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
A few years ago I came across a recipe for butternut squash and apple soup. I have since made many different variations of it and I don't use exact measures for soup but basically the recipe is as follows:
1 medium butternut squash
1 large apple (I leave the peel on but you can remove it)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 clove garlic
4 cups of chicken stock (enough to cover the vegetables)
Olive oil
Salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 425F.
1 - Pierce squash with a fork several times all around and microwave until soft enough to slice through (about 5 mins). *It will be hot when you remove it from the microwave so use an oven mitt.
2 - Place squash flesh side up on a baking sheet, remove seeds. Cut apple in quarters, remove core and place in the hole. Cut carrot into large chunks and onion into quarters and place on baking sheet. Lightly coat the squash and apples, the carrots and the onions with olive oil. I salt the vegetables after I have oiled them. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Check the squash with a fork, it should be really soft. The apples might look like they exploded but that's ok.
3 - Peel and chop potato into bite size pieces (don't worry if they're a bit big, they will be pureed). In a large pot on medium, add a bit of olive oil and the potatoes. Finely chop the garlic and add to potatoes. Season with salt.
4 - When squash is done, scoop out the flesh and add to potatoes along with the onions, carrots and apples. If you're scooping while adding and the garlic starts to brown, turn the heat down a bit and add some chicken stock.
5 - Once all the vegetables are in the pot, add the rest of the stock. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are done about 10 minutes.
6 - When potatoes are ready, puree until smooth and adjust seasoning.
Sometimes I top it with sour cream or toasted pumpkin or squash seeds. You can also swap the carrot and potato for a sweet potato. Good luck!
1 medium butternut squash
1 large apple (I leave the peel on but you can remove it)
1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 clove garlic
4 cups of chicken stock (enough to cover the vegetables)
Olive oil
Salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 425F.
1 - Pierce squash with a fork several times all around and microwave until soft enough to slice through (about 5 mins). *It will be hot when you remove it from the microwave so use an oven mitt.
2 - Place squash flesh side up on a baking sheet, remove seeds. Cut apple in quarters, remove core and place in the hole. Cut carrot into large chunks and onion into quarters and place on baking sheet. Lightly coat the squash and apples, the carrots and the onions with olive oil. I salt the vegetables after I have oiled them. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Check the squash with a fork, it should be really soft. The apples might look like they exploded but that's ok.
3 - Peel and chop potato into bite size pieces (don't worry if they're a bit big, they will be pureed). In a large pot on medium, add a bit of olive oil and the potatoes. Finely chop the garlic and add to potatoes. Season with salt.
4 - When squash is done, scoop out the flesh and add to potatoes along with the onions, carrots and apples. If you're scooping while adding and the garlic starts to brown, turn the heat down a bit and add some chicken stock.
5 - Once all the vegetables are in the pot, add the rest of the stock. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are done about 10 minutes.
6 - When potatoes are ready, puree until smooth and adjust seasoning.
Sometimes I top it with sour cream or toasted pumpkin or squash seeds. You can also swap the carrot and potato for a sweet potato. Good luck!
Living local, loving local
Last year I made a New Year's resolution to feed my family seasonal produce. This meant discovering clever ways to turn those wax turnips into a yummy dish my kids will eat because they're one of the few Ontario vegetables available in winter. That's not to say we don't occasionally eat broccoli in winter, but we don't eat tomatoes from abroad and I make a conscious effort to pick the products grown close to home. Choosing local produce over imported may seem like a daunting task but with a few great recipes and some meal planning, it can certainly be done, at least as the majority of choices.
This summer, I took leave from work to stay home with my boys. My boys are a very big part of my life and they love to spend time with mommy, especially in the kitchen. I love to teach them about the food we eat and where it comes from. We have a nice sized garden in the backyard and they help me plant, water and harvest every year. They know what goes into the compost (vs. garbage) and they have learned (after many screaming matches) that the rain barrel is not easy access to water for their dump trucks. Grocery shopping is rarely something I get to do alone so I try to teach them about reading the labels and making conscious choices. I mean really, why buy apples from the Southern Hemisphere?
The choices I make are partly environmental, but they're also in support of the local economy, better for my wallet and better for my health. Surely my grand-mother's boiled turnip, carrot, potato and beef stew in the winter made more sense all around then a cobb salad. This summer I had the chance to drive around my area and find some great farmers who sell wonderful produce but also eggs, cheese, beef, chicken and pork. I took my boys along for the ride and they now know that we go to the farm first, before the big supermarkets.
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