Got Eggs?

Don't you hate it when a recipe asks for a bunch of egg whites or egg yolks? What do you do with the parts you don't need? Do you toss them? Or keep them?

Over time, I've learned to keep them and use them...

If you've got egg yolks to use, for instance, you can leave them in the fridge covered for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. When freezing them, however, it's important to first whisk them with either 1/8 tsp salt or 1 1/2 tsp sugar or corn syrup for every 4 yolks. Once thawed, 1 tbsp of the egg yolk mixture is equivalent to 1 large fresh yolk (http://blog.getcracking.ca/)

So what can you make with egg yolks? Well, there's:

-homemade mayonnaise
-hollandaise sauce
-bernaise sauce
-pastry cream
-pudding
-ice cream
-lemon curd
-creme brulee

Another popular way of using egg yolks is making a custard (or creme anglaise). Per Wikipedia, a creme anglaise is "a light custard used as a dessert cream or sauce." It's a mixture of sugar, egg yolks and hot milk, and is most often flavoured with vanilla. The custard is made by whipping egg yolks and sugar together and then slowly adding hot milk infused with vanilla beans, while whisking. The sauce is then cooked over low heat and stirred constantly with a spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

What about egg whites? Like egg yolks, they can be frozen, but here's what else you can do with them:

-use it in your hair for a natural conditioner
-give yourself an egg white facial
-make homemade eggnog
-have them for breakfast as an egg white omelet or scrambled
-make a soufflé
-make an angel cake

This past weekend, I used my egg whites to make a pavlova (meringue) to bring over to a friend's place for dinner. Last year, I had made what I called 'The Best Dessert Ever'. It was a meringue topped with vanilla whipped cream, berries, hazelnuts and drizzled with caramel. It was delicious! This time, I didn't have any berries (because they aren't in season yet) but I did have a jar of preserved pears in the fridge that I had been meaning to use. I made the meringue and topped it with whipped cream. I added the pears (diced) and then made a chocolate sauce using some more of the pears that I puréed. I heated the purée and then melted some chocolate into it. The sauce was drizzled onto the pavlova and finally, I added some toasted hazelnut pieces to finish it off. Yum!

Now that you know what to do with your leftover eggs I really hope that you learn to use them like I have. No more throwing them out into the trash!

Foodland Ontario Calendar - May (Grilled Prosciutto and Asparagus Bundles)

Asparagus came a little later this year compared to last. Last year, I had already found some asparagus in April and had posted a recipe for Cheesy Asparagus Risotto . This year, however, asparagus was not available until we were well into the month of May. That's okay though because I've already taken full advantage of its availability. I've stir-fried it and topped it with lemon-infused olive oil and parmesan cheese, made a pesto with it and mixed it in with some pasta and then on some chicken, and this weekend, I made Foodland Ontario's May recipe - Grilled Prosciutto and Asparagus Bundles.

This recipe has been in my repertoire for a while now and is one of my favorite ways to use asparagus. It's great for the first barbeques of the season.

Wash and break the asparagus stalks where they snap easily and discard the ends (or use to make a broth). Dry and toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bundle 3 spears together and wrap 1 piece of prosciutto around it.

Place bundles on a greased grill over medium heat; grill, turning occasionally, until asparagus is bright green and tender and prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Drizzle bundles with olive oil and serve.

Another great alternative for this recipe is adding some red pepper and parmesan cheese to the bundle. Check out the recipe here: http://marthakindof.blogspot.com/2011/05/asparagus-spears-wrapped-in-fire.html . This is Angela St. Cyr's new blog. She was on the Food Network show '100-mile challenge'. I'm looking foward to seeing some more of her tips and recipes!

Next month's Foodland Ontario calendar recipe is the Strawberry Cheesecake Shake. Mmmm.....strawberries!!!

For an electronic version of Foodland Ontario's 2011 calendar see: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/calendar/2011/index.html

January - Crispy Vegetables Chips
February - Parsnip, Apple & Brie Soup
March - Breakfast Ham 'n' Cheese Egg Wrap
April - Potato Toppers

This Year's Garden

Today's post will be one of few words. I have been so sick these last few days. My nose has been running like a faucet, I've been coughing, my nose is red and raw from blowing it, and I've been feeling so run-down. Blah....

I'm slowly starting to feel better after a nice hot bath tonight and a cup of hot apple cider. I finally feel up to writing another post; albeit a short one.

After all of this rain that we've been getting I finally got into my yard tonight and had a good look at my garden. I was so happy to see that I was already able to pick my green onions! Funny, because last year when I planted green onions I did not have any luck. This year, completely different story! I'll have to plant some more.

What shall I make? I usually use them in eggs, in salads, with potatoes, or with tuna. Anybody else have any unique uses for green onions?

My peas are coming up nicely too!

And my radishes...

My swiss chard...not so much.... I hope that this is normal. What do you think?

Here is my blank slate for the weekend. My plan is to plant 3 tomato plants on the far right, some peppers, carrots, peanuts, and maybe some beans. I'll be doing my herbs in pots this time. Last year they got overcrowded by my other plants and they got buried underneath everything.

I also managed to plant a blueberry and a rasberry plant too. We'll see how they do. I'm afraid that there was way too much rain and they were drowned. They're pretty well just a twig sticking out of the ground...

What are you planting this year?

Why Buy Local and How to do it!

This is a picture of the inside of my fridge...

It's slightly disorganized at the moment...but you know what? It's FULL!

After almost 2 years of local eating I think I have gotten a handle at managing my purchases and ensuring that we always have enough food to eat. It was a process of baby steps but we eventually got there. I'd say that we currently purchase about 85% of our foods locally at this point. I feel so good knowing that by doing this we are supporting so many local farmers, producers, and businesses. My friends and family think that I'm totally crazy. But right afterwards they ask me how they could do the same or how/where to start. They tell me that they're so overwhelmed and just don't know how to go about it.

If you're one of those people, I think a great place to start is the library and online. If you've found my blog then that's a great start! There are many great blogs out there who profile local farmers and have many seasonal recipes that you may end up wanting to try. Another way to get inspired it to read about others' journeys with local eating. A great book to read is "The Locavore Way" by Amy Cotler. The book, which can be described as a how-to guide, covers everything you'd need to know about becoming a locavore. Cotler gives reasons why a person would choose to eat locally, where to find local foods and how to source them out (and on a budget), what questions to ask a the farmer's market, and even how to grow your own food and preserve the harvest. She writes about farmers markets, farm stands and u-pick farms, CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture), eating simply and seasonally at home and at restaurants, and how to become a local food advocate. The book is an easy read (perfect for the beach) and is is just plain cute.

Here are her reasons to eat locally and the best ways to go about it:

10 Reasons to Eat Locally Produced Foods

1. For the sheer pleasure of it
2. To connect with people, farmers and nature
3. For the health and safety of your family and yourself
4. For the health of our planet
5. To boost the local economy, community and region
6. For an open, working landscape
7. To maintain biodiversity
8. To support neighbouring farms and farmers
9. To preserve our culinary heritage
10. To give yourself a just choice

15 Ways to Become a Locavore

1. Eat local foods in season
2. Get out to a farm
3. Buy fresh food directly from the farm
4. Become a bounty hunter and track down new foods
5. Feast on local food at home
6. Have a party and make local food the focal point
7. Engage the next generation
8. Eat local food at restaurants
9. Grow your own
10. Start a farmer's market
11. Boost access to local food for all
12. Eat more veggies and less meat
13. Give local food gifts
14. Become an agritourist
15. Advocate for a just, sustainable, and equitable food system

How about you start this weekend? Visit you local farmer's market and pick up some asparagus and rhubarb. Next week, buy some cheese and some local beef. Eventually you'll get to know many of the farmers and going to the market may become a weekly routine. Then, you may get inclined to visit the farms themselves and pick your own fruits and vegetables. Who knows! You may actually be crazier than I am one day!

Proscuitto and Ramp Pizza

Do you know what ramps are? Most people don't. I didn't know either... For the last couple of weeks though there had been many tweets about them on Twitter and I was really starting to wonder what they were all about.

It turns out that ramps, sometimes called wild leeks, are one of the first wild edible plants to appear in the spring. They look like a mix of a green onion, garlic, and a leek and actually tastes like a mix of those three too. When I was at the market on Saturday there were a few vendors selling them. One such vendor was John Wilson from Dolway Organic Garden.

Dolway Organic Garden is a 25 acre farm located in the Thames River Valley. They grow a large variety of vegetables and herbs organically. They can be found at the Covent Garden Market outdoor farmer's market on Saturdays. When I was there, there were many people asking him about the ramps, mainly because they didn't know what they were and what you would do with them. He suggested using them in soups, eggs, or as a topping for pizza.

I decided to use them on pizza. As a base I used a light ricotta cheese and then put strips of prosciutto onto the cheese. I had washed and chopped the ramps and scattered them on (the whole plant is edible - green and white parts). Finally, I added a small handul of mozzarella cheese on top and put it in the oven at 450F for 10-15 minutes or so; until the crust was browned and the cheese was melted.

The pizza was really good. Now I know what the big deal is with the ramps. Like rhubarb, they're an early spring superstar! Now, if I could get my hands on some asparagus...

My recipe for pizza dough (makes enough dough for 4 pizzas):

• 2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt

Place the yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Add the warm water and stir to blend. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let the mixture sit until it becomes frothy, about 5 minutes. Add the oil and salt and stir to combine. Stir in the flour one 1/2 cup at a time until the dought is slightly sticky. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic (add more flour if needed). I don't really know how much flour I used but I lost count...you'll know when there's enough.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in it, and turn the dough over so that it is lightly coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set it aside in a warm draft-free place (I use my oven with the light on) until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Gently punch the dough to deflate it and then divide it into 4 equal sections. Form the dough into balls and cover the ones you aren't using with saran wrap and place them into the freezer.

Prior to rolling out the dough, preheat your pizza stone in the oven at 450F for 20 minutes or so to ensure that it is very hot. When you're ready, simply use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough and to form it as desired. Place the dough onto the stone and add your toppings and then bake until the crust is browned.

BBQ'd Ravioli and Strawberry-Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt

How excited was I when I woke up this morning? Very excited! Today was opening day of the outdoor farmer's market at the Covent Garden Farmer's Market. After I pretty well jumped out of bed and had breakfast I made my way out for my 'market run'. I started the day at the Covent Garden Market and then to the Western Fair Market. It was a beautiful day today and all of the vendors were so happy to be back and to be chatting with their regular customers.

So what did I come home with today? I got: eggs, apples, cremini mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, bread, garlic and cheddar pork sausages, maple butter, BBQ spice rub, bison patties, pork schnitzel, greenhouse cucumber, garlic and sundried tomato goat cheese curds, canned pears, greenhouse tomatoes, arva flour mill flour, rhubarb, fresh ravioli, ramps (wild leeks), green onions, chives, thyme, milk, feta cheese, and mozzarella cheese.

Sadly, still no asparagus. It looks like asparagus will be another week or so due to the wet/cold weather we've been experiencing. At least there were many other treasures to be found! The first day back at the market is always joyful for me. It inspires me to cook and to try new foods and dishes. Today, for instance, I saw some fresh ravioli at Glenda's booth inside the market building. The ravioli was stuffed with goat cheese, mozzarella, chili flakes and pepper. On the bin there were instrctions to cook the ravioli on the BBQ. Interesting....

My husband was intrigued by this as well so we tried it for dinner. What a great way to cook these--no extra dishes! I brushed each side with oil to ensure that they wouldn't stick and then grilled them for a few minutes on each side until they were browned. Afterwards I simply drizzled some melted garlic spread on them and grated some parmesan cheese over top.

For dessert we had strawberry-rhubarb frozen yogurt. It was pretty easy to put together (only 4 ingredients!)

To start, stew some rhubarb and strawberries in a pot with a little bit of water and some maple syrup (the strawberries were from my freezer stash). I used a 3 to 1 ratio; so more rhubarb than strawberry. Once the fruits have softened strain out the liquid and put the rhubarb and strawberries into a separate bowl. Once cooled mix 2 cups of the fruit with 1 cup of vanilla yogurt in the food processor until smooth. Leave the mixture to cool in the fridge for a couple of hours. Meanwhile, take the liquid from the stewing process and bring it to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the liquid to half to make a syrup.

Pour the yogurt mixture into an ice-cream maket and process according to the manufacturer's directions. My Kitchen-Aid mixer froze it within 20-25 minutes.

To serve, drizzle the strawberry-rhubarb syrup on top. Yum!!

Tomorrow's meal? Pizza topped with prosciutto and ramps!

Field Trip to Lo Maximo Meats - Latin BBQ

A week ago I had the opportunity to visit a great young farmer and his family. I was invited to a Latin BBQ (along with Kelly from http://www.eatlocallondon.com/) at the home of Paul Spence of Lo Maximo Meats near Chatham.

When we arrived we first met Paul and we were given the grand tour of his farm.

Like most farmers, he told us, he graduated from the University of Guelph. I wish I would have asked him what year he graduated because I'm also a University of Guelph Alumni. I wasn't an 'Aggie', however... I majored in Psychology and minored in Child and Family Studies. During my 2nd year I did contemplate changing my major to Nutrition. I now wish I had!! Oh well...

Anyways, back to Paul... As a young farmer he has many great ideas and is trying new ways of getting things done. One of those ideas, for instance, was turning an old school bus into a makeshift greenhouse. We all had a chuckle when he showed it to us. Kidding aside though, it's a brilliant idea! Inside he is hoping to experiment with avocado, yuka, exotic herbs, and other Latin favorites. We'll see what he comes up with! If he manages to grow avocados in there I'll be very excited for him!

My daughter's favorite part of the tour was seeing the chickens roam outside. Yes, the chickens were outside! It was so refreshing to see animals in their natural state.  In addition to these chickens, however, Paul is hoping to get some quail to produce eggs. Quail eggs are another Latin delicacy.

After the farm tour was over we headed out to the local community centre which was converted from an old school house that Paul's great-grandparents actually helped to build in the 1800's. Inside, the room was beautifully decorated for our meal. Sarah (Paul's wife and from Ecuador originally), created a wonderful display.

While we waited for Sarah to prepare our meal and for Paul to barbeque the meats we had some time to talk with them about the farm and about their future plans. The couple is enthusiastic about their farm and about their 'twist' on the farm-to-table experience. Their focus is on Latin-style cuts of meat and the Latin experience as a whole. Latin-style cuts of meat include the tongue, liver, kidneys, heart, etc.. They use ALL the parts of the cow, not just the ribs, shoulder, etc.. that Canadians are used to eating. We had a chance to try a few cuts on that night along with some salads and bread.

For dessert we were served a caramel flan of sorts, which we topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. One of Paul's neighbors, a maple syrup producer, Don Giffin, was one of the guests as well. He had brought along some of his products to show us.

At the end of the evening we were full of food and had learned a lot of new things about the Latin culture. We had some great conversations with Paul, his wife, Don Giffin and all of the other guests. Paul hopes that he'll be able to offer more BBQ events to interested people in the future. The idea is that guests would come for a tour of the farm, dinner at the community centre and to end the evening, salsa dancing lessons from Sarah.

You can speak with Paul about the event or about his meats on Friday's at the Masonville Farmer's Market. He is a regular there and is always willing to chat with his customers.

An Interview with Angela St. Cyr

A couple of years ago the "100-mile challenge" made its debut on the Food Network. The show was based on the book 'The 100-mile diet: A Year of Local Eating' written by J.B. Mackinnon and Alisa Smith and was filmed in Mission, B.C. A handful of families were profiled on the show and were committed to eating only local foods for 100 days.

The show is really was inspired me to take the path that I'm on now. I really related to the St. Cyr family and to the mom, Angela. Her values and her thoughts about food and healthy eating were very similar to mine and she loved spending time in her kitchen as much as I do. In fact, on the show she made a caramel sauce, a birthday cake for her daughter and also managed to collect some ocean water to make her own salt.

I have had the opportunity to speak with her over email a few times since the show aired and I thought it would be great to see what she's done since the show stopped filming and to ask her if she was still eating locally. Here is what she had to say:

How did you hear about the 100-mile challenge? What was your initial reaction?

"I saw an ad in the local paper about the show stating that there was a meeting for people that wanted to apply. I didn’t tell anyone that I was going except for my mom, because I needed her to watch the girls. I almost didn’t make it there because the ad said it was at Heritage Park, we have 2 in Mission, one is a school and one is an actual park that has a meeting hall. Of course, because I’m me, I had to go to the wrong one....I almost decided to drive straight back home. But I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to try the other Heritage Park. Sure enough it was the right place so I stayed for the meeting and put my two cents in here and there (mostly about our pathetic farmers market) during discussion time. I can be very passionate about things I believe in and sometimes can run at the mouth about them! They must have seen something in me they liked because within a day I got a phone call saying they wanted to meet my family, and the rest is history. At first I thought what on earth have I gotten myself into? Then I realized it was an amazing opportunity to teach my children by example."

What was the biggest challenge over the 100 days?

"I think at first the biggest challenge was breaking old habits. Of course eating food for two weeks without salt was no walk in the park! But I have to say once we learned to think about the food that was available to us instead of the food that wasn’t, it really became much less of a challenge."

What is your biggest challenge now?

"I’d say my biggest challenge now is finding reasonably priced local flour. There is local flour to be had, but it’s extremely expensive and really not the best for bread baking. It rains so much in BC that we can only grow a soft wheat which has a lower gluten content. So it’s a little disheartening to go to all the trouble of making bread from scratch and it really isn’t all that great. So unfortunately I’ve made my peace with wheat grown in Saskatchewan."

Have you seen an improvement or an increase in local options since the show ended?

"Absolutely! Not only are there more otions available but it seems most stores are labelling where the food is grown now. Which of course makes shopping a whole lot easier."

Are there any wheat growers or anyone producing salt now?

"There are local wheat growers now which is great…but I mostly use local wheat for pastries, not bread baking as our local wheat has a lower gluten content because our rainy weather. As for local salt…still no one I’m aware of. The nearest I’ve found is Oregon…which is pretty close."

How did the challenge affect your family?

"Well for starters, Mike shops with me all the time now which is a small miracle. He used to HATE grocery shopping! Now that we shop at smaller mom and pop stores and farmers markets he loves to shop with us. It’s amazing how a small change like that can really make you feel like you’re part of the fabric of a community. What he used to percieve as a mundane task that had to be done, he now looks forward to as it’s an opportunity to connect with the people in our community."

Have you kept in contact with the authors of the book? Or with any other families profiled on the show? How are they doing?

"I keep in touch with James MacKinnon…his life is far more adventurous than mine so it’s nice to hear what crazy things he’s up to. He is one of the rare people you get to meet in life that really lives life to the fullest. He’s generously offered to write the forward for my cookbook when I manage to find a publisher for it. We also keep in contact with Randy Hawes and Alma every once in a while…although they were very happy to see the 100 mile challenge come to an end LOL."

What are you doing now?

"I’m trying to get my cookbook published, I’ve been involved in creating a few food show concepts for TV and have auditioned to be the host of a creative new cooking show. We’ve also moved since we filmed the 100 Mile Challenge, so Mike and I have been hard at work planting fruit trees, berry bushes and creating the layout for a formal veggie patch…can’t wait for harvest time! I have the hands of a potato farmer right now..."

Do you have any advice for anyone interested in eating locally/seasonally?

"My only advice would be to start now! It doesn’t matter if you go all the way. It can be as simple as waiting to buy local strawberries or asparagus, or as big as eating completely locally through your areas growing season. The important thing is to start…any change to local eating is an important one!"

Here are a couple of her favorite quotes:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.. Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist (1901–1978)

We are living in days of change. My grandfather had a farm. My father had a garden. I have a can opener.

For more information about the show or to watch the episodes online check out http://100mile.foodtv.ca/