New Dog in the Family!

We’re pretty excited because we just got a one-and-a-half year old Great Pyrenees! He is a gorgeous giant of a dog that runs like a bullet and has a deep ferocious bark (that masks his really gentle disposition) and we are optimistic that he will be able to keep the deer out of the edamame! He has fit into our family routine as if he has always been here.

Here is ‘Ace’ (on the left) with his new friend, our 12 year old Akbash, Maggie. Look at those happy smiles!

Books2Eat 2010

A couple of weeks ago the Covent Garden Farmers’ Market participated in Books2Eat, a really incredibly good  fundraiser for the London Public  Library. Each team (usually a restaurant or bakery) picked a book, and then made food according to the theme of the book. We chose Hansel and Gretel.

Nicole Di Pinto, who has a wonderful stand at the farmers’ market called ‘Tiramisu’, made a gingerbread house and tons of beautiful little vanilla bean cookies decorated like little fruit or vegetables or small animals like squirrels and bunnies that you might find in the forest, lavender macarons and maple syrup macarons (French meringue cookies), caramel pinwheels, and more! Dee Biggar , also a farmers’ market vendor, made luscious lemon squares, and I made tiny little flower cupcakes. We also had a whole “eat local’ picnic basket theme going on with bison salami (the surprising ‘hit’ of the night) from Blanbrook Bison farm, local cheeses from Smith Cheese, artisan bread from International Bakery, and a crazy crudite garden pathway. Wow, what a great evening! OK, we didn’t win the crown, but we met so many fabulous people and had such a fun time we felt like winners!

Here’s a picture! 

Who’s that knocking at the Door?

The chickens, of course. Don’t worry, we didn’t let them in!

Turtles

Just a few days ago I was driving into the farm and one of my daughters was standing beside the road, obviously watching something. What was it? I stopped the car to check it out, and it was dozens of baby snapping turtles crawling out of the ground.

We had seen several snapping turtles from the ponds laying eggs this summer in the fields and beside the road, but this was the first time we had ever seen them hatched. Very cool.

Here’s a turtle laying eggs.

Rogers TV Healthy Living Show

A couple of years go I had the opportunity to do a short segment on Rogers TV, part of a “Healthy Living Show”. It was great fun, and as always another opportunity to share some of my families favourite recipes.

SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD

Dressing:

1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) honey (to taste)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) raspberry vinegar

Pinch salt and pepper

Salad:

1 lb (494 g) spinach, washed

2 cup (500 ml) strawberries, washed and sliced

1/2 cup (125 ml) sliced almonds, toasted

* Make dressing by whisking together the oil with the honey and raspberry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
* Heat oven to 325 ° F (160° C).
* Assemble salad by tossing spinach with the dressing; sprinkle with strawberries and toasted almonds.
* Serves eight.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

1 packages (approx. 350 g ) of fresh fettucine or 1 package dried whole wheat fettucine

2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

1 cup (250 ml) sweet onion, chopped

1 green zucchini, chopped

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 Tbsp (30-60ml) olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 bunch fresh asparagus ,trimmed and blanched

1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh basil, sliced

1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon zest, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese to grate on top

* Get a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Add some salt and oil to the water, and then add the fettuccini, stir it around and let it cook according to package directions.
* Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat; add the vegetable oil, and sauté the onion, zucchini, peppers, carrots, and garlic.
* By now the pasta should be cooked, drain it and then add it back into the pot, stir in some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, basil and lemon zest in with the other vegetables. Add the hot, cooked pasta into the pan with the hot vegetables, check seasoning.
* Serve immediately with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
* Serves 3-4.

APPLE & RHUBARB CRISP

4 large apples, peeled and sliced

6 stalks rhubarb, chopped

1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 ml) rolled oats

1/2 cup (185 ml) brown sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon

1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, softened

* Heat oven to 350° F (180° C). Butter an 8 cup (2 litre) casserole dish.
* In a medium size bowl, toss the apple slices with the rhubarb and granulated sugar. Scoop into casserole dish and set aside.
* Make the topping by stirring together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and soft butter. The mixture should be crumb like. Pour evenly over top the apples and rhubarb. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.