"Jenny's cookbook is full of heart and soul" Chef Michael Smith

Friday, September 30, 2011

Autumn Pizza

Every Thursday morning at the Cafe I bake batches of Focaccia Bread.  It's a soft, wet dough that bakes into a spongy, chewy bread full of holes and fragrant with olive oil and rosemary.  We cut it into large squares and stuff them with chicken and roasted vegetables, or split them and layer the halves with ham, apples and cheddar.  They also stand in nicely when we run out of hamburger buns, an inevitability on busy weekends.  More often than not we mix up an extra batch of dough for pizzas.  We let our imaginations run wild, usually inspired by a quart of just-picked strawberries, a bagful of fresh herbs, or a bowl brimming with colourful heirloom tomatoes.  We're incredibly lucky.  Many of Union Street Cafe's present and past staff are gardeners.  And all the gardeners I know, especially my Dad, grow way too much for their own use.  So in through the kitchen door it comes, in bags and baskets and boxes: truly seasonal inspiration. And always gratefully received.
 This time last year: Kid Friendly Meals

Roasted Squash and Sausage Pizza with Greens
Here is last week's creation!  Feel free to sub in pita or pre-made crust if you don't want to bother making your own.  Just bake until the cheese is beginning to brown.

1 small Butternut Squash, peeled and cut in small dice
2 T. Olive Oil
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 recipe Focaccia Bread (make the dough and let rise)
generous 1/2 C. Alfredo Sauce, optional
1 bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard, chopped and steamed until tender, or 1 recipe Greens with Caramelized Onions
1 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage, cooked and sliced thinly (try Meadowbrook's in the Valley)
2 C. shredded Mozzarella
2 T. freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Toss the squash with the olive oil and salt and spread onto a baking sheet.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until squash is tender and beginning to brown.  Leave the oven on.  Prepare the focaccia dough and gently press into a generously oiled 13x18" pan.  I find this easiest to do in two or three stages, as the dough resists stretching and needs time to rest in between efforts.  Spread the dough with the the Alfredo sauce.  Top with the squash, the chard, and sausage.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Bake for 15-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Slippery Jacks


                                      
Here it is, my first-ever guest post writer: my Mom.  I've told you a bit about her, how she shaped my love of food and cooking, and what an inspiration she is in the kitchen.  She's not afraid to make bagels from scratch, or complicated Mexican desserts, or a pickle that takes four days of attention.

It’s pickling season and if you have your own garden you’re probably trying to think of ways to preserve or use up the giant cucumbers that appear to grow to gargantuan size overnight. Recipes so often call for more normal dimensions and you can’t give them away either because everyone’s in the same boat…. or pickle. Well here’s a really weird cucumber pickle recipe that will use up about a dozen of those bloated gourds. There’s probably not a speck of nutrition left in them but pickles aren’t about that anyway and these are really good with your favourite curry dish, with cheese and crackers or just for when you want a pickle. This recipe comes from Riverport on the South Shore of Nova Scotia and though the method may sound as if they would end up otherwise, they really are sweet, crisp and tender! 






Slippery Jacks

Wash 10 cucumbers, ripe and as large as they grow and cover with boiling water. Next day, drain and cover again with boiling water. Repeat this step on the third day. Next day peel, remove seeds and cut into strips. In a large pot, bring to a boil:

  • 6 cups white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pickling spice or prepare your own using bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, mustard seed and whole cloves. Bundle them up in cheesecloth tied with a string and hang them in the syrup.
  • 5 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups white vinegar

Boil syrup for two minutes, remove from heat and add cucumber strips. Let sit for two days, then bring just to a boil without cooking. Put in sterilized jars and seal. 

It's me again.  I just wanted to thank my Anna Osburn (that's my Mom)  for taking all the pictures and creating today's post!  The song in the video clip is from my Don Osburn's (that's my Dad) album Small Fine Pleasures and it features Dan Whiteley on mandolin.  That's also Dan Whiteley as our Slippery Jack spokesman and we think he did a fine job selling you on this unusual and delicious pickle.  My Mom would also like to thank my aunt Jane for giving her the recipe in the first place.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Heirloom Tomato Pasta





Sometimes the simplest things are the best.  You could stand all day at the stove, stirring a simmering pot of tomato sauce.  Or you could whip this up in the time it takes to boil the water for your pasta.  Of course, you need some really flavourful tomatoes. You can find some great old-fashioned tomato varieties at most nurseries if you're up for growing your own, or you can buy a mix of tomatoes at a farm market (or even at the grocery store).  This is a great use for ugly or less-than-perfect tomatoes since you chop them all up anyway.  The inspiration for this recipe comes from pasta genius Ross Patterson, aka The Noodle Guy.  Ross worked as a waiter in the early days of Union Street Cafe but he couldn't keep his nose out of the kitchen and we just loved him for it.  If I remember correctly, his version included a touch of anchovy. 



What makes this particular sauce so unusually delicious is that the tomatoes are essentially raw.  Barely cooked by the heat of the pasta, their sensual flavours bloom.  When I made this for myself last week, I added some fresh herbs that I collected by flashlight from my ridiculously overgrown garden and left out the anchovies because I didn't have any.  Locally grown, quality garlic will certainly make this all the better.

 This time last year: Grilled Summer Vegetables

Heirloom Tomato Pasta for 2

1 lb. mixed ripe Tomatoes, cut in 1" pieces (halve any cherry tomatoes)
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 t. Salt
1 juicy clove minced Garlic
2 T. slivered Red Onion
2 T. chopped fresh Basil
2 T. chopped fresh Parsley
1/2 of a 375 g. box Whole Wheat Spaghetti or Spaghettini
Freshly ground Pepper and Parmesan Cheese, for serving

Combine the tomatoes, oil, salt, garlic, onion and herbs in a bowl.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.  Cook until just tender, then drain.  Put the tomato mixture into the still-warm pot, then add the hot pasta.  Return to the turned off burner for a moment before tossing the whole glorious mess together.  Divide between bowls, adding generous grinds of pepper and Parmesan cheese to each serving.