Veggie Delight - A Manitoba Garden

Saskatoon Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:32:00 +0000

Saskatoons are the target of my recipe testing this week, and let me tell you it's not a bad way to spend the week!

Thanks to Mary and John Heard from Carman for supplying me with saskatoons and recipe ideas for this chapter of the book.

So far Saskatoon Lemon Pound Cake, Saskatoon Biscuits, Saskatoon French Toast Strata, Saskatoon Berry Sauce, Saskatoon Pie, Dehydrated Saskatoons and three saskatoon preserves have made the cut. But there are still more to come!

Here's the biscuits we had first thing this morning. In less than half an hour (mixing and baking time) you too can have these delicious, hot, buttery biscuits.

Saskatoon Biscuits

I love how quick and easy these no-fuss dropped biscuits are to make.

Whole wheat flour 1 cup 250 ml

All-purpose flour 1 cup 250 ml

Baking powder 1 Tbsp 15 ml

Baking soda ¼ tsp 1 ml

Sugar 2 ½ Tbsp 37 ml

Cold butter, cubed 1/3 cup 80 ml

Saskatoons (fresh or frozen)1 cup 250 ml

Buttermilk* 1 cup 250 ml

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).

2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and 2 Tbsp (30 ml) sugar.

3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Stir in saskatoons.

5. Make a well in the flour mixture and add milk.

6. Stir just until ingredients come together.

7. Using a tablespoon, drop dough onto lightly greased baking sheet.

8. Sprinkle tops of biscuits with remaining ½ Tbsp (7 ml) of sugar.

9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Makes: 9 biscuits

* Go gourmet by adding some lemon or orange zest along with the saskatoons.* Make a sour milk substitute. Pour 1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice in a measuring cup, add milk to the 1 cup mark. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Grape Jelly

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:53:00 +0000

I am really enjoying making jams and jellies on cold, snowy days. I'm also enjoying making small batches of jams and jellies. It's fast, requires relatively small amounts of fruit and because they'll be eaten within the month, don't require a final water bath. Easy, delicious and warm - my favourite things.

This week I was working on grape recipes for the Prairie Fruit book. I had some canned grape juice that allowed me to make two types of grape jelly.

Grapes have enough natural pectin to make grape jelly without the addition of any commercial pectin, so I tried one recipe with pectin and one without.

Grape Jelly, No Pectin

The first batch I made was 2 cups juice and 1 cup of sugar, heated until it reached the jelly stage (about 8 minutes). That's it! While I was cooking the juice and sugar, I also sterilized 3 small jam jars. (Boil jars in water for 10 minutes and heat lids in a pot of water). I ended up with 2 and 1/2 jars of jelly that will stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Classic PB and J sandwich with grape jelly

Grape and Lemon Jelly

The second batch (my favourite of the two) uses No Sugar Pectin. Using this type of pectin allows you to add as much or as little sweetener as you’d like. The result is an intense fruity flavour that is not as sweet as typical jellies. Here's the full recipe, but it can easily be cut in half.

Grape Juice 4 cups 1 L

Lemon Tea, brewed strong ½ cup 125 ml

Lemon Juice 1 Tbsp 15 ml

Honey 1/2 cup 125 ml

No Sugar Pectin 1package

1. In a large stock pot, combine grape juice, brewed tea, lemon juice and pectin. Mix until pectin is fully dissolved.

2. Stir and bring mixture to a full boil.

3. Add honey.

4. Return mixture to a hard boil for 3 minutes until jelly stage. To test for the proper jelly consistency, cool a small plate in the freezer. Place a spoon of jam on the plate and cool for 1 minute. If the mixture is firm, it is ready. If it runs on the plate, continue to cook for 1 minute and repeat the test.

5. Remove from heat and remove any foam.

6. Pour into hot, sterilized jars leaving a 1/4”( 7mm) headspace.

7. Wipe rim with clean cloth and seal with hot sealing lid.

8. Screw band on top and tighten finger tight.

9. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

10. Remove jars, cool undisturbed for 24 hours and check seal.

Makes: 5 half pint (250 ml) jars

Raspberry Mint Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Why haven't I made jam during the cold season before? It's much more civilized than sweating in front of a hot stove on a hot summer day. And, I have more time now then when the garden is at its busiest. Simply freeze fresh picked fruit during the summer and leave the jam making 'til winter - now that's a good idea.

: Raspberry Mint Jam

I was testing a recipe for Raspberry Mint Jam for the Prairie Fruit book I'm writing. I was eager to try using frozen raspberries and some dried licorice mint that a friend shared with me this summer. And, because I'm always looking for ways to reduce the sugar content of preserves, I also wanted to use No Sugar Pectin. The benefit of No Sugar Pectin is that you can add as much or as little sugar as you want - it's really "Add as Much Sugar as You Want Pectin". I wanted some sugar, but not as much as called for with regular pectin.

Side Note: Raspberries contain enough pectin that you can actually make jam out of them without any commercial pectin. But the ratio of sugar to fruit is 1:1.

Another Side Note: If you don't want to bother with the canning part, make half the recipe and keep your jam in the fridge. Just put three clean, empty jam jars in a pot of water, boil for five minutes and pour your hot jam into those. They'll keep in the fridge for a long time.

Enough side notes, here's the recipe:

Raspberry Mint Jam
6 cups          1 L Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup          125 ml   Mint Tea, brewed strong
1 cup           500 ml   Sugar
1package   No Sugar Pectin

Wash and clean berries, if using frozen raspberries, thaw first.
To reduce the number of seeds in the final jam, press half (or more) of them through a sieve with the back of a spoon. Discard seeds.
Add the remainder of berries to the puree and crush with a potato masher. You should have about 4 cups of crushed/pureed raspberries.
In a large stock pot, combine fruit, brewed tea and pectin. Mix until pectin is fully dissolved.
Stir and bring mixture to a full boil.
Add sugar.
Return mixture to a hard boil and boil for 3 minutes.
To test for the proper jam consistency, cool a small plate in the freezer. Place a spoon of jam on the plate and cool for 1 minute. If the mixture is firm, it is ready. If it runs on the plate, continue to cook for 2 minutes and repeat the test.
Remove from heat and remove any foam.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars leaving a 1/4”( 7mm) headspace.
Wipe rim with clean cloth and seal with hot sealing lid.
Screw band on top and tighten finger tight.
Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove jars, cool undisturbed for 24 hours and check seal.

Makes: 5-6 half pint (250 ml) jars

Sage, Caramalized Onions, Plum & Proscuitto Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Another plant that did really well in our edible front yard garden was sage. Other than the occasional chicken or turkey dish, we really don't use a lot of sage. But, we have quite a bit of it - what to do?!

Our friend Dennis (he wrote a blog post about Pixie Bob the bunny) makes incredible pizza with some very creative combinations. His sage and onion pizza inspired me to create my own version. And, of course, because I'm testing recipes for the Prairie Fruit book that I'm working on, I added some plums. And the proscuitto, well it was in the fridge, so I figured why not add it too.

Sage, Caramalized Onions, Plum and Proscuitto Pizza

Pizza crust	1
Olive Oil	2 Tbsp
Onion, thinly sliced	2
Brown sugar	2 tsp
Garlic minced	3 cloves
Proscuitto, thinly sliced	4 slices
Sage, fresh	10-15 leaves
Plums, pitted and sliced	3-4
Goat cheese	3 Tbsp

Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to heavy fry pan and heat.
Add onions and cook until translucent and tender, stirring frequently.
Add brown sugar and continue to cook onions slowly until they turn brown and soft. Stir frequently to ensure they don't scorch.
Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Roll out your pizza crust.
Use the remainder 1Tbsp of olive oil to coat the pizza crust.
Layer with caramelized onions, proscuitto, sage, plums and goat cheese.
Place in 425 degree Farenheit oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Popping Amaranth

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:26:00 +0000

Popping Amaranth

This spring I was enamored with the thought of planting nothing but edibles in my front yard. Whether or not we actually ate everything was less important than the fact that it was indeed edible. So, our traditional geraniums with spikes in our two large planters at the front of the house, were replaced with thyme, lavender and popping amaranth.

I admit, it looked a little weird and certainly didn't have the same vivid display as geraniums, but my son loved smelling the lavender whenever he went by and I enjoyed experimenting.

By end of August, the amaranth was starting to look interesting, especially as the red colour started to intensify.

The hard frost of last week, finally did the amaranth in and it started to droop as seen above. Out of curiosity, I decided to "harvest" the seed.

I learned a lot about growing amaranth from this site from Saltspring Island (where else!). I also learned it is high in fibre, protein, calcium and iron. It actually has two times more calcium than milk!

Harvesting 5 amaranth plants didn't take a long time. There are a lot of seeds in each plant, but in order to get a full dinner for 4, you'd probably need about 50 stalks. Anyway, this was just a fun experiment. Here's what I did...

Beat the heads against the lid of my canner.

The chaff, the seeds, the bugs and the dried leaves came off.

The insects flew away and I blew on the pile to separate the chaff from the grain.

Here's the pile of seeds I was left with - about 1/3 cup.

the chaff

the seed

I tried popping some in a hot cast iron pan. There was a lot of popping noise, but there was nothing that resembled the white fluffiness of popcorn, most of the kernels just turned a toasty brown.

I also tried boiling some in water until they were somewhat soft. They're much more flavourful than rice or other grains. Certainly something we'd eat more of.

Will we plant amaranth again next year? That all depends on what other experiments are waiting for me to try!

Planting Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:13:00 +0000

The community gardens have been stripped, cultivated and restaked.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I'm relieved that the work is done. Going to the garden and processing mounds of veggies is one less chore on a long list of things to do. On the other hand, I'm sad that I no longer have the opportunity to lose myself in digging in the dirt and experimenting with gorgeous fresh veggies. For the next seven months, I shall have to be content with store bought veggies and our own dried, frozen and canned produce.

But there is one last task to do in the garden - plant garlic. To get nice big garlic heads, it is recommended that garlic be planted in the fall. The exact timing is tricky. You want your newly planted garlic to grow some roots, but you don't want it to sprout. Early to mid-October is probably best time here in the prairies - although you never know for sure when working with Mother Nature.

Planting garlic is fairly straight forward - here's what we do:

We use the garlic heads that we grew during the summer, but you can buy garlic at any garden centre. I would not, however, use the garlic you buy at the grocery store - unless you're buying locally grown garlic. It is best to stick to varieties that are local and are accustomed to our climate. Can you imagine how a garlic grown in California would feel during our prairie winters!
Separate the garlic heads into the separate cloves ( known as "cracking the bulb"). It's not necessary to remove all the papery layers, but it is important not to damage the cloves, especially the bottom or "basal plate" - the part where the roots will develop from.
Choose the biggest, plumpest, nicest cloves to plant. The bigger the clove, the bigger next year's bulb will be. Save the small ones for dinner.
Plant the cloves with the point sticking up towards the sun and the basal plate side towards the soil.
Plant 2 inches deep and leave about 3-4 inches between each clove. This always looks like a lot of space to me, but remember, it has to have room to grow and it will be using the nutrients and water around it.
Cover with soil.
Cover with a mulch like straw or leaves that will add an extra layer of insulation throughout the winter. Usually, a deep layer of snow will provide sufficient insulation, but if there isn't enough snow cover, your garlic may not survive the extreme cold.
Watch for sprouts early next spring. You and the cut worms will be so happy to see the first sign of green!

point up, 2 inches deep 3-4 inches apart

old corn stalks mark the garlic for next spring

An insulating layer of leaves

Pumpkins - More than just decorations

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Pumpkins make great jack o'lanterns, but if you're ready to take your pumpkins to the next level, check out these recipes collected from fellow home economists.

Before turning them into pie, we created Mr, Mrs Pumpkin Head - and baby too!

Pumpkin Puree – Getting the Good Stuff

Thanks to the original article on HomeFamily.net by Marilee Hornung and Sheri Taylor

To make your own pumpkin puree, pumpkins need to be cooked and then cooled, peeled and pureed. The puree can be frozen and used for up to a year. While you can use the big jack o'lantern pumpkins, the smaller sugar pumpkins will provide a tastier, denser puree.

To bake, halve the pumpkin removing seeds and strings. Cut into serving-size pieces. Place on a foil-lined pan (to avoid juices burning onto the pan). Pour 1 cm (1/2 inch) of water onto the pan. Cover with foil and bake in a 180 C (350 F) oven until tender, about 40 minutes.

To boil, place the peeled pumpkin in boiling water and cook until tender (about 12 minutes). Although this method is faster, the boiling water will dilute the flavour slightly.

To microwave, place the pumpkin chunks on a shallow microwavable dish. Cover and cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Rotate the dish halfway through the cooking time.

You can mash cooked pumpkin with a potato masher, put it through a food mill or puree it in a blender or food processor. Pumpkin can be very watery, so be sure the pieces are well drained after cooking, then drain the puree again before storing.

Pumpkin is traditionally combined with cream, eggs and spices to make pumpkin pie. When served in a pastry crust, a slice gets almost half of its calories from fat. By substituting evaporated skim milk for the cream, you will cut the fat significantly. If you choose a graham cracker crust, you will cut the fat and calories even more.

Once you have the puree, try some of these pumpkin recipes.

* These same techniques can be used for most winter squash and/or canned pumpkin.

Mr. Pumpkin head was a little concerned!

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Courtesy of the Home Economists of the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists

1	unbaked 9 inch (23 cm) pastry shell	1
2	large eggs	2
1 cup	brown sugar	250 mL
1/2 tsp	salt	2 L
1 1/4 tsp	cinnamon	6 mL
1/2 tsp	each nutmeg, ginger, allspice	2 mL
1 1/2 cups	pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)	375 mL
1 cup	evaporated milk	250 mL

Roll out pastry to fit a 9 inch (23 cm) deep pie plate. Trim and flute edges. Chill about 15 minutes. Beat eggs in mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, spices and pumpkin. Add milk and blend until smooth. Bake on lowest oven rack in hot oven at 450°F (230°C) for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350° F (180°C) and continue baking 35-45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in filling comes out clean. Cool and serve with dollops of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Soup

Courtesy of previous article by Heather Torrie, Public Health Nutritionist

2 tbsp margarine 25 mL

1 cup onion, chopped 250 mL

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 2

1 - 1 1/2 tsp curry powder 5-7 mL

1/4 tsp ground pepper 1 mL

2 cups canned or pureed pumpkin 500 mL

3 cups chicken broth 750 mL

1 1/2 cups milk 375 mL

Melt margarine in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add broth and pumpkin. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer soup to blender. Blend until smooth. Return to saucepan and add milk. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Sugar Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Submitted by Kathryn Baranovsky, PHEc. Recipe from the Woman’s Day website.

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds (from 2 medium pumpkins), rinsed and patted dry

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted

2 Tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Heat oven to 300°F. Spread the seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until totally dry throughout, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a large bowl (reserve the baking sheet). Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Drizzle the butter over the pumpkin seeds, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and cinnamon, and toss to coat. Spread the seeds in an even layer on the reserved sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins

Courtesy of the Home Economists of the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists

2 eggs 2

1 1/4 cups sugar 300 mL

1/3 cup canola oil 175 mL

1 cup pumpkin puree 250 mL

1/4 tsp baking soda 1 mL

2 1/4 cups flour 550 mL

21/2 tsp baking powder 12 mL

1/2 tsp salt 2 mL

1/2 tsp each nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon 2 mL

Beat eggs until lemon coloured. Add sugar and oil. Add soda to pumpkin puree. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with pumpkin puree to egg mixture, stirring just until blended. Spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 375°F (190°C) 20 -25 minutes or until tops are firm to touch. Makes about 2 dozen muffins.

Pumpkin Pudding

Courtesy of the Home Economists of the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists

The cornmeal and the pumpkin combination in this recipe made for a rich, smooth pudding.

2 cups milk 500 mL

1/3 cup white or yellow cornmeal 75 mL

1/4 cup pure maple syrup 50 mL

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 125 mL

1/4 cup butter 50 mL

1 tsp salt 5 mL

1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 mL

1/2 tsp cloves 2 mL

1/2 tsp allspice 2 mL

1/8 tsp nutmeg .5 mL

1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned) 250 mL

1 egg, beaten 1

Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C). Using the top of a double boiler bring the milk to a boil. Slowly stir in the cornmeal, then place the mixture over the boiling water and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the maple syrup and cook an additional five minutes. Remove from heat and mix in all other ingredients. Pour into a well-greased baking dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until it tests done. Serve warm with whip cream. Serves 4 to 6.

Pumpkin Pickles

Submitted by Mary Jane Eason of Mary Jane’s Cooking School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a registered charity that provides education in nutritional home cooking and homemaking in harmony with individual community and cultural traditions, with respect and care for the environment.

2 cups Vinegar

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Water

1 Tbsp Pickling Spice (use your favorite spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and whole allspice)

6 to 8 cups Pumpkin peeled and cut into cubes (about 1 pumpkin)

Cook syrup for 15 minutes with pickling spice tied in cheese cloth. Add enough pumpkin for syrup to cover. Cook until pumpkin is glazed. Fill in hot sterilized jars with pumpkin and pour boiling syrup over pickles and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Winter Squash Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Winter Squash Recipes

In my last article on winter squash I gave a general overview of winter squash, now, here are a host of winter squash recipes collected from friends, fellow gardeners, and fellow home economists. Remember, most squash are easily substituted, so if you don't have access to one kind, try whatever is handy. Acorn, butternut, buttercup, delicata and kabocha are fairly similar and can be use interchangeably. Delicata and kabocha are most like sweet potato and can also be used in recipes calling for sweet potatoes. Spaghetti squash has a very unique stringy texture that makes the most wonderful, delicious and nutritious substitute for spaghetti noodles. Hubbard, turban and buttercup are the most difficult to cut through and may work best as decorations.

Have fun experimenting!

Simple Cubed or Purreed Squash

Submitted by Getty Stewart, PHEc.

Sometimes, simple is best. If you’re just looking for a delicious side dish that provides a little more interest, nutrition and flavour than potatoes or rice, try these techniques to cook squash. Once you have the flesh, choose seasonings that will accompany your meal or simply use a little salt and pepper and serve either cubed or mashed like potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Oven Baking:

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down on a greased baking dish. Bake at 375°F (190° C) for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Once cool to touch, remove flesh from rind. Cube or mash.

Steaming:

Cut squash into large pieces, remove seeds and place in steamer and cook until tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. Remove flesh from rind and cube or mash. Butternut squash has a thinner skin than most squash, to steam it, peel and cut squash to desired size before steaming. HINT: Cut the neck off the butternut squash and stand it upright on a cutting board to make peeling easier. Scoop out the seeds from the bulb, slice it into disks and then peel.

Boiling:

Peel and cut squash into pieces. Cover with water and boil until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Butter and Parmesan

By Getty Stewart, PHEc, www.veggiedelight.ca

1 Spaghetti Squash

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 Tbsp Chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30- 60 minutes until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and cool slightly. Use a fork gently scrape the inside of the squash to create spaghetti like strands. Scoop into a serving bowl and toss with melted butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

My Roots are Showing - Roasted Root Vegetables

Submitted by Jennifer Dyck, PHEc. Recipe courtesy of the Manitoba Canola Growers.

1/3 cup canola oil 75 mL

1/3 cup Manitoba maple syrup 75 mL

1/3 cup Maple Leaf Distillers Maple Liquor 75 mL

2 1/2 cup red potatoes, cut into wedges 625 mL

2 cup acorn squash, peeled and cut into cubes 500 mL

1 cup rutabaga, peeled and cut into cubes 250 mL

4 parsnips, peeled and cut lengthwise 4

4 carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise 4

1 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves 1 head

1 large red onion, cut into eighths 1

1 tsp salt and pepper 5 mL

1 Tbsp dried basil 15 mL

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Mix together all ingredients. Place mixture on roasting pan lined with parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until tested done. Turn vegetables occasionally. Makes

4 - 6 servings.

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

Submitted by Carly Gabler, RD, PHEc

1 Spaghetti Squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Onion, chopped

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 ½ cups Chopped Tomatoes

¾ cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

3 Tbsp Sliced Black Olives

2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.

Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Confetti Spaghetti Squash

Courtesy of previous article by Donna Nelson, Public Health Nutritionist

1/4 cup Chicken Broth 60 mL

1 tsp Olive Oil 5 mL

1 tsp Wine Vinegar 5 ml

1/2 cup Diced Green Pepper 125 mL

1/2 cup Diced Sweet Red Pepper 125 mL

1/4 cup Diced Onion 60 mL

1/4 cup Minced Fresh Parsley 60 mL

1/4 tsp Ground Cumin 1 mL

1 Clove Garlic, minced 1

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash, cooked 1

Combine all of the ingredients except the squash in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about two minutes. Add the cooked squash and toss until mixed. Cover and microwave for two additional minutes. Serve piping hot and enjoy the sumptuous squash!

Coconut Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Submitted by Amanda MacDonald, Manitoba Association of Home Economists member

1 Butternut Squash
4 tbsp Extra-virgin Olive oil

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

1                      Onion (diced)
3 cloves            Garlic (diced)
1/2 inch             Fresh Gingerroot (chopped)

1 Jalapeno Pepper (diced)

2 Tbsp              Curry Paste (red)
5-6 cups           Vegetable Stock
1 can                Coconut Milk
1 Tbsp              Chopped fresh cilantro or basil (garnish)

Pre-heat oven 375°F. Cut squash into quarters, remove seeds, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake squash for 30-35 min until fork tender.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and sauté until soft. Add curry paste, stir and continue to sauté. Add vegetable stock. Scrape squash flesh from the skin and mash into the soup. Add can of coconut milk. Adjust thickness of soup with additional vegetable stock or water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender or pour into blender to puree into a smooth textured soup. Adjust seasoning as desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro or basil and serve.

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Submitted by Getty Stewart, PHEc. Recipe created by the Home Economists of Winnipeg Hydro.

1 Tbsp              Olive Oil
1                      Onion, chopped
1                      Butternut Squash, peeled, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
3                      Carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp              Sugar
1 tsp                 Paprika
1 tsp                 Cumin
3/4 tsp              Turmeric
3/4 tsp              Coriander
6 cups              Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp              Lime Juice
                        Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup                         Cream
2 tbsp               Cilantro or Parsley, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until soft. Add squash, carrots and sugar and sauté for 10 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, turmeric and coriander and sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes until veggies are soft. Puree soup using an immersion blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper, lime juice to taste. Slowly add cream to soup.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.

Grilled Acorn Squash with Balsamic Drizzle

Submitted by Jennifer Dyck, PHEc. Recipe courtesy of the Manitoba Canola Growers.

2 acorn squash (about 3 lb / 1.5 kg) 2

1/4 cup canola oil, divided 60 mL

1/2 tsp salt, divided 2 mL

1/2 tsp pepper, divided 2 mL

1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage 15 mL

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 15 mL

1 tsp Dijon mustard 5 mL

1 clove garlic, minced 1 mL

Cut both squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut halves crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices; place in a large bowl. Add half of each the oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Place squash on lightly oiled grill over medium heat. Close lid and grill, turning once, until tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Whisk together sage, vinegar, mustard garlic, and remaining oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle this mixture over grilled squash.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes in Acorn Squash Rings

Courtesy of previous article by Dorothy Lang from the Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists.

Here’s an interesting and decorative way to present mashed potatoes.

1 acorn squash 1

6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered 6

2 tbsps butter or margarine 25 mL

2 cloves garlic, crushed 2

1/2 cup 1% milk 125 mL

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsps finely chopped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried (optional) 10 mL

Slice squash into 1/2 inch (1 cm) crosswise rings, clean out centre, lay flat in a large skillet, add water to cover bottom of pan, cover and cook over medium heat until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to pot, and mash with potato masher until all large pieces are broken up. In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat melt butter, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add milk, increase heat to medium, and heat until hot but not boiling. Add milk mixture gradually to potatoes, while mashing, until all milk is used and potatoes are creamy. Stir in dill if desired.

Serve in the middle of acorn rings. Makes 6 servings.

Rockin' Ravioli with Butternut Squash Filling

Submitted by Jennifer Dyck, PHEc. Recipe courtesy of the Manitoba Canola Growers.

Pasta Dough

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 300 mL

1/2 cup cake flour 125 mL

1/2 tsp salt 2 mL

2 eggs, beaten slightly 2

2 Tbsp canola oil 30 mL

1 Tbsp water 15 mL

3 Tbsp chives, chopped 45 mL

Measure all ingredients, except chives, into a food processor and process for about 1 minute, until mixture begins to form a ball. Scoop out dough onto a floured board and knead dough, while incorporating chopped chives and extra flour as needed, for about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Set up pasta machine.

Cut dough into four pieces, keeping dough covered as you work. Roll each piece through machine settings: Qne, Four and Seven. Cut each strip into 6 or 7 pieces which will measure approximately 3 x 6 inches (7.5 x 15 cm).

Place 1 tsp of butternut filling on each 3 inch end. Moisten all around with water. Fold one end over the other to end up with 3 x 3 inch (7.5 x 7.5 cm) ravioli. Cook in boiling salted water for 2 minutes.

Butternut Squash and Pecan Filling

1 butternut squash, seeds removed and cut into large chunks 1

1 large onion, peeled and cut in half 1

1 head garlic, top cut off to expose tips of garlic within 1 head

2-4 Tbsp canola oil 30-60 mL

1/4 cup yogurt 60 mL

2 tsp lemon juice 10 mL

1 tsp lemon zest 5 mL

2 Tbsp chopped chives 30 mL

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 60 mL

salt and pepper, to taste

Brush all sides of squash chunks, onion halves and garlic head liberally with canola oil. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 45- 60 minutes, until vegetables are soft and nicely browned. Remove skins from squash and garlic. Process all vegetable pieces in food processor. Add yogurt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Process mixture again until smooth. Scrape down sides of processor bowl. Scoop mixture into a bowl and stir in chives and finely chopped pecans. Add salt and pepper to taste. The filling is ready at this point to prepare the ravioli.

Winter Squash

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Here's the first of a series of articles on winter squash I wrote for the Manitoba Association of Home Economists' new blog www.homefamily.net in preparation for a Breakfast Television show on October 11, 2011. The next article will feature a ton of squash recipes followed by pumpkin info.

P.S. The pumpkins, butternut squash and gold nugget squash came from our garden down by the river. The rest came from the store up the street.

Winter Squash – A Nutritious and Versatile Treat

By Getty Stewart, PHEc

Every autumn the most famous representative of the squash family, the pumpkin, is dressed up and put out on stoops throughout North America. It is a symbol of autumn, Thanksgiving and of course Halloween. But giant carved pumpkins provide only a brief glimpse into the wide world of nutritious, delicious, low cost and versatile winter squash.

Winter squash come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They all have a tough outer rind that surrounds sweet yellow to deep orange flesh and a seed pocket. The flesh may be fibrous, pebbly or smooth with flavour that varies from mild to distinctly nutty. Winter squash are harvested at full maturity, unlike summer squash (cucumbers, zucchini, pattypan) which is harvested while still young and tender.

Common Winter Squash Varieties

The many varieties of winter squash offer different flavours and textures to enjoy.

Acorn Buttercup

Butternut Delicata

Gold Nugget Hubbard

Kabocha (Japanese squash) Spaghetti

Turban Pumpkin

For a picture and description of different varieties visit The Cook’s Thesaurus.

Nutritive Value of Winter Squash

Winter squash are nutrition powerhouses! They’re a good source of folate, iron, riboflavin, vitamins A and C and antioxidants such as beta-carotene. Baked, boiled or mashed, squash has about 40 calories per half cup serving.

Nutrient information per ½ cup (125 ml) cooked winter squash (average of all varieties):

Calories	40 kcal
Fat	0.4 g
Protein	1 g
Carbohydrate	10 g
Fibre	2 g
Potassium	473 mg
Manganese	0.2 mg
Copper	0.09 mg
Folate	22 ug
Vitamin C	10 mg
Beta-carotene	3025 mcg

Source: Leslie Beck, RD “ Winter Squash”. 2010. www.lelsiebeck.com

Selecting Winter Squash

When shopping for winter squash, look for a smooth, dry rind without cracks or soft spots. The rind should be dull, not shiny. A shiny rind indicates that the squash was picked before it fully matured, and it will not be as sweet and flavourful as a mature squash. A deep colour is also a sign of a good winter squash. The squash should feel heavy for its size. The stems should be rounded and dry, not collapsed, blackened or moist. When buying a cut squash, make sure it has a good interior colour and fine-grained flesh.

Storing Winter Squash

Uncut winter squash can be stored for three months or more in a cool, dry place. Pumpkin may only keep for a month. It is best not to store winter squash in the fridge, or below 10 C (50 F), as this will cause the squash to deteriorate more quickly. Cut squash, however, should be stored in the refrigerator, for no more than a week.

Using Winter Squash

Wash squash before using. The hard skins of some types of squash make them challenging to cut, so be careful! Use a heavy chef's knife or a cleaver, especially for larger squash. Make a shallow cut in the rind to use as a guide and to prevent the knife blade from slipping. Place the blade in the cut and tap the base of the knife (near the handle) with your fist or if necessary, a mallet or rolling pin until the squash is cut through. Some small, very hard-shelled squash, such as golden nugget, are often impossible to split before cooking; bake or steam them whole. Once split, scoop out the seeds and fibres, cut into smaller chunks and peel.

Use in a wide variety of recipes including roasted veggies, soup, casseroles, desserts, puddings, pies, muffins, breads, etc.

Thank you to the work of the Public Health Nutritionists of Saskatchewan from previously published articles on winter squash on homefamily.net. In particular, thanks to Donna Nelson, Cathy Knox, Barb Wright, Heather Torrie, Dorothy Lang, Marilee Hornung and Sheri Taylor. Their work helped create the foundation of this article.

Dehydrating Leeks

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

A basket full of leeks. What am I going to do?

Our favourite recipe is leek and potato soup, but I can't possibly make that much soup all at once. If I had proper cold storage, I could store them for quite a long time. Sadly, I don't have a great storage place - our garage gets too cold and our basement gets too hot.

Luckily, I have a handy dandy dehydrator that I can use. Here's what I did.

I cut off the roots and leafy greens outside. I also peeled off the first layer to keep as much of the dirt outside as possible.

To get all the dirt out, slice the leeks in half and wash thoroughly, holding on to the end so the whole thing doesn't come apart.

Slice into 1/4 inch pieces, separate and spread on dehydrator sheet. I had close to 40 leeks which covered 9 trays.

Leave in the dehydrator at 135 degrees Farenheit for 6 hours or until leeks are crispy.

Cool dried leeks completely and store in air tight containers.

These will be so easy to use for soups and stews, simply toss in a bunch to whatever dish could use a little leek flavour. They rehydrate very quickly and don't require soaking.

They're so pretty, I'm excited to have them in my cupboard -even better than that crazy beet root powder!

Garden Closing

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:21:00 +0000

September 30 is the last day at the community garden. This week, the tractor will come with the cultivator and plow everything under. It is a sad day, especially since the weather is still so nice. But, so it goes.

I hauled in the last of our veggies on Friday. We had carrots, squash, leeks, celery, some dried bush beans for seed and a few runner beans for one last supper.

So far, I've frozen the celery (wash, chop, blanch for 3 minutes, cool, dry, freeze) and dehydrated the leeks (post tomorrow). Not sure what I'll do with the carrots and squash yet (the big zucchini is for seeds only).

My Sister's Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Our whole family loves going to my sister's farm. For us city folks there are always so many great things to see and do. It's especially fun on Grape Harvesting day, which we got to experience this weekend.

My brother-in-law and his brother have a couple of acres of grapes that they use for juice and most importantly wine. Every year at about this time, they invite 20 to 30 friends and family to join in picking and pressing the grapes. It's something we all look forward to.

For the complete story from picking to juice/wine making check out this You Tube video of the 2009 harvest. Click below or go to http://youtu.be/Btrq_SamXX8

Manitoba Grape Harvest

But grapes are just the tip of the iceberg. Here's what else we saw on the farm.

And then there was my sister's garden and orchard. She sure knows how to grow some amazing fruits and veggies.

And, she's incredibly generous too. Here's the bounty she shared with us and Fruit Share, who shared it with Siloam Mission. By the way, these were just the extras - she's already harvested more than that! Now that's a garden!

I love my sister, her family and her farm!

Cauliflower

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Look!

Isn't it the cutest little head of cauliflower you ever did see?!

This spring I planted six cauliflower transplants from my basement green house. The plants came in strong and healthy, but by mid summer all I had was leaves. It was clear there wasn't going to be any cauliflower this year. By mid August, I pulled three of the plants but decided to leave three just to see what might happen.

Finally, at the beginning of September I noticed a head starting to form on one of them. Sadly, it only had a couple of weeks to fill out. Cold temperatures, heavy frost and the plowing under of the gardens (Sept 30) means this little guy didn't have a chance.

What happened?
I'm guessing that lack of water during a dry, hot summer were probably the culprits. I know that plants need sufficient water, sun and nutrients in order to produce well. I suspect our cauliflower got the nutrients and sun it needed, hence the lovely foliage, but not enough water to be able to produce a head. That's what I get for not watering the garden!

We shared our cauliflower at supper last night. As pretty as it looks, it had a very sharp, spicy taste. It was as if all the cauliflower flavour of a 10 inch head was concentrated in each morsel - a little overwhelming to say the least.

Oh well, at least now we know.

Storing and Ripening Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I've gathered a few tomatoes! How about you?

ripe or almost ripe ones on the counter

green ones in the basement

Now what? I want a steady supply of red tomatoes for salads and sandwiches for as long as possible. So, I don't want them all to ripen really fast. I would also like make another batch of salsa or frozen tomatoes. In other words, I want some to ripen slowly and to keep for as long as possible and some to ripen at the same time.

Warm room temperatures, light and being with other fruits like bananas or apples (that give off ethylene gas) will ripen tomatoes quickly. So, those tomatoes on the counter are good prospects for salsa, soup or batches of something.

Cool, dark conditions are better for long term storage. Last year, I described in more detail how to store tomatoes.

As you can see, one of our boxes of green tomatoes is several layers deep. I know that if I want to increase my rate of successful storage and ripening, I better get another box or two and spread them out. And, I may also try wrapping some of the big ones in newspaper to see if I can store them even longer.

I'm curious to find out when we'll be eating our last garden grown tomato.

Purple Cabbage

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:33:00 +0000

At the end of April, I started my cabbage patch with seeds under grow lights. In May, I transplanted them to the garden, in June I covered them with a floating row cover to protect them from pests, and now, it's time to harvest! It's such an amazing process to go from seed to supper.

The purple cabbage was the star performer this year. I only had enough white cabbage, kohlrabi and brocolli to make a couple of meals. The cauliflower - well never mind the cauliflower, I only managed to produce a one inch head. But look at all that purple cabbage.

The Cabbage Patch

8 heads in total

Lucky for me, mom was visiting and offered to take care of all that cabbage.

Mom declined the food processor saying "I can do it faster by hand." And she can too!

In the pot with apples, onions, bay leaf, salt, pepper, caraway, vinegar.

After it's all cooked.

Ready for the freezer.

By the way, in our house we call it "red cabbage" actually "Rot Kraut". My sister's in-laws who come from another part of Germany call it "blue cabbage" or "Blau Kraut". I've chosen the more accurate and neutral (huge family negotiations about calling it red vs. blue) term of "purple cabbage". Anyway, here's a recipe that's very close to mom's recipe. Of course, mom just goes by feel - she doesn't have a recipe.

Braised Purple Cabbage

2 tbsp canola oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced

1 apple cored and sliced into 8 pieces

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or red wine

1/3 cup water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp sugar or honey (optional)

In a saucepan heat the oil.

Add sliced onions and saute until soft and clear.

Add caraway seed and saute for 30 seconds to release flavour.

Add cabbage, apple and bay leaf.

Stir and cook until cabbage is slightly wilted.

Add vinegars and water and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

If slightly acidic try adding sugar or honey.

Enjoy with a bratwurst and mashed potatoes! Now that's a traditional German meal.

Makes 8 to 10 side servings

You can increase or decrease this recipe depending on how much cabbage you have. We multiplied everything by 6 and froze the extras once it cooled off.

What would you do with a bounty of red/blue/purple cabbage?

Risk of Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:46:00 +0000

Its mid-September and the "risk of frost" warnings are being posted by Environment Canada. How do you react? Do you...

play the odds and take a chance that it won't actually happen
play it safe and throw covers on anything requiring a little protection
put an end to this year's garden and take out whatever isn't hardy enough to withstand the cooler temps

What ever you do, we all know the end is near. Cooler days and colder nights mean that those warm season veggies will soon be finished. In fact, some will virtually stop all growth at 10 degrees Celcius (50 degrees F) and then if they're hit with extended periods of frost (an hour or more of frost) the plants will die completely.

But don't despair! Now's the time to look to those cool temp veggies and enjoy them to the fullest.

In case you're wondering, here's a chart showing the frost tolerance of common herbs and veggies.

Very Sensitive to Frost	Survives Light Frost	Very Tolerant of Frost
Basil	Broccoli	Beets
Bush Beans	Cauliflower	Brussel Sprouts
Cucumbers	Cilantro	Cabbage
Eggplant	Kohlrabi	Carrots
Melons	Leaf lettuce	Chives
Peppers	Mustard greens	Garlic
Pumpkins	Rosemary	Green Onions
Runner Beans	spinach	Kale
Squash	Swiss chard	Leeks
	Thyme	Peas
	Turnips	Potatoes
		Radishes
		Sage

What did I do? Well, the first night I hummed and hahed all evening while my husband was encouraging me to roll the dice and let nature decide. By 9:30pm I couldn't stand it any longer and I raced down to the garden with a few blankies. Of course, it was very dark down by the river. And, I realized four blankies weren't enough to cover half of what I needed to cover. So there I was, with only the moonlight to guide me, picking peppers and as many tomatoes as I could.

By the second night, I tossed in the towel and picked the rest of my green tomatoes (no patience for hauling blankies to and from the garden). I came home with a 30lb bag of them. There was a brief rain an hour before, so unfortunately my tomatoes were damp and dirty. When I came home, I sat in the kitchen drying my tomatoes, while Melanie was doing her "new math" homework. I'm not sure which one of us had the worst task!

Whatever you decide - Good luck!

Growing Rhubarb

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:50:00 +0000

Thanks to Leanne for this great post on growing rhubarb in the back yard.

Leanne's rhubarb, planted this spring

Here’s how a recent conversation went with one of my friends:

Me: I’m really happy about how my rhubarb is coming along. It’s hard to believe I just planted it in May from a little 4 inch pot. It’s growing like crazy!

Friend: Have you seen the rhubarb I’ve been trying to grow under my apple tree for eleven years?

Me: Yeah, I did notice it just the other day, in fact. Eleven years, eh? It doesn’t look so good.

Friend: I know! Who can’t grow rhubarb???

Me: Do you water it?

Friend: Who waters rhubarb?

Me: Well… I do.

Friend: You shouldn’t have to water rhubarb. It’s supposed to grow anywhere, without any work – it’s a weed, for heaven’s sake!

Hmmmm…. You know that old saying: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”? I’m just sayin’…

Here’s what I did, based on advice from the book 3 Step Gardening: The Quick and Easy Way to Grow Fruit and Vegetables (Steve Mercer, 2009, Toucan Books):
I dug a big (3 feet in diameter), fairly deep hole in a partly shady spot in my backyard (seemed ridiculous for the little plant I was putting in it),filled it with fresh, lovely compost, transplanted the rhubarb,covered up the roots and left the new little shoots exposed, watered thoroughly and mulched with a thick layer of rotting leaves. Then I watered regularly, wanting to give my new plant a really good start, since I expect to have it for the next twenty years or more.

Two sources are telling me not to harvest for the first year, but it looks so good… maybe just 1 cobbler’s worth?!?

Leanne,
Backyard Container Gardener

Apple Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Thanks to Fruit Share I've had the chance to pick a few apples. I've been using these apples to test various recipes to include in the Guide to Backyard Fruit that I'm putting together. Of course a classic apple pie recipe is a must.

Usually, I would "wing it" and loosely follow whatever pie recipe I stumbled across. But this time, I had to record every nuance and address any possible question that someone might have. So I began experimenting. Several pies later, here's my take on apple pie made with delicious prairie apples.

Apple Pie
A fantastic apple pie recipe with a flaky, tender crust and a filling with soft apples coated in a light, thick sauce. This is the way apple pie was meant to be.

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

6 Tbsp cold butter

6 Tbsp shortening

1 Tbsp vinegar

5 to 7 Tbsp ice water

1 tsp soft butter

Filling

6 cups sliced tart apples (prairie apples are perfect for this recipe)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

Crust

Sift together flour, salt and sugar in a large chilled bowl.

Use a pastry blender to cut in butter and shortening until crumbly.

Sprinkle vinegar and the smallest amount of water over the flour mixture.

Mix with a fork just until ingredients come together to form a ball. If needed, add a drop of water at a time until ingredients stick together.

Pat into a flat ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Filling

Wash, core, peel and slice apples.

Toss sliced apples in a bowl of water with the lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt.

Add cider vinegar.
Let rest while rolling out pie crust.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 450˚F.

Place oven rack in lowest position.

Divide dough into two pieces. Leave one piece in the fridge.

Lightly flour a rolling pin and section of counter top.

Roll dough into a 12 inch circle. To prevent sticking, lift and turn tough frequently.

Fold the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to pie plate.

Brush bottom of dough with soft butter to prevent filling from making bottom crust soggy.

Pour filling into pie.

Roll out other piece of dough.

Place the top crust over the apples.

Tuck excess pastry under the bottom crust and crimp the edges using fingers or a fork.

Make five vents in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.

Place pie on lowest rack of oven and bake at 450 for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 400, cover edges with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and rest for 2 hours.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

One Recipe, Three Variations

I tried this recipe using...

Fresh apples
Frozen apples that were thawed
Frozen apples that were not thawed

Three variations

The result...?

Each method worked, but the end result was a little different.

Fresh Apples
This pie was a classic. The texture of the apples and the not-too sweet sauce were just right for this flaky crust.

fresh apples

Frozen Apples Thawed
I left the apples to thaw overnight in a colander so the liquid could drain. They lost a considerable amount of liquid, which I did not incorporate back into the pie. I went from 7 cups of frozen apples to 4 1/2 cups of apples. I followed the recipe as shown with the 4 1/2 cups drained apples replacing the fresh ones. This pie cooked up very nicely. The filling was very dark and soft, there were no real apple pieces left. Because I did not reduce the sugar in the filling, it tasted sweeter than the other fillings. Also, the reduced volume of apples left this pie a little concave.

frozen, thawed apples

Frozen Apples Not Thawed
I took 6 cups of frozen apples directly out of the freezer and mixed them with the filling ingredients. I did add an extra 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch and baked it an extra 5 minutes at 350 degrees. The outside of the crust was crisp and flaky, but there were some undercooked parts on the inside (nobody else seemed to notice, but I looked very carefully). The apples held their shape and were only slightly softer than the fresh apples. Next time, I would extend the baking time by another 5 minutes.

frozen, not thawed

These pies were tested by 10 people. Everyone agreed they would be happy to eat any of the three variations. When pushed for a choice, the ranking came out as follows:
1. Fresh Apples
2. Frozen Not Thawed Apples
3. Frozen Then Thawed Apples

As a baker, I'm thrilled to hear the frozen, not thawed apples worked out so well - I love the fact that I can eliminate the thawing stage. Now I can freeze any extra apples and know that I have a great recipe for this winter.

If you make apple pie - people will eat it! There's really no need to fuss too much, but if you're interested, here are a few pie tips I've picked up along the way.

Pie Tips:

Use a glass or dull-metal pie plate for best results. Aluminum pie plates reflect heat that prevents browning and dark pans may cause too much browning.
A mix of butter and shortening provides flakiness and tenderness.
Keep crust ingredients cold and do not overmix.Overworking leads to gluten formation which will make the dough tough. Overworking or warm ingredients will also break down the fat; it is the pieces of fat that will create tender flakes as it melts.
To prevent edges from getting too brown, cover edges with a ring of aluminum foil after the first 15 minutes of baking. To make the ring, cut a 12 inch square piece of foil. Cut out a 7 inch circle from the centre. Place on top of the pie.
Adding some cider vinegar or lemon juice to the crust will help to keep it tender.
Start baking in a very hot oven 450˚ for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 400˚. This will help the fat create flaky pockets.
To avoid a gap between the filling and the top crust, try slicing your apples thinner and/or partially cooking the filling before you put it in the pie. Smaller pieces will reduce air pockets and precooking will reduce some of the water content in apples. If you do this, you may need to add more apples than your recipe calls for.
To prevent a soggy bottom: use a glass pie plate, bake on the lowest rack in the oven, coat the bottom of the pie with butter to seal it before adding the pie filling, cool the pie filling before pouring into the crust, bake at a high temperature.
Allow pie to cool for 2 hours before slicing into it to allow the filling to set properly.
Cut at least 5 vents into the top pie crust to allow steam to vent out.
Line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil to catch any spills.

Beet Root Powder

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:56:00 +0000

It occurs to me that I may have gone off the deep end with my latest garden veggie adventure. By moving from borscht to beet root powder, I may have gone beyond the "practical, regular everyday" gardening things anyone can (or would want to) do at home.

I'm sorry, but the beets just came coming and I have this new dehydrator and before I knew it, I was dehydrating beets. It all happened so quickly.

The fact is, I wanted to make some really awesome beet chips, like the ones that come in the really expensive bags of veggie chips in the potato chip aisle. I could almost taste them as I sliced three big beets and put them in the dehydrator. (I tried deep frying and oven baking beets last year.)

It took two days and one night to dry them until they were actually crispy. But as you can see, they didn't come out looking like expensive veggie chips. They came out looking... well, let's say they were a little weird. And as for taste - they were quite sweet and tasted very much like a beet. The dehydrator took out all the water and left all the things that makes a beet a beet - the sweetness, the earthy flavour and the colour. If you really, really love those things then you'd probably love dehydrated beets. We're still learning to appreciate beets, so this concentrated beet flavour was a little too much for us.

Then I remembered reading this blog post from Well Preserved about beet root powder. And thus began my adventure into beet root powder!

beet chips in coffee grinder (should make the next cup of espresso interesting!)

ground to a fine powder

I suspect this powder will last us a while

yup, beet root powder

Apparently 1 tsp of beet root powder has the equivalent nutrition of one whole beet! That's pretty powerful. I think I'll toss in a little beet root powder in whatever I can get away with and whatever could use a little colour. The trick will be to find the right balance between adding enough for colour and nutritional value but not enough to overwhelm the main dish with the taste of beet.

I tried adding some to vanilla yogurt and it worked out pretty well. The colour changed but the flavour didn't change very much at all.

a great colouring agent

vanilla yogurt with a little beet root powder for colour

I could definitely see adding the powder to some baking recipes (anything with cocoa) and to soups and sauces.

Wonder how long our jar of beet root powder will last!

Garden Borscht

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:09:00 +0000

I came back from the garden with a head of cabbage, four huge beets, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, beans, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, corn and some new potatoes from my gardening neighbour. That's a lot of fresh produce! My dilemma was what to do with it all and how to keep some of it for winter.

It's hard to find a recipe that will use all of these ingredients, but there is one classic that will use up a lot of them and that can be frozen and used as a quick supper in the depths of winter - borscht!

I don't have an old family favourite recipe, so I scoured the internet and loosely followed this recipe from Canadian Living. It's called Better Next Day Borscht. I like the name, because of course, borscht is one of those things that does taste better the next day!

The biggest modification I made was to leave out the meat, ours was all veggies. I also doubled the recipe since I had plenty of everything and I wanted to freeze the leftovers.

ingredients from our garden

gorgeous colours

in the bowl

In the end, we had about 7Litres (28 cups) of soup. We had enough for supper, lunch the next day and two batches in the freezer.

Smutty Corn - Not as bad as it looks

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:36:00 +0000

"Oh no! There's a growth on our corn and it doesn't look pretty. Quick toss it out before it spreads."

I was pretty sure that anything that looked that nasty was bound to be dangerous to consume and so I immediately got rid of it.

When I came home, I looked up corn smut and discovered that it's a delicacy that's actually more nutritious and more valuable than the corn it grows on. Go figure! Check this out....

For full article visit the MSNC's Corn Smut Article. Then, if you'd like to get a good deal on some corn smut, just leave me a message in the comment section!

By MARTHA MENDOZAAssociated Press Writer

updated 4/27/2010 11:09:55 AM ET

IRAPUATO, Mexico — It's now an established scientific fact: Smut is GOOD for you. Corn smut, that is.

For years, scientists have assumed that huitlacoche (WEET-LA-KO-CHEE) — a gnarly, gray-black corn fungus long-savored in Mexico — had nutritional values similar to those of the corn on which it grew. But test results just published in the journal Food Chemistry reveal that an infection that U.S. farmers and crop scientists have spent millions trying to eradicate, is packed with unique proteins, minerals and other nutritional goodies.

And here's a bonus: agro-economists have found it can sell for more than the corn it ruins.

"We had no idea huitlacoche could actually synthesize significant nutrients that don't even exist in corn," says Octavio Paredes-Lopez, one of Mexico's leading food scientists.

"Who cares about the nutritional value? The flavors are amazing!" said Steve Sando, a grinning Napa Valley epicurean whose booming Rancho Gordo speciality food company grows and sells heirloom beans, corn and other indigenous "New World" ingredients.

.... read more here

Growing Cauliflower

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:35:00 +0000

I'm stumped. It's mid August and my cauliflower remains headless. What gives?

Headless Cauliflower

This is not the first year that this has happened either. It seems I cannot grow a beautiful white head of cabbage. Last year, I had a wee little curd that I diligently covered with the surrounding leaves so it would stay nice and white. It never amounted to much. The years before that, my cauliflower plants didn't grow much bigger than the size I planted them. This year, I have nice leafy plants, but no head. I have a friend who asked me about the same condition earlier on in the summer and my advice was just wait.

Will the head still come? Is it too late in the season? Has my no watering plan caused this headless disaster? Does anyone know?

As for the rest of my cabbage patch, it's looking pretty good. The floating row cover that we've had on since spring did a great job of protecting our plants from flea beetles and root maggots. However, it didn't do so well in keeping away the cabbage moths. In fact, I think it trapped more inside of it than it kept out! This weekend, I took it off and released the moths trapped inside. Our cabbages are now fully exposed. We'll see how things go. Perhaps I'll be harvesting my cabbage fairly soon.

Row Cover over the cabbage patch in June

Cabbage patch in August - getting rid of the row cover

Lemon Pear Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 01:27:00 +0000

We've been talking a lot about Blossom End Rot on tomatoes and sure, some of our tomatoes have fallen victim to it, but most of them are doing just fine. Check out this lemon pear tomato plant just loaded with sweet, juicy yellow tomatoes. They are heavenly!

A heavy load

after picking, still plenty left

Freezing Bush Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:54:00 +0000

Our bean crop is a little later than usual, but it is coming in nicely and it's time to freeze some for the winter. Here's the process I use.

Pick beans from garden

Cut both ends off the beans.
Wash.
Cut as desired. I chose to "french" some beans (slice lengthwise in thin slices) and to cut some in 1/2 inch pieces.
Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Add beans to boiling water.

Bring water back to full rolling boil.
Boil beans for 3 minutes, just enough to kill the enzymes that would otherwise give your beans a bad flavour, even in the freezer.

Place beans in cold water with ice cubes to cool rapidly and prevent further cooking.

Drain beans

Place in freezer bags.

Use a straw to remove any extra air (poor man's version of vaccum sealing!)

Place in freezer and enjoy within 1 year.

And voila, you have beans to enjoy throughout the year.

A Delicious Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Getty Stewart) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Green bush beans, royal burgundy bush beans, tomatoes, peppers, Golden Nugget Squash, cucumbers, carrots, dill, borage and dried spinach seeds. Mmmm!

Given the dry state of the garden, we're pretty lucky to get such a good haul.

By the way, the Golden Nugget Squash was way under ripe. It needs a few more weeks. Luckily, there are plenty on the vine.

We're also fortunate to have an amazing crop of tomatoes - despite a little bit of blossom end rot here and there. Usually, I'm very careful to prune my tomatoes and make sure any shoots are snipped off leaving my bushes airy with lots of room. This year, because I was away, there was no pruning. My tomato patch is a thick, dense, intertwined mess. The tomato cages are toppling over from the weight of the tomatoes. I can't believe how many tomatoes are on the vine. Here's a picture of one of just one plant - check out all those tomatoes. Makes me wonder why I've been pruning so much all these years! As long as the blight stays away, I'd say this is going to be a good year for tomatoes.

Yummy.