Table Talk — Archives
Archive for the ‘Entertaining’ Category
I love Grill Season!
June, 2012
Although I grill all year long, it’s so much more fun in when the weather warms up. For starters, I take more pictures because I am not freezing my @#% off . And the availability of local produce makes everything taste so much better!
Last weekend my girlfriends visited and we grilled some local asparagus, local tomatoes, and wild halibut & tuna on the big green egg. Because everything cooked quickly we cranked the heat up to about 500, threw it all on, closed the lid, waited 2 minutes, flipped it all over, closed the lid, and in another 2 minutes it was all done.
This weekend I had a rack of venison, some local overwintered potatoes, farmer’s market cucumbers and tomatoes, some 
organic kale from Colin at Jambican, and some left over True Loaf kamut sourdough. I decided to pickle the cucumbers in lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and a touch of olive oil, salt & chili flakes. The tomatoes I served straight up on a bed of local greens, tossed with oil and balsamic.
The rack was marinated for about 2 hours in grainy mustard, cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, green onions and fresh herbs (thyme and sage from my container garden).
I baked the potatoes in foil (on the egg) then sliced them open and seasoned them with butter, chives, green onions, capers and a dollop of Clarmell goat cheese. Before serving I reheated them on the egg. They were amazing!
The kale was sauteed quickly in my cast iron pan on the stove top with some sliced garlic and chorizo sausage I had left over from the night before. Because it was so young and fresh, it only took about 2 minutes and it was tender and tasty, while still holding it’s colour.
One tip for cooking the venison: venison is so lean that it has almost zero fat. In fact the flavour tastes somewhat like liver because it is such a dense protein. I cooked it with a couple of strips of fatty bacon on the top. When I flipped it over, I moved the bacon to the top side. This allowed the venison to sear, but not dry out. I think it worked really well.
It was an impromptu feast that led one diner to exclaim ‘this is the best meal I have eaten this year’.
Filed Under: Entertaining, Tips and Tricks
Staff Lunch
March 2012
Generally our lunch consists of food that we are making for our retail store. We always sample everything we cook, and our lunch time gives us an opportunity to really dissect a meal and talk about how things might be improved. Lunch time is also a great time to bond, and get to know the people we work with better.
Last fall we had a new employee join us to work in the ‘dish pit’. Ameya is studying in Canada but was raised in India, by a mother who clearly knew how to raise a fine young man. Not only is he kind, gentle, exceedingly polite, intelligent and a hard worker, but we discovered this week that he had other hidden talents.
In January I asked him if he could cook. He said, ‘yes, I am a pretty good cook’. 
Hmmm….I thought that was a bold statement for a young man, so challenged him to cook a meal for the entire staff of 20. He agreed and the menu planning began!
Since March 8 was the day that Hindus celebrate Holi - a religious spring festival known as the festival of Colours, we thought it was a good time to enjoy an Indian Feast.
Although a tad nervous about what he had agreed to undertake, Ameya soldiered on, and with a bit of help from Maria presented his co-workers with the most amazing staff lunch EVER!
A rich, flavourful Mutter Paneer (above) was served with a creamy Prawn Curry, basmati rice with cardamom, and a fresh cucumber raita. There was hand made roti, and a couple of flavourful bites – one filled with mutton and the other with mixed vegetables. It was all quite spicy, which was nice for us as we always have to be careful not to make our food ‘too hot’ for our customers taste.
We are extremely proud of Ameya, and I believe we have the beginnings of a new Red Apron tradition.
Filed Under: Entertaining, The Red Apron Family
Valentines Day
February 2012
Love may be in the air, but it’s also in the Red Apron Kitchen this February. Pre-order your Valentine’s dinner for 2 and pick it up in our retail store on February 14 between 2pm and 6pm. For a detailed menu, follow the link:
If you are looking for a special gift, drop into our retail store and select from our assortment of local treats and we will wrap it up for your Sweetheart with a big red ribbon!
Filed Under: Entertaining, Products
Moustache Day!
January 2012
We had been asked by the Winterlude organizers to participate in ‘A Taste of Winterlude’ this year and we had concocted a fun filled day of hearty lumberjack fare for the end of the month. Unfortunately, with just over a week until the event, Winterlude had not delivered on the booked seats, so with much disappointment we made the decision to cancel the event this week.
So to cheer ourselves up, we dug out the moustaches we had been saving for that event and wore them around the shop for a few hours. It did the trick. After much giggling and photo taking, we were back to our joyful selves.
We are taking all that fine food we had ordered up for this event, including the whole organic pig ordered from the Pickle Patch, and turning it into hearty winter meals that will be available in our retail store throughout the two weeks of Winterlude.
Also, each Friday & Saturday through Winterlude (February 3/4, 10/11 & 17/18) we will be serving up hot bowls of Vegetarian Chili between 11am & 2pm in our retail store at 564 Gladstone.
Drop in and warm up, or else I’ll have to send this one after you.
Filed Under: Around Town, Entertaining, The Red Apron Family
‘Twas the Day Before Christmas
December 24, 2011
Twas the day before Christmas
and all through the kitchen
all the food was disappearin’
and Jo-Ann was a bitchin’
The customers were coming
from far and away
hoping to buy what they needed
to put on the table Christmas day
Jennifer stood in the retail
and had such a fright
food flying from fridges
this couldn’t be right
Reliable Michael
couldn’t help but chime
the amount of food to prep
felt like doing hard time
Justine and Aiofe
they couldn’t understand
line ups of customers everywhere
just couldn’t have been
planned
Julie R. to the rescue
with her easy disposition
she was ready to talk them
all into submission
Megan stood in her corner
looking rightfully sour
boxes full of tourtière
her hair full of flour
Ivana tended lunch
harried and stressed
soup tureen empty
many sandwiches to be pressed
Julie H. offered to help
“I’ll work extra hours”
She quickly realized
It was no bed of flowers
Jayda worked hard
Always in a good mood
She toiled all day
to fill orders for food
Baby Robin and Sascha
were packaging with delight
if they didn’t hurry up
we would be there all night
Jo and Jen were yelling
‘the fridges are empty
you have to keep cooking
so there will be plenty’
Maria and Big Robin
were cooking full speed
multitasking like maniacs
they both took the lead
In back of the dish-pit
the suds were a flowing
Chris and Steven were at it
there was no sign of slowing
The pans were stacked high
With food coated slime
Ameya and Eric shocked
at the amount of thick grime
Morgan looked on
his face was quite stark
he took this job thinking
it would be a walk in the park
2 O’clock Christmas Eve
there was a wonderful sound
the doors had been locked
no customers around
Crack open the bubbly
lets all have a treat
our Red Apron Team
just Cannot be Beat
Have a wonderful Holiday
we wish you good cheer
lots of rest & relaxation
See you all in the New Year!
Jennifer & Jo-Ann
Filed Under: Entertaining, The Red Apron Family
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Who are we?
We are Mothers, residents of our community, entrepreneurs as well as active participants in our local economy. We individually have a history of owning and operating successful local businesses.
Our commitment to getting people “back to the table” starts at home and extends to our community through a number of philanthropic endeavours.