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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category
Cookie Baking
For the third year in a row at the Red Apron we have revived an age old tradition – the Christmas Cookie Exchange. The concept is simple: gather your friends and family, bake your favourite cookie recipe, and everyone takes home a sampling of each.
These events can sometimes be compared to sale day at Filenes Basement, with participants kicking, punching, and elbowing their way to the best goods. But ours was quite civilized, although it did include mulled wine and spiked apple cider!
Who knows where this tradition started. Many cultures share a history of community baking. The ruins of Pompeii show evidence of public ovens where people brought their bread to be baked and through the ages communities all over the world often shared public ovens which would be fired up daily, or weekly. These ovens became a community gathering place, where stories were told, problems were solved, and women found companionship and support. I like to think that this is the root of the Cookie Exchange.
Our staff work hard to put great food on the table for our clients and this time of year is especially busy. It doesn’t always leave us a lot of time to do our own preparations for the holiday season. So a few Sundays ago we gathered to bake.
Many pounds of butter, chocolate and flour later – we went home to stuff our cupboards and freezers with a selection of tasty treats. The favourites of the day were Justine’s Millionaire Shortbread cookies which took top prize for the most intricate and exciting cookie with layers of shortbread, chocolate and dulce la leche…mmmmm… Jo-Ann’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls were the easiest no-bake kid friendly. We all enjoyed his Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies too!
Season’s Greetings!
Filed Under: Recipes, Tips and Tricks, by Season
Duck, duck, goose?
Well, we are up to our wings in duck…pies that is. This week marks the first week leading up to the Christmas Holidays that our seasonal pies will be available, starting of course with Duck. Our Duck & Fig pies have become a favourite with our customers during the 3 years that we have been making them, and the calls have been coming in for the last 30 days – ‘are the pies ready yet?’. The answer today is YES!
The process, I must tell you, is quite labour intensive. First, we start with premium Ontario Duck Legs – which are slowly braised in a mixture of figs, white wine and aromatics for 2 hours.
When they are cool enough to handle, the meat is carefully stripped from the bones and set aside, while the bone and juices are dumped into a large stock pot and simmered for a day – to reduce to a rich, flavourful sauce.
For our first batch we started with 70 Kilos of duck!
Meanwhile, batches and batches of Pie Crust dough was made – using butter, lard, organic flour and local eggs.
Many cultures have a traditional food that resembles a meat pie in some way but the Oxford English Dictionary traces the first use of the word “pie” as it relates to food to 1303. In the Middle Ages, pies were the specialty of patissiers.
Filed Under: Entertaining, Recipes, Tips and Tricks, by Season
The Day of the Tamworth Boar
Today’s Menu includes Heritage Pickle Patch Tamworth Boar, ‘Beau’s‘ Beer & Apple Stew. Last night, we were at the Urban Element demonstrating how to cook up Tamworth Loin Chop with Caramelized Halls Apples and Beau’s Beer Gastrique. For those who could not make it, the recipe is below.
The loin chops were served with a Saute of Local Winter Greens. Any fresh greens such as kale, rainbow chard, turnip tops, mustard greens, and rapini with butter, olive oil, garlic and salt will work well. Season with pepper to taste.
2 tsp olive oil
4 pork loin chops, about 4 oz each
salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 sprig fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ cup sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Beau’s Beer
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and sear them on both sides until just cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the chops. Thinner chops will take less time, while thicker chops will take a bit longer. Transfer the pork chops to a platter and keep warm.
In the same pan, add the onion and thyme and turn the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions begin to wilt, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to high; add apples and cook until the onions and apples are golden brown.
For the gastrique, dissolve sugar in 1-tablespoon water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Increase heat; boil without stirring until amber, brushing pan sides with a wet pastry brush,
about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and beer (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until caramel bits dissolve.
Filed Under: Recipes
Feast of Fields
What beautiful weather, and a beautiful setting for Feast of Fields. The Canadian Organic Growers hosted the Ottawa Feast of Fields at Vincent Massey Park again.
We served a bruschetta of smoked Arctic Char and Fresh Tomatoes on a house made savoury biscotti. Along side we served up a pot of hot Potato & Garlic soup. The produce was provided by Maureen at Sweet Meadow Farm where they grow a variety of heirloom tomatoes and potatoes.
Filed Under: Recipes
Polenta at the Urban Element
A new favourite for our customers had its debut at the Urban Element early in September. Shari at Whisk: A Food Blog kindly shared this photograph of the polenta side dish.
Here is the recipe…
Makes 1 9×9 pan
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh corn niblets from 1 cob of corn
2 tablespoons white wine, for deglazing
1¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1½ cups old cheddar, grated
¼ cup fresh thyme and rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
In a pot, bring stock and cream to a simmer and set aside.
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft but not colored. Add garlic and corn niblets and sauté until corn is tender, about 3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine.
Add the stock and cream mixture to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
In a slow, steady stream, add the cornmeal and cook over medium heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Remove from heat and stir in the grated cheddar and fresh herbs. Season with salt, to taste.
Pour mixture into pan. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Turn out the polenta and cut into desired shapes.
Pan fry the pieces in olive oil and a little butter until lightly browned on both sides or broil in the oven until browned.
Filed Under: Recipes
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