Dinner on a Dime

I've felt much more lonely since I returned from my visit with Sean in Nottingham.  It has been like I prepared for the first stretch of time Sean would be gone before I went to visit, but not for the 6 weeks after my return.  As a result I have found myself feeling a little less motivated and not done as much creating in the kitchen as I normally do.  I think I have snapped out of it though.  Although this post is a few weeks overdue, and I apologize.  I still have a number of food adventures to share from that trip, but it will have to come retroactively at this point.

After my lovely trip to the UK to visit my love I found myself a little more than strapped for cash and missing some of my British favourites.

Growing up, my mum would sometimes take a break from cooking an all out dinner, which may have had something to do with taking care of three active children.  One of her classics was baked beans on toast.  Sometimes there would be cut up hotdogs in the baked beans.

Delicious.  Seriously.

In Nottingham, one of Sean’s favourite cheap eats was called Potato Jackets.  They were these large baked potatoes with baked beans, corn, butter and cheese.  Heart stopping goodness for only £3!  I never actually had one myself, but only because I was too full from fish and chips and curry…and cider.

This past Monday all we were hearing about was the storms Hurricane Sandy was leaving in her path.  Despite all the warnings, thankfully, nothing much hit the Kingston area.  Tuesday morning was beautiful.  The sun came out and it was warm.  I try to take advantage of the lovely fall days as much as possible, and with rain in the forecast for the afternoon, I decided to spend some time out in the garden.  It was time to plant some garlic.

Sean and I had purchased a large bag of garlic from a local farmer.  Apparently, if you plant garlic cloves from bulbs that have been grown in your area for at least a few years, you are more likely to get a larger more successful crop of garlic.  Garlic gets acclimatized to the soil in your growing area when it has been grown there for a while.  Once you start getting a good crop of your own, ideally you would keep some large bulbs from your crop and use those for next year’s crop.  Our crop this year was a little small, so we’ve decided to try some purchased local garlic.

You are also supposed to plant garlic in the fall a few weeks before the ground freezes.  While it is probably more than a few weeks before the ground freezes, you never know!  Break the bulbs apart into individual cloves.  Choose the larger cloves, as they produce the larger bulbs.  You can cook with the smaller cloves.  Plant with the pointy part of the bulb facing upward, the tip about two inches from the surface of the ground.  Plant cloves about eight inches apart in rows.

While outside I discovered a few sad and lonely tomatoes (on October 30^th!), a mountain of habenero peppers, and an even bigger mountain of tomatillos.  Other than the remaining swiss chard and kale, I think that’s it for the season.

Keeping my saving money hat on, I did what I always like to do.  Improvise.  I had a jar of dried mixed beans that had been sitting around for a while, originally purchased for a bean soup.  Because it was still morning, I threw the beans in a pot of warm water and let it sit until late afternoon.  If you are planning ahead, unlike I did, put your dried beans in water the night before you are going to be cooking with them and they will be ready in morning.  Or, leave at least 8 hours.

Previously when I have made baked beans from a recipe I have used tomatoes, molasses, vinegar and brown sugar.  Well, I didn’t have any molasses.  Shoot.  I opened my fridge.  Tamarind sauce!  This could work.  I threw together a bunch of other ingredients: smoky paprika, white vinegar, ketchup, gluten free Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and grainy Dijon mustard.  I also had some jars of pureed canned tomatoes from our garden last year.  Inspired, I had all confidence that these ingredients could make me a tasty batch of baked beans.  All that needed to be added to the mix was onions and garlic…thankfully I still had some onions, and I still had the smaller cloves of garlic from planting.  My goal of not having to buy anything to make this meal was met.

Improvised Baked Beans

2 cups dried beans, soaked for 8 hours

3 small onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups canned pureed tomatoes

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (the last from the garden!)

1 tbsp tamarind sauce (substitute molasses if you have it)

1 tbsp vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (substitute dried mustard if you have it)

After the beans have soaked and as you start prepping the rest of the ingredients, put the pot of beans on the stove and boil the beans for about 20-30 minutes, or until tender.

I sliced the onions, although you could dice them, I just like to have the texture.  I sautéed the onions in a large saucepan on high, this cooked the onions quickly, but also added a little char for some smoky flavor.  I quickly diced up the tomatoes and added them to the saucepan and then the garlic.  The rest of the ingredients I mixed together in a mixing bowl and waited for the beans to be ready.  I added the beans to the saucepan and then the sauce mix.  I also added about 2 cups of water.  Then I let the whole mixture simmer for about two hours, covered.  If the mixture loses too much moisture, add more water and continue to simmer.

While the beans were simmering I had a look at what else I could add to dinner.  Eureka!  Frozen locally made Bratwurst in my freezer.  What a great way to upscale the hotdogs from my past.

Sadly, I had no potatoes.  But I think roasted or boiled potatoes or even mashed potatoes would have been perfect.  Or, go with the classic toast.  I prefer tapioca bread for toast.  Or maybe cornbread muffins.  Yes, that could be delicious.

After simmering for about two hours, I had a rich, delicious pot of baked beans.  The tamarind totally worked.  They were delicious.  And best of all…I didn’t spend a dime (at least not today).

A Farewell to Summer

Okay…so…wow.  Thank you to all the people in my life who have sent messages of encouragement and, without question or even any recipes yet, have joined my blog.

It’s cooking for one at my house right now.  Sean is in Nottingham for 3 months.  At the moment  he’s enjoying a pipe and some scotch and I’m at home.  Alone.  Feeling sad about our beautiful summer ending.  I’ve had to put socks on in the evening.  An extra quilt on the bed.  It’s awful.

Then today, October 1^st, was beautiful again.  The sky was that brilliant fall blue contrasted against the still bright green background that has started to brown around the edges.  Perfectly warm, but not hot.

I got home from work and took Elsa and Abeo out into the backyard to enjoy some sunshine.  The girls are always so happy to see me so I sat out in the sun receiving my boisterous greeting.  Looking out at the garden between ridgeback bumps and kisses I started thinking about tomatoes.  I spied with my little eye some ripe tomatoes on the vine.  And that gave me an idea.

I’ve been a sucker for Italian food for a long time.  I think Bolognese was one of the first things I ever learned to cook from its simple good ingredients.  It was when I was in early elementary school and for winter activities I chose crafts and baking.  I remember feeling during the craft section in the first few weeks that I couldn’t wait for the cooking part!  Half the kids were already doing that while we did crafts and I was jealous.  When I did finally get into the kitchen I was lucky to have my oldest friend Megan’s dad as one of the supervisors/volunteers.  This was perfect for me, a quiet and relatively shy student (yes, some of you are not believing this, but it was true), because I already knew and loved Mark and was very comfortable with him.  I remember is calm yet enthusiastic style with us children.  I learned to make his delicious meat sauce – which I already knew well from meals at his home.  I remember what made his sauce different was that he would puree green bell peppers and add that to his meat sauce.  It was good!  I remember many fantastic meals in that home, around the yellow table that would eventually end up in the kitchen at my dad’s office.  Funny, the things that make you feel nostalgic.

These days I have a new favourite.  I love a fresh, simple, classic Marinara.  Tomatoes from my garden make it extra special, and at this time of year, I only have a few left.  There in my garden, getting kissed by the sun, perhaps the last time for this year, I could see the chance to get that last taste of summer, along with that warmth and comfort a bowl of pasta can bring, to keep the chill of the fall at bay.

And after my dig at canned tomato sauce in my first post, I suppose I should show you what I mean.

I gathered a bowl of fresh tomatoes; green striped, red green romas, Wyche’s yellow, a pink lady.  Still a beautiful selection, especially for October.  Our herbs are still thriving as well.  I picked a selection of those too: marjoram, basil, parsley, thyme, oregano.

While, obviously, Marinara is not my creation, this is my recipe.

Last Kiss of Summer Marinara

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 pinch coarse salt ( ~ 1 tsp)

2 small (or 1 medium-large) red onion, chopped

4-6 cloves garlic (depending on how large they are), minced

6 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (yes, you can use canned…if you are not celebrating summer...a large and small can would work)

1 pinch sugar ( ~ 1 tsp)

Fresh ground pepper

Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino, or Asiago (or all three!)

Fresh herbs, chopped

2 cups gluten free pasta of your choice (I find a corn and rice flour blend is the closest to a wheat based pasta)

1 glass of wine, red or white, for drinking (optional, but highly recommended)

As I gathered my ingredients on the counter I poured myself a glass of red wine.  The aroma of cooking and the decadence of the wine are a favourite combination of mine.  A rich Spanish vintage.

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat while you peel and chop the onions.  I used two red onions from a local, organic, small operation farmer in the Kingston area.  I find when using this type of produce they are often smaller, but I do feel that the local produce, because it has not been stored or shipped, has a beautiful freshness.  My garlic is local as well.  Sean and I bought a large bag of local garlic, which we plan to use for cooking and planting.  Using garlic that has been growing in your area for planting is the best way to be successful with growing your own (plant in the fall).  It has acclimatized to the growing region.

Once the onions are chopped, add them to your saucepan.  Stir, add the salt, and let cook until the onions are translucent.  About 5 minutes.  During this time you can prep the garlic and the tomatoes. 

If you have a garden yourself, and have had some particularly lovely tomatoes, you can save your seeds.  It’s easy to do.  While you are chopping your tomatoes, scrape the seeds, with the liquid around them, into a bowl.  Add a little warm water and let them sit for 2-3 days.  They will ferment a little bit (a white filmy layer will form on the top).  Wash them in a sieve and then place on a tea towel to dry them out.  Once they’ve dried, you can keep them in an envelope until the spring.  Don’t forget to label!

Once the onions have cooked you can add the garlic.  You do not want to add the garlic with the onions because it can burn in the time it takes for the onions to soften.  Let the garlic cook for about 1 minute and then add the tomatoes.  Stir.  Add the sugar, which, along with the salt, brings out all the depth of flavour in the freshly picked tomatoes.  Let the sauce simmer on medium for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  At the beginning the tomatoes have a lot of liquid.  As the sauce simmers the water boils off and the flavour concentrates.  You will know when your sauce is done when it becomes a smoother, thicker sauce and it should have lost about half of its volume.

During the 30 minute wait I start cleaning up my kitchen.  I like to have almost all the dishes done by the time I sit down to eat.  I also put on a pot of water to boil with some salt.  Gluten free pasta takes less time to cook than wheat based pasta, so keep your eye on it when it’s cooking.  Also, stir frequently, it tends to stick.  Another thing I have found works is to rinse it quickly with hot water and drizzle with a little olive oil.  I find this gives the gluten free pasta a little more of the feel of a wheat based pasta.

I like to mix the pasta, some fresh ground pepper, and the sauce before plating.  Then I top with a little scoop of sauce, chopped fresh herbs, the parm and a few more grinds of pepper.

The end result?  Beautiful.

Mmm. Now I get to enjoy this?  Is this food blogging?  Sheila, this was a good idea.  I get to cook.  I love doing that.  I get to eat.  I love doing that even more.

The pasta is delicious!  The parmesan adds a wonderful, nutty, saltiness.  The herbs are fragrant.  The pepper gives it a little kick.  And the tomato flavour is sweet and full of fresh flavour.  Try it, it's easy!

Oh summer!  A lovely ending to a summer full of fresh bounty.  Fall, I’ll see you this Monday for Thanksgiving dinner.

Beginnings

Let’s get things straight: I love potato chips.  I know…that was not where you thought I was going with this.  I feel, though, that honesty from the beginning is for the best.  Hello readers, my name is Rachel, and I’m a Chip-o-Holic.

Ok, now that that is out of the way, let’s talk about good food.

I live for food.  Every single day I am excited about the possibilities before me.  What do I get to taste today!  There are so many flavours that thrill me.

Growing up, I had a family that explored all these flavours.  My ancestry may be British and Russian Mennonite, but my family meals included such things as homemade egg rolls, fresh made pasta baked into delicious mushroom and prosciutto lasagna, burritos with fresh salsa and guacamole, sticky cinnamon buns, wild blueberry pies, moussaka, beef bourguignon with thick gravy and egg noodles, homemade bread to sop up our coq au vin, fluffy spanikopita and many more.  My childhood was rich with flavour.  Both my parents are fantastic cooks, but I think most importantly, they let my siblings and I be involved with the prep and cooking of all those meals.  I have neither professional experience nor training, but I have been learning about food and flavour combinations since I could have memories.

Family meals were important, too.  There is camaraderie around food.  My family, and the revolving door of friends, both my parents’ and my siblings’, could sit around a table enjoying a meal for hours.  It is about enjoying conversation and each other.  There are, perhaps, many forums for this kind of camaraderie, but the joy found around a table and delicious meal is one of a kind.  I suppose, too, the wine helps.

Dining out has also had an impact on my love of food.  My parents did not take us on very many vacations.  The first one we ever really went on was when I was in grade 7 and, instead of going to Disney Land, we went to the south of France.  I continue to be in love with that beautiful land.  We ate so much!

Up until that trip, however, there were no family vacations, save trips to our family cottage in Georgian Bay and a weekend in Toronto every November.  My dad had reason to be in Toronto for meetings throughout the year, but there was always a big conference in November that we would use an excuse to get out of our smaller, near-northern Ontario town and head into the big city.  We would go to theatre productions, go Christmas shopping, visit museums and galleries.  And then, we would go out for dinner.  I have been so lucky to eat in some of the best restaurants Toronto has had to offer over the last 20 years.  They have taught me so much about flavour.  About ingredients.  About how beautiful food can be.

I have continued to be passionate about food as I have grown up and become an adult.  In fact, I’m more passionate about it. At university I studied Animal Biology and learned about food animal production.  It taught me so much about where my food comes from. 

I have always subscribed to the concept of fresh food and cooking from scratch.  I think it is an important human skill; one that has been being lost as convenience items and fast foods dominate our North American lives.  There is certainly a revival as the Local Food movement makes waves, but we continue to hear about the obesity epidemic we face in North America and, with no authority whatsoever, I feel part of the problem is a lack of respect for food and how to prepare it.  If I’m on my feet, moving, while I cook for thirty minutes to an hour, that is a lot more activity than it takes to get take out or throw some dried pasta in a pot and open a can of sauce.  Those things also take less thoughtfulness, creativity and learning, which can add so much to your day.  You might say you don’t have time…you do.  And if you really don’t think you do, make it.  Make time for food.

 Then I met Sean: the love of my life (along with our Rhodesian Ridgebacks Elsa and Abeo).  If you scroll back through some of those fantastic family meals I mentioned you might notice there is one thing that makes those meals what they are.  Gluten.  Delicious, delicious gluten.  Choosing a partner who happens to have Celiac Disease could have thrown a wrench in my food plans, but instead I have become a better cook for it.  It has challenged me to be more creative, to learn new techniques.

Before

Sean and I spend much of our life together enjoying food and wine with friends and family.  We bought a small home in downtown Kingston with a large yard three years ago.  We have spent the last three summers fixing up a yard that had little to offer into a bountiful garden full of food.  This past summer we had at least ten varieties of heirloom tomatoes, a few types of squash and zucchini, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, kale, beans, herbs, onions, carrots, kohlrabi, rapini, tomatillos, ground cherries, peppers, potatoes, and probably some other things I’m forgetting.  For me, there is nothing more romantic than cooking a meal with the person I love from food we have grown together.

After

I hope that readers will enjoy stories from my life that centre around moments of love, dinners with friends and family, and a general love of flavour.  And maybe even learn something about gluten free cooking from someone who can eat gluten, but for love, has chosen not too.

Home cooking is not hard.  Even gluten free home cooking is not hard.  I hope I can convince you of that and inspire you to cook.  To love food.  To grow food.  To enjoy life.

All you need are good ingredients.