This summer, Olive is living life through rose-coloured glasses, thanks to a gorgeous Wild Rose Petal Syrup from Forbes Wild Foods. This exquisite syrup is made from pure organic sugar, water, lemon juice, and the fragrant petals of the five-petal wild rose that grows across Canada. Delicate rose petals suspended in a beautiful pink-tinted syrup; a luxurious mouthfeel with soft notes of rose, just the right amount of sweetness, and a hint of lemon that keeps it from tasting cloying. I swoon every time I taste it.

Forbes Wild Foods (based in Toronto) supplies high-end, sustainably-harvested wild foods from the Canadian wilderness to restaurants, hotels, gourmet stores, Toronto farmers’ markets, and on-line customers.  Founder Jonathan Forbes was recently celebrated as one of the top twenty picks from twenty years of Food & Drink (20 Things We Love, Food & Drink 20th Anniversary issue, Autumn 2013, page 134). To learn more about the high quality and sustainable practices used by Forbes Wild Foods click here.

Wild Rose Petal Syrup is sumptuous simply poured over your favourite vanilla ice cream (I like Kawartha’s Vanilla or Belly’s 16 Vanilla Bean). What an easy but elegant summer dessert to dazzle your summer dinner party guests.  Look at the pretty wild rose petal; be sure to spoon a few out as garnish, they taste delicious.

It is absolutely dreamy in my Black Cherry Rose Water Sherbet. Replace the half teaspoon of straight rose water with 3 tablespoons of Wild Rose Petal Syrup (maybe a touch more) and cut the white sugar back to half a cup.

In my Ispahan Parfait, replace the homemade rose syrup with an equal amount of Wild Rose Petal Syrup.  You could also replace the yogurt with whipped cream and serve this chic fruit salad on meringue; or with ice cream in a crêpe. Hmm, I wonder what an Ispahan Martini would taste like…raspberries, lychee, rose syrup, and almonds? Ooh là là!

Like the flirty skirts of the cancan dancers, rose-scented stewed rhubarb is saucy and pretty; its tartness tamed by a sweet hint of je ne sais quoi.  Serve cold, layered with plain yogurt and garnished with pistachio dust for a delicious breakfast parfait; or warm with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche for dessert.  I made this batch with Ontario greenhouse rhubarb and it turned out such a pretty colour of pink.

Rose-Scented Stewed Rhubarb

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped (3/4” pieces) fresh rhubarb, root ends and toxic leaves discarded (from about 1 pound of fresh rhubarb stalks)
1/3 cup sugar (preferably Demerara sugar)
3 tablespoons Wild Rose Petal Syrup

Directions:

1. Place chopped rhubarb in a medium glass bowl. Sprinkle with sugar; stir. Let rest on the counter for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice more, until rhubarb begins to release its juices and sugar dissolves.
2. Place the rhubarb in a medium saucepan. Gently simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 25 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add rose syrup.  Serve warm or cold.

Strawberry Rose Angel Food Cake

I had fun dreaming up a Strawberry Rose Angel Food Cake. It was the first time I made it and we liked it but next time I may make a few changes as noted below. I thought it was worth sharing the recipe with you now, as inspiration? I used a store-bought angel food cake but you could easily use a mix; add a little rose syrup to the mix before baking for an added touch of rose.

The only thing a bit complicated about making this ultra-feminine cake is getting your hands on the Wild Rose Petal Syrup (okay, that’s easy just order on-line from Forbes Wild Foods) and the candied rose petals (hey, you can order those on-line too from Golda’s Kitchen). The rest is a breeze using ready-made, store-bought ingredients.

In fact, because I was in a rush to capture the natural light for my photo-shoot, I bought white buttercream icing from Bulk Barn for the first time ever – don’t laugh, it was fine and saved my morning. Bulk Barn is in the same ‘hood as Golda’s Kitchen.  I beat a cup of whipping cream into the buttercream to tone down the sweetness. I was happy with the stability of the icing but it was still pretty sweet and I had about 1 ½ cups of extra icing left over. Next time, I am may try using a ratio of 3 cups buttercream to 1 cup of whipping cream (instead of 4:1) or probably will just use 4 cups of whipped cream and no buttercream. The recipe below uses my original measurements.

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into bite-sized pieces (save one whole for garnish)
3 tablespoons Wild Rose Petal Syrup
1 package (.5 oz/14 g) candied rose petals (optional)
1 already-made angel food cake
4 cups prepared white buttercream icing (see suggested amendment above)
5 tablespoons juice from mashed, rose-infused strawberries
1 cup whipping cream (see suggested amendment above)

Directions:

Place strawberries and rose syrup in a medium-size bowl. Roughly mash with a potato masher or fork to release the juice from the strawberries.  Let sit at room temperature while proceeding with next steps.

Finely chop candied rose petals (the ones in my photo of the finished cake at the bottom of the post are a bit too big and too crunchy). Set aside.

Cut off the top third of the cake, slicing evenly with a serrated knife. Set aside and reserve top. Using a knife, cut a circle about 1” or so from the outside of the cake and another concentric circle about 1” or so from the inside of the cake, cutting only halfway down through the bottom two-thirds of the cake. When the top is placed back on the cake, the trench will sit in the middle third of the cake.  Use a fork to help you remove the cake in the trench and discard those pieces.

Strain strawberries in a fine sieve, reserving both the juice and berries separately.

(See amendments noted above) In a large bowl, place 4 cups white buttercream icing and 5 tablespoons of reserved juice from mashed strawberries. While beating with an electric mixer at high speed, slowly pour in one cup of whipping cream. Beat until frosting holds soft peaks.

Measure out 1 cup of frosting and set the remaining frosting aside. Fold 1 cup of frosting into reserved strawberries, folding gently until combined. It may separate a bit but it’s fine. Spoon into trench.

Cover with top section of angel food cake. Spoon remaining mixture into centre hole of cake to fill. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Garnish with fanned whole strawberry and sprinkle with finely chopped rose petals. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Serve.

Forbes Wild Foods

Unearthed at Streetsville Farmers’ Market: local strawberries (oops I got so excited I forgot to take the photo), asparagus and garlic scapes,

and – drumroll please – fruit strudel from local legend The Strudel Lady!! My friend has been raving about these strudels for ages.

What makes The Strudel Lady’s strudels so special? Fran’s Mom’s recipe, a special oven, and lots of homemade fruit filling using wild blueberries from Muskoka, or apples and cherries from Niagara.

Thanks to help from Fran’s siblings and their children, The Strudel Lady strudels can be found at Aberfoyle, Georgetown, Milton, Mississauga Central, and Streetsville Farmers’ Markets (check my Farmers’ Market Directory for locations). If you don’t see Fran’s face at the market, just ask for The Strudel Lady.

Once the farmers’ market season is over, The Strudel Lady sells at a few local craft shows, like Iroquois Ridge High School Annual Holiday Marketplace (Saturday November 1st, 2014). Loyal customers arrive in droves to pick up strudel to freeze for Christmas or winter enjoyment. Fran says it is a beautiful, juried craft show.

The Strudel Lady strudels are dairy-free, dye-free, and preservative-free. They will last about two days (including market day) on the counter or four to five days in the fridge. If well wrapped, they should last up to six months in the freezer. When ready to eat, warm the strudel for a few moments in a preheated 325ºF oven if you have stored them in the fridge or 4 to 5 minutes if they are frozen; it will crisp up the pastry nicely.

Streetsville Lions Friends’ and Farmers’ Market has moved to Centre Plaza (downtown Streetsville across from Shoppers Drug Mart). Thanks to the work of Christine Simundson, the market offers a good selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, baked goods, antibiotic/hormone-free meats, sausages (including bbq lunch), as well as dried seasonings, gluten-free goodies, jams, vintage treasures, handcrafted lip balm (olive the almond flavour), and the nicest Avon lady you’ll ever meet. And more, including weekly special guests.

What makes my labours on this blog so rewarding are the exceptional people I discover. Perhaps the most inspirational is the poised and passionate Hoda Paripoush, founder and director of Sloane Tea Company. A Toronto-based alliance of boutique fine tea merchants, certified Tea Sommeliers, and culinary experts, Sloane Tea Company represents a guild of small-batch, premier tea gardens throughout the world.

Sloane Tea’s Founder & Director Hoda Paripoush

Hoda’s passion for tea is rooted in her childhood. Of Persian descent but born in India, she was raised in a family of tea lovers, who come from a land of tea gardens and perfumed flower blossoms. After her family immigrated to Brockville, a very young Hoda experimented in her mother’s kitchen, blending her tea with aromatics within her reach (orange blossom water, ginger, rose water or cardamom).

As a creative and ambitious young adult, Hoda studied perfumery in Grasse, France (the world’s perfume capital) and became a certified Tea Sommelier. Hoda now travels the world in search of the finest teas, individually sourcing them directly from point-of-origin. In the process, Hoda has built genuine, close-knit, and exclusive relationships with the world’s most esteemed artisanal tea gardens. Hoda brings these splendid loose leaf teas back to Canada. Using her perfumery expertise and exotic ingredients (such as herbs, flowers, and real fruit pieces), Hoda and her team of certified Tea Sommeliers and culinary experts blend some of the leaves into ambrosial teas with fragrant top, heart, and base notes that linger and enchant; others are offered unblended, straight, pure, and stunning. Hoda insists on perfection every step of the way, from crop to cup.

Sloane Tea selections are categorized by taste (citrus, sweet, fresh, spicy, floral, or creamy) or by type (white, green, oolong, black, herbal, and iced). Estate Reserve teas are rare, limited production, hand-rolled artisan teas from premier estates. Each tea is packaged in gorgeous tins with designs inspired from something meaningful on Hoda’s travels: a vintage Japanese kimono was the inspiration for one design.

I could pick a different Sloane tea to delight my every mood. My top favourites include the unblended, medium-bodied Estate Reserve Darjeeling 2nd Flush black tea, revered as the “champagne of teas”. Its designation of origin, highly prized tea leaves are plucked between May and July on the award-winning Jungpana Estate in Darjeeling (Sloane has the exclusive North American rights). I find it slightly brisk and incredibly refreshing.

Both my husband and I are enamoured with the silky Signature Blend Oolong Crème and its fragrant, buttery sweetness that reminds me of a hint of dulce de leche. Hoda shared a wonderful legend about this tea:

 “This signature oolong from the Wuyi Mountains in China is said to have come about when the moon fell in love with a comet. The comet passed her by, as comets will do. The moon cried milky tears which chilled the tea fields, withering the leaves and giving them a delicate creaminess.”

Hoda says Oolong Crème is also remarkably refreshing steeped as an iced tea. Scroll to the end of my post for Hoda’s Iced Tea Brewing Instructions.

Sloane’s most popular tea, Heavenly Cream, is a medium-bodied, smooth and creamy, long leaf Ceylon black tea blended with hints of bergamot and vanilla. It’s especially rich with a splash of whole milk.

The Shop For All Reasons recently invited Hoda to present her teas at Tea 101, second in a series of informative tasting seminars from some of The Shop For All Reasons’ outstanding suppliers. Hoda taught us how to taste tea (called cupping by the industry): taste with your nose first, inhaling the fragrance, and then sharply slurp the tea into your mouth, sucking in oxygen and rolling the tea along your tongue to reach all of your taste buds. We compared the exquisite notes between six of Sloane’s delicious teas.

I learned so much about tea. Black, oolong, green, and white teas are derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis; the differences between them are the result of different levels of oxidation. More importantly, they need to be brewed using different temperatures of water; the easiest and most precise method is to use the Breville IQ Kettle (a variable temperature control kettle). Brewing instructions are on the bottom of each Sloane tin.

The Shop For All Reasons has apothecary jar testers (taste with your nose) of each of the teas in Sloane’s line. Drop in and marvel over the fragrant differences between each tea.

A luxurious Mother’s Day gift for the tea lover, Sloane Tea will transport Mom to an estate of old-world luxury (Downton Abbey’s Carson not included). And the tins are so elegant I am willing to bet she’ll find another use for them once they are empty.

Hoda’s Iced Tea Brewing Instructions (to make 1 litre/quart)

1. Boil 2 cups of water and pour over 7 tsp. (approximately 14g) of tea, in a heat-safe pitcher.
2. Steep for 12 min and then fill with 2 cups of cold water.
3. Remove tea leaves (Sloane Sachet) from pitcher.
4. Garnish with fresh mint, blueberries, or citrus slices.

Where to buy, how to make the perfect cup of tea, and more on Sloane’s website: http://about.sloanetea.com

Follow Hoda on Twitter and Facebook for information on upcoming Sloane Tea tasting events. Laura from Laura Slack Chocolates and Hoda will be conducting a Tea & Truffle Pairing at the Toronto Botanical Gardens on May 11th.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloanetea

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sloane.tea

For upcoming supplier seminars at The Shop For All Reasons, visit their website or sign up for their newsletter.

UPDATE: Crawford’s Village Bakery is closing November 30, 2014.

Grab your Easter bonnets, ladies and gents, and follow me along the virtual bunny trail as I gather up some of my favourite local treats. This week, I focus on what you need to order ahead: hams, quiches, pies, and handcrafted Easter chocolate. I share a great tip on exceptional wines and my favourite fruit salad recipe (scroll down to the bottom for Mary Katherine’s Cinnamon-Scented Fruit Salad). Next week: potatoes, homemade desserts, and decorations. Make your Easter feast special for the loved ones gathered around your table. Hippety hoppety!

If you are looking for premium local estate wines and boutique imports (many of which are not available through the LCBO) at direct-from-winery pricing, contact Oakville’s Laurie Blaha. A broker for Sideroad Twenty Cellars, Laurie will suggest wines to pair with your Easter dinner and give you a $10 off your first purchase coupon. Order on-line. Delivery can be made to your home, office, or cottage. Ontario residents only. But hurry – orders should be in by Monday April 14th for delivery by Thursday April 17th in time for Easter.

Our sizable clan is planning an easy Easter lunch. I’ve pre-ordered freshly baked quiches from Crawford’s Village Bakery & Distinctive Foods; they also sell frozen, unbaked quiches. Crawford’s is brimming with a wonderful assortment of quality gourmet pantry products and freshly baked goodies. Easter suggestions include lemon meringue or Easter Egg pies (chocolate mousse  pie garnished with whipped cream and an Easter egg, available from April 18th through April 21st only), squares (including rhubarb or lemon on a shortbread base), and cookies (including Cottontail cookies). Crawford’s handcrafted Easter chocolate, made on-site using fine Belgian chocolate, has been a long-enjoyed tradition for our family. Look at the fine detail on Charlotte and Edward and the beautifully decorated large egg, ready to be filled with Crawford’s truffles, hazelnut crisps, and caramels.

Quiches in the oven, next stop: ham. My nephew-in-law, Jean-Yves, served a succulent slower-cooker ham at Christmas, so I am giving this recipe a try for the first time: Cook’s Illustrated Slow-Cooker Glazed Ham. Cook’s Illustrated recipes are from America’s Test Kitchen and are exhaustively tested and re-tested, so I am confident the recipe will work. I bought the magazine (Cook’s Illustrated Make-Ahead Dinners 2014) at Target a few weeks ago but you can access the recipe on-line here by signing up for a 14-day free trial membership: http://www.cookscountry.com (it costs a few dollars a month to continue with the membership).

You can’t use a spiral-cut ham for this recipe because it will dry out in the slow cooker. I’ve ordered a Country Ham (uncut, bone-in, skin-on, cured/smoked) from Heatherlea Farm Market in Caledon, ON. Heatherlea’s Country Hams are sourced from Stemmler’s in Heidelberg, Ontario and are excellent quality hams from local farms. Heatherlea Farm Market raises pasture-fed, free-run, drug-free Black Angus beef and sells local free-run, naturally-raised chicken, pork, lamb, and bison. Wild boar, Berkshire pork, and emu are available on occasion.

Especially lovely at Easter, this colourful fruit salad is enrobed with a cinnamon and citrus-infused syrup. I use a different combination of fruit every time: this time strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, and oranges. Thanks to my bff’s sister-in-law, Mary Katherine, for the recipe.

Mary Katherine’s Cinnamon-Scented Fruit Salad

Makes about 6 servings (easily doubled)

This keeps well for a couple of days in the refrigerator.  Delicious served alone or over ice cream or lemon gelato. It makes a good breakfast topped with vanilla yogurt and granola.

Ingredients:

1 orange
1 large lemon
About 5 to 6 cups total of assorted, ripe but still firm fruits, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (combos of citrus, berries and tree fruit work well)
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

1. With a sharp knife or vegetable peeler, remove only the peel (leaving the bitter white pith behind) of the orange and the lemon; slice peel into thick strips and set aside. Segment the orange, cut into bite-sized pieces and add to a large 8-cup capacity bowl; set aside. Juice the lemon; add about 3/4 of lemon juice to large bowl (reserve remaining 1/4 to adjust acidity level to your taste at the end).
2. Add assorted fruit to large bowl; stir gently to coat with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Chill in refrigerator.
3. Meanwhile, heat water to boiling in a small saucepan. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Add cinnamon and reserved peel; immediately reduce to medium heat. Simmer gently until slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm.
4. Strain syrup; pour over prepared fruit and fold in gently so as not to bruise fruit. Discard peel but keep cinnamon sticks for garnish. Taste salad and if desired, add remaining 1/4 of reserved lemon juice; fold gently. Cover and store in airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

It is mighty hard to leave a warm bed and face a cold, dark, winter’s morning; a little extra pampering is required. Here is how I got my motor running this morning: artisanal toast, but not at $4 a slice from a trendy San Francisco coffee shop. I’m talking about artisanal toast made at home by you, the artisan.

Artisanal Toast with Ricotta, Grilled Figs, & Honey

Special equipment: cast-iron grill pan

Ingredients:

Locally-baked, artisanal whole grain bread, thickly sliced
Olive oil
Fresh figs, sliced in half lengthwise
Ricotta cheese or cream cheese
Good quality honey
Shelled, unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds
Ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Start with a seasoned, cast-iron grill pan; get it good and hot (but not smoking) over medium heat.
2. Brush olive oil on both sides of the best artisanally-crafted, nutrient-dense bread you can get your hands on (see suggestions below); lay them on your grill pan. After 1 or 2 minutes, check the underside of the bread – when it has nice grill marks on it, flip it over and grill for 1 or 2 minutes more until both sides have grill marks; remove to a serving plate.
3. Place fig halves in a bowl; add a healthy dose of olive oil; toss to coat evenly. Place the figs cut side down on the grill pan. Grill for 1 or 2 minutes, until cut side has nice grill marks; flip to other side and grill until softened about 1 more minute.
4. Meanwhile, smear the best ricotta or cream cheese you can find on one side of your toast. Top with fig halves, drizzle with your favourite honey, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, dust with cinnamon. Feel a smile draw across your face like the sun rising on the dawn of a bright, new day. Make a vow to treat yourself this well every morning. And then thank your local artisanal baker.

Some suggested breads from local artisanal bakeries:

Rye Walnut Bread from La Villa Bakery & Café in Port Credit, ON: baked using recipes and techniques passed down through generations of the Bozzo family.

Pumpernickel from Monestary Bakery & Delicatessen in Oakville, ON: baked fresh daily.

Fig, Raisin, & Walnut Filone from Pane Fresco in Burlington, ON: handcrafted and baked in a European Deck oven. Preservative free.

Hearty Seed from The Glen Oven Café in Glen Williams, ON: A golden flax bread with sesame seeds and poppy seeds.

Boston Mills Multigrain from Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon, ON: Handcrafted with cracked grains, seeds, and a touch of honey. Baked daily in a wood-fired oven. No artificial preservatives.

Chia Fruit Loaf from Cobs Bakery (click link for locations): Made with whole grain flour, cinnamon, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, dates, and raisins. Made without preservatives or added sugar. Cholesterol free.

Walnut, Fig, & Raisin Loaf from The Hot Oven Bakery at Cloverdale Mall: During the month of February all bread on the bread wall will be only $2.00 each.

Please check my Grocery/Gourmet Store Directory (Bakeries) for details on local artisanal bakeries.