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Sherway Farmers’ Market opened May 3, 2013. Farmers’ markets in Peel region open in June but there are quite a few in Halton opening in May. I am working on a local farmers’ market, farm market, and farm 2013 directory that I will post on my website soon. I’ll let you know when it’s up.

As the season progresses, Sherway Farmers’ Market will continue to grow. Here is a glimpse of some of the wonderful treasures I unearthed while visiting Sherway Farmers’ Market last Friday. There is a delicious recipe for rhubarb at the end of this post.

Sean and Shannon Declerc’s Fresh and Tasty Mushrooms, from Shelbourne, ON

Husband and wife team, Sean and Shannon Declerc, offer an impressive bounty of foraged, wild mushrooms (when in season) and specialty cultivated mushrooms including Portabella, Shitake, Enoki, Crimini, Beech, Oyster, and these beauties, Cinnamon Caps, that are named for their cinnamon colour. Shannon described the Cinnamon Caps as their earthiest mushroom with a beautiful, rich, woodsy flavour. They are delectable in omelets, risottos, or in roasted meat gravies.

Lion’s Mane is Shannon’s favourite. It has a milder, very fresh flavour, and a different texture than regular mushrooms, which Shannon says is appealing even to those who don’t like mushrooms. It’s very versatile and is great grilled, on pizza, or in soups.

Mushrooms are porous and absorb liquid quickly. The Declercs grow all of their cultivated mushrooms on wood chips, so they don’t require washing. If you really feel you must, please just wipe them with a damp paper towel so you don’t disturb their delicate disposition.

Ralph & Emmy Lise’s Farm Fresh Produce, from Holland Marsh, ON

Ralph Lise’s stand was brimming with fresh produce on Friday, including field asparagus,

colourful Ontario greenhouse peppers, and Ontario greenhouse tomatoes. Ralph’s tomatoes are grown in soil and picked at a riper stage, making them more flavourful than most grocery store tomatoes (which are picked under-ripe to make them less fragile during transportation). Having been raised by a mother who grew up on superb Kent County tomatoes, I always search out the finest tomatoes I can sink my teeth into. I did a side-by-side taste comparison between some vine-ripened tomatoes I bought at a grocery store (and left sitting on my counter for a couple of days to ripen) and the Lise Farm tomatoes I bought on Friday. Compared to Ralph’s tomatoes, the grocery store vine-ripened tomatoes were still under-ripe and had a mealy texture. Ralph’s tomatoes were juicier and more flavourful, even though I ate them as soon as I got them home. It was a refreshing snack – a plate of Ralph’s tomatoes (adorned with nothing but a light sprinkle of sea salt) and a little bit of protein just to keep me ticking.

I could not resist this sign, Freshly Dug Small White Potatoes. Doesn’t that sound fresh? These deserve to be boiled in their skin, smashed a touch with a potato masher, then tossed with my favourite extra virgin olive and some fresh mint that has been chopped in a dash of kosher salt to bash it all up and coax out the flavour.

Abraham and Judith Piets’ Quality Bakery, from Norwich, ON 

Abraham and Judith’s tables were laden with lots of delectable looking freshly baked goods including bread, sausage rolls, pies, squares, tarts, strudels, and these Dutch cookies that I have been searching for since my friend first got me hooked on them. They are called “Stroopwafels” (Syrup Waffles), a toothsome cookie consisting of sweet, chewy syrup sandwiched between two delicate waffle wafers. Lovely when placed over a hot cup of tea to soften the syrup.

Bert Nieuwenhuis, Lamb & Wool Producer, from Orangeville, ON

Bring your cooler to the market because Bert offers a great selection of his locally raised and processed, government inspected lamb products. According to a great article on Bert (The Amiable Shepherd: Bert Nieuwenhuis by Nicole Ross, June 19, 2012 http://www.inthehills.ca/2012/06/departments/the-amiable-shepherd-bert-nieuwenhuis/), Bert’s products are popular with chefs and locals in the Headwaters region, so we are really lucky that he brings them down to Sherway Farmers’ Market. He sells lamb shanks, racks, legs, chops, burgers, roasts, organs, and even lamb heads. His lamb liver pâté sounds enticing. Next time I run into Bert, (perhaps at the Orangeville, Inglewood or Caledon Farmers’ Markets) I will be sure to have my cooler with me because olive Ontario lamb.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres, from Milton, ON

I was so happy to see local field rhubarb at the Andrews’ Scenic Acres stand. I can’t wait to visit Andrews’ Scenic Acres farm to pick my own asparagus, on the first sunny day that is available to me. I will tell you all about it on an upcoming post. As we move further into the growing season, the Andrews’ Scenic Acres stand at Sherway Farmers’ Market will be brimming with all sorts of fresh produce. I can’t wait for the berries.

This little gem of a recipe is a delightful way to enjoy rhubarb. The recipe comes from The United Churches in Canada Let’s Break Bread Together cookbook, a compilation of tried and true, treasured recipes submitted from United Churches across Canada.  The cookbook was compiled and published by the United Church in Meadowood, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1988. It is still available for purchase from Derksen Printers. Please see the full details and the link at the end of this post. It is well worth purchasing and would make a great addition to a novice cook’s library.

The Rhubarb Torte recipe was submitted by Brooks United Church in Brooks, Alberta. It’s an easy recipe that will make a confident baker out of an apprehensive one and a rhubarb lover out of anyone. Olive it!  Thanks very much to the United Church in Meadowood for permitting me to share this recipe with my readers.

Rhubarb Torte

The tartness of the rhubarb is tamed by the creamy custard filling, which sits atop a rich, buttery shortbread crust and is topped with a soft and billowy meringue. The recipe calls for a 9″ x 9″ pan but if you only have an 8″ x 8″ pan, it will still work out beautifully. In that case, you will have to cook only the filling a little longer than directed.

Crust:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix, by rubbing between your finger tips, until mixture turns crumbly. Press into a 9″ x 9″ pan. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Filling:

3 egg yolks, beaten (separate the whites and reserve for the meringue)

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup cream

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into bite-size pieces

Mix the first four ingredients well. Stir in the rhubarb. Spread evenly over crust. Bake 40 minutes, or longer, until filling is set.

Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Meanwhile, prepare meringue.

Meringue:

3 egg whites

6 tablespoons white sugar

Beat the egg whites, slowly adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time, just until soft peaks form and whites look glossy. Spread gently over filling. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F until meringue is golden brown. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe may be doubled for a 9″ x 13″ pan.

Rhubarb Torte, page 169: The United Churches in Canada Let’s Break Bread Together (Compiled and published in 1988 by the United Church in Meadowood, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Printed by Derksen Printers Ltd., Steinbach, MB). Available for order on-line at http://www.derksenprinters.com/store/cookbook_catalogue.shtml

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Olive Middle Eastern food. Healthy and flavourful, it always makes me feel good after I eat it. I fell in love with Middle Eastern food almost at the same moment that I fell in love with my Egyptian husband. First the husband, then his family, then the food.

My husband’s family are talented cooks who love to host gastronomical extravaganzas.  Every generation of the family gathers around one long table, lavishly laden with delicious food. There is lots of love, laughter, good wine and even the odd heated debate just to keep things lively. They take food seriously and whether cooking Middle Eastern, French, Spanish, Italian, British, or Quebecois, they always search out the finest ingredients and prepare them carefully. Soon we will be welcoming Southeast Asian cooking into our wonderful, multicultural clan.

My mother-in-law, Mado, is a fabulous cook (and a lovely mother-in-law). Years of practice have perfected her cooking and engrained her recipes in her memory. There is nary a cookbook in sight. When I visit, I try hard to watch, translate, and learn so I can pass her recipes down to generations to come.

My mouth still waters when I recall a simple barbeque she held at her home one summer evening, when I was first getting to know the family. She char-grilled whole red snappers and served them with a delicious, creamy sauce made of ground sesame paste (tahina), lemon, and garlic. It was as yummy as it was unusual. That was my introduction to tahina sauce which quickly grew in to a love affair. Olive it the most on grilled or roasted fish. It’s especially delectable with meaty salmon or trout.

Olive it drizzled on grilled beef or chicken shish kebabs.

Olive to let it trickle down into my rice.  It heightens the flavour of Lebanese wrapped pita sandwiches, such as shawarma and falafel. It is essential in a good hummus and a good baba ghanoush. It is healthy and it’s so easy to make. Let me teach you how.

First, let’s talk about the ingredients. Here are all of the ingredients that you will need, plus cold water.

Make sure your lemons are large and roll them under your hand for a spell, to make them easier to juice. Choose four big, fresh cloves of garlic – go bold or go home (okay, do three if you feel a bit wimpy). If you can, buy your ground cumin from an Arabic store, where it has a high turnover and will be nice and fresh. Hmmm, I could smell the earthy fragrance of this cumin as I was taking this photo. This is my favourite brand of tahina paste, available at Adonis or Loblaws.

Store your jar of tahina paste upside down, set in a small bowl, in your cupboard. This will allow the oil on top to rise up through the paste, making it much easier to stir. It will keep in your cupboard for far longer than it will take for you to use it up. Because the paste is so thick, it is very important to stir tahina paste thoroughly before measuring it, to break up any clumps and to mix the oil in completely.

Now, a bit about the method. Tahina sauce needs to be blended properly with cold water. Mado always mixes it by hand, adding the water bit by bit and stirring while it breaks apart, then continuing to stir until it comes back together into a creamy blend. I get the same results in a food processor.

I like to make a batch of tahina sauce at the beginning of the week to serve with grilled fish. And then I use some to make baba ghanoush or hummus later on in the week. If there is any left over at the end of the week, we like to drizzle it over store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Sauce Tahina Mado

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

1 cup of tahina paste (stir well in jar before measuring)

Juice of 3 large lemons

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced to a purée (in the above salt)

1 teaspoon of ground cumin plus a sprinkle for garnish

About 1 ¼ cup of cold water (depending on thickness of tahina paste – see instructions)

Mado’s Method By Hand:

1. Before measuring the tahina paste, stir it very well to break up any hard chunks and blend thoroughly. Place the tahina in a medium bowl. Add the cold water, bit by bit, stirring each time. The tahina will separate and stiffen. Continue slowly adding the water (about 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups of water in total) and stirring until the tahina and water come back together into a creamy, pale sauce.
2. Add the lemon, salt, garlic, and cumin. Stir well. Adjust the salt to taste, to bring out a punch of lemon and garlic. Add more lemon, if necessary. Garnish with a light sprinkle of cumin. Store in the refrigerator.

Food Processor Method:

1. Before measuring the tahina paste, stir it very well to break up any hard chunks and blend thoroughly. Place all of the ingredients, except for the water, in a food processor.
2. Add the water slowly, using just enough to end up with a pale, smooth, creamy sauce (about 1 cup to 1 1/4 cups of water in total). The tahina will separate and stiffen at first and then become smooth. Adjust the salt to taste, to bring out a punch of lemon and garlic. Add more lemon, if necessary. Garnish with a light sprinkle of cumin. Store in the refrigerator.

Simple Grilled Fish (wonderful with Tahina Sauce)

Trout, salmon or red snapper fillets

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Dried Marjoram

1. Place fillets on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Turn up the edges of the foil to make a rim (so that the oil doesn’t leak out on to your grill).
2. Dress the fillets with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of kosher salt, a grinding of black pepper, and a dusting of dried marjoram.
3. Grill the fish on the foil, at 425 degrees, until white proteins start to come to the surface and the fish is done to your liking. It will continue to cook a bit as it rests off of the grill. Alternatively, place on a baking sheet and roast in a 425 degree oven. Serve with a drizzle of tahina sauce and garnish with grilled lemons or fresh lemon halves.

Grilled Lemons

Lemons

Extra-virgin olive oil

1. Cut some lemons in half. Toss in some olive oil.
2. Place, cut side down, on a grill and grill for as long as the fish cooks, until slightly charred. Serve as a garnish for fish. Use caution when squeezing to avoid being burned by the hot juice.

One last thing. After every fish dinner, Mado recites “Après le poisson, il faut le dessert” (after fish, you must have dessert). And so I am leaving you with a little treat.

Adonis Rodin Mangue mango mousse – 250 decadent grams of sheer heaven. Made of luscious mango pulp, sugar, gelatin, and crème frâiche. Enough to share. The perfect treat after fish! Olive it!

My life lessons have taught me to not fret over the weather and to appreciate every day, no matter how grey and how cold. I can’t say that I welcomed those big fat flakes of snow this morning but I did grab the bull by the horns (or rather, the dog by the collar). Like a true Canadian, I took Buddy for an invigorating walk in the frigid wind. I felt so good afterwards. Then I decided to post this lovely little recipe to help us THINK GREEN and THINK SPRING.

My friend contributed this delightful salad to our church potluck dinner. Olived it so much, I asked for the recipe. It’s as cheery as the first songbird of spring. Healthy baby spinach greens, crunchy apples and nuts, and chewy raisins are dressed in an interesting vinaigrette that has just a hint of warm, golden curry flavour.

I adjusted the ratio of vinegar to oil to suit our tastes (we prefer a 1 to 3 ratio). Feel free to adjust it to your own liking, as long as you end up with a total of 1 cup of oil and vinegar combined. The original recipe called for 2 lbs. of spinach but I found that one 454 g /16 oz. package of baby spinach was plenty. I made the full recipe and divided the vinaigrette and dressing in half to use another day. We are big on salad these days and are eating it for lunch and dinner…maybe even breakfast. That would make my trainer happy!

I use Sumo Roasted Black and White Sesame Seeds from Bento Nouveau (available at Longo’s) because they are already roasted. I keep them in my fridge and sprinkle them on asparagus, salad, avocado chunks, stir fries, etc. If you can’t find them, just toast raw sesame seeds for a few moments in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing them frequently in the pan, until golden.

Pura vida, Ev. Thanks for the recipe!

THINK SPRING! CURRIED SPINACH SALAD

Serves 12 (may be reduced by half)

Salad Ingredients:

454 g / 16 oz package Longo’s Organic Baby Spinach, washed carefully and dried gently but thoroughly

1/3 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts

1/3 cup shelled, roasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Sumo Roasted Black and White Sesame Seeds from Bento Nouveau

2 or 3 apples

Curried Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Major Grey Mango Chutney, finely chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Few drops Tabasco sauce

3/4 cup salad oil

Dressing Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, chutney, curry powder, salt, dry mustard, honey, and hot sauce. Gradually add oil in a thin steady stream, beating with a wire whisk until blended. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, to allow the flavours to mellow together. Whisk again just before dressing salad.

Salad Directions:

Put raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Combine spinach, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins, green onions, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Just before serving, peel, core and dice the apples into bite-sized chunks. Add to the salad. Pour just enough dressing over the salad to coat leaves lightly, then toss gently but thoroughly. Serve immediately.

I went for a lovely country drive with my Dad last Saturday to The Mill Street Cheese Market, just off Main Street in quaint, historic downtown Georgetown. The pretty little shop is filled to the brim with the best local and international cheeses, cured meats, charcuterie, and gourmet specialty food products, from as close as Caledon to as far away as Europe and Australia. Olive the Mill Street Cheese Market. Whenever I go, I feel like I am visiting a little fromagerie shop in France.

Like a kid in a candy shop, I like to start each visit by browsing every inch of the shelves for little gourmet treasures like preserves, olive oil, pasta sauces, and even artisanal limonade from France and the iconic St-Viateur Bagels from Montreal (you haven’t had a proper bagel if you haven’t had a St-Viateur Bagel).

It doesn’t take long before one of the staff tempts me with samplings of the fabulous cheeses and cured meats that this shop has to offer. Go with an appetite and the time to learn about each product. These people know their cheese and are passionate about sharing their knowledge with you.

The first nibble that I was offered was a little spoon filled with a tiny dollop of Rootham’s Tangy Red Pepper Jelly and topped with a sliver of Aged Farmhouse artisan cheese from Natural Pastures Cheese Company in Courtenay, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Wow! The sweet and spicy tang of the jelly was a delicious match for this outstanding aged firm cheese that was rich and flavourful with slightly granular and sweet end-notes. Natural Pastures Cheese Company produces a variety of world-class,  award-winning cheeses. They use fresh, pure milk from grass-fed cows who live stress-free on the pristine farms of the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island.

Rootham Gourmet Preserves Tangy Red Pepper Jelly is all natural and gluten free. It is made in Guelph, Ontario with local Canadian ingredients, including fresh Ontario red bell peppers.

My next sample was Summer Sausage made by Mennonites in Stratford, Ontario. This fine textured sausage is all pork and sold whole, wrapped in a cloth bag which helps to preserve it.

As soon as you roll back the cloth, you are enticed by the piquant aroma.  A thin slice practically melts in your mouth but bursts with garlic, warm spice and smokiness. Irresistible.

I made my way to the cheese counter and tried a sample of a creamy Thunder Oak Medium Gouda made by the Schep family with fresh milk from their Holstein cows, on Thunder Oak Cheese Farm in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Their lovely Dutch cheese is award-winning and free of preservatives or added colouring.  Dill or Jalapeno flavoured Thunder Oak Gouda was also available but I bought the plain medium to pair it with Roothman’s Tangy Red Pepper Jelly.

My final treat was Magie de Madawaska,  an artisanal washed rind cheese made from full cream cow’s milk by Fromagerie Le Détour in Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Quebec.  Soft, creamy, and full of flavour.

Just visiting The Mill Street Cheese Market is a joy in itself but I am pretty sure that you won’t leave the store empty handed. It is conveniently located just off Main Street, a few steps from where the wonderful Georgetown Farmers Market is held on Saturday mornings during the growing season.

If you would like to learn a little more about the producers of these fine products, please visit their websites below.

Look at what the Easter Bunny brought me! A heavenly Orange Chiffon Cake from the Hot Oven Bakery at Cloverdale Mall (for the very reasonable price of $10).

The soft-as-a-cloud cake is drenched in a delicious sugar glaze that is punctuated with bits of chewy orange zest.  The orange flavour is bright and real and balanced nicely by the sugar.

The cake stands pretty on its own but can be dressed up in a couple of ways. It would look lovely with edible flowers or candied violets.  Longo’s carries edible flowers (in the herb section) but were all out of them the day I went.  I picked some pansies from my pot to give you an idea of how pretty the cake would look. The pot however is looking a little bleak.

Imagine it wrapped up in cellophane, tied with colourful ribbon and given as a hostess gift! I think I will bring one, decorated with candied violets (if I can find them), to my church ladies’ spring potluck. Wouldn’t I just be the cat’s meow? A tip of the old Easter bonnet to me for sure.

The cake is so flavourful that it can go easily from plate to mouth without anything accompanying it. My guests served it with orange sherbert which was yummy, especially for kids.  They say that Orange Creamsicle ice cream is good too .

It is oh so delightful served with a dollop of whipped cream and segmented orange chunks that have been dusted with cinnamon. Cara Cara oranges are really sweet and juicy right now and are on sale at Longo’s for 99¢/lb or $2.18/kg.

I have to thank my friend for introducing me to this cake. She has been buying it now for at least 10 years. She is wonderful at putting in the effort to make homemade desserts. But when she doesn’t have time, the Hot Oven’s Orange Chiffon Cake is her go-to-cake because it tastes homemade and yummy. It’s gotten her through many a pinch on her way home from work. There’s nothing else like it that brings her back time and time again.

I am sure that the ladies in the know in south Mississauga have been relying on the Hot Oven Bakery at Cloverdale Mall for years for bridge group, ladies’ luncheons, showers and potlucks. But no matter where you live, it’s worth the drive. The Hot Oven offers a wide range of quality baked goods, including delicious Sunflower Seed Bread ($3.85),

quiches both large ($13.25) and small ($3.25) such as this one, chocked full of broccoli and cheddar in a flaky, buttery crust,

and fudgy brownies with intense chocolate flavour and real butter icing. It’s calling you.

Tempting, isn’t it? It was so hard to wrap up the rest of the brownies from the Family Brownie Tray ($5.50) and store them in the freezer.

The mac & cheese, lasagna and perogies all looked delicious but I had to stop somewhere!

The Hot Oven Bakery, located right beside Winners at the south end of Cloverdale Mall, has been in its original location since 1957.  My friend and I have been BFFs for almost as long (not quite). On the morning I went, the bakery was almost empty when I walked in but a line started to form quickly. My friend went on the Thursday before Easter weekend and there was a huge line. You see that sign in the photo to take a number as soon as you arrive? Good advice that you must heed.  But whatever the length of the line, it is definitely worth the wait. The ladies that I spoke to, who have been loyal customers for decades, told me that everything was good.

There are three other Toronto locations that have opened up which are all owned by the same owner. These locations appear on the company website but even though the Cloverdale location has the same owner, it isn’t listed on the website. But don’t worry about that. Just go, take a number and line up the old fashioned way and go home with an armful of delicious home-baked goods made from high quality ingredients and sold at reasonable prices.