Category Milton

Brilliant Flavour: Streetsville’s Saucy

Milton, you are in for a real treat! Streetsville’s gem of a restaurant, Saucy, will open a second location in Milton soon. The launch party is scheduled for Sunday November 2, 2014. Saucy has been our favourite local spot for celebration meals since it first opened its doors in Streetsville in November 2000. Why? The chef’s talent for creating brilliant flavour combinations shines through on plate after plate. Here is just a taste:

Saucy_Streetsville

Pernod Prawns: My favourite appetizer at Saucy and quite possibly in my universe. Not on the menu anymore but if you ask, the chef will graciously make it for you bang on perfect every time. A beautifully composed plate of plump shrimp in a sublime, creamy Pernod sauce with a hint of anise, accented with soft chunks of tomato and chopped chive. Spooned over a soft but wonderfully chewy, grilled garlic baguette – perfect for mopping up the sauce. Garnished with tender-crisp asparagus, lemon, and fresh pea shoots. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Saucy_Streetsville

Crispy Goat Cheese: A swoon-provoking, generous pillow of warm, panko-crusted, creamy chèvre. Garnished with a dollop of sweet raspberry compote. Crostini and balsamic-dressed mixed baby greens on the side.

Saucy_Streetsville

Bruschetta: Juicy, marinated Roma tomatoes on two pieces of creamy garlic toast, topped with plenty of paper-thin, shaved parmesan. Garnished with fresh basil chiffonade. Drizzled with balsamic glaze for a touch of sweetness.

Saucy_Streetsville

Roasted Veggie Salad: A colourful medley of roasted butternut squash, asparagus, red onion, zucchini and sweet peppers with baby greens, dressed in a well-balanced vinaigrette. Sprinkled with crumbled feta cheese and drizzled with balsamic glaze.

Saucy_Streetsville

Grilled Salmon: Nicely grilled and finished with a velvety sauce of puréed butternut squash, sweet maple, and ginger. Roasted garlic potatoes have a delicious crispiness on the outside. Flavourful seasonal vegetables are perfectly cooked.

Saucy_Streetsville

Seafood Pasta: Seared shrimp, PEI mussels, and clams over spaghetinni and spinach, tossed in a dreamy goat cheese and basil rosé sauce. Garnished with fresh pea shoots.

Saucy_Streetsville

Cedar Plank Scallops: Billowing scallops seared to absolute perfection, caramelized on the outside, tender on the inside; the focus simply on their buttery, nutty sweetness. Big, clean flavour that try as I might, I just can’t stop thinking about. Garnished with sweet shards of honey Dijon pork shoulder, rosemary mirin vinaigrette, and curly green onion.  My son kept begging for my pork but I didn’t mind because the scallops on their own had swept me away.

Recently renovated dining room decor is simply-stated casual elegance – perfect for a business lunch or a special night out. Better acoustics now with modern lux fabric panels and rich drapery. Wrap around floor-to-ceiling windows with nice view of treed park. Late night casual lounge. Summertime sidewalk patio.

Visit Saucy’s website for locations, hours, and menus.

Website: www.saucyinstreetsville.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaucyInStreetsville

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaucyGrill

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Easter Feast: Part Two

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

Happy Easter! This week, I’ve got notes on my ham and tips on potatoes and homemade desserts for your Easter feast, including a treasured heirloom recipe I served at our family Easter last weekend. Please scroll to the bottom for the recipe.

But first, here are some ways to put a little spring in your step this Easter. Easter is in full bloom at Terra Greenhouses – just look at the sea of gorgeous pink or blue hydrangea blooms.

Terra_Hydrangeas

And of course, there’s no place like Springridge Farm for Easter fun. Click here for what you need to know before heading out to Springridge Farm’s Easter Festival, held on Good Friday April 18, Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20, 2014: www.springridgefarm.com/easter-egg-hunt.htm (be sure to check out the video link). Say hello to the baby chicks.

Every Easter, Starsky Fine Foods sells these adorable baked lambs that make a sweet table decoration.  And look at the colourful Easter palms.

Easter_Starsky

You can find pussy willows at Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market, which opened yesterday.

Pussy_Willows_Herridges

By the way, the quiches we ordered last week from Crawford’s Village Bakery were as delectable as their pies: Crawford’s famous pie crust filled to the brim with a generous, flavourful custard that wasn’t too rich.

The Country Ham that I ordered from Heatherlea Farm Market was easy to prepare and I was pleased with the results. Basically, I just removed the skin, trimmed the fat and scored it, then placed the ham cut-side down in the slow cooker, added a bit of water, and let it slow cook until the fat rendered and the meat reached a safe temperature. After I let it rest, I glazed it according to the recipe (see Easter Feast: Part One), let the glaze rest, and then carved it. I have never smelled a more aromatic ham. It was so succulent and tasty straight out of the slow cooker. If you are planning on making this recipe, be aware that the six pound ham just fit in my oval seven quart slow cooker and served sixteen people with leftovers.

What goes better with ham than scalloped potatoes? If you are craving a casserole of thickly sliced potatoes in a rich and creamy sauce with lots of sharp cheddar cheese, I really like Chef Michael Smith’s recipe: Potato Cheddar Casserole.

Herridge’s Farm Fresh Market has Ontario greenhouse rhubarb, a harbinger of spring. Click here for an easy Rhubarb Torte recipe that will make a confident baker out of an apprehensive one and a rhubarb lover out of anyone: www.olivetoeat.com.

Rhubarb_Torte

On her blog Cook Me Quick, my friend Carol posted the original recipe for the heavenly carrot cake that the Cheeseboard Café used to serve. Oh, I’ve got lots of good memories of waitressing with friends at the Cheeseboard during my school years; the food was so good that it sparked an interest in cooking in me. The Cheeseboard Cafe’s Carrot Cake recipe can be found here: http://cookmequick.com/2013/10/02/cheeseboard-cafe-carrot-cake/

Here is what I made for our feast:

Broken_Window_Glass_Cake

Grandma Brown’s Broken Window Glass Cake

Makes one 9” x 13” pan, serving 16 +

I treasure my grandmother’s handwritten recipe for this family favourite we used to serve every holiday. It’s a ridiculously retro dessert but it’s light, refreshing, and appealing to all ages. The colourful cubes of Jell-O look like a church stained glass window. I am reviving this cheery cake to our annual Easter feast with a tip of my Easter bonnet to Grandma Brown.

Grandma Brown preferred strawberry, cherry, and lime Jell-O for the cubes; I like to replace one red coloured Jell-O with grape if I can find it (Walmart) or orange. Make the Jell-O cubes early in the morning on the day before you plan to serve the dessert; they need to chill until firm before you fold them into the filling. Defrost the Cool Whip in the fridge while preparing the Jell-O. Later that day, finish the dessert and let it chill overnight.

Special Equipment:
3 (8”) square pans
1 (9” x 13”) rectangular pan

Ingredients:

Jell-O Cubes:
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) grape or orange Jell-O
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) cherry or strawberry or raspberry Jell-O
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) lime Jell-O

Filling:
1 cup canned pineapple juice
½ cup white sugar
1 pkg. 3 oz. (85 g) lemon Jell-O
1 container (1 litre) frozen Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed or 2 cups whipped cream

Crust:
2 ½ cups Graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup (scant) brown sugar
½ cup melted butter
Butter for greasing pan

Directions:

  1. Place the frozen Cool Whip in the fridge to thaw for 4 to 5 hours while the Jell-O sets.
  2. Jell-O Cubes: Prepare the grape, cherry, and lime Jell-O separately; empty each flavour into three separate 8-inch square pans. Add 1 cup of boiling water to each pan; stir well to scrape gelatin granules from bottom of pan and dissolve thoroughly. Add ½ cup of cold water; stir thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap; chill in fridge until firm, at least 3 hours. When firm, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (but leave in pan) and proceed with next steps.
  3. Filling: Empty 1 package of lemon Jell-O in a large bowl; set aside. Place 1 cup pineapple juice with ½ cup sugar in a small pot and bring it just to the boil, stirring frequently; watch carefully and remove it from the heat as soon as the first bubble appears. Pour hot pineapple mixture over Jell-O and stir thoroughly until dissolved completely.  Add ½ cup cold water. Mix well. Chill in fridge to partially set (set your timer for every 15 minutes to stir and check for readiness); it should be partially thickened and cool but still in liquid state.
  4. Crust: Meanwhile, mix crumbs with butter, and sugar; stir well. Set aside about 1 cup for garnish. Pat remaining crumb mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of greased 9×13-inch cake pan to make a crust; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  5. Fold Cool Whip into partially set lemon Jell-O. Gently fold in Jell-O cubes. Pour into graham cracker crust. Sprinkle reserved 1 cup of crumb topping over top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight. Serve chilled the next day.
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Olive’s Keep Calm & Carry On Christmas Survival Guide: Christmas at Springridge Farm

I love Springridge Farms any time of year but my favourite time of year at Springridge is Christmas. What better way to get into the spirit than to take a country drive to a beautiful farm to pick up a fresh Fraser Fir Christmas tree?

Kids can decorate a freshly baked gingerbread man cookie, paint a glass ball ornament, and visit with Santa. I will never forget how awe-struck we felt when my young son and I bumped into Santa at Springridge. Santa suddenly appeared through the snowflakes, walking regally in his high leather boots, as if he had left his sleigh hidden atop the forested escarpment. He wasn’t just any Santa – he had an air about him that convinced us he was the real McCoy.  We were speechless; Santa gave us a quiet nod and a wink, and then went inside the barn to prepare for his visit with kids. It was magical.

Be sure to wander through the barn market filled with festive decorations, ornaments, giftware, and gourmet goodies. I think I’ll make another trip back to Springridge to try the Gingerbread Truffles that Springridge is now retailing: small-batch, hand-stirred chocolates made with cream, puréed gingerroot, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves by Walker’s Chocolates in Burlington.

Springridge sells a small but impressive assortment of cookbooks such as Rose Murray’s Canadian Christmas Cooking, which includes the recipe for Springridge Farm Christmas Marmalade (Springridge Farm has a line of their own small-batch, artisanal preserves, chutneys, sauces, and pickles). On Sunday December 8th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Springridge will hold another in a series of cookbook events, when you can meet the author, Rose Murray, and if you purchase her cookbook, she’ll sign your copy. If you plan on attending, please click here to RSVP and find out more information.

Warm up with a bowl of soup (my favourite is the heavenly Curried Chicken Coconut Soup) and a freshly baked biscuit or a freshly prepared sandwich (like Holiday Turkey) or salad with homemade dressing. Lunch is served daily from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Bring home some freshly baked gingerbread cookies and Holiday Berry pies, all made from scratch on the farm – better yet, call ahead to pre-order so you won’t be disappointed. Springridge also handcrafts a really interesting variety of frozen savoury pies, available in 9-inch and individual sizes, and brimming with yummy fillings like: Shepherd’s Pie, Turkey Sage, Pulled Pork, and Old Fashioned Tourtière. Curried Chicken pot pies are available in 9-inch-sizes only. All flavours are special enough for entertaining (you could offer a variety of savoury pies for your guests to choose from) and easy enough for hurried weeknight dinners – just pop them out of your freezer and bake as instructed. Serve them with my Sweet-Sour Purple Cabbage with Apples and a nice salad. We enjoyed our individual pies while trimming our tree. Look how high they pile the delicious filling in the Tourtière and Pulled Pork pot pies.

Springridge_Farm

Pulled Pork Pot Pie and Old Fashioned Tourtiere

Christmas at Springridge happens every weekend from November 23rd to December 15, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a small charge of $5 each to paint a glass ornament or decorate a gingerbread man cookie. The farm is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., until noon December 24, 2013 when Springridge closes for the season. Re-opening April 10, 2014.

Springridge Farms
7256 Bell School Line
Milton, Ontario L9T 2Y1

Telephone: (905) 878-4908

For map, check my Farmers’ Market Directory or visit www.springridgefarm.com

Speaking of tree trimming……three Christmas trees decorated…CHECK!!!:

  1. Gumdrops and Lollipops themed tree, designed by Cobi Ladner for Toronto’s Gardiner Museum’s 12 Trees of Christmas Charity Gala. Purchased by Frank Bowman and Aaron Milrad and donated to Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Centre.
  2. Magic Pennies Mitten Tree on behalf of Streetsville United Church Magic Pennies Kids Community Outreach for Village of Streetsville.
  3. Our own family tree mishmash of sentimental ornaments.
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Hot Off The Olive Press: November 1, 2013

Food Events:

The Shop For All Reasons will be hosting a Chocolate Tasting this Sunday November 3rd 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. What a great opportunity to discover some top-quality lines of finely crafted chocolate, including Olivia (from Quebec), Tcho (San Francisco), Amedei (Italy), Rogers (Victoria), and M Thompson (Toronto). Owner John Viola has built up an impressive gourmet section in this lovely Streetsville gift shop. John is passionate about the gourmet lines he carries and happy to share his knowledge of them with you. Think about stocking up on some gourmet chocolate for Christmas baking or gifts.

The Shop For All Reasons
228 Queen Street South
Streetsville, ON L5M 1L5
 
Telephone: 905-858-9623
www.shopforallreasons.com

Food Trucks:

Curb Your Appetite Food Truck Wednesdays will deliver gourmet food trucks to the curb of CIT Financial, 5035 South Service Road, near Appleby Line, Burlington. Running the next three Wednesday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., November 6th, 13th, and 20th 2013. Visit Ontario Food Trucks website for more info: www.ontariofoodtrucks.com.

Farm Market Finds:

Springridge Farm will be hosting an Author Meet & Greet Book Signing event, featuring celebrity chef Ricardo and his new cookbook, Slow Cooker Favourites. Sunday November 3rd 2013, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. **RSVP: [email protected]**

Springridge Farm
7256 Bell School Line
Milton, Ontario
L9T 2Y1
 
Telephone: (905) 878-4908
www.springridgefarm.com

Restaurant News:

Renovations have been completed and The Host restaurant in Mississauga has recently reopened, with a new modern look and new menu. The Host serves fine Indian cuisine. Please note that The Host is reserved for a private corporate dinner event on Thursday November 7, 2013.

Happy Diwali! I love watching the colourful fireworks bursting over the Streetsville horizon during the festival of lights.

The Host
33 City Centre Drive
Mississauga, ON L5B 2N5
 
Telephone: 905-566-4678
www.welcometohost.com
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