Category Olive’s Harvest of Friends

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.

I try to contain myself but I just can’t help revelling in the gifts of every season: fireflies lighting up a summer’s night, the first crimson leaf to fall, the first snowfall, or the fragrant bouquets of lily-of-the-valley that my husband surprises me with every spring. He handpicks each stem from an abandoned garden.

I try to capture the right moment, when the trees are bursting with blossoms, to embrace my family underneath one so that we can be showered with petals. These are momentary pleasures that pass all too quickly. It’s important to me to slow down and breathe them in.

Photo contributed by Laura Kelly.

That’s why I love the blog simple pleasures on the farm. My friend, Laura Kelly, has an exceptional talent for capturing the simple but beautiful pleasures of the life she shares with her family on their picturesque farm, Carl Laidlaw Orchards. There’s always a captivating story to be told whether it’s the return of the bluebirds or Laura’s evening date with Mark strolling through the blossoming orchard, hunting for hidden treasures of wild asparagus. How romantic! Through stunning photography and honest, nostalgic writing that touches your heart, Laura shares the magic of the orchard with her readers.

You may remember I featured Laura and Mark in my post Happy Under the Apple Boughs: Carl Laidlaw Orchards. She and Mark are fabulous cooks too. I have posted some of Laura’s recipes on my blog: Laura’s Farmhouse-Fusion Apple Squash Soup, Mark’s Apple Orchard Pie, and Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce.

Laura is so creative. I am glad she is sharing her talents and treasures through a blog. I don’t want to miss one post, so I have signed up to receive them by e-mail (scroll down to the bottom of her blog).  I just had to share with you. Enjoy!

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Olive is happy to report that local field asparagus season has begun! Despite the looming storm clouds, I was determined to drive out to Andrews’ Scenic Acres yesterday morning to do something I’ve long wanted to do: pick my own asparagus. It turned out to be a beautiful morning.

It is early in the season and the asparagus has just begun to come up alongside the rhubarb. Farmer Bert Andrews says the asparagus season will run from now to about mid June; the first of June will likely be the ideal pick-your-own period. The pick-your-own rhubarb season will run from now to about the end of June.

The asparagus field looks like a a little comical with single spears poking up up from the ground, here and there. In the photo above, you can barely see them poking up along the horizon.

To ensure the asparagus will grow back again next year, cut the asparagus about one inch below the surface of the earth; it’s easy and Andrews’ will supply you with a knife. Wear rubber boots and protect yourself from mosquitoes.

You can’t get farm-to-table fresher than picking your own. I couldn’t resist trying a spear raw: it tasted green and robust and sweeter than the raw spears I have tasted from the grocery store. If you are tempted to try one of the many raw asparagus salad recipes that are trending right now, I recommend picking your own asparagus and eating the salad as soon as possible the same day.

I decided to treat my Dad to a bundle of ready-picked asparagus that Farmer Bert Andrews (below left) brings in from Simcoe County while his asparagus is still so early in the season. Manager Stephanny (below right) helped me pick out a bundle of Andrews’ ready-picked rhubarb; I’ll turn it into stewed rhubarb to eat with my breakfast yogurt. Oh my, how Olive loves spring!

Farmer Bert Andrews and Manager Stephanny

I prefer to eat my asparagus the day I buy it but it will keep in your fridge okay for a few days if you stand the stem ends in a jug of water or wrap them in a damp paper towel and cover the bunch in plastic wrap. I snap off the woody ends where they break naturally and wash each spear under cold, running water, paying special attention to the head where sand and grit get trapped. For tips on choosing, storing, and preparing asparagus visit Foodland Ontario.

My preferred method of cooking asparagus is oven-roasted. Oven-roasting caramelizes the asparagus and I find I don’t need to serve anything with it but a squirt of lemon juice. My Simple Oven-Roasted Asparagus recipe is here: http://olivetoeat.com/?p=858

But what better way to celebrate the start of the local asparagus season than with a splurge of hollandaise sauce? A dear friend (and fabulous cook) recently gave me a great recipe for an easy and delicious blender hollandaise sauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the recipe.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres (established in 1980) and Scotch Block Country Winery (a fruit winery opened in 1999), is family operated and grows a wide variety of pick-your-own or fresh picked fruit, vegetables, and flowers. The barn market sells jams, jellies, pies, tarts, honey, maple syrup, juices and frozen fruit. House-made frozen yogurt and ice cream is made from farm-grown fruit. Family fun and harvest festivals.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres
9365 10th Sideroad
Halton Hills, Ontario

Telephone: 905-878-5807

Please call to confirm dates and time open.

Open daily: May 3rd to November 1st, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Open November 1st to December 31st, Saturday and Sunday plus the week before Christmas: 11am to 5pm.

Andrews’ Scenic Acres also sells their farm fresh produce at several local farmers’ markets. Click here for a list: http://www.andrewsscenicacres.com/farmmarket.php

Website: www.andrewsscenicacres.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewsScenic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewsScenicAcres

Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Makes 1/2 cup

This recipe was passed on to me by a dear friend and fabulous cook. Use a blender or food processor for best results.

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon of water
3/4 cup unsalted butter
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground white pepper, freshly ground black pepper, or ground cayenne pepper.

Directions:

1. Place butter in a small saucepan over low heat to melt.
2. Plop water and egg yolks in a blender or food processor; blend for about 90 seconds.
3. Turn the heat under the melted butter up to medium high, just until the butter starts to bubble.
4. With the blender motor running, slowly pour the hot melted butter through the feeder tube in a thin, steady stream (don’t include the milky, foamy bits); sauce will thicken at this point.
5. Again with the motor running, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper through the feeder tube. Unplug the machine and taste to adjust seasonings, if necessary.
6. Serve immediately with steamed asparagus, steamed artichokes, steamed new potatoes, poached eggs, or roasted fish.

Though the eggs are lightly cooked by the hot butter, as a safety precaution follow all food safety guidelines concerning the consumption of raw eggs.

Pinch me! After this winter’s relentless polar vortex, it’s hard to believe the local growing season has finally arrived. The seasonal markets are starting to open up! I can’t wait to grab my basket and head over to my local market for fresh, locally-grown produce. Or grab a friend and head out on an adventure to the many wonderful markets across our region, stopping at whim along the way to antique or discover new foodie gems.

I’ve updated my Farm / Farmers’ Market Directory for the 2014 season with current hours, locations, links, and maps; a few of the farmers’ markets have changed locations and dates this year. You’ll find my Farm / Farmers’ Market Directory at the top of my site, in the green top menu bar. Hover your mouse over it and a drop down list will appear:

1. Click on Farms / On-Farm Markets for a list of my favourite farms in Halton, Peel, Simcoe, and Wellington Regions. Check back here occasionally; I’ll add more as I discover them. If you have a local farm market favourite that you don’t see on my list, please let me know. I’ll add it to my directory and share it with everyone.
2. Hover your mouse over Farmers Markets for a drop-down list of farmers’ markets in the Greater Toronto West area, by region. Click on a region for a list of markets: Halton, Peel, Toronto, Waterloo, and Wellington County / Guelph. It’s a growing list; if I’ve missed your favourite, please let me know. The Toronto list only includes a few that I would drive to, including the fabulous St. Lawrence Market, ranked number one of the world’s top ten food markets by National Geographic. I love that I can slip down to the St. Lawrence Market at the crack of dawn and be back before traffic; it’s open at 5:00 a.m. on Saturdays.

I am gradually building a Grocery / Gourmet Store Directory on the top menu bar too. Check back often and watch it grow.

Happy Market Season everyone! Hope to see you at the markets.

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.