Hallowe'en Tricks and Treats

Maybe it was the spooky Hallowe’en atmosphere, but this was just one of those weekends that I (Andrea) just shouldn’t have been allowed in the kitchen.  I worried that, like Tita in Like Water for Chocolate, all my anxiety was flowing through my cooking and would affect everyone around the table.  In spite of having lovely ingredients from the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market and Herrles, I was out of sorts and ruined everything in my path.  Fortunately there were other hands in the kitchen, and at the end of the day there were plenty of delicious dishes to go around so my dried-out-duck, burnt potatoes, and undercooked brisket could lurk in the background.  And as my my friend Robert once said, “it’s not what’s on the table but who’s in the chairs.”  We still had a lot of fun together, and the entertainment continued through the weekend with Night\Shift 2014,  downtown Kitchener's Nuit Blanche style festival of art, culture and nocturnal adventure.

Creature of the Gyre, by graduate students from U of W's Water Institute

Not to let the less than stellar efforts go to waste,  the next day we transformed the duck leftovers into appetizers by mincing the smoked meat and combining it with some grated onion, mayonnaise and herbs served on a corn chip with cranberry sauce and it wasn’t too bad.  And as is our tradition, the failed brisket was turned into a mean pot of chili. 

Bev and Tim combined forces on Friday to make Mark McEvan’s succulent Five-Spice Bison Tenderloin Steaks with Spiced Apple.  Both the braised apples and the sauce were a great accompaniment to the tender bison, and rescued the dry duck to make it palatable.  Bev served it over creamy mashed potatoes with a side of braised swiss chard.

Five-Spice Bison with Spiced Apple and Frothed Butter Sauce

8  1”- thick bison tenderloin steaks

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 teaspoons five-spice powder

kosher salt

Spiced Apples (recipe follows)

Frothed Butter Sauce (recipe follows)

Pat the bison steaks dry with a paper towel, then rub lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle on all sides with five-spice powder and season with kosher salt.  Let rest at room temperature while barbecue preheats on MEDIUM-HIGH. 

Brush the grids clean with a wire brush, then oil the grids to prevent sticking.  Cook the steaks for a total of 8 minutes for medium rare, turning every 2 minutes for Perfect Grill Marks. 

Spiced Apples

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 braising apples such as Fuji, peeled and cut into ¼ “dice

1 star anise

3 whole cloves

½ stick cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ cup Riesling wine

Heat a small saucepan on MEDIUM HIGH and add the oil, apple, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.  Stir frequently to avoid excessive browning.  As soon as the apples begin to take on colour, add the sugar and half the Riesling.  Reduce to a thick syrup and repeat.  Remove from the heat. 

Frothed Butter Sauce

½ cup white wine

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ medium Spanish onion, sliced

½ teaspoon minced jalapeno

4 slices Japanese-style pickled ginger + 1 tablespoon of its juice

3 tablespoons whipping cream

½ pound butter, cubed

Salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, jalapeno, ginger and ginger juice.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in the cream and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Whisk in butter piece by piece.  Whiz with a hand wand or in a blender, pass through a strainer in to the top of a double boiler or a clean pot, and salt to taste.  Can be kept warm in a double boiler.  Froth with an immersion blender is desired. 

Kris produced a beautiful and very healthy kale and beet salad that combined the best flavours of fall.

Autumn Salad of Beets and Apple, with Kale and Crispy Leeks

5 beets, roasted,  ½ inch cubes

1 sprig of thyme

2 ribs celery, diced

2 red apples, skin-on, ½ inch cubes

1 lemon

½ red onion, diced

½ bunch red kale, finely chopped

½ cup mint, chopped

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 leek, 2 inch lengths, julienned

1 cup canola oil

1 tsp sea salt

½ cup pumpkinseeds, roasted

Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

6  tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp grainy mustard

1 tsp honey

½ tsp salt

Preheat barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes and reduce heat to MEDIUM.  Scrub the beets, wrap them in foil with a sprig of thyme and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook on MEDIUM for 1 hour, on upper rack, until tender. Allow to cool and peel. Cut into ½ inch cubes.

Chop kale, mint and parsley and set aside in a large salad bowl.  Dice the celery and red onion and core the apples, leaving the skin on and cut them into ½ inch cubes-toss in a medium glass bowl with the juice of the lemon.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep skillet to Medium and fry the julienned leek pieces in small patches until golden and crispy. Each batch should take approximately 90 seconds - 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spatula and lay out on paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to cool.

For the vinaigrette: Combine ingredients in a mason jar, seal lid tightly and shake vigorously until well mixed.

Assemble salad: Pour  half of the vinaigrette over the kale and herbs half an hour before serving. Toss well and set aside. Then, add the beets, apples, celery, red onion and the rest of the vinaigrette and toss gently.  Arrange on salad plates and top with roasted pumpkin seeds and crispy julienned leeks. 

Charlie was getting into the Hallowe'en spirit in a big way!