Harvest Time in Waterloo County

Fall in Waterloo County offers a bounty of local ingredients, and we gathered together a selection of them for the recipes that we developed this past weekend.  Of course some of the ingredients were as local as our own gardens!  Both the Grilled Corn and Pepper Quesadillas, and the Roasted Beet, McIntosh Apple and Wheatberry Salad with Feta Cheese can be served as an appetizer, lunch, or part of a buffet.  And either would be an ideal dish to bring to a potluck. Try them both this week.

Grilled Corn and Pepper Quesadillas

 

1 onion, halved and thickly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cob corn, grilled and cut off the cob

1 yellow bell pepper, roasted and coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Five Brothers Cheese, grated

8 medium flour tortillas

a little vegetable oil

Melt the butter in a medium skillet and add the onions.  Cook on low heat until very tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, roast the bell pepper until blackened and grill the corn in its husk on the barbecue.  Let cool, then peel and chop the pepper, and husk the corn and cut it off the cob. 

To assemble, brush one side of each flour tortilla with a little vegetable oil.  This will be the outside of the quesadillas, and the oil both prevents sticking and promotes crisping.  Place the tortilla oil-side down on a cutting board.  Sprinkle with a quarter of each of the vegetables and bacon, leaving a border around the edges.   Sprinkle with cheese almost to the edge.  Cover with the second tortilla, oiled-side-out.  Repeat with the remaining ingredients. 

Reduce the temperature of the gas grill to LOW, and place the quesadillas on the grill for about 2 minutes.  Using a very large spatula, turn them ¼ turn for 2 minutes.  Flip to the other side and cook for 2 minutes, then give them another ¼ turn and let cook for a final 2 minutes.  Transfer to a wooden cutting board and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut into wedges.  Serve with guacamole or salsa.  

Roasted Beet, McIntosh Apple and Wheatberry Salad with Feta Cheese

1 cup wheat berries
3 large beets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 McIntosh Apple, unpeeled, cored and quartered
1 rib fresh celery
1/2 bunch red kale, cleaned, rib removed
1/2 small red onion
1/2 cup Greek Feta Cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste


1. Place the wheatberries in a glass bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Drain.  Place in a large pot  with 2-3 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to a bowl. Reduce to medium and cook for 35-40 minutes, until they are tender-firm. Drain and place in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat barbecue on HIGH for 5 minutes and lower to MEDIUM. Scrub beets, leaving tops and roots attached. Place in an envelope of heavy duty aluminum foil and sprinkle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Wrap tightly and place on upper rack of barbecue for 45-50 minutes, until tender-firm.  Remove from foil, and peel once they have cooled to the touch. Cut them into 1 1/2 inch chunks and set aside
3. Cut apple and celery into 3/4 inch cubes. Finely shred the kale. Dice red onion.
5. Prepare the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a glass bottle, close lid and shake vigourously
4. Once the wheatberries have cooled, combine with chopped kale and toss them with half of the dressing and spread on a large serving platter.  Arrange the beets,  apple and celery over top. Sprinkle remaining dressing over the entire salad. Top with crumbled feta cheese and chopped celery.

Delicious with grilled trout, ratatouille and corn. We love the harvest season!!!!!!

Father's Day Favourites

Father’s Day was action packed, starting with breakfast in Toronto, golf at home, cocktails with Mary Anne and her friend Francis, who was visiting from Taiwan, and finally a delicious Father’s Day Dinner cooked by Eric and Samantha.  They are an excellent pair in the kitchen and on the grill, and they designed and executed a delicious menu in honour of the Big Guy.

Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Quesadillas

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 red peppers, roasted and peeled

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 green onions, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 ½ cup grated extra old cheddar cheese

12 corn tortillas

Preheat barbecue on HIGH.  Set the peppers on one side of the grill and cook until the skins are charred and blackened on all sides.  Reduce the temperature on the other side to MEDIUM LOW.  Brush the chicken lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill the chicken for a total of about 10 minutes, turning every 2 ½ minutes and following the directions for perfect grill marks.  Once cooked, remove to a cutting board for 15-20 minutes, tented with foil, before chopping.  Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large skillet, and add the onions.  Stir occasionally over MEDIUM LOW heat, until golden, about ½ hour. 

Slip the skins off the cooled red peppers, remove the seeds and ribs, and chop.

In a large bowl, combine the jalapeno pepper, onions, cilantro, cheese, chicken, onions and peppers. 

Brush a small amount of olive oil on one side of each corn or flour tortilla.  Turn it over, and spoon some filling into the middle.  Spread the filling over the bottom, leaving about a ½ -1 inch border.   Top with another tortilla, with the oiled side out. 

Place on a grill set to MEDIUM LOW.  Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the cheese has melted.

Honey Garlic Ribs

4 racks pork back ribs

¾ cup honey

¼ cup fish sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons sherry

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sambal olek

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

½ teaspoon five spice powder

Remove the membrane from the back of each rack of ribs.

In a small pot combine the remaining ingredients.  Heat until the honey has just melted.  Brush the ribs lightly with a few tablespoons of the sauce, and wrap them tightly in heavy duty foil.   Place on the smoker or gas grill and maintain a temperature of about 275° F.  If using the gas grill, place them on the top warming rack.  You may want to turn off the middle burners to maintain this low temperature.  Cook for about 3 hours, or until very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining sauce, and simmer until just thickened, about 15 minutes.  Set aside off the heat.

About ½ hour before serving, carefully remove the ribs from the foil, using tongs and oven mitts to avoid steam burns.  Set the ribs on the cooking grids and brush them liberally with the sauce, applying every ten minutes.

Samantha also made these delicious potatoes with all her father’s favorite additions:  mushroom, bacon and garlic….yum!  The recipe comes from a wonderful Bonnie Sterne book, The Essentials of Home Cooking. 

Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Mushrooms

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 slices bacon, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 cup milk or cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons salt

Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to MEDIUM LOW and gently cook for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over MEDIUM heat until crisp.  Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.  Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.  Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for about a minute or until fragrant but not brown.  Add the mushrooms and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown.  Add the milk and parsley and cook until hot.

Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then return them to the hot pot and mash them with the butter and salt.  Stir in the mushroom mixture and the bacon.   Serve hot.