Fall Bounty

Wilf and Cathie start their heirloom tomatoes from seed in February  

We are right in the middle of Farmer’s Market Paradise in Waterloo region, with a plethora of gorgeous fall vegetables perfectly ripe and ready.   This was the week to pick up a bushel of red peppers to roast on the grill, then peel and freeze for use during the winter.

 Even closer to home we are fortunate to have generous neighbours , Wilf and Cathie, with a bountiful vegetable garden adjacent to their house.  When they invited us to come and harvest eggplants, tomatoes and peppers we had visions of thick, smoky ratatouille.  Served with some smoked pork chops, it was the perfect fall dinner. 

Smoked Pork Chops

4 extra-thick bone-in pork chops

For the Brine:

4 cups apple cider

¾ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

4 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 small bunch fresh thyme

For the coating:

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence

Combine the brine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.  Remove from heat and cool. 

Place the pork chops in a re-sealable plastic bag, and pour in the cooled brine.  Refrigerate for 6-8 hours.  Drain the brine, rinse the chops and pat them dry with paper towels.  Brush them liberally with the Dijon mustard, and sprinkle with Herbes de Provence.

Place the chops on a preheated smoker with Pecan wood chips scattered over the coals, set to a temperature of 300°F.  Cook for a total of 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes.

Smoked Ratatouille

2 eggplants, peeled and thickly sliced

2 zucchini, thickly sliced

Plenty of salt

¼ cup olive oil

2 red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, then cut into bite sized pieces

8 tomatoes, halved

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Red pepper flakes, to taste

 Slice the eggplants and zucchinis, sprinkle them generously with salt and set them in a colander to drain for ½ hour.  Meanwhile, prepare the smoker and set it to 300°F. Soak a cup of pecan or other mild wood chips in water.

 Wipe the vegetables dry with paper towels, then brush with olive oil.  Drop the drained wood chips onto the coals and place the zucchini, eggplants and halved tomatoes on the smoker in a single layer.  Cook until browned and tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool on a wire rack, then chop into bite sized pieces.

Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet and add onions.  Sauté until translucent and add the garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the smoked tomatoes, removing the skins if desired.  Add the peppers, zucchini and eggplant, and stir over the heat to warm through.  Garnish with chopped parsley and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.  

Slow-Smoked Honey Maple Lamb

This must have been Ontario’s most perfect Victoria Day weekend on record!  Every day was sunny and warm....perfect for planting the vegetable garden, hopping in the canoe, and reconnecting with neighbours around the barbecue.  Our friends included us in their annual fireworks celebrations, starting with a dinner of salmon and halibut that John had caught in British Columbia.  After a delicious feast two brave souls ventured out in the dark on a barge and lit off an awesome array of fireworks for an hour-long spectacular show.  We watched from the boathouse roof, grateful that we were both warm and bug-free!

Dinah, Green, Dave and Alex

Mary-Jo and Jessica

John and Ted

There's nothing quite like a brand new puppy!

 

Smoked Brie on a Cedar Plank

2 whole small rounds of brie

¼ cup red pepper jelly (we used red pepper jelly with figs and balsamic)

Assorted biscuits

This is the easiest appetizer ever.  Simply place the cheese on a soaked cedar plank.  Top with jelly, and place on the top rack of the Broil King Keg.  Smoke at 275° F for 20 minutes or until golden and gooey.  It will absorb the subtle flavour of smoke that makes it just a little different. Serve with biscuits. 

Slow-Smoked Honey Maple Lamb Shoulder

1 3-pound boneless lamb shoulder, rolled and tied

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all the marinade/glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Let cool. 

Place lamb in a re-sealable plastic bag, and pour the honey maple mustard mixture over top.  Refrigerate overnight. 

The next day, light the Broil King Keg according to our instructions.  Place the lamb over the diffuser pan of water.  Smoke for 6 hours, occasionally basting with the reserved sauce.  Bring any remaining sauce to a boil for 2 minutes and set aside. 

Using 2 forks shred the lamb.  Toss with the cooked glaze.  We used the shredded lamb for little appetizer sliders on mini buns, served with a dollop of mango chutney. 

The lamb can also be served in slices as a main course.

Smoked Vegetable Pasta Salad

1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise ¼ “ thick

2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise ¼ “ thick

1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks

8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed

1 cup large cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup olive oil

1 package bowtie pasta, cooked al dente

For the Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

3 ounces Greek feta, crumbled

¼ cup pitted Kalamata or Nicoise olives

Sprinkle salt over the eggplant and zucchini and place them in a colander to drain for 20-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, light the Broil King Keg and toss in some mild wood chips, such as apple wood.  Pat the vegetables dry with paper towels.  Brush or toss all the vegetables with olive oil, then place them on the prepared smoker.  If the tomatoes are small enough to slip through the grids, place them on top of the peppers. Cook until tender and beginning to turn golden.  Remove from the smoker and let cool in a single layer.  Do not cover with plastic wrap. May be prepared one day ahead to this point and refrigerated.

Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.   In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard.  Drizzle in the olive oil in a slow steady stream until incorporated.  Add the salt and pepper and whisk again. 

Place the prepared pasta and vegetables in a large bowl.  Pour the dressing over and sprinkle with the chopped rosemary and basil.   Scatter the cheese and olives over top.  Toss gently and serve at room temperature.  

The meal was capped off with Dinah's amazing birthday cake for Jason

 Dinah's delicious cake recipe came from Smitten Kitchen.  Follow the link for this wonderful recipe.  Instead of the brittle topping, Dinah sprinkled the cake with salted peanuts.  Yum!

A Montreal State of Mind

This week’s menu was inspired by our trip to Montreal where we visited with Andy, Reid and Teddy.  Steak Frites are ubiquitous in that city!  The first night we joined some friends at L’Orignal, a French-Canadian restaurant in Old Montreal, before going to see The Game of Love and Chance which Teddy has been working on as Assistant Director with Matthew Jocelyn.  The play will be running in Montreal at the Centaur Theatre through the end of March, and will then move to the Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto from April 16-May 12.

The next day we went our separate ways to fawn over our respective kids.  Kris and Andy visited with friends, and went to dinner at Le Boucan, a Montreal Smokehouse in Andy’s neighbourhood.  There she tasted their smoked tomato soup and got the inspiration for a series of smoked vegetable dishes....from soups to dips. 

Andrea and Ted took Reid out for a birthday dinner at Bistro Cocagne, right around the corner from his apartment.  The best dessert that night was a kind of deconstructed lemon meringue pie in a glass that we have tried to replicate here. 

Our quick breakfast spot of choice both days was Cafe Vasco Da Gama, where they serve the most delicious yogurt with honey and berries and hot chocolate that transports you to Paris.

To share our fun and inspiration at home, we got together on Saturday night and cooked up a storm for our friends and family.

We like to make use of every corner of the smoker!  Hence, we created these delicious smoked vegetable recipes for our dinner and smoked everything at the same time. Even if you are not so inspired, we urge you to throw on some extra red peppers,  tomatoes or garlic heads when using your smoker. They can always be frozen and used at a later date to add rich smokey flavor to soups, dips or stews.

Smoked Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup with Smoked Garlic and Smoked Jalapeno Peppers

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded

8 roma tomatoes, halves and seeded

2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded

1 head of garlic, cut top third off

4 tbsp olive oil(2 tbsp for basting smoked vegetables and 2 tbsp to sauté leeks and onions)

1 onion, diced

1 leek, chopped

2 shallots, diced

2 bay leaves

 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp coriander

 1 tsp horseradish

2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 leek,  julienned and fried, for garnish

Prepare Broil King Keg and it set to cook at 200⁰F.  Place 2 handfuls of soaked hickory chips on top of  the coals.  Brush the surfaces of the prepared vegetables with olive oil.  Place the tomatoes on a foil lined tray. Layer tomatoes and other vegetables on the racks in the smoker.

Smoke for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, sauté leeks, onion and shallots in 2 tbsp olive oil for 4 minutes in a large stockpot. Add thyme, bay leaves, coriander, horseradish and stock. Set on low heat until smoked vegetables are ready.

When smoked vegetables are softened, remove them from the smoker. At this point, it is easy to get them out of their skins and into the stockpot!  Scoop  butternut squash flesh out of its skin, peel skin from tomatoes, squeeze garlic  cloves out of the skin and dice jalapeno peppers.  Add to stock and cook on low for 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper.

Since we were making Frites(French fries) , we decided to take advantage of the hot oil and fried the julienned leeks for 4 minutes in hot canola oil at 330⁰F. These were a beautiful garnish for the soup.

Sweet and Spicy Smoked Red Pepper Dip

2 red peppers,  seeded

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded

5 cloves smoked, roasted garlic (see above)

1 shallot

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

¼ cup olive oil

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare Broil King Keg as above, and smoke the peppers and garlic for 2 hours.  Remove the jalapeno peppers and garlic and set aside.  Leaving the red peppers on the grids, open  the vents of the smoker and increase the temperature to 500⁰F.  Cook peppers for a further 5 minutes.  This allows the skin of the red peppers to blacken.  Remove the peppers and peel off the skin when cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, gently sauté the chopped shallot in 1 tsp olive oil for 1 minute. Add cumin and cook until shallot is translucent.  In a blender or food processor, combine peeled red peppers, chopped jalapeño peppers, garlic, shallots, lime juice, honey and parsley. Puree until a smooth paste forms.  With processor on, slowly add ¼ olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Refrigerate.

Smokey Eggplant Dip

2 eggplants, halved and brushed with oil

1 head garlic, with top 1/3 removed and brushed with oil

2 shallots, minced

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp harissa  (spicy North African pepper sauce –adjust to taste)

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Smoked chipotle chili pepper, to garnish

Prepare Broil King Keg as above and smoke the prepared eggplants and garlic, cut face up,  for 2 hours. Depending on the size of the eggplant, longer time may be required. If the flesh is not soft after 2 hours, turn up the heat a bit and cook for an extra 15-20 minutes.

Peel eggplant and chop into one-inch pieces. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins. Combine all ingredients in the food processor and chop coarsely. Add more olive oil, if required. Place in a bowl and garnish with olive oil and a dusting of smoked chipotle chili pepper.

Steak Frites

New York Strip Steaks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Veal demi-glace

Prepare the steaks by brushing them with olive oil and sprinkling them with salt and pepper. 

Preheat the barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to MEDIUM.  Clean the grids with a wire brush, then coat them with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. 

Follow the charts below for Perfect Grill Marks and for steak done exactly to your liking. 

                                                                                                                                                    

For the Frites:

Russet potatoes, scrubbed (about ½ potato per person)

2-3 litres canola oil

Kosher salt

Cut the potatoes into ¼” strips.  Soak them in a large bowl of cold water for ½ hour.  Drain and rinse the potatoes once more, before drying them on a towel-lined baking sheet. 

On the side burner of the barbecue, heat the oil to 330°F in a large stock pot.  Cook the potatoes in 3 batches, until barely tender and not yet browning, about 3 minutes.  Lift them out of the hot oil with a slotted spoon or small sieve, and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining 2 batches.

Increase the temperature of the oil to 360°F.  Cook the fries for a second time in 3 batches as before.  This time, sprinkle them generously with kosher salt and place them in a warm oven or barbecue until all the batches are cooked for a second time. 

 

Serve with Smoked Garlic Aioli.

Smoked Garlic Aioli

1 head garlic, smoked until completely soft

Pinch kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 ½  cups mayonnaise

Mash the smoked garlic and salt with a fork in a medium bowl until it forms a paste.  Add the rosemary and mayonnaise.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavours to blend.

Lemon Meringue Verrines

A verrine is a layered dessert presented in a glass vessel. This version is both gluten and dairy free.

For the Lemon Curd:

Juice of 4 lemons

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/3  cup coconut oil

In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, eggs and egg yolk. 

Whisk continuously for about ten minutes, or until it is pale and thick. Slowly incorporate the coconut oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until melted.

For the Meringue:

4 egg whites

6 ounces sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place a clean bowl from a stand mixer over simmering water.  Combine egg whites and sugar, and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Remove it from the water bath and beat it on high with the whisk attachment until cool.  Add the vanilla, and beat until combined.

Spoon the lemon curd into the bottom of a pretty stemmed glass.  Spoon the meringue into a piping bag, and top the lemon curd with the meringue, making sure to cover the edges and the whole surface.  If you have a kitchen torch, lightly brown the top of the meringue. 

Garnish with a cookie and a raspberry.

Serves 10

Catherine Coulson and Debbie Robson

 

To cap off the evening, we joined our friends at the Legion where Deb Robson and Catherine Coulson had organized a fun evening of dancing, raffle prizes and toonie toss, all to raise money for their upcoming Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.