Tomato & Zucchini Tian with Thyme & Pecorino

A classic French Provençal dish of baked seasonal vegetables, this Tomato and Zucchini Tian with fresh thyme from the garden, captures all of the colourful flavours of summer, even in the middle of winter. Simple and delicious, this dish is also low in calories. Traditionally, a summer vegetable tian can feature any variety of layered vegetables, herbs and cheeses from bright green and yellow zucchini and small potatoes to plump purple eggplant and plum tomatoes. Layered and baked, this recipe showcases summer's best — fresh zucchini and tomatoes from the St. Lawrence Market with some fresh thyme from our garden, still growing although under an inch of snow. Topped with a little grated Pecorino, it's as healthy and delicious as it looks.

Baked at 400°F for 40 minutes

Tomato and Zucchini Tian

Serves 4

3 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

4 Campari tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan, Asiago, Feta or Gruyere, grated

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush a small baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Combine the dried thyme, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Arrange half of the sliced zucchini in the baking dish and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the thyme mixture. Top with the tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the remaining thyme mixture, then top with the remaining zucchini and thyme mixture. Drizzle the composed tian with remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with the cheese. Scatter the fresh thyme over the tian and bake until the vegetable are tender and the cheese has melted, about 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.

First Class Beef Curry: George's Hill Station Classic

Born in Britain and spiced by India, Ivor Peters is known as 'The Urban Rajah'. Author, cook, traveller and lifestyle adventurer with roots deep in the Indian subcontinent, Peters has spent the past two decades working in the media industry, but also runs a highly acclaimed pop-up restaurant Cash’n’Curry in London, a social enterprise dedicated to raising funds for projects helping India’s street children. His first cookbook 'Curry Memoirs' is packed full of inspiring stories and generations-old recipes, opening the door into Peters culinary world of family cooking, such as his grandfather's First Class Beef Curry.

"My Grandfather, George was always immaculately turned out, perhaps it was an inheritance of his time as a Sergeant Major in the British Indian Army during WWII and latterly in a Pakistani regiment after the partition of both countries in 1947. He’d be posted around the Indian subcontinent and verdant hill stations such as Peshawar on the North West Frontier with their Alpine appearance and temperate climate and British legacy were a firm favourite. It was here in the long afternoons that he crafted one of his foodie passions, creating the most divine Indian beef curry characterised by its depth of warming spices, including black cardamom and tenderness which fell apart at a single glance.

It was this recipe which he wore as a medal of honour and rightly so, it was his signature dish and as a child my Sunday mornings would be spent in anticipation of whether he’d prepared his beef curry for Sunday lunch. The smell of freshly made chapattis and the feint scent of cinnamon was a giveaway. After giving thanks we’d tear our flatbread apart and pillage this hill station beef curry, he’d wobble his head in satisfaction his eyes widened with delight and he’d announce his verdict ... “First Class”, it always was!"

The Urban Rajah's Curry Memoirs by Ivor Peters

Ivor Peters

Beef Curry
Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Ivor Peters, The Urban Rajah

2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium yellow or red onion, sliced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
1 cinnamon stick
2 green finger chillies, sliced
3 black cardamom pods 
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp cloves
1 lb diced stewing beef
7 oz/200g tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 tbsp medium curry powder
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp garam masala

Handful of coriander leaves, for garnish

Using a large pot glug in the oil, warm over a medium heat and tip in the onions browning thoroughly until the edges start to caramelise. Spoon the ginger and garlic paste, followed in hot pursuit by the cinnamon stick, chillies, cardamom, peppercorns and cloves adding 1/2 cup of water and fry for a couple of minutes allowing the spices to coalesce and scent the pot. Now introduce the beef and brown thoroughly, coating the pieces with the spice base. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until the mix is looking meatylicious, jammy and slightly dry around the edges it should take on the colour of a scrummy deep dark chocolate. Add the tinned tomatoes, curry powder, ground coriander and garam masala plus another 1 cup of water and season with salt, stir methodically, cover and cook for another 30 minutes on a low heat.

The secret to this dish is slow cooking for that tear apart tender texture. Uncover pour in another cup of water and cook for a further 30 minutes, sensing déjà vu you’ll need to repeat this last step again adding another 200ml water and an additional 30 minutes on the hob. By now the beef will yield under a little chapatti pressure and will crumble on the palate. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and treat yourself to this authentic Indian beef curry, for it’s the only way for your taste-buds to travel. Great with Indian flatbread, fluffy basmati rice and a sour chutney.

Merry Christmas from our Little Bubble to Yours

Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have this wish I wish tonight.

Merry Christmas from our little bubble to yours.

Guy's Famous Fish Pie: The Ultimate Comfort Food

 

One of my husband's favourite dishes is Fish Pie. In fact, anything that features mashed potato is pretty high on the list, however his famous Fish Pie reigns supreme. Inspired by a recipe by Jamie Oliver, my husband has tweaked this recipe over the years, making it his own with the addition of smoked haddock and tiny salad shrimp. I like to spike the mash with a full handful of grated cheddar, a lump or two of butter and a little cream, but that's heresy in his mind — "You don't fiddle with perfection." How can I argue? Simple, satisfying and soulfully delicious, Guy's Fish Pie is comfort food at its finest.

Guy's Famous Fish Pie
Serves 6-8

5 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced into even-size chunks
2 large eggs
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, halved and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy 15% cream
1 cup good quality parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp English or Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 lb fresh haddock, skinned, boned and sliced into strips
1 cup fresh salad shrimp
1/2 cup smoked mackerel, skinned, deboned and shredded

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Boil the potatoes until soft, then mash with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then set aside. Boil the eggs in a saucepan, steaming the spinach in a colander above the eggs, removing the spinach once it's wilted and squeeze dry. Remove the eggs after 15 minutes, let cool slightly then peel and quarter; set aside. 

In a large saucepan, fry the onion and carrot in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes then add the cream and just bring to the boil. Remove it from the heat, and add the cheese, lemon juice, mustard, nutmeg and parsley. Toss the fish and the spinach together in a large baking dish, and stir to combine. Top with the quartered eggs, then pour the creamy vegetable sauce over top. 

Finish by spreading the mashed potato over the fish pie, scoring the top with the tines of a fork. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes until the potatoes are golden and the pie is bubbling hot. You may want to place the dish on a baking sheet to catch any spill-over. Serve with some hot sauce on the side, if you want to kick it up a notch. My husband uses ketsup. So does Jamie Oliver. Go figure. 

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best. Full of fresh simple flavours of the sea, nothing beats a seductive bowl of Linguine alle Vongole Bianco. The classic combination of clams and pasta is traditionally a Neapolitan dish but is also popular in the surrounding region of Campania, Rome, and throughout Italy, where this fragrant dish can be prepared two ways: rosso, with tomatoes and basil, or bianco, without. In this recipe, fresh Canadian savoury clams from British Columbia are steamed in a broth of olive oil, garlic, anchovies and white wine until they just open and release their briny liquid into the sauce. The linguine is cooked until just al dente — in salty water, of course — then tossed with the clams, broth, and a touch of dried oregano until it absorbs the sauce. Add a splash of olive oil, and a flurry of chopped parsley at the very end to make your pasta verdant and shiny. This recipe from Boston even adds some fresh grated parmesan cheese and a dollop of sour cream, which is absolutely non-traditional, but utterly delicious.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Serves 4-6

Recipe courtesy of A Family Feast

1 lb dry linguine

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves sliced thin

Pinch red pepper flakes

4 anchovy filets, roughly chopped

1 tsp dry oregano

3 lb cleaned shell-on BC savoury littleneck clams (about 2 1/2 dozen)

5 oz can whole baby clams with juice

3/4 cup white wine 

3 tbsp fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine and divided

2 tbsp sour cream (not traditional but adds an extra richness)

4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided 

Place a large pot of water on to boil and once boiling, lightly salt with kosher salt. Once boiling add the linguine. While the linguine is cooking, heat the olive oil in a 12-14 inch skillet over medium high heat, and once hot, add the garlic and pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes or just before the garlic starts to brown. Add the anchovies and cook one minute. The anchovies will disintegrate into the oil.

Add the oregano and the shell on little neck clams along with the white wine.

Cover and cook over medium to medium high until the shells start to open, about five minutes. 

Have two bowls standing by. As soon as one shell opens, remove the lid, lift it out with tongs and over one bowl, remove the clam, again with tongs. Any liquid from the shell goes into this bowl as well. Place the shell in second bowl. Repeat as each shell opens. At some point, several will open at once so remove cover and just remove as many as you can handle at once. Save a handful of clams in their shells for garnish on each serving, discarding the empty shells.

Once the pasta has reached a point where it is almost done but still a little chewy, using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and place into the pan in which the clams were cooked. As the pasta cooks, add half the chopped parsley, the canned clams and juice, half the cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  Finally finish by pouring in the bowl with the clams and juice. Give it one last stir and pour everything into a serving bowl. Drizzle some extra olive oil over the top if you wish, and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and cheese.

Spaghettini with Homemade Tomato Sauce & Basil

What better way to celebrate the full flavours of an Italian spring than with pasta bathed in homemade tomato sauce spiked with an aromatic punch of fresh basil. I love to find ways of using the homemade tomato sauce that we make and freeze in huge quantities each autumn, and this recipe is one of the more delicious ways to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Topped with a sprig of fresh basil and a flutter of grated pecorino, there is no better way to ward off the chilly days of winter, and open our culinary arms to memories of warmer weather.

Spaghettini with Homemade Tomato Sauce & Fresh Basil
Serves 4

1 package dried Spaghettini pasta
4 cups quality Tomato Sauce, preferably homemade like 'Mamma Styles'
1/4 cup red wine
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
1 cup grated Pecorino

Start to boil water in a large pot. Place the tomato sauce and wine in a small saucepan over medium heat, and gently simmer until warmed through. Cover and keep warm. 

Add the dried pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, according to the manufacturer's instructions. While the pasta is cooking, julienne about 10 basil leaves and select 4 attractive sprigs for garnish. Drain the spaghettini into a colander, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, return the pasta to the pot and toss with the tomato sauce and chopped basil. Spoon a tablespoon or two of pasta water to the sauce and gently mix to combine. 

Serve the pasta as large nests in pre-warmed dinner bowls: using a large fork, twirl a portion of spaghettini and cradle in a large spoon or small bowl until it forms a nest-like shape, then place in each serving bowl. Garnish each 'nidi' with a sprig of basil and serve immediately with a bowl of grate pecorino on the side. 

Cocoa Brownies with Brown Butter & Walnuts

 

These are incredible little brownies. Moist, dense and fudgy in the middle, and chewy on the outside with a wafer thin candy-like crust. Bon Appétit featured these decadent little wonders on their February 2011 cover, proclaiming them "The Best-Ever Brownies," with an entire portion of the magazine devoted to chocolate desserts by author, baker, and chocolatier Alice Medrich, affectionately called 'The First Lady of Chocolate.' An easy and delectably delicious dessert, this recipe is quite simple and requires very few ingredients: butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, 2 eggs, flour and walnuts. The result after 35 minutes in the oven is gooey, fudgy and finger licking good. 

Cocoa Brownies with Brown Butter & Walnuts

Makes 16

Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit, by Alice Medrich

10 tbsp butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F and line the inside of an 8" x 8" square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving 2-inch overhangs and pressing the foil tightly to the sides of the pan. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter stops foaming, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, and immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons of water, vanilla and salt. Stir to blend, then let cool 5 minutes. Add eggs t the mixture, one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until well blended. Mix in the chopped nuts, and transfer to the prepared pan, smoothing the top before baking. 

Bake for about 30 minutes or more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. If there is still a tiny bit of moist batter at the very bottom that's okay. Remove the brownies from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil overhangs; then pull the aluminum foil away from the brownies and cut them into 16 square pieces. Serve immediately with a glass of champagne to toast Valentines Day, or store they can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days — if they last that long!