Brooklands Farm: 2013 Harvest Dinner & Hoe Down

For the last two years, Dad's of Muskoka have helped raise funds in support of charities in the Muskoka region by holding their annual Harvest Dinner & Hoe Down at Brooklands Farm. Catered by Chef Mike Rickard of Restaurant One Fifty Five in Bracebridge and with the support of The Griffin Gastropub, Muskoka Cottage Brewery, Lake of Bays Brewing Company and many more supporters, this years event was a sold out success. Held in Brooklands Farm renovated century-old heritage barn on Butter and Egg Road, proceeds of the $100 a plate dinner go 100% to charity, with this year's fundraising going towards prostate cancer care. A worthy cause and a festive fun-filled evening.

We were lucky to have heard about the Dad's of Muskoka Harvest Hoe Down from
Katya at Brooklands Farm, and bought two tickets right away

Brooklands Farm renovated century barn

For the past 134 years, the Riley family has been working the land in Milford Bay. Brooklands Farm, named after the stream winding its way through the property, is a haven of fresh organically grown vegetables, berries, honey, maple syrup and their genuine warm-hearted hospitality. Ken and Katya Riley are the wonderful husband and wife team that own and operate the successful farm. Located just off Highway 118 on the aptly named Butter and Egg Road, the farm is a haven for chefs, residents and visitors alike.

One of the farm's pumpkins just hanging around

With welcome drinks starting at 6:30pm, a communal sit down dinner on long wood tables served at 7:00pm, guests were serenaded with live music and Dads of Muskoka's delicious 5-course meal. The evening started with the Hoe Down Cocktail, a tasty combination of rye whiskey, cider & ginger ale, followed by a a selection of six fabulous appetizers, served by the very handsome, very cheerful dedicated Dads of Muskoka. Eager to make a difference, these Dads organize numerous events throughout the year, raising money for charities in the community to help make it a better place for the generations to come. They certainly made a difference tonight, helping to make it an evening to remember for a long time to come.

The Hoe Down Cocktail: Rye Whiskey, Cider & Ginger Ale

 One of the Dad's of Muskoka serving Beef Tartare and White Truffle Oil 

on an Herb and Garlic Roasted Crostini

Another delicious appetizer: Ostrich Paté served on a Pistachio & Cranberry Crisp 

with a Shallot Relish

House Cured Salmon Gravlax and Crème Fraîche served on a Brooklands Farm 

Blue Potato Gaufrette

Curried Cauliflower and Carrot Pakora with Feta Cheese and Cherry Gastrique

Duck Prosciutto with a Balsamic & Juniper Drizzle on a slice of Black Fig 

and garnished with Toscano Sheep Cheese

Even a 'Mom of Muskoka' joined in serving Beef Tartare and White Truffle Oil 

on an Herb and Garlic Roasted Crostini

Smoked Trout with Fennel Slaw on an 'All Fired Up' Bagel Crisp

With twinkle lights suspended from the rafters, and everyone dressed for a Hoe Down, 

the event was a festive affair

Eager to investigate where the delicious appetizers were being created, I wandered across to the kitchen with hopes to being able to meet Chef Mike Rickard, owner and chef of Restaurant One Fifty Five in Bracebridge, who was volunteering his time overseeing the Harvest Hoe Down culinary creations, chief among them his entrée of Seared Ostrich with Port & Cumberland Sauce. Located in the farm's recently renovated log cabin, Brooklands original dairy, with its state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen, I discovered Chef Rickard, along with a handful of Dad's of Muskoka, helping with the appetizers and organizing the courses to come. Busy as they were, they took the time to chat with me and let me take some photographs of them as they cooked.

The original Riley log cabin and homestead has been renovated with a gourmet kitchen for hosting cooking classes and prep for the evening's Harvest Hoe Down 

Chef Mike Rickard of Restaurant One Fifty Five in Bracebridge was the featured chef for the second year in a row at the 'Dad's of Muskoka' Harvest Hoe Down

Chef Rickard has catered the high spirited event for the past two years, with his restaurant being voted 'Best Fine Dining in Muskoka' since opening its doors in 2008. Concentrating on local ingredients and seasonal dishes, One Fifty Five is a member of Savour Muskoka, a network of chefs, restaurants, and farmers committed to providing locally produced foods in the Muskoka region and are committed to supporting the growth of local farming and culinary artisans. One of the cornerstones of Savour Muskoka, being the organic produce of Ken and Katya's Brooklands Farm. Just outside the log cabin kitchen was DOM Howie Owens, stirring an enormous pot of Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup, our first course of the delicious dinner soon to be served, courtesy of the Griffin GastroPub in Bracebridge.

Soup Maestro and Dad of Muskoka Howie Owens

A gorgeous warm September night, the barn looked so inviting with twinkle lights, 

laughter and the sound of the band playing 

Griffin Gastropub owner and acoustic folk artist Jed Corbeil

on stand-up bass was part of the band playing all night at the Harvest Hoe Down

Long wooden tables were set for 100 guests, with loaves of freshly baked 

'All Fired Up' foccacia set out on log cutting boards

The Harvest Hoe Down dinner menu featuring a fabulous four course dinner complete with wine and beer pairings — not to mention the six appetizers and cocktail beforehand!

Dinner began with a Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup with sage and a maple syrup infused sour cream, followed by 'Beat the Wheat Gluten-Free Pasta' en Papillote with Shiitake, Porcini, Cloud Ear Fungus and Oyster Mushrooms and garnished with Truffle Oil, Pecorino, Arugula and Sage. The entrée, created by Chef Mike Rickard, was Seared Ostrich served with Johnston's Cranberry & Port Cumberland Sauce with Crab Apple Chutney accompanied by a Warm Kale Salad and Brookland's Farm Carrots and Heritage Potatoes. For dessert, Big Dave's Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Cheddar, Fresh Raspberries and Belly Ice Cream's custom Raspberry Lime Basil Sorbet. Accompanied with both wine and beer pairings, this was a Harvest Hoe Down with culinary flair.

Garofoil Verdicchio Classico

Brookland's Farm Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Sage & Maple Syrup Soup 

prepared by The Griffin GastroPub in Bracebridge

Heritage Grain Wood-Fired Foccacia from 'All Fired Up'

Malivoire Small Lot Gamay

'Beat the Wheat Gluten-Free Pasta' with Shiitake, Porcini, Cloud Ear Fungus and Oyster Mushrooms garnished with Truffle Oil, Pecorino, Arugula and Sage en Papillote

The Papillote opens with a glorious scent of wild mushrooms, truffle oil, pecorino 

and sage with the frilly cloud ear fungus perched on top

Muskoka Brewery Harvest Ale paired with the Seared Ostrich

The entrée created by Chef Mike Rickard: Seared Ostrich Fan/Pearl/Oyster served with a Johnston's Bala Cranberry & Port Cumberland Sauce with a Crab Apple Chutney accompanied by a Warm Kale Salad and Brookland's Farm Carrots and Heritage Potatoes

A Vegetarian Entrée option: Curried Basmati Rice with Dried Fruit and Roasted Squash served a hollowed out baked pumpkin and served with Brookland's Farm Carrots and Heritage Potatoes

Red oil lanterns and dried corn added to the festive Hoe Down atmosphere

Vintage glass milk bottles from the Farm's original dairy days

The evening's 'Best Dressed Couple' — Our "moooooooving" hosts Ken and Katya Riley, 

owners of Brooklands Farm

Big Dave's Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Cheddar, Fresh Raspberries and Belly Ice Cream's custom Raspberry Lime Basil Sorbet

No hoe down would be complete without good old-fashioned knee slappin' 

barn raising country music — Yee-Haw!

www.brooklandsfarm.ca

Algio Olio

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of 'Beat the Wheat'

This recipe is a very versitile recipe. It is easy to make and you can add other ingredients such as sliced peppers, mushrooms or even shrimp or scallops.

300g Beat the Wheat Spaghetti

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

4-6 tbsp of olive oil

1 pinch

2 tbsp chicken stock

4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add Beat the Wheat Gluten-free pasta to boiling water, cook for 2-3 minutes, for al dente. In a pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil. Add the chili flakes and season with salt. Add the chicken stock, and stir until the sauce emulsifies. Add fresh parsley. Take off heat, add the Parmesan and enjoy.

Spicy South Asian Grilled Salmon with Redux Drizzle

Spending a few minutes preparing a handful of simple ingredients for an easy and delicious South Asian-inspired marinade gives this dish an enormous amount of flavour, plus a built-in sauce after the salmon has been grilled. By reducing the volume of the marinade, or any cooking liquid, either rapidly over high heat or more slowly over low heat, you concentrate the flavours and thicken the consistency, making a quick, and wonderfully flavourful sauce. In this recipe, the salmon is marinated with brown sugar, soy sauce, fresh squeezed lime juice, sesame oil and a mixture of Indian spices including Garam Masala, ground cumin, coriander and Chinese 5-spice, for a dark and fragrant marinade. A portion of the marinade is set aside for later use in making the sauce, with the remainder placed in a baking dish with the salmon, which is covered and chilled for a few hours. Later, the salmon is grilled until it's nicely browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes a side. The reserved marinade is then cooked in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it has reduced to a thick glaze, then is drizzled over the salmon and garnished with a flurry of chopped chives, mint and sesame seeds. Simple, easy and delicious.





Spicy South Asian Grilled Salmon with Redux Drizzle
Serves 2

3 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice 
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp Garam Masala 
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice
2 salmon filets, skin on
4 tbsp chives and mint, chopped and whole for garnish
1 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish


In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except for salmon, chives and sesame seeds. Set 1/4 cup of the marinade aside and cover for later use in the sauce, then place the remainder in a baking dish with the salmon and cover with cling film. Be sure salmon is evenly coated, then place the dish in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least an hour or up to a day before.

Preheat grill to high heat. Place the salmon on the grill, cover and cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the fish is nicely browned and cooked through. Meanwhile, warm the reserved marinade over medium-high heat until it has reduced to a thick glaze. To serve, place the salmon on a platter and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Garnish with the chopped chives, mint and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Luscious and wonderfully indulgent, Spaghetti alla Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish based on eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale and black pepper. The key is to toss and thoroughly mix the cooked pasta off the heat with the cheese, eggs, pepper and pasta water, to create a creamy yet not overly thick sauce. A true carbonara has no cream, but although purists may shudder, I do sometimes add a little cream depending how I'm feeling! Like most recipes, the origins of the dish are obscure but there are many legends. As 'carbonara' literally means 'coal miner's wife', some believe that the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian coal miners. Romans use guanciale (cured pig's jowl), which is more delicate than pancetta (unsmoked Italian bacon), and also leaner. If you can find it, by all means use guanciale, otherwise pancetta or bacon work just as well. For the sheer wow-factor, I do like to drop an egg yolk into each nest of pasta, which guests stir to form an even creamier sauce. Garnished at the end with a flurry of coarsely grated Parmigiano, "Coal Miner's Spaghetti" must be one of the great pastas dishes of all time.



Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Serves 4

1 lb spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb guanciale or pancetta
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup fresh coarsely grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme leaves
1/4 cup heavy cream, optional


Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta and cut the pancetta into 1/2 x 1/4 inch lardons. Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a large sauté pan set over medium heat, and cook until the pancetta has rendered its fat and is crispy and golden. Remove from the heat and set aside, being careful not to drain the fat.

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.

Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the pancetta, then toss in the pasta and heat, shaking the pan, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and add 1 cup of the Parmigiano, the egg whites, thyme, pepper to taste, and the cream, if you're using it. Toss until thoroughly mixed.

Divide the pasta among four warmed serving bowls. Make a nest in the centre of each one, and gently drop an egg yolk into each nest. Season the egg yolks with a little more fresh ground pepper and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano over the top and dive in.

Mario Batali: Grilled Octopus with 'Borlotti Marinati'

With plans to go to New York City next April, I started making a list of the restaurants that I'd love to get to. One of hot spots on my list is Babbo, opened by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich in 1998. A culinary gem nestled away in an old carriage house on Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca epitomizes the best of the great Italian tradition of hospitality and quality, both at the table and in the glass. Their philosophy is simple and straight forward — use the best local ingredients as simply as possible and serve them with flourish and joy. And the menu is a celebration of great ingredients, incorporating the best and freshest seasonal produce, imported Italian cheeses, meat, game and seafood, accented with fine imported olive oils, traditional aceto balsamico, Parmigiano Reggiano, sea salt and Prosciutto San Daniele — distinct and indispensable components to the lusty creation of any great Italian meal. One of the dishes Babbo is acclaimed for is their Grilled Octopus with 'Borlotti Marinati' & Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette. Being an ardent fan of octopus, borlotti beans and Batali, this recipe got my attention.

Mario Batali

The octopus is first simmered with olive oil, sliced garlic and hot red pepper flakes for a few minutes, then baked with a cork in a large Dutch oven for up to 2 hours, encouraging the octopus to release all of its liquid. Once cooled, the tentacles are cut into 3-inch pieces and charred on a hot grill until warmed through. The octopus is then added to a tangy Limoncello vinaigrette and served over a bed of seasoned borlotti beans. Garnished with a slice of raw beet and topped with chives and fresh lemon zest, this dish is rich, creamy and exquisitely tender. I can't wait to try Mario's original the next time I'm in NYC.





Grilled Octopus with 'Borlotti Marinati' & Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Recipe & photo courtesy Mario Batali

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes, divided
1 2-pound octopus, fresh or frozen
1 wine cork
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup limoncello
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, finely ground, to taste
1 cup borlotti or cannellini beans, cooked
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch of chives, cut into 2-inch batons
1 candy cane beet, shaved for garnish
1 lemon, zest only


Preheat an oven to 300°F. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the octopus to the pan and cook on all sides over high heat until it has changed color and has released its liquid. Add the wine cork, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the octopus is soft. Cool to room temperature.

Carefully separate the octopus tentacles from the head. Cut the tentacles into 3-inch pieces; cut the head in half.

To make the vinaigrette, bring the lemon juice and sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan and reduce by half to a syrup. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes and let cool. Once cool, whisk in the olive oil and limoncello. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the beans with the red wine vinegar and chopped onion, and allow the mixture to marinate. Using a mandoline, shave the raw beet into thin slices and set aside. To serve, char the octopus over a hot grill until warmed through. Spoon some beans onto a plate, top with the grilled octopus and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with a slice of shaved beet, the chive batons, a flurry of lemon zest and serve.

www.babbonyc.com

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup

There's something enormously comforting about a bowl of hot soup on a cold and rainy afternoon. This easy and delicious Oven Roasted Tomato Soup blends the fabulous flavours of garden fresh basil, garlic, onions and oven roasted tomatoes for a luxuriously smooth soup that's full of rich Italian flavours. Slow roasting caramelizes and intensifies the flavour of the tomatoes, enhances their natural sweetness, and lends extraordinary depth to this hearty and satisfying soup — ideal with a hot grilled cheese sandwich! Once roasted, these rich red tomatoes end up sweet and concentrated, not entirely dissimilar from sun-dried tomatoes but so much better. They can also be used in so many different ways, from adding them to a pasta dish, savoury tart, classic quiche, sumptuous strata, or as part of a simple crostini with brie, pesto, ricotta or tapenade — the possibilities are endless. 

Plum tomatoes are halved and tossed with a mixture of olive oil, salt and pepper 

then placed in one layer on a foil lined baking sheet

Roasted at 400°F for 45 minutes, the tomatoes become soft, lightly caramelized 

with a wonderfully fragrant

Onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes are sautéed in olive oil and butter 

Sautéed for 10 minutes over medium heat until the onions just start to brown

Fresh thyme, basil, chicken stock and a large tin of San Marzano tomatoes are added to the pot

Then the oven roasted tomatoes and their liquid are added 

and the mixture is simmered for 45 minutes

After 45 minutes, the soup has become much richer and aromatic

Using a hand immersion blender, the soup is puréed until smooth, 

with a dash of cream at the end for added richness

Roasted Tomato Soup

Serves 6-8

3 lb ripe plum tomatoes, washed, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-oz can plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional


Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the tomatoes together in a large bowl with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly caramelized.

In an large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with two tablespoons of olive oil, butter and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Using a hand immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth. Stir in the cream and taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.