Chef Lynn Crawford’s Goat Ricotta Gnocchi

This is a great recipe from Chef Lynn’s new Cookbook Pitchin’ In!
Chef Lynn will be joining us at the upcoming TasteReal Field Dinner, on Sunday, Sept. 23rd, where local chefs will highlight the area’s finest ingredients for guests in a multi-course meal. Details & Tickets available here.

For the Gnocchi:
2 large eggs
1.5 lbs (750g) goat milk ricotta, drained ~ We recommend River’s Edge Goat Dairy
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups Tomato Sauce

For the Garden Zucchini:
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
Salt & pepper

To make gnocchi, in medium bowl, beat the eggs and stir in the drained ricotta.
Add the flour, salt, pepper & nutmeg, and stir gently until a soft dough forms.
Dust the dough, your hands, and the work surface lightly with flour.
Cut the dough into four equal pieces and set off to one side.
Place one piece of dough in front of you and pat into a rough oblong shape.
Using both hands, roll the dough into a rope 1/2 inch thick, flouring the dough if needed as you roll to prevent sticking.
Slice the ropes into 1-inch thick rounds.
Sprinkle rounds lightly with flour and pinch the middle of each with your index finger and thumb.
Place the gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet and continue forming and cutting the other dough.
Chill gnocchi for 1 hour and cook immediately or freeze.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, make the garden zucchini. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, shallots and garlic.
Cook until soft & golden brown (about 8-10 mins)
Remove from heat, stir in basil, and season with salt and pepper.

Gently slip the gnocchi into boiling water, stirring gently with a slotted spoon. Cook until the gnocchi rises to the surface (about 5 mins).
Scoop them out with the spoon and drizzle with olive oil.

Ladle bowls with tomato sauce. Top with zucchini, and then gnocchi.
Garnish each serving with you favourite herb or smoked meat.

For the best local ingredients, search your nearest vendors using the Guelph Wellington Local Food Map

Enjoy the best of the region!

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Green Goddess Dipping Sauce

Sharing is Caring!
From our Kitchen to Yours, we would love to share this great recipe that is perfect for any occasion!

GREEN GODDESS DIPPING SAUCE
Great for Meats, Sliced Vegetables
or Cheese & Cracker Platters

1 cup Mayonnaise
2/3 cup Chopped Flat-leaf Parsley
1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/2 cup Chopped Green Onions
1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 cup Fresh Mint Leaves
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Purée all of the ingredients, except the oil,
until smooth. Slowly pour in the oil while blending
and season to taste. Enjoy!

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Chicken, Shrimp & Thatcher Farm Lamb Sausage Jambalaya

The base of this recipe is from Bonnie Stern’s Heart Smart Cooking
I added Lamb Sausage to my last Sunday night Dinner Menu
Makes 6 servings, but can easily be doubled

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil divided
1 cellar onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
1 sweet yellow pepper, seeded and diced use green peppers
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2 ” cubes OR use thighs & drumsticks
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups long grain brown or white rice
1/2 cup tomato juice or tomato puree
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or water- or use low sodium chicken stock if in a pinch
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper suace
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne, optional
1 lb. Thatcher Farm Lamb Sausage – or other sausage can be substituted
1/4 lb. medium shrimp, cleaned and butterflied- optional
2 green oninos, thinly sliced on diagonal

METHOD:
1) Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a ductch oven or large, deep ovenproof skillet on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook gently for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Add sweet peppers & celery. Cook for 5 minutes
2)Heat remaining oil in pan. Pat chicken dry and cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring, until pieces brown on all sides.
3)Return vegetables to pan. Stir in tomoatoes and rice. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes
4)Meanwhile combine tomato juice, stock, hot pepper sauce, & all seasonings. Stir Well
5) Bake Sausage in Oven until cooked throughout OR pan fry separately. Drain and cut into bite size pieces to be added to rice mixture
6)Add liquid to pan & bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
7) Add shrimp, cover and bake for 5-10 minutes longer, or until shrimp are opaque and curled. Sprinkle with green onions

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Heart Smart Month

CARROT SOUP WITH CUMIN- Another Sunday Night Dinner Dish
From Bonnie Stern’s Best of Heart Smart Cooking

Great way to use up some of our cellar stored carrots (yes still enjoying these from our summer garden)

2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil
1 cellar onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
(1 tsp. ground or fresh ginger, this is something I added)
2 lbs (1 kg) carrots (about 8-12) chopped (about 5 cups/ 1.25 l)
6 cups (1.5L) chicken or vegetable stock
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. (25 ml) chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley

1) Heat oil in a large suacepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
2) Add cumin & ginger and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant, stirring constantly.
3) Add carrots and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
4) Trick I learned from Nicole B. about velvety soup puree, separate liquids from solids, puree solids and then add to puree in stock pot. Return to heat. Add water if soup is too thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro or partsley before serving.

ENJOY! We did….

Makes 8-10 servings

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Mmmmmmacaroni & Cheese!

This time of the year, we all crave comfort foods. And what warms our hearts (and bellies!) better than a warm, mouth watering bowl of homemade Mac & Cheese!

For this Sunday Night Dinner, I got my inspiration from Anna Olsen’s “Fresh” Cookbook and her Three-Cheese Pasta Bake. This is such a great cookbook because it follows our own philosophy of using local and seasonal ingredients.

We are excited to visit Anna at the upcoming CRFA Show in Toronto on March 4-6th, where she will be partnering with Grow Guelph, and Taste Real Guelph Wellington to showcase local organics, allergen-free baking, and recipes pairing Ontario foods with a global fusion!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did – but calorie watchers BEWARE!!

THREE-CHEESE PASTA BAKE
Serves 8

1lb macaroni, or other small pasta
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups 2% milk
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 8oz (225g) pkg full-fat cream cheese
1 1/2 cups grated old cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Swiss Gruyere
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and boil, uncovered, until just tender to taste. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour. Stir this roux with a wooden or nonreactive spoon until it has a lightly nutty aroma but no colour (about 5 mins). Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring the entire mixture up to a simmer, whisking constantly. If you get lumps, strain the sauce and return it to the heat. Add the nutmeg and whish in the cream cheese until smooth.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cheddar and Gruyere until melted. Stir in the reserved macaroni and spoon into an 8-cup (2L) baking dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and bake for 25-30 mins, until bubbling around the edges.
Cool for 10 mins before serving.

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Client Luncheon at AY Kitchen on Wednesday, Oct. 19th, 2011

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Client Luncheon at AY Kitchen on Wednesday, Oct. 19th, 2011

Thanks to everyone that came out to enjoy lunch with us!

Once a month we love hosting some of our suppliers and vendors and creating new dishes for all of us to try.

This month our chefs created great Fall themed dishes – but by far the favourite was dessert!

Here is a list of what was served:
-Miniature Steak Tartar on Potato Coins
-Beef Wellington with Peppercorn Pate & Mushroom Duxelles
-Deerfield Green Salad with Sliced Apples and Roasted Pear and Vanilla Bean Vinaigrette
-Homemade Ricotta Ravioli
-Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Double Smoked Bacon – this was a last minute challenge I made for our chefs with Brussel Sprouts as the “Secret Ingredient” – they pulled off a great dish!
-Proscuitto and Fig Flatbreads with Port Marinated Mascarpone & Basil Pesto
-Bacon Wrapped Cornish Game Hens with Apples
-Lemon Meringue and Coconut Cream Tarts
-Pumpkin Cheesecake Lollipops

We are looking forward to our next Client gathering which will be a Breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 23rd!

If you are interested in joining us, please send us an inquiry!

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Roasted Squash Soup

Try this squash soup. Great for these cool October nights we have been having!

Roasted Squash Soup

1 oz Butter

1 medium Onion, chopped

1 Carrot, thinly sliced

2lb Squash (or you can use sweet potato)

½ tsp Allspice

½ tsp Cinnamon or sage

1tsp Thyme

6 cups Chicken stock

½ cup Whipping cream

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Pleace cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until skin has some dark patches on it. Allow to cool, then scoop out the pulp.

 Sauté the onions in butter until golden. Add the onions, carrots and spices and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the stock and the squash, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer 5-10mins. Puree the mixture in a food processor until smooth, and then return to the heat. Add cream, salt and pepper.

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SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER

Roast Lamb With Warm Couscous Salad

Dinner this past Sunday was a blast! The guest list changed as time evolved, which is no big deal as we tend to go with the punches or the changes. REALLY, it shouldn’t be a big deal for you or your guests, when there are last minute changes. I always say, go with the flow and if necessary, explain to your added guests that it’s not a big deal and we will just add or take off a place setting.

Enjoy the added guests if this is the case folks.

We had the pleasure of oven roasting a leg of lamb from Thatcher Farm’s (yummy). I simply rubbed on some grainy dijon mustard, a hint of salt & freshly ground pepper, and freshly chopped rosemary. Baked it in the oven at 360ºC for 2 hours, pulled it out and let it rest (cover with foil) for 5-10 minutes before carving, and it was finished up and enjoyed by all.

The side dish that I made this time (new for me) was a couscous salad served hot. WOW! What a surprise, even enjoyed it 3 days later at lunch.

Couscous Salad

Bring 2 1/2 cups chicken stock to a boil, remove from heat. Add 2 cups couscous, let stand, using fork to fluff it up.

Toss warm couscous with:
23 oz. roasted diced pumpkin OR I used sweet potato
7 oz. blanched snow Peas, but oh wait, I used blanched green beans instead (cut into 2” pieces).

In a separate bowl combine:
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ tsp. harissa or chili paste,
¼ cup chopped FRESH mint
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (little more than a half a lemon)
1 tablespoon honey (apple honey from an old Guelph Line farm)

Pour the dressing over the couscous, toss and serve.

This can be served at room temp, but I thought I’d try it warm out of the oven……what a surprise! The Fresh Mint POPPED through and was a great match with the Thatcher Farm Lamb.

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A Fool For Raspberries

Here is a great way to use frozen local raspberries even at this time of year.

Tigchelaar Apples and Berries ([905.659.3659] 268 Puslinch, Flamborough Townline Orchard in South Wellington County) supplied us & we froze these lovely berries (pictured attached)

Note for freezing in season: Freeze fresh berries on baking sheet, once frozen, add to ziplock or freezer bag, keep in freezer until ready to use. Fantastic for nibbling for dessert, save some for garnish.

I have used Donna Hay’s recipe from Modern Classics too many times, and always a big hit. I used both lemon & lime juice with recipe below.

I like to use glasses that you don’t seem to use on a regular basis, as shown , sherry glasses, tall shot glasses, champagne flutes or wine glasses as shown in picture attached.

This will hold in your fridge for 24 hours, but will go liquidy if held longer…still tastes great 2 days later though.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Place 1 cup of raspberries in a frying pan and crush slightly. Add 2/3 cup of caster sugar and 2 teaspoons of lime juice (Donna recommends lemon and either works here). Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for around 3-4 minutes or until the berries are soft and the juice is syrupy. Place in a bowl and refrigerate until cold.

Beat 1 1/2 cups of cream until whipped. Fold 1/2 – 1 cup of fresh raspberries into the cream and then fold in the cooled berry syrup. Don’t over mix – just fold gently.

To serve, spoon into glasses.

Enjoy!

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INSTEAD OF SUNDAY NIGHT DINNER, WE ENJOYED THESE AT SUNDAY BRUNCH

Cranberry Seed Muffins

Canadian Living Sept. 2010

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup oat or wheat bran (I used Oat Bran)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp of each baking soda & salt
1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (I doubled up on this for I didn’t have sunflower seeds)
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. finely grated orange rind (I increased this to 2 ½ tsp for the love or oranges)
You could replace this lemon or lime zest/ rind
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups thawed cranberries (I only had 1 ½ cups and it still worked out well) OR try local frozen raspberries as another yummy option!

Topping:

3 Tbsp. of each oat bran, sunflower & pumpkin seeds (again, I simply doubled up on pumpkin seeds)
In large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and whole wheat flours, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda & salt.; whisk in sunflower and pumpkin seeds
In separate bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar and orange rind; whisk in eggs and buttermilk. Whisk in butter until combines; stir in flour mixture in 2 additions just until combined. Stir in cranberries. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups (or 24 small /mini muffins)

TOPPING:

Sprinkle with oat bran, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Bake in 375 degrees (or 190 degree Celsius) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack.

After cooled, pack in zip lock bag and can easily be reheated in microwave 3-4 days later.

ENJOY

Ingrid von Cube Appetizingly Yours Events & Catering

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