I can’t seem to get enough rhubarb this year. Their bright red stalks call to me at the market each week and I can’t resist bringing home an arm load. I have been mainly roasting it or turning it into compote and having it on oatmeal or with yogurt. I love the combination of the rhubarb with honey, vanilla and a little orange juice and maybe a few strawberries thrown in.

Sometimes the occasion calls for something a little more special. We had a friend for dinner last week and I decided to make dessert at the last minute. Shortcake popped into my head. It just so happened I had some local buttermilk and rhubarb in the fridge.

I played around with a shortcake recipe that has been in the family ever since I can remember. We often had it for dessert after Sunday dinner when the first of the local strawberries made an appearance. It was always a favourite. What is not to love about strawberries, cake and soft whipped cream.

This shortcake is made with buttermilk. I love the tang and crumb that it gives to the cake. I swapped out some of the all purpose flour for almond meal and oat flour, used unrefined cane sugar and added a little lemon zest.

The cake is lovely served with roasted rhubarb and strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream with thick yogurt folded in, sweetened with a touch of maple syrup.

A delicious, rustic cake that works perfectly with whatever fruit is in season. Fresh berries, roasted plums, fresh peaches. I don’t think you can go wrong.

Spring seems particularly beautiful and dramatic this year. Once again I am totally smitten with all of the blossoms.

Spring also means the return of another favourite, rhubarb.

I was delighted, a little giddy even, to see the first rhubarb at the farmers market this weekend. I have seen it coming up in gardens around the city and when poking around my Grandma and Aunt’s garden on Gabriola Island over Easter. But alas I do not have the space to grow my own so I rely on the kindness of others to supply me with this Spring delight. If I visit at the right time my parents or Grandma will send me home with some which is always a treat.

Thankfully Yolanda and Brian grow beautiful rhubarb at Shalefield Farm and brought the first picking to the market on Saturday. I asked if they knew which variety it was but they were unsure. What Brian did know is that he got the rootstock from a Mr Reinhart in 1973 from his backyard. I love it. I find rhubarb often has a story like this. It is handed down by friends, neighbours or family for generations. A friend of mine has a rhubarb plant that has been in her family for over 100 years. So special.

The first rhubarb of the season usually gets a simple treatment in my kitchen. Often a compote of some kind or crumble.

This year I thought I would try roasting it instead and it was really lovely. I liked the way it held its shape and colour. I wanted to let the flavour of the rhubarb shine so I kept things simple. I added a little fresh orange juice, some local wildflower honey, a vanilla bean and inspired by a tart that Aran at Canelle et Vanille was making a splash of orange blossom water for a twist. You could certainly add in a few strawberries too.

The aroma coming from the oven was sweet and heavenly.

The roasted rhubarb can be used as you would a compote. It would be very pretty served on top of pavlova or shortcake.

Last night we enjoyed it with some thick plain yogurt, lightly toasted pistachios and with a drizzle of the pink syrup on top. Simply delicious.

Happy Spring cooking!

Happy Spring!

Spring has officially arrived. Hard to believe that the growing season is starting anew. I love Spring. It is a season of hope. A time of looking outward, of renewed energy and renewed inspiration. A new beginning as we come out of darkness into the light.

The sweet smells of blossoms and fresh cut grass.

What better way to spend the first day of Spring than at Cropthorne Farm, visiting with friends and talking about plans for the upcoming season.

There were signs of Spring on the farm. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. The propagation house was full of little baby veggies of all kinds, fuzzy chicks were keeping cozy in their house and a few bees were buzzing around the hive.

Even the winter crops of greens were putting out new life with fresh shoots and pretty flowers.

Rachel and Lydia sent me home with a beautiful bouquet of greens to munch on. Lucky me.

Spring also brings new animals. Oh the chicks! The cutest little gals I have ever seen. Each one individually named by Rachel’s daughter. I could have stayed in their little house all day, so cozy and cute.

I look forward to seeing them roaming outdoors in early summer and perhaps collecting an egg or two.

Thank you Lydia, Rachel and your lovely family for a perfect start to the Spring season. I look forward to all the beautiful vegetables this season and to capturing more of it on film.

Here’s to new life, new growth and a warm and sunny Spring!

Kaua’i stole my heart and my tummy. 10 days on the Garden Isle in the middle of February was 10 days of utter paradise. Just what the doctor ordered. What is not to love about welcoming and friendly locals, lush landscapes and warm fragrant air. The beauty of the island is breathtaking and wild.

We were greeted at the airport with warm hugs from family and arrived to a house filled local delights. Each day we indulged in loads of tropical fruit, fresh veggies and fish. As much as I love apples and squash, it was such a treat to have this variety of local produce to choose from in the middle of winter and loved ones to share it with.

Our days were filled with sunshine, rain showers followed by rainbows, walks on the beach, stunning hikes, swims in the ocean, farmers markets, ping pong and plenty of laughs.

Most mornings we were awoken by beautiful song birds and a wild chicken laying an egg.

As with all trips I take, food is my number one way to experience the local community and culture. Kaua’i certainly delivered on the food front. For such a small island, there is a strong local food movement and good availability of local produce and products made on Kaua’i. Even the local burger joint uses 100% Kaua’i grassfed beef.

We stayed in Hanalei, a small town on the North side of the island surrounded by breathtaking mountains. It has a limited number of restaurants, lots of surfers, great beaches, local organic produce and a friendly and very relaxed atmosphere. We fell into the lifestyle easily and happily.

Big daily decisions included whether to make lunch, go into town or eat tacos at the taco truck across the street.

The twice weekly farmers market kept us well stocked. Just a sampling of things we found include: arugula, kale, chard, green onions, carrots, beets, radishes, tomatoes, beans, eggplant, lettuce and other salad greens, avocados, basil, cilantro, all varieties of citrus, pineapples, star fruit, young ginger, fresh turmeric, bananas, and papayas.

Beautiful taro fields just outside Hanalei on a misty morning.

Fresh cold coconuts ready for drinking.

We ate many fruits we had never tried before like loquats, mulberries and a bunch of which I can’t remember their names. Some certainly better than others.

A walk into town (or drive to Kapa’a) often involved a stop at local coffee shop Java Kai for a pick me up in the form of an iced coffee or fresh fruit smoothie.

Beautiful citrus. We even had a lime and tangelo tree in the yard where we stayed. Such a novelty for this Canadian gal.

Some edible favourites that really stood out were the avocados, so rich and buttery.  The pineapples for sure, particularly the white pineapples which are unbelievably sweet and juicy.

Oh and the limes. So many different varieties but all incredibly juicy and flavourful. When you touched them the oils would just rub off on your hands they were so fresh and fragrant.

A daily drink creation involved mango or pineapple juice, fresh squeezed lime juice, young ginger and sparkling water. Yum.

And then there were the bananas. These are apple bananas and Cuban reds I believe. I can take or leave a banana most days but not these ones. Just the perfect size, texture and sweetness. Everything tastes better when it is picked and eaten fresh.

This is just a taste of what Kaua’i has to offer. I want to share some of our finds should you find yourself on Kaua’i and in search of good food.

Lots of information on local farms and products at Kauai Grown

A great list of farmers markets and all kinds of info at Edible Hawaiian Islands

Great natural foods stores: Papaya’s Natural Foods and Cafe, Harvest Market, Healthy Nut and Living Foods Market

Places to eat and drink in Hanalei: Java Kai, Pat’s Taqueria (taco truck), Hanalei Taro and Juice Co, Bubba’s Burgers, Tahiti Nui for an afternoon or evening Mai Tai, and The Dolphin for a great meal or to buy fresh fish. We heard lots of good things about Bar Acuda but we didn’t make it there this time.

Granola from Living Foods Market or Anahola Granola. Tasty with yogurt and tropical fruit.

Kunana Dairy has yummy goat cheese and beautiful organic produce.

Gelato from Papalani Gelato.

Raw honey from Shagnasty Honey. Love the name!

You know when you have an idea of what a place will be like and then you arrive and it far exceeds any expection? That was Kaua’i for me.

Words are failing to describe the beauty and joy I experience while on Kaua’i. Hopefully the images help where words have failed.

It was certainly hard to leave this all behind. Vancouver welcomed me back properly with its dark, cold and rainy skies. All I could do to cope after getting home from the airport was to hide under my flannel sheets and dream of warmer days.

But I am left with a heart, soul and belly that are well nourished and a feeling of hope that spring is not too far around the corner.

Mahalo Kaua’i. Until we meet again.

I have noticed a salad theme sweeping across many food blogs and websites in the past few weeks. It is no surprise that most of us are craving something fresh and light after all the indulgences of the holidays. This winter citrus salad looks particularly delicious over at Canelle et Vanille.

I think we have had a salad nearly every day since the new year began. I make a point of getting to the farmers market near opening on Saturday mornings as the salad greens are gone in a flash this time of year. The greens in the grocery store just don’t compare.

This salad mix from Cropthorne Farm is so lovely with baby beet greens, different kinds of mustards, arugula and baby lettuces. Most days these greens just get a gentle toss with a little balsamic and olive oil and a few veggies thrown in. Kohlrabi and fennel have been regulars these days.

This warm chevre and roasted apple salad is perfect for fall or winter. It is fresh and tasty but quite satisfying with the goat cheese and roasted apples. The salad works well as a first course or as an accompaniment to a warming bowl of soup and hunk of crusty bread.

It is still all about apples around here. In terms of fresh local fruit we are down to apples and pears, end of story. Thankfully I love apples and there are so many varieties to taste and play around with. I went with Ambrosia for this recipe as you want an apple that is on the firm and crisp side so that the apples hold their shape and texture during cooking. I am sure Gala, Braeburn, Fuji or Pink Lady would work as well.

I suppose it is time I got into the kitchen myself. It is miso salmon for us with lots of stir-fried veggies. I think tonight’s salad will have some citrus, radish and lots of fresh greens.

I hope the year is off to a good start for you. What kinds of foods are finding their way into your kitchen these days?

Happy New Year. The holidays were very good to me. Much time was spent in the kitchen and around the table with friends and family. Lots of laughs and walks along the ocean. New memories were created and old traditions were celebrated.

Another year has rolled by and I am still making granola. It is a staple in our house, perfect for a quick breakfast or snack. I am always experimenting with new combinations of rolled grains, dried fruits, sweeteners and spices. Not always a terribly scientific process. A little of this, a little of that or whatever happens to be in the house.

This particular version was inspired by a favourite cookie of mine over at 101cookbooks, Heidi’s version of the anzac cookie. It is a wonderful chewy oat cookie with coconut, orange zest, honey and orange blossom water. I took my basic tried and true granola recipe and adapted it with these flavours in mind. I added almonds and some beautiful dried cherries.

If you are not familiar with orange blossom water, it is water distilled from bitter-orange blossoms. It is used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. I like its floral, sweet and slightly bitter taste. I only used 1 tsp as it has a fairly strong flavour but feel free to add more if you like or if you don’t have it on hand the orange zest adds lots of great flavour to the granola on its own.

As another year begins, perhaps you have resolved to start eating breakfast more regularly. If so, this recipe could be a great place to get you started. Having a good supply of granola in the freezer, yogurt in the fridge and some fresh fruit insures there is always a quick and healthy breakfast at your fingertips.

I hope this new year brings you light, laughter and continued inspiration in the kitchen.

Happy 2013!

Wow, where did the time go? Hard to believe that we are back around to the holiday season again and will be ringing in 2013 before we know it. I have been having a lot of fun with Christmas shopping this year. I have taken the opportunity to visit many of my favourite local shops and have been rewarded with lots of great finds. I want to share some of my discoveries with you so you can share them with the food lovers on your gift list.

Quality chocolate and other sweet things from Beta Five or Thomas Haas.

Modern and earthy ceramics from Janaki Larsen, one of the brains behind the lovely Marche St George.

Anything from Harriot Grace.

A few lovely pantry items are always nice. Sea salt from Vancouver Island Salt Company, honey from Vancouver beekeeper Melissa of Mellifera Bees, or seasonal ice cream from Earnest Ice Cream?  Earnest Ice Cream also has gift cards that might work better for sticking in a stocking to avoid a melted ice cream disaster on Christmas morning!

The Mabana Pepper Mill or anything else from Much and Little.

Love this enamel tea pot available at Old Faithful.

Abeego creative and natural food storage items for packing lunches or storing food.

Fine linens, napkins, and aprons from Ratatouille Designs.

Dilly Dally Kids has lots of great food related toys, books and even kitchens for the budding chef on your list!

A cooking class at The Dirty Apron or The London Chef.

Market money for your local farmers market fits perfectly in a stocking.

An enamel cast iron French oven is perfect for all kinds of soups and stews to keep warm over the winter.

The gorgeous and seasonally based cookbook Small Plates and Sweet Treats from Aran the creator of Canelle et Vanille, it also happen to be all gluten-free or take a trip to Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks (or your local cookbook store) and you are bound the find the perfect food related book.

Of course home made gifts are often the best. How about a batch of your favourite holiday cookies or jam, chutney or some other tasty preserve from your pantry along with some great cheese.

I could go on but I need to keep some of my ideas a sercret for the foodies on my shopping list, for which there are many. You can visit my post from last year for more ideas.

Enjoy supporting your favourite local shops, farmers, cheese makers, coffee roasters, bakers, butchers, and candlestick makers.

Wishing you a delicious holiday season with many meals shared around the table with friends and loved ones.

This post has been a while in the making. It has been a busy fall thus far. I wanted to share a recipe using the last blackberries of the season and now that I am finally getting around to finishing this post I may be too late. There were still blackberries at the farmers market on Saturday so I hope you can find some or perhaps you were clever and put some away in the freezer for the dark days of winter.

Crisp or crumble is the perfect fall dessert. So simple, so tasty. Nothing quite like the smell of apples, oats and cinnamon filling the house with their sweet aroma. Crumble is the perfect dessert to put in the oven with the Sunday roast or whatever else may be slow cooking away on these cool fall days.

The inspiration for this recipe came when I was in Victoria for Thanksgiving. It was a perfect weekend with friends, family, warm sunshine, picnics in the garden and lots of delicious food. We harvested apples and berries from my parents garden. We cooked, we ate and we enjoyed the tale end of a magical Indian summer. So much to be grateful for.

I made an apple blackberry crumble using apples and blackberries picked from the garden. Nothing better.

With so many varieties of apples out there, feel free to use your favourites. I like a combination of a firm apple and one that gets soft and saucy. I asked the apple guys at my local farmers market which apples they would use for a crumble and they recommended mainly Gravenstein with a Bramley’s Seedling thrown in. About a 3 to 1 ratio. I must say it made for a very delicious crumble.

With thousands of apple varieties out there, experiment until you find the combination you love best. That is the joy of cooking.

Fall is my favourite time for cooking. I love the variety of food that is around, the apples, the squashes, all the roots. I love the slow cooking, the beautiful smells that fill the house, the hours spent in the kitchen. On these cool fall days I hope you find yourself cozy in the kitchen and sharing the bounty of the season with loved ones.

Happy fall and happy cooking!

Happy fall. As much as I love summer, I really love fall. I especially love the transition between the two seasons when the harvest is bountiful, the light is magical and the air is crisp but the sun is still bright and warm. It is a time of reflection and introspection. A time of slow cooked foods, apples, cinnamon, soups and stews.

I just got back from a trip out East. When we left it was summer and it was fall upon our return. We decided that this year our holidays would be dedicated to exploring parts of our own vast nation instead of going abroad. We decided on Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal. A perfect decision it was.

As you would expect, our holiday revolved largely around food. Finding great places to eat, exploring markets, and sharing food and drink with friends took up most of our days.

We rented a car on a sunny Sunday in Quebec and drove to a small island on the St. Lawrence river just outside of Quebec City called L’Ile D’orleans. It is an island of farms, orchards, vineyards, very small towns and picturesque scenery. We had the great fortune of being there for the apple harvest. Hundreds of people flocked to the island to pick apples at the many orchards.

The trees were laden with fruit. Families were picking and picnicking beneath the trees. It reminded me of time spent with my family as a child picking fruit. Such excitement and delight.

Each day started with a hunt for the perfect cup of coffee, afternoons brought about the search for the ultimate hand crafted ice cream and the days ended with full hearts and bellies.

We spent hours walking the streets exploring different neighbourhoods, popping into local shops, always rewarded with a nice spot to rest our weary feet in a park or cafe. I happily bumbled along in French, getting braver as the days went on. We may have even eaten poutine in the late hours of the night with the rest of Montreal.

We reconnected with friends and met new and interesting people. We visited galleries, museums, the World Press photography exhibit, went to a baseball game, took in live music, and traveled by train.

The light and colours were intense and warm with the low fall sun.

The food scene is alive and thriving in all three cities but we most connected with the food culture in Montreal. We visited the Jean Talon and Atwater Markets which were bursting with fresh produce, cheese, meats, breads and other local delicacies.

We were short on days to explore all of the wonderful suggestions made to us by friends and our hosts in Montreal. The eating possibilities seemed endless. I read that outside of New York City, Montreal has the most restaurants per capita in North America. I believe it.

We enjoyed an afternoon southern inspired picnic at the Parc D’Italie from a great spot in little Italie called Dinette Triple Crown.

Or course we had to have bagels. So fun to watch them coming fresh out of the wood fired oven.

I loved the history in the old buildings, streets and peeling paint.

The last day of our holiday in Montreal was one of the best. Perhaps knowing that these were the last few hours together on holidays made them that much more precious.

We walked around the Plateau neighbourhood of Montreal where we were staying. The sun was warm on our backs.

It was an indulgent morning of coffee, fresh beignets, a beautiful brunch at the chef’s table in a patisserie that smelled of butter and hours of walking under changing leaves. We bumped into a beautiful little outdoor organic market where locals and families were buying their produce for the week.

I wasn’t ready to say au revoir.

We really only scratched the surface of places to eat and find great food but here are a few suggestions if you happen to find yourself in Toronto, Quebec City or Montreal.

Toronto: Coffee at Cafe Panemar and a wander in Kensington Market. A great healthy lunch or juice/smoothies at Fresh or a Thai lunch at Khao San Road. Ice cream sandwiches from White Squirrel coffee shop enjoyed in Trinity Bellwoods Park across the street. Dinner at The County General. Lots of great shops, cafes and restaurants in the neighbourhood of West Queen West.

Quebec City: Coffee at La Brulerie. Explore the Quebec countryside and pick up local produce with a trip to Ile D’Orleans, lunch at Panache Mobile located at the Vignoble de Sainte-Pétronille vineyard on the island. Grass fed burgers at Le Chic Shack. Local produce from Le Marche du Vieux-Port or organic groceries and produce at La Carotte Joyeuse. Local beer at La Barberie Microbrasserie.

Montreal: Coffee at Cafe Neve, Le Falco or Cafe Sardine. Bread and pastries from Boulangerie Guillaume. Fresh bagels from St-Viateur or Fairmount. Brunch at Sparrow or Patisserie Rhubarbe. Lunch or tea and a sweet at Olive and Gourmando or Dinette Triple Crown. Ice cream and house made cones at Les Givres. Micro brew at Reservoir. Visit the Marche Jean Talon for fresh fruits and veggies and goodies if you want to cook your own meals. La Drogheria Fine also has lovely hand made pasta sauces and olive oils. While there are many great dinner spots in Montreal we were often too full by dinner time and just had a light snack or salad.

I also got some great suggestions on Montreal from Chantelle at her beautiful blog.

Thank you to Nadia, Karen, Gretchen, Pablo, Lisa, Martin, Daniel and Mélanie and other friendly Canadians we met for all the wonderful suggestions on places to eat and visit and for your warm hospitality- it made for a most memorable and fun trip.

À bientôt, j’espère!

Baking is what I first learned in the kitchen. My mom and I have spent countless hours together making various combinations of flour, sugar, and butter. While I love cooking, baking will always hold a special place in my heart. It fills the house with wonderful aromas. It lights up faces. It just melts troubles away.

Fruit desserts are a favourite and a delicious way to use seasonal fruit.

On what was a grey and cold late summer Sunday, I spent a good part of the day with a dear friend in the kitchen. Desiree writes a great blog called Eat Drink Be Happy here. She loves to cook, photograph and share good food. So that is exactly what we did. We decided to tackle clafoutis and it turned out to be the perfect way to pass the day.

Clafoutis is a rustic french dessert traditionally made with cherries. In texture it is somewhere between a cake and custard. There are many different versions of this dessert, some more like custard, others a bit more like cake.

This one falls in the middle.

We decided on plums because they are delicious and very abundant right now. But you can use a variety of different fruits including cherries, blackberries, blueberries, pears or whatever inspires you. We made a version that had vanilla and cardamom poached pears in it which was really delicious too.

We experimented a bit with different flours too. We found quinoa to be a bit too earthy and went with oat on the second batch which was just right. So experiment and have fun.

The clafoutis is nice just slightly warm or at room temperature. We had ours plain but a dollop of soft whipped cream would be delightful too!

The light is changing, the air is crisp, fall is certainly creeping in. A perfect time to bake something delicious with a friend or loved one.

Thanks Desiree for the inspiration and a fun afternoon in the kitchen.