tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35976280272386915142024-03-19T08:16:59.867-04:00 A Locavore's Life Think globally, eat locally!The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-51782238026104131532016-09-19T13:06:00.000-04:002016-09-22T12:00:49.918-04:00Pantry in Action: Cider-Braised, Barbecued Pork Loin<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The "Pantry in Action" series shows creative ways of using all the wonderful food we've preserved during the year. I will include recipes wherever appropriate with links back to the post(s) where a particular ingredient (or ingredients) was canned.</span></i><br />
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After a rainy, but productive Saturday, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunny Sunday. It started out cloudy and muggy but by noon the sun was out and it turned into a lovely afternoon. So, I decided to invite Colin over for a barbecue.</div>
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Earlier last week, I had found a nice little boneless pork loin roast that I had stashed away in my freezer so I decided to try a method I had used previously to great success on spare ribs that involves braising, applying a dry rub and then barbecuing low and slow, slathering with a tasty sauce. But, to gild the lily once more, I thought I would try adding hickory smoke to the mix.</div>
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So, to start, I gathered a few things together: my thawed pork loin roast, some aluminum foil, a small half-pint jar of my Cherry Barbecue Sauce, and a bag of hickory wood chips.</div>
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Put 3 cups of wood chips in a large bowl a cover with warm water. I placed a plate on top of the chips to keep them submerged. Allow the chips to soak for at least 20 minutes. I left mine for over an hour.</div>
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Take 2 similarly sized mini potatoes and cut them in half to use as stilts for the roast to sit on. Pour a can of apple cider into a dutch oven and arrange the four potato halves in the cider so they will support the roast. Lightly oil the roast, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and place gently atop the potato halves so the roast sits above the cider.</div>
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Cover the dutch oven and place it in a 275F oven to braise for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the roast.</div>
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Meanwhile, prepare the soaked wood chips by folding them into a foil packet leaving the ends slightly opened. Pierce with a fork in several places on both sides. About 20 minutes before the roast is ready, remove the grill from a gas barbecue and place the packet of wood chips on one side of the heat shield. Replace the grill then light the entire barbecue, close the lid and leave on high heat for about 15 minutes or until there are generous tendrils of smoke issuing from the wood chip packet and you can readily smell the hickory.</div>
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For a charcoal barbecue, leave the grill off and light the coals right after you've put the roast in the oven. When the coals have a light coating of ash, spread them out and place the packet of wood chips directly on the coals to one side of the barbecue. Replace the grill and cover the barbecue. Leave it until there are generous tendrils of smoke issuing from the wood chip packet and you can readily smell the hickory.</div>
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Remove the roast from the dutch oven to a platter and rub with a <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/dry-rub.html" target="_blank">dry rub</a>. Turn all barbecue burners down to low and place the seasoned roast on the grill above the wood chips. Brush the top and sides of the roast with a nice barbecue sauce like this <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2016/07/sweet-cherry-barbecue-sauce/" target="_blank">Sweet Cherry Barbeque Sauce</a>. Close the barbecue and allow the roast to slowly cook in the smoke for about 30 minutes. Watch carefully. With a boneless roast it's easy to overcook it and end up with a dry chunk of meat. This method really does work best with bone-in cuts and is especially good with ribs.</div>
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While the roast is starting to grill, halve some more mini potatoes and place in a foil-lined barbecue basket with a bit of olive oil, tossing to coat. Turn cut side down so they crisp up. Add in the four half potatoes from the braise. Place the potatoes on the empty side of the grill and turn that burner up to high. Turn the roast over and brush with more barbecue sauce. Once the potatoes start sizzling, turn the heat down to medium-high and continue to cook. Every 10 minutes, turn the roast and brush with more sauce until a nice glaze develops.</div>
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When the roast appears done, remove from the grill and shut off that burner. Place on a cutting board, tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. When the potatoes are a nice golden colour, remove them from the grill and shut off the rest of the barbecue. </div>
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Serve roast and potatoes with some steamed mixed vegetables.</div>
<br />The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-36092233593794066512016-09-19T13:05:00.000-04:002016-09-19T13:35:03.015-04:00The Last Weekend of Summer<div style="text-align: justify;">
The summer heat continues and even though the sun is now rising later (already I am getting up in the dark -- ugh!) and setting earlier, it still feels like mid-July. We've gotten a few good rainfalls which combined with the heat are making the gardens give it their all in a last great push to the end of the growing season.</div>
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I've managed to collect a few batches of tomatoes here and there, but the cucumbers are all but done. I have great hopes for my carrots, though and will leave them well into the fall before pulling some. They are growing well and will sweeten up in the cooler weather. In her excellent book <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1603425683/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?tag=nikijabb-20&camp=8641&creative=330649&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1603425683&adid=0NXGS63YS5C38EMBS54E&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fyearroundveggiegardener.blogspot.ca%2F" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live</a>,<span style="text-align: justify;"> Niki Jabbour mentions covering your carrots with straw or mulch to protect them from freezing and leaving them in the ground over winter, pulling them as needed. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to try it with all my carrots, but I may try one patch and see what happens.</span><br />
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Meanwhile, Saturday was warm, steamy, gray and rainy, so I decided to get warm and steamy indoors and do some canning. I missed the boat with the Ontario peaches this year -- they weren't around long -- and the few I did have a couple of weeks ago went from under-ripe to rotting in the blink of an eye. However, the Ontario nectarines were still plentiful and looking good, so I bought several quarts and decided to make jam as well as put up some diced fruit in a very light syrup.</div>
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The recipe I used as a base is this one for <a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/food/recipe/peach-jam" target="_blank">Peach Jam</a> from <a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/" target="_blank">Canadian Living</a> magazine. As usual, I tweaked it to use nectarines instead of peaches, I substituted 1 cup of brown sugar for 1 cup of the granulated sugar and I gilded the lily by adding 2 oz of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_sec" target="_blank">Triple Sec</a> and 1 oz of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courvoisier" target="_blank">Courvoisier</a>. In case you're interested, here's <a href="https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070619160021AAQYFRz" target="_blank">the difference between Triple Sec, Cointreau and Gran Marnier</a>.</div>
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The thing I like about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach" target="_blank">nectarines</a> is that although they are technically a type of peach, they combine the best features of peaches and plums: they have the larger size, bright colouring and taste of peaches, but with the smooth, fuzz-free skin of plums that breaks down nicely when cooked. This means no blanching and peeling is necessary!</div>
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So, to start I <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/boiling-water-bath-canning-basics.html" target="_blank">prepared my water bath canner</a> and 6 jam jars. Next, I washed, pitted and diced a dozen medium-sized ripe nectarines to end up with 6 cups of diced fruit.<br />
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Next, throwing the fruit into a large pot and using a potato masher, I reduced the diced fruit into a pulpy mess. To speed things up a little, I finished it off by using my hand blender for a few quick blasts.</div>
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Next, I added two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a medium-sized lemon) and put the pot on high heat.</div>
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While the fruit was beginning to heat, I combined 1 packet of light pectin with a quarter cup of granulated sugar then stirred into the fruit and brought everything to a boil.</div>
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Once the fruit mixture was at a steady boil, I added the remaining sugars, stirring well and brought the pot back up to a full rolling boil that couldn't be stirred down.<br />
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I added 2 oz of Triple Sec, 1 oz of Courvoisier and I boiled it hard for 1 minute, then turned off the heat and skimmed off any foam.</div>
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By this time, the canner had been boiling for well over 10 minutes, so I removed the sterilized jam jars and I filled 5 of them with a little left over for sampling. I processed them in the canner for 10 minutes, then turned off the heat and left the canner for another 5 minutes before unloading the jars to a folded tea towel to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. You can <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/nectarine-jam-with-triple-sec-and.html" target="_blank">find my recipe here</a>.<br />
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I had 18 nectarines left which I wanted to dice and preserve in a very light sugar syrup. I had about 2/3 of a quart of syrup left over from <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2016/08/the-dog-days-of-summer.html" target="_blank">putting up some diced plums</a> a few weeks ago that I had originally thought I would use for diced peaches. However, that being an exercise in <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2016/08/disappointment.html" target="_blank">disappointment</a>, I decided to use the left over syrup on the nectarines.<br />
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So, like the jam, I began by washing, pitting and dicing the fruit while the left over sugar syrup was simmering and a half dozen pint canning jars and their rings were heating in the canner. After the jam, I had to top up the water in the canner and add another splash of white vinegar and by the time I had finished pitting and dicing the nectarines, I had time to sit with a cup of tea while the canner boiled.<br />
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Once the jars were sterilized, I removed them from the canner and packed 5 of them with the diced fruit, using the pestle from my mortar-and-pestle to tamp them down, packing them tightly into the jars without crushing them.<br />
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Using my canning funnel, I poured the sugar syrup into a large measuring cup and then poured from that into each of the jars, jiggling and tapping each jar to dislodge any air bubbles. Bernardin's canning instructions for putting up fruit in syrup state to leave a half-inch of head space, but I ended up with more like a quarter-inch. Typically this would jeopardize the sealing of the jars as there isn't enough room under the lids for steam to develop and expel from the jars thereby creating the vacuum that creates the seal.<br />
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Further, having the canning liquid so close to the top of the jar facilitates <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/faq/33.php#33" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">siphoning</a> which ends up draining some of the canning liquid under the edge of the lid and compromising the ability for the lid to seal to the lip of the jar.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJkIqVK4SNiC4Id4Ip3rZkZu0sOeIX7TySd2MZD2pglh6mEDW3XPPSMNvva3lW1dDsIKBAzK60ZBAEDrVUH-bfLuEJYYrR4IwQMHQsSQzmqQT3ytQNXQlC5vgEu0SQxN5nkByaocaBoIL/s1600/20160918+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJkIqVK4SNiC4Id4Ip3rZkZu0sOeIX7TySd2MZD2pglh6mEDW3XPPSMNvva3lW1dDsIKBAzK60ZBAEDrVUH-bfLuEJYYrR4IwQMHQsSQzmqQT3ytQNXQlC5vgEu0SQxN5nkByaocaBoIL/s640/20160918+045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was fortunate this time in that despite considerable siphoning, all my jars successfully sealed, although one jar took much longer to seal than the others. I was thinking it would be a refrigerator jar that I would be eating from in the next week or so, when it suddenly "pinged" to let me know that it, too, had sealed and was shelf-stable.<br />
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Just to be sure, though, I removed the bands from each of the jars, then one-by-one I picked them up by the edges of the their lids using my fingertips. Each lid held fast which proved that its seal was intact. If any of the lids had released from the weight of the jar, I would have put the lid back on, secured it with its band and stored the jar in the fridge, using it up within the next week or two. But, happily, all are intact, so I can safely store them down in my pantry to enjoy throughout the coming winter.<br />
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-76463952110599737022016-09-09T12:14:00.000-04:002016-09-12T13:05:05.801-04:00Isn't this where we came in?<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Anniversary to "A Locavore's Life"! It was exactly one year ago today that I posted my <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/09/welcome.html" target="_blank">initial welcome to you</a>, inviting you to share my journey. It's had its ups and downs, but overall I'd say I've enjoyed it.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSTDkGYvYxo4cxG_61WWpGkE9htguSwuInK8TZs1_32HEohuaJf32-0fwPZKnmSjveFmTKoc0W4E52FvWQtcxZWrx6SLoK1kHAxpYTns3ky1yN1EstTWDqUdkDVCdluWdH7CmjyqbZDWS/s1600/20160902+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSTDkGYvYxo4cxG_61WWpGkE9htguSwuInK8TZs1_32HEohuaJf32-0fwPZKnmSjveFmTKoc0W4E52FvWQtcxZWrx6SLoK1kHAxpYTns3ky1yN1EstTWDqUdkDVCdluWdH7CmjyqbZDWS/s640/20160902+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faded glory, 2016</td></tr>
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Just for fun I took the photo above yesterday evening to compare to this one,</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZytqmL4gFCekUB3IvkMT0C3jiXnXybIY2zPOS77c-DH3yBi6YA2Mej88wr6ddTTb6gd-cvLJgREG0BUe7GsSAzPEgZQ1SLG1I0v985oAOAntjU29sFUNT4aarQK29PDdXr1QCDoKN403/s1600/Sept+10%252C+2015+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZytqmL4gFCekUB3IvkMT0C3jiXnXybIY2zPOS77c-DH3yBi6YA2Mej88wr6ddTTb6gd-cvLJgREG0BUe7GsSAzPEgZQ1SLG1I0v985oAOAntjU29sFUNT4aarQK29PDdXr1QCDoKN403/s640/Sept+10%252C+2015+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faded glory, 2015</td></tr>
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taken last year at this time. Not much difference, although this year's garden does look a little more "bedraggled" to me and I'm blaming the insane lack of rain over the summer combined with the sporadic torrential downpours we've had over the last 6 weeks or so.</div>
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It's made for a very unusual growing season and as my previous post indicated, I have been less than thrilled with the harvest this year. I still haven't put up any peaches yet, so I will hit the farmer's market again this weekend and see what I can find. Maybe some tomatoes too to put up as diced and perhaps some passata.</div>
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Truth be told, though, I've sort of run out of steam when it comes to the garden this year, so I've decided to more or less leave it to do its thing. Besides, in contrast to last year at this time when I was going through a slow period at work and had time to actually start this blog, this year I am insanely crazy busy, so I have very little real time or energy to devote to properly post. </div>
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So, although I'm not actually saying I am taking a break from blogging, I'm expecting my posts to be much fewer and farther between than they have been. At least for the next little while. </div>
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I do have some grand plans for later in the fall to build raised vegetable beds and a cold frame. I've been inspired by this great book: <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1603425683/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?tag=nikijabb-20&camp=8641&creative=330649&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1603425683&adid=0NXGS63YS5C38EMBS54E&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fyearroundveggiegardener.blogspot.ca%2F" target="_blank">The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live</a> by Niki Jabbour, figuring if she can grow lettuce in January in Nova Scotia, surely to goodness I can do the same here in Toronto!</div>
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However, it remains to be seen just how much time and energy (and money!) I will have. I may just be able to get the existing garden put to bed and ready for winter, never mind a major renovation! Then there's the fact that I have less than 10 months to go before I retire and then I will have all the time in the world to spend on such labours of love.</div>
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So, we will see. In the meantime, before I dove headfirst into the crazy circus that is my work at the moment, I was lucky enough to be able to spend 3 glorious days up at Sauble Beach at the cottage of my friend, Nancy. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi_ozbviyzae5tl914nNQ0iDcCDu0MovQn_ZzWk4kiYlLFPluw-LxB9cW577Wdn21OO8Fu1BmskEt-Ta6XT0tZYhCG92KIa3aK5ZjgLAZypkBSaW1y0aYnpRdXWTU4t114mMoo2YPgZWA/s1600/20160902+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi_ozbviyzae5tl914nNQ0iDcCDu0MovQn_ZzWk4kiYlLFPluw-LxB9cW577Wdn21OO8Fu1BmskEt-Ta6XT0tZYhCG92KIa3aK5ZjgLAZypkBSaW1y0aYnpRdXWTU4t114mMoo2YPgZWA/s640/20160902+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite the clouds, it turned into a glorious day!</td></tr>
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Sauble Beach is about a 3 hour drive northwest of here on the eastern shore of the main body of Lake Huron renowned for its long stretches of sandy beaches and breathtaking sunsets. In fact it's been nicknamed "The Sunset Coast".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VCg6EO6AllGsDQPLJ9Lqh0VqydXPoh80BusyIVJC4aV81SdYcKDqksjAgmENwjGGkcLd32WTBeE5rochx1zaJFFC5GwH6LieozpX_eGbOZ3UzTD0SmkEmYOp9WzmUhshUQ3_1TFkMCWQ/s1600/20160902+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VCg6EO6AllGsDQPLJ9Lqh0VqydXPoh80BusyIVJC4aV81SdYcKDqksjAgmENwjGGkcLd32WTBeE5rochx1zaJFFC5GwH6LieozpX_eGbOZ3UzTD0SmkEmYOp9WzmUhshUQ3_1TFkMCWQ/s640/20160902+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtloihE3YG8NGp-T8tTXLOtdZ0rottF0o663POdcIF1U-6nivKSzKfqkwDfDkPQgQTRw76HOQUjXQSuLXJ7gLkxwhk97-49oY1fx_mLCR3tIVBf1zSsRgou28yIT2Kaf4ZIrpDWyhYI7gu/s1600/20160902+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtloihE3YG8NGp-T8tTXLOtdZ0rottF0o663POdcIF1U-6nivKSzKfqkwDfDkPQgQTRw76HOQUjXQSuLXJ7gLkxwhk97-49oY1fx_mLCR3tIVBf1zSsRgou28yIT2Kaf4ZIrpDWyhYI7gu/s640/20160902+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These shots were taken on an early morning walk and the sun hadn't fully risen yet. It turned into a beautiful clear, sunny day and later on this stretch of beach was packed with vacationers. I love the solitude and tranquility of early morning.</div>
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I cherished my time up there, but now it's back to work and full steam ahead!</div>
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Until next time...</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-30269637485361551812016-08-28T13:11:00.001-04:002016-08-28T13:19:52.385-04:00Disappointment<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's a bit of a downer to title a post "Disappointment" but that's essentially what I'm feeling right now after having spent all morning canning. If you put up food on a regular basis, every once in a while you are bound to have a disappointing session. Today was one of those.</div>
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I always have the grandest plans when it comes to canning (as well as a lot of other areas in my life!) and so I figured it would be a snap to do the strawberries and rhubarb, followed by the peaches I bought yesterday from the farmer's market and then the collected tomatoes from my garden.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SgGN4HEWZ5zkdEv1CdUua9fpyUIEWdwSSrYX7koet0qfQYcNn6iOxftLK-wuCJcVA0zw6VHL6lQQz2B9gxdZJzMmNqNdGaqu6J4tXZXudzyA8uO_JwPNTkYo1fxrcntV57CoKeNX3gfA/s1600/20160828+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SgGN4HEWZ5zkdEv1CdUua9fpyUIEWdwSSrYX7koet0qfQYcNn6iOxftLK-wuCJcVA0zw6VHL6lQQz2B9gxdZJzMmNqNdGaqu6J4tXZXudzyA8uO_JwPNTkYo1fxrcntV57CoKeNX3gfA/s640/20160828+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It all started encouragingly enough -- a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning, fresh Ontario strawberries and rhubarb.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV06dqNZ-UtvgDVNqPSc_U9xcx1CvPYrhKphR5nXHi1oUmfOoHfuV_4nHDQbPGENQRrerAXWNulqlvYb9HFEz-t8YMsDWL5tNUGvYfQvMZwuesMjo6vHups3pXXtA32nlIEW251hxvgD-/s1600/20160828+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV06dqNZ-UtvgDVNqPSc_U9xcx1CvPYrhKphR5nXHi1oUmfOoHfuV_4nHDQbPGENQRrerAXWNulqlvYb9HFEz-t8YMsDWL5tNUGvYfQvMZwuesMjo6vHups3pXXtA32nlIEW251hxvgD-/s640/20160828+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The rhubarb was gifted from my friend Fred and he thoughtfully had trimmed, chopped and frozen it for me, so all I needed to do was thaw it and put it a large pot. The rhubarb released a lot of its juice during the thawing process, so there was no need to macerate it in sugar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRJYSfk_XrOEzJezG5tP47YzeN4xsqlrgqtzvPRVvr1fHnyklHhZ-H6yd9gAGmqbCkTP-Fusb6YNiddFuKDcJilLOW-Qh2bFTMUk5uyRjwuWOtZ8MSSUix_jnwNiM1Czvj30qV2oh-MoI/s1600/20160828+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRJYSfk_XrOEzJezG5tP47YzeN4xsqlrgqtzvPRVvr1fHnyklHhZ-H6yd9gAGmqbCkTP-Fusb6YNiddFuKDcJilLOW-Qh2bFTMUk5uyRjwuWOtZ8MSSUix_jnwNiM1Czvj30qV2oh-MoI/s640/20160828+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I didn't bother macerating the strawberries either, just trimmed, cored and halved or quartered them, adding them directly to the pot of thawed rhubarb. I reckoned I had about 6-7 cups of fruit altogether, so I guesstimated about 3 cups of sugar would do. As it turned out, I was running low on sugar and I had just over 3 cups left, so that's what I used. I didn't want to make jam, just stew the rhubarb together with the strawberries to create a sort of thick sauce to have on yogourt or oatmeal for breakfast (or over vanilla ice cream!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Pf7EQ6jPhSsAa1JL21QL04HhP5vVxSUKHtP_q5ZurFIlK2uGDoYRqWhS-_tKZPYhOrZrMMsvGieOHTj97pXX36pjan1oWAMRmAzHRDURdfVLNANyRK1nb6a6MfwI3BHzPMoJGx5GmrGD/s1600/20160828+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Pf7EQ6jPhSsAa1JL21QL04HhP5vVxSUKHtP_q5ZurFIlK2uGDoYRqWhS-_tKZPYhOrZrMMsvGieOHTj97pXX36pjan1oWAMRmAzHRDURdfVLNANyRK1nb6a6MfwI3BHzPMoJGx5GmrGD/s640/20160828+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bring the whole thing to a full, rolling boil that can't be stirred down and cook until the strawberries are soft, about 10 minutes or so. Since the rhubarb had released so much juice during the thawing process, it more or less dissolved into the stew, but made for a lovely preserve nonetheless.</div>
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Ladle into hot sterilized jars and process for 20 minutes. See <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/boiling-water-bath-canning-basics.html" target="_blank">here for water bath canning instructions</a>.</div>
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All in all a fine start. However, it all went downhill from here.</div>
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The peaches I bought yesterday at the farmer's market look perfect and seem completely ripe, but when I tried to blanch them to remove their skins, they wouldn't budge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKP_sLnGjmMMROJqMncqTgLf9SW-c6suDQE0yZlc3NkxsflgBnR3Vdn1vLOwJ6epPgRqJZ684PtNSharDPa1hiihcQ6x5OnCNO_53ZWJ1I0PBqPN8n6jD-gg38sCCttSkZ_WgqyORMqBj/s1600/20160828+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKP_sLnGjmMMROJqMncqTgLf9SW-c6suDQE0yZlc3NkxsflgBnR3Vdn1vLOwJ6epPgRqJZ684PtNSharDPa1hiihcQ6x5OnCNO_53ZWJ1I0PBqPN8n6jD-gg38sCCttSkZ_WgqyORMqBj/s320/20160828+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWiE7f8uYkwxjJZGAR83InDFkFP_SuEX5b_i7b0PzaU6hyphenhyphenTohEZJd2BU5EV1mX1RC7Vmvv6iRP2mtC0YY2qprTr0C0fI3Q-yX5FxUwnDfWejrNdLfuvLLCusdVaI5QVZBkxGSERjl3p07/s1600/20160828+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWiE7f8uYkwxjJZGAR83InDFkFP_SuEX5b_i7b0PzaU6hyphenhyphenTohEZJd2BU5EV1mX1RC7Vmvv6iRP2mtC0YY2qprTr0C0fI3Q-yX5FxUwnDfWejrNdLfuvLLCusdVaI5QVZBkxGSERjl3p07/s320/20160828+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Similar to <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/09/red-tomato-redux.html" target="_blank">preparing tomatoes</a> for canning whole, halved or diced, I set up a large pot of boiling water, a bowl of ice water, another bowl for the peeled peaches and a plate to catch the skins. No matter how I tried, though, the skins would not release. The peaches are obviously not as ripe as I thought they were. </div>
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So, I will leave them for a bit and hopefully they will ripen up.<br />
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After aborting the attempt to can the peaches, I turned to my meagre collection of tomatoes that I had gleaned from my garden over the past few weeks. Compared with last year, these are truly pathetic. Like the peaches, they look ripe, but when I tried blanching them, the skins were difficult to remove. I did manage to peel them all, but it took a fair bit of determination and effort. The tomatoes are small, hard and not very plump and juicy like they were last year and I put this down to the severe drought-like conditions we had here in July. Despite my regular watering, there just wasn't enough good rain. So, the garden has definitely suffered.</div>
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Having peeled and diced the few tomatoes I had, I decided at the last minute to take the collection of cherry tomatoes I had in the fridge, halve them without peeling them and add them to the diced tomatoes. A lot of the cherry tomatoes I picked recently are split, which is due to the large amount of rain we've received in a relatively short period of time over the last few weeks.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u_AsF5z5Eu-a_aAeAUvrwX9KsVuH65AumyWHkilRQ7tVp_nBh4HMrgkQPe0lY9v284mzbck2Ehk0o2v4R2awqbOJ-u5VCEfrKxr8wZKcVHIbQTdAL0wTGFd13fR8CcFriX8XqI5BR9_D/s1600/20160828+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u_AsF5z5Eu-a_aAeAUvrwX9KsVuH65AumyWHkilRQ7tVp_nBh4HMrgkQPe0lY9v284mzbck2Ehk0o2v4R2awqbOJ-u5VCEfrKxr8wZKcVHIbQTdAL0wTGFd13fR8CcFriX8XqI5BR9_D/s640/20160828+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I must admit I do like the colourful mixture of the various types of tomatoes. I just wish there were more of them! So, I brought the tomatoes to a boil, then put them in hot, sterilized jars with bottled lemon juice (1 tbsp for pint jars, 2 tbsp for quarts) and processed them for 40 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIPL7HWo9WAm47T52QMNslo_mIfV-94zEFl1Zauxrwip3xOdA_VGlA2ibSIEJu_hNOnfqI7vqpAU1s1FqKZ-jTnIYOifBM2nfxZtZ1dWf2KexA5PDN9PtmjoqoYhIeBb4Cippa9yEkGOx/s1600/20160828+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIPL7HWo9WAm47T52QMNslo_mIfV-94zEFl1Zauxrwip3xOdA_VGlA2ibSIEJu_hNOnfqI7vqpAU1s1FqKZ-jTnIYOifBM2nfxZtZ1dWf2KexA5PDN9PtmjoqoYhIeBb4Cippa9yEkGOx/s320/20160828+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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All this for one 750ml (1 1/2 pint) jar and half a 1/2 pint jar. Sigh! Well, next weekend, it being the Labour Day weekend, hopefully I will have suitably ripe, fresh produce and will make up for this rather dismal canning session.</div>
The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-85569865626174930162016-08-27T19:14:00.003-04:002016-08-27T19:23:09.901-04:00The Dog Days of Summer<div style="text-align: justify;">
Although we are a couple of weeks past the official "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_days" target="_blank">dog days</a>", the hot humid weather continues here in Southern Ontario keeping us all in that slow, lazy, languorous state associated with late summer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6ZLSeEBHippyKsFRsfavvoiLjECecu6w0BxX0OtIxaM436rqog_eBxKru_Wb0z7JrxJHx7E07kJdv7YTFbDOVEpU5bx2_ksVRupDrdb1ac9-bHqs2sNsRtsG2UaltfOXIDbK2yVPlNbU/s1600/20160827+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6ZLSeEBHippyKsFRsfavvoiLjECecu6w0BxX0OtIxaM436rqog_eBxKru_Wb0z7JrxJHx7E07kJdv7YTFbDOVEpU5bx2_ksVRupDrdb1ac9-bHqs2sNsRtsG2UaltfOXIDbK2yVPlNbU/s640/20160827+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been a rather weird growing season as well. After a cool and rather wet spring and early summer, for most of July we were in a severe drought with very little rain at all. Then August brought us a few decent rainfalls while still keeping the temperature hot.</div>
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What resulted is a garden that sprang to life, tomatoes and cucumbers full of blossoms and fruit which then seemed to come to a screeching halt through most of July. I had lots of hard little green tomatoes which just refused to develop no matter how diligent I was about watering. It was very strange -- everything was healthy and green, not shrivelling up and dying, but nothing was growing.</div>
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The cucumbers have been coming in very slowly -- one or two every week or so, so I've only managed to put up a couple of small batches thus far. My beloved Black Brandywine Cherry tomatoes along with a new member of my garden this year, Sweet Gold Cherry have been acting similarly, coming in a handful at a time. The full-size Black Brandywines have been very sluggish and I've only picked three ripe ones so far with only another 4 or 5 green ones left on the vines.</div>
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As for the plum tomatoes, I nearly lost all of them to blossom end rot, but fortunately I sprinkled some bone meal around all the plants quickly enough to stop it from developing further.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWi7v4_ZKlo9OQ_Yl6wtGX9QboM8DXMEgJuF5aQAHOpQPkLRQos2n6JXfhAut-_yvnh251OkP3nOetG7XGZwDBVYweJ_M1CMLXkzyMsRKoohXiaoTLKYPM35LQR0EWn9T6jf8WXL9Xak8/s1600/20160827+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWi7v4_ZKlo9OQ_Yl6wtGX9QboM8DXMEgJuF5aQAHOpQPkLRQos2n6JXfhAut-_yvnh251OkP3nOetG7XGZwDBVYweJ_M1CMLXkzyMsRKoohXiaoTLKYPM35LQR0EWn9T6jf8WXL9Xak8/s640/20160827+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium, which is provided by a liberal application of bone meal. Ideally some bone meal should be sprinkled in the hole before planting with a light top-up later in the season. Blossom end rot is characterized by circular dark brown lesions on the blossom end of the fruit as in the picture above. It's not contagious and all you need to do is remove the afflicted fruit and throw it out.</div>
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I'm still coming across a few diseased tomatoes, but they're few and far between now. And now with a number of good rain showers plus the continued heat, the tomatoes are finally starting to ripen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12RZRF5PYw-FSaqqwzXEJrV_teqgFSQJMbrbIC8aCEVpLHSwNHu8rZtn52d2KgQg5G8BY2LQZuMb39es-5eI39PXCaqkzjpiQoPnGtpHItA08CfSyENTjonNEqVXGlHxoZ3AZegavNixi/s1600/20160827+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12RZRF5PYw-FSaqqwzXEJrV_teqgFSQJMbrbIC8aCEVpLHSwNHu8rZtn52d2KgQg5G8BY2LQZuMb39es-5eI39PXCaqkzjpiQoPnGtpHItA08CfSyENTjonNEqVXGlHxoZ3AZegavNixi/s640/20160827+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's nowhere near what last year's harvest was, so there is a lot less canning from the garden happening this year. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6QKy_Oa9KxJkdTdN5ldKahgFad2mp_gk_jXBWNyWprjbrbWfIhw-IfhyphenhyphenhHOJ1II07yBtEiiSf-1Zbc9R81MUq2Ks0Ee9C6jhB9cb9ZAyKdN89F0a9cLtlQc72VM5K7bV5Zct4DtB-60b/s1600/20160827+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6QKy_Oa9KxJkdTdN5ldKahgFad2mp_gk_jXBWNyWprjbrbWfIhw-IfhyphenhyphenhHOJ1II07yBtEiiSf-1Zbc9R81MUq2Ks0Ee9C6jhB9cb9ZAyKdN89F0a9cLtlQc72VM5K7bV5Zct4DtB-60b/s640/20160827+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's harvest</td></tr>
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Instead, I am supplementing with produce from the farmer's market. This morning I went back out to the Port Credit Farmer's Market and picked up 2 liters of Ontario strawberries (the everbearing ones are still around although starting to dwindle), a 3 liter basket of freestone Ontario peaches and a 3 liter basket of Ontario plums.</div>
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The peaches and plums are destined to be canned in a very light syrup to be spooned over yogourt for breakfast on the coming dark mornings of winter. I will stew the strawberries together with some late-season rhubarb that my friend Fred gifted me.</div>
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First off, though, I wanted to add the few cucumbers I picked this morning to the ones in the refrigerator crisper and put up another couple of pints of pickles.</div>
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Same with the tomatoes. I figure I have enough now for a couple of jars of diced and a couple of the ones in the crisper are starting to go soft, so I will definitely get to that tomorrow.</div>
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While I was looking up the instructions for canning plums in very light syrup, on a whim I flipped through my jam recipes to see if there was anything plummy that might strike my fancy. And indeed there was! This one for <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2011/09/urban-preserving-italian-plum-jam-with-star-anise/" target="_blank">Plum Jam with Star Anise</a> sounded so simple and good I just had to try it. It calls for a pound of plums and the 3 liter basket I bought gave about 2 1/2 pounds so I thought I would try a batch of jam and put up the remaining 1 1/2 pounds in very light syrup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdeYEs_Y0bzhVm3_7-3ipv7NHz7x1NZPhpavxUlWboJMzvcjydFQGfk866B4qYTCUqaCeaTWPPV1-xuLX7zcKhlny0L7rZ5oxrPLSVwiBDg7h_lk8lJ39gOeJhFdB_iay_MlJ7PduGMqr/s1600/20160827+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdeYEs_Y0bzhVm3_7-3ipv7NHz7x1NZPhpavxUlWboJMzvcjydFQGfk866B4qYTCUqaCeaTWPPV1-xuLX7zcKhlny0L7rZ5oxrPLSVwiBDg7h_lk8lJ39gOeJhFdB_iay_MlJ7PduGMqr/s640/20160827+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, tomatoes forgotten for the moment, I set about prepping the plums. I weighed out a pound of plums for the jam, then cut them in half, dug out the pit and chopped the fruit into small pieces.</div>
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Three quarters of a cup of granulated sugar and 3 star anise are added to the chopped plums then mixed well and set aside to macerate for an hour or so to let the star anise infuse the mixture.</div>
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I then pitted the remaining plums and cut them into quarters.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4H1TiqnZIh5gTAbert9pYDY5HxqwaqB3Mcxr42fQsvotg2d67AX_vexMDGQ4F8Tac9XvtNczOMwrgNdcsI3bilSMvIYQiuI3UGxwosAa6gqPnNzMySfGVpecPGsAit9GTDEXwVVZRPNfU/s1600/20160827+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4H1TiqnZIh5gTAbert9pYDY5HxqwaqB3Mcxr42fQsvotg2d67AX_vexMDGQ4F8Tac9XvtNczOMwrgNdcsI3bilSMvIYQiuI3UGxwosAa6gqPnNzMySfGVpecPGsAit9GTDEXwVVZRPNfU/s640/20160827+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One pound of pitted and chopped plums macerating in 3/4 cup white sugar and 3 star anise on the right ready for jamming and 1 1/2 pounds of pitted and quartered plums on the left ready to be canned in very light syrup. After an hour of macerating, the star anise has infused the chopped plums and sugar with an exquisite warmth. It's truly a combination worth trying!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTWzVz_Np12QlsVgNZEaX8mw_TGXp2Ekk-4Nnmoz85G0xzqjL2oU6Q_vJ11JHBoRqTBlFAXgtiBvGLZpndJOkNQeQbTFjEYCZu-BOp5Y-g7kxikUz-33sdIMiALXoHQ3sv-spdl0SMVAl/s1600/20160827+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTWzVz_Np12QlsVgNZEaX8mw_TGXp2Ekk-4Nnmoz85G0xzqjL2oU6Q_vJ11JHBoRqTBlFAXgtiBvGLZpndJOkNQeQbTFjEYCZu-BOp5Y-g7kxikUz-33sdIMiALXoHQ3sv-spdl0SMVAl/s640/20160827+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The quartered plums are now simmering in a very light syrup which is 1/2 cup white sugar dissolved in 5 cups of water and brought to a boil. I used half of the syrup here for the plums and I allowed the remaining syrup to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge in a quart mason jar.</div>
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I will use this tomorrow when I do the peaches.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjMGQhgAOX0qcpbvtT_OLCDj3car701IS1GacvCU9OWFFtHdLNA8f45M4JItDts3Jduf-_Udi_WmEDi6jdje8E3zvG973FhdCvfrUw-L1AY3bdTJaBoQ9lRwciYDoYInWdNqsEpsXDqVM/s1600/20160827+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjMGQhgAOX0qcpbvtT_OLCDj3car701IS1GacvCU9OWFFtHdLNA8f45M4JItDts3Jduf-_Udi_WmEDi6jdje8E3zvG973FhdCvfrUw-L1AY3bdTJaBoQ9lRwciYDoYInWdNqsEpsXDqVM/s640/20160827+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The jam is made in a non-stick frying pan instead of a saucepan so that the wider surface area allows the jam to cook up and set quicker.</div>
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I had originally thought I would use 2 jam jars for the jam and 2 pint jars for the plums in syrup. It turned out that I only needed 1 jam jar (on the right in the picture above) for the jam and I had enough plums in syrup left over to fill the other jam jar as well as the 2 pint jars. </div>
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The jam only needed 10 minutes processing whereas the plums in syrup needed 20 minutes, so I put them all into the canner together and then pulled the jam out after 10 minutes and let the rest of the jars boil for an additional 10 minutes.</div>
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Tomorrow I will tackle the tomatoes, the peaches and the strawberries and rhubarb.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-22004986242487972052016-08-07T20:44:00.000-04:002016-08-16T09:36:20.371-04:00Easy Garlic Dill Pickles<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are many wonderful canning recipes out there for dill pickles and I have tried a number of them with great success. However, for this first batch of pickles this year I have decided to take the easier route and use <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/Pectins-and-Mixes/Dill-Pickle-Mix/Product.aspx" target="_blank">Bernardin's pre-mixed dill pickle mix</a>.</div>
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My pickling cucumbers have been coming in one or two at a time, so I've been collecting them over the last few weeks until I finally have enough for a couple of quarts or so of pickles. What you see in the picture above is about 4 pounds of cucumbers and as you'll see I ended up with 3 quarts of pickles.</div>
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The first step is prepare the cucumbers by first washing them, then trimming off both ends. It's essential to trim off the blossom end at least as the remains of the blossom contain an enzyme that will cause the pickles to go soft. Actually, the real first step is to <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/boiling-water-bath-canning-basics.html" target="_blank">prepare a water bath canner </a>and few jars. I'll come back to the jars in a moment.</div>
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I decided to cut half the cucumbers into spears and use my mandoline on the other half to cut them lengthwise into sandwich slices.</div>
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The next step is to mix up the pickling brine and get it boiling.<br />
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This is simply 2 cups of water, 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/Pectins-and-Mixes/Dill-Pickle-Mix/Product.aspx" target="_blank">Bernardin's Dill Pickle Mix. </a>Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil while the water bath canner is heating.<br />
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The jars I'm choosing to use are what I suppose could be called "antique" as they have not been made for quite a while now. There are two types -- Crown and Gem -- and both were manufactured in Canada.<br />
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The jar on the right is a Gem jar and the one on the left is a Crown. They are similar but their lids are different. Both are glass and require rubber rings to seal. </div>
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The Gem jar lids are closer to the modern snap lids in that the rim of the lid is higher than the center, the rubber ring fits around the underside edge of the lid (much like the sealing gum on the underside of a modern snap lid) and the rubber ring is placed in contact with the rim of the jar and held in position with a metal (in this case, zinc) band. Again, very similar to modern canning jars. By popular demand, since Gem jars are still being used (more so in Western Canada), Bernardin sells snap lids and rings specially to fit them as they are an odd size in between regular jars and wide-mouth jars.</div>
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Crown jars are slightly different in that the glass lid is more like a cap with an edge that sits over the rim of the jar so that the rim of the jar is actually inside the lid. The rubber ring is therefore placed around the outside of the jar rim and the glass lid is placed on top of it then secured with the zinc band.</div>
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The picture above shows the jars already packed with cucumbers ready for the brine to be added, but before that happened, I gilded the lily a little.</div>
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To each jar I added 2 peeled garlic cloves that I lightly bruised under a knife first by pressing down firmly with the heel of my hand just until the clove cracked slightly. I didn't want to smash the cloves, but just crack them a little so they would release their garlicky goodness into the brine.</div>
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I also added a pinch each of yellow mustard seed and black peppercorns as well as a sprig of fresh dill from my garden.</div>
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Then into the canner for 15 minutes once it was back up to a full boil.</div>
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The result: 3 quarts of garlic dill pickles. These need to age for 4-6 weeks for the proper flavour to develop and unfortunately 2 of my 3 jars did not seal, so once cool, I tightened the bands as much as possible and put them in the fridge to to age. I will treat them as refrigerator pickles as they are not shelf-stable. I am suspecting that I did not properly wipe off the rims before closing the lids as there is more to consider with these lids than the modern snap lids. I should have taken care to make sure that not only the rims of the glass lids were free of any spilt brine, but the surface of the rubber sealing rings as well. I do love the old-fashioned look of the pickles in these jars, but I will take care in future when using them to make sure all surfaces are residue-free so I don't lose any more jars to failed seals.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-64202536113014586032016-08-02T21:26:00.002-04:002016-08-08T10:22:23.650-04:00Pantry in Action: Japanese-style Chicken Curry<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The "Pantry in Action" series shows creative ways of using all the wonderful food we've preserved during the year. I will include recipes wherever appropriate with links back to the post(s) where a particular ingredient (or ingredients) was canned.</span></i><br />
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</span></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, including this wonderful recipe in the Pantry in Action series is a real stretch since the only ingredient I have in my pantry right now is some <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/recipes/tomato-paste.htm" target="_blank">tomato paste</a>. However, loving a good curry as I do, I couldn't not share this. The original recipe was published in the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/" target="_blank">Toronto Star</a> on July 16 and is actually called <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2016/07/16/japanese-curry-is-worth-making-from-scratch.html" target="_blank">Chicken Katsu Curry from Scratch</a>, but, as usual, I have tweaked it to make it freezer-friendly.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The chicken katsu is actually skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin, breaded with <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-panko-and-breadcrumbs-word-of-mouth-218201" target="_blank">panko</a>, fried until crispy then sliced into strips and served alongside the curry. I figure the lovely crispness of the panko encrusted chicken would suffer by being frozen and thawed, so in order to make this dish more freezer-friendly (think re-stocking the freezer with ready-to-go meals), I decided to forgo the breading and frying and simply cube the chicken and include it in with the curry.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Thus, the four-part original recipe (which you can find <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2016/07/16/japanese-curry-is-worth-making-from-scratch.html" target="_blank">here on the Toronto Star website</a>) is reduced to three parts: the curry powder, the roux and the curry itself. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The curry powder is lovely and reminds me very much of the <a href="http://www.monsooncoast.com/Kowloon-Curry.html" target="_blank">Kowloon Curry</a> powder I once had from <a href="http://www.monsooncoast.com/" target="_blank">Monsoon Coast</a>, in a similar-but-different sort of way.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">It couldn't be simpler: place 1/4 cup ground turmeric, 2 tbsp ground coriander, 2 tbsp ground cumin and 2 tsp ground cardamom in a small jar or tightly lidded container. Close the lid and shake until well blended. It makes about a 1/2 cup which is more than plenty for this recipe and leaves you with enough to add to your spice cupboard ready for the next curry adventure!</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">For this recipe however, we'll be using 2 tbsp of the powder in the roux and another 1 tsp in the curry itself. I've always used coconut milk, yogourt or a combination of the two as the base for my curry sauces and for some reason it's never occurred to me to base one on a roux despite the fact that I've been making rouxs for years to thicken soups, sauces and gravies. Funny how your mind gets into ruts sometimes. So, using a roux to thicken a curry sauce shouldn't have been a big light-bulb-a-HA moment for me, but it was. I was intrigued and interested in seeing how such a curry would turn out.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">So, to start, I gathered all the roux ingredients together: all purpose flour, my freshly made curry powder, some cayenne, <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/recipes/tomato-paste.htm" target="_blank">tomato paste</a> from my pantry, Worcestershire sauce and butter.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Start a basic roux by melting 3 tbsp butter (the recipe calls for unsalted, but all I had was regular, salted butter so that's what I used) then stirring in 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne (this gives it the perfect level of heat in my opinion, sort of a mild-medium -- you might like it hotter, or not, so add cayenne at your discretion), and a few good grindings of black pepper.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj012GT4tzBmU_L1XNYAgSvxeJcLF1s0iS8WC1DKG_SCpVpyCtXh6ji5c1OJkHM0RjXmCuY_LX1AM_qp0ywA89EhPS1sZahaffZ5JFw93G0PKbILUIZBJEmX-sRb0xl_9jO4qXNr8Rijq2_/s1600/20160802+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj012GT4tzBmU_L1XNYAgSvxeJcLF1s0iS8WC1DKG_SCpVpyCtXh6ji5c1OJkHM0RjXmCuY_LX1AM_qp0ywA89EhPS1sZahaffZ5JFw93G0PKbILUIZBJEmX-sRb0xl_9jO4qXNr8Rijq2_/s320/20160802+008.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep stirring until a cohesive paste is formed. Then add 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and stir some more until the mixture becomes dry and crumbly. Remove from the heat and set aside.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsvq49tNQiSlUQP37B9FURfKhbmqxKGkuFAOsicyNd5tn1der-T-_blv4Buo7XYdVCSt5XivtKVcNeS_jBXocyJCOtV0lHX26SbN7fcHqGrHRKjCKAMzgGoQVnAAC9c2kgwPYspRlSgvP/s1600/20160802+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsvq49tNQiSlUQP37B9FURfKhbmqxKGkuFAOsicyNd5tn1der-T-_blv4Buo7XYdVCSt5XivtKVcNeS_jBXocyJCOtV0lHX26SbN7fcHqGrHRKjCKAMzgGoQVnAAC9c2kgwPYspRlSgvP/s640/20160802+009.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Gather the curry ingredients together. As mentioned above, I am including the chicken naked in with the curry instead of breading and frying it and serving it alongside. In addition, we have 2 medium white onions finely chopped, 2 large carrots scrubbed and sliced, 2-3 medium potatoes (Yukon Golds would probably work very nicely, but all I had were Russets so that's what I used), a small apple, 2 tsp kosher or sea salt and 1 tsp of that wonderful curry powder.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuaa4NZ9ZeARHNeLznoALiZzdBMVjlSc-D3hU_vi8GLeFYA4kzmkyWHukGtaHCCI7MNyYOv_0-8qPFhpa9cnpV2-dGtm5ci-eUBADnxbBOMXWMHIkT3IkURAevXgxgWZZdHjnMO2uSWoR/s1600/20160802+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuaa4NZ9ZeARHNeLznoALiZzdBMVjlSc-D3hU_vi8GLeFYA4kzmkyWHukGtaHCCI7MNyYOv_0-8qPFhpa9cnpV2-dGtm5ci-eUBADnxbBOMXWMHIkT3IkURAevXgxgWZZdHjnMO2uSWoR/s320/20160802+010.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ1CE7niSqd0vR7K9_q45D7LiA7aEYBNKa20x-jLA1QkMbPH8FhFb5wDj_Jw8Svm3GYibMWhmAMKa3_zEyCitU-7OXSDNx0ny9fOUvpHS20-W5PYUfDqlbSXeAy4bqkhxxw0F8Uk1uIzL/s1600/20160802+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ1CE7niSqd0vR7K9_q45D7LiA7aEYBNKa20x-jLA1QkMbPH8FhFb5wDj_Jw8Svm3GYibMWhmAMKa3_zEyCitU-7OXSDNx0ny9fOUvpHS20-W5PYUfDqlbSXeAy4bqkhxxw0F8Uk1uIzL/s320/20160802+012.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I cubed the chicken breasts and sautéed them with the chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large pot until the chicken is no longer pink and the onions are starting to caramelize, about 30 minutes.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_7pQGadmOgi8MXnZje0W1cM3KzkbxP6eeGkxIu3UAumZJUCcH_h0yTmxu6zeVnulMciJ5Tu2zrEiX1LgSkS6SbOce8fjgmL6cEFa7PVsqqcit7ZkgX0E-JECcXzD8OUBEBr8SA1Z6VQ2/s1600/20160802+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_7pQGadmOgi8MXnZje0W1cM3KzkbxP6eeGkxIu3UAumZJUCcH_h0yTmxu6zeVnulMciJ5Tu2zrEiX1LgSkS6SbOce8fjgmL6cEFa7PVsqqcit7ZkgX0E-JECcXzD8OUBEBr8SA1Z6VQ2/s320/20160802+013.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Add the carrots and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, peel, core and grate the apple. The recipe states that the apple is essential to provide the subtle fruity undertone that is characteristic of Japanese-style curries.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjmdFTSrmTV2fN-k56zQXDjLJQO9YbYSQGqM06VS1EDVTNqewN2mz_vTV5bAKaa1o2eoSx_1P0HYLplCZrczEQdeAoU_HDfQ8WC7_0u7k3FTQldxX3oAU4hVm-u0vWD9CMp0cqeJNrbje/s1600/20160802+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjmdFTSrmTV2fN-k56zQXDjLJQO9YbYSQGqM06VS1EDVTNqewN2mz_vTV5bAKaa1o2eoSx_1P0HYLplCZrczEQdeAoU_HDfQ8WC7_0u7k3FTQldxX3oAU4hVm-u0vWD9CMp0cqeJNrbje/s320/20160802+015.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARUlDKwocWcIFpM1Ho361zHKMhie2i2s4Ja4GtrN-StTexvgdZfSSWSdqEJVD0XWl8GLQ7HFPPwe_xA6SnR11nC9HF69ZVuu5W_TEob2MO26h9n8RcY_Vxi_xWppVk03eX_6_A6wrr89R/s1600/20160802+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARUlDKwocWcIFpM1Ho361zHKMhie2i2s4Ja4GtrN-StTexvgdZfSSWSdqEJVD0XWl8GLQ7HFPPwe_xA6SnR11nC9HF69ZVuu5W_TEob2MO26h9n8RcY_Vxi_xWppVk03eX_6_A6wrr89R/s320/20160802+016.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWybhIIUpGTyzkpUnNPCNA5o1MYA6H3lKVttAoIf2xdMbvTzho4GkOGFLmZFdQkSyXHkWOdtk4lE2hgiSQyc4mxbC_jOJCUD0omjXjFOTQJA0PsZFka2n3gAGXecUC0ZQbhGcoo6z0YeI/s1600/20160802+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWybhIIUpGTyzkpUnNPCNA5o1MYA6H3lKVttAoIf2xdMbvTzho4GkOGFLmZFdQkSyXHkWOdtk4lE2hgiSQyc4mxbC_jOJCUD0omjXjFOTQJA0PsZFka2n3gAGXecUC0ZQbhGcoo6z0YeI/s320/20160802+017.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Once back to boiling, add the potatoes, grated apple, salt and the curry powder to the pot. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-swR-KaBsihriyQuaNRKLftezlZEAm9f49fYJIWKyrrhVg4PReRQi8oWb0HS0HAsgu4Y7m80BosocRMiVXqAZx8BNMS-PCHo5mM1fo-5lT0xzStMRdR_gWCYJxg9g2fNuXDZ5U7atmAM_/s1600/20160802+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-swR-KaBsihriyQuaNRKLftezlZEAm9f49fYJIWKyrrhVg4PReRQi8oWb0HS0HAsgu4Y7m80BosocRMiVXqAZx8BNMS-PCHo5mM1fo-5lT0xzStMRdR_gWCYJxg9g2fNuXDZ5U7atmAM_/s320/20160802+019.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOSHI9SHh5slvKPSQFBtVZv3sp-lds6RiuIZu43DOayDZsJNQ9L973Bv6qmIsd-7-tecAqeVR51BE1NRwcsIJ-TVNSSZ-o391klo2ABlOiEX7CnSVvI1ZSKB3GhZ3UdM0dxuyv43FkQN9/s1600/20160802+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOSHI9SHh5slvKPSQFBtVZv3sp-lds6RiuIZu43DOayDZsJNQ9L973Bv6qmIsd-7-tecAqeVR51BE1NRwcsIJ-TVNSSZ-o391klo2ABlOiEX7CnSVvI1ZSKB3GhZ3UdM0dxuyv43FkQN9/s320/20160802+020.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Gently push a ladle straight down into the curry and carefully collect some of the sauce without any of the chicken or vegetables. Collect two cups of sauce.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour the collected sauce into the pan of roux and whisk until smooth then pour the roux back into the curry and stir well until smoothly combined. Cook 1 1/2 cups of basmati rice in 3 cups of water or chicken stock and divide evenly among six 2-cup freezer containers. Divide the curry evenly among the freezer containers. You will probably have enough curry left over for another meal. Lucky you, dig in! </span></span><br />
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This curry is so good it may be difficult to do, but if you can forgo having some immediately, refrigerate it overnight and have it the next day. Like chili, it definitely improves with age and the consistency of the sauce is perfect -- it's exactly what I have been looking for. So, this one's definitely a keeper and I will try making it again and follow the recipe exactly, making the breaded and fried chicken katsu to serve alongside the curry.</div><br />
The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-56041258097333807082016-07-31T16:59:00.000-04:002016-08-05T10:15:11.502-04:00Small batch Strawberry Jam and Strawberries in SyrupIt's a very lacklustre sort of day here -- overcast and a bit cool, but still rather muggy, perfect for staying and putting up the strawberries from the farmer's market. Yesterday, I got the strawberries prepared, macerating them in sugar overnight in the refrigerator in two batches -- a small 1-quart batch to be made into jam and a larger 5-quart batch to be preserved in a very light sugar syrup.<br />
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Starting with the jam, since it is such a small batch, I figured why waste energy heating up my big water bath canner when a large soup pot would do.<br />
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So, placing a round cake rack on the bottom of a soup pot, adding a good splash of white vinegar to keep the pot and the jars clean, adding four of my little round jam jars and their rings, I fill the pot with water and start it heating. Click <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/boiling-water-bath-canning-basics.html" target="_blank">here for some basics of water bath canning</a>. Or consult a trusted canning guide like those from <a href="http://www.freshpreserving.com/" target="_blank">Ball</a> or <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/" target="_blank">Bernardin</a>.<br />
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Meanwhile, since this is such a small batch, I will be using the juice and zest of a lemon to provide some pectin, rather than commercial pectin. In addition, I will add some saved lemon seeds tied up in a small square of cheesecloth to provide an additional pectin boost.<br />
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The smaller batch of macerated strawberries are placed in another large pot with an additional 1 cup of sugar (they were macerated in 1 cup of sugar, so this makes a total of 2 cups) and brought to the boil.<br />
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As the temperature approaches 220F, the lemon juice, zest and seeds are added. The picture above shows the temperature at 221F, so I was a bit late in adding the lemon. No problem.<br />
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After adding the lemon, I turned the heat down to medium-low and let the jam simmer for another 5 minutes before removing the lemon seeds in their cheesecloth. By this time the jars and rings had been boiling for well over 10 minutes and were therefore sterilised, so I removed them from the canner and I ladled the jam into 3 of them.<br />
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Two full jars and another one just over half-filled. The fourth jar was not needed. I put the three jars back in the canner, waited for it to come back up to a full boil and then counted 10 minutes to process. Happily, all three jars pinged to say they had successfully sealed. I will use up the partially filled jar as soon as possible because, although it sealed successfully and is therefore shelf-stable, with the large amount of open space inside, the quality of the jam will deteriorate quicker than the full jars. Recipe <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/basic-strawberry-jam-small-batch.html" target="_blank">here</a> adapted from <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2011/06/urban-preserving-small-batch-strawberry-vanilla-jam/" target="_blank">Food In Jars</a>.<br />
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On to the strawberries in syrup.<br />
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Since this is a larger batch, I switched to my large blue enamel canner and got 7 pint jars and their rings heating.<br />
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Meanwhile, the Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving describes a "very light syrup" for 7 pint jars as 5 cups of water to 1/2 cup of sugar, which "approximates natural sugar level in most fruits; adds the fewest calories". Since the strawberries had been macerating in 2 cups of sugar, I decided to drain them first and see how much juice I had.<br />
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Three cups as it turns out. With 2 cups of sugar, this is definitely a medium syrup edging toward heavy.<br />
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So, to balance, I am diluting the juice with an additional 2 cups of water. Five cups of juice to 2 cups of sugar still puts it in the medium range and as much as I would prefer a very light syrup, a medium syrup will have to do.<br />
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The syrup is brought to a full boil and then the drained strawberries are added to it. Once the berries and syrup are back up to a boil, I turned down the heat to low and simmered the berries for few minutes longer.<br />
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By this time, the jars had been boiling for well over 10 minutes, so were sterilised and ready to go. I removed them to a folded tea towel, took the strawberries off the heat and proceeded to fill the jars. After wiping the rims of the jars, centering the lids, applying the rings and tightening them only to fingertip-tight, I placed the jars back in the canner, waited for it to return to boiling and then counted 20 minutes processing time.<br />
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This is known as the "hot pack" method where the food to be canned (usually fruit, including tomatoes) is heated together with the canning liquid to boiling and then ladled into hot jars. This is the preferred method for fruit since fruit is very porous and contains a lot of air which should be removed to prevent discolouration and keep flavour at its peak for as long as possible.<br />
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"Raw (or cold) pack" refers to packing raw food into hot, sterilised jars, then filling the jars with boiling canning liquid. The raw pack method is especially suited for making pickles.<br />
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Like tomatoes, you can see that the strawberries have congregated at the tops of the jars leaving clear juice at the bottom. Once the jars have cooled, a gentle shake should re-incorporate the fruit with the juice. You can also see that, despite the hot-pack method, the strawberries have lost a lot of their colour as it has been leached out into the juice. This in no way affects the flavour.<br />
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The result: 6 pints of strawberries in syrup<br />
3 jars of strawberry jam<br />
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In another of those rare occurrences for me, the jar of strawberries front and centre in the picture above did not seal, so I will be having them over yogourt for breakfast in the next few days. Yay!<br />
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Update: August, 5, 2016 -- I have been having that unsealed jar of strawberries over yogourt for breakfast the past couple of mornings and I have noticed that over time, some of the colour seems to return to the strawberries so they are not quite so pale and anemic looking as they appear in the picture above. Regardless, they are still mighty tasty and will be a real treat to have in the middle of winter!<br />
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<br />The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-6157017855665258442016-07-30T21:24:00.006-04:002016-07-30T22:20:34.155-04:00Port Credit Farmer's Market, Strawberry Preserves, and my own Black Brandywine Cherry Tomatoes!!Even though it was overcast and cool with the occasional sprinkle of rain, I ventured out to the picturesque village of Port Credit, about a 20 minute drive from here and a part of the larger City of Mississauga for many years.<br />
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I was after strawberries to both jam and put up in syrup and I had been told a couple of weeks ago that although the early strawberries were pretty much finished, the everbearing strawberries would be at their peak about now, so I thought I would check it out.<br />
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There were some strawberries, but not a many as I though there would be. Perhaps they peaked last week. Anyway, there were enough to choose from, the going rate between $5 and $5.50 a quart or 2 quarts for $10. I managed to find a flat of 6 quarts for $28.<br />
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My apologies for the blurry photo -- all this fresh produce left me quivering with excitement! This group had the biggest, best looking berries and it was from them that I bought my flat.<br />
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Home again and time to start in on the preserving. Not being a big eater of jam, although I do love it, I decided to set aside 1 quart of the strawberries and make a small batch of jam and I will preserve the rest in a very light syrup. I have done this a couple of years in a row now and although canned strawberries tend to get flabby, mushy and "blown-out", I still enjoy them over ice-cream or over yogourt for breakfast. Nothing lifts my spirits on a cold, dark winter's morning than the fresh summery taste of my own canned fruit and strawberries, despite their texture, are no exception!<br />
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Part of my inspiration for making jam (apart from the joy of having some in my pantry) is the jars I will be using. I inherited 4 little round jam jars a few years ago from my cousin, Lynn and I instantly fell in love with them. I had never seen them before and apparently they were available years ago, but Bernardin stopped making them.<br />
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Back in March of this year, Marisa posted on her blog about Ball (the American equivalent of Bernardin -- both are owned by Jardin) <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2016/03/giveaway-round-collection-elite-jam-jars-sponsored-by-fillmore-container/" target="_blank">bringing back these jars</a>. I was thrilled and thought it was only a matter of time before Bernardin followed suit and brought them back to Canada. Sure enough, about a month ago, they showed up on Bernardin's website with the note that they were available at major retailers.<br />
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So, I first checked Canadian Tire, my usual canning goods supplier, but to no avail. Same with Home Depot, Lowes, Rona and even Home Hardware. Lots of the usual canning jars, but no little round jam jars.</div>
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Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place and asked Mr. Google. And, much to my supreme chagrin, there they were waiting for me at that death-star of the evil empire: Wal-Mart!! I make a habit of avoiding Wal-Mart like the plague, so it was with firmly gritted teeth that I swallowed my pride and with eyes burning from my hypocrisy, bought two sets of 4 jars. Sigh! My hatred of Wal-Mart is the stuff of legend and may be worth a ranting post of its own some day. Not today, though, and not here.</div>
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So, to prepare the strawberries, I first set aside one quart basket of berries from the flat, give them a good wash and proceed to trim and hull them, chopping the smaller ones into quarters and the larger ones into eighths.</div>
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Once all berries from that one quart basket have been trimmed, hulled and chopped, I mix in one cup of granulated sugar.</div>
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Covering the bowl, I popped it into the fridge to allow the fruit to macerate overnight to extract as much juice as possible.</div>
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I repeated the washing, trimming and hulling with the remaining 5 quarts of berries, but I leave the smaller ones cut in half and the larger ones in quarters for preserving in very light syrup.</div>
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And, to end off, I'm am so excited to announce that my beloved Black Brandywine Cherry Tomatoes are now starting to ripen. All that babying and coddling have paid off!</div>
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Same amazing taste as their big brothers. I'm thrilled to have them now in my collection! Tomorrow, I will tackle the macerated strawberries, make a small batch of strawberry jam and put the rest up in very light syrup. Stay tuned!</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-49654629146727534812016-07-30T20:31:00.000-04:002016-07-30T22:33:02.040-04:00Pantry in Action: Sweet Cherry Barbeque Pulled Chicken<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The "Pantry in Action" series shows creative ways of using all the wonderful food we've preserved during the year. I will include recipes wherever appropriate with links back to the post(s) where a particular ingredient (or ingredients) was canned.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having just discovered a bag of cooked chicken meat in my freezer left over from the last batch of <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/chicken-beef-or-vegetable-stock.html" target="_blank">chicken stock</a> I made and with the wonderful <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2016/07/strawberries-rhubarb-and-cherries-oh-my.html" target="_blank">Sweet Cherry Barbeque Sauce</a> I made last week, this practically made itself!</span></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pour a pint jar of<a href="http://foodinjars.com/2016/07/sweet-cherry-barbecue-sauce/" target="_blank"> Sweet Cherry Barbeque Sauce</a> in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a medium-sized white onion, sliced thinly and the shredded, cooked meat of one whole poached chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or so. The end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I split it between five 2-cup freezer containers paired with cooked brown rice and popped the containers into the freezer ready for a quick lunch or dinner. That barbeque sauce is amazing and packs a real punch!</span></div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-80074348305903859322016-07-13T18:06:00.001-04:002016-08-05T10:08:00.640-04:00Strawberries, Rhubarb and Cherries, Oh My!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Egads and little fishes!" as my mother was fond of saying. I can't believe that it's been over a month since my last post. (Were I Catholic, this would definitely seem confessional!).<br />
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Much has happened in the interim, both good and bad. I am not going to dwell on the bad stuff here -- the media have done an admirable job of covering -- although I encourage you to read/watch as many different sources as possible to get as balanced a view as possible. Remember, there are at least two sides to every story.<br />
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Instead, what I want to do here is focus on the good.<br />
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Like the emergence of Ontario strawberries. Granted, I am posting this over a month after the fact and we are now firmly entrenched in strawberry season here in Ontario, but no matter when, Ontario strawberries are something to celebrate! Juicy and packed with flavour they far outshine their insipid imported counterparts!<br />
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As it was the long Canada Day weekend as well as a long Independence Day weekend (Friday, July 1 was Canada Day and Monday, July 4 was Independence Day), and the Toronto Pride Parade was on the Sunday, July 3, I decided to host a "Canada Pride" barbeque on Canada Day.<br />
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As word got out, the number of guests swelled, so I hastily made it into a potluck, which ended up working wonderfully. I asked my guests to bring either a salad or appetizers and I would take care of the main courses of cold poached salmon fillet, barbequed sausages and chicken wings/drumsticks as well as ice cream to accompany the Canada Day cake my friend Nancy offered to bring.<br />
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Since there would be a number of dairy-restricted guests, I thought that a couple of dairy-free ice "creams" would be in order. So, consulting my recipe stash and Mr. Google, I came up with Coconut Milk Strawberry Ice Cream.<br />
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Since this was my first time making a non-dairy ice cream, using unflavoured gelatin was new to me, but in hindsight it was essential for creating the right consistency in the ice cream base.<br />
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Soften the gelatin in a little water and in the meantime, blitz most of the strawberries (holding a few back for chopping into the ice cream) with the coconut milk and honey.<br />
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Pour the strawberry/coconut milk mixture into a large bowl and stir in the melted gelatin. Pop into the fridge and let it set up for several hours or overnight. There isn't enough gelatin to produce a firm jello-like set, but it should be thick and creamy, like a yogourt drink.<br />
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Meanwhile, chop the reserved strawberries into small pieces.<br />
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Prepare your ice cream maker. This is my <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Cuisinart-ICE-21C-Frozen-Yogurt-Sorbet/dp/B0041U1CFC/ref=sr_1_2/000-6130108-6848825?ie=UTF8&qid=1468443513&sr=8-2&keywords=cuisinart+ice+cream+maker" target="_blank">Cuisinart</a>. It's an awesome little workhorse that is used infrequently but is SO appreciated when needed for churning out all sorts of frozen goodies!<br />
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Following the manufacturer's directions, start the ice cream maker, then slowly pour the prepared base into the freezer bowl. Churn until frozen and creamy, about 20 minutes.<br />
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Add the reserved chopped strawberries and churn for another few minutes to thoroughly combine.<br />
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Pack into a freezer-friendly container and freeze until firm -- several hours or overnight. Note: since there is no butterfat in this ice cream, it does freeze VERY solidly. You will definitely want to take it out of the freezer about 30-45 minutes before serving to improve scoopability. Also note, due to the lack of butterfat, it will not have the creamy scoop of a dairy ice cream, but will be more ice crystalline, more like a sorbet. Very tasty, regardless.<br />
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Another non-dairy ice "cream" I made for the barbeque was an <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/almond-milk-chocolate-ice.html" target="_blank">Almond Milk Chocolate Ice "Cream"</a>, made similarly to the <a href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2015/04/creamy-strawberry-ice-cream-dairy-free.html" target="_blank">Coconut Strawberry Ice "Cream" </a>above. Click on the links for recipes.<br />
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Over the long weekend, I made a trip to a nearby farmer's market and discovered both the early Ontario strawberries and the Ontario cherries were nearing their end, so I scooped up some of each. The farmer I bought the strawberries from told me that the ever-bearing strawberries would be coming into their prime in another week or so and that if I checked back then, I might be able to get a flat of strawberries at a decent price. I will definitely check that out!<br />
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Meanwhile, these strawberries I bought were earmarked for canning, some with rhubarb from my garden and some on their own in simple syrup for having over yogourt for breakfast some cold, dark, dreary February morning.<br />
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So, to prepare, I topped and hulled the strawberries, then divided them, approximately two-thirds to be canned on their own to one-third to be combined with my previously frozen rhubarb. The above photos show the strawberry/rhubarb mixture macerating with about 2 cups of granulated sugar. I like to leave the fruit to macerate as long as possible (overnight is ideal!) so that the maximum amount of juice is extracted.</div>
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I've also split the rhubarb in half, so that one half is combined with the strawberries and half is on its own. Out of this exercise I will therefore get three different preserves: strawberries in simple syrup, stewed rhubarb and stewed rhubarb with strawberries! All will be superlative over yogourt on a cold winter's morning.<br />
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The bounty: 2 1/2 pints strawberries & rhubarb<br />
3 pints rhubarb<br />
1 pint strawberries<br />
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As for the cherries, I was inspired by a need to clean out my freezer (last year's cherries from my backyard tree), the wonderful irresistible cherries from the farmer's market and Marisa's post last week for <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2016/07/sweet-cherry-barbecue-sauce/" target="_blank">Sweet Cherry Barbeque Sauce</a>. Oh yeah! Totally up my alley and I literally drooled at her suggestion of using said barbeque sauce as a braising base for chicken or pork. Hot patootie!<br />
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So, I was on this like glaze on doughnuts.<br />
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In the pot are 3 pounds of sweet cherries, a cup of apple cider vinegar and a cup of packed brown sugar. On the cutting board is everything else.<br />
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Since the recipe called for 3 pounds of cherries and I had 5 1/2 pounds, rather than scale up the recipe (which would have been okay since it's not jam or marmalade), I thought that since I hadn't tasted this before, I would make the recipe as described and can the excess cherries in simple syrup to have over yogourt for breakfast. The photo above shows the excess cherries beginning their maceration in a cup of white sugar.<br />
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The barbeque sauce (large pot in back) and the cherries in simple syrup (smaller pot in front).<br />
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The reward: 2 1/2 pints sweet cherry barbeque sauce<br />
1 1/2 pints sweet cherries in simple syrup<br />
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Taste testing while I was making this indicates this one's a keeper! It's a nice balance between fruity, sweet, savoury, spicy-hot and tart. I can't wait to try it in a slow-cooker braise!<br />
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-50407903393873700222016-06-05T14:40:00.001-04:002016-06-05T14:41:15.853-04:00Pantry Inventory 2016<div style="text-align: justify;">
With the canning season approaching once again, it's the perfect time to take stock of what was consumed from the pantry over the last year and what remains. This gives insight into what things you actually eat more of and what you don't and from that you can determine what you should be growing and canning.</div>
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Last year, I pretty much dedicated my entire vegetable garden to tomatoes, knowing I use a lot of them in my cooking. I wanted to create enough of an inventory of tomato products to carry me through the year. What has surprised me is number of jars of pasta sauce that remain while my jars of diced tomatoes are all gone. I thought I would use both sauce and diced tomatoes in equal measure, judging by my cooking habits over the previous year. It appears I use more diced tomatoes than sauce, so this year I will adjust my canning accordingly and when the time comes, I will put up the majority of my tomatoes as diced.<br />
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Meanwhile, though, the rhubarb is bursting forth in all its glory, so I have been busy pulling it to try and keep it thinned out and hopefully allow more stalks room to thicken up. I realize that the crowns I moved earlier this spring really should be split apart but I had neither the time nor the space to do so this year and consequently the crowns are putting out many skinny stalks as opposed to fewer thicker ones, hence the frequent thinning.</div>
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I must admit, though, they do appear to be liking their new, sunnier location and I suspect the addition of compost and manure to their bed didn't hurt either. I stewed my first batch of rhubarb last weekend and had it over yogourt for breakfast. Heavenly! For now, though, I am freezing my trimmed and chopped rhubarb, collecting and saving it for the next few weeks until the Ontario strawberries are available and I'll be able to make Strawberry-Rhubarb stew and perhaps some Strawberry-Rhubarb jam (same basic recipe -- just more sugar in the jam than in the stew). Watch for an upcoming post and recipe!</div>
The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-9901655221984800892016-06-01T15:49:00.001-04:002016-07-08T13:35:57.597-04:00On being off the grid (more or less)<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know I am in a very weird little minority here, but I hate cellphones and smartphones. Actually, I'm skeptical about any mobile PDA-type device, but I truly detest mobile phones. Now, before you get all in my face about it, please understand: I get it, I totally do. Mobile phones have made life exponentially more convenient (albeit all that quicker with all the texting, tweeting, FB-ing, etc. going on.). We can be in touch with whomever we need to be when we need to be whether it's a life-or-death emergency or simply checking in with someone.</div>
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But, can you remember what life was like before we all carried these electronic tethers? Years ago, when cell phones were first becoming ubiquitous, I weighed the convenience (and admittedly the time-savings in emergencies) of carrying a phone against the freedom and solitude of not having one and I decided against having one, relying on land lines instead.</div>
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Thus far, I feel I made the correct decision as I cherish the quiet time to myself by being off the grid while in transit, for example, far above having to be always on top of what's happening elsewhere in my life. I do not feel the need to always be available and if something is important enough, anyone can leave a message on the voice mail of my land line and I will return their call as soon as I can. I'm never away from a land line of some sort for more than an hour or two most days, unless I am on vacation or travelling or something where I actively choose to be incommunicado.</div>
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But, that's just the thing -- it's my choice, my decision. I have control over what and when I deal with things in my life and instead of jumping to respond to every little text, tweet, email message or FaceBook post, I can breathe a little, relax a little and deal with things at a measured pace. Nothing is that important that I need to be reachable 24-7. I realize that there may be instances where having a mobile phone would be a great advantage or even life-saving (caught in a traffic accident for example), but I am willing to bet against those odds and pay the price for the peace, freedom and control of dealing with my life at my own pace.</div>
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You may be thinking that you do have control by turning off your phone, but honestly, I think the convenience of carrying one would require strong self-discipline to keep it turned off -- the knowledge that the phone is there would be enough to keep curiosity piqued that I think the urge to turn the phone on and check in would be irresistible. That's just me, though -- if you are that disciplined, you have my admiration in spades!</div>
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Then there is the tracking aspect. This prospect terrifies me. Not having a smart phone of my own, I can't honestly profess to know a lot about them, but I do believe there is a method, a setting of some sort, that turns the tracking "beacon" off. Apparently. And now with <a href="http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6700539-the-internet-of-things-could-radically-change-how-we-shop/" target="_blank">this</a> as incentive, I can see more and more people actively choosing to allow themselves to be tracked through their smart device.</div>
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According to the article,</div>
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<i>"This is how it works: Passive sensors installed in the mall (or bank) pick up Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular signals from personal electronic devices carried by shoppers, with each device represented on a computer monitor by a separate moving icon. </i></div>
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<i> The installed sensors poll the environment every six seconds, quickly enough to give retailers the ability to send out a coupon to a customer with a loyalty app as they near a store." </i></div>
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Further,</div>
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<i>"But the real value to retailers is that the data can be gathered, analyzed and distilled to provide information on what people are doing in the mall. Where do they go after they leave the food court? How much time do they spend in the bookstore? Are they visiting daily or weekly? How many new visitors come to the mall each day? </i></div>
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<i> ... compares it to knowing a person's licence plate number — knowing it tells you nothing personal about the owner or the driver or its other occupants." </i></div>
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Personally, I feel that what I'm doing in the mall, where I go and how much time I spend is none of the mall's damned business, even if they are not collecting any personal data about me, know nothing about me (apart from where I am and how much time I'm spending there), and to them, I'm <i>"just an icon". </i>The comparison to a license plate number would only be valid if we were photographed where ever we drove and parked. Knowing a license plate number may not tell you anything personal about the owner or the driver or its other occupants, but it also doesn't tell you where the vehicle has been, where it is going or how long it stays in one spot.</div>
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What really frightens me, though, is how readily we as a whole will adopt this, led like lemmings over the cliff of privacy invasion by the promise of coupons and loyalty points. As the article states,</div>
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<i>"But shoppers who download loyalty apps should know this: Permission granting a retailer the right to gather more detailed information about you through your phone may be buried in the terms and conditions of the app. </i></div>
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<i> "<b>The question is, who reads the terms and conditions?</b>"... </i>(emphasis mine)</div>
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<i> Less than three per cent of people in malls have loyalty apps, ... but the upside is that having the loyalty app can open up a whole new experience for some customers, creating the possibility for retailers to provide individualized service to customers as they arrive in-store, based on their shopping history."</i></div>
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I am as guilty as the next person for not reading the fine print, although I am starting to get better at it as more and more potentially egregious breaches of personal privacy become possible as a result of technology and our implicit agreement to it.</div>
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We should always view new technological offerings with a healthy dose of skepticism and not be dazzled by the initial potential or by promotional "carrots" (customized digital coupons, for example) aimed at getting us to adopt the offering. Learn to read the fine print, painful as it can be, because it is certainly eye-opening what you may have to give up in order to participate in a new service or program. We need to reflect on what we must give up versus what we are getting in return to truly decide whether it's worth it.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-85629218006194395582016-05-24T19:06:00.001-04:002016-05-24T19:15:01.054-04:00Garden chores: Planting!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Finally, <i>finally!! </i>The Victoria Day long weekend arrived and it was spectacular. Mother Nature, all is forgiven! It was the perfect weekend for doing what we in Southern Ontario traditionally do -- plant our gardens.</div>
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This weekend is one of the busiest for garden centres in the region, so crowd-adverse as I am, I bought everything I needed ahead of time and stayed put in the peace and quiet of my own back yard.</div>
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In a previous post, I mentioned the concept of "square foot gardening" as described by Canadian gardening guru, Mark Cullen, in his excellent book "<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/New-Canadian-Garden-Mark-Cullen/dp/1459732243" target="_blank">The New Canadian Garden</a>". As its name states, square foot gardening involves dividing a garden plot into equal 1 foot by 1 foot squares and planting different things within each square. This provides an excellent opportunity to practice another great gardening concept: <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Carrots-Love-Tomatoes-Companion-Successful/dp/1580170277" target="_blank">companion planting</a>.</div>
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First things first, though. I needed to divide my garden beds into 1-foot squares, so using bamboo stakes and some twine, I did just that:</div>
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The soil looks so dry in this photo, but it's only the surface because it's been in the sun all day. The garden itself has been well watered and is still quite moist beneath.</div>
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Now that I have the grid laid out to guide my planting, I can sit back with a glass of wine and plot out where to plant what.</div>
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Sitting on my deck in the shade of my gazebo, I first draw diagrams of the two garden beds I am going to plant using the square-foot model. Next, I list all the various seeds and plants that will populate these two beds and, using the convenient companion planting chart in Mark's book, I mark on the diagrams where to plant or sow each plant or seed. Fortunately, nothing I am planting (tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, peas, peppers, rosemary, Italian parsley, garlic chives) are antagonistic to one another -- they are either beneficial to one another (carrots and tomatoes, for example) or neutral (any of the vegetables versus any of the herbs). So, laying out where to plant what was more a matter of how many seeds/plants I had of each type and how much space each would need as a fully grown plant.</div>
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That done, I decided it was late enough in the afternoon to call it a day and so I poured myself another glass of wine, sat on my deck, put my feet up and relaxed into a glorious spring evening.</div>
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The next day, I got busy and, using my diagrams as a guide, gathered all the seeds and seedlings together and brought them down to the garden to be planted.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaocDzss0xMiRPBSajNiYZUpSMkS0dawfaiiQueM4XchbkhNWYJcoWdl2nF0WrCjrqOpUrDQYZTyel_HuE2J3WmmK8rbgz0mWkJDbEXA9t4E5BdcZE6_3cfNumzhiXVim6C1dgCtScHQ8L/s1600/20160524+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaocDzss0xMiRPBSajNiYZUpSMkS0dawfaiiQueM4XchbkhNWYJcoWdl2nF0WrCjrqOpUrDQYZTyel_HuE2J3WmmK8rbgz0mWkJDbEXA9t4E5BdcZE6_3cfNumzhiXVim6C1dgCtScHQ8L/s640/20160524+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I placed the pots of each of the seedlings and purchased plants in their assigned squares so I could go around planting each of them in turn without having to continually reference the diagram. I placed cages around the determinate Oroma tomato seedlings so they would be identified as such. In this <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-last-of-red-hot-tomatoes_12.html" target="_blank">post from last year</a>, I mention how determinate varieties of tomatoes like Oroma only produce fruit for a certain length of time before the plant dies off whereas indeterminate varieties like my Roma, Opalka and Black Brandywines will keep on producing fruit as long as you keep harvesting up until frost finally kills the plant.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsby1TJjTkPdSv9uLfm3cpv5mFitMMjxAvTbWaAKs_QCQEyJOmrHjgkWjbs05ibt7ohYNo8mMMqWzTmBG3Q72Kv0EFiN6UR5FCS2htWzTu1FfDM2BkrA1K8twITWXY0M8Y4ZqjpdxupLo/s1600/20160524+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsby1TJjTkPdSv9uLfm3cpv5mFitMMjxAvTbWaAKs_QCQEyJOmrHjgkWjbs05ibt7ohYNo8mMMqWzTmBG3Q72Kv0EFiN6UR5FCS2htWzTu1FfDM2BkrA1K8twITWXY0M8Y4ZqjpdxupLo/s640/20160524+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I now have 5 different heirloom tomato varieties, all non-GMO: Oroma, Roma, Opalka, Black Brandywine, and a cherry version of Black Brandywine that appeared in my garden on its own for the first time last year. I saved seeds from it, along with my other varieties, <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/09/seed-saving-fall-2015.html" target="_blank">processing them for storage over the winter</a>. I am thrilled that all the seeds I started earlier this year have grown into strong, healthy seedlings and I am terribly excited to see if the Black Brandwine cherry tomatoes actually produce cherry tomatoes again in a second generation. Stay tuned.<br />
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For now though, in order to identify the various types of indeterminate tomatoes, I borrowed from the <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-2016-gardening-season-has.html" target="_blank">masking tape flag manoeuvre </a>I used earlier on clothes pins to identify started seeds. Since indeterminate tomatoes grow on ever lengthening vines, I find these handy metal spiral stakes make great supports for them as you can wind the plants into the supports as they grow. Consulting my planting guide, I've selected enough spiral supports for each of the indeterminate tomatoes I am planting and I have marked each at the top with a masking tape flag identifying the tomato variety.<br />
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Once all the seedlings and plants have been planted and any necessary supports installed, I again consulted my planting guide and sowed seeds for heirloom rainbow carrots, non-GMO Scarlet Nantes carrots (large, nicely cylindrical and great for slicing and freezing), red, green and mixed heirloom lettuces, dill and garlic chives. Using cedar woodworking shims bought in a bundle from Home Depot and a black permanent marker, I made and installed name tags for each of the planted areas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILIEL3kRdInmFwOSISRRJnNEFMQ-hftrbcXT4txp0zjlO9SgNmq8vy-xhes-Y_I9YW6qt5Kmrk6xonASOJ5WuEOpkmcwyRIIvzIicO0a1aiS9-F886osVEd2C08Leku7XzJmTi2IGIhWt/s1600/20160524+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILIEL3kRdInmFwOSISRRJnNEFMQ-hftrbcXT4txp0zjlO9SgNmq8vy-xhes-Y_I9YW6qt5Kmrk6xonASOJ5WuEOpkmcwyRIIvzIicO0a1aiS9-F886osVEd2C08Leku7XzJmTi2IGIhWt/s640/20160524+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And again, labours done for the day, I sat on my deck with a glass of wine and admired my efforts! Looking at similar shots to this one above from last week and the week before, I am again struck by the difference a week makes and how the garden has filled in.<br />
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According to the weather forecast, we are supposed to be in for a lovely week with higher than normal temperatures and only the occasional shower. I'm hoping it turns out to be true, but frankly I'm just happy to be on vacation this week and now that the vegetables are planted I can turn to cleaning up the rest of the yard and planting the marigolds and thyme to keep the raccoons at bay. It may be still early yet, but I haven't noticed much evidence of them yet. I like to think that it's all the garlic I've planted around the yard (I even threw some over the back fence and into the bushes and I see it's starting to flourish there in the shade), but that's probably just wishful thinking on my part. The urban raccoons of Toronto are legendary in their craftiness, so it's just a matter of time before they pay me a visit, I'm sure!<br />
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-87163131756975666562016-05-15T11:37:00.000-04:002016-05-15T11:42:15.376-04:00Garden chores: vegetable bed preparation<div style="text-align: justify;">
It appears Mother Nature continues to want to toy with us. It's been a little cooler than normal for the last week or so, but still quite pleasant. Until yesterday, that is, when it started to feel like winter was back upon us!</div>
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Next weekend is the long Victoria Day weekend in Canada and is the unofficial first long weekend of the summer season. It is traditionally the weekend where those of us with gardens plant them with seeds and young plants either purchased or started indoors. It's one of the single busiest weekends for garden centres here in Southern Ontario.</div>
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In preparation, I needed to get the remainder of the vegetable bed ready for planting, so I got busy digging. Over the course of the day, however, a chilly breeze rose up and developed into a cold wind. A front was moving in bringing cold rainy weather with it.</div>
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While I was digging, I noticed rogue raspberry canes and daylilies were once again growing under my neighbour's fence and getting quite large. I have other plans for this area, so I decided to dig them up before they got any bigger and pot them up to donate to the upcoming annual sale of the garden club my friend Colin belongs to.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOa23_ieRD9M09ADBX3X54clnRetn6XjzJjXMN25UtfG54StQg77x6MOfs_c_Ygpq1MfW866cGL9qvCV2U3QKKlqThRfVCALNxrbLvM0NdOfzZ5mVOFPCIjio4QPJCbfTd05nQ5PSAgPOx/s1600/20160514+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOa23_ieRD9M09ADBX3X54clnRetn6XjzJjXMN25UtfG54StQg77x6MOfs_c_Ygpq1MfW866cGL9qvCV2U3QKKlqThRfVCALNxrbLvM0NdOfzZ5mVOFPCIjio4QPJCbfTd05nQ5PSAgPOx/s640/20160514+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The newly dug bed measures 7 feet wide, which is perfect to split into two 3-foot beds. I had dug the first 3-foot bed a couple of weeks ago and planted it with peas which are now just starting to sprout. Together, these three beds form the footprint for three raised beds that I am planning on constructing this fall ready for next year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcWX30XtACYC4SkMIvViJ0be1gx8JXmyas-lOzK2MSDKNh9sRxzxAbGAgmerPtBVWGID0BdK8VFlwpEwdW3uGZxDTou1yr1cQwd8fHoIUdT9crA6YfynpuS8tr5yyBEVw7zRM87WJgmmC/s1600/20160514+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcWX30XtACYC4SkMIvViJ0be1gx8JXmyas-lOzK2MSDKNh9sRxzxAbGAgmerPtBVWGID0BdK8VFlwpEwdW3uGZxDTou1yr1cQwd8fHoIUdT9crA6YfynpuS8tr5yyBEVw7zRM87WJgmmC/s640/20160514+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, all I needed to do was place a spare deck board between the 3-foot and 4-foot mark to divide the newly dug area into two 3-foot beds. Once I had sown a few more peas for succession planting, I was done! Cold and tired, I retreated into the house, took a nice hot shower and settled in for the evening.</div>
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The weather forecast was calling for near-freezing temperatures overnight last night and another chilly day today, so I took no chances and brought all the seedlings inside. As the forecast turned out to be correct and it is not exactly a beautiful spring day out there today, I'm glad I did! The long-range forecast is calling for warmer temperatures by mid-week and a warm, sunny Victoria Day weekend. I sure hope so!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeMhXZuoAVgGYDCwjGST0UUeXB68SY8M5Q1ZVGF-Z4DbMCrFyeGT5yoEG7-F-dJ1y_sn0qrVsmV7Bj02cuUimIBTnlnlHkl5XfBwPo1P6pMNCt3NzqYrfv78eqy58HkoOijNwex_tHH19/s1600/20160514+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeMhXZuoAVgGYDCwjGST0UUeXB68SY8M5Q1ZVGF-Z4DbMCrFyeGT5yoEG7-F-dJ1y_sn0qrVsmV7Bj02cuUimIBTnlnlHkl5XfBwPo1P6pMNCt3NzqYrfv78eqy58HkoOijNwex_tHH19/s640/20160514+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My day's labours done, I couldn't help but take this shot of the garden to show that, despite the cooler weather lately, the difference in growth over the course of a week is amazing at this time of year. It never ceases to captivate me!</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-4179499324506734322016-05-13T11:12:00.000-04:002016-05-13T12:16:24.570-04:00Pantry in Action: Vegetable Barley Salad<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The "Pantry in Action" series shows creative ways of using all the wonderful food we've preserved during the year. I will include recipes wherever appropriate with links back to the post(s) where a particular ingredient (or ingredients) was canned.</span></i></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Always on the lookout for healthy eating choices, I was recently inspired by a co-worker's lunch of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabbouleh" target="_blank">tabbouleh</a>, the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern salad of tomatoes, parsley and bulgur.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span> </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLAYPZM5uSiMoYIMqcf40pneV7ETO4ts69kIG7O3F5lAkdix7a2wjHoCdQvh6RUiGHWj5G2YoqIuSGqgyFOoilRzsI6DpTPl_OJ6mWZjc3ftgvf5YqvxmvcjlHODKQ2Xoo3qr5L-mceLl/s1600/20160512+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLAYPZM5uSiMoYIMqcf40pneV7ETO4ts69kIG7O3F5lAkdix7a2wjHoCdQvh6RUiGHWj5G2YoqIuSGqgyFOoilRzsI6DpTPl_OJ6mWZjc3ftgvf5YqvxmvcjlHODKQ2Xoo3qr5L-mceLl/s640/20160512+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Arriving home last night, I rifled through the vegetable crispers in the fridge and thought, "Why stop at tomatoes and parsley?". I discovered I had a red bell pepper, a yellow bell pepper, a couple of green zucchini, some celery, a bunch of asparagus and a red onion in addition to a large tomato and a bunch of fresh Italian parsley.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">And not having any bulgur I spied some <a href="http://naturallysavvy.com/eat/pot-versus-pearl-barley" target="_blank">pot barley</a> hiding at the back of the cupboard and thought "Why not?".</span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3EZPtSYA3u8uMC_qpUW0uQKwZ_lItELDVYC4vhlg5s1qyutVvayEbhqnzVjr_zrkRbvWam5Vv_ITQoTXf1WOwcaXtod7jGCC1WuOBXqWdZuoOuhgV3WAXv78sLH5_pSpn897rBaXTp2g/s1600/20160512+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3EZPtSYA3u8uMC_qpUW0uQKwZ_lItELDVYC4vhlg5s1qyutVvayEbhqnzVjr_zrkRbvWam5Vv_ITQoTXf1WOwcaXtod7jGCC1WuOBXqWdZuoOuhgV3WAXv78sLH5_pSpn897rBaXTp2g/s640/20160512+002.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I began by cooking the barley the way I do rice -- a 2-to-1 ratio of cooking liquid to grain -- in this case using 2 cups of <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/chicken-beef-or-vegetable-stock.html" target="_blank">homemade chicken stock </a>to 1 cup of barley, bringing it to a full boil and then covering and turning the heat down to low, leaving it to gently cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Pot barley, because it has most of its bran intact cooks up a little chewier than pearl barley or other processed grains, so don't think that it isn't cooked if it still feels a little firm. Do a quick taste test -- it should be firm but tender with a nice chewy bite.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa90Y41Ct6tWdtPL5kicc6Le7TEr3MATiN-IPF0kk1p-EEcK0INgOjh325M8rGtyqr-Sk23W3ind0fiWAgcLlWWoMazaWFNzkQzZFlhS4mQBTyrkkeWSql8uPB0Dvq_1KYRKDpXqWVBGG/s1600/20160512+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa90Y41Ct6tWdtPL5kicc6Le7TEr3MATiN-IPF0kk1p-EEcK0INgOjh325M8rGtyqr-Sk23W3ind0fiWAgcLlWWoMazaWFNzkQzZFlhS4mQBTyrkkeWSql8uPB0Dvq_1KYRKDpXqWVBGG/s640/20160512+007.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While the barley was cooking, I got busy and chopped all the vegetables into an even dice of about 1/2 an inch. The parsley was chopped finely. I heaped everything into a large mixing bowl and then went about concocting a dressing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7MZJhwBC2COR5qoikFYvqv_rsLOZ45on8EhXF8NZ7F-0Ub_1O_SjX4UTyBmjBzgjEtTooX8ZBT1OAz1n8s0mHi-OCoMS7Lu8fyDrCgE-wXEabcy-iwS9-ZISCMjRDuv1cy-VTxKsU9MB/s1600/20160512+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7MZJhwBC2COR5qoikFYvqv_rsLOZ45on8EhXF8NZ7F-0Ub_1O_SjX4UTyBmjBzgjEtTooX8ZBT1OAz1n8s0mHi-OCoMS7Lu8fyDrCgE-wXEabcy-iwS9-ZISCMjRDuv1cy-VTxKsU9MB/s640/20160512+003.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One the quickest and easiest salad dressings I've come across, and one that I make frequently just because it's so quick and easy and tastes so good is simply olive oil and red wine vinegar, emulsified with a little Dijon mustard.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRW0s9aTtVqQMqNBVIJEqPT3Re8APh6kIqJMV2UTgKIi6QZn7AITo_gbWNkYUSWTvQPHkXcrToqRxzbxig10MLyfjpfX4hmmFi27Kp6ZN2axu1XUz0FF409H2GsxzrMwU1UTSLzp_3nXz/s1600/20160512+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRW0s9aTtVqQMqNBVIJEqPT3Re8APh6kIqJMV2UTgKIi6QZn7AITo_gbWNkYUSWTvQPHkXcrToqRxzbxig10MLyfjpfX4hmmFi27Kp6ZN2axu1XUz0FF409H2GsxzrMwU1UTSLzp_3nXz/s320/20160512+004.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN_xSiwvaP900nNKaBHfuSHDdlJtz2QG8B8NmKIbskPrDYYu_aJeVGYRKg4dAy6WXM_F_HqfLIiVowDQ1UK9RS56JNjRloeGHA2IJ8PT6eE_DU5HXnKwOUDj9E6saiWLrevs9G6Hbl9kd/s1600/20160512+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN_xSiwvaP900nNKaBHfuSHDdlJtz2QG8B8NmKIbskPrDYYu_aJeVGYRKg4dAy6WXM_F_HqfLIiVowDQ1UK9RS56JNjRloeGHA2IJ8PT6eE_DU5HXnKwOUDj9E6saiWLrevs9G6Hbl9kd/s320/20160512+005.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsedKQj11xZUVNZVH-zl4c1T_3v5ZWtdoL_7STucGhDOZN8HQpCw851DOGrLnJCtkgt3tArAVNfB53UYFkHOoX_7Odq2PGRiQY75eoqAiiwY8oBVigyxEacVXzo9RnN-lUlh6Tzxob706/s1600/20160512+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsedKQj11xZUVNZVH-zl4c1T_3v5ZWtdoL_7STucGhDOZN8HQpCw851DOGrLnJCtkgt3tArAVNfB53UYFkHOoX_7Odq2PGRiQY75eoqAiiwY8oBVigyxEacVXzo9RnN-lUlh6Tzxob706/s320/20160512+006.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For years I've had this little 4 ounce jar that originally held chopped garlic in oil. It's absolutely the perfect size for shaking together enough salad dressing to nicely dress a large bowl of salad for 4 people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The basic ratio is one half jar of olive oil, one third of red wine vinegar and a large heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Pop the lid on the jar, give it a good shake and voilà -- lovely salad dressing!</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA81h3K57tb2AADqZ3ZQDa8JK_w4tolS4TK5-7WB3tdAJYF8O92XweWSuH05AbthLTLqTmuZMRZTs-HLGp61YjpXNSd-3ZQxqG9Wtf5ZVfxCZYZRjiXQIFLkyagx9D4BXRwLq8lAQlrDY6/s1600/20160512+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA81h3K57tb2AADqZ3ZQDa8JK_w4tolS4TK5-7WB3tdAJYF8O92XweWSuH05AbthLTLqTmuZMRZTs-HLGp61YjpXNSd-3ZQxqG9Wtf5ZVfxCZYZRjiXQIFLkyagx9D4BXRwLq8lAQlrDY6/s320/20160512+008.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqE59coWYjXxemJ6TGdaZKijh9JjvzXYXU1Jku7pi26jJrKKQElwD9dy7kIsCHmSNYpkopDiwqJTFkILPD19-angphwsyXNn2nGRdMXN0ZV7f3Hj8U0B2kZfuf3ozl0-pJzIy1SAp5WMwO/s1600/20160512+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqE59coWYjXxemJ6TGdaZKijh9JjvzXYXU1Jku7pi26jJrKKQElwD9dy7kIsCHmSNYpkopDiwqJTFkILPD19-angphwsyXNn2nGRdMXN0ZV7f3Hj8U0B2kZfuf3ozl0-pJzIy1SAp5WMwO/s320/20160512+009.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWRTwysG8FQt4zmXta2sCSLUEhzz_5AvYaXMlbexQuB4J_OS-yAdBsQMaH-KxRGUsJaw3hMgQhhVVstGxu56kxnxm8Rz1LzgQgDM3afs0nXZtZzueSoZBgDfcTTGCh1jaavyvwZNiz6l7/s1600/20160512+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWRTwysG8FQt4zmXta2sCSLUEhzz_5AvYaXMlbexQuB4J_OS-yAdBsQMaH-KxRGUsJaw3hMgQhhVVstGxu56kxnxm8Rz1LzgQgDM3afs0nXZtZzueSoZBgDfcTTGCh1jaavyvwZNiz6l7/s320/20160512+010.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour about half the jar of dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat evenly. The bowl I'm using has a tight fitting lid that allows me to shake the whole thing together. Once the vegetables are nicely dressed, add the cooked barley and the rest of the dressing and mix everything together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The greatest thing about this salad is it's complete flexibility. Like my <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/11/beans-greens-and-grains-ultimate.html" target="_blank">Beans, Greens and Grains Bowl</a>, you can just about throw together any combination of vegetables, greens and grains and call it good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Same thing with the dressing. You can switch out the olive oil for canola, vegetable or a combination of oils, perhaps including a bit of toasted sesame oil for a little Asian flair. Try fresh lemon or orange juice in place of the vinegar. Or, omit the mustard and just shake it together and pour. The possibilities are endless!</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can find the basic recipe <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/vegetable-barley-salad.html" target="_blank">here</a> along with a few variations.</span></span></div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-21088562160948678162016-05-11T09:51:00.000-04:002016-05-11T09:51:16.937-04:00Garden chores: topping up soil, planting new perennials, starting the pond<div style="text-align: justify;">
I realize this is a few days after the fact, but this past weekend was just glorious for working in the garden -- lovely and sunny, but not too warm. Truth be told the breeze was actually rather chilly if you were just sitting out, but if you were up and about it was quite pleasant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivxVFhhQe9LZKfZUz1CgR00l6rw6HgtFgYWonbOB3QDj4PTTlvF7G5f6nKfO216Ey6jtir8hIiI0lVWTxj7-WOPPvdPj8sCB6CVoUiNkLqs3U9lIM2F_htBBTbQiHMg80I-9IbqZLOeCt/s1600/20160509+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivxVFhhQe9LZKfZUz1CgR00l6rw6HgtFgYWonbOB3QDj4PTTlvF7G5f6nKfO216Ey6jtir8hIiI0lVWTxj7-WOPPvdPj8sCB6CVoUiNkLqs3U9lIM2F_htBBTbQiHMg80I-9IbqZLOeCt/s640/20160509+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cherry tree is starting to bloom and it looks like it will be covered in blossoms shortly! Nothing screams "May" to me more than cherry trees in bloom. If I can keep the birds away, perhaps I'll have another decent crop of cherries this year. We'll see!</div>
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Meanwhile, back in March I ordered a load of perennials from <a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/" target="_blank">Vesey's</a>. Typical of me, I was entranced by all the gorgeous pictures and ended up ordering way more than I really needed, but they're all so stunning, at least their pictures are, that I couldn't resist! Anyway, a week ago Tuesday, a banker's box arrived on my doorstep, firmly packed to capacity with sprouts, crowns and roots that really needed to be planted immediately, however I knew I wouldn't have time until the weekend, so following the included planting guide, I left the box in a cool shady spot under my deck in the meantime. </div>
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I must say I am impressed with the quality of <a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/" target="_blank">Vesey's</a> plants as well as their packing and packaging. Bare roots and crowns were packaged in breathable plastic bags filled with sphagnum and sprouts were packaged with root balls intact in breathable plastic inside clever cardboard tubes with pushed-in locking strips that prevented the root balls from shifting and/or breaking apart.</div>
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So, here's what I got:</div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/fragrantgarden/sweetlaura" target="_blank">Alstroemeria -- Sweet Laura</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/beebalmsugar/cherrypopsbee#closed" target="_blank">Bee Balm -- Cherry Pops</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/beebalmsugar/rockinraspberry" target="_blank">Bee Balm -- Rockin' Raspberry</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/butterflyplant/tuberosa" target="_blank">Butterfly Flower</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/coralbells/blackberryice" target="_blank">Coral Bells -- Blackberry Ice</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/hostaplug/brotherstefan1" target="_blank">Hosta -- Brother Stefan</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/hostaplug/curlyfrieshosta1" target="_blank">Hosta -- Curly Fries</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/hostaplug/handsuphosta" target="_blank">Hosta -- Hands Up</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/hostaplug/mixedhosta1" target="_blank">Hosta -- Mixed (3 different varieties)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/hostaplug/raspberrysundae3" target="_blank">Hosta -- Raspberry Sundae</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/hostaplug/whitefeather2" target="_blank">Hosta -- White Feather</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/newforspring/goliathphlox" target="_blank">Phlox -- Goliath</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/phlox/orange1" target="_blank">Phlox -- Orange Perfection</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/phlox/twisterblendmix" target="_blank">Phlox -- Twister Blend (3 roots)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/store/springbulbs1/groundcovers/cotedazurpinks#closed" target="_blank">Pinks -- Cote d'Azur (12 roots</a>)</div>
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And they all needed to be planted a.s.a.p.!</div>
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But, of course, this wasn't just the simple task of planting roots, crowns and sprouts in the garden. No, I had garden renovation work to do first. Several of the hostas I bought were earmarked for around the pond, but before I could plant, I needed to rebuild the waterfall and build up the soil in the rock garden behind it. The waterfall leaked terribly, so I had turned it off last year with every intent of repairing and rebuilding it then, but, as usual, other things got in the way so I never did get to it until now. </div>
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Anyway, after much putzing around with the placement of the rocks and positioning the water hose, I got the waterfall working to my satisfaction and added soil to the top of the rock garden ready to receive the hostas. To the left of the pond along the edge of the patio, the soil level of the garden bed had dropped a few inches over the last few years, so I needed to dig up the current residents (a rather large sedum and some coral bells), top up the soil and replant them along with more of my new purchases: the bee balm, more coral bells, the alstroemeria and the butterfly flower, edging the bed with the pinks. In addition, I moved an astilbe from the other garden bed where it was being crowded out by a spirea bush into this bed where hopefully it will set off the coral bells and the alstroemeria. As for the phlox, I planted them further up along the fence, joining a huge hot pink phlox I had planted years ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLKKSSwg549rPXSbBxf1LrNhfDV5qTw_xvSCHk7amxTYUz8rU12vyBUgHdQrCDp_s4du3yyuK3zQSDn_FDq_9djkoqJZFj2hmxo4457AX1f0gJ9gON5djrbg-sytICmHhDJfgHXAJo1EX/s1600/20160509+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLKKSSwg549rPXSbBxf1LrNhfDV5qTw_xvSCHk7amxTYUz8rU12vyBUgHdQrCDp_s4du3yyuK3zQSDn_FDq_9djkoqJZFj2hmxo4457AX1f0gJ9gON5djrbg-sytICmHhDJfgHXAJo1EX/s640/20160509+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And since my deck is rather sheltered and the weather went back and forth between sun and cloud, I thought I would bring the tomato and marigold seedlings out of the greenhouse so they could enjoy the open air for a couple of days.</div>
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All in all a good day's work and even though it threatened rain off and on all day (it actually did sprinkle for a moment or two!), the garden was bone dry, so I put the sprinkler on for a few hours. The rhubarb is shooting up nicely, but so far nothing from the peas down at the bottom of the garden. The seeds I planted are a couple of years old and perhaps they are no longer viable. I do have some new seeds that I will plant this week and hopefully they will soon be sprouting up.</div>
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Now that all the crucial planting has been done, I can turn to digging the remainder of the garden this weekend and get the soil prepared for lettuce, carrots, the tomatoes and cucumbers as well as the marigolds and some more thyme to help deter the raccoons.</div>
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Spring is such a marvelous time of year. Everything is fresh, green with new life sprouting forth and it's just so wonderful to see the world waking up after a long, cold winter!</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-29998633415130129102016-05-02T16:06:00.001-04:002016-05-02T16:06:11.750-04:00Garden chores: transplanting rhubarb, sowing peas<div style="text-align: justify;">
With another beautiful Saturday upon us, I got an early start to the day because there was I lot I wanted to accomplish. While the coffee was brewing I got busy and set up my portable greenhouse.</div>
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I bought it at <a href="https://www.lowes.ca/greenhouses/twd-mini-greenhouse_g1430446.html?searchTerm=mini-greenhouse" target="_blank">Lowes</a> and I've been using it now for a few years as a sort of cold-frame in which to harden off seedlings in after they come up from under the lights of the nursery. I initially set it up in the dining room to hold court until later in the month, but after checking the long-range weather forecast (like THAT'S ever right!), decided to take a chance and put it out on the deck where it will get full sun.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes, zinnias and marigolds out in the morning sun!</td></tr>
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I only had managed to up-pot my Black Brandywine cherry tomatoes at this point, so I brought them up and put them out in the greenhouse. I am keeping the zinnias and marigolds in their cellpacks until I plant them in the garden, so I brought them up and put them in the greenhouse as well. I cut open a white plastic bag into a flat sheet and ran it over the top of the greenhouse frame, but under the clear plastic cover to act as a diffuser to protect the seedlings from the harsh mid-day sun.</div>
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Meanwhile, back in the nursery there's space now for me to start some more marigolds, some pickling cucumbers and a bit of dill to go with them. I made a killer batch of garlic dills a couple of years ago and I'm hoping to do it again this year! It rained on Sunday so I spent it up-potting the remaining tomatoes and putting them out in the greenhouse and then got busy and planted the marigold, cucumber and dill seeds as well as some mystery seeds my friend Colin gave me. He thinks they may be Russell Lupins, but we will see. It will be interesting if they are because I have never had much luck with them.</div>
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Anyway, I had the greenhouse out on the deck and the tomatoes, zinnias and marigolds were now in it and the coffee was ready, so I poured myself a mug and took it outside to survey the site.</div>
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This is where the rhubarb has lived for the past 3 or 4 years and it's never done very well. I get lots of stalks, but they are all small and skinny. This spot doesn't get much sun. It was about 8:30am when I took this picture and you can see the shadow from the shed already starting to creep over the bed. I had been wanting to move them for a few years now and today was the day!</div>
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This is where the rhubarb will live from now on. I used my trusty garden claw to turn over a bed alongside the cherry tree. This photo was taken at the same time as the one above and within an hour or so it will be in full sun. Since rhubarb is a rather heavy feeder and likes compost and composted manure, I will dig some of each into the bed prior to moving the plants.</div>
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My compost pile hasn't seen much action over the past couple of years, so it was ready for a good digging. A couple of wheelbarrow loads of compost and three bags of manure and the bed was good to go!</div>
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Snug in their new home! And you can see the sun is just about over my neighbour's fence and it's not even 9:30am at this point. With all this sun and lots of nutrients, I'm hoping to get some glorious big rhubarb stalks this year.</div>
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Next up were the peas.</div>
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I've been reading an excellent book by Canadian garden guru Mark Cullen called "<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/New-Canadian-Garden-Mark-Cullen/dp/1459732243?ie=UTF8&qid=1462218842&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The New Canadian Garden</a>" and a couple of points have inspired me. One is raised beds. Although it would be a bit too much for me to build raised beds for this year, I will look into building them this fall in time for next year. So, in preparation I decided to measure out plots where the raised beds will go in the hopes of maximizing the available garden real estate. Three feet wide seems to be optimal which allows you to reach all plants without having to bend or stretch too far. I've decided to make mine 18" high instead of the usual 12" to allow me to accumulate more good soil and lessen the amount I have to bend to tend to my plants.</div>
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So, using a tape measure and a long stick as a guide, I mapped out and dug a 3-foot wide bed for my peas.</div>
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I used the garden claw to loosen and turn over the soil as well as remove weeds (which it does wonderfully!) and dig in some more manure and compost.</div>
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A couple of years ago, I devised this system of drilled wooden posts strung with twine to act as supports for the peas as they grow. This picture shows everything in place with peas already in the ground. I will continue to sow a few more peas every 2 weeks until the end of June so I will have a supply of peas throughout the summer.</div>
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This coming weekend, weather permitting, I will dig the other beds and plant some lettuce and carrots using the other point I picked up from Mark's book: square foot gardening.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-4125050375854694362016-04-25T21:14:00.001-04:002016-04-25T21:14:21.306-04:00Garden chores: Spring clean-up, up-planting tomatoes<div style="text-align: justify;">
With weekend of brilliant sunshine, albeit accompanied by an occasional chilly breeze, it was prime time to start cleaning up the garden.</div>
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Signs of life are everywhere with the daffodils and hyacinths in full bloom, the peonies starting to sprout, the rhubarb slowly awakening and sending up shoots and the buds on the lilacs, roses, clematises and the Bing cherry tree all plumping up. Not to mention the profusion of dandelions, plantain and chickweed!</div>
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Before I started in on garden, I thought I would bring the seedlings out for their first taste of sunshine and fresh air. The corner of the deck where the patio table is stored is nicely sheltered from the breeze and with the sun it was quite cozy. The two square side tables made a perfect shelf for the trays to sit on under the frosted glass top of the patio table, so the seedlings were protected from direct sun to allow them to acclimate to the outdoors. I left them for a couple of hours only before returning them to nursery under the grow lights so as not to shock them. I will continue to bring them outdoors for longer and longer periods as the days warm up so they can harden off and become used to outdoor temperatures.</div>
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Later this week I will set up my portable mini-greenhouse, a great find at Lowe's a couple of years ago. I usually set it up initially in a corner of my dining room as it has a door out to the deck with a large window in it. I bring up seedlings from the nursery as soon as they are large enough and graduate them into the mini-greenhouse. From there, it's a simple move of the entire greenhouse outside onto the deck. If cold weather threatens, it's an easy move of the greenhouse back into the warmth of the dining room.</div>
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The biggest chore I wanted to finish was raking all the protective leaves off the beds and allowing the sprouting plants underneath to bask in the sun.</div>
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The most finicky area to clean up was the rockery on the back side of the pond, but now that it's done it looks so much better. And I was heartened to see that both the sage and the oregano which earlier I was convinced I had lost over the winter have tiny leaves beginning to sprout. </div>
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It's just so energizing to see all this life bursting forth around me. I love spring as much as I love autumn because both are seasons of change, but while autumn has a mellow, cozy melancholy about it, spring is fresh, vibrant and awake and the urge to get outside in the fresh air is strong.</div>
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Still, I did have to spend a bit of time in the basement, tending to the nursery and up-planting the tomatoes.</div>
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I had originally hoped to plant all the tomatoes in 3-inch pots, but due to poor planning, I actually ran out of potting soil, so I only managed to get my "babies" up-planted, the cherry-sized version of the Black Brandywine tomatoes I discovered in my garden last year. The maddening thing is, I was at Canadian Tire earlier this afternoon and was actually looking at potting soil, but decided against (why? <i>why????</i>) buying some, thinking I had enough.</div>
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It works really well planting the entire peat pellet "pot-let" directly into a plastic 3-inch pot, although for a few of them, there were multiple sturdy seedlings in one, so wanting to save them, I gently removed the net casing from the peat and carefully broke the pot-let apart, teasing apart the roots of the multiple seedlings. With each seedling now in its own pot, I now have 18 Black Brandywine Cherry tomato plants. I am more excited than ever to see how these grow.</div>
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Later in the week, I will pick up some more potting soil and finish up-planting the rest of the tomatoes. I will also start some dwarf marigolds to plant along the edge of my vegetable beds as the giant marigolds I started earlier will take up too much room. I will use them around the pond and along the edge of the property to help deter the raccoons.</div>
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Now, if it would just warm up a little more!</div>
The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-35501688519840671672016-04-19T11:07:00.001-04:002016-04-19T11:07:35.376-04:00Garden chores: Tree pruning<div style="text-align: justify;">
Finally, <i>finally! </i>Mother Nature decided to get with the program and give us a glorious spring weekend! Gorgeous sunny days with some real warmth to the sun, although the air itself is still cool so the shady spots are chilly. Nevertheless, there are continuing signs of spring popping up in the garden.</div>
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These pure white crocus made an appearance late last week to join the miniature iris and the daffodils are getting ready to join the party. Another day or so and they should be out.</div>
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In 2008, I planted this Bing cherry tree in memory of my mother who had a fondness for cherries and who had passed away the year before. It's in dire need of another trim, so that is my main task for this weekend. The biggest part of the job is to remove that large branch that is slanting away to the left of the main trunk and knowing I would be cutting it off flush with the trunk and leaving a rather large wound, I thought ahead and bought some grafting wax to seal it.</div>
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I have never used grafting wax before so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the package states that you can soften it by warming it in your hands and then apply it like putty or you can melt it into a liquid and paint it on with a brush. That seemed like the more practical and efficient method to me for this situation, so that's what I chose to do.</div>
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The wax is very sticky, like toffee, and I totally guessed that I would need about half the stick, so using an old paring knife, I chopped half the stick up into cubes, placed them in an old mixing bowl and microwaved them on high in 30 second intervals until they were fully melted. This took 2 1/2 minutes in total.</div>
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I made a small cut upwards on the underside, so that when I cut down through from the top, the branch would come off cleanly and not tear off a strip of bark. I really should have cut the branch off first before I melted the wax, because by the time I had the branch down, the wax had hardened back up. It's nothing that a quick re-zapping in the microwave couldn't fix and it was easy enough to paint the liquid wax onto the wound, sealing it up and protecting the tree from infection while keeping the sap flowing.</div>
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That done, I used a pair of telescoping pruners to trim down the top branches, keeping the tree from becoming too tall and making it easier for picking fruit.</div>
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Now comes the fun of clipping all the pruned branches into 2 foot lengths and tying them up into bundles to be put out at the curb for collection on garbage day.</div>
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Meanwhile, my marigolds, zinnias and tomatoes are all doing wonderfully. They are now past the cotyledon stage and have their first true leaves.</div>
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The tomatoes should be ready to up-plant into 3" pots soon and if the weather keeps up like this, I will be able to bring all the seedlings outside for short periods to take advantage of the sunlight and start hardening them up.</div>
The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-79272548102113764592016-04-06T19:16:00.003-04:002016-04-06T19:21:25.294-04:00Signs of life!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Despite the fact that we've had another mixed bag of weather here in Toronto today, and all of it wintry and not at all conducive to thoughts of gardening, I was thrilled to discover signs of life this morning in my seed nursery!<br />
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As there were only a few sprouts up in each of the trays (except the jalapenos -- no suprise there!), I left the clear covers on the trays through the day and checked on them again when I got home this evening. What a difference a day makes! I came home to sprouts in most of the pots/cells so I removed the clear plastic covers to give the seedlings air and reduce the humidity level.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWYGrr8XTczPpqsjFlB4J1NJ01RKcAfDSEHbct3TNNaS9q8wPwT5JUSk0RAagUu1pOSnfxCMH3w2cEfi7KZ_uBsS_QhgntxFEht73byVTuVjZg-vITx666y0IxkZn_ljT1ldpcvoeYFDN/s1600/20160406+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWYGrr8XTczPpqsjFlB4J1NJ01RKcAfDSEHbct3TNNaS9q8wPwT5JUSk0RAagUu1pOSnfxCMH3w2cEfi7KZ_uBsS_QhgntxFEht73byVTuVjZg-vITx666y0IxkZn_ljT1ldpcvoeYFDN/s640/20160406+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have sprouts up for each of my five tomato varieties including my Black Brandywine "cherry" tomato! I am thrilled to see these brave little sprouts reaching for the light and I can hardly wait to see how they grow and whether or not they will actually produce more cherry-sized versions of the Black Brandywine tomatoes from last year.</div>
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My marigolds and zinnias are also up, but nothing from the jalapenos so far. It's only been a few days so I'll leave them for a while and see what happens. The seeds could quite well be sterile, but I won't know if I don't try, right?</div>
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I had raised the grow lights in order to take the photos above, so I've lowered them again, leaving the covers off. I will continue the daily monitoring, watering from the bottom by adding water to the trays as needed avoiding wetting the sprouts themselves. We are off and growing!</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-36810647779799238582016-04-02T19:17:00.001-04:002016-04-04T10:08:31.064-04:00The 2016 gardening season has officially begun! (... well for this blogger, anyway!)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some may argue that it's a little early to be starting seeds here in the Toronto area, but with the weather being what it is today, I just couldn't help getting the gardening season started!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm54egRVfSfvqQbk9VklXpPpSyd08tgHcDQLUidBMWJLeI8cSEOFZ6SJwpW_VzyuMypdptf6uOhWNfmV7Kzfb_zuYsstBtrY9ZHqvEpSY1zgjTt1nSHMhOg7xLsNZhhCwKfuRqz9c40X2/s1600/20160402+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm54egRVfSfvqQbk9VklXpPpSyd08tgHcDQLUidBMWJLeI8cSEOFZ6SJwpW_VzyuMypdptf6uOhWNfmV7Kzfb_zuYsstBtrY9ZHqvEpSY1zgjTt1nSHMhOg7xLsNZhhCwKfuRqz9c40X2/s640/20160402+038.jpg" /></a></div>
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Oh, Mother Nature, you sure do love to toy with us! With that thought, I headed down to the basement to get the seed nursery set up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnUm2YHjNRn5qqyApelC8m8oYeeM0HkOJFdLcuYQ7cvr4kpHqoaJPSs20qPDEucjsPMPzGyHIlnOfx0-TZdC405uP49uqnA8O6-CjpBy_3WoslDda4pz5DGIdxUhmGPdLaophRFrE1whz/s1600/20160402+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnUm2YHjNRn5qqyApelC8m8oYeeM0HkOJFdLcuYQ7cvr4kpHqoaJPSs20qPDEucjsPMPzGyHIlnOfx0-TZdC405uP49uqnA8O6-CjpBy_3WoslDda4pz5DGIdxUhmGPdLaophRFrE1whz/s640/20160402+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My first job was to gather up all the trays, cell packs and pots that I had washed earlier and clear some space for the nursery. Next, I gathered together the planting materials and the seeds I was going to start.</div>
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There are many types of methods and equipment for starting seeds, but one of my favourites is a system from <a href="http://www.jiffypot.com/index.php?id=33" target="_blank">Jiffy</a>, the makers of the original <a href="http://www.jiffypot.com/en/products/jiffypot.html" target="_blank">Jiffypots®</a>, consisting of a specially partitioned tray covered by a clear plastic dome and sitting on a heated base. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fd0jdf9oeV8xkrLoyTmxKsXT-CqQ32F1BTUSfE8xvtsw30GCGiWiue8Nn9Eigp0LfRmPRcfVhjyie4r_x24a96S43z4cZRPNbHTvnitKuRpmR0DMMbnfcXfqnzA2ybt-uy2Qb7YlCF1Z/s1600/20160402+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fd0jdf9oeV8xkrLoyTmxKsXT-CqQ32F1BTUSfE8xvtsw30GCGiWiue8Nn9Eigp0LfRmPRcfVhjyie4r_x24a96S43z4cZRPNbHTvnitKuRpmR0DMMbnfcXfqnzA2ybt-uy2Qb7YlCF1Z/s640/20160402+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The tray is partitioned to hold 72 peat pellets in a 6x12 grid. I counted the peat pellets I had on hand and discovered I had 45 of them and as I have <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/09/seed-saving-fall-2015.html" target="_blank">5 different varieties of tomato seed saved from last year</a>, I can start 9 seeds of each type. I prefer using the peat pellets for tomato seeds since tomatoes do not like to be transplanted and this allows me to up-plant the seedlings directly into 3" pots for hardening off, thereby minimizing the shock of transplanting by deferring it until the plants are large enough and hardy enough to be put into the garden.</div>
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I thought I had some popsicle sticks that I could use for plant markers, but I was mistaken so I had to cast my mind about for another solution. Doing laundry while I was preparing the seed nursery provided me with such, when, hanging up the latest load on my indoor clothesline with clothespin in hand, inspiration struck!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaytmfVLq6h1BrWi43v2g4jTdE8270D8k-dX0vQ6IlB-F__Ex3S6ZvA0CuCzMZYVASUZSuioKI46N_Li9gUqHFnFhJp8DyU3z8kkTcYoanBx5ROZM1LlBWjH8DPNAkllvclxvCFj-ZliG/s1600/20160402+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaytmfVLq6h1BrWi43v2g4jTdE8270D8k-dX0vQ6IlB-F__Ex3S6ZvA0CuCzMZYVASUZSuioKI46N_Li9gUqHFnFhJp8DyU3z8kkTcYoanBx5ROZM1LlBWjH8DPNAkllvclxvCFj-ZliG/s320/20160402+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wrap a length of 1 1/2 inch masking tape around one "finger" of a clothespin, making a flag large enough to write the name of the seed on both sides. I write the name on one side and then flip the clothespin vertically (i.e. if the "fingers" were pointing up, I flip them so they point downwards) and write the name again on the other side. The two sides should appear upside down to one another. This allows me to clip the pins on the edge of the clear dome cover while waiting for the seeds to germinate and then later, once the cover is removed, I can flip the pins over and clip them to the edge of the tray while the seedlings grow.</div>
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Next, I add enough warm water to completely submerge the peat pellets (the specially designed grid inside the tray holds the pellets firmly in place so they don't float) and I leave the tray alone for about 5 minutes to allow the pellets to absorb the water.</div>
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As they absorb water, the pellets expand upwards, contained within a biodegradeable mesh which forms the pellets into a small planting pot. There is a divot in the center of each pellet which becomes a planting hole to receive a seed once the pellet has expanded.</div>
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I find a bamboo satay skewer works wonderfully to fully open the seed holes and working variety by variety, I carefully place a seed in each peat pot then use my fingers to work a little of the peat back into the planting hole, filling it in.</div>
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When all peat pots have been planted, I place the tray on its heated base, clip the names on to the cover, place the cover over the base and plug the heater in. Next up are the giant marigolds.</div>
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Marigolds are the guardian angels of my garden because they keep so many pests, both insect and mammal, away from the vegetables. I usually plant them around the perimeter of the vegetable beds as well as around the pond to keep the raccoons out. I read recently that raccoons also do not like the smell of many common herbs, especially thyme and this seems to be borne out by experience. I do have a couple of common thyme plants growing along one edge of the pond and I have noticed that the raccoons always approach the pond from the other side. The trampled down ferns and irises are a dead giveaway of their nocturnal frolicking. So, this year I will try increasing the coverage of herbs around the pond and hopefully between them and the marigolds, I can, if not deter the raccoons then at least control their movement.</div>
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Having used all my peat pellets on the tomatoes, I decided to start the marigolds in cell packs. I chose a half-tray to hold six 6-cell packs for a total of 36 plants. I may need more, so I may be starting some later, but for now this it.</div>
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I fill each cell pack with sterile seed starting medium. I always use a mix that is labelled specifically for starting seeds rather than regular potting soil or soil from the garden to give my seeds the best chance for successful germination. </div>
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Using the bamboo satay skewer again as a mini-dibber, I make a small seed hole in the center of each cell, then drop in a marigold seed and cover the hole in. Once all six cell packs are planted, I mist the tops of them using a spray bottle, thoroughly wetting the planting medium without disturbing the just-planted seeds.</div>
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Using the same technique, I sow two 4-cell packs with jalapeno pepper seeds. These are a total experiment as I saved the seeds from supermarket peppers last year, <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/2015/09/seed-saving-fall-2015.html" target="_blank">processing them as I did the tomato seeds.</a> The peppers they came from could quite well have been irradiated or gassed for transport and the seeds could very well be sterile, but who knows? I could end up with jalapeno pepper plants! I always figure it's worth a try.</div>
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Once I have all the seeds planted, I add enough warm water to each of the trays so the bottoms of the cell packs and peat pots are sitting in water, cover each tray with it's clear plastic cover, lower the grow lights until they are barely above the tops of the tray covers and put the lights on a timer to come on at 6am and turn off at 10pm.</div>
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The covers are just slightly ajar to allow a bit of moisture to escape and outside air to circulate in. I'll check daily for signs of sprouting and add water if needed. Fingers crossed!</div>
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Meanwhile, despite the wintry weather, I was heartened to discover three more miniature irises bravely in bloom in another spot in the garden. I definitely did not plant these ones, so they are spreading on their own (or maybe with a little assistance from the squirrels!). At any rate, I think they are lovely and they make me believe that spring has indeed arrived.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-32585084126394935582016-03-28T14:10:00.000-04:002016-03-28T14:45:43.408-04:00Seed starting preparations<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, here it is Easter Monday, one of those strange quasi-holidays that some people have off and others don't. Banks and government offices are closed, but most stores are open. Working in the public sector as I do, I am one of the fortunate ones who have today off, so I am taking advantage of it to get my seed starting gear ready to go for another season.</div>
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It actually really does feel like spring out there today -- cloudy and rainy, but mild and the buds on the trees and shrubs are starting to plump up, the daffodils and hyacinths are shooting up tall and sturdy and the lawns are slowly starting to green up. </div>
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But, what caught my eye and made my spirits soar was this:</div>
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This miniature iris appeared out of nowhere a few years ago and has been coming up faithfully ever since. I have moved it a couple of times and I've hoped it would multiply, but so far it has been content to remain single. It's always the very first bloom to appear in my garden and when I see it I know that winter is indeed over and it's time to start getting ready for another gardening season.</div>
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The first thing I do is get all my seeds, flats, pots and planting paraphernalia out of storage and go through it all, selecting the seeds I will be planting this year (whether I'm starting them indoors or sowing them directly in the garden later when it warms up), checking the flats and pots for damage and making a shopping list for anything I might be needing for starting seed indoors.</div>
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Although I do have a 3-tier seed starting nursery with grow lights, I don't yet have the space for it in my basement, so it is currently in storage. I hope to have it installed in time for next year's planting season. So, for now, my wine-making countertop is doing double-duty as a seed nursery. I have temporarily suspended a two-bulb, 4 foot fluorescent fixture on adjustable chains above the countertop and installed grow lights in it. I will be able to lower the fixture to float just above the flats to sprout the seeds, then gradually raise it as the seedlings grow taller. For now, though I have it up close to the ceiling so I can use the counter as work space.</div>
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It's always a good idea to start each growing season clean and to that end, I like to wash all my pots, flats and clear covers. In addition, I try to save as many black cellpacks as possible. It's not that I'm cheap, but since they are not recyclable here, I like the idea of reusing them rather than throwing them in the garbage. It's not always possible to save the ones that garden center bedding plants come in since the root systems are usually so developed that it becomes nearly impossible to remove a plant from a cell without ripping it. However, with a little patience and gentle handling, sometimes you can luck out. I find the cellpacks fitted inside their flats and covered with a clear dome make an ideal seed starting environment.<br />
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When washing pots and cellpacks for re-use, it's always a good idea to add a little bleach to the wash water to help kill any bacteria and other soil-borne bugs that may have lingered over the winter.<br />
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I half-fill the laundry tub with warm water and add about a half-cup of bleach and a generous squirt of liquid laundry soap (less foamy than dish soap). When washing cellpacks, I just use my fingers to gently wash out the individual cells. I have some 6-cell packs that I bought new from a garden center last year as well as a number of 4-cell packs re-used from bedding plants I've bought over the years.<br />
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I stack the cell packs as I wash them and let them drain in one of the empty flats. Then, in the same water, I wash all my 3-inch plastic pots. I find this is a handy size to transplant seedlings into from the cellpack flats once they are large enough. I use a nylon bristle nail brush like <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/en/Garden/page.aspx?cat=2,42551&p=10259" target="_blank">this one from Lee Valley </a>to scrub the pots as they are quite sturdy and then stack them in the empty flat to drain with the clean cellpacks.<br />
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I then empty the laundry tub, rinse it out and half-fill it with clear water, throw in the clean cellpacks, gently swishing them around to rinse out the soap and bleach and then leave them upside down on an old towel to drip dry. Same with the 3-inch pots.<br />
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Later, I will set up the seed flats and get my tomatoes and marigolds started. Spring has sprung!<br />
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-31889374517638257622016-03-22T10:37:00.000-04:002016-08-02T20:25:03.385-04:00Pantry in Action: Vegetarian Chili<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The "Pantry in Action" series shows creative ways of using all the wonderful food we've preserved during the year. I will include recipes wherever appropriate with links back to the post(s) where a particular ingredient (or ingredients) was canned.</span></i><br />
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Although it's now the second official day of spring, you would hardly know it by the weather! It feels more like January now than it did in January! And they are forecasting up to 10cm of snow by Thursday! Arrgh!</div>
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So, to help combat this (hopefully) final blast of winter weather, I decided to make a batch of hearty, warming chili, without the <i>carne</i> for a change to keep my vegetable intake up. When I make chile <i>con carne</i>, I normally use a combination of ground beef and ground pork, but in this vegetarian version, I am using chopped <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaricus_bisporus" target="_blank">portobella mushrooms</a> as a substitute.</div>
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First, roughly chop about 6 large-<i>ish</i> portobellas, then load them into a food processor and pulse them for about 10 seconds or so until they are in fairly small pieces. Peel, chop and process 1 large white onion and several large cloves of garlic.<br />
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Sauté chopped mushrooms, onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat until the mushrooms have cooked down somewhat and have released some of their moisture, the garlic is soft and the onions are translucent -- about 5 minutes or so.</div>
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Chop a few stalks of celery, some sweet peppers (I'm using a red, a green and an orange one here -- you could also seed and chop a jalapeno or habanero pepper for more heat, but I'm not for this batch) and slice a few white button mushrooms or creminis.</div>
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Pour a jar of your favourite home made tomato sauce (mine is this <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/pages/recipe_page/51.php?pid=185" target="_blank">one</a> from the <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/" target="_blank">Bernardin website</a> -- canning instructions can be found <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/boiling-water-bath-canning-basics.html" target="_blank">here</a>) into the bottom of a slow cooker, pile in the sautéed mushroom-onion-garlic mixture and add the chopped peppers, celery and the sliced button mushrooms.</div>
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Drain and rinse a can of mixed beans, red kidney beans or your favourite beans and add to the slow cooker.</div>
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Add a jar of home made <a href="http://www.bernardin.ca/recipes/tomato-paste.htm" target="_blank">tomato paste</a> to help thicken and add a bit of body to the chili, then add your seasonings. I am cheating here and using a pre-packaged chili seasoning mix, but concocting your own blend can be fun and very satisfying. When I do, I usually start with the three C's -- cumin, coriander and cayenne and go from there, rifling through my spice cupboard, trying a bit of this and a bit of that. No two chili batches are ever the same and to me that's the beauty of it!</div>
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Cover and turn the cooker on to High until it's hot, then turn down to Low and leave it to slow cook for 8-10 hours. I like to start a batch of chili in the evening while I'm getting dinner ready and leave it to cook overnight.</div>
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The next morning, I turn off the cooker, give the chili a good stir, then leave it covered all day to cool to room temperature. I usually give it a taste test at this point. If it's a bit flat, I'll add some salt and taste it again, adjusting until I feel it's right. If it's a little too acidic and/or tomato-ey (which this batch was due to the strength of my tomato paste!), I'll add a bit of white granulated sugar and taste again until the tomato acidity has been mellowed. Be careful adding the sugar as you don't want any sweetness to come through. For this batch, I ended up adding about 1 teaspoon of sugar in total.</div>
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In the evening, I take the crock out of the cooker and put the whole thing into the fridge to chill for another 24 hours or so. I find this really brings the flavours together and re-heated chili really does taste better. </div>
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So, although it's two days in the making, it's definitely worth the wait, IMHO! Top with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar and you have a hearty warming supper on a cold early spring evening. You can find my recipe <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/vegetarian-chili.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3597628027238691514.post-72213569240502415872016-03-13T21:07:00.000-04:002016-03-14T10:23:43.663-04:00A cure for what ails ya!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hello friends! It's been a while and I do apologize for the unintended hiatus, but two things happened. One was my modem decided to pack it in after 5 years or so of faithful service, so I was left without connection to the ether for a few days. Actually, it took longer than that to discover that the root of the problem was actually the modem itself and then another couple of days to work with my service provider to get me a new modem and then go through the motions of setting up my network all over again.</div>
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And all this while the second thing was happening -- I was under the grip of the horrendous bug that has been plaguing Ontario lately. Some call it the flu. Some call it a cold. I just call it miserable! So, between the two, I have had next to no patience with technology and have been less than inspired to post anything over the past couple of weeks. Please forgive me. I am definitely on the mend and I hope to be back posting with regularity very soon.</div>
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It's no wonder so many of us have been sick lately. We have gone from this:</div>
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to this:</div>
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in a matter of a few short days! </div>
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To alleviate the symptoms of this ugly bug (dry hacking cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, extreme fatigue), I have been dosing myself with an old tried-and-true family cure: a hot rum toddy!</div>
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There are probably as many recipes for hot rum toddys (toddies??) as there are families to make them, but here is <a href="http://alocavoreslife.blogspot.ca/p/hot-rum-toddy.html" target="_blank">mine</a>.</div>
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The ultimate, though, has to be<a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-fire-cider-recipes-from-the-kitchn-199972" target="_blank"> this</a>. Although the recipe was passed to me too late for this latest affliction (it needs 6 weeks to brew -- just imagine!), I will definitely be concocting some to have on hand for the next barrage.</div>
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The Locavorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12944428032438985187noreply@blogger.com0