Thank you Gourmet Fury

Thank you Melody www.gourmetfury.com for stopping by and then tweeting about my blog! And a special thank you for making me realize how lazy I have been in posting to it.

The end of last year was a little busy. I took a trip back to London to see family & friends in November. I had a wonderful time and food played a large part. It was so good to enjoy British fish & chips on my first night back; you can’t get rock & chips in Vancouver and it’s such a deliciously rich and meaty fish. Then there were the breakfasts with black pudding and succulent back bacon.

I had a great day at Borough Market by London Bridge Station, bought some terrific cheeses and a game pie, which I have to say was very disappointing; too grisly. But strolling around the market drinking hot mulled wine on a chilly November morning was a perfect way to spend a Saturday.

Lunch at St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfield was everything I’d dreamed of. I had ox heart with watercress and pickled walnuts.

Once back in Vancouver it was time to think about Christmas and make the mincemeat ready for pies. Mincemeat needs to be made well in advance to allow the flavours to develop and deepen. Also the Christmas pudding had to be made early for the same reason and to allow time to slowly add brandy and give it its rich Christmasy flavour.So, now 2011 is well under way. February 27 will see Blim market kick off and I’m working on a few new recipes to present alongside the old favourites at Heritage Hall on Main Street. The complete menu will be up soon and I look forward to meeting you all there.

Oct 31st - Seasonal grub at BLIM Market

Menu:

Served warm or cold

Stuffed Focaccia -

acorn squash with garlic & apple

curried chickpeas with feta cheese

spicy peperonata

Smokey Corn Muffins with Hot Pepperoni

Looking forward to seeing you there in your finest costume!

Thanks to all you focaccia lovers

It was a glorious hot sunny afternoon in September and a treat to be vending on Main Street and meeting so many great people. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for enjoying the focaccini, individual sized focaccia baked with delicious combinations of fruits and herbs. Everything was sold out by 4pm, I couldn't have hoped for a better day!

BLIM Market - Saturday, Sept 25th

Saturday, September 25th 12noon - 6pm Main & 10th

In the spirit of the Autmn Shift Festival, seasonal and local, the menu will be a selection of focaccini topped with fruits and vegetables from BC:

Apple & Rosemary Focaccini

Peach & Arugula Focaccini

Plum & Sage Focaccini

Roasted Pepper & Garlic Focaccini

See you all there!

BLIM market at Heritage Hall - May 23rd

Blim Market: May 23rd, 11.00am - 4.00pm, Heritage Hall, Main & 15th

Stuffed Focaccia
- mushroom, garlic, arugula
- ricotta, lemon zest, capers, chili
- cherry tomatoes, basil

Focaccia Twists
- cumin seed, caraway seed, onion seed
- pine nuts & parmesan
- smoked paprika & fennel

Come to Heritage Hall on May 23rd to enjoy all these great focaccia!
See you there.

Bread Bonanza at BLIM

BLIM Market
Sunday, April 25th, 11am to 4pm
Heritage Hall, Main St. @ 15th Ave, Vancouver

Come and enjoy the deliciousness of dough.
On the menu this month:

Stuffed Focaccia (3 kinds)
- mushroom, garlic, arugula
- ricotta, lemon zest, capers, chili
- cherry tomatoes, basil

Pesto Spirals

Bread Sticks
- cumin seed, caraway seed, onion seed

Looking forward to seeing you there!

mildly spiced hummus

organic chickpeas - 1 x 398ml can
organic tahini - 1/2 cup
garlic - 5 cloves lightly chopped
lemon juice - 4 tbsp
smoked hot paprika - 1 tsp
black pepper - 1 tsp
sea salt - big pinch
extra virgin olive oil - approx 1 cup

Place all ingredients except oil in a small food processor. Drizzle a little oil over and process. With the food processor running add more oil until a smooth, but not runny paste is achieved.

Place in a serving bowl, drizzle a little oil over the top and a squeeze of lemon juice, then sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds.

BLIM Market - Sunday March 28th

Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St & 14th, 11am - 4pm

This weekend I'm looking forward to returning to the BLIM Market after a much too long absence.

On the menu will be:

Foccacia Pie
filled with crimini mushrooms, arugula and garlic

Spring Bun
chickpea patty scented with lemon zest & chili served in an olive oil bun with basil & tomato compote

See you there!

Chicken & Black Kale Stew with Tarragon in Yorkshire Pudding Bowls

Organic chicken thighs and breast, organic black kale, Yukon gold potatoes, turnips, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, tarragon, black pepper, chicken stock = stew

1 cup flour, 1/2 pint milk, 3 eggs, pinch of sea salt = yorkshire pudding

Serve with hot English mustard.

Roasted Elephant Garlic, Chevre & Mushroom Polenta Tart

Bundle 1 head of elephant garlic in parchment and roast at 300C for about 30 minutes until the cloves are very soft. Unwrap and allow to cool.

While the garlic is roasting prepare the polenta. The ratio for cooking polenta is 1 part cornmeal to 4 parts water or stock. Bring 4 cups of vegetable stock to a boil and whisk in 1 cup of cornmeal, whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover, stiring regularly. After about 15 minutes the polenta should be thick and porridge-like. Remove from heat and stir in a walnut of butter and 1/4 cup of parmesan.

Grease a 9" metal pie dish with olive oil. Push the polenta into the dish and level, leaving the edges slightly raised. Set to one side.

Slice crimini mushrooms and saute in butter and olive oil. Season with black pepper and sea salt and 1 teaspoon of onion seeds. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Squeeze the flesh of the garlic cloves from their skins and mash with a fork.

Scatter 2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon leaves through the mushrooms.

Spread the garlic evenly over the polenta, Spread the mushrooms evenly over the garlic. Randomly place rough chunks of chevre over the mushrooms.

Place in a hot oven for 5 - 10 minutes, until the chevre starts to brown.

Serve with a salad.