FFWD – Duck Breasts With Fresh Peaches

August 9, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 14 Comments

For the first few years my parents had the farm, they raised Muscovy ducks, the domesticated white variety. Their eggs were a pleasure to bake with and their meat was delicious. Unfortunately, the bald eagles that lived nearby were awfully fond of them, too, so they disappeared one by one. Eventually, my parents tired of replenishing the eagles’ larder and stuck to chickens and geese after that.

I don’t have duck often now, so it’s nice to have a reminder of how easily it makes a delicious meal. This week’s dish required turning on the oven and a little time in front of the stove, on a hot summer’s day. It was worth braving the extra heat for this combination of duck with the peaches that are just hitting their peak here.

I only made a quarter of the recipe, as I knew I’d be eating it alone. I had some lovely peaches I’d picked up at Kerrisdale Farmers Market earlier in the week and I was eager to put them to good use. They were clingstone, so the finished dish wasn’t exactly as Dorie had envisioned it, but they were organic, perfectly ripe, and delicious nevertheless.

I used one for the duck dish and sliced the rest up for this peach crisp, which I modified by adding more (gluten-free) oats to the topping and reducing the amount of (again, gluten-free) flour. I should have made some modifications to the bottom as well, though. Next time, I’ll combine the sour cream mixture with the fruit, while adding some spices or herbs. As written, it’s good, but a little blander than I’d like.

As for the duck, Dorie’s instructions were perfect, save for the temperature of the pan. I had to turn it down from medium-high to a little less than medium to keep from burning the skin of the duck. The pan sauce was perfectly balanced, balsamic and white vinegars against the honey and port wine. (I made a half recipe of the sauce, and sopped the extra up with a little bread.)

This made a perfect summer meal, with some salad on the side, but it would also make a lovely summer appetizer, too. Especially for those prudent enough to take their cooking outside.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Duck Breasts With Fresh Peaches

Hello, August

July 30, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 2 Comments

The organized folks I know are planning (maybe even planting) their fall vegetable gardens, now. I need to take some time away from tracking the development of my beans and squash and plot out the chards and kales and lettuces of the coming cooler weather, I guess. It’s awfully tempting to stare at my sunflowers a while, instead.

Even so, I’ve managed to clear out the garden space that’s destined to become a tiny meditation garden for Kevin. I’m excited because it’s going to include a fig tree from the garden of my mother’s friend Gina, who also provided me with about seventeen dahlias that are getting ready to bloom, now.

Summer’s full of things to do beyond the backyard, though. Here are a few that might tempt Vancouverites away from home in the next little while:

We’re in the midst of Pride Week here, with a raft of activities, including the enormous Parade, which has been officially declared a civic event for the first time in Vancouver. Then, starting mid-August, it’s the 25th Anniversary edition of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

Twenty-five years may seem like a long run, but the Powell Street Festival, is in its 37th year of celebrating Vancouver’s Japanese community. It’s this coming weekend and it’s always great.

West Vancouver (a separate country, really) has a festival this weekend, too. The Harmony Arts Festival includes music, film, food, visual arts, and performance.

Or for some genuine high culture, with a view to boot, head down to Bard on the Beach. They’ve got a fantastic line up this year and my personal pick is Elizabeth Rex, by the much missed Timothy Findley.

Emily Carr University’s Yellow Crane Festival is running from August 1st through 4th. You can pick up some pieces from current students or recent alumni, while enjoying the atmosphere of one of Vancouver’s prettiest urban spots.

That’s just a smidgen of what’s on offer here, of course. So tell me, what’s going on in your neck of the woods this summer?

FFWD – Dieter’s Tartine

July 26, 2013July 30, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 30 Comments

“But for all this, she was putting on weight; for if she did not eat she drank, as everyone did. From the first sundowner, gulped down hastily to give her vitality after the hours of work, she drank steadily through the evening until she arrived back in her room in the small hours, slightly tipsy, if not drunk. She was only doing as everyone else did; and if someone pointed out to her, ‘You are living on sandwiches, sundowner snacks, and alcohol, you are sleeping three hours a night,’ he would probably have gotten for his pains a dark and uncomprehending stare; for that was not how life felt to Martha; it was a rush of delicious activity, which, however, was just beginning to flag.”

Doris Lessing, from Martha Quest

I’m not a fan of dieting – the industry, the fads, the body policing, the class profiling, or the skewing of priorities that can be seen in the quotation, above. I am a fan of fresh, delicious, easy meals in the summertime, however. This week’s recipe may fit the first category, but more importantly for me, it fits the second one, too. My version of this simple tartine consisted of sourdough rye topped with a creamy cottage cheese (no need to add sour cream) and a mixture of orange pepper and English cucumber. I dressed it with an Herbes de Provence fleur de sel and some freshly ground pepper. My chives aren’t doing that well in the record-nearing dry spell we’ve been experiencing this summer, or I would have used some of those, too. (If you check out the link, let me know if you agree with my assessment that the presenter’s glasses likely date from that record dry spell year.)

Later this summer, I’ll make it with radishes, yellow zucchini, cucumbers, or tomatoes from my own garden. For now, I’m content to use the local produce (from farmers who get their stuff into the ground in a timely fashion, unlike me) that abounds this time of year. A drizzle of olive oil, balsamic, or both wouldn’t be misplaced, but I liked it without, this evening. Next time, I think I’ll rub a garlic clove on the toast before I dress it.

As for dieting, I’ll eschew it in favour of moderation in all things (even moderation) and some love and respect for my genetic heritage – all the little French Canadian women on my mother’s side of the family end up a bit round in middle age. And with that, I think I’ll have a dish of this blackberry basil crumble, which was fresh and easy, too, made with basil from my garden and the accursed blackberries that afflict my backyard.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Dieter’s Tartine

FFWD – Whole-Cherry Clafoutis

July 12, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 13 Comments

You may be asking yourself, Teresa who? I’ve been absent a while, haven’t I? I fell down the rabbit hole of some contract work, but I’m glad to be back, and I can’t wait to see all your versions of this cake…pudding…pudding-cake. Maybe I’ll just stick to clafoutis, it’s more fun to say, anyway.

Cherries are just hitting the market here, so the timing of this week’s recipe was perfect, as was this dish. I’ll be having my second slice shortly.

So what does your summer hold? Mine’s going to include a lot of canning, a lot of planning, and (I hope) a week or two of relaxation in September.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Whole-Cherry Clafoutis

FFWD – Goat Cheese & Strawberry Tartine

June 7, 2013June 7, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 24 Comments

My partner and I went through a period of fascination with simple living. The net result was adding about a dozen books to our already-overflowing shelves. Simplicity isn’t something that comes naturally to me, obviously.

So, it’s not surprising that my solution to weekend breakfast is often, “Let’s just go out.” Elaborate recipes swirl around in my head, when all I really want to do is have a leisurely conversation or a lazy look through the newspaper. An hour in the kitchen and a sinkful of dishes isn’t as appealing as brunch in the summer sunshine (or, truthfully, peering out at the summer sunshine from a suitably shady spot).

Enter a little reminder that a satisfying, elegant breakfast need not be complicated – this week’s French Fridays dish is a simple tartine. Toasted chunks of baguette slathered with goat cheese, then topped with some sliced strawberries, a little balsamic, and a dusting of fresh pepper. Enough to satisfy mid-morning hunger and wake up the senses.

It was easy enough to make a gluten-free plateful for Kevin, too. With some sea salt rice crackers in place of the baguette, and a distinct absence of balsamic and pepper, he declared these a perfect pre-breakfast snack.

My bookshelves may need a good purge, my cupboards and closets a little organization, and my garden ever more weeding, but this morning I was content to…ahem…simply enjoy these tartines with a nice cup of tea. There’s a whole summer ahead to catch up on the rest.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Goat Cheese & Strawberry Tartine

FFWD – Anne Le Blanc´s Pistachio Avocado

May 31, 2013May 31, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 18 Comments

We’re entering the green days, when all the work of the rain and sun come to fruition. Which you know, sounds great, but in reality means being perpetually behind on weeding the garden. This week’s recipe is the essence of green without the work, soft slices of avocado drizzled with a little lemon and a lot of (homemade) pistachio oil. I decided to make my own pistachio oil, using this recipe, in part because I was feeling crafty and in part because I didn’t want to buy a whole bottle of the stuff. The combination of pistachio, lemon, and avocado made a nice appetizer tonight. The rest of the 1/4 recipe I made of the pistachio oil is destined for tomorrow night’s vinaigrette. I have no regrets having made my own oil, but I might invest in a bottle of the proper stuff, after all. It is the season of fresh (food) greens and there will be a lot of vinaigrettes (and perhaps a pistachio avocado or two) this summer.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend the weekend ridding my garden of the improper green stuff to make room for sunflowers, dahlias, and cosmos. There will even be a little bean-planting in the vegetable garden, if the rain holds off.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Anne Le Blanc´s Pistachio Avocado

Mardi reminded me that Google Reader’s about to expire, so I’ve set up shop at Bloglovin’: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Blossoms

April 9, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 3 Comments

Someone once said to me that that the flowers of spring are the most beautiful. I don’t know if it’s because the contrast to winter’s muted colours heightens their beauty, or because they are more delicate and less obvious than the big, blowsy blooms of summer, but spring flowers are my favourites, too.

Now that the trees are in full bloom, it’s time for the Cherry Blossom Festival, including Bike the Blossoms and the Cherry Jam.

How does your community celebrate the first blooms of spring?

FFWD – Cheating-on-Winter Pea Soup

February 22, 2013February 22, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 20 Comments

A few years ago, the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibited a piece called Ought Apartment, which consisted of a stack of apartments reaching up through the centre of the building. Each apartment was decorated in the style of a particular decade, right down to the knickknacks and the contents of the drawers and cabinets. So many of the objects (and decorating schemes) resonated for me. The fifties apartment had the same sort of ceramic fish that my grandparents hung in their bathroom, there were some questionable young adult design choices in the eighties/nineties range, and so on up through to the millenium. It was the seventies apartment that fascinated me the most – it replicated the landscape (or carpetscape, anyway) of my childhood.

Why am I telling you all this in a post that’s supposed to be about pea soup? It’s all in the colour. The olive drab of the soup was a dead ringer for the avocado green of the kitchen appliances of my youth. The house that I grew up in had orange shag carpet in the living room, and olive green appliances in the kitchen. It may seem horrible now, but in the seventies it was de rigueur. Just as Ought Apartment had, this week’s soup carried me back.

What it didn’t do was carry me back to the taste of my mother’s pea soup, which is a solidly French Canadian split pea and ham bone affair. It’s delicious, but so was this soup, made with frozen green peas and romaine lettuce and relying on nothing more than salt, pepper, and softened onions for additional flavour. I couldn’t help myself – I added thyme and a clove of garlic to the onions, a minute or two before adding the vegetable stock. My vegetable stock was almost the colour of beef broth, I think because it has some tomato paste added to it, which might explain the colour of my soup. Others have reported their soups were a bright emerald green. No matter the colour, this soup does remind me of a summer soup, even though it’s also warming and rich enough for a cold spring evening. I’d like to take another run at this recipe when it’s truly summer, with fresh peas and mint. That might bring on another attack of memories, this time of shelling peas and shucking corn for family barbeques, but I’ll deal with it when it happens.

You can find many other blogged descriptions of this week’s FFWD recipe here: Cheating-on-Winter Pea Soup

No Doldrums Here

January 22, 2013May 4, 2014 ~ Teresa ~ 1 Comment

It may seem counterintuitive, but January and February are busy months in Vancouver. Years ago, restaurateurs got together and created Dine Out Vancouver to help combat slow post-Christmas sales. It’s become a tradition and there can be fierce competition to get reservations for the discounted, set course meals at some of the swankier tables in town. One of the most anticipated events, though, is not all that swanky. Street Food City is a four-day gathering of some of Vancouver’s hottest food trucks and many of them have added Dine Out exclusive dishes. I suspect there will be line ups around the block again this year.

Other events have grown up around the Dine Out frenzy, like Feast Van, which offers prix fixe meals at a nice selection of mid-range restaurants, with $1.00 from each meal benefitting the Strathcona Community Center Backpack Food Program. I admire their model – great food for a great cause.

Another favourite of mine is the Hot Chocolate Festival, which runs until the middle of February. It’s a great way to wait out the last of the chill and sample some of Vancouver’s finest chocolatiers.

It’s not all about food, though. This weekend, the Museum of Vancouver is presenting their annual Winter Wander, which allows you to visit all six Vanier Park venues for a total of $5.00. It’s a great way to explore these out-of-the-way attractions and I suspect a lot of people buy yearly memberships after their visits – a boon to venues and patrons alike. It’s also time for the PuSh Festival of Performing Arts, which seems to get bigger and more innovative every year.

In sadder news, the legendary Ridge Theatre will be screening its very last films in the coming weeks as they present their Last Film Festival. Vancouver has lost so much of its cultural capacity and heritage to out-of-control, cookie-cutter condo development. The Ridge and The Waldorf are just the latest casualties.

Though it’s true that venues come and go, in Vancouver they seem to go and go and go. Affordable space for upcoming musicians, actors, and dancers seems increasingly endangered. I don’t think the solution is for ‘everybody’ to move to New Westminster, either.

My worries about the future aside, I’ll leave you with something to look forward to – the 2013 Vancouver Poutine Festival has just been announced and it’s going to be bigger than ever. You might want to make some travel plans for early March, as at least one of my out-of-town friends is trying to arrange.

And so it begins…

January 1, 2013January 1, 2013 ~ Teresa ~ 8 Comments

I’m not one for resolutions, but I do have some hopes for the coming year. Hope that Harper will relent and meet with Chief Theresa Spence before her hunger strike takes any more of a toll on her health. Hope that non-indigenous people take note and take action in support of the Idle No More movement. Hope that 2013 brings good news for social and environmental justice. Hope that the balance between joy and sorrow tips toward the former.

For myself, I hope to fill one of those jars you see at the top of the post with plenty of good things this year.

I’ll leave you with an image of the year that’s passed and one of the new year’s beginning, both taken today. Happy New Year!