Organic Farmer's Market Saturday

I was desperate to get to the Organic Farmer's Market this morning because we were out of Glo Bars.  And K was insistent that we buy some long bread from the bakery.

Glo Bars, spices from Arvinda's, and freshly baked treats.

I can't wait to use these tonight. I'm ever so glad I was planning on making a curry!  Vegetable Jalfrezi here I come.

A salty cheese roll of some kind, a cheese and pesto roll and cinnamon scones.  The cheese and pesto roll didn't last!

I can't wait to eat these.  This may be lunch.

K's "long bread".  It's actually a loaf of French bread rather than the longer baguette.

Is it syrup or is it jam?

Seems like this should be an easy question to answer, and I guess it is.  I started out with the intention of making blueberry syrup and ended up with blueberry jam.

There were some aging blueberries in the fridge and rather than throw them out (the horror!), I decided to try to make a syrup.  I, again, turned to Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.  Are you really surprised?  I had about half the amount of blueberries he suggests but no matter.

I did forget that I was halving the recipe before I added the cornstarch and water and thus my blueberry syrup turned into jam.  Oh well.  Kids didn't know it was supposed to be syrup and they are quite happy with the jam.  One taste and P was asking for more.  Poor girl has to wait until morning!

Blueberry Syrup, or Jam
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

1 c blueberries
1/4 - 1/3 c water
1/4 - 1/3 c sugar - this is really a matter of taste.  I wanted mine sweet
1/2 T cornstarch mixed with 1/2 T water - for a more jam like consistency use 1 T of each
splash of lemon juice (optional) I think it's optional but most find they need it to cut a little of the sweetness

Mix the first four ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened.  This will take approximately 10 minutes.  Taste, carefully now, don't burn yourself, and add more sugar, water or the splash of lemon juice as desired.

Keeps in the fridge for about a week.

Farmer's Market Friday

Rain.  And lots of it.  That's how we started our day.  I kept hoping that the rain would let up so we could have a dry trip to the farmer's market but we had no such luck.  I'm actually quite grateful for the rain; it's watered our desperately dry lawn - for free!  It's also come with a cooler air mass so we have a temporary reprieve from the humidity of the past week.  (Which I love but not everyone has air conditioning.)

This week's loot: red new potatoes, wax and green beans, cauliflower, peaches, apricots, mini cucumbers, raspberries, zucchini, strawberries, white nectarines and cilantro.

M & P stayed nice and dry in the car while K & I did our best to stay dry as we shopped.  I'm so proud of my little man.  Not only does he know that Friday is the day we go to the farmer's market, he really enjoys choosing the produce.  I wanted a basket of white potatoes and asked him to choose the basket for me.  He choose red ones instead.  So we bought the red ones.  It maybe because he doesn't remember our having bought them before.  Kind of like when he insisted we buy the white cherries.

Meal ideas for the next few days: Jamie Oliver's Vegetable Jalfrezi with his Cilantro Lime Basmati Rice (to use up the cauliflower), new potato and bean salad (will post recipe and pictures after I make it), and plenty of salads with cucumber and steamed zucchini.  How I love steamed zucchini!  Ever since reading about how Trainer Momma finds it very filling I've been adding to my salads or making it one of our vegetable side dishes.  I've always enjoyed zucchini but never thought about just eating it steamed.  I was missing out.  The kids love it too.  Last night the had pizza with a side of steamed zucchini (1 each) and they both ate it before they touched their pizza.  And before anyone points out that they might be saving the best for last, I don't think they are old enough to consciously decide to do that.  Certainly not P.  Maybe K.  Anyway, let's not ruin my proud mummy moment.

Pasta a la Caprese

While much of Ontario, Quebec and parts of the US are going through a heat wave, I'm not inclined to do much that adds to the heat in the house or strain the hydro system.  Not be a good time to loose power!  This recipe requires only minimal stove time and can be served hot, room temp or cold, thus allowing it to be adapted to your needs.

Pasta a la Caprese
Taken from Lovingly Prepared Dishes, a charity cookbook prepared, in 2005, by Revenue Canada's Legislative Policy Directorate (or whatever they were called then or are called now)


1 lb pasta: something short like penne or ziti
5 c tomatoes (12 plum tomatoes or 4 large ones - I used a combination of red and yellow tomatoes) thinly sliced lengthwise
3 to 4 smashed cloves of garlic (typo in my recipe book: it calls for smashed gloves of garlic HAHA)
1 long thing, red or yellow sweet pepper thinly sliced (I use two large peppers, often one red and one yellow)
20 leaves fresh basil, torn into pieces
1/2 c olive oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
1 t salt (I leave this out because of K and P.  We add our own salt at the table.)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 oz mozzarella cheese cubed (I use grated mozz because that's what's in my freezer)
Parmesan cheese for the table


At least 1.5 hours before serving, combine tomatoes, garlic, sweet peppers, basil, oil, and s&p in a bowl large enough to contain both cooked pasta and sauce.  Let stand without refrigerating.  I cover it with plastic wrap or the like just to keep the misguided flies and other bugs that have taken up residence in my kitchen out.  (I often prepare this in the morning or during K&P's afternoon nap and let it stand until supper time.)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions or however you like your pasta cooked.  While the pasta is cooking, add the cheese to the sauce.  

Drain well and add to the sauce and cheese mixture.  

Mix quickly but well.

Serve immediately*.  Pass the Parmesan cheese for those needing more cheesy goodness.


*This is also excellent cold or even at room temperature.  I think the recipe should say serve as you like. ;)

Back to Salads

It feels like ages since I've had a salad for either lunch or supper.  This madness must come to an end!


I'll be topping what's already in the bowl with a steamed zucchini.  Yum!

Sundried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Focaccia

Need I say more?

Mine was a little crispy due to a crazy oven but it was still awesome.  Oh, and it was a little too salty and for that I blame P.  She was trying to climb up me, through my legs and practically onto the counter while I was salting the bread.  Doesn't really matter.  We scraped off the extra bits and scarfed it down.  And true to form, I ate too much.  But it was delicious.

I don't have any pictures of the focaccia making process so please visit The Pioneer Woman Cooks and check out her Olive Focaccia.  I used her pizza dough recipe and was inspired by the olives so this is really her focaccia.

Sunday Farmer's Market

Summer's travel season has started so we've missed a couple of the Friday Farmer's Market.  No matter, we made it to Sunday's market after a somewhat leisurely start to the morning.

Please just imagine that you are looking at this from the proper angle.  I've tried saving it a few different ways and it looks perfect and then Blogger turns it.  Without being asked.  How rude!

Today's purchases included mini cucumbers, red and yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, empire apples, white nectarines, teeny tiny apricots, zucchini, peppers, and raspberries.  I'm seeing Pasta a la Caprese in our future this week and some barbequed zucchini too.

Can't wait to start cooking...even though it's in the upper 30s outside (Celsius)...I love summer!