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I'm a little behind in blogging about Friday night's dinner of Grilled Steak with Southwestern Three-Tomato Salsa and a side of Grilled Peach Salsa.
The Southwestern Three-Tomato Salsa was a blend of fresh field tomatoes, heirloom tomato assortment (from Inn the Pines) and jarred sundried tomatoes. It was very nice on steak, almost a little too flavourful because I'm not sure I really got much steak flavour through.
The Peach Salsa was delicious! It pretty much goes with any type of fish or meat. The recipe made tons so we have it around for the next few days to eat on the side. Chipotles go so well with peaches! Seriously.
Over my holiday up north I read 'A Homemade Life' by Molly Wizenberg. This is my first blogger turned author book (as she blogs Orangette). I haven't read her blog yet, but as I read through 'A Homemade Life' I could relate to Molly in so many ways. I thought I was obsessed with food, well I may have met my match. She had me at Banana Bread, that's for sure. Anyone who can admit to a weakness for banana bread is top notch in my book. And I was totally intrigued when she wrote about adding crystallized ginger to chocolate chip banana bread. It was on sale at Bulk Barn this week and another recipe I have coming up called for crystallized ginger. We also had 4 super overripe bananas (which my mom told me to throw away)... no no no mom, I'm Making Banana Bread! Yep, all signs pointed to giving the broken oven a go and baking banana bread anyways (I hope in the future to go into detail about the oven issue, but suffice to say, it's broken and VERY expensive to repair. Damn built-ins.) After an hour, I got the old oven to crank to 340 (on a recipe that called to 350) and baked off a most perfectly executed version of 'Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger' from A Homemade Life. Here it is 4 hours later.
I missed out on one of those 'mommy meet-ups' for this. Well worth it I say! It's the most sophisticated banana bread I've ever baked (um... that's not saying much really). But it worked out beautifully, tastes wonderful and freezes! Sigh, why don't I have friends like Molly? Maybe because I miss out on social functions to stay home and bake.
A side of P.C. Dolce De Leche Banana spread, it took this banana bread to new heights!
It's official. After Thursday night's three recipes in one meal I found myself having gone through exactly half the Everyday Food Fresh Flavor Fast book. That's 125 down and 125 to go!
I decided to take on this personal challenge as something for myself. When everything I had in me went to Owen and for the first time I was not working or in school, I struggled to find something to nurture myself. I considered taking cooking classes but then realized as a nursing mom I couldn't be available to leave for hours at a time. Not only that, the cost! After deciding to work through Everyday Food I realized this made way more sense. No charge other than what I'd buy in groceries. I see this sort of like taking a class because I'm learning so much but setting my own pace.
I originally started this as a way of trying new recipes while I had the time on my maternity and to keep a blog as notes on the recipe. Blogging about this will come in handy then when I return to work. I can reflect on details about these recipes like how long it took to make, what I'd revise, and if we even enjoyed it. What I didn't realize about doing this was just how much this has benefited my family. On top of the learning experience, I'm making fresh, homemade & healthy food for Nuno and Owen and that's been the biggest benefit of this challenge.I was just looking ahead to what's to come. I'm nervous about making a leg of lamb and venturing back into the disaster of lamb chops. I have to find tomatillos and serrano chillies somewhere. I'll be eating a chicken drumstick (haven't tried one in 15 years). I'll be trying flounder and red snapper for the first time. I have another kale recipe to contend with (and choke down). I get to make ice cream sandwiches! There are also two delicious chocolate cakes I look forward to baking. And I'm most excited to prepare a Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pie!
If you read my blog, thanks for joining me on this experience!
Yesterday we ate what I consider to be the perfect summer dinner.
It all started picking up the produce at Inn the Pines and Nokara Farms. Both of these farm stands are located in north end of St. Catharines at 7th Street exit.
We had Grilled Fish Kebabs with Cherry Tomatoes, Sauteed Corn with Bacon and Scallions and Grilled Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce!
The Grilled Fish Kebabs were a combination of tilapia and salmon. The corn for the Sauteed Corn with Bacon and Scallions was freshly sliced off the cob. I always pass when it comes to eating corn straight off the cob, but I've discovered the pleasure of fresh corn in salads and relishes. I feel like I'm finally able to enjoy summer corn! The Grilled Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce is a somewhat deconstructed baba ganoush with elements of tzatziki. There is quite a bit of this sauce left over so I'm looking forward to veggie dipping off it over the next couple days.
Owen's dinner was a concoction based on a few elements of this meal. I steamed a portion of salmon and tilapia for him and then added the yogurt dressing (yogurt, parsley, lemon and cucumber) to the fish. I know it sounds odd, but it tasted great. The true test was seeing Owen's reaction. I gave him a bite and he absolutely loved it! Combining salmon and tilapia tastes really good. It really brings out a whole different flavour which is quite unexpected but more pleasant than each fish on its own. I'm starting to feel like a baby chef over here.
If that wasn't enough, I also made a summery dessert. This stemmed from trying to deal with all the peaches I blogged about earlier this week. I was quite undecided what to do with them all and found myself unable to work through them fast enough. I also discovered that cooking peaches can sometimes make them taste like canned, which is a complete waste. So I started to stress when I noticed some starting to go bad. I then remembered seeing a recipe for a no-bake Fresh Peach Pie that my mom made when we were kids. I quickly went ahead and made two pies.
Wow, seriously, as simple as this is, it's so great. Because most of the peaches are sliced and uncooked, they taste so fresh (as the recipe name suggests). I have to share this one with you all!
Glazed Fresh Peach Pie (Mom)
4 c sliced peaches
½ c water
¾ c sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp butter
1 baked 9” pie shell
Crush enough peaches to make one cup leaving the rest. Combine 1 c crushed peaches with water, sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Cook over low heat until clear (2-3 min) stirring constantly. Add butter & cool. Spread sliced peaches into pie shell, then pour cooked mixture over them making sure they are all covered. Chill for 2 hours. Top with whipped cream and serve.
I had a couple tweaks on my pie. I used a store bought graham cracker crust, added lemon (to prevent browning) and a bit of Peach Schnapps (for extra flavour) and deducted the extra liquid from the water measurement. I also pureed the cooked peach mixture for a creamier texture.
This is Honey-Soy Grilled Pork Chops with Crunchy Bok Choy.
Very simple and fresh! The marinade was super good on both the pork chop and baby bok choy. I even enjoyed the bit of charred flavour on the ends of the leaves. I also made the side of rice suggested in the book. I used basmati rice and it is flavoured with rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. All super yummy.
This recipe was also do-able for Owen to eat. I steamed unseasoned portions of pork chop and a baby bok choy then processed it with rice. He loved it and gobbled it right up. I'm a proud mom of a baby bok choy eater!
This is my new favourite thing - blue cheese on salad! So it was perfect timing to make the Roasted Portobello Salad with Blue Cheese from Everyday Food.
Being a salad and using the BBQ makes this a perfect mid-summer meal. It was so super enjoyable because it felt sophisticated and special with little effort. A total make-again!
Yesterday morning I headed out to Werner Farmstand (Lakeshore Road in Port Weller) in search of peaches. A farmhand was actually unloading and sorting as I arrived and I asked for a basket of seconds. What I purchased is what I'd guess to be 8 pounds of peaches!
I always thought seconds were bruised and blemished fruit, but can you see anything the matter with these? I think the girl who gathered my load was extra generous. Now to figure out how to use them all up.
I started off by making this Peach Melba for dessert last night.
I just became aware of this old style dessert so I decided to look into it a bit more. I ended up taking elements from three different recipes for my dessert.
First off was making the Peach Frozen Yogurt from Anna Olson's Fresh. Turned out beautifully. Easy, delicious and I'd venture as far as to say healthy because I used two cups of 1% yogurt.
Secondly was the Raspberry Coulis I lifted from Nigella Lawson's Peach Melba recipe.
Lastly, I took the assembly idea from Everyday Food's Grilled Peach Melba which seasons the peaches in butter and brown sugar and grills them on the BBQ.
I think I'll be making this dessert a yearly event because it's a great way to enjoy peaches. Word of warning, if you make this Peach Melba eat it fast - it's melty!!!
Blogging about my life through food is a way of keeping most other parts of my life personal. I like it that way. But of the people who skim over my blog, most are family. Many of whom want to know what Owen's first cottage experience was like and, come to think of it, I'd like to have this archived as well.
We always stop at Webers on the way up and weren't sure if it could happen this year. Life with a baby is scheduled, but you certainly can't force timing.
Luckily we got to Webers right in time for lunch.
"What? We're at Webers and all I get is mashed avocado!?"
This is the 5th generation of our family to cottage here.
We have a height chart set up where everyone is recorded year after year.
Owen and I were the same age coming up to the cottage (8 months), looks like he's got a few inches on me.
Here is our beach set-up. We need plenty of shade and I'd say we're covered!
This pool is ingenious. Although the photo doesn't show, it has a hose attachment and it sprinkles water up front from the bottom of the blowfish's mouth.
As we discovered at the Fallsview Waterpark, Owen loves to splash and touch sprinkling water.
He thinks pools are his personal water fountain.
While up here he cut 3 teeth simultaneously and for the first time fussed about it. He also learned to bum-scootch.
This also happens in his highchair which doesn't have a crotch strap.
We like to visit parks up here and Owen's fond of swings. When he swings forward he will pretend he's running. Totally a new mom here with the shopping cart cover over the swing.
Here is his evening walk to Champlain Park. It's just about his bed time and he's quite pensive as the sun sets.
This swing is at Kiwanis Park. It's part of our daily walk up Kate Pace Way starting at the Pier and turning back at Lee Park. Early in the week we noticed a midway was setting up at Lee Park.
This is Sunset Point swinging at sunrise. "Swing, to reach the end!"
By the pier are two merry-go-rounds and a kiddie train. It's the absolute cutest! I even heard a whooping and hollering from him. Between the swings and train, I figure I'll finally have a roller coaster partner in a few years.
To prime him for rides, I brought him out to Summer in the Park.
We spent time at the midway but didn't ride any rides, just took it all in. He loved it and was so stimulated!
Having Owen with us up here really adds a whole new dimension of fun. No more late nights partying at Wylders anymore.
Plenty of smiles and cuddles!
Soundtrack: Teenage Fanclub - Shadows, The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme, Surfer Blood - Astrocoast
Reading: A Homemade Life - Molly Wizenberg & Nuno's Script
Snacking: Roasted & Salted Edamame, Snapea Crisps, Homemade Chex Mix
The final Everyday Food recipe made at the cottage was Napa Cabbage Salad with Peanuts and Ginger.
This one is quite a bit tastier than the napa cabbage salad from earlier this week with apples and caraway. The only thing I'd change about this salad is to maybe add some crushed ramen noodles.
I've learned something very valuable while up here at the cottage - Bulk Barn is your best friend. I had planned on baking the Peach Buckle, so I brought all the necessary ingredients with me. Yesterday I decided to make a Peach-Blueberry Cobbler with the leftover fruit. With less than half the ingredients in the cottage, I was able to pick up the rest at Bulk Barn for less than $2. Super economical for such a dreamy dessert.
Sigh, it is so delicious! Buckles, slumps, grunts, clafoutis, cobblers - all the like are perfect no-fuss cottage desserts. Better than pie, in my humble opinion.
I halved the recipe because it would fit best in the cottage's Pyrex dish. I also made a cardinal baking sin, I used heart healthy margarine in place of butter! Never thought I'd see the day, but I love my grandma too much to be baking with food deemed off limits to her. She loved it! She's telling people about my cooking up here and said she's never eaten better and she's getting 'gourmet' meals! A bit exaggerated, but I'll take a compliment where I can get it.
Last I mentioned about L'Amis, I felt I didn't do justice to the great-ness of this farm stand. I found myself back again yesterday. This time for corn for last night's dinner of Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Corn Relish.
I think it's a tourist trap of a farm stand because it's situated right at the Lakeshore exit at HWY 11.
This is Owen's first little red wagon ride. This may be the Hummer of little red wagons.
Across the street is Billy Bob's Bait Shop. Not only do they sell bait and tackle, they also operate a snack shack where you can enjoy, North Bay's favourite snack food - the Pogo! I think they shouldn't shame themselves by associating with those wretched frozen boxed dogs, but should call them Corn Dogs! So much more appetizing.
Now, tell me they don't acknowledge themselves as a tourist trap with fanciful benches and unique photo ops.
For dinner we had Grilled Vegetable Quesadillas with Corn Relish.
These quesadillas are filled with farm fresh vegetables along with monterey jack cheese. We had some roasted chicken breast leftover, so I included that as well. This is my second day of barbecuing solo; I even changed the propane tank on my own. *proud* Because these quesadillas are grilled on the BBQ, I found they were a little dry for my taste. So the usual Mexican accompaniments (salsa, sour cream & guacamole) do very well with these.
Kind of odd, but this is my first time boiling corn and then removing it from the cob. I had to ask my grandmother how she does it just so I didn't mess it up. The corn relish was my favourite part of this meal! I don't know if it's because the peaches and cream corn fresh from the cob is perfectly in season, but this was so absolutely delicious. I may have been a little too generous with the green onion, but other than that it was dead easy and perfect for the season! Owen's version was yellow squash puree with chicken thigh which he LOVED!
I'm a little behind in blogging about Friday night's dinner of Grilled Steak with Southwestern Three-Tomato Salsa and a side of Grilled Peach Salsa.
The Southwestern Three-Tomato Salsa was a blend of fresh field tomatoes, heirloom tomato assortment (from Inn the Pines) and jarred sundried tomatoes. It was very nice on steak, almost a little too flavourful because I'm not sure I really got much steak flavour through. 
