Turkey Stock and Turkey Soup

"Only the pure of heart can make soup." Ludwig Van Beethoven

Hello followers! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!
Now, I'm sure that all of you have had your fill of turkey sandwiches by now and are ready to warm up to a bowl of homemade turkey soup! So, today I have posted my turkey stock recipe and my recipe for turkey soup. Both very easy to make and not only will you enjoy eating your delicious soup, but your house will be filled with the most inviting aroma while making the stock!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Turkey Stock

1 roasted turkey carcass, any meat or stuffing removed and set aside
1 onion, quartered
1 leek, green only, rough chop
1-2 celery stalks, rough chop
1-2 carrots, rough chop

1 bouquet garni:
1 pc of rinsed leek green
1 sprig of fresh thyme & parsley
1 bay leaf
4 - 5 peppercorns
(make your bouquet garni by placing the thyme, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns inside the leek and tie with butchers twine, as pictured below)

.in the roasting pan, add enough cold water to cover the carcass and place on top of the stove over one or two burners, depending on the size of your pan (or in a stock pot), heat on medium
.add leek, onion, celery stalk, carrot and the bouquet garni
.slowly bring the water up to a rolling boil, then turn down to a low simmer, cook for 4 to 6 hrs
.skim off the fat and impurities regularly with a spoon or small ladle, discard
.once done, pass through a cheesecloth lined colander or a fine mesh strainer
.once cooled, discard bones and veg

Turkey Soup
(serves 4 to 6)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, rinsed well and chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh thyme, left whole
2 L home made turkey stock
1 cup egg noodles
a hand full each of frozen peas and green beans
2 cups leftover turkey and stuffing, cut or torn into bite sized pieces
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
a hand full of fresh parsley, chopped

. in a pot on medium heat, add olive oil, throw in onion, leek, celery, carrot, bay leaf and thyme
. cook 5 mins and stir frequently until onions start to brown, season with salt and pepper
. next add garlic, stir 1 min, add stock
. bring to a rolling boil, then turn down heat to a low simmer, cover with lid
. simmer for about 20 to 30 mins until veg have reached desired doneness, meanwhile...
. in a small pot boil the noodles until el dente, throw in the frozen veg to thaw, strain and rinse under cold water, set aside
. once the veg in the soup are done, stir in noodles, beans and peas, turkey and stuffing
. heat through, taste for seasoning, throw in chopped parsley, serve, enjoy!

Freezing OntarioTomatoes

"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes." John Denver

Hello followers, hope you're enjoying this lovely day!
Busy, busy, busy... That's the best way to describe our lives around here lately! Not only is work a bit hectic, but we are off to Cuba on Wednesday for my brother Jordan's wedding at the end of the week! Amazing! So, with all of the planning, laundry and packing it's no wonder that I forgot about something important. Our tomatoes!!! We've been eating them as quickly as they ripen and the thought missing out on any of our wonderful homegrown tomatoes made me really sad! Well, that is until I remembered that I could simply freeze them whole! So, I decided to document the method and share this easy process for all of you with an abundance of tomatoes.

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Freezing OntarioTomatoes

Pick your ripest tomatoes and put on a pot of water to boil. Also, fill a bowl with cold water and set aside. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the stem and score a cross on the bottom of the tomatoes. When the water is boiling, plunge your tomatoes in for a minute or so, until the skins are starting to come away. Lift them out and place them in the bowl of cold water. Peel the skins off and put them into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag across, leave a small opening at one end and insert a straw. Take a deep breath and suck out the air (this could take a couple of goes!), until it is as airtight as you can get it. Place the bag into the freezer and store for 6 to 8 months. Enjoy!



I like to freeze my tomatoes whole, but you could also cut them up and continue freezing them with the same method. Believe me when I tell you that it is a great feeling to know that you are eating your home grown tomatoes in the dead of winter! I like to use them in sauces and soups. Well, have a great couple of weeks my fun followers and I will be back with a lot of pictures from our trip and maybe a tasty recipe or two from Cuba! Adios!

Pan Con Tomate

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." Lewis Grizzard

Isn't that quote the truth, my followers?
When I think of homegrown tomatoes I think of my Dad and our neighbour Nina. Every summer the competition was on for the biggest and best beefsteak tomatoes on the block! I swear, some of them were so huge they could barely fit in my hands! I loved those tomatoes so much and as soon as they were ripe enough, we would enjoy them in delicious toasted tomato sandwiches, simply made with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Yum! So with our own tomatoes ripening by day the day, it's needless to say that my sweetie and I have been enjoying our fair share of toasted tomato sandwiches! Actually, we've been enjoying our homegrown tomatoes just about daily with just about every meal! Having so many ripe tomatoes has become a bit of a challenge which I have really been enjoying! And just now, while on my walk this morning, I thought of something else I could prepare with our homegrown tomatoes... The wonderful Spanish dish called 'pan con tomate'! I remember a few years ago while working at All The Best Fine Foods in Toronto, there was a rep from a Spanish olive oil company. He came in, set up his little stand, got out a box grater and started to grate tomatoes into a bowl. Next, he drizzled in some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled in sea salt and stirred. Then, he toasted some slices of bread, rubbed them with a garlic clove, spooned on the seasoned tomato pulp and offered me one. Well, I had never tasted anything like it and was amazed with the simplicity of it all! When I asked him how this modest offering could be so wonderful, he simply said 'The tomatoes must be in season and perfectly ripe.' No problem there!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Pan Con Tomate
(serves 4)

1 tomato, Ontario grown and perfectly ripe!
1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, good quality
sea salt
3 to 4 slices of bread

Using a box grater, grate the tomato into a bowl and discard the skin. Drizzle in the olive oil, sprinkle in salt and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Either toast the bread in the toaster, or under the broiler. Rub the top surface of the bread with the garlic clove. Spoon over the tomato pulp and serve immediately. Buen provecho!

How easy it that?! And believe me, once you've tasted it, you'll enjoy Pan Con Tomate every summer when your homegrown tomatoes are ripe! Alrighty followers, I gotta run but I'll be back next week and chances are we'll still be talking tomatoes! Bye for now!

White Bean, Olive and Ontario Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Herbs

"What is more refreshing than salads..." Alexis Soyer

Hello my fave followers!
Well, today's blog is going to be short but sweet, as I am getting ready to spend a relaxing day at the beach with my two best friends! We are packing picnic lunch and it's my job to make the salad. Since my sweetie and I have had quite the busy weekend and did not get a chance to do any grocery shopping, I'm limited to what's already here. No problem! I do consider myself to be the MacGyver of the kitchen, after all! Ha! So, after looking in the pantry, fridge and out in the garden, I have come up with a tasty offering!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

White Bean, Olive and Ontario Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Herbs
(serves 6 to 8)

1x 540ml tin white beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup olives, pitted and rough chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup Ontario goat cheese, crumbled

Place all ingredients, except for the goat cheese, with a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl and toss together. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Top with the goat cheese, serve and enjoy!

Easy to make and not that bad looking, either! Eat this salad as an appetizer, side dish or a great vegetarian main. I sure hope my friends like it! Okay my followers, have a great week and I'll be back soon! Bye!

Ontario Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

"Between soup and love, the first is better." Old Spanish saying

How do you like today's quote, my followers? I certainly don't agree, but I do find it funny!
Well, once again I am back after being absent for a little while... Making the most of summer has been been top priority and since I was here last, I have been on a road trip to Ottawa and on a camping trip. Both were great times and don't fret, I will tell you more about Ottawa a bit later! First up I must tell you about a request for a recipe I recently received. I am always extremely excited when someone asks for a request and this time it came from my good friend Cheryl. She asked me for a roasted pepper soup recipe and with local peppers available and the recent cool, rainy weather, I finally had the chance to get down to work!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup
(serves 4)

4 bell peppers, I used red and yellow
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, rough chop
2 garlic cloves, rough chop
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup 35% cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Roast your peppers until the entire skin is completely charred, you can do this either on the BBQ or under the broiler. Place the blackened peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a recycled bag (or a container with lid) and set aside for a half hour or so to cool. This will allow the skins to steam loose for easy removal. Peel the peppers, give them a rough chop and strain the juices. Put the peppers and reserved juices aside.
In a pot, heat the butter and oil on medium heat. Add in the onions and cook for 4 to 5 mins until they are softened, toss in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 mins more. Stir in the peppers, reserved juices, water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for 20 to 25 mins. Puree the soup, stir in the cream and chopped herbs, adjust the seasoning and serve. Enjoy!

What a tasty summer soup and as you can see, I served mine with some homemade croutons. Now, I would recommend using only red, yellow or orange peppers for this soup. Don't get me wrong, I love green peppers (especially grilled!), but I feel they would be a bit too bitter for this soup. I hope you like it Cheryl and remember followers, I always love getting recipe requests!

Okay, time to talk about Ottawa! My best friend Mary and I had a great time in our nation's capital! Our reason for going was to visit my cousin Melanie and her family and we had a fabulous time! The highlights of our trip were venturing into the Gatineau Lakes in Quebec to spend the day at beautiful Philippe Lake, wondering through the Byward Market area and staying at the historical Hotel Chateau Laurier. All in all, it was a fantastic trip! Have a great week followers and I will be back soon with another summer recipe using local ingredients! Bye for now!

Phillipe Lake, Quebec

Byward Market, Ottawa.

Ontario summer produce... A wonderful sight, non?!

Radishes, onions and beets...

Heirloom tomatoes...

My husband's souvenir, rainbow carrots!

Patty pans...

House of Cheese, Byward Market. My heaven on earth!!!

Only in Canada!

Menu from the Hotel Chateau Laurier, circa 1930's. I love it!