Jean Ikeson's September Garden! Dundas, Ontario

"There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling."  Mirabel Osler

 

Hiya followers! If you live anywhere close to Georgetown, Ontario, make sure to check out my website and sign up to one of my cooking demonstrations! You can either come out to The Carter Farm Market located in Norval, Ontario, or I will come out to your house for a private demo!

www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com

Jean loves to 'graze off her garden'! Yum!

 

This blog is about our family friend Jean Ikeson, her vast garden and her greenhouse full of orchids! That being said, today I will focus on the garden and my next blog will be about her flowers. You see, I have SO many photos, that having a part one and part two only makes sense! Ha! So, let's get started...

 

Part One

Jean owns and lives on a large piece of property along the Niagara escarpment, in Dundas, Ontario. She has a lovely house, many fruit trees (including a fig tree that she stores in the greenhouse over winter), a large vegetable garden and a collection of several different varieties of berry bushes. Last weekend my sweetie and I went for a visit and had a fabulous time, while learning a lot from our host! Jean is originally from Texas, lived in Oklahoma and has lived in several parts of Canada over the years, including different parts of Ontario and Nova Scotia. Jean has also had many different careers and has a lot of interests, but will tell you that gardening and growing orchids are her passions! Enough said for now, let's head out on a tour!
 

Jean first took us to her apple trees. She grows several varieties, some of which I had never heard of! As Jean put it, "Your Grandmother would know some of these varieties." In other words, good old fashioned apples that are not so easily found these days. All of Jean's apple trees are 'no spray' trees, which are chemical free and instead are treated with dorment oil and copper sulfate (the same method my Dad uses on our fruit trees on our 10 acres in Norfolk County, Ontario).

Liberty Apple
 

 Bramley Apple

 

Next, Angus the dog joined us as we walked down to the garden. Jean does not use chemicals to spray her garden, though she does use fertilizer. Her many years of farming has taught here a thing or two and she told us that she uses fertilizer cause "The plants need to feed and we need to feed on the plants." Makes sense!
Being from Oklahoma has helped shape Jean's garden and she has a collection of vegetables that I am not that familiar with. Tomatillos, ground cherries, okra and many different peppers (hot and mild) are all present. Definitely everyday ingredients in Southern cooking and maybe not so popular around here. I told you we learned a lot on our stroll around the garden! Besides the unique veggies, Jean also grows tomatoes, greens and onions among many other things.

 

 Okra (related to the hibiscus plant, Jean says never to boil this vegetable, always fry or roast first before adding it to jambalaya, for instance!)

 

 

 Purple Tomatillo Plant

 

Purple Tomatillo

Green Tomatillo

 

 Green tomatillos (use when green and citrusy in flavour, overripe when yellow and tastes like pineapple)

  

 Physalis or Ground Cherries (sweet flavor, ripe when the husk is brown and the fruit is orange)

 

 Lot's o' peppers!

 

 Sweet Heat Peppers

 

 Hot Lemon Peppers (they will turn yellow when ripe)

 

 Old German Tomato

Jean starts her tomato transplants early in May out in the garden, in tomato cages lined with 'kitchen catcher' bags, in turn making mini green houses around the plants. Doing so allows Jean to begin harvesting ripe tomatoes in early July. She also uses a slow release fertilizer.

 

 Valencia Tomato (Jean's favourite!)

 

Curly Kale Patch

Curly Kale

Tuscan Kale

 

Shallots (they're HUGE!)

 

Red Onions

Berries are some of Jean's favourite fruit and she grows quite a few different types. While looking through the bushes and sampling freshly picked berries, Jean told us about picking dewberries in Texas as a child. She told us that to pick dewberries you need a bowl tied on a string around your neck, one free hand and a stick in the other. "What is the stick for, Jean?" I asked. "To left up the bottom branches to search for snakes. If there aren't any, you use your free hand to pick the berries and use the other to keeping checking for snakes." Wow, remind me not to go to Texas to pick dewberries anytime soon! Ha!

 

Blackberries 

 

 Red Currants

 

Alrighty followers, I hope that you have enjoyed 'Part One' of our trip to Jean's farm! I'll be back early next week and hopefully have a recipe or two made from the dozens of tomatillos that Jean so graciously given to us! I'll also tell you all about Jean's orchids and post a lot more beautiful pics! Thank you again, Jean and bye for now!

Ontario Garden Chili with Quinoa, Gluten Free

Next to jazz music, there is nothing that lifts the spirit and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili." Harry James

Hiya followers! If you live anywhere close to Georgetown, Ontario, make sure to check out my website and sign up to one of my cooking demonstrations! You can either come out to The Carter Farm Market located in Norval, Ontario, or I will come out to your house for a private demo!

www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com

 

 

Well, I wasn't exaggerating last week when I said I had a plethora of tomatoes and this week I found I had even more, along with a tonne of other local veggies! Fortunately I managed to blanch and freeze all of my excess tomatoes, leaving my freezer stacked for winter. Now, don't get me wrong, I love all this wonderful produce and I happily except any homegrown goods that are offered to me, but combined with the spoils of my own garden, I've got a lot! All I need to do now is to figure out how to use them all up! A great way to do this is to poke around the pantry, fridge and freezer to see what other ingredients you have on hand, then get creative! My own search turned up a tin of beans, some quinoa and spices. This could only mean one thing: chili! So, I got out a big pot and got started!

 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Ontario Garden Chili with Quinoa, Gluten Free

(serves 6 to 8)

 

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed, any colour (I used red and white)

1 cup cold water

Pinch of Sea Salt

 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cups garden vegetables, chopped into bite size pieces

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped + 1/2 cup water

or

1 x 796 ml tin tomatoes, whole and chopped or diced

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 x 540 ml tin beans, drained and rinsed (I used red kidney)

 

Place the quinoa, water and a pinch of salt into a small pot. Turn the heat onto high and allow the quinoa to come up to the boil. Turn down to low, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 15 to 20mins until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Set aside.

Pour the oil into a large pot and heat on medium high. Add in the onions and the 4 cups of chopped veggies with a pinch of salt and pepper, stir. Continue to stir for about 4 to 5 mins, until the onions are soft. Next, toss in the garlic, spices and tomato paste, stir for another minute. Add in the tomatoes, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer, partially covered with a lid. Stir occasionally and cook the chili for about 20 mins, until the veggies are tender. Stir in the beans and quinoa and cook for about 5 mins more, until they are heated through. Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate to serve the next day. Enjoy!

This chili turned out delish and how quick and easy is it to make?! The veggies I used were a combo of peppers, zucchini, celery, carrots and sweet potatoes. All locally grown and amazing. Yum! Now, if you want a bit of heat, you could add in a chopped jalapeno or a chipotle pepper. You can also serve your chili with a variety of garnishes, on the side, I like plain yogurt, grated sharp cheese and finely chopped scallions. Delicious!

 

Now followers, tomorrow I will back with a special blog! My sweetie Kev and I were recently invited to fab farm to check out a plentiful garden and a greenhouse full of orchids! I don't want to give away too much, so I will cut myself off now and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! Bye for now!

 

 

Ontario Tomato Recipes: Salsa Fresca, Bruschetta and Pan Con Tomate

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

 

Hiya followers! If you live anywhere close to Georgetown, Ontario, make sure to check out my website and sign up to one of my cooking demonstrations! You can either come out to The Carter Farm Market located in Norval, Ontario, or I will come out to your house for a private demo!

www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com
Okay, is it just me or do you also have an absolute tonne of homegrown tomatoes?! The tomatoes in our garden have been giving us enough, but through the sheer kindness and generous nature of friends and family, we have now gathered a plethora of tomatoes! Don't get me wrong, I love tomatoes, but trying to use them up before they go off has been a bit of a challenge. So just in case you happen to be in the same boat, today I'm sharing three simple and tasty tomato recipes! Now, I know for a fact that I will be receiving MORE tomatoes this weekend, so next week's blog is guaranteed to feature our fave red, vine ripened fruit! Let's get started!

 

 

Simple and Tasty Recipes:

 

Fresh Ontario Tomato Salsa (Salsa Fresca)

( serves 4)

 

3 large ripe Ontario tomatoes, chopped

1 small Ontario onion, finely chopped

1 clove of Ontario garlic, finely chopped

½ to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

½  lime, juice freshly squeezed

Sea salt to taste
 

Combine everything in a large bowl. Give it a good stir, taste and adjust the seasoning with the sea salt. Add a little extra lime, jalapeno or cilantro to suit your tastes. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

 

 

 Ontario Tomato Bruschetta

(serves 4)

½ baguette, cut on the bias into 12 slices

1 to 2 cloves of Ontario garlic, peeled

Extra virgin olive oil, good quality

2 ripe Ontario tomatoes, fine chop

8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, rough chop

Sea salt

 

Grill or broil the slices of bread until slightly charred on both sides. Allow to cool slightly, then rub the top of each slice of bread with the garlic. Place the bread onto a serving platter, drizzle the tops with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. In a bowl combine the tomatoes and the chopped basil, stir in a little olive oil and a pinch of salt to taste. Evenly mound the tomato mixture onto the slices of grilled bread and serve immediately.

Spanish Pan Con Tomate (Bread with Tomato)
(serves 4)

1 large ripe Ontario tomato
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.

 

 



 

 

 

Summer in Norfolk County, Ontario

 

Ahhh, so peaceful...

Hiya followers! If you live anywhere close to Georgetown, Ontario, make sure to check out my website and sign up to one of my cooking demonstrations! You can either come out to The Carter Farm Market, or I will come out to your house for a private demo! www.sarahsculinaryadventure.com

Well, it's been a little while since I've posted any of my photos of our 10 acres of countryside in Norfolk County, Ontario. It's our escape from the city and we love to get out there as much as possible! Whether it's gardening, camping out, having a picnic, playing horseshoes or just plain relaxing in the peace and quiet of the land, I always try to have a camera handy to document the good times. Enjoy!

My sweetie watching the official Canada Day horseshoe tournament! Yes, he's wearing a Canada Day tie! Ha!

 

Homegrown garlic, anyone?!

 

Potato plant flowers

 

Anjou pears

Russet apples

 

 One of our several ancient apple trees on the property.
 

 Red-spotted Purple butterfly

 

Mourning Cloak butterfly

 

A Praying Mantis on our tent. 

 

We spotted this big guy in the tomatoes! It's a Ceratomia Undulosa larva, which will become a Waved Sphinx moth!

 

A bumble bee enjoying one of the flowers in my Mum's meadow.





 Mum's meadow.

The perfect evening for a bonfire! Wish we were there right now...

Ontario Summer Vegetable Minestrone, Gluten Free and Vegetarian

"The definitive recipe for any Italian dish has not yet appeared. We're still creating." Luigi Barzini

Hello followers, how are you liking the cooler weather? Frankly, I love the rain!
Yesterday my sweetie and I enjoyed and lazy, lazy Sunday together and I must say, it was delightful! It's days like that when I feel like cooking, but not venturing out to the store to buy ingredients. It's days like that when I consider myself the 'MacGyver of the kitchen' and raid the fridge and pantry, challenging myself to come up with something tasty made solely with the mish mash of ingredients on hand. Usually Sundays mean brunch in our little world, but yesterday there was a slight chill in the air that had me thinking of soup! Oh soup, how I love thee! After my quick peek around the kitchen, I gave my sweetie the choice of an Asian flavoured soup with rice noodles or a hearty summer vegetable minestrone. With the comment that we often eat Asian (or my version of combining any and all Asian flavours together until dinner tastes good!), Kev decided upon the minestrone. Sounded great to me, considering that we had a bottle of Chianti open and no sake in sight! So, here is the recipe I came up with on a lazy, wine sipping, early Sunday afternoon! Thank goodness the years of recipe developing and testing has taught me to write everything down, even with a few glasses of Chianti! Ha!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Summer Vegetable Minestrone, Gluten Free and Vegetarian
(serves 6 to 8)

2 tbsp olive oil, good quality
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stock, chopped
1/2 each zucchini and bell pepper, any colour
1 cup cabbage, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup beans, any kind, drained and rinsed
3 or 4 big kale leaves, rinsed and chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
6 super ripe field tomatoes, chopped or 1 x 796ml tin diced tomatoes, preferably salt free
1 L water or your fave stock (use more liquid for a thinner soup, less for a thicker)
4 big leaves each fresh basil and oregano, chopped
Handful spinach, baby or chopped large leaves

In a large pot, add the oil on medium heat. Toss in the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, bell pepper, cabbage, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Stir and cook for about 6 to 8 mins, until the onions begin to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, beans and kale with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a couple mins more. Add in the tomatoes and water and give it a good stir. Bring up to the boil, turn down to low heat and simmer with the lid partially covering the pot for about 30 to 35 mins. 
Stir in the fresh basil, oregano and spinach.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve on it's own, top it off with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive or sprinkle over some grated hard Italian cheese. Mangia! Mangia!

Well, there you have it! Of course, feel free to change things up a bit and make this recipe your own. I just used what was in the house, so don't be afraid to use what you have! Use a whole tin of beans instead of the 1 cup that I happened to have in the freezer; use a whole zucchini or pepper, it's up to you! With soup you can never go wrong, especially if you are using fresh, local veggies!
Bye for now my fun loving followers and I'll be back soon with another Culinary Adventure!