2011 in Jars

2011 was not, in retrospect, a particularly stellar year for me in the cooking department. Maybe the abundance of fast/affordable/awesome food options available in Montreal at all hours were to blame... or maybe it was the seemingly constant change of culinary surroundings (we moved 3 times in 10 months). At any rate, most of my cooking was of the old-standby nature (and very little of it was blog worthy).

The one exception to this was the canning. This year, knowing that the dark dismal winter would eventually descend upon us (and indeed it has), I decided to do everything I could to save a bit of summer/fall for those dismal months that follow the holidays.

So, without further ado, I give you the year in jars:

February:

Kiwi-Lemon Marmalade: You've already heard about this one in gory detail. Suffice to say that it has brightened many a dull morning and will hopefully continue to do so until next February when I will try to get the wheels on the wagon a bit sooner and make a batch of proper Seville orange marmalade.

July:

Pesto v1: In Montreal at least, this is the time of the year when you can buy giant bouquets of basil at the market for less than the cost of a single ziplocked packet of 6 leaves at the grocery store. They are impossible to pass up, along with the baskets and baskets of gorgeous ripe tomatoes. While it is tempting to eat them as they are, raw and fresh with nothing but a dash of salt and olive oil, I managed to resist long enough to make a couple batches of pesto, frozen in icecube trays to brighten the pastas of days to come.

Pesto v2.0: The CSA gave us garlic scapes. More garlic scapes than you could shake a stick at, so, I threw them in the blender with some oil, salt, and pepper, and froze the result in jars, to be used at a time when anything naturally green would be a welcome addition to the meal.

September:

Plum Jam: The market is overwhelming at this time of year. There are giant bins of plums, grown locally, being sold by the pound and I cannot say no. This is a minimal effort jam. No straining, no pectin, nothing fancy. The result is a simple spread that is perhaps a touch runny but makes up for it with its purple hue and summery flavour. Next year, it's peaches and nectarines.

Tomato Sauce: Like the basil, the tomato sauce project was inspired by seeing the bushels of tomatoes at the market, and knowing that in 3 months time, they would be gone and the pink tennis balls would return. Tomato sauce making is quite an endeavour. It probably warrants a post of its own. If you're considering it though, I recommend procuring a copy of "Les Tomates en Conserve" a how-to dvd put together by some Montrealers who've been at this for a while.

October:

Tomato Chutney: All the flavours of fall: apples, peppers, raisins, onions, and tomatoes, captured in a jar to adorn many a cheddar slice and tortiere in the months to come. (Be warned, this recipe makes well over a dozen 1/2 pint jars).

November:

Quince Jam: Quinces (or coings en francais) were featured in the fall issue of Edible Toronto. Although they are mostly grown in Europe, the climate in southern Ontario is well suited for them. Alas, I was unable to find local quinces (mine came from California), and my jam didn't turn ruby red as described in the article. It did however, have a lovely floral note to it, good for topping both toast and pork tenderloins.

(Chutney, plum jam, quince jam, lemon marmalade)

December:

Meyer Lemon Marmalade: The arrival of new citrus options is cold comfort for the disappearance of the tomatoes and other fall harvests, but it is hard to ignore the golden yellow glow of Meyer lemons in the grocery store. On a whim, I buy two bags, and begin researching what to do with them. The preferred method for dealing with them in this quantity is of course, marmalade. Meyer lemon marmalade is a one day operation: their skins are so thin and tender that they do not need to be soaked, peeled, or preprocessed in anyway, and the pips and pith, thin as it is, usually contain enough pectin to set the whole batch. This batch was no exception.

Montreal Needs a Chipotle (and other observations)

Congratulations Seattle. You have one thing Montreal doesn't: a Chipotle (in fact you have several). Here in Montreal, our Mexican options are limited at best, and besides, Chipotle is more SF than Mexico. To be honest, I was recently asked what made a mission-style burrito so different from a normal one, and I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't come up with a good answer. The more I think about it, I think the secret lies in better cuts of meat, more interesting flavors (tomatillas over tomatoes, limes over chili powder), and fresh toppings).

Anyways, it appears that the limiting factor for proper mission-style burritos in Montreal is not the pork (in fact Chipotle gets theirs from Quebec (!)) but the rare and exotic giant burrito tortilla. So when I happened upon them at Taco Del Rey in the Jean Talon market, I knew exactly what my next culinary project would be.

Pork Carnitas Burrito

The basic premise behind pork carnitas is to cook a pork shoulder long and slow in spices and liquid, until the meat is tender, shred the meat, and use a bit of the cooking liquid (boiled down) as a sauce. I used this recipe for salsa verde carnitas , however, I must admit that I cheated on the salsa verde and bought a large container from Taco Del Rey, instead of making it from scratch.

Pork Carnitas, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

(Serves 8+…I've eaten 3 burritos this week)

Ingredients:
1-2kg pounds pork shoulder (I used 2kg on the bone)
1 onion (chopped)
2 cups salsa verde (here's Kevin's recipe, if you feel like going all out)
2 cups chicken stock (a little more if needed to cover the pork)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Directions:
1. Trim the excess fat from the pork.
2. Place the pork, onion, salsa verde, chicken stock, cumin and oregano in a pot.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the pork is nice and tender, about 3-6 hours (I did 3 hours, but a little more wouldn't have hurt)
4. Take the pork out of the liquid and shred the meat with a pair of forks.
5. Bake the shredded pork in a preheated 400F oven until just browned and slightly crispy.
6. Skim the fat from the liquid.
7. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer to reduce for about 10 minutes.
8. Mix some of the liquid back into the pork (I added a couple cups worth).
9. Use the pork mixture in your favorite tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.

Which brings us to part 2 (the other secret of the mission-style burrito): Toppings! Obviously, the meat is just the beginning. Here are some of my favorite additions:

1, Rice, is a must obviously, to make it a bit more exciting, I used a mixture of brown and wild rice, seasoned with onion, garlic, cilantro and lime (here's one recipe and here's another)

2. Beans, you can go refried, or used canned whole black beans (drained and rinsed, of course).

3. Guacamole or avocados

4. Cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes.

5. Cheese (I used pepper jack, but anything mild will work)

6. Salsa. I am partial to salsa verde myself, but others I know swear by salsa rosa, pico de gallo, or corn salsa. It's your choice.

A Hearty Healthy Coffee Cake

Carrots, oats and dates -- it's actually surprising there was any room for the cake part. This was actually a combination of two recipes: a a date cake with a little bit of carrot muffin mixed in.

Really I just had a surplus of carrots, and this seemed like a good thing to do with them. If I were to make it again, I think I might half the oats, or add a touch more milk, to make the whole thing a bit lighter. My cake's consistency need up being more similar to scones than a cake (which is ok really, as it makes it easier to grab a slice as you are headed out the door and nosh it on the bus).

Date and carrot cake, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup wholemeal flour, 1 cup plain flour)
2 cups rolled oats (or a little less)
2 level tspn baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tbsp molasses
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup brown sugar
1 cups milk (a bit more if things seem dry)
1.5 cups grated carrots
2 eggs
5 table spoon vegetable oil


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease and flour a 9" cake pan (I used a springform pan and lined the base with parchment paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients
3. Beat the milk, eggs and oil
4. Mix all together, and stir in the carrots
5. Pour in a 9 inch greased tin
6 Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

The-Vegetables-are-about-to-Stage-a-Coup Curry

This is what happens when the bin shows up and you've been ignoring the fridge all week because you've been busy making marmalade. Closely related to the use-up-all-the-left-over-meat-and-cheese quiche is the use-up-all-the -veggies curry. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you can make your own curry paste, as they do in this recipe. I took the lazy route and just threw in a can of massaman curry paste, and augmented it with some extra ginger, garlic, and thai chilis.

Vegetable curry, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Ingredients (open to interpretation)

-1 onion
-1 tsp grated or finely chopped ginger or galangal
-3 cloves of garlic chopped
-3 thai chilis chopped (leave the seeds in for a hotter curry)
-2 cups coconut milk (either canned, or from soaking desiccated coconut in hot water and straining it)
-1 cauliflower cut into florets
-1 cup green beans cut into 2" pieces
-2-3 parsnips or carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" pieces (cut crosswise if the pieces are especially wide)
-3 baby book choy, leaves separated, rinsed and chopped into 2" pieces.
-2 tbsp oil
-1 4oz can of curry paste (or the equivalent amount of homemade paste)

Method:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until softened and beginning to brown at the edges (5-8 min)
2. Add curry paste, chilis, garlic, and ginger and stir until fragrant (1-2 min)
3. Add the parsnips and cauliflower and stir to coat with curry paste.
4. Add 1.5 c coconut milk, stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium, Cook covered, stirring occasionally for about 30-40 minutes.
5. When the veggies still have a bit of a crunch left (around 25 minutes or so) add the green beans.
6. Cook for another 10-15 min until veggies are cooked through.
7. If the mixture seems dry, add more coconut milk, if it is too watery, remove the lid and let some liquid boil off
8. Finally, add the book choy stems (not the leaves) and cook for 2-5 minutes. At the very end, stir in the leaves (they will wilt immediately). You could also add some basil or cilantro at this point if you have any on hand (I didn't).

There are 2 secrets to making a curry like this: keeping the liquid at the right level (making sure it doesn't dry up or become a soup). and knowing how long veggies take to cook.

To keep the liquid at the right level, just start small and add more as needed. If you're really stuck, add water.

As for veggies, starchy things like potatoes, and crunchy things like carrots go in first, as they can take a while to cook (almost an hour usually). Cauliflower, broccoli and green beens (and other similar things) are in the middle (1/2 hr - 15 min depending on your crunch vs mush preference). Finally, greens and their stems (herbs, bok choy, spinach) will cook in a few minutes, and can be thrown in at the very end.

Three Indian Stand-By's

I haven't been cooking much lately…mostly just marmalade-making (yes…I made a second batch, I know, I'm an addict). That said, I figured it was time for a "best-of" sort of post. So without further ado, I give you my three stand-by Indian dishes. Make one as a side, or a couple as a meal, the options are limitless. I probably make one of these three every time I cook Indian food.

Chana Palak, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Chana Palak

This is great as a side with a meat dish, or on it's own, with naan bread to soak up the juices. Adding a bit of cream at the end will make the dish richer and smoother, or, if you're looking for a lighter dish, skip the cream.

1 400ml can Chickpeas; drained and washed
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion; chopped finely
1 400 ml can chopped tomatoes, and their juices
4 cups chopped spinach (if using frozen spinach, thaw it first)
2 cloves garlic; minced
1 inch ginger; grated
2 green serrano chillies; ribs and seed removed, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander/cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)

Method
1 In a medium sauce pan, over med-high heat, fry the onions in the heated oil, until golden brown.
2. add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and chillies, cook for about 5-8 minutes until it is blended together.
3. Add the turmeric, coriander and cumin powders, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, stir and cook for a further 8 minutes, until it is limp
5. Add the chickpeas, mix and cook for a further 10 minutes
6. Add the garam masala and the coriander leaves; mix.
7. If you are using cream, stir it in at this point.

Serve with chapatis or naan.

Spicy Cabbage

An excellent way to use up a cabbage.

1 cabbage; finely shredded - a shortcut here is to buy a bag of shredded cabbage (meant for coleslaw) and use that instead.
1 400ml can chopped tomatoes;
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 inch ginger - grated
2 green serrano chillis - minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard seeds - black mustard seeds are good if you can find them, otherwise, normal mustard seeds work too
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, as soon as they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and the minced chillis, stir and fry for a few minutes.
2. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric, fry for a few minutes.
3. Add the shredded cabbage, stir well, so that it is coated with the mixture.
4. Add salt and cook for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked.

Kerala Fish Curry

This dish is quite possibly the best thing you can do with canned fish. It also tastes great reheated in a wrap the next day.

2 cans (213 g each) of Sockeye salmon or mackerel, drained
1/2 an onion or 2 shallots, chopped
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon of oil
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
6 to 8 curry leaves (fresh are best, if you can find them, but dried work too)
4 green serano chiles, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:
1. In a small to medium pot, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions/shallots and cook until softened and beginning to brown at the edges (5 min). Then add the garlic (2 tsp), and the ginger (2 tsp). Turn the heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly for 1 -2 minutes.
2. Next, add the spices for the fish (turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry leaves) and the serrano chiles. Stir until mixture is fragrant (2 min or so).
3. Add the fish, turn the heat up to medium, and cook, stirring for at most 2-3 minutes, until fish is heated through and coated with the spice mixture.

I know I said I wasn't going to do it this year, but…

I didn't mean for it to become a regular thing…I don't think anyone ever does. I only did it last year because all my friends were doing it and it seemed like once couldn't possibly hurt. Now I know better. Take it from me kids: marmalade-making is a messy addictive habit, which you should approach with extreme caution and full knowledge that it may become a yearly routine.

Lacking most of my kitchen, I wasn't going to do it this year. Then I started to see the Sevilles and Meyers in the stores, and felt a little pang of regret, but finding a 24 hour stretch in which to undertake a marmalade project didn't seem very likely, so it was pushed to the back of my mind…until the kiwis showed up in the bin.

I know. Kiwis are not commonly associated with marmalade. But we had a whole pound of them, and I was having a hard time figuring out what to do with that many. Until I came upon a recipe for Kiwi Lemon Marmalade, using my favorite Meyer lemons. How could I say no? Especially since it used a different (less labour intensive) method than the recipe I made last year.

Kiwi and Meyer Lemon Marmalade, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Kiwi and Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs Meyer Lemons
4 C Water
1 1/2 lbs Kiwi (firm/ripe)
5 C Sugar

8 1/2 pint canning jars with rims and lids
cheesecloth (I had no cheesecloth, so I used a Curad Hold-Tite sleeve (it actually worked quite well).

The night before:

Wash the lemons, and cut them in half lengthwise. Using scissors, cut out the pith in the center, and use the tip of the scissors to remove any seeds (pips) from the lemons. Save the seeds, pith, and any juice accumulated in a bowl. (This site provides a good illustrated description of this step.

Next, slice the lemon halves thinly (thinner => less chunky marmalade, thicker => more chunky). Put the lemon halves in a large glass bowl filled with 4 cups cold water.

Strain out the juice from the pith-seeds-and juice bowl and add it to the lemons. Take the remaining pith and seeds, tie it up in cheesecloth (or whatever you're using) and submerge that in the bowl with the lemons.

Cover with a tea towel and leave the whole lot to sit somewhere cold and dark over night.

Meyer Lemons, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

The next day:

First, peel and chop the kiwis. I cut mine into quarters lengthwise, then cut those pieces into 1/4" slices. Again, you could go bigger or smaller depending on the chunkiness factor.

Kiwis in various stages of preparation, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Once the kiwis are cut, set them aside, measure the sugar and set it aside too.

Dump the entire lemon mix (and the cheesecloth bundle) into a large stainless steel pot, and boil for 15 min, or until the pith on the slices has mostly disappeared, and the peel itself is soft and translucent.

Now remove the cheesecloth bundle (squeeze out as much liquid as you can), and add the kiwis and sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil and stir, skimming off any foam that accumulates.

At this point, if you haven't already started, you should get your jars started. I use one big pot to sterilize jars (it holds about 4 at a time), and a smaller one to keep the lids warm. I fill the big pot with water, put in 4 jars and rims, and bring the lot to a boil.

After about 40 min or so, start testing for doneness (I Nigel's method which involves chilling the marmalade briefly, then running your finger through it to see if it wrinkles). Test every 10-15 min or so until it has gelled.

Then, remove the jars from the boiling water, and place on a tea towel. If (like me) you need to sterilize jars in 2 batches, put the next batch in now. It will be about 15 minutes by the time you finish filling the first ones. You're supposed to use a funnel to fill them. I just used a ladle, and cleaned the rims of the jars with a damp cloth afterwards. Run a spatula/spoon/chopstick around the edge of the jar to remove any air bubbles, and tighten the lids to "finger tight", set aside and fill the remaining jars.

Finally, pop the filled, closed jars back in the boiling water for another 15 min (make sure they are covered by at least 1" of water) to get rid of any air bubbles. When done, remove the jars from the water and let sit at room teem to cool. You should hear the lids make a popping noise as they seal.

After 24 (ish) hours, unscrew the rims and check to make sure the lids are sealed (i.e., concave in the middle, and stay stuck to the jar, even when you loosen the rim). Any jars that didn't seal can be reprocessed (re sterilize the jar, reheat the marmalade to a boil, and repeat the whole canning routine) or used in the next 2 weeks. Store the sealed jars in a cold dark dry place.

Overall, this was a much less stressful marmalade adventure than last time. It's easier when a) you know what to look for with the gelling thing and b) you don't make fatal mistakes like boiling the marmalade with the lid on.

Salmon: All of the Glam, None of the Fuss

I'm afraid I can't really take much credit for this one. It was mostly Dan's doing. I just handled the veggies. However, I will say, having witnessed the whole process, that this recipe makes for a very elegant meal, with very minimal fuss.

The sauce and salmon are made separately, and assembled at the end. So there's the option of multi-threading the whole process, to make the assembly time even shorter.

Also, I second Food and Drink's opinion: rosemary potatoes go very well with this dish. If for no other reason than that they provide another vehicle for the sauce.

Roasted Side of Salmon With Mustard and Tarragon Cream Sauce, originally uploaded by CaitKP.

Roasted Side of Salmon With Mustard and Tarragon Cream Sauce

With 2 sides (potatoes and steamed green beans), serves 4.

Ingredients:

3 lb salmon (skin on. deboned)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (freshly ground)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup shallots finely chopped
1/2 cup vermouth/dry white wine
3/4 cup 35% cream
3 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 tbsp grainy style mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with tinfoil

2. Place salmon on baking sheet, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven until just cooked (20 min)

3. While salmon is cooking, heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until translucent, but not browned (8 minutes). Add white wine and reduce for 3 minutes.

4. Add cream and cook over medium high heat until reduced to a sauce-like consistency (12 minutes) Stir in tarragon and mustard and season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve sauce alongside salmon, or over the whole piece.

Rosemary Potatoes

1 lb red new potatoes, or other potatoes with thin skin.
4 springs rosemary
1 tbsp butter
salt

1. In a large pot of water, add the rinsed potatoes (cut into 2" chunks if large), 2 sprigs rosemary, and some salt. Bring the whole thing to a boil, and cook covered over med-high heat until potatoes are just done (15-20 min).

2. Drain potatoes and put into serving bowl. Add the leaves from another sprig of rosemary, and the butter, stir with a spatula to melt butter. Serve alongside salmon.