As I mentioned in the Peach Buckle post, I am a big follower of the blog Smitten Kitchen. I’m going to take the risk of looking like a blog stalker, and re-post another one of Deb’s masterpieces. And then I’ll give it a rest for a while, I swear. It’s just that there’s so much great local fruit around lately, and Deb just keeps giving me delicious ways to use it up!

I love blueberry muffins. My mom used to make huge batches when I was little and our family would devour them in a few days. Her recipe was called “Helen’s Blueberry Muffins,” I can still see them written out in her recipe notebook. I don’t know who Helen was, but she made a good muffin.

However, the muffins I made today have blown Helen’s out of the kitchen. They are a masterpiece of a muffin. I think they’d be great with peaches or raspberries too.  I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter, so I’m going to be lazy and just give the link to Perfect Blueberry Muffins.

I am usually rushed when baking, but today since I am procrastinating from all the things I should be doing, I decided to go all out with the hand mixer and the sifter.  Actually following the recipe produced the fluffiest muffin to ever come out of my oven.

The only changes I made were to add a drop of vanilla to the wet ingredients, a squirt of lemon juice because I didn’t have a lemon for zest, I used 3% plain yogurt and I baked them in a 6 cup muffin tin. Deb’s recipe made 9-10 medium muffins, so I went for 6 monster muffins. They were perfectly done at 25 minutes.

Moist muffin perfection!

2007 Candidato Tempranillo Garnacha, $7.70. LCBO#523811.

Lately I’m loving Spanish wine. It is coming close to dethroning Italy as my fave source of old world wine. Or maybe I should call it old world with a new world price twist?

This bottle is simple and enjoyable. Medium bodied, a bit oaky, incredibly smooth. Need I say more?

We had it with burgers, which were a great match. It was still tasty to sip after dinner, the smooth finish helps it do well without food.

Overall, I give this wine 8.5/10 for taste and 4.5/5 for value.

Fresh baked peach buckle.

This recipe is my first foray into the world of Smitten Kitchen. I’m sure that many food bloggers already know about this bible of a food blog, but for those who haven’t seen it, I highly recommend the site. It is one of the only food blogs I read on a regular basis; the photography is great and the recipes are always fresh, in season and creative.

A few weeks ago, a Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle was posted, and I decided to actually try one of Deb’s recipes, rather than just ogle them online. Luck would have it that I ended up with some extremely ripe Ontario peaches just as I was invited to a dinner party. This smelled so divine baking today that I’m surprised Kevin was able to leave it alone long enough to get it to the dinner party!

I decided to leave out the brown butter part and change the nectarines to peaches. The comments online were that the taste wasn’t much different, and  I am supremely lazy when it come to baking. And cooking, really. I hate it when any recipe has many steps…..make this…set aside to cool…etc, etc. Usually I just skip the whole thing entirely.

Also, all I had was an 8 inch round cake pan, and the recipe called for 10 inch. I attempted to cut the ingredients down by about 1/3. So, here is my version of a buckle (also known as a tasty cake with fruit in the middle and streusel on top).

If you have a 10″ pan or prefer brown butter, I would suggest using the original recipe.

Peach Buckle

Peach pinwheel.

This version fits an 8″ cake pan.

Cake

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp  salt
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 medium peaches, sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice

Streusel

2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

On goes the streusel.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Start with the cake batter: Melt the butter, mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. Add in dry ingredients and stir well. I used the same bowl for all of it. Less dishes, less steps = happy me.

2. Grease baking pan. Spread batter in the pan and top with sliced peaches. Make a pretty pattern in you like.

3. Mix together the streusel until it is crumbly, you can do it in the cake batter bowl to save dishes. Pour over the cake batter and peaches to cover. Some peaches and batter will still be visible.

4. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. It will be done when the cake springs back when you poke it, and the cake isn’t jiggly when you shake it.

It was a hit at dinner, we served it with some vanilla ice cream and the tartness of the peaches, the mildness of the cake and the sweet of the ice cream were a great match.

I reduced the sugar a bit in my version, which was great when paired with ice cream. You might want a bit more sugar if you plan to serve alone. Also, I found the cake the tiniest bit dry, so perhaps a bit more milk in the recipe, or baking 35 minutes. However, I may just be being picky, because Kevin said the moistness of the peaches went well with the texture of the cake.

Best lunch of the trip was devoured here.

This week, Kevin and I took a trip to Quebec City. We stayed within the walls of the Old Town, and thoroughly enjoyed being transported a few hundred years back in time. Our days consisted mostly of walking and eating, with a small amount of shopping thrown in! Our hotel started every day for us with a lovely picnic basket of breakfast at our door. What could be more French than a breakfast of croissant et confiture?

My delicious meat pie.

A breakfast of pure carbs leaves you pretty hungry by 11am, so our first lunch at Aux Anciens Canadiens was highly anticipated. They open at noon and we were pretty much banging down the door. It is located in the old upper town in a sweet little heritage house, not far from the Chateau Frontenac. This gem of a restaurant only serves traditional Quebecoise fair, by young ladies in traditional garb, and what a treat it is. I went for the meat pie, which turned out to be a plate of heaven. The pastry was perfectly crusty and flaky, the meat wonderfully spiced (we could smell them baking from the street below) and the accompanying potato, red cabbage, relish and pickled beet were an expert match.

Sugar pie made with maple syrup.

Kevin had the daily special, which was fillet of sole au gratin, and was very pleased with the delicate and cheesy dish.  The best part of the meal by far, however, was dessert.  Maple syrup pie, a version of Quebec’s famous sugar pie, was perfection on a plate. Sort of like a butter tart without the nuts; it was buttery and sweet and accompanied by delicious real whipped cream.  My only regret is that we didn’t buy a pie to bring home!

Steak with a massive amount of frites.

Another noteworthy meal was dinner at Le Cochon Dingue, which a french speaking friend tells me means the “crazy pig.” This cozy little place is down in the old lower town, not far from the funicular, which comes in handy when you are too stuffed after dinner to climb the many, many stairs back to your hotel. Le Cochon is crazy in a fun and happy way, of course. This cheerful restaurant featured equally cute and cheerful female staff, with checkered tables and a bright, happy atmosphere. Several glasses of sangria made us feel even more cheerful, of course. We ate the “Dingue Formula.”

Strawberry cheese pie.

This is a version of the plat du jour, and for $30, we had soup, salad, steak frites, dessert and coffee. Let’s just say the funicular came in handy after that adventure. My favourite part was the dessert. I chose strawberry cheese pie, which was a pastry crust filled with a cream cheesy centre and topped with fresh strawberries and berry sauce. The sweet-tart creamy combo was heaven- and I hope to attempt a re-creation in my kitchen some day soon.

Frothy cappuccino.

On our last day in QC, our train left at 1pm. We saved our croissant for an afternoon snack, and went for breakfast at the place to be: Casse-Crepe Breton, just down the street from our hotel on Rue St-Jean. The Old Quebec theme repeated here- cozy, cheerful and staffed by cute young ladies. Kevin thinks that all the boys must be out driving delivery trucks for the summer, because they are certainly not working as waiters. Kevin and I both had savoury crepes to start, mine a ham-swiss-asparagus combo, and Kevin’s an egg-bacon-cheese creation. I think mine was better, but we’ll have to agree to disagree. I’m excited to try some savoury crepes of my own some day soon.

Fresh blueberry crepe.

We finished with sweet crepes, and I have to say my cherry one fell short of my expectations, it was cherry pie filling and cool whip. A total let down. Kevin’s had fresh blueberries and appeared to be significantly more tasty. I left half my cherry crepe behind, a bad sign as I am a compulsive plate cleaner! I think the key is to enjoy the savoury crepes and to skip the “whipped cream,” as it is really just a poor imitation.

Other notable eats included some really creamy brie and crusty baguette, greedily consumed as an afternoon picnic, as well as several pints of local brew- I really love their take on a blond beer.

Overall, our trip was filled with lovely sites punctuated by delicious food. I wouldn’t choose to go in summer again, the sidewalks were bursting with tourists by mid-week, but a fall trip several years from now is definitely on my list of places to go and things to eat.

Le Cochon Dingue, on a crowded street in the old lower town.

Sweet roasted root veggie perfection.

A few weeks ago, our CSA veggie box contained some particularly fat & sassy beets, and the first carrots of the year. I love roasted beets, and the carrots were crying out to join their purple cousins in tinfoil on the barbeque.

Peeled and ready for chopping.

Seasoned with S&P and garden herbs.

Simply chop the beets and carrots roughly, toss them in olive oil and chopped garlic, sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, oregano and thyme, and pop this all into a tinfoil package. It can go on the BBQ for 45 minutes over indirect heat (one burner on high, the other off, package over the off burner) or in the oven for 1 hr at 375F.

And there you have it- simple, healthy, tasty and local.  And this cooks up just beautifully while steaks occupy the other side of the grill!

2007 Penascal Estate Tempranillo, $9.00. LCBO#343434.

I’ve been wanting to make another forray into Spanish wine for a while now. I went to a wine tasting a few years ago based around Spain and Portugal, and I just loved the earthy robustness of the wines.

I can’t exactly call this bottle robust, but it is certainly interesting. I don’t usually go for Tempranillo, although I love the word, so I don’t know exactly what I should expect from it.  The bottle was a bit earthy/funky upon opening, which never deters me, in fact it usually makes me hopeful that something delicious lurks beneath the stink.

The wine is a deep and luscious purple, making me wish I had a dress or scarf, or something luxurious to wear, in the same shade. Beneath the earthy nose are grapefruit and pepper tastes, with a light to medium body and a dry, tart finish. The LCBO says sour cherry, but I’m sticking to grapefruit. Whichever fruit you choose, this wine isn’t too tart, just sort of zippy and fresh.

I read an article recently about red wines that can be chilled in the summer, and I think this Tempranillo might be a candidate. It’s light and fresh, yet interesting, and probably is best enjoyed in the summer.

Overall, I give this wine 8/10 for taste and 4/5 for value.

I’m going to confess right off the top: this is not my invention. I can take no credit for my friend Laurel’s genius creation, and only hope she takes no offense at the “lazy” moniker. I only mean that is easy to make (and to drink). Heck, even drunk people can do it.

For the version pictured above, we threw a bunch of wild raspberries and blueberries in a jar, and topped those off with some sliced strawberries. Next, a bottle of cheap red went in, home made will do. Add to that a bottle of prepared Sangria wine, I can’t remember which brand we used but I have to assume they all contain some wine, some booze and some fruit juice. When you’re ready to serve, mix that together with the secret ingredient- Orangina! Who knew this cute little bevvy, the one I ordered so politely on 8th grade French fieldtrips, would come in so handy later in life.

This combo produces the perfect blend of fruit, wine, booze and fizz.  It disappeared pretty quickly, and we started topping it off with more wine, some orange juice, and even a scoop or two of lemonade powder when the going got tough. As long as there is fruit at the bottom of the jug, you’re obligated to refill.

Once you’re suitably tipsy, play some sort of board game that makes people reveal what they really think. We recommend True Colours……it’s fun any time, but so much more so with a glass of Sangria by your side.

2008 Cono Sur Bicycle Merlot, $9.95. LCBO#457176.

I found this bottle in a list from Wine Align. It scored 88/100 for the 2007 vintage, and I thought it was a worthy candidate for the $10 wine list. It is the first bottle from Chile that I’ve tried on my quest for a cheap and worthy wine.

I’m disappointed to report that I found the bottle to be only average. It starts out well, the colour is a deep and satisfying purple, but it doesn’t have much of a nose.  The taste is very even, and the wine is medium bodied and soft, as you would expect in a merlot. I don’t have much else to say about it.

Maybe the problem is that I like things a bit fruitier, a bit deeper and more complex than the average merlot can deliver. There’s nothing offensive about this wine, it’s easy drinking with almost no hint of tannins.  It’s a bit on the dry side, so that might be a turn-off for some, but it’s very smooth and would probably pair well with most food.

I would say this is a decent wine, but not one that’s interesting enough to make it into my wine basket on future trips to the LCBO.

Overall, I give this wine 7.5/10 for taste and 3.5/5 for value.

The finished product- a different flavour in every bite.

This is a salad my mom likes to make for summer BBQs, and often gets asked for the recipe. We had a small dinner get together this week with friends who love different grains and interesting foods, so I thought Quinoa Salad would be a great addition to BBQ’d steak and roasted root veggies.

Quinoa has been getting a lot of good press lately. I tried it in the past in an attempt to go gluten-free (which only lasted about 2-3 weeks, I am weak) and didn’t enjoy the texture. But in this salad, you could almost mistake it for couscous, only way better for you, since it is touted as one of nature’s only complete plant proteins.

The salad starts with cooked and cooled quinoa, gets some feta, toasted pine nuts and dried cranberries added, followed by a drizzle of olive oil and lemon, a pinch of salt, and then a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint and flat leaf parsley.

Boil 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water, then cool completely.	Toast 1/3 cup of pine nuts over medium heat for 5 minutes.
1/2 cup feta, crumbled.	1/3 cup dried cranberries.
2 tbsp. each fresh parsley and mint.	The quinoa meets the bowl.
In go the cranberries.	The feta joins the mix.
1/3 cup olive oil for dressing.	Adding the juice of 1 lemon.

This salad is summer in a bowl- and a different combo of flavour in each bite. The lemon and olive oil are light and fresh, the feta adds a bit of salt, the cranberries some sweet, the pine nuts some buttery crunch, and the mint and parsley round out the bunch with a refreshing finish.

As usual, this salad did not disappoint, got passed around for seconds, and the recipe requested. Take it to your next summer BBQ and let your friends marvel at this healthy bowl of freshness!

Make-shift berry container full of the "fruits" of our labours.

Few things are more fun and tasty to me than growing something myself and devouring it. Case in point, my recent penchant for tomato and cheddar sandwiches, with tomatoes courtesy of my patio garden. Living in a city for most of my life, I’d almost forgotten that sometimes tasty things grow wild, waiting to be discovered by birds and bears.

The berries soak up the Sangria.

Imagine my enormous pleasure at discovering mother nature’s gift to us on a recent cottage weekend in eastern Manitoba. I’ve never seen so many wild blueberries and raspberries. It was a reminder of what these fruits used to look like before we engineered them. The blueberries were so tiny, they were hard to spot, and the raspberries were perfect and so delicate you needed your softest touch to capture them.

Wildberry pancakes on the vintage cottage stove.

Braving hungry mosquitos and nasty black flies, we collected many cupfuls over the weekend. I think the cottage road was picked clean before our departure. These tiny treats made for several Sangria adventures and a stack of berry pancakes that rapidly evaporated from the breakfast table.

When was the last time a walk in the woods produced a bounty for your table? I very much enjoyed my reminder that there’s nothing more “local” than sneaking berries straight from the forest floor.