Bring on the Dancing Blueberries

"Wow, look at them dance - the blueberries, can you see them?" This is a funny little memory of mine, one of the latter ones I have of my Dad, who having just woken up from one of a series of surgeries, displayed a very uncharacteristic child-like wonder at the anaesthetic-induced visions he was having.  This particular one involving blueberries.

I can relate - I think fantasizing about blueberries, dancing or not, is a good thing. And another good thing is that it is blueberry season in the Fraser Valley. I have been stuffing myself with these dusky blue anti-oxidant filled fruit wonders in their natural state, with ice-cream, in bluebery turnovers (omg), and in blueberry peach shortcakes. And - oh yes- Blueberry Cake. A simple and delicious variation of the Famous Raspberry Cake (for the recipe, visit my July blog archive - simply replace raspberries with blueberries).

I just can't seem to get enough of these, and canny as I am (an inherited trait and also good for a food preservation pun), I know blueberry season will (sadly) end, so I want to preserve their amazing summer sweetness for as long as possible.

So, I spent the cool of a summer morning making blueberry jam - which I dedicate to my Dad. I used barnesgirl's recipe which you can find on her blog: http://barnes-girl.blogspot.com/ and from the sound of lids pinging and the slow roll of the jam in the jars when I tilt them and squint to inspect them - a very good batch indeed.

Canny Stan's

Dancing Blueberry Jam.

Sunday Lunch in the Garden

In one of my previous posts, I described a near-perfect Saturday. That Saturday was followed by a near-perfect Sunday.

Hubby and I were invited for Sunday Lunch in the Garden with my friend Cie, and her somewhat demanding, yet hopelessly endearing sheepdog Pheobe (or is that hopelessly demanding and somewhat endearing? I'm never sure with Pheobes).

Cie is a kindred spirit. Devoted to farm fresh local food, a creative cook, and an avid collector of delightful "stuff", she also has an innate sense of comfortable living and a unique personal style. Needless to say I love being invited to her place and she is always top of my list for local catering and pot lucks.

Lunch in her garden  is not just a treat for the tastebuds.  I love gardens - (they're my one weakness) - and this garden features lovely greenery and sweet growing things, along with items that Cie has collected, artfully displayed to maximize both their use and their beauty - I just love that, too.

In addition to shared views on politics, food and community life, we share a delight in old china, family heirlooms and fabulous finds, so between the conversation, the delicious organic food and the real silver, I was in lunch heaven. Hubby seemed pretty happy, too. Cie kindly tuned the radio to the final World Cup Soccer game.

Bliss among the teacups.

Swooning over the Moon

Ah, summer! The consummate July evening included grilled chicken, fresh corn on the cob and grilled asparagas with pepper & lime. Yum.

Hubby and I sat on the deck and watched the Fraser River flow lazily by. Afterward, drinking lemonade and eating blueberry-peach shortcakes we watched the moon rise above Mount Baker. Good food, big love, and Mother Nature serving up romance by the moonfuls.

Lucky, lucky us.

Smashing Eggplants

It's Meatless Monday and I have a perfect little summer dish that uses up those fat eggplants taking up room in your vegetable drawer. What is it about eggplant? I can't resist that shiny purple skin - they just look so luscious! This is a dish I made up basically using ingredients that happened to be in my fridge, so I'd suggest that the variations are endless. I call it "Grilled Eggplant Cheese Pie". Here's my version:

You will need:
Eggplants, thinly sliced
Selection of cherry tomatoes
Olive oil, garlic, s&p
Fresh basil
Cheese for centre layer (some kind of soft, fresh cheese or ricotta - I used Farmhouse fresh cheese & some gruyere)
Grated cheese for top (I used gruyere, asiago & parmesan)
Tomatoe sauce (your own or from a jar)


Thinly slice med-small eggplants longways. Salt and layer in strainer with a weight on top to express bitterness (Meanwhile, make a blueberry cake - ha! - that recipe to come in a future blog, cuz blueberry season is here!). After about 30-45 mins, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Lay out on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil that has been mixed with crushed garlic.

Roast eggplant slices on a hot barbecue until almost completely cooked. Roast a mixture of cherry tomatoes alongside. Spread a layer of tomatoes sauce in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Layer grilled eggplant slices along bottom. Mix roasted tomatoes with fresh basil leaves and arrange on top of eggplant slices. Add freshly grated pepper & salt to taste. Add layer of cheese
Cover with another layer of roasted eggplant. Press down. Spread a layer of tomatoe sauce over all. Sprinkle top with a generous layer of grated cheese. Bake covered in foil in a preheated 350 degree oven. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or so until top browns or quickly finish under broiler. Let stand for 10-15 mins before serving.





It is smashing. Serve with a fresh green salad and garlic-asiago bread. Mmmmmmmm.

A Perfect Saturday

I have been working really hard lately. Being self- employed is a bit like farming: you've got to make hay while the sun shines, and I've been involved in an exciting and challenging social media project for past few weeks that has meant little down time and lots of hours on and offline.

Add into the mix, opportunities to design and co-lead a couple of really dynamic coaching workshops and my usual roster of consulting and 1:1 coaching clients and - whew! - I'm happy to have landed on a sunny Saturday in mid-July with a day off.

And it has been a perfect day off.

Started with a nice cup of tea and a quick cruise through Facebook and some tending of my cartoon farm on Farmville. Cartoon lavender, Swiss chard and goats all doing well, I'm happy to report. Hubby and I donned packs, slathered on the sunscreen, stuffed our pockets with smallish bills and coins and headed to the Haney Farmer's Market.

It was a perfect day for the market with vendors selling all manner of seasonal produce, fruit, fresh bread and pies, flowers, and herbs. We returned with packs stuffed with tomatoes, carrots, herbs, and real versions of swiss chard and lavender. I spent some time puttering in my real garden admiring peas, climbing beans, a flourishing herb bed and some promising looking heritage tomatoes.

Satisfiedly grubby after my watering, weeding and self-congratulation, I headed for a bubble bath complete with a stack of magazines - Vanity Fair, Bon Appetit and Simple Living. A bouquet of fresh lavender on the edge of the bathtub and an ice-filled glass of organic lemonade. Ahhhh.

Inspired by the fresh chard and my recent splurges on goat cheese I put together a new version of goat cheese tart, and - oh my - I did outdo myself. While the tart was in its various stages of assembling, chilling, baking and resting, I dragged my sewing machine out, set it up in the dining room and sewed up a cute little basket liner from a 'fat quarter' sent to me by a dear friend and amazing seamstress. The fabric is an Englebright print, featuring cherries - that most cheerful of all fruits.

By now, feeling very smug and also not wanting to waste having the sewing machine set up - I started on an apron project. By the time the tart came out of the oven, I had the skirt, waistband and ties done. All that's left is to design and sew the pockets and hem it. That can happily wait for my next day off.

Served myself Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Tart accompanied by a salad with fresh lettuce from my funny garden and, on TV - an episode of Midsomer Murders. Could it be more perfect? Tomorrow, brunch in a friend's garden. More to come...

Become a fan of Midsomer Murders: http://www.midsomermurders.net/


Visit the Haney Farmer's Market: http://www.haneyfarmersmarket.org/

In a Happy Garden

There is a way that tending a garden brings out our goodness. Caring for soil and seedlings, watering and feeding - there is no fundamental requirement to plant flowers and shrubs, ornamental beds and borders, yet somehow we are compelled to put hands in earth and tease tiny sprouts from the dark dirt.

I recently visited my mother's rooftop garden - a place she has transformed from a rickety tar and gravel outpost above her business to an intriging, tranquil green space that manages to be both soothing and whimsical (a little like her, actually).

What refreshment it is to sit in this leafy flowering place and contemplate a cup of tea and toast with jam. A little buddha statue sits unperturbed and inscrutable amid lobelia, herbs clamour out of their pots and Picasso petunias flirtily display their fushia and lime-green loveliness. And never mind the happy-faced pansies sticking their noses into everything.

Beans, peas, lettuce and cucumbers compete for root space and riot out of window boxes and across tabletops almost as though they are unbearably happy to be growing and eager to be plucked for salads, soups and snacks.

This is full-hearted gardening and perfect profusion. Un jardin d'amour.

Grateful to Goats: Tarte au Chevre

This is one of my all-time favourites. I am a big fan of French bistro style cooking and this tart is very light, yet rich (so rich!) and works wonderfully as either an appetizer or a main. Try to eat just one piece!

Make your favourite recipe for a single savoury tart crust; prepare in 11" pan and refrigerate 30-60 minutes. (if you don't have a savoury tart crust recipe, send me a comment and I'll post one - but really, everybody should have one).

Bake Crust:

Remove prepared dough from fridge and prick all over, line with parchment paper and fill with beans or weights. Bake in a preheated 400 F degree oven for 15 minutes, then remove paper and weights and bake until just golden - about 10-15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let tart crust cool slightly (don't turn off the oven).

Prepare Filling:

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream or cream fraiche

3 chevres (goat cheeses) - 2-3 oz ea

About 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

small bunch of fresh chives

fine sea salt

Put eggs, sour cream and large pinch of sea salt in a bowl. Beat well. Slice each goat cheese into 1" rounds -- (you may not need all three chevres depending on the size of your cheeses, so slice as you go) -- and arrange in bottom of pre-cooked tart crust -- not too much crowding of the cheese, please. Pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle on the Gruyere (yes, it will all fit) and snip the chives over top. Bake 20-30 mins or until browned. Serve warm, but it's good cold too!

This recipe is lovingly adapted from bistro: French country recipes for home cooks by Laura Washburn.

Cheeses pictured: Ash Chevrotina, Farmhouse Natural Cheese & Farmhouse Chevre (Agassiz BC). Available at (you guessed it) Lepp Farm Market in Abbotsford BC.

Gaga Over Goats

I have a bit of a secret. I love goats. I am also inordinately fond of chickens. I have a very active fantasy life in which I have a backyard chicken coop producing wonderful free range eggs, a couple of handsome and wise-looking goats and a milking cow named, very creatively, Daisy. (The chickens and goats have names, too but we won't go into that).

What is prompting me to muse affectionately about goats? I spent the Canada Day long weekend visiting the Courtenay-Comox valley and was thrilled to encounter almond-eyed goats gazing from roadside fields and an abundance of chicken coops dotting backyards. I even managed a visit to a sleepy little petting zoo where my aunt and I got up close & personal with these amusing critters - not to mention meeting a crabby pig named Patti-Cake, a timid turkey and some rather friendly sheep.

We made a special stop at Coombs Country Market, famous for the family of gregarious goats that live on the roof. We purchased fresh island strawberries, raspberries and a wicked balsamic reduction and then carried on to a family BBQ hosted by my sister and her husband, the King of Ribs.

My farmyard fantasies extend into the cyber-world where I am an enthusiastic Farmville fan. I started my cartoon farm a few months ago while recovering from a surgery. What started as a few cartoon plots growing a few cartoon pumpkins has become a lively little rural dream including a nursery barn, orchard, and - of course - a chicken coop and a flock of goats.

When I received my first Farmville goat, I celebrated by baking a goat-cheese tart and serving it to my sister-in-law. She called it a little taste of heaven. I call it eating the dream.


Visit Coombs BC http://www.oldcountrymarket.com/

It's Meatless Monday. Goat Cheese Tart makes a great main, especially accompanied by a fresh salad and crusty bread. Tune in later this week for the recipe!

Contentment & Caramel Sauce

There are two things I love (okay, for those of you who are following this blog, you know there are more than two - way more.). Nevertheless. One of the things I love is face time with friends. I really like social media, too, and can happily post back and forth on Facebook until my Farmville cows come home, but I really, really love getting together with people and hanging out. The other thing I love is food. Surprise!

Both of these activities (is food an activity? Nevermind.) give me a feeling of contentment and deep pleasure. A week or so ago I got to combine both into one really great Thursday night. One of my girlhood friends and I bought tickets to a cooking demonstration by Food Network chef Anthony Sedlak held at the incomparable Lepp Farm Market - yes, the same Lepp Farm Market of raspberries and ice cream fame from previous posts. Rob and Charlotte Lepp hosted an amazing evening of cookery that included a full three courses featuring local products and Fraser Valley wines, to boot.

Sedlak was a riot - he's a real personality with a bonafide talent and a very convivial approach to teaching. There was space for only 20, so we got our money's worth. I happily bought his recipe book and am already thinking about who else to buy it for - and looking forward to the next cooking class.

Spending time with a friend, eating great local food creatively prepared, and supporting the dream of local farmers who want to bring good food to our tables. Truly, one of the best Thursday nights I've ever spent. Not to mention the Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce. Mouthwatering.

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/The-Main/show.html?titleid=108594

http://leppfarmmarket.com/NewsEvents.html