I decided to pickle some of my crop of garlic this year - I usually end up discarding a lot of it the following spring. I used this recipe. It calls for fresh rosemary and orgeano - which I still have in abundance in my patch of herbs.
A photo of our home in Eastern Ontario. The house was built in 1903. We are the 3rd family to live here. We bought it in 1978 - moved in December 28. Our nearest neighbours, prize-winning Suffolk & Dorset sheep, live in a blue barn. Next to them are their owners, our nearest human neighbours. We live across the road from a dairy farm that has been in the same family for over 130 years.
We live in a quiet rural area surrounded by fields and only 2 miles from a small town. Our property includes an acre of land, with a large vegetable garden out back and a pool that we installed 17 years ago. My wife and I raised 4 children in our home and now we take care of our grandchild 3 or more days a week. Ten years ago my mother-in-law built a 2-bedroom "granny suite" attached to our home. The entrance to her home is visible on the right. We like it here. The house is way too large for our needs, but I can't see us ever moving away. We like to travel as much as we can, but we are also very attached to our home.
Carrots Glazed with Rosé Wine
From A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill
Ingredients
1lb (455 g) fresh carrots
1 cup (8 fl oz/240ml) dry rosé wine or dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 leaf verveine (lemon verbana; available dried as a tea)
1 tablespoon sweet butter
Directions
1. Peel and trim the carrots, leaving them whole if not too large, or cut them in 3-inch (8 cm) lengths. Put the carrots in a lidded saucepan and barely cover them with water. Cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes over medium-high heat.
2. Drain the water and add the wine, rosemary and verveine. Lower the heat to low and continue cooking. When the carrots are almost done, cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.
3. To serve the carrots, add the butter, return to high heat, uncovered, and reduce the wine almost completely. Do not brown the carrots. Gently shake the carrots in the sauce until they are glazed. Serve hot with a garnish of fresh lemon verbena or mint.
Comments
The carrots & rosemary are from my garden - decided to try to find different ways of consuming the bounty at this time of the year. I used small carrots - just cut off the ends, scrubbed them clean & bisected down the middle. No lemon verbana - used a bit of lemon juice instead.
Paupiettes de Veau - Stuffed Veal Bundles
From A Culinary Journey in Gascony by Kate Hill
Ingredients
8 veal scallops, cut thin (or pound as needed)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb lean pork sausage
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bottle (750ml) sweet white wine
bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley and sage)
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon orange zest
Directions
1. Flatten the veal scallops with the blade of a large knife. Salt and pepper generously.
2. Place a spoonful of sausage on each scallop one-third of the way down the scallop. Roll the scallop around the sausage, tucking the meat around the stuffing until well-rolled. Taking about two feet of kitchen string, place the bundle in the middle of the string, and tie; turn one-quarter and tie again; turn again and tie again. When you have a neatly tied packet of veal and stuffing, clip off any excess string and set aside.
3. Place the veal parcels in a single layer in a hot, deep saute pan with the oil. Brown on all sides and remove from the pan.
4. Saute the chopped onion and shallots in the oil left in the pan. Stir until they start to colour, then add the flour and tomato paste. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture starts to color, then add nearly the whole bottle of wine (remember, it's okay to reserve a glass for the chef.)
5. Place the veal paupiettes and bouquet garni in the sauce, cover and simmer slowly for 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Add the sliced mushroom and orange zest to the sauce and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with rice or pasta.
Comments
I made this dish for dinner this evening - pretty easy, if a bit lengthy in preparation - but it was worth it. This was a big hit.
This is an interesting book - several additional recipes I plan to use.
I also like the narrative and anecdotes that accompany the recipes
I like the information that this dish is also called "alouettes sans tetes" - "larks without heads."
I was able to pick all the herbs for the bouquet garni, except for the bay leaf, from my herb garden.
A short video of my reception at the sheep barn to take a couple of photos of the new-born lambs
