Friday, March 30, 2012

spring has sprung

i've had a little extra spring in my step this week. despite the wicked weather early on, it still feels like spring is here. green things are returning to the market - cucumbers, spinach, mache, and it won't be long until asparagus' return.

in honour of the season i went a little salad crazy. there is a massive quinoa salad this week. it seems i always run out, so this week i planned accordingly. also don't forget, if you'd ever like me to set aside a salad for, just pop by in the morning to place your order (vendors, i'm talking to you!).


so this is what the quinoa looks like this week. it's essentially a greek salad minus the feta. so there's loads of cucumbers from noggins, red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh oregano, mint and arugula, garlic, lemon and a smidge of mustard. there's no added oil, just lots of bright, fresh flavours.

the red rice salad will be the same as last week. so the nutty rice is kicked up with roasted butternut squash, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, sunflower seeds, parsley, sage, maple syrup & apple cider vinegar.

and then, since i was in a spring frame of mind, i made a vegan potato salad. so the potatoes as dressed with grainy mustard, horseradish, tarragon, dill & white wine vinegar and the crunch comes from celery, green beans, radishes, green onions & pickled garlic scapes from moon fire farm - it takes like picnic season.

this week i also filled the freezers. in all honesty, it feels like i've been running all week and just barely managing to get everything done... but i digress. here's a hint at what i made this week:


yes, that's right, a new batch of lobster mac & cheese. but wait, i didn't stop there. i also made plain ones as well as a broccoli-cauliflower version. so they all start the same with foxhill cheese curds, mozzarella, parmesan, asiago & leek bechamel. to give you an idea of how much i made, this is a pic of just the sauce:


not gonna lie, it was a little brutal to stir!
plain small $8 large $16
broccoli-cauliflower small $8 large $16
lobster small $12.5 large $25

i also made a gargantuan batch of seafood chowder. this one is loaded with mussels, haddock, sea trout, smoked haddock, potatoes, leeks, celery & celery root from selwood green and all the seafood i used this week is from peter at the fish shop.

as far as baked goods go, i'm finding it a little difficult to stray from my usual lineup because i inevitably end up disappointing someone. so this week, it's all the old favourites. the snickers are back in their usual form, there are lemon & butter tarts, macaroons, oatmeal cookies, mint-oreo cheesecakes (which i should probably go check on in the oven...) and carrot, chocolate, red velvet, lemon & banana-chocolate chip cupcakes.

this week i also has two custom cake orders. for those of you who don't know, i hate making cakes. i'm starting to mind it a little less, but as far as i'm concerned, cupcakes are the way to go! the reason i'm so late posting this today, was that i had to run into the city to deliver today's creation:


chocolate cake with mint frosting.

wednesday's concoction was a red velvet wedding cake with blueberry frosting and fresh blueberries inside. i also had my first adventures with fondant that day to create pearls to go around the base which i lustre dusted to give them a nice sparkly appearance. and last but not least, piped the couple's name in white chocolate around the border... it took waaayyyy longer than anticipated.


ok time to finish up in the kitchen & continue on with my spring cleaning. oh & look what i spotted in the backyard -


rhubarb! coming soon to a cupcake near you...





1 comment:

  1. I want a rhubarb cupcake!!! Love your Blog Jenna! It makes me soooo hungry! See you at the market!
    xo Mary

    ReplyDelete