so much grub

so i'm having some technical difficulties with my blog right now :( no links or pictures or anything interesting...sigh, just hop over to my facebook page to see pics of what i've been making.

thankfully i didn't have any technical issues in the kitchen this week - i got so much done!!! on tuesday i picked up 35 pounds of beef from getaway farm & i've been cooking ever since. i restocked three main courses and will have a much more well-rounded menu this weekend.

first off, i made a new batch of shepherd's pie. i cooked the beef up with onions, garlic, celery, carrots, peas, corn & lots of homemade bbq sauce to give it some tang. then it's topped off with cheddar-green onion mashed potatoes. this one is always a crowd pleaser, a staple of my menu & gluten free to boot!

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the second dish was a fresh batch of moroccan meatballs. this one has become the best seller of late & it's been difficult to keep it in stock. the meatballs are getaway beef & seasoned with garlic, ginger, coriander, parsley, sumac, chillies and a touch of curry. they're smothered in piquant tomato sauce with fennel seed, olives, roasted peppers, dates, harissa & lemon. the side dish is red quinoa with kale from my garden, toasted almonds, harissa & green onions. this is another gluten-free option.

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finally i made a batch of brisket & blue. it's braised beef brisket with red wine, leeks, celery root, pears, sundried tomatoes & balsamic. after the braise it gets brightened up with fresh cherry tomatoes & italian parsley. the side dish is creamy blue cheese gnocchi with roasted garlic, wilted kale & red wine vinegar. this one is pretty serious comfort food.

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so last weekend was super busy for me at crafters. i sold 3 cases of bbq sauce - great stocking stuffer! this week i replenished my stock of maple bourbon & i'll do my best to make sure i have all the flavours on hand heading in to christmas.

there are three salads this week too, all $5 each. the broccoli is the same as usual, the beet saw the addition of toasted pine nuts & the quinoa is the grapefruit-fennel combo.

don't forget that i have gift certificates available & they're A LOT cuter than last year :)

ok back to the kitchen, still have all the frostings to make & a special batman birthday cake - this could be interesting! see you all over the weekend.

holiday orders

okee dokes, so i'm going to be at the market on christmas eve day 10am-noon.

i figured it would be a perfect time for people to pick up holiday orders. 

i'm going to do pre-orders of:

tourtiere with a savoury crust & getaway farm pork  $20 (9-inch)

traditional savoury dressing with cranberries & sage  $20 (1.5 kg)

pumpkin-chai pie  $15

apple-streusel pie  $15

holiday sweet large sampler  $25 (30 pieces - cookies, mini cupcakes, fudge)

holiday sweet decorative sampler $20 (16 pieces - cookies, mini cupcakes, fudge, in a decorative tin)

christmas cakes - special order, message me please :)

orders can be placed through my facebook page, e-mail (jenna@littleredkitschn.com) or twitter.

happy holidays!

back at it

so much has happened over the last couple of weeks that the blog has definitely fallen by the wayside.

last week i had the biggest catering gig of my life. on saturday night, right after the market, i catered a kosher event at the Shaar Shalom Synagogue to celebrate their 60th anniversary. to ensure it was kosher, i did a fair bit of research, asked a ton of questions & prepped in the kitchen at the synagogue all week. it was quite an undertaking, i worked a 20-hour workday last saturday but everything went well & it was fantastic exposure for my business... phewf! (i had been a weee bit stressed.)

then at noon the next day i was on a plane heading off on vacation. five days without picking up a knife, washing a dish or baking a thing, it was grand. things have been really busy with the business lately so it was great to get away just before the christmas insanity begins.

i got back late last night, just in time to do all of my baking for the market this weekend. there will be the usual assortment:

breakfast cookies

snickers brownies

spicy chocolate brownies

maple walnut shortbreads 

hello dolly's

goat milk fudge

and of course cupcakes. this week i will have vanilla, pink grapefruit, red velvet, lemon-blueberry, carrot-maple. chocolate, chocolate-mint and gluten-free chocolate.

my mum did the grocery shopping for me while i was away. but i decided to skip the salads this week for a number of reasons - too much running around, too much to do in one day, plus i'm still on vacation mode... hope no one's too disappointed but they'll be back next week.

while i didn't make any new main courses this week, there's still plenty of selection in the freezers:

beef shepherd's pie  small $10 large $20

moroccan meatballs  large $20

sesame ginger pulled pork  small $10 large $20

holiday pulled pork with sweet potato casserole  large $20

chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies  small $10 large $20

mediterranean vegetable & feta ragu  small $9 large $18

lentil shepherd's pie  small $9 large $18

vegan thai green curry  large $18

i have a huge poultry order to pick up tomorrow from shani's farm so look for the return of jerk chicken & turkey-dressing pies next week, perhaps even a butter chicken dish.

also just a reminder, next weekend is the halifax crafter's holiday show at the olympic centre on cunard street. i'll have some helpers to take care of things at the market but i'll be holding down the fort over there. i'm super stoked for this show, great, quirky, original christmas gifts as accessible prices. plus they have ckdu on site spinning cool tunes all day so it makes for a great vibe. make sure to check it out!

since we're also getting in to the holiday season, don't forget that i sell GIFT CERTIFICATES! they're available in any denomination & can be picked up at the market. i'll have plenty with me this weekend - see you then :)

zombie apocalypse

should the zombie apocalypse commence tomorrow, i'm as ready as i'll ever be. i have enough frozen food on hand to last quite awhile.

last week i was pretty overwhelmed with catering - appetizers & sweets for 60 on halloween & a 4- course sit down dinner for 10 on friday night - hence the lack of a blog update or any new frozen options. needless to say, the freezer was pretty bare at the beginning of the week:

this week was pretty mellow on the catering front so i took the opportunity to replenish my frozen meals in a big way. there are a whopping 5 new mains, most just fresh batches of old favourites. 

this is how it looks now:

i started out vegan with a new batch of lentil shepherd's pies. the 'meat' layer is lentils, mirepoix, mushrooms, swiss chard, tomatoes, zucchini, peas & corn. it's topped with a winter vegetable puree consisting of parsnips, celery root, turnip, cauliflower & sweet potato with some nutritional yeast to add cheesiness.

small $9  large $18

ps: it's gluten-free!

next up was grilled mediterranean vegetable ragu with herby quinoa. this one combines everyone's favourite flavours from the focaccia i typically make for parties...

...minus the gluten. there's loads of grilled veg - zucchini, baby eggplant, red onion, red peppers - in a tangy tomato sauce with kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, feta, parmesan & goat cheese. it's served up with quinoa tossed with olive oil, garlic & fresh oregano.

small $9  large $18 - vegetarian & gluten free

then it was on to the meat. first up were moroccan meatballs, featuring getaway farm beef, in a piquant tomato sauce with harissa quinoa. this has become the best seller on the menu lately. it's gluten-free & cow dairy-free. there are tons of interesting flavours too - sumac, dates, harissa, citrus, coriander, ginger, olives, cumin, almonds...

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then i made a big batch of sesame ginger pulled pork again featuring meat from getaway farm. i braised the shoulder overnight with soy, ginger, chillies & rice vinegar. the next day it was shredded & combined with broccoli, celery, nappa cabbage, baby bok choy, lime & cilantro. it's paired with jasmine rice with bean sprouts & green onions.

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the final main course of the week was a batch of chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies. the chicken came from both shani's farm & thousand hills farm. it was braised and mixed up with double smoked bacon, melted leeks, root veggies, broccoli & fresh herbs. the whole lot got topped off with puff pastry and a brush of egg wash.

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i also made a birthday cake yesterday for one of my most favourite little guys who comes to visit almost every weekend. i don't know who was more excited about it, me or him. i think it's probably the use of sprinkles but i absolutely love this cake!

ok i still have lots to do tonight but i'm getting there. the baking is done! there are 3 kilos of fudge to hopefully last the weekend, 8 types of cupcakes, 4 types of bars & breakfast cookies. i think that's plenty!

i have yet to make the salads, but i will have broccoli, sweet potato & quinoa on the menu this week. the quinoa will be the version with fennel, olives & grapefruit.

i'm also working on a new offering for obladee wine bar. i'm concocting a sharp onion jam to pair with the charcuterie & cheese offerings. it's going to be fairly acidic & should make for a nice accompaniment to the richer meats & nuttier cheeses... well that's what i'm going for anyway!

alrighty back to work & if you need provisions during the zombie apocalypse, you know where to find me.

super stellar

it has been a great week in the kitchen... almost relaxing & i even squeezed in a social life. last week was crazy hectic getting ready for an elaborate hors d'oeuvres spread (hence the absent blog update), a few special orders & baking a 5th birthday cake.

i still have a birthday cake to make tonight but compared to usual, that's way ahead of schedule.

since i wasn't preoccupied with catering jobs, i was able to restock some frozen favourites. the new main course is brisket & blue featuring getaway farms beef. i picked up 18 pounds this week & braised it overnight with leeks, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, pears & red wine. it's incredibly tender & flavourful. it's paired with creamy blue cheese gnocchi & kale from my garden.

small $10 large $20

disco soup is also back - aka beet, parsnip & pear. it has such a fantastic colour that it just looks like a party! it's also vegan, gluten-free & paleo.

i made a batch of chicken stew as well - this is perhaps the hardest item on the menu to keep in stock. it's just classic comfort food - homemade stock, free range chicken, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery, brussels sprouts, peas & herbs.

there're about 10 more flavours on the menu right now too, the complete list is posted on the front of my freezer door at the market & they're all $7 no matter the flavour. there's definitely been a chill in the air this week & soup season is upon us once more.

but if you're not ready for that just yet, there are three salads to choose from as well.

broccoli - the same as always

quinoa - curried hummus dressing, crunchy veg, peanuts, cilantro

beet - wheatberries, shaved fennel, red onion, white wine vinaigrette, kale from my garden, goat cheese & candied walnuts. it's a got a bit of extra flare this week.

and as usual my table will be filled with sweets - and the goat's milk fudge will be hiding underneath.

ok back to the kitchen. i look forward to seeing you all over the weekend.

saturday 7am-3pm

sunday 9am-3pm

yeah that's right, the market closes at 3pm not 4pm, make sure to come early so you don't miss out!

cloves are the new black

it smells like thanksgiving around here today. i have been a veritable pumpkin pie production facility for most of the day. the pies will be available tomorrow at the market, i have lots of pre-orders to fill & the rest will be available on a first come first serve basis. they're not overly sweet & kicked up with lots of cinnamon, cloves & warm chai spices perfect with a side of foxhill or deedee's vanilla ice cream. they are $15 a piece.

cloves also made an appearance in my 'thanksgiving pies' - part deux. last week was turkey & dressing, this week is pork with sweet potato casserole. at pretty much every family gathering we have turkey, ham, dressing & sweet potato casserole, hence my two versions of 'thanksgiving pie' (think shepherd's pie not chicken pot pie). 

my grandma makes the best ham of all time. i'm not normally a ham fan but she bakes a boston butt for hours with lots of mustard & cloves and it tastes like magic! instead of a ham i've made pulled pork with getaway farm meat & incorporated all of the same flavours. it's all mixed up with peppers & swiss chard from my garden to up the nutrients.

then i made a version of my aunt's sweet potato casserole. i added parsnips & turnips from elmridge just to make it a bit less sweet & a bit more interesting. there's some vanilla, cinnamon & it gets topped with candied walnuts. i'm pretty pleased with the final product.

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there are still lots of turkey & dressing pies and if you have a vegan coming to dinner, the lentil shepherd's pies are great seasonal option (only a few larges left).

if you're all holiday-ed out there are plenty of other options too:

chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies

moroccan meatballs

chipotle pulled pork with succotash & sweet potatoes

smokey mac & cheese

vegan thai green curry

beef shepherd's pies

there are a few smalls of the jerk chicken & sesame ginger pork left too.

for a lighter option or a cleanse on tuesday, the soup selection is slowly being replenished too:

carrot, apple, ginger

curried butternut squash

vegan vegetable stew

white bean, lemon & kale

black bean & corn chili

baked beans

roasted pepper, tomato & chipotle

thai turkey & rice

beef stew

chicken stew

seafood chowder

the salads this week with be traditional broccoli, curried quinoa (vegan) and mustard & dill potato (vegan).

the baking was a little insane this week too. i think i went completely overboard on cupcake production so i reeaallllyyyy hope everyone is hungry. flavours this week are:

pumpkin-maple

chocolate

chocolate-mint

vanilla

pink grapefruit

banana-peanut butter

red velvet-raspberry

gluten free pumpkin spice

i also have over 100 cupcakes to decorate for a wedding tomorrow!

oh & check out the cake i made earlier this week:

perhaps my favourite one yet!

 my family dinner isn't until monday so i'll be at the market for regular hours:

saturday 7am-3pm

sunday 9am-3pm

hope to see you all over the weekend!

#cityharvest, cupcakes & turkey

so, i only made one new main course for this weekend and thought i was going to have a pretty mellow week in the kitchen. i was wrong.

at the last minute i decided to add a soup, had three special orders for sweets & am still getting ready for City Harvest.

first off, City Harvest is happening tomorrow!!! get your stretchy pants ready. there is so much tasty grub on special all around the city. the weather's supposed to be glorious & it'll be just the perfect day for walking around & enjoying some delectables.

you can visit the i love local hfx website for a list of all the events & specials.

i'll be teaming up with obladee wine bar for the day. in addition to their usual array of fantastic cheeses & charcuterie, they will have a 'market medley' salad on the menu tomorrow night... made by me! for $5 you'll get a taste of roasted elmridge beets, caramelized noggins fennel, maple glazed walnuts, marinated wheatberries, the dutchman's dragon's breath blue cheese & a sprinkling of riverview herbs microgreens.

for city harvest i'll also have a bit of a special on mini cupcakes - the baker's 1/2doz will be $5 tomorrow only. oh & it will feature the return of pumpkin spice cupcakes.

i did a little playing around this week & i will have them in BOTH the gluten-free & gluten-full varieties!

now i know thanksgiving isn't until next week, but i cooked a turkey this week (i have other plans for next week). a beautiful 16 pound free range bird from shani's farm. i turned it in to one of the most popular dishes i make: turkey & dressing pies! think shepherd's pie but with all the flavours of a turkey dinner. the bottom layer is turkey breast, gravy, peas, carrots, leeks & brussels sprouts. the top layer is potato & bread dressing with sage & dried cranberries.

comme ca:

don't feel like dirtying every dish in your kitchen or slaving away/stressing all day? you're welcome, i did it already ;)

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next week i'll be tackling another seasonal dish. it's the pulled pork & sweet potato pie dish that i've done before, based on my grandma's baked ham recipe & my aunt's sweet potato casserole. it's all of my favourite thanksgiving flavours wrapped up in one. the pork's already on order from getaway farm!

i also whipped up a batch of thai turkey & rice soup. now that cold & flu season is upon us, this one is pretty handy. i made an overnight turkey stock enriched with lemongrass, cardamom, star anise, garlic, ginger & chillies so it's not your typical turkey soup. the veggies are carrots, celery, peppers, bok choy, green onions with some coconut, lime, thai basil, green onions & jasmine rice.

as with all the soups/stews/chowder/chili it's $7/500ml container.

this week i'll only have three types of salad with me at the market.

broccoli - same as always

quinoa - spicy curry & peanuts

sweet potato - avocado, lime, cilantro

the sweets selection will be the same as usual too (minus lemon bars this week)

breakfast cookies

snickers brownies

maple walnut bars

hello dollies

goat milk fudge

CUPCAKES!!!

ok i have loads of work to do today, better get to work. hope to see you over the weekend... perhaps even after the market as i eat my way around the food truck rally!!!